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\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {Stan watched as the two women started away from each other. Anne looked guilty, Denise surprised. \'93Okay, what are you two hatching?\'94 he asked.
\par 
\par Anne recovered first. She looked back to Denise and then returned her gaze back to Stan.
\par 
\par \'93We were talking about love, and commitment. We \endash  well, }{\cs25\i I}{, was checking up about property, nearer to the office.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Thinking of moving, Anne?\'94 he asked, then, as the implication hit him, he added, \'93Moving }{\cs25\i away}{ from us, Anne?\'94
\par 
\par Anne threw her hands palms upward, looking heavenwards in evident disgust. \'93Why do these two think }{\cs25\i I}{ would do that?\'94 she asked. Evidently displeased, she returned her gaze to Stan, only this time it wasn\rquote t calm. Anne was }{
\cs25\i angry}{.
\par 
\par \'93No I damn well wasn\rquote t looking to move away from you!\'94 she cried, but then innate honesty compelled her to add, \'93Well. Actually, I }{\cs25\i did}{ start off looking for a place I could buy myself, but I quashed that idea quickly.\'94

\par 
\par Anne looked from her lover to her co-lover and back. \'93Look, it makes sense this way. You\rquote ll soon find out that spending hours travelling to and from work is }{\cs25\i not}{ fun, especially when you add it to the workload you\rquote 
ll be under. If we can get a place }{\cs25\i inside}{ the M25 we\rquote ll greatly reduce that. It\rquote ll also have another effect, it\rquote ll bind us together. It\rquote ll be a show of commitment to each other, almost like a marriage.\'94
\par 
\par \'93I think it\rquote s a great idea, Stan,\'94 added Denise. \'93Come and look at what Anne\rquote s been looking at.\'94
\par 
\par Stan duly went and looked. His expression was wooden, his body language closed. \'93It\rquote s a nice house. When, exactly, were you going to tell me about this decision?\'94
\par 
\par His voice was cold. Denise looked anxiously at Anne. This had begun badly.
\par 
\par Anne stood her ground. \'93Stan, we hadn\rquote t actually }{\i done}{ anything yet. We\rquote re looking \endash \'94
\par 
\par \'93Huh! Just looking! It sounded like you\rquote d decided, to me when I walked in!\'94
\par 
\par Anne bit a bitter retort back behind her teeth. She had indeed made a decision, but Stan had intruded\'85
\par 
\par Stan misinterpreted her hesitation and ploughed on, though.
\par 
\par \'93Well I don\rquote t know that I }{\i want}{ to move. I\rquote m comfortable in my own home, the home I built together with my }{\i wife}{ \endash  you remember her?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Oh, that\rquote s }{\i so}{ unfair Stan! Of }{\i course}{ I remember your wife!\'94
\par 
\par Denise decided it was time she took a hand.
\par 
\par \'93Stan, love, }{\i please}{ calm down and think for a minute? Please?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Calm }{\i down!?}{\'94
\par 
\par \'93Yes, Stan, we all need to take a breather here,\'94 Denise told him. She rounded on Anne and told her \'93You too, Anne! We need a time out before someone says or does something we\rquote ll all regret!\'94
\par 
\par Denise drew a deep breath. \'93Look Stan, my love, calm down and think about things for a moment. It\rquote s all very simple. We all want to be together, don\rquote t we? Aren\rquote t there mornings when you wake up and wish we were all here with you?
\'94
\par 
\par She then looked at Anne. \'93You, on the other hand, think too quickly, and don\rquote t consider other people enough. This was typical Anne \lquote take charge\rquote , wasn\rquote t it, really?\'94 Her tone softened. \'93But then, I agreed with you. I }
{\i still}{  agree with you.\'94
\par 
\par Facing Stan again, who glowered back at her, Denise went on, \'93We, Anne and I, felt that buying a house together would represent a }{\i commitment}{ \endash  one from each to the others, that we\rquote ll be in this relationship for the long haul. }{\i 
That}{\rquote s what we were talking about when you came in. Stan, don\rquote t you see that we can buy a really nice house }{\i together}{, that we can all live }{\i together}{ \endash 
 and that way we can demonstrate our love and commitment to each other in a really concrete way?\'94
\par 
\par Stan felt Denise\rquote s words like cooling rain on the fiery temper he\rquote d been in. The two ladies watched anxiously as his expression slowly cleared.
\par 
\par \'93All right. I concede that it would be a good idea, in theory. I\rquote ll think about it, all right?\'94
\par 
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\par His two lovers were right about one thing, Stan couldn\rquote t hold out against both of them together. He went and looked at the details of the property as displayed on the screen again, and was appropriately impressed. It }{\cs25\i was}{
 a nice house, in a pretty sought-after area. It }{\cs25\i would}{ save a lot of time and stress to live closer in to the office. While he and Denise hadn\rquote t been commuting to the office day in, day out like Anne, they both knew it wouldn\rquote 
t be good.
\par 
\par Denise, for her part, was happy that her fears about Stan\rquote s dedication to his own house were unfounded.
\par 
\par Anne was, however, both pleased and frustrated. Pleased by Stan\rquote s reaction, but oh my goodness his timing had been poor! \lquote If only he\rquote d waited a couple of minutes, I\rquote d have done it,\rquote  she thought, \lquote 
and then it would have been all out in the open. Now I have to start again, and I\rquote m }{\cs25\i scared}{.\rquote 
\par 
\par That realization, that it was }{\cs25\i fear}{ she was feeling, stayed with her through the next few days. She knew she should say something as Denise and Stan started their work at Boundless Waves. But she found herself as tongue-tied as a teenager, u
nable to actually say anything. Of course, she made excuses to herself. \lquote I can\rquote t say anything at work, in case I\rquote m overheard,\rquote  she thought, and again later, \lquote I can\rquote t say anything while Stan\rquote 
s around. It would be too embarrassing.\rquote 
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
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\par The next week would see birthdays for first Stan and then Denise.
\par 
\par Stan was surprised to get a card from Elaine and Susan, and happy to get one from Elizabeth too. He }{\cs25\i really}{ wasn\rquote t expecting one from Bob and his wife, but the truly unexpected one was from Ken
, Sid and all three ladies at Boundless Waves.
\par 
\par Of course, he had individual cards from Anne and Denise. Denise\rquote s was typical of her, a funny card but with a handwritten haiku poem at the bottom, expressing her love for him:
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 { \'93To Stan, who
\par Brings Love to my Heart,
\par Brings Happiness to my Days,
\par Brings Joy to my Soul.\'94
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par Anne sent him a simple card, Plain white with a simple pencil-style drawing of a traditional Valentine\rquote s heart with an arrow through it, and inside it simply said, \'93To my lover. Happy Birthday.\'94 For presents he got clothes, as }{\cs25\i both}
{ of his ladies seemed certain he needed a wider wardrobe.
\par 
\par \'93I\rquote m going to call you two Trinny and Susannah,\'94 he grumbled, naming the two fashion queens of British television.
\par 
\par \'93Good idea, Stan,\'94 Denise told him, \'93You need a good makeover!\'94 Stan looked appealingly at Anne, who stood, arms folded, by Denise\rquote s side. 
\par 
\par \'93Hmm. What do think he\rquote d look like in leather trousers?\'94 Anne asked Denise.
\par 
\par \'93}{\cs25\i Devastating!}{\'94 Denise replied, but then she couldn\rquote t keep a straight face at Stan\rquote s expression. Leather trousers!?
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
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\par That Tuesday evening he spent cuddled up with both of his princesses. There was no sex, just a lot of cuddles and kisses, and the sheer }{\cs25\i enjoyment}{ of cuddling up together. They watched \'93The Fellowship of the Ring\'94
 on DVD, enjoyed a couple of good bottles of Chablis that Anne had found, and they talked.
\par 
\par The conversation came around to the house that Anne had located on the internet. A slightly tipsy Anne pulled Stan to his feet and insisted that they all go and look at it again to make sure it hadn\rquote 
t been sold. Denise, with a Cheshire-cat smile, came with Anne and helped her to pull Stan up the stairs. The listing was still there; none of the details had changed. For a moment Stan was afr
aid that Anne would pick up the phone and try to put in an offer then and there, but, thankfully, her innate caution overcame the alcohol.
