The Arrangement (NC-17) Updated: February 21, 2011

[letia84]

Woohoo an update!

“Lex,” she said, “Charlize will be fired from her job for incompetence, her file will be leaked to the press and her life will be ruined by the end of business today.” That was in twenty minutes but she was a fast worker.

Good stuff, I'm glad you guys went this way. Its much better that she's humiliated. And she had to leave town, perfect end to Charlize. I have been expecting angst since things have been going so well and I hope this is as bad as it gets. I don't Chloe disappointing Lex.

Lex turned his attention to the crowd for a moment. “My friends,” he raised his voice, waiting until he had the attention of the doms milling around the room. “The official part of the evening will begin shortly. If you care to watch while I prepare Chloe here for her display, feel free to gather around the platform.”

Awww... you can't end it there.

Great update. I'm glad Chloe got to say what she wanted and reassured Lex that there arrangement was still intact. I can't wait to see what happens at the party.

[sexi_angel_babee]

hmmm... interesting... what's gonna happen on the platform? i also didn't expect Mary Ann to be a petite asian girl from the strong demeanor she gave off in the beginning. back to lex making up for what happened... hmmm... i think there should've been more... cleaning up her wounds, sure, it's thoughtful... but she could've done it herself... he didn't even use the oils that he bought. boooooo... i think there's a lot more making up to do on lex's part. can't wait to see what happens next. he better make her feel very nice.

[TheDragonLady]

I just... cannot wait! This fic is so engaging!

[somethingeasy]

Lex was doing a good job at kicking himself while driving through the busy streets of downtown Metropolis.

He'd been about ten minutes into his meeting with Kentashi when his mind had flashed back on his conversation with Chloe. That was when he'd realized he'd forgotten to take back the orders he'd given her before he'd left the office.

His mind had been screaming at him to leave the room and call her immediately, but rationally, he had known that it was already too late by then. She would have done as told and gone straight home as he told her.

Heh… I WONDERED whether the ‘not taking back all previous orders’ was an oversight on Lex’s part. After all, his wish seemed to be for her to go home and rest and recover from her ordeal, which contradicted with his orders for her to go out and humiliate herself in front of an innocent stranger.

Lex had become quite vicious at that point and wrapped up the meeting fast enough to make the other business man's head spin. He was glad his Japanese was fluent enough that he hadn't had to rely on an interpreter.

The thought that Chloe had to go through more humiliation after already being abused by a woman he had left her with was turning his stomach.

This is a good way of showing EXACTLY how angry Lex is. So much that he’s losing control of his composure and his self-loathing is making him lash out at others. Heh, poor Kentashi chose the wrong day to conclude a deal with Lex. I hope Lex’s business relationship with the fellow wasn’t damaged too badly.

The assistant looked dumbstruck as he rattled off the list of supplies he wanted from gauze pads to antiseptic, involving a few creams for bruises and sore skin and rounding off with bathing and massage oils.

Be prepared for anything and everything… always the Luthor philosophy. I can’t help but wonder what the poor salesgirl must have thought at the visual of this brusque and irritated man buying so many ways of treating flesh wounds. Then again, she might have believed him to be the coach of the losing team to this season’s little league football players (it’s a possible explanation… although the massage oil would be rather strange).

*rueful grin* I get strange thoughts in my head sometimes.

“What do you mean, she hurt Chloe?” Gary sounded more pissed than confused now. The voice of a woman cut in over his next few words. “She did WHAT?!”

Lex stared at his cell phone as two voices came through simultaneously. “Honey, why don't you let me...” “Oh, no you don't. Lex, it's Mary Ann, what happened?”

She glared over at Gary. He might be the face of the club but they both owned it. When she had heard that a member had been hurt, she’d picked up the other phone that was in the office. If someone needed to be dealt with, she’d do it. Especially if someone hurt a sub. Mary Ann might be a sub but that didn’t mean that she stood by and took whatever was dished out.

