“Call me when you’re done. I’ll wipe.”

I almost laughed when her face got so red I thought she’d explode. Truth was, it was an act, this flat, uninterested tone. Not that I cared, I just…that hint of conscience crept in through the cracks in the fucking walls of my chest. It seeped through the tiniest fissure, and it fucked with me. I didn’t like it.

She walked into the bathroom. I noticed the bruises on her ass. I hadn’t whipped her too hard, but hard enough they’d serve as a reminder to behave every time she sat down.

While she took care of what she needed to, I went to the chest, unlocked it, and took out what I needed: the collar and the crop. A few moments later she returned, wiping droplets of water from her face with her hands.

“I need a toothbrush.”

“Isn’t there one in there?”

She didn’t hesitate. “No.”

“Funny, I could have sworn…”

Her gaze fell to the things I held, and I could see the effort it took for her to stay in place.

“Would you like to earn a blanket?” I asked. “Maybe get some more water and food?”

“What do I have to do?” The question came out slow and cautious as a crawl.

“Kneel.”

She studied me, distrust in her eyes, hesitation in the way she bit her lip. “What are you going to do?”

“Put this collar around your neck.” I didn’t feel like playing all of a sudden.

I could see her mind working, trying to figure out what to do, what was expected, perhaps what would earn her the least amount of pain. But slowly, she knelt. It surprised me.

I stood motionless, looking at her. She turned her gaze away, distancing herself perhaps. I cleared my throat and walked to her, collar and crop in the same hand. She remained as she was, but she looked at me again, her eyes turned watchful. I circled her once, looking down at the top of her pretty head, at the smooth flesh of her toned if not too skinny body. I’d have to feed her soