It sounded simple, all lie down, all go to sleep, but for Candy, it wasn’t. Her head was buzzing, she wanted to talk, but had no idea what to say, or who to say it to, and while her head buzzed, Andy and Marsha slept alongside her.

If she rolled to one side, she’d show her back to the other. She desperately wanted to hold Andy but a little voice told her not to upset Marsha, but would either of them even know when they woke up?

If Andy threw her out, and surely he ought to throw her out, then she’d need Marsha, unless Marsha stayed with Andy... and she might. For sure she might, she’d lived with him half of the time for the last month. For the time while she was recovering from her own stupidity, her own lack of loyalty to both of them.

If she looked to her left, the side her heart was on, then she could see Andy’s face, barely illuminated by the dim moonlight creeping through the window. If she turned the other way Marsha’s long hair was cascading over the pillow and she could see the leather collar with its silver studs, picking up some more of those quiet moonbeams.

Why was Marsha wearing that? Was she Andy’s slave now? She’d been a slave before — had she been with that woman at the place the ambulance took her? Was that why Marsha was collared?

Candy stared at the ceiling and saw a face looking down at her. Her face, the face from the movie — out of it, covered in cum. Was that face actually there? Had Andy painted it on the ceiling? Had he seen that film? Oh God, had Andy really seen that film, is that why the picture was there, to remind her, to make sure she never forgot.

Andy stirred and the face on the ceiling disappeared. Candy rubbed her eyes and looked again. No face. I must have been asleep, she thought, and then another memory pinged into her brain. I get nightmares when I sleep on my back. I have to roll over.

Candy rolled towards Andy, rolled more and lay face down, her head turned a little towards Andy, turned enough to breathe.

Exhaustion is a good anaesthetic and the three of them had had their share. Andy woke first and crept out of bed. He thought about making coffee but the machine makes a noise. He settled for fruit juice instead. He’d almost reached the bottom of the glass when Marsha crept in.

“She’s still fast asleep.”

“Probably just as well,” Andy said. “Did we overdo it last night?”

Marsha opened the fridge, poured herself juice and topped up Andy’s.

“Physically, I’m sure everything was fine. I made sure Mistress and the others knew what they were doing, they had a foam cushion under her and there was never any pressure on her ribs, no one got on top of her.”

Andy nodded.

“Honestly Andy, I looked after those ribs on the unit for days on end, I wasn’t about to let anyone harm them.”

“I know,” Andy said. “I believe you,” he chuckled. “It must have been almost non-contact sex.”

“Depends on what you call contact, there was plenty of penetration. Do you have a plan for today?”

“First thing is breakfast. I’ve made pancakes. Now you’re awake, I’ll risk the coffee machine. Apart from the physical, are you feeling okay about yesterday?”

“Mistress tempted her along, made her consent on film. Candy wanted it, maybe she shouldn’t have, maybe she hesitated, but she did it. That mojo is still there. She may try to suppress it but we both need to remember that if the right buttons are pressed, she’s likely to go for it.” She chuckled. “Was it too much for you?”

“No, I guess not — Thanks for sending the movie clips. She was out of control, but safe because we both know that Mistress can be trusted... That’s the part Candy wouldn’t have known for sure," Andy said. "Are we ready?”

“You take the food, I’ll bring the coffee.”

Candy was still asleep when they walked in. Maybe it was the smell of the coffee or the chink of the cups, whatever it was, she stirred in the bed and slowly rolled over. For a second she was confused, looking around the room.

“Where am I,” she said.

“Our new bedroom, I showed you last night.”

“Last night... Oh God, last night... tell me again.”

“My old office. We knocked out the wall into the garden, put in new windows, cut through into the bathroom downstairs and put in a hoist so you can do your rehab safely.”

“Plus a huge bed,” said Marsha.

“I could have told you while you were in hospital, but I didn’t like to say until it was done. They put the finishing touches two days ago and the pictures convinced the hospital you could come home.”

Andy put the breakfast tray on the bedside table, plumped up the pillows and helped Candy sit up so he could put a bed table over her legs and serve breakfast.