There were rules and god forbid someone had broken them.

VERY interesting! I think I’m finally seeing evidence of a dom who actually has the same amount of respect for subs that Lex does. I’d like to know more about this Mary-Anne character and why and how she can interrupt and glare at her dom… while still calling herself a submissive…?

Perhaps Mary Anne ONLY goes into sub mode during sessions. During business hours (or perhaps during just emergencies) she’s allowed to let out the forceful side of her personality and take charge.

She listened as Lex described, in great detail, what Charlize had done. She’d overstepped her bounds because she’d been undone by a sub. Mary Ann gripped the receiver of the phone even tighter.

She looked over at Gary, his expression mirrored hers.

“Lex,” she said, “Charlize will be fired from her job for incompetence, her file will be leaked to the press and her life will be ruined by the end of business today.” That was in twenty minutes but she was a fast worker.

Woah. Not that I don’ think Charlize deserved all this. BUT! And that’s a big capital BUT for a reason… Doesn’t Charlize get a right to defend her actions before having her life put through the shredder. At the very least, they should get all sides of the story before condemning Charlize. What if Lex had been lying? What if someone had brought up similar (false) charges against Lex? Would Mary Anne have taken the same actions without even investigating? Shouldn’t Chloe also be asked a ‘few’ questions and corroborate the details?

After all, I’m assuming there had been no record of Charlize doing something like this before (otherwise Lex would have known about it). And without a prior established pattern to confirm that Lex was telling the truth, the reasonable move would have been to investigate first, and then (upon finding out whether the charges were true) proceed to go ahead and destroy the person’s life.

Otherwise, I can imagine the club falling into a chaotic mess where ANY person would be condemned and punished solely on the ‘say so’ of another dom.

Also... Lex didn't really have the full picture of what Charlize had done. Chloe had only given him enough of the bare facts to form a basic idea of what happened rather than a full picture. Granted, he IS quite smart, and he coulod easily 'fill in the blanks' with his own assumptions and imagination... But that's all they would be... assumptions and imaginings!

He'd suspected she might hold more than the average power in her position, but this confirmed it. Mary Ann obviously had a lot to say about what was going on inside the club and outside of it.

Verrry interesting. I always wondered how a ‘long term’ sub/dom relationship would work out. It seems like I’m finally seeing the sub/dom version of a ‘happily married couple’ here. So there IS hope for Lex and Chloe after all. IF they ever admit to having feelings fot each other outside of the Arrangement, that is.

YIKES! I’m actually seeing a possible ‘non angsty’ path and conclusion for Arrangement. Must be a sign of the apocalypse! RUN for your lives, the sky is falling!!!

Heh… but there is still the matter of the brain-washing that has to be dealt with. I STILL don’t like the thought of Lex ‘reformatting’ Chloe so that she ONLY manages to come by HIS order and his order alone. Kind of screws up her chances of finding another satisfactory dom, which means she’s stuck with him… even if she ever wishes to leave this Arrangement.

*phew* And I thought I was getting soft!

“I can arrange all of it,” she said, confidently. She knew the head of the company that Chloe worked for. Not socially or from the club scene. They’d actually grown up on the same street, of all things. They had been friends since they were children.

The man trusted her and she would use that to her advantage. Charlize would be fired in ten minutes.

The file was easy enough. She’d give it to one of her friends who was a horrible gossip. Not a photocopy of the file. The woman’s real file full of all of the details that were to be kept totally secret.

Mary Ann would call Charlize herself and tell her that she was no longer welcome at the club.

Ouch! Again, I’m still concerned by how QUICKLY everything is being done. Charlize has had certain allegations brought up against her, and without her even being aware of it, informed of the proceedings or being given a chance to set up a defence… she has been tried and executed. Again, I have to ask, what if someone had brought up false charges?

Lex was still kicking himself for his neglectfulness. He should have remembered to take back his orders. Never mind etiquette or the rules, the situation would have demanded of him to relieve her of any other obligations he put on her after this disastrous meeting.

