Chapter 1

Chapter One

One month later …

"Welcome home."

Roselia's skin crawled as she stepped into the massive kitchen of her new Master's estate. She didn't dare lift her gaze to take in the specifics, but she knew the room was huge, modern, and very clean.

She stood shivering. It was warmer in the kitchen, but it had been cold outside, and she was naked.

"I know it's late, but I think it's important for me to go over the rules and my expectations for you." He had one hand on the leash attached to her collar, and he gave it a tug. "Come."

As if she had any other options. He nearly dragged her out of the kitchen, down a dark-paneled hallway, and into what she assumed was what rich people called a study or a library.

After hauling her to the middle of the room, he stopped, rounded behind her, and removed the collar. The leash fell away with it.

For one brief moment, she was so relieved. Maybe he wouldn't leave her collared. She hadn't worn a collar under Master J's care. It had only been put on her tonight for the demonstration and transfer of ownership.

Her relief was short-lived, however, because moments later, her new Master wrapped something else around her neck. It was thick and heavy. Black leather. He adjusted it several times until he was pleased and then somehow locked it. She heard the key turn before he rounded to her front, held the key up to show her, and tucked it in his pocket.

She couldn't control her breathing. Why was it so heavy? Something bulky was in front of her throat at the front of it. It felt like it was stabbing into her neck.

He smiled. "Fits perfectly. I knew you would be small, but I was worried I might have gotten it too large." He narrowed his gaze, making her realize she was looking directly at him. Looking at her new Master was forbidden. Shit .

Roselia jerked her gaze to the floor.

"That's better, Lily." His voice was oddly kind, not in a way that was trustworthy. No. His tone warned of the fact that if she crossed him, he might snap in less than a nanosecond. "I read the notes regarding your training. I know it was brief. You only have about four months of training. That's not ideal, but you're so very pretty that I couldn't resist purchasing you. I hope you won't be any trouble."

She swallowed. He hadn't asked her a direct question, so she kept her mouth shut.

He turned and strolled to sit in an armchair several feet away. He leaned back casually and crossed one leg over the other. Everything in this scenario was surreal, but then again, her entire life had been unfathomable for four months.

"I know you're curious. It's a shock collar."

She flinched. Was he serious?

"I don't intend to use it for punishment. If you misbehave in my home, I will discipline you in many ways. Shocking you won't be one of them. The collar keeps you from leaving the house. You will not be able to exit through any door or window without collapsing in unbearable pain. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir." Her voice was wobbly. She was scared out of her mind. She had no idea if this Master would be worse or better than her last. She would find out soon, but if the collar and his threats of punishment were any indication…

"You cannot remove the collar, so I suggest you not try. It's permanent. I will not even need to remove it when the battery needs replacing. I'll do that through the box in the front."

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry .

"You'll get used to the weight of it in time. It will become a comfort to you. You will feel peace, knowing that my home is your bubble. It's up to you whether your stay here is pleasant or not."

Peace? Is he insane?

"Please assume the wait position I know you've been taught, Lily."

Shit . She quickly spread her feet shoulder-width apart and clasped her hands behind her back. How had she not done this before?

"That's better. Any time I'm talking to you, I expect you to stand in this position facing me unless I tell you otherwise. Pull your shoulders back, Lily. Tits higher. If I have to tell you that in the future, I will swat your tits several times to remind you and teach you a lesson. Do I make myself clear?"

She shuddered. "Yes, Sir." Apparently, her new Master would not hesitate to injure her.

"Your body is the reason I purchased you despite your lack of training. Your hair is glorious. Your skin tone makes men salivate. Your high, pert, small breasts with their tiny dark nipples are divine. Your waist is slim enough I could span it with my hands. I've seen many photos of your pussy. I know it's perfection. In essence, you are a work of art, and now, you are my piece of art to look at whenever I want."

Her head was spinning. Until she'd been abducted, she'd never thought much about her appearance. She hadn't had the time or money to care about her hair, clothes, or makeup. She'd gone to school, done her homework, helped her mother around the apartment, and slept. Her clothes had been from second-hand shops. She hadn't ever had professional haircuts, and Lord knows she hadn't owned makeup. Her mother hadn't believed in vanity, and she'd drilled that into Roselia from a young age.

Then, she'd been kidnapped and sent to Master J's home, where she'd been treated as a sex object. Not a human being at all. Evidently, that would not change at her new Master's house.

"Let's go over some expectations, shall we, Lily?"

"Yes, Sir." She jerked herself out of her thoughts. She needed to pay attention or risk punishment.

