Free Enslaved by Claire Thompson Page A

neck.
    When he was done, he picked up the collar. “Arms at your sides,” he ordered, again buckling the collar into place around her neck. He took another towel from the counter and spread it over the bathmat. “Lie down on that towel while I get things ready.”
    Without waiting to see if she obeyed, Sam turned toward the sink and opened the cabinet beneath it. He pulled out a large plastic bowl and a black leather shaving kit, from which he took out a razor, a small plastic bottle of baby oil and a tube of shaving cream. Turning on the tap, he ran it until steam rose and then filled the bowl, squeezing some of the oil in before setting it on the floor beside Rae. He reached for a washcloth and dropped that into the water as well.
    Rae was lying on the towel, jittery with nervous anticipation. What was his plan? How did he expect her to shave lying down? Why the fuck had he waited until she was out of the shower to give her a razor?
    “Please, Sam, uh, Sir,” she began. “May I speak?” Jesus, it felt stupid and humiliating to have to request permission just to speak. Of course, that was his plan, to make her feel like shit. God, she hated him.
    “Yes,” he said after a beat. “What is it?”
    “It’s just, I can shave better standing up. It would have made more sense if I’d shaved in the shower. I—”
    “I’ll be shaving you. Your job is to lie there and keep quiet. We’ll do your underarms first.”
    Rae sat up, the blood in her veins suddenly running cold. “No. Oh no. You can’t shave me. I’ll do it.”
    Sam’s eyebrows furrowed into a V over his eyes, which grew dark. “Excuse me,” he said quietly. “Are you saying no to me? A slave does not say no , Rae. A slave does what she’s told. You’ve just earned your first punishment of the day, little girl. Knowing you, it won’t be your last.”
    Rae shook her head, aware she was treading on dangerous ground but unable to stop herself. “You might cut me! Please,” she pleaded. “Let me do it. Please.” She heard the quaver in her voice. No way was she going to let this man near her with a razor! She hugged herself, her lips pressed into a hard, determined line, barely managing to hold her panic at bay.
    “Rae, listen to me.” Sam’s voice was firm. “This isn’t up for negotiation. Every morning I’m going to groom you, do you understand? I’m going to shave your underarms, your legs and your cunt. Every morning. You can either lie down and offer yourself to me, or I’ll tie you down and do it by force. Do you understand?”
    Mutely, Rae shook her head. A tear rolled down her cheek. Sam reached out, tracing its track with his thumb. “You’re afraid of being cut?”
    She started to nod, then shook her head, afraid to admit it, afraid to let him know of her vulnerability. The sight of her own blood terrified her.
    “It’s okay.” Sam crouched in front of her and cupped her shoulders in his big hands, his voice surprisingly gentle. “I’m not going to cut you, Rae. Trust me, this isn’t the first time I’ve shaved a woman. I know what I’m doing and I won’t hurt you. But this is going to happen. This morning and every morning that you’re with me. We can do it the easy way, or we can make it just as hard as you like.”
    Rae bit her lip, his words whirling through her brain. Something in his tone made her know there was no negotiating this one. She wasn’t going to get out of this, no matter how scared she was. At least she still had some control, in that she wasn’t tied down.
    He pressed against her shoulder and Rae let herself be pushed back against the towel, though her heart thumped like a bird beating its wings against a closed window. Even though she was lying down, she felt dizzy and a little sick to her stomach. She closed her eyes against the dizziness. Was it possible to faint lying down?
    “Relax,” she heard Sam say. “Take a deep breath. Go on, breathe. Hold it for three seconds and let it out. Deep