These ‘rules’ I keep hearing about sound interesting. So this is not a case of ‘anything goes’ within this community. I suspected that there ‘might’ be some ‘unwritten code of conduct’ amongst the sub/dom circle. But there are actually set, formal rules working in the background…? I’d like to hear more about this. Please?

Once she saw him, she felt her knees bend automatically. She had to get into position. It didn’t matter if her neighbors saw.

Lex caught her arm the moment he realized what she was doing. “None of that.”

He really IS feeling terrible about the mistakes he made. I think his telling Chloe not to kneel ‘might’ be in compensation of his ‘forgetting to tell Chloe to disregard all previous orders’ mistake.

He stepped inside fully and kicked the door shut behind his back.

Now that he was inside he immediately checked over Chloe. First her face. She hadn't spilled any more tears, thank goodness, then her body. She was covered by a sheet.

This part made me remember how TERRIBLE Lex felt when he heard Chloe sobbing over the phone. That was the last straw that almost had him cancelling the billion dollar deal to get to her ASAP. It’s actually heartening to see that it was the emotional pain as well as the physical brutality that affected him so much.

“Show me,” he voiced softly and let go of her arm.

When Chloe let the sheet fall, he couldn't stifle a hiss at the sight. Her breasts looked sore. Both nipples were chafed and her nails had left angry red marks that stood out starkly on her pale skin. Some small capillaries had broken and bruises were starting to form.

“Fuck,” he cursed as he took in the pain he had ultimately been the cause of.

His eyes trailed further down to take in the bruises he had left on her during the beginning of the session. They looked angry as well. He couldn't imagine what she felt like right now. Abused like a cheap piece of meat instead of being taken care of properly.

‘Ouch’ seems too tame a word. Poor Chloe. This brutality she suffered wasn’t anywhere near on par with rape, but it was a violating attack just the same. AND I remember being concerned about the bruises that Lex had left during the session… WITHOUT giving her instruction to treat herself or even clean herself up afterwards.

But, as long as Chloe doesn’t view the ‘bruises’ inflicted by Lex as ‘damage’, I suppose that’s the only thing that matter, and that’s the fine line that separates his treatment of her as a ‘session’ while Charlize’s actions were abuse.

But it IS heartening to see that Lex regrets the marks he left on her. And all this without allowing her to come too!!!

They were standing in her living room. He could take care of this on the couch, but the idea of causing her any more discomfort was as repulsing as the sight of her abused body.

Wow! I have to say I’m really loving this guilt-ridden side of Lex. It shows how deeply vested he is in Chloe’s emotional and physical well-being… Not if only he had the same concern for her PSYCHOLOGICAL state of mind…? *cough*brainwashing*cough*

Lex's gaze fell down the line of her body as he followed her. Seeing the plug sticking out between her legs, he wanted to kick himself again. This would be the first thing to take care of.

Heh. And it keeps getting worse. First the knowledge that he had ‘forgotten’ to tell Chloe to go home immediately, then the sight of the bruises… and NOW the realization that he had even forgotten about the plug.

He could see that the skin around the toy was red and stretched taut. Lex gritted his teeth against his anger and stayed calm. “Take a deep breath and try to expel the plug when you breathe out.”

Would Lex have had these regrets if the situation had NOT been exacerbated by Charlize’s attack? He didn’t seem this displeased with he had seen the soreness and redness fresh after his anal session, why is he getting so tensed up about it now? Is it just because he’s viewing it in conjunction with the damage inflicted by Charlize, or does he truly believe that HE mistreated her as well by not treating her immediately after their morning session?

“Tell me if this hurts,” he said as he brought the first wet cloth down on her sore skin, wiping off the come and already caked juices as gently as possible.

He watched as her hole slowly closed up, now that the toy was removed, and there didn't seem to be any further damage.