He chuckled. "Good girl. So eager to learn. First of all, my estate is large. Until today, I've had a staff of three women who maintained the inside. They have all been let go. You are their replacement. I expect you to explore the entire home first thing tomorrow. The rooms you are not permitted to enter are locked. Everything else is your domain. I expect you to learn how I like things and maintain the estate to this same standard from now on."

She was replacing three people?

"I have provided you with an alarm clock in your room. You will rise at five every morning. I expect you to be presentable and in the kitchen by five-fifteen. I expect my coffee to be brought to me in my bedroom at six—breakfast in the dining room at six-thirty. I've left detailed instructions and recipes in a binder on the kitchen counter. Do you have any questions so far?"

"No, Sir." It was hard to get her voice high enough to be heard.

"The binder also contains meal suggestions for lunch, which you will serve me again in the dining room at noon. Dinner at six. In between meals, you will keep this home spotless. Again, all of this is listed in the binder. I like my laundry done on certain days. Linens, sheets, towels, and clothes. You will tidy up my room immediately after breakfast. Your own room will be kept impeccable at all times, too. When you come downstairs at five-fifteen, your bed will be perfectly made, your towels hung straight, nothing out of place. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Sir." She struggled not to shudder. All she could think about was whether she would be required to sleep with this man. If she was to have her own room, she would not be sleeping in his bed, but would he be fucking her? He'd paid a million dollars for her virginity.

Master Leonardo Vanderbilt was his name. He'd told her that as soon as he'd settled her in the back seat of his Lincoln. His friends called him Leo. She would be expected to call him Master.

She guessed him to be approximately sixty and not in very good health. He was overweight, wheezed when he walked, and seemed to move rather slowly. The thought of him putting his penis in her made her want to vomit.

"You will not be idle. I do not allow idle girls to sit around doing nothing. I expect you to find some work to do at all times except when I request your presence. My home is equipped with extremely sensitive and advanced cameras in every room. I can monitor them at all times from my computer, tablet, and phone. You will not like the consequences of me finding you lollygagging."

Her heart was beating so fast it was a wonder it wasn't coming out of her chest. The unexpected was worse than the expected. The next few days would be filled with the unexpected, keeping her on edge and frightened.

"After dinner, you will service me in any way I find necessary until I release you. I will usually do so at approximately eight o'clock unless I require something more from you on a given evening."

Something more? Involving sex?

"You will have time to yourself in your room from eight until five. That's ample downtime. Nine hours. You will use your evenings wisely, though. I expect you to shower at night and go to bed with dry hair. I have stocked a bookshelf with approved reading material. I suggest you get plenty of sleep each night. I won't tolerate yawning during the day. And, yes, in case you're wondering, there are cameras in your room and your bathroom. You will not have privacy in my home. You will remember your place at all times. You live to serve me. Even when you are alone, you will obey my rules. I know from the notes I received from your previous Master that you were not permitted to diddle with your titties or your pussy. This same rule still applies. The only time your naughty fingers will be near your greedy titties and pussy will be long enough to wash in the shower and wipe on the toilet."

Everything he said was shocking and made her head spin. However, after four months of not being permitted to wash her own body or wipe herself after using the toilet, it sounded like heaven.

"Are you listening to me, girl?" he said, his voice rising.

She flinched. "Yes, Sir."

"Repeat my last rule."

"I won't play with my…"

"I won't play with my tits or my cunt, Sir," he supplied, sounding aggravated.

"I won't play with my tits or my cunt, Sir," she repeated. She hated those words. They were filthy. But she was in no position to defy this man.

"Good. I will allow you to have covers on your bed as long as you keep your hands where I can see them at all times. If you can't do so, I will take the blankets away."

She wondered if he was going to let her wear clothes. She hadn't worn a stitch of clothing in four months. Did he intend to have her maintaining his home while naked?

As if he had read her mind, he said, "You will find your uniforms hanging in the closet in your room. I expect you to wear your hair in high pigtails or braids every day—two of them. I know you are twenty-one, but you look very youthful. I like that. I don't want you wearing some sort of bun suitable for a seventy-year-old woman. Pigtails or braids. There are hairbands in the drawer in your bathroom. The rest of your grooming supplies have also been provided. See that you take care of your teeth, wash your hair daily, and keep your pussy clean at all times. I'll have someone come to wax it for you regularly. I'm also aware you've been given a birth control shot. We'll maintain that. It will keep you from menstruating. Are you following me?"

"Yes, Sir."

"If I have to repeat myself, you will be disciplined. Don't let it happen."

"Yes, Sir."

"You will not speak unless I ask you a question. If you need clarification on something, you may come to me, stand in the wait position, and I will address you when I see fit. You will eat your meals in the kitchen after you have served me. As long as your body remains at this weight and condition, I will not monitor your food intake. When you cook for me, prepare enough for yourself, too."

