It wasn't until they got to the apartment that he spoke. "Placing her on her knees before him as he sat in a large comfortable armchair he looked at her and felt his own anxiety about the worry in her expression and the way she had been twisting the ring.
"Tell me," he said with more of an abrupt tone than he had intended to, bringing her head up to look at him.
"Will you want me to beg in front of everyone like Mel did and then blindfold me and put me in the cage like Mel did?" She said in a rush having thought about it for some time.
"No," Stephen said evenly. "Mel was a big man with a big personality. He ruled both the club and his company and had almost a rock star status amongst the lifestyle community. He and Rob had given people a safe to indulge their lifestyle and their fantasies, and he was to most people larger than life. When he finally took a girl for his own it was a big deal and being the showman he was; he gave them a show." Stephen said and watched as she chewed her lip thinking about what he said but sensing that she was still worried he continued.
"I have never invited such scrutiny of my personal life. I enjoy having my home and friends far removed from the club and its regular patrons. Had I not taken you there I doubt even Rob would have looked at the Abbey close enough to know what I did there," he said considering it as he spoke. "We might need the formality of re-enacting your collaring for Rob and Kurt because they are your guardians and their roles in your life will change now and it is the right thing to do, just as asking your parents' consent to marry you was the right thing to do. Old fashioned maybe but the right thing non-the-less."
"I understand," Bella seemed to finally let some of her anxiousness go and smile at him. "I think it would also be the right thing if we told Dorothea before the rest of our friends," she said thoughtfully.
"I agree," he said checking his watch but not elaborating. "Now you have about thirty minutes to get ready.
"Yes, my Lord," she stood and hurried to her bedroom. She stood in front of her closet considering all the clothes she owned. Stephens preference for corsetry narrowed her choice somewhat but she wanted to look particularly lovely for him tonight and she rifled through several things. She pulled out a cream coloured corset made of a shimmering translucent material, the whalebone partially hidden by strategic beading. With it were a matching beaded G-string and a diaphanous skirt that wrapped around to secure in the from where it was as short as a micro-mini but cascade around her thighs to be almost full length at the back.
Once she was ready, she looked at herself in the mirror and wondered if the outfit was too over the top for a weeknight at the club. It was too late to do anything about it now she thought and went out into the living room where Stephen waited. He too had changed and looked elegantly handsome in his black shirt and tie. He had traded his usual suit pants for leather and Bella quivered longing to touch them as he stood to approach her. Feeling less worried about being over-dressed she stood still as Stephen tightened the lacing of her corset to his liking and murmured in her ear, "You look beautiful my little princess of pain," and squeezed the bare cheek of her ass beneath the fall of silk until she whimpered softly.
Stephen groaned and stepped back leading her from the apartment and down to the club. He knew Kurt had already arrived and that Dorothea had also arrived for an early dinner with Charles and Sera. They girls in the foyer had texted him after each arrival as requested and even though he knew he had their approval he did not like being in the spotlight as he knew he would be tonight with the news that he had collared Bella. He called Theo as the entered the elevator.
"Could you have Mrs Brown meet Rob and Kurt in his office? I will be there in less than a minute," he said stiffly in his deep bass making Bella look up at him.
"Dorothea is here?" Bella squeaked in happy surprise.
"It is only right," he smirked repeating her words back at her.