That is good to hear. Thanks for this detail, BlueSabby. Although Chloe probably wouldn’t have objected to a ‘certain’ amount of collateral damage during her sessions, it’s great to see that they were/are minimal.

Listening for any signs of discomfort, he exchanged the soiled tissue with a fresh one and started looking for the cream he'd gotten to take care of the aggravated skin.

When the bag didn't immediately deliver, he dumped the entire contents on the mattress at her feet.

Heh. He really IS at the end of his rope, isn’t he? I actually think the after-effects hit HIM harder than Chloe.

Yes, part of the fault of this lay on Lex’s shoulders. But it wouldn’t do for him to continue to flagellate himself over it. They wouldn’t be able to move on. He wouldn’t properly use her body if he was worried about her comfort all of the time.

I REALLY liked this take on Chloe’s reaction to what happened. She doesn’t blame Lex for what happened, she realizes it was an accident… and now her only concern is how will this incident affect Lex’s dom performance.

This was the first time I realized that Chloe has demands and expectations about this arrangement that equal (if not exceed) Lex’s. She entered this arrangement because she believed Lex could fulfil her needs, and now something has happened that ‘might’ have a detrimental effect on her dom’s performance… And she has already decided to nip this issue in the bud before it gets out of control.

Amazing writing, BlueSabby! I am in awe on your take of the Chlexy sub/dom relationship. Please write more, please write quickly… Ignore all other fics!!!

(please?)

This would be the hard part. He knew that going over the scratch marks and scabs would cause her discomfort, but he needed to make sure that she didn't get an infection from what Charlize had forced her to do.

I love how careful he’s being over here. There isn’t any of the warmth that comes from love, devotion or even friendship… but there IS such a tremendous amount of trust, care and consideration flowing between them. It’s ‘almost’ enough to make up for the lack of actual affection. Almost!

As she turned around, he could see that her face was drawn tight. Her entire body was tense as she lay silently staring at the ceiling. “Relax, my sweet, you don't need to impress me right now.”

Hmmm. I get the feeling Lex’s overcompensation is the very thing that is making Chloe so tense. She’s afraid that he might start being too gentle with her from now on… that he’ll stop pushing her.

His gaze went to her chest and he shook his head. “I should have taken care of this sooner.”

Again, I have to wonder whether he would have had these regrets if the ‘Charlize situation’ had not happened.

He pulled out yet another antiseptic tissue and slowly started running it down her chest and to her left breast. He could tell that this one had taken the worse abuse.

“You're my responsibility and I shouldn't have left you alone with that woman. It can't be changed now, but,” he trailed off as Chloe winced and removed the tissue from her skin for a moment.

Bending over her, he blew a cool stream of breath over the strip of skin he'd just treated, then dumped the tissue in the trash.

Oh WOW! I’m turning into mushy goo at the visual of Lex being so gentle and careful while treating Chloe. The again, Lex has always been at his most irresistible best when he’s being apologetic through gestures.

Lex covered the injured area as carefully as possible, adding more cream as he worked. “This is part of my duty as your dom. It's not just in my obligation to use you as I see fit, but also to take care that you are used properly and according to our agreement.”

He pulled up a gauze pad and gently covered her breast with it. “I failed to do that today.” His words were hard and blunt. There was no need to sweet talk about it. “It won't happen again.”

He’s being fantastic about this whole thing. Now I am certain that if Chloe had felt the ‘slightest’ bit misused today (being roughly handled for Lex’s pleasure at the expense of her own), Lex would have most certainly toned down the rather harsh regiment he has been setting up for her.

It’s fortunate that Chloe was so quick to re-establish that she did NOT feel misused, and that she would not tolerate the toning down of her training.

But AGAIN, I have to wonder whether this bit of rethinking the harshness of his treatment would have happened if not for the Charlize-trauma that happened after his session. Would he STILL have felt that he ‘might’ have been pushing too hard, too fast, too soon?

He wasn't sure what to expect once he gave her permission to speak, but since she hadn't used her safe word, he didn't believe it would be anything as rash as reneging their agreement.

Huh! I wonder what he would have said if she had told him that she wanted out. Is Lex deeply invested enough to be addicted to Chloe at this point? Or would he have been able to forget and move on with relative ease?

“However,” she said, “I know that you would have stopped it had you had the power. You researched her and there was nothing in her file that would have told you that she would act in that way.” It wasn’t a question, she knew the way that Lex worked.

“I enjoyed everything that happened up to that point,” she said, steadily. “It was freeing and invigorating. The bruises that are on my hips are a small price to pay for feeling you as I did this afternoon. Your cock and hands working at my body furiously…” Her chest was rising and falling heavily now.

“My body is yours to use as you please. If you go back on that, I will be forced to end our arrangement.” She didn’t want Lex going easy on her because of today. “I agreed to be yours because I knew that you would push me. You would show me pleasure and pain that I hadn’t experienced before. I crave it.”

It seemed like what happened filled Lex with doubts about EVERY way he was handling Chloe. He was not only beating himself up over his mistake in misjudging Charlize, but he was also second-guessing himself about the rough way he handled Chloe this morning.

And it WAS rough, but Chloe has established beyond ANY reasonable doubt that she could not only handle it, but she ENJOYED it. She liked being pushed beyond her limits, and she wasn’t going to allow self-doubt get in the way of Lex’s performance.

I have to say… I was VERY impressed with the way she asserted herself, and told Lex (in a diplomatic way) to not be a hesitant wimp. She has come to expect a certain level of performance from her dom, and by heavens, she WILL have it!

Amazing writing, BlueSabby. I’m constantly amazed by how Chloe keeps proving time and again what an extraordinarily strong and forceful personality Chloe is.

“I thank you for the break,” she said, carefully. “I know part of your job is to take care of me.” She paused. “However, I do not necessarily need a few days. I will take it if you still think I need it after I have spoken. But, you can use my cunt, ass and mouth. They have not been injured.”

She licked her lips. She wasn’t used to speaking to Lex for such a long period of time. “Even after this occurred, I became wet when telling the stranger about you using my ass as I was bent over the desk. I could feel your come in my body while I spoke to him. He was disgusted, called me a whore and told me I needed help. I felt ashamed but knew I had done well.”

“This did not break me, Lex.” She looked at him levelly. “It will take more than that cunt to do so.”

I felt the urge to break into stunned applause after this speech. Chloe is just… AMAZING! She’s a strong, capable, stunning, awe-inspiring HELL of a woman! She knows what she wants, and she will accept nothing less than what is due to her. Extraordinary!

Are other subs like her? Not the ‘run of the mill’ subs of course, but subs who have been in this kind of lifestyle long enough, like her, to have gained an understanding of their wants, identities and motivations. Do they share this kind of a stunning attitude too?

I’ve been hearing a lot about the attitudes of different doms towards their charges (unimpressive), but what about the attitude of their subs?

His gaze traveled the length of her body before it settled back on her face. “Don't make the mistake to take my kindness as weakness. I will continue to use your body as I see fit and I will do it when I think you are ready to bear what I demand of you.”

It was part of is role to know her body better than she did herself. Right now, even though she thought she might be able to take it, Lex knew that wasn't the case. “I have arranged for another party in a week's time and I want you to be ready and in top shape by then.”

Heh. Chloe was subtly telling Lex to not be a wimp. And Lex told her, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was NOT going soft on her. I liked the part of how a dom ‘needs to know his sub’s body better than the sub herself’… I wonder whether this is a general ‘dom rule’ or another one of those codes of conduct that sets Lex apart from other doms.

“I love it when you put me on display for all to see. I’ve never particularly enjoyed that before you.” Her other dom hadn’t come up with such interesting situations. Now she could recognize that she’d always felt a little sleazy when he’d arranged things. But not with Lex.

Hmmm… interesting. I wonder what kind of things ‘old dom’ forced her to do during such displays. Surely he didn’t disobey her ‘no touching from others’ rule?

Her little speech had gotten him aroused again, but his mind had discarded any and all scenarios it had come up with. There was no way he could use her tonight that wouldn't aggravate her injured breasts and that was not something he planned to do.

He left the room and consoled himself with the fact that he would use her again in due time. The party would be an excellent venue for that, being that this time, only an exclusive number of club members were invited. He made a mental note to include Gary and Mary Ann on the guest list.

Heh. Both Lex and Chloe are in for a week of sexual frustration until part time. Yet another one of the horrible side effects of Charlize’s stupidity and arrogance.

They would lose out on a shitload of money but Gary, after a few minutes of her asking some pointed questions, had finally confessed that they had to do whatever Lex wanted. Or else Chloe would sue.

She still couldn’t believe Gary’s stupidity of just handing over Chloe’s file to Lex.

Mary Ann ran her fingers over her collar. If only she wasn’t so fucking devoted to him.

Very, VERY interesting. It was good to get this final bit of confirmation on my suspicions of Mary Ann and Gary’s relationship. They are not only in a long-term arrangement, they ALSO seem to be in love with each other.

I thought the exasperated and yet fond way Mary Ann keeps thinking of Gary was just so adorable. Despite all implications of sub/dom relations, the two of them seem to make SUCH a sweet couple. It was fantastic to see how such an arrangement can turn into something…more.

She heard various doms talking about Chloe. Horace had been practically salivating and Bella had been singing her praises. Iggy kept wondering if doubling her price would sway Lex to let her borrow her.

Wow! Chloe really DID make quite an impression during her debut. If these people are so impressed with her now, I cannot WAIT to see how badly in envy they are going to be by the end of tonight.

And I’d really like to know what exactly was the ‘price’ Iggy was offering for the chance of getting Chloe as part of her show. And are we going to get more details about this Iggy-show, and whether she DOES make a profit from it by selling off tickets.

The walk over to Lex and Chloe was difficult. Gary had strapped a vibrator to her body and it had been on the low setting for the past few minutes.

Nice way to hit your viewers with the ice water of reality here. Despite how sweet and ‘normal’ they might have appeared during their earlier scenes… they ARE sub and dom, and behave accordingly.

I guess Mary Ann really DOES only take charge during business hours and/or emergencies.

Her eyes also made note of the leather strap around the woman’s neck. She’d been collared. It meant that she was off limits to everyone else but her dom unless express permission had been given. Chloe had read about that but actually never seen it. Those in the public arena didn’t make such long term commitments.

Hmmm. Again, thanks for a few more of the details about how the equivalent of a ‘marriage’ might work within this lifestyle. So the collar means that ‘other’ doms may NOT touch her, and also not order her around?

He turned his attention back to Chloe. Her breasts had healed nicely with no trace left of the damage that had been done. The other bruises also had had time to fade, so her skin was flawless from head to toe. Chloe's hair was held up in a French twist, keeping it out of her face. There was no make up to be seen. Perfect.

Wow! She sounds beautiful. I can imagine Lex and Chloe are going to be the envy of EVERY person here tonight… whether they be subs or doms. The news about Charlize must have only enhanced her reputation. I REALLY hope I get to hear some of the other doms making desperate bids for ‘the use of Chloe’ during their own sessions and plays. Of course Lex will undoubtedly refuse everything, but it would be interesting to see just how much is Chloe ‘worth on the market’.

Lex turned his attention to the crowd for a moment. “My friends,” he raised his voice, waiting until he had the attention of the doms milling around the room. “The official part of the evening will begin shortly. If you care to watch while I prepare Chloe here for her display, feel free to gather around the platform.”

Prepare her? Is he going to set makeup on her again? Costumes? Is he going to do that knotted rope thing again? Or is it going to ‘simply’ be setting Chloe in difficult poses that she will endure for several impressively and impossibly long hours?

AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgh!!! WHY did you have to stop it HERE! How could you torture your poor devoted readers so? WHAT did we ever do to deserve this kind of treatment??!!

Please update! NOW! nownowNOWnow!!!!

Ahem… pleeeease update soon. This was a TERRIBLE cliffhanger… as if evidenced by my sudden bouts of hysterics here. How about we ignore all other BlueSabby stories and RUSH through to the ending on this one? Sounds like a good idea, right?

… …

right?

…

yeah, right!

[katieandjason]

Wow. I am intrigued with the performance that is about to happen, but I my attention was keyed by two key occurrences. The first was Lex's concern over Chloe's threat of using her body fully or voiding the relationship. He was concerned that she expected everything to be physically draining and challenging, that the care he was showing then, along with the care he has showed in the past, was almost correlated with him expecting less of her. That makes me long for a session where she is tested by accepting the care and tenderness he gives her, not by the physical tests he presents.

The second red flag that went up was Lex's belief that he knew what was best for her, and he did physically. But after that horrible end to a session Chloe was in need of a hug and some physical comfort which he failed to give. There he was, making note of the fact that Chloe seemed to equate tenderness with weakness, then telling her it was his job to know her body and needs better than her, yet failing to provide any physical act necessary to restablish her comfort with their connection. Bothersome.

I am very curious to see what happens during the show. I don't imagine it will be anything I can think of.

[sarahnicole]

I liked the revenge section, and that Mary Ann can wear the pants in the relationship while still wearing the collar--heh. Sorry about that terrible pun...anyways, I'm glad there was an update! I can't wait to hear about the newest "display"!

[Lily]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Thanks for the amazing update. I love the way you showed the way that Lex took responsibility, showing that the devotion, if you will, goes both ways. It seemed to further develop the absolute sense of trust between both parties. Can't wait to see how Chloe is going to be displayed. Keep the updates coming. Now that universtiy is back in session they're all I have to look foward to!!!
-Lily

[lilinny]

Always ending at the good part. Love the cliffhangers. I can't wait what Lex has planned for her next!!!!!

[somethingeasy]

The second red flag that went up was Lex's belief that he knew what was best for her, and he did physically. But after that horrible end to a session Chloe was in need of a hug and some physical comfort which he failed to give. There he was, making note of the fact that Chloe seemed to equate tenderness with weakness, then telling her it was his job to know her body and needs better than her, yet failing to provide any physical act necessary to restablish her comfort with their connection. Bothersome.

I don't agree with the statement that lex didn't provide emotional comfort to Chloe. He didn't do anything like give her a hug, because they just don't have that kind of a relationship. Chloe wouldn't have accepted a hug even if it HAD been offered. As it was she was feeling slightly... smothered by the attention and care he was lavishing on her.

He kept murmuring reassurances to her that she was safe, that something like this will never happen again. And he was exceedingly gentle and careful while treating ALL her wounds and bruises, the one's caused by his own hands as well as the ones HE caused during the session. His gentle words, his soothing tone and his careful touch were his way of providing all the emotional comfort his sub would require after her ordeal.

In fact, from Chloe's perspective, his emotional support got a little too much. And she actually told him 'in diplomatic terms' to stop 'mothering and smothering' her.

Quite honestly... I feel that giving her a hug would have been... weird. They just don't have the kind of affection, attachment, closeness or FRIENDSHIP between them that justifies a comforting hug.

In the end. I believe Lex provided all the emotional support and comfort that was possible... within the boundaries of their arrangement. Perhaps as they start actually LIKING each other, they might move onto 'hugging'... but they are nowhere near to that level of casual friendliness yet.

So, how goes the next chapter? Can we expect it over the weekend? Pretty please?

[gecko]

great work, can't wait to see what lex has in store for chloe, loved seeing lex care for chloe and wanted revenge to what charlize had done to chloe, can't wait for more, keep up the great work!