Candy ate a little of the egg and drank some coffee before she put her fork down and looked at Andy and then Marsha.

“Does this new room have chairs? I can’t eat with you two standing there watching every move I make. Could the two of you sit somewhere?”

Andy opened a cupboard and pulled out two folding chairs.

Candy ate another bite and put the tools down again.

“What exactly happened last night?”

“We thought you’d be able to remember.”

“Yeah, maybe I do... or maybe I don’t.”

“Did we overdo it?”

“You were both in this together.”

“One way or another, yeah.”

“So,” she said, looking at Andy, “you knew what happened to me on the way home?”

“Not exactly... roughly, M sent me clips as they filmed.”

Candy threw her head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. She turned to Marsha.

“So you organised it?”

“Sort of.”

“Oh come on.”

“While you were in hospital I had a few meetings with Marsha’s old mistress,” Andy said. “I was trying to find a way that you could have an out-of-control experience and still be safe. I can't cope with you going on doing what you did before.”

“Me neither,” said Marsha.

“I was the one who nearly died.”

“Yes, I know love, but you were unconscious when it mattered, Marsha and I had to watch. Marsha saw you brought in covered in blood and hardly able to breathe. I had the phone call, I saw the car wreck. I actually drove past it on the way to the hospital.”

“I’ll give it all up.” Candy started to cry.

“Don’t say that,” Andy said. “Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep.”

“Candy darling,” Marsha said, “think about last night, I watched. As soon as you caught sight of those cocks, you were hooked. Mistress gave you every chance to say no, but you didn’t. Watch the film if you don’t believe me.”

“You watched?”

“I was in the production suite picking camera angles.”

“Oh, shit,”

“Candy, if you have that need," Andy said, “if you have to be used, be out-of-control, be desired beyond sense, then we have to find a way to give you something that works. We talked about it in the hospital. I said I’d find a way. Last night was for two things, one to remind you how crazy you were, but also to show you that you are a woman that everyone wants to fuck. We gave you that and kept you safe... Sorry, a long speech.”

“Candy honey,” Marsha said. “You know I love you, and Andy does too, has done way longer than me, but if you have to keep having these crazy orgies with strangers, then you’ll lose both of us. I’ll keep Andy if he’ll have me, he’s too good to lose. What I want, and what I think Andy wants, is to keep both of us. If you have to have some helpless chaotic lust as part of that bargain, then we’ll find a way. One thing for sure, I never want to see you smashed and broken like that again.”

“Did you really see the car wreck?” Candy turned to Andy. “You never said.”

“When it happened you were on your way back here from the club. Your route took you right past the hospital and you crashed between there and home. After they called me I went straight to the hospital. It took a while because there was a car wreck being cleared by the police. I saw them haul it onto a flatbed to take it away. When I saw it I didn’t realise it was your wreck, it dawned on me when I got home.”

“But you didn’t say.”

“You were unconscious, sedated and ventilated for almost a week before anyone could tell you anything. When you woke up, it was old news and the only thing that mattered was getting you well.”

Candy scooped up the last of her egg and drank some more coffee. She looked at one and then the other, lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. Five minutes went by.

“Are there pictures?”

“Of you or of the wreck?”

“Either.”

“Why?”

“This is going to sound stupid,” she said, her eyes still closed.

“Go on.”

“When I had nights out, I always sent back pictures. They were part of the penance; proof of my misdeeds, proof of guilt, so I had to be punished. I used to look at them on the wardrobe door, you know, the next week or the week after. Eventually, I’d tell myself they weren’t so bad, tell myself I’d been punished, so I had a clean sheet, so I could go again.”

She stopped to breathe, lying back a little deeper into the pillows.

“This is worse. I kind of deserve a life sentence. That’s what you would have had if I’d died.”

She broke into sobs again. A minute passed before she opened her eyes and then it was only to wipe away the tears. Slowly the crying stopped and her breathing came back to normal.

“Why is Marsha wearing a collar and bondage things?”