That was the biggest relief of all. He was going to let her eat more than just oatmeal and bland, tasteless protein supplements.

"The only furniture you will use in my home is the bed in your room. You will not sit on any chair or sofa without me directly asking you to do so. That includes the kitchen. You'll eat standing at the counter. I won't have you dripping pussy juice on my furniture. Understood?"

She inhaled sharply. It was hard to form words. "Yes, Sir," she finally managed. How crude could he get? And what sort of uniforms had he left her? Apparently, nothing that would cover her private parts. Her hope on that front faded.

"Please lower to a collaring position, Lily," he said calmly.

She gracefully lowered to her knees, leaned back on her heels, spread her knees wide, and clasped her hands behind her head. Keeping her gaze lowered, she made sure her elbows and shoulders were pulled back.

She hated presenting herself like this. She was forced to stare down at her raised breasts lewdly displayed. She'd tried to ignore her nudity in Master J's care as much as possible. She hated being ordered to look at herself. It reminded her she was nothing more than a slave. An object. A possession. And now, she would be Master Vanderbilt's service slave.

He still hadn't mentioned sex.

"So lovely, Lily." His voice was breathy. "If you're a good girl and do as you're told, we'll get along fine. I expect you to clean and work as often as possible in whatever room I'm currently in. You'll do so because it pleases me to look at you. If you're a hard worker and don't get into trouble, I will grant you breaks from time to time when you may rest in one of the positions you've been trained to assume. I'm fond of this one. I'll like it better when you're wearing your hair on top of your head in pigtails. I bet your hair will graze your nipples."

She was trembling, but he didn't comment. In fact, he was quiet for a very long time. She could hear the ticking of a grandfather clock somewhere nearby. She didn't look at him directly, but she was aware his only movement was one hand rubbing his chin as he sat in the same position, legs crossed, lounging back comfortably.

Meanwhile, Roselia was not comfortable. Her muscles were strained. Her arms began to ache from holding them upright.

Suddenly he spoke again, his voice low and calm as though he was commenting on tomorrow's weather forecast. "I'm pondering the ways I will most likely discipline you. Mmm."

She pursed her lips.

"I don't think you will enjoy having your titties spanked, so I'll carry a crop with me and use that most often. I doubt you'll like having your pussy swatted either. Mmm. I wonder if you'll be able to hold your legs open wide for me when you require me to spank your pussy or if I'll need to restrain you."

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry .

"Mmm." Finally, he pushed to standing. "I guess we'll figure out what forms of discipline best get your attention as we go along, huh?"

Her breath hitched. Was she supposed to answer?

He strode to her, tipped her head back with his fingers on her chin, and lifted a brow.

"Yes, Sir," she responded. Holy shit . The thought of him using a crop on her nipples or her private parts made her mouth dry. Was he serious?

"I'll show you to your room. It's late. Tomorrow, you may start at six instead of five. After that, we'll get you on a regular schedule. Girls are more productive when they follow a regular schedule, don't you agree, Lily?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Come." He turned away from her.

She rose quickly to her feet as gracefully as possible and followed him. She tried to pay close attention and memorize where they were going in the house. He headed for a set of stairs in the back of the kitchen. They were almost hidden.

While they ascended, he informed her, "These are the servants' stairs. You'll use them at all times unless you are dusting the grand staircase at the front of the house."

She followed him up two flights to the third floor. They emerged into a hallway that had six doors. "None of these rooms are currently occupied except for the one I've prepared for you. The rooms are all empty. You will only need to dust the floors occasionally."

She noted he opened the second door on the left, and she followed him in.

Her Master stood back and swept out a hand. "Everything you could possibly need is in here."

She looked around. There was a narrow twin bed with gray sheets and a gray blanket folded up at the end. There was also a nightstand with a clock on it, a bookshelf filled with whatever the approved reading material was, a wooden chair, and a braided oval gray rug on the floor.

There was notably no dresser. That was disappointing, but he'd said her uniforms were in the closet, so that was promising.

Master pointed to one door. "Closet." And then the other across the room. "Bathroom." He also lifted his pointer toward the corner of the ceiling. "Do not forget. You have no privacy." He faced her. "Will I have to worry about you diddling yourself?"

"No, Sir."

He lifted a brow, looked up and down her naked body, and slowly smiled. "You are so damn lovely. Please don't make me punish those nipples. I'd hate for you to spend your days with them red and swollen."

She swallowed hard, but her mouth was so very dry. The urge to cover her breasts was strong, but she didn't dare.

"Shower and get to bed immediately. Set the alarm for six. Change it to five after tonight. Do not disappoint me, Lily. I paid a lot of money for the perfect slave. I expect you to ensure I do not regret my decision." With that, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.