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
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\par That first week at Boundless Waves created some new work experiences for Stan. He dived into his new project with enthusiasm. Now that he didn\rquote t have Bob to lean on, he found that when he }{\cs25\i had}{ to, he could be just as good a \lquote 
people person\rquote  on the telephone as his former boss. Before the first week was through he\rquote d secured some very useful information for Anne from Shucor, which delighted Sid.
\par 
\par Of course, Friday was Denise\rquote s birthday, and much the same happened as on Stan\rquote s. This time they all watched a film of her choice, \'93Dirty Dancing\'94, which Anne said sounded right up Denise\rquote s alley! She bought Den
ise a red and gold Chinese-style silk dress, while Stan gave her some Chanel perfume.
\par 
\par \'93Stick to the classics, Stan, you can\rquote t go too far wrong with those,\'94 Anne had told him when he sought advice.
\par 
\par \'93I don\rquote t want to seem too old fashioned,\'94 he\rquote d objected.
\par 
\par \'93Don\rquote t be silly. Besides, you could buy her an abacus and she\rquote d love it.\'94 Anne had replied.
\par 
\par So, of course, he\rquote d done \lquote just that\rquote  \endash  Anne\rquote s suggestion starting out as a joke present, but then turning into an even better idea. Denise really did love the min
iature gold abacus on a fine gold chain necklace, and when he gave her the perfume her eyes softened, showing that she loved him even more. 
\par 
\par That night, Anne went up to bed soon after the film finished, and not long afterwards Denise dragged Stan upstairs to show him just }{\cs25\i how}{ much she appreciated his thoughtfulness. Stan wasn\rquote t at all reluctant\'85
\par 
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\par At work, Ken was watching Denise. Well, she was, of course, well worth watching. But it didn\rquote t need someone as astute as he to tell that she, Stan and Anne all shared a common bond, even if Anne hadn\rquote t already told both Sid and himself.

\par 
\par What really drew his attention was the competence and growing confidence she showed in quietly, without fuss or fanfare, setting about the task of rebuilding Boundless Waves\rquote 
 computer set up. Cables were laid, a new server bought (cheaply but well, he was pleased to note), and software installed. She dealt with the questions that he came up with quickly and easily, without apparent annoyance. She also began cont
ributing to Anne\rquote s test and debug work.
\par 
\par Ken liked to know about people. He drew Denise out, carefully, until she told him that she, Anne and Stan were thinking of buying a property together. Ken was already determined to ensure that these three were kept 
both happy and productive. Besides, if they owed him a favour, and he was able to steer some business in the direction of a friend of his, he considered it a good investment.
\par 
\par Ken popped his head out of his office door that Friday afternoon, just before he was due to leave.
\par 
\par \'93Denise? Anne? Stan? Do you all have a minute, please?\'94
\par 
\par There was some grumbling from Anne, but all three joined him a few moments later.
\par 
\par \'93What\rquote s this about, Ken? I\rquote m still trying to sort out that stack you licensed. I might as well have written my own, you know,\'94 Anne said.
\par 
\par It was crowded in the office with all four of them there. Ken held up his hand and told them, \'93I shan\rquote t keep you a minute. I just wanted to give you these.\'94 He handed each of them an identical business card, and said, \'93He\rquote 
s a friend of mine, a top-notch barrister specialising in partnership law. You can meet him at }{\cs25\i Daley\rquote s}{ wine bar, on the Strand, tonight around seven, and he\rquote ll run through what you must do, what you can do, what you can\rquote 
t do and what you really mustn\rquote t do when you\rquote re buying a property together. Tonight, it\rquote ll only cost you a round or two of drinks. Have fun, listen well and }{\cs25\i don\rquote t}{ ignore him. Now, I\rquote 
m off for the weekend, and I\rquote ll see you Monday.\'94
\par 
\par With that, he had his briefcase in hand, grabbed his coat from behind Stan and was gone.
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
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\par }{\cs25\i Daley\rquote s}{ was full. Everyone there seemed to have been outfitted at the same place with pinstriped suits, white shirts and wingtip shoes. The few l
adies present wore dark jackets and skirts. It was a warm evening despite the fact that it was still early spring, but nevertheless the tables outside were mainly left empty except for one gentleman seated there. Anne put two and two together.
\par 
\par \'93Excuse me. Mr. Hart?\'94
\par 
\par \'93That\rquote s me,\'94 he answered, and stood. \'93Walter Hart, at your service.\'94
\par 
\par Walter Hart was a tall, distinguished man of about fifty, with iron-grey hair at the temples shading to black as coal elsewhere. He looked really sharp, his suit was obvious
ly expensive and hand tailored to fit his lean body. He indicated to Stan and the girls to sit, and as they did Stan noticed that the table was set with four glasses. The barrister picked up the bottle from the table and poured a small glass for each, aft
er giving each in turn a chance to refuse.
\par 
\par Introductions were made, and everyone settled down. He put the bottle down and spoke in a precise, rich, quintessentially }{\cs25\i English}{ voice, \'93Ken McKuan gave me a rough idea of what you were looking for, earlier. It s
eems simple enough, but all three of you need to be aware of what you\rquote re doing. This is not a carefree, simple step, this will be a legally binding commitment you\rquote 
ll be making. You each will have a share of the property to pay for, by one means or another. Have you considered how you will divide the responsibilities?\'94
\par 
\par \'93Each of us will take a third,\'94 Stan said. Anne and Denise both nodded their agreement.
\par 
\par \'93Fine.\'94 Walter Hart then proceeded to give the three lovers a short but simple class in buying property together. He used simple language, rather than trying to impress them with lawyerspeak \endash  and this impressed Anne a great deal. He didn
\rquote t just lecture, he asked questions \endash  pointed ones -  particularly about the financing, and made sure that each of the three knew what the other two would be putting in to the deal, and }{\cs25\i how}{. He finished up by saying, \'93
Well. You all seem to have done your homework. You have realistic goals and have got your finance sorted. I wish you luck in your venture.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Thanks,\'94 said Stan. \'93Thanks you for the useful advice, and for taking the time out to speak to us at all.\'94
\par 
\par Walter waved a hand, dismissively. \'93No matter. You\rquote ve a good friend in Mr. McKuan, I know because he\rquote s a good friend of mine. We\rquote ve known each other for years.\'94 He stood, and all three followed him. \'93It\rquote 
s been good to talk to you. You have my number if you need any further assistance, but now I must bid you good night.\'94
\par 
\par With that, he was quickly gone. Stan sat back down, followed by Anne and Denise.
\par 
\par \'93Notice something?\'94 Anne asked. \'93Not once did he say or ask anything about our domestic arrangements.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Well, for one, he\rquote s discreet by profession and also he may not }{\cs25\i know}{ we share Stan between us,\'94 replied Denise.
\par 
\par Stan jumped in. \'93I\rquote d think he must know. Didn\rquote t you notice how he kept banging on about being sure of the other two partners?\'94
\par 
\par \'93I think that was just him being professional, Stan,\'94 Anne replied. \'93He\rquote d give that advice to anyone. I mean, even banks sometimes advise against joint accounts. That sort of thing.\'94
\par 
\par \'93True. I remember being told that by my bank once, actually. I gave them a flea in their ear.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Nobody got cold feet?\'94 asked Denise, with a grin.
\par 
\par \'93No!\'94 came a pair of answers.
\par 
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\par In the event Denise sold her small house first, and Anne received an offer for hers next. It was a couple of weeks before Stan heard anything for his house, and just over a month before he had an offer made. It was Sid\rquote 
s wife Maggie who provided the vital contact. One of her friends wanted to move away from London into a quieter area, and so, seven weeks after putting their houses on the market, they had all accepted offers for them.
\par 
\par Needless to say, the original property that Anne had found had been sold by then. But she\rquote d found another, similar one, and now it was time for the three of them to pay a visit to look at it.
\par 
\par On Sunday, the third of June, Stan drove the three of them around to see the place.
\par 
\par As they approached the house, Anne looked up from the printout in her hand and said, \'93That fourth bedroom\rquote s really quite small, but it\rquote ll do for an office. The other rooms are all right, though.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Given where it is, it\rquote s good value for the money. I hope it\rquote s as good as described,\'94 Denise answered.
\par 
\par \'93We\rquote ll find out now, I think. It\rquote s here,\'94 Stan commented as he turned right into the driveway.
\par 
\par They faced a white-painted house, with an integral garage set to the left as they saw it. The front door was in the middle, and a large picture window was in the right side on the ground floor. Above, there appeared to b
e rooms on each side, and a small window that was probably in a corridor. There was space for at least three cars on the hardstanding in front of the garage, and also a well-kept front garden.
\par  
\par Stan got out and opened the doors for Denise and Anne. They stood for a moment, savouring the quiet. \'93I think I like it already,\'94 he told the others.
\par 
\par The oak coloured front door opened, and a well-dressed middle aged woman appeared. \'93Mr Hinch?\'94 she asked.
\par 
\par \'93That\rquote s me,\'94 he answered, \'93You\rquote d be Mrs Brookman?\'94
\par 
\par Mrs Brookman showed them all around the house. It was well, if conservatively decorated, and the rooms were generally of a good size. Anne was amused to see that the fourth bedroom was, indeed, being used as an office. She was delighted by the relatively 
large garden in the rear of the property, while Denise pointed out the privacy it offered.
\par 
\par The redhead was also delighted by the kitchen, which was large, had all the appliances she could think of, and was clean and bright. After a short while and a short 
question-and-answer session with Mrs Brookman, they departed to find the nearby village centre and a cup of coffee.
\par 
\par \'93Well, what do you think?\'94 asked Stan of his two partners.
\par 
\par \'93I loved it. Let\rquote s do it,\'94 replied Anne in a decisive tone.
\par 
\par Denise nodded enthusiastically. \'93The kitchen\rquote s lovely, it\rquote s got plenty of room, the garden\rquote s nice and large and not overlooked.\'94
\par 
\par \'93I liked the garden too, plus the house is in a good state \endash  we wouldn\rquote t have to spend anything on it, bar some redecorating,\'94 Anne finished.
\par 
\par \'93Let\rquote s not be too hasty. How about the local facilities? Shops, parks, that kind\rquote ve thing?\'94 cautioned Stan.
\par 
\par \'93Schools, nurseries, libraries, restaurants, pubs\'85 yes, there are a lot of things to look for,\'94 agreed Anne, \'93I\rquote ve checked up on most of that. We\rquote ll
 have to actually look at them in person, of course, but this area seems to have most of the facilities we\rquote ll need.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Schools, nurseries?\'94 queried Stan, raising an eyebrow.
\par 
\par \'93It pays to look ahead, Stan,\'94 answered Anne. Denise }{\cs25\i looked}{ at her, but Anne merely said, \'93Well, my clock\rquote s ticking, you know. Never say never!\'94
\par 
\par After very little more discussion, they agreed to go ahead and make an offer.
\par 
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\par One Saturday afternoon in the latter half of May, Stan heard a ring at his door. He wondered who it was likely to be, and hurried to look.
\par 
\par There, standing at his door, was Anne. She was wearing a short, plain white shift-style dress, high heels and\'85 her choker.
\par 
\par Her eyes downcast, she told Stan, \'93I\rquote m ready to play, if you\rquote ll have me, sir.\'94
\par 
\par Stan gaped for a moment, then collected himself and ordered, \'93Step in!\'94
\par 
\par Anne walked into Stan\rquote s house, her demeanour quiet, subservient. Stan led the way to his front room. His mind was doing at least a thousand miles an hour, trying to process what was happening. Oh, he\rquote 
d fantasised about having Anne as a little slave girl before, that\rquote s why he\rquote d given her the collar. That, and what he\rquote d thought had been a need in her. But now, the time was }{\cs25\i here}{, and he wasn\rquote t sure what to do.

\par 
\par What Stan was }{\cs25\i certain}{ of was that he mustn\rquote t show hesitation to Anne. It would ruin the scene for her, and completely negate what she was offering him. But first, he had to be sure what exactly she }{\cs25\i was}{ offering.
\par 
\par \'93Sit down, Anne,\'94 he commanded. Anne did as she was bid, still looking down.
\par 
\par \'93Anne, you may look at me and talk freely for the moment. You say you\rquote re ready to play. I need some idea of your limits and a safeword from you.\'94
\par 
\par \'93No pain, or not much, sir. I\rquote ll do as you command, but I don\rquote t want to be exhibited, please, not yet anyway, perhaps another time. Just between us. And safeword: How about \lquote Mustard\rquote ? Is that all right, sir?\'94
\par 
\par \'93All right. Any other limits, or desires?\'94
\par 
\par \'93No scat or water-sports. I just want you to be in charge of me, sir. I\rquote ll do as I\rquote m told, I promise. Otherwise you\rquote ll have to punish me.\'94
\par 
\par \'93I thought you didn\rquote t want pain?\'94
\par 
\par \'93I don\rquote t, but a spanking if I\rquote m disobedient won\rquote t make me use my safeword. I think.\'94 Stan saw Anne blush, she looked down and hesitated. \'93I have as much experience in this as you
 do, sir. If I may make a small suggestion, we ought to take it slowly.\'94
\par 
\par \'93I think that\rquote s an excellent suggestion. You can start, then, by making me a cup of tea.\'94
\par 
\par Anne looked up at Stan again for a moment, then answered, \'93Yes, sir,\'94 and rose to walk into the kitchen.
\par 
\par This gave Stan time to think. What should he do, and how far should he, }{\cs25\i could}{ he, take this?
\par 
\par A few minutes later, Anne returned with the tea. She found Stan sitting in his recliner, a long black strap in his hand.
\par 
\par \'93Recognise this?\'94 he asked her.
\par 
\par \'93Retaining strap off some component trays,\'94 she told him.
\par 
\par \'93Correct. Velcro, quick-release, cushioned and static-conductive, though that last is of little importance here. I liberated some from The Firm before we left; I thought they\rquote d come
 in useful. Now, they will. Come; sit with your back to me, hands behind you.\'94
\par 
\par Anne complied, and he used the strap to fasten her wrists together. He used a scrunchy to pull Anne\rquote s hair into a ponytail.
\par 
\par \'93Stand up!\'94
\par 
\par Anne stood, gracefully, and he lifted the back of her short dress. No panties. He goosed her, and she involuntarily moved away. \'93Ah-ah-ahh!\'94 he told her, and pulled her back lightly by the hair.
\par 
\par \'93Now, I\rquote m going to take my pleasure with you. You\rquote ll do as I tell you, and make sure that I enjoy it. For now, sit at my feet while I drink my tea.\'94
\par 
\par Anne sat by his feet for several minutes, during which time he completely ignored her. Finishing his tea, he stood and said, \'93Come.\'94
\par  
\par Stan walked up the stairs to his room. On the way, he stopped off in the bathroom and picked up a washcloth, dampening it in the sink. He led Anne into his bedroom, where he stood her next to his bed. Removing the strap, he told her, \'93Strip.\'94
 Anne complied, unsuccessfully hiding a slight smile.
\par 
\par \'93You\rquote re a good cocksucker, something you\rquote ll have a chance to show in a moment. Your cunt\rquote s not bad, I suppose, too. But today I\rquote m going up your ass. Have anything to say?\'94
\par 
\par Anne\rquote s smile disappeared, but she shook her head. \'93No, sir. Um, I\rquote m not sure I\rquote m clean.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Then you\rquote ll have to wash me off afterwards. }{\cs25\i Think}{ about that next time!\'94
\par 
\par \'93Yes, sir.\'94
\par 
\par Stan sat on the edge of the bed, and simply said, \'93Suck.\'94
\par 
\par Anne complied. She enjoyed doing this with Stan anyway, he knew. He wasn\rquote t sure she\rquote d enjoy the next part quite so much, but that was the point, wasn\rquote 
t it? Anne was giving herself for his pleasure, and would, he hoped, be deriving pleasure from that, if not from the actual acts involved.
\par 
\par Stan felt his climax getting near, and didn\rquote t want to go too soon, so he commanded her to stop. He stood.
\par 
\par \'93Remove my clothes, and get me ready to use your ass for my pleasure,\'94 he ordered.
\par 
\par She stood gracefully and removed his clothes, eyes lowered. She looked up at him occasionally through her lashes. I
t was intended to be seductive, and it worked on Stan very well indeed. As she undressed him she missed no opportunity to touch and caress him, though Stan was careful not to let her take him too far. Nonetheless, by the time he was naked, Anne had worked
 them both into a state of throbbing, dripping readiness for more.
\par 
\par Stan pushed her, fairly roughly, over to the bed and used two of the Velcro straps interlocked to tie her wrists to the head of he bed, face down. \'93Kneel, legs wide apart, ass up in the air!\'94 he told her.
\par 
\par Stan got on the bed and knee walked behind her. He reached over to his bedside drawer and got out the lube he\rquote d used with Denise, months before. Stan had really enjoyed taking her ass, and both had enjoyed it again a couple of times since.
\par 
\par Stan spread her cheeks with one hand and squeezed some lube onto the dark wrinkled roundel of her anus. He massaged it around a little, then inserted a finger. \'93Has anyone been here before, Anne?\'94 he asked, in a rough tone.
\par 
\par \'93Only a finger, sir. Nothing more,\'94 she replied, a nervous tinge to her voice.
\par 
\par \'93My cock\rquote s a bit bigger than a finger, girl.\'94 Not }{\cs25\i that}{ much bigger, he noted, ruefully. That was probably a good thing, now. He continued to work his lubed finger in Anne\rquote s tight puckered hole, and as she
 relaxed a little he added a second finger, with more lube on it.
\par 
\par Stan withdrew his fingers and wiped them on the washcloth. Squeezing more lube onto his hand, he greased his cock liberally, getting himself ready to enter her, to take her last virginity. The thought made him even stiffer.
\par 
\par With one hand on her hip, he used the other to place the tip of his erection at the entrance, and pushed slightly. Anne flinched a little and involuntarily squeezed to prevent him. \'93Relax, Anne,\'94 he said, soothingly, and
 after a moment or two felt her do so.
\par 
\par Stan had taken his \lquote lessons\rquote  with Denise to heart, and went very slowly, taking well over a minute to insert just the head of his erection into Anne\rquote s tight, hot ass. He just kept up a slow but steady pressure, letting Anne\rquote 
s body get used to the invader gradually.
\par 
\par Finally, he could wait no longer. \'93Are you ready for me, Anne, ready to be my anal-slave? Or do you want to say something else?\'94
\par 
\par Anne\rquote s breath was coming in short pants, but she just said, \'93Go on, sir. Take my ass.\'94
\par 
\par Stan increased the pressure and felt his prick slowly slide deeper and deeper into Anne\rquote s rectum, past the inner ring and deeper into her body. It was exquisite, hot and tight and he knew he wouldn\rquote 
t be lasting long. Eventually he felt his groin pressed tightly against the round buttocks of his lover/slave, and halted there.
\par 
\par \'93Is it all in?\'94 Anne asked him, voice tight.
\par 
\par \'93Yes, my love, you have all of me. Are you ready?\'94
\par 
\par Anne paused and then, getting back into character, said, \'93Could you give your slave a moment, please, sir?\'94
\par 
\par \lquote NO!\rquote  Stan\rquote s body screamed, he desperately wanted to just start sawing in and out of her, to achieve his release, but he held back.
\par 
\par He felt Anne\rquote s body spasming against him as she fought to get used to the feeling of him deep inside where no one had been before. Denise had told him that it was a feeling that she couldn\rquote 
t describe, but that her body simply had to take time to get used to. Finally, Anne grunted, \'93Okay sir. Slowly, though, please!\'94
\par 
\par Stan began to move, slowly at first as his slave had requested, but then he began to pick up the pace. In truth he couldn\rquote t really control himself. Soon he was forcing himself into Anne, then pulling out, long, hard strokes that had hi
m rapidly building to the climax he\rquote d denied himself earlier. He pulled almost all of the way out of Anne\rquote s body, then slammed himself deep into her as he grunted with the force of his ejaculation.
\par 
\par Controlling himself once more, he withdrew gradually from Anne, kissing the back of her neck, running butterfly kisses along her spine. \'93Are you okay, love?\'94 he asked, tenderly.
\par 
\par \'93Oh, }{\cs25\i God}{, that hurts! Er, I mean, yes, sir. Sorry, sir.\'94
\par 
\par Stan reached up and undid Anne\rquote s restraints.
\par 
\par \'93Slave, you\rquote ve been wonderful. But I want Anne back, now, if you don\rquote t mind.\'94 Anne rolled to her side, facing him, her eyes bright with tears, and he kissed her. She nodded, and he undid her collar. \'93My love, I don\rquote 
t want you to be my slave now, I want you to be my loving partner. I\rquote ll clean you up and pamper you.\'94
\par 
\par So pamper her he did, taking her to the bathroom and washing himself and Anne and then, running her a bath. He poured in some of the scented bath oil that Anne had left in his bathroom. He helped her to get in, and when she 
was nice and relaxed, washed her hair. He rinsed her off and told her to relax, that he\rquote d be back in a few minutes.
\par 
\par He reappeared some time later with a bottle of white wine and two glasses on a tray. Then he }{\i gently }{attended to }{\i her}{ needs, with lips and tongue and teeth and fingers, until Anne too shuddered, cried and came.
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par Later, relaxing, cuddled up to her, he heard Anne say, \'93I think I can see why some people like that, Stan. It\rquote s incredibly intense, and for me, at least, quite submissive.\'94
\par 
\par \'93Mmm. I could see that. You were wonderful, Anne.\'94
\par 
\par \'93I\rquote m not saying you have to tie me up to do that. Just that it\rquote s good for me to be submissive, sometimes. I suppose I\rquote m in charge so much, sometimes I feel the ne
ed for someone else to take charge. Maybe we can try anal again, sometime, without the restraints?
\par 
\par Stan paused to think for a minute. \'93You sound a bit confused, Anne.\'94
\par 
\par It was her turn to hesitate. \'93I think I }{\cs25\i am}{ confused, Stan. That\rquote s why I want to try it without the collar, with me being }{\cs25\i Anne}{
, not your little slave girl. And we can do it the other way around, as well, you can tie me up and play with me, with my collar on, but }{\cs25\i not}{ take me there. What do you think?\'94
\par 
\par \'93I think it\rquote s good to experiment, love. We\rquote ll try it, then, sometime. Or, perhaps, some}{\cs25\i times}{. But now, I want to sleep with my wonderful, experimental, lover.\'94
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - - - - -
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par The intervening time at Boundless Waves had been full, for all three. Anne had been waiting for the initial protot
ype devices to come back, and had a test ready to run at an outside company. Denise had been helping her with setting up and running simulations and then analysing them, as well as the running of the internal network of PC\rquote 
s. Stan had his hands full being a combination of buyer, engineer and progress chaser, as well as trying to ensure that all the reliability and regulatory issues were covered.
\par 
\par The Pacific office of their end-customer was running eight hours behind GMT. This made scheduling meetings with 
the engineers and line managers interesting, to say the least. But Stan needed to know how the prototypes and testing set-ups were coming along. This Friday, June the twenty-second, was going to be even worse, as the earliest Stan could arrange a meeting 
was for ten o\rquote clock in the evening, his time. Sid and Ken would also be at this teleconference. Anne and Denise had had their own late, late night meeting the night before, after which Anne had triumphantly declared, \'93It works as advertised!\'94

\par 
\par Now Stan, Ken
 and Sid would be negotiating the best price and delivery combination to meet what promised to be a very lucrative contract. At the same time, there had already been feelers for buying them out from Shucor themselves, and others were now showing interest.
 But it could all fall down if the contract didn\rquote t get signed, or if the delivery of the devices was too late. 
\par 
\par Sid went to Anne and Denise and told them, \'93You two may as well push off early today. We\rquote ll see you tomorrow morning. Well done to the both of you!\'94
 Sid had been beaming all day, but now, Anne could see, he was on tenterhooks. She stood, kissed him and said, \'93It\rquote ll all go well, Sid. Don\rquote t worry.\'94
\par 
\par Anne and Denise gratefully left the office just after lunchtime. They both gave Stan a big kiss. \'93That\rquote s to tide you over until we see you tomorrow, Stan,\'94 Denise told him.
\par 
\par The two ladies left together, and Stan, Sid and Ken waited to find out if they\rquote d become a business, as well as a technical, success.
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s40\qc \li0\ri0\sb100\sa100\sbauto1\saauto1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {- - - - - - -
\par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \f27\fs24\cf9\lang2057\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp2057\langfenp1033 {
\par }}