Marsha smiled and suppressed a chuckle. “So you could see them.”

Finally, Candy smiled. “Another mystery puzzle. Come on, I mean what’s been going on?”

“I wore them so Andy could practice.”

“Very funny. Practice what?”

Marsha looked across at Andy, back at Candy and back to Andy.

“Do you like them or do you think metal would be better?”

“Are they comfortable?”

“No worse than a cock cage.”

Candy sat up quickly and looked at Andy. “Did you really use an angle grinder on that thing?”

“Yes,” he said, got up disappeared for a moment and came back with the severed pieces of the lock.

Andy put them on the tray.

“It sounded so scary.”

“It was meant to. I conned you love. I did use the grinder but not while the cage was on me. The grinder heats the metal and throws off sparks, even if I’d cut it without grinding myself I’d have burns from the heat. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Actually, all it needed was a bolt cropper to chop the lock, the angle grinder was theatrical sound effects, just to make the point. What M means is that the collar is a reminder, she knows she’s wearing it, it reminds her why she’s wearing it, just like the cage reminded me that you were out fucking and I was faithful at home.”

“There’s something going on here isn’t there. Am I being thick.”

Andy and Marsha kept quiet, looked at the floor, sipped coffee and waited. Andy got up and picked up the breakfast tray. He turned, disappeared into the kitchen and returned a minute later.

“Would you like to try out the hoist and the shower?”

“So you’re not going to tell me.”

Marsha picked up the coffee cups and made the same journey as Andy, leaving husband and wife looking at each other.

“Okay, I get it, we’re playing it your way. What do I do?”

Andy handed her the remote control. “Last night we did it for you, this time you should try it yourself. This button brings the sling to you, so run it along until it’s close enough and then slide it under your legs until you can sit on it. Sit up, press the up button and hang on while it swings you off the bed and then run it along into the bathroom. If you keep going it takes you right into the shower and shuts the door behind you. It’s a wet room so it doesn’t matter where the water goes. When you’re done switch off the shower. You can use a towel or blow dry and trundle back when you’re ready.”

“Can you come with me?”

“Sure no problem, or would you prefer the nurse?”

They heard Marsha laughing from the doorway.

“I’ll try on my own, but I’d like you to hang around in case.”

Andy watched as Candy showered, seeing for the first time close up the scars left by the surgery on her foot. It looked clean and healing well.

“Show me blow-dry.”

“It’s like a shower except you get hot air instead of water. Stand in the same place and press the air button.”

Candy was reduced to fits of giggles, turning one way and another as she felt the air jets blow the water off her skin.

“Won’t it make my skin too dry?”

“Three buttons on the side, temperature, velocity and humidity. Have it warmer, with more humidity and don’t blow too hard. When you’re feeling more agile, you can use moisturiser.”

A few minutes later Candy turned off the air, happy that she was exactly the right amount of dry. She swung the hoist back to her, settled into it and ferried herself back to the bed.

She sat on the edge of the bed swinging her legs.

“This is brilliant. You’re a genius. Why did you do it?”

Andy pressed a button to open the curtains, revealing for the first time the view into the garden.

"Most of all I wanted you home, so I made a place where you could rest and recover. The more I thought about it, the more possibilities dawned on me."

"Go on," she said.

"Imagine we had a barbecue, plenty of guests, you could be on the bed, or strung up on the hoist, available to all the guests. That would be safe and just as wild as any of your clubs.”

"Wow."

"you don't have to, but the possibilities are there."

"So we could open the doors right now and walk into the garden?”

“Sure, you’ll need crutches, won’t you? I thought that foot couldn’t bear weight yet.”

“I wish they’d put it in plaster.”

“Did they give you crutches?”

“No. I suppose I should have asked.”

“I’ll get some.”

“Don’t go yet... I want to talk.”

“Sure, I get that and you’re not the only one. Why don’t you make some notes, I won’t be long, and having you mobile is important. Relax, if you need to move, there’s the hoist or the wheelchair.”

Andy left without giving Candy a chance to say anything else. Candy sat on the bed, the first time she’d been alone and awake since she left the hospital. As Andy left, he had tossed a pad and pencil on the bed. Candy picked it up.

“Questions,” she said and opened the book. Across the first page, she read — ‘Whatever happens, remember I love you.’

“Thank you, Andy,” she said.

“What for love?” said Andy appearing at the door clutching a pair of crutches.

“How did you get back so fast?”

“I only had to go to the garage.”

Candy collapsed laughing. “You are wicked.”

“I’ve been working at it. Have you ever used these things?”

“Sure, in hospital the last few days.”

Andy handed her the crutches and pressed a button on the wall. The french windows slid open.

“You want to go outside?”

Andy nodded and stepped out into the garden.

“Where are my clothes?”

“You don’t need clothes, the garden’s private, no one can see.”

“Where are my clothes?”

“I was coming to that.”

“Am I going to like this?”

“I’m not sure that’s the right question.”

Candy eased herself off the bed to stand on one leg. She put the crutches under her armpits and swung herself around to head towards the garden. A minute later she sat on one of the garden chairs.

“How do you feel?”

 “Weird... Being outside, not in the hospital, feels great, but being naked feels vulnerable and free at the same time.”

“I’ve got some work I need to do, so I want to spend some time in my office, which is now upstairs. I can keep an eye on you through the window. I think you should stay out here for half an hour and see how you feel then.”

Andy strolled through the new french windows and disappeared. Candy sat outside ruminating on what had just been said. Marsha appeared, wearing a tracksuit and sweating a little.

“Have you been running?”

“Only a couple of miles. I don’t have the energy when I’m working nights so I like to catch up on my days off. How are you feeling?”

“Glad to be home and very naked. Andy seems to want to test me. Is that what he’s doing?”

“Exploring rather than testing. He has to know what does it for you and maybe also where the limits are. You were almost killed. I know you didn’t plan the crash, but you got in a car with a crazy guy without thinking twice. Andy has to know how far you will go.”

“I don’t know myself.”

“Andy has another problem, he doesn’t know how far he can go himself. Pushing you, pushes him too. He’s exploring. So tell me do you feel uncomfortable right now?”

“A little.”

“Can I try something with you?”

“Will Andy mind?”

“He already knows, but it’s best if this comes from me.”

“Okay.”

“Put these on. They’re like I wore yesterday, only they’re for you.” Marsha put a bag on the table and tipped out a collar, ankle and wrist cuffs and a wide leather belt. She stood up, moved behind Candy and fixed the collar around her neck, clicking a padlock into place. She took each of her hands in turn and cuffed her wrists and locked the cuffs individually, not connected but impossible to remove.

“Put the belt on.”

Candy complied.

“Here’s the lock. Lock it.”

“Who has the keys?”

“That’s not your problem. Do you think your legs will cope with the ankle cuffs?”

“Best not,” Candy said. “Maybe we should leave that until everything is working properly.”

Marsha stepped back and looked at her. “It looks good. How does it feel?”

“Different... Actually it kind of feels like I’m dressed in a way.”

“Good, that’s the idea. Andy will be pleased.”

“Am I a slave when I’m wearing this?”

“Do you feel like a slave?”

Candy laughed. “I have no idea how a slave is supposed to feel.”

“If I tell you that you are a slave, how does that feel?”

“This is crazy... I can’t explain...”

Marsha reached across Candy and attached a chain to her collar, holding the other end in her hand.

“What does that do?”

“It makes me feel more dressed, as though someone else is responsible for my nakedness, so it doesn’t matter. I... um... this really is crazy. I feel free, but I’m chained up, so I’m not free, but I’m freed from being me. Freed from expectations. It’s actually liberating.”

Marsha stood up, leaned over and kissed Candy, her tongue invading her mouth as her hand reached between her legs and played for a few seconds while the kiss lasted. Marsha stood back and looked at the effect she’d had. She reached out and took a nipple in each hand, gently tweaking, feeling them harden even more.

“I’m off for a shower. Those nipples are good, being a slave suits them. Maybe you need some jewellery. This would be a good time to get something done.”

“How do you mean?”

“While other things are healing and you’re naked all day.”  Marsha chuckled, turned and left.

Candy sat for a few more minutes and then stood up, standing on one leg while she got the crutches into position she moved herself away from the table and took a few steps into the garden until she was standing on the grass with nothing around her. She could be seen naked from any angle. She knew that there were no neighbours who could overlook the lawn she stood on, none that she could see.

She took a few more steps, making her exposure feel more complete. She carefully laid the crutches on the ground and forced herself to stand for a minute. The same feeling was there. Wearing what she thought of as her slave costume made her nudity seem like someone else’s problem, not her fault. The collar and cuffs were not only a uniform, but they were also a disguise, they removed guilt. Anyone could see that she was forced to do this, that she was property, like a mannequin in a shop, an object for a purpose that was not controlled by her.

After standing for a few minutes her good leg started to feel tired, so she retrieved the crutches and hobbled back to her chair. She tried to imagine herself wearing this gear around the house. For cooking, she’d need an apron but cleaning or doing laundry, for anything like that she could be dressed like this all the time. Could she answer the door? Would she dare meet the postman, sign for a parcel or a pizza?

Thinking about it produced a buzz, a tingle in her pussy. She reflexly looked around in case by some crazy accident someone was watching, and then she inserted a finger. It had done something, that was for sure. She licked her finger, relaxed in the chair and felt the sun on her boobs.

Andy reappeared a few minutes later.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes,” she said. “It’s liberating.”

“Is it anything like being stripped and fucked in a nightclub?”

She looked quickly at Andy’s face to see if he was serious.

“Actually, yes, it is a bit like that. I mean physically it’s not the same but I do get that feeling of letting go.”

“I’d like to buy you a more interesting set.”

“With jewels and stuff? So I look like expensive property?”

“Mmmm. I wouldn’t want anyone thinking you came cheap.”

“Are you open to offers? I mean someone might be interested.” She couldn’t help giggling.

“That could be a game we played. I’d have to think about it a lot.”

“Because it scares you?”

“Partly that, but mostly I’d have to figure out a way to keep you safe.”

“You could sell me, be rid of all the angst and keep Marsha.”

Andy laughed. “I hope you’re joking. Renting you out might be a better option and could be a wild trip, but I’m not going to risk losing you.”

“If you had to choose between me and Marsha?”

“I’m glad I don’t have to. It’s not me who has the choices; either of you could leave, you’ve got each other and you certainly know that you can find more exciting cocks that are bigger and better than mine. You managed to cheat on me with Marsha without me even guessing, so I’m the one on the spot here. I’m the one who has to find a way to keep you happy.”

“What if I was happy being your slave?”

Andy sat down. “You know, having you in hospital for a few weeks has made me forget how impetuous you can be. Right now is too early for these questions. You have to heal up properly and we need to use the time to think carefully and not jump to conclusions. I know that’s Andy being boring and sober, but that’s how it is.”

As he spoke he’d been looking at the table, not making eye contact at all, but now he looked up.

“One other thing, I have the keys to what you’re wearing and you have nothing else to wear because every stitch you own is safely locked away. If I can’t spank you and whip you, I can at least keep you naked. It is a sort of punishment, but it may be fun too.”

“What if someone comes?”

“Like who? but what the hell, they’ll be shocked, you’ll have an interesting experience and we’ll all learn something. My plan was that you'd have no clothes until you can walk around the block unaided and climb the stairs five times in an hour.”

“Yes sir,” she said. “Will I have to walk around the block like this?”

“Maybe,” he laughed. "It's just a fantasy, I can't keep you as a prisoner, but it's cool that you didn't bat an eye at the idea."

Andy watched her face and relaxed when she grinned.

“I think you’ve had enough time outside, let me help you in; you probably need a rest after all this excitement.”

“Am I allowed to ask questions?”

“Of course.”

“Is this permanent?”

“Yes and no. My idea, a bit like we talked about at the hospital is that most of the time everything will be normal, but if you need it or if you think it’s time or, I guess if I think you need it, then we switch into a different mode. A bit like before when you’d say to me that you needed a night out. Does that make sense?”

“I guess.”

“I detect some hesitation there. You need time to think, to experiment. The only absolute rule is that we are not playing the old game again. If you have to have that instead of anything I can dream up then we have a serious problem.”

“I, um, I wondered if we could do this more. The old way had to be only now and then because it was disruptive, but this is just us, at home, or maybe on holiday but we could do this every day.”

Andy pulled her up. “I think that’s what they call running before you can walk, which in your case is very apt. When you can walk around the block—”

“—and climb the stairs five times in an hour,” she said. “Yeah, I get it. You’re right, this is thinking time.”

“Imagination time, fantasising time.” Andy put an arm around her and lifted her to her feet, put a crutch under each arm and walked behind her, his hands on her hips, guiding her back to the new giant bed.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Andy left Candy to rest and took a car ride to the hospital. He met the consultant that had done her foot operation.

“How long does she have to keep that foot off the ground?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

“When she came home in a wheelchair she was told to keep her foot off the ground. I wondered if she’d be better with a boot of some sort, or a cast. Is that possible?”

“Was she offered a boot?”

“I don’t know. The day she came home was a bit confused, I was waiting at home — didn’t know when the ambulance would turn up.”

“She can have a boot,” the doctor said, leafing through the notes in front of him. “If you talk to physiotherapy, I’m sure they can produce a boot.”

“So how come she didn’t get one already?”

The doctor almost chuckled. “Don’t get mad at me here, it may be partly your fault. I think the therapists were so impressed with the facilities you’ve put in at home they stopped worrying about anything else.”

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

As the sun was going down, Candy played a wild card.

“Guys I get nightmares if I sleep on my back, can I have a side berth tonight?”

“We could let you have the whole bed.”

“Oh no, I’m not having that, one of you two has to sleep with me.”

Marsha spoke up first, “Andy you should sleep with your wife. I think I’ll go to the nurses home, you two should have some time together.”

“Unless Candy would rather have you,” said Andy.

“No I don’t think Candy deserves a choice, she gets you tonight. Stop all this gentleman stuff Andy, not tonight. We’ll all have plenty of time to figure everything out, but tonight is for good old sentimental stuff. Husband and wife. Go with the flow guys.”

“Andy,” Candy said, “can I have five minutes with M?”

Andy disappeared into the kitchen.

“What?”

“Nothing lover, I wanted to say thanks for what you just did.”

“Did that need private time?”

“No. I just wanted to keep Andy guessing a little. I read a lot in hospital; Esther Perel says love depends on two things, surrender and autonomy.”

“So you’re using me as a bit of autonomy?”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. This time, is me being me, keeping something from Andy. It sounds mad after what I’ve done, I should be building trust not keeping him guessing, but all I know is surrender. I have to start somewhere.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” Marsha gently pushed Candy back onto the bed, leaned over and kissed her, one hand strayed down to her pussy.

“If Andy keeps you naked all the time, it’s going to be fun.”

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Andy reappeared when Marsha had gone. “Any requests for supper?”

“Something light and tasty.”

“Would a soup or a broth work? Proper invalid fuel?”

Candy grinned and Andy left the door open as he went back to the kitchen.

“Tomorrow we’re going back to the hospital for a surprise.”

“Do I have to be kept in suspense?”

“I talked to your surgeon. He thinks you could have a special boot fitted so you could actually walk. It would be good for your leg muscles.”

“I’ll need clothes.”

Andy reappeared with the soup on a tray.

“I wasn’t going to keep you naked forever, I just wanted to make a point.”

“You did, love. So will there be rules about clothes?”

“Keeping you naked and dressed like a slave is great, but I think we’d both lose out with too much of it. It wouldn’t be a treat. I like you dressing up. If I kept you naked I’d miss out on that. I think we need some days when you decide what to do.”

“But what if I decide to go off being a slut again?”

“I thought maybe both of us should have some sort of veto, so I could say no if I was scared for you and you could say no if I pushed you too hard.”

“I don’t want a veto,” she said. “Well not exactly. Would it be too awful if sometimes we tossed a coin, or shook dice or something, you know, like a random element? I could pick a number, like three or something and throw the die. If I get a three then I can say no. How would that be?”

“And the same for me?”

“No, you can just say no.”

“Is that fair?”

“It’s for different things, you say no to keep me safe, I say no so I can feel some independence. If I don’t shake, or if I lose, then I’m your slave, no safe words, no clothes, you choose everything.”

“But if you get your number you can say no? Okay, I can go with that. Most times I’d like it best if we talked and came to our own conclusions.”

“Like discuss and agree.”

“Exactly,” Andy said. “There is another thing. How long does it last? We used to say till midnight, would that still work?”

Candy lay back on the bed. “I like the boot idea. I bet they can’t do those boots in thigh high leather.”

Andy laughed. “Maybe we could find someone who could make boots like that, but shall we walk before we strut? What about the time thing?”

“Midnight was for slut clubbing, I think whatever the activity it should have its own time frame. Say you wanted to take me as your slave to Cap D’Agde, or somewhere like that... that would be for a week or two weeks, so the deal would be for the whole of that time.”

“O... kay, I get the idea.”

“Enough of all that,” she said. “I want to try sex with this hoist. Did you have a plan?”

“I don’t have a plan...” he watched her smile cloud... “but I do have some ideas.”

Andy opened a cupboard. “Have you ever tried a sex swing?”

“You know perfectly well that I haven’t.”

“I don’t know that,” he said. “There’s some of your sex life — ”

“I always told you everything.”

“Not about Marsha, you could have tried it with Marsha, and if not Marsha, well who knows, I certainly don't.”

“You’re right," she said, sighing. "You don’t know everything. I don’t even know what I have told you.”

“Let’s put that behind us,” Andy said, “we’ll operate on the notion that both of us are novices. It works like this, one of us is in the swing and one isn’t.”

Andy emerged from the cupboard with the swing and hooked it to the hoist as he spoke. “I’ll lower it onto the bed and you should be able to get into it without any strain on your legs or your ribs.”

“Then what?”

“One of us presses the button and you are lifted up a little. That makes it easy to swing you around and, well, isn’t it obvious... Let's just do it, you’ll get the hang of it.”

“Is that some sort of pun?”

Andy chuckled and did his best not to engage in more banter. The seat of the swing allowed Candy to lie back almost horizontal. Andy moved behind her on the bed, helping to make sure that Candy was relaxed and secure before he swung her around so that her legs were free of the bed. Andy knelt at the side of the bed and very gently licked the length of her pussy. Up then down and up again without penetration and so slowly that what she could feel was a creeping warmth.

On the third run, he pressed a little harder and began to ease into her.

“Do you get the idea?”

“Oh yeah. I’ve been missing that for a month. Go a little deeper.”

“What about last night?”

“That wasn't the same. I was being fucked, not having a swinging time with my husband.”

He probed a little deeper and then deeper again until his tongue was resting inside her.

“Oh... yeah...” breathing slowly, she tried to sit herself up but failed. “Hell, I’m weak. Andy I don’t want you to stop, but I want to see.”

“Use your arms, hold the side straps and pull yourself up we can adjust the angle of the seat later.”

His tongue returned and began to move around and soon he felt her hands on the back of his head; there was no escape now. He could feel her muscles tensing, her breathing changing and then she pushed him away.

“What? What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing love, nothing at all. I could feel myself coming but I got frightened... What if my ribs broke again?”

“Let yourself relax, breath in and out slowly, give yourself a minute doing that.” He waited a few seconds. “Did you come at Mistress’s place last night?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, so coming is safe, but if you feel worried just breath out and let yourself relax, that will take any pressure off your ribs.”

Andy got up from his knees, laid his hand over her pussy to hold the warmth and watched.

“In... out... slowly does it.”

After a minute Andy decided that she seemed to be okay.

“You’re just anxious love. I’m not surprised. Anyone would be. I’m going to do something else. Close your eyes and keep breathing like that.”

Andy retreated momentarily to a cupboard and brought out a small vibrator, he set it on the slowest speed, covered it in lube and started gently moving it up and down her slit.

“Does that feel good?”

“Mmmm, go deeper.”

Inch by inch the vibrator made its way in until it was almost out of sight.

“I’m going up a size.”

“Try your cock, but be gentle. I know it will be alright, I had bigger ones last night.”

Andy had been waiting for a sign. Slowly, gradually he found his way in, not thrusting, simply putting enough pressure to allow the folds of her vagina to slide open.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Candy laughed. “It’s good,” she said. “The swing and what you’re doing. It feels like forever since you were in me.”

“Was last night better?”

“Size-wise, yes, but I was scared to death, I had no idea what was happening. Actually what was happening?”

“You were the guest at a little party," he said, sliding into her again."A party almost exactly what used to happen to Marsha every Friday night when she lived there, except yours was more gentle.”

“Wow. She never told me. How come you know.”

“We’ve had a lot of time to talk.”

“More than I ever did I guess.”

“Well you must have always been in a hurry, I mean you couldn’t take too long or your husband might have been suspicious.”

Andy felt Candy’s pelvic muscles contract around him.

“Will I ever live that down?”

“No, but I don’t hold it against you, I just like teasing you. It feels like an age since I could do that.” He reached forward and played with her nipples for a moment. “I would have been happy about M, I think, so long as you weren’t planning to leave me.”

“I wouldn’t do that... but I wish I knew why I did it.”

“Can we finish the demonstration first, or lesson one at least, before we get into the deep questions?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If you put a belt or a rope around me, you could pull me yourself onto me, as hard or as fast as you wanted... or as slow.”

“So you would stand still and I pull myself onto you?”

“Yeah. There are probably several ways, but you get the idea. You can control what happens. That way you can’t get hurt accidentally.”

“Very clever.”

“If ever you felt the need for some guy with a big cock...”

“We’d never get them to stand still.”

“We could tie them up.”

Candy burst out laughing.

“Some might go for it,” Andy said. “You can’t deny it would be kinky.”

“So this room could be a playroom?”

“That’s why the bed folds against the wall. You’re not going to be fragile forever.”

“Tomorrow I want you to buy all the straps and leather you can imagine being interesting,” she said. “For now I want to cuddle and sleep with you. Part of my brain wants to fuck you, but part is still scared.”

Andy nodded. “Do you want a bedtime drink, like hot chocolate or something?”

“Something sweet and alcoholic?”

Andy came back a minute later with two glasses.

“Try this,” Andy said and closed the blinds, producing instant twilight.

Candy took a sip from the warm honey-coloured liquid.

“Hot apple juice,” she said, “with, um, I’m guessing cognac?”

“Armenian brandy.”

“Ah, okay, and something else, some kind of spice?”

“Do you like it?”

“Mmmm. What is the spice?”

“A clove and a cardamon seed in the hot honey for a minute, plus a tiny pinch of cayenne.”

“It’s good.” Candy lay back against the pillows. Andy found himself unable to take his eyes away from gazing at her. She grinned.

“Can’t take your eyes off them?”

“I haven’t seen them for a month, I’m so glad they survived.”

Her expression clouded for a second. “I never thought of that... I could have been mangled. “Do you know what Marsha said? She thought I should get them pierced, she thought it would go well with the collar. What do you think?”

“I’d like to get you a more decorative collar, but she’s probably the expert on slave costumes.”

Candy lay, smiling, musing, listening to Andy breathing, a peaceful reassuring sound.

“Yeah," she whispered, breathing the words quietly into the night.

" I think I fancy, rings, dangling things, bells on them,” she tried to look at Andy in the dim light.

“Could you cope if I had my pussy lips pierced?”.

His breathing changed, a sharper intake. Did he hear or was he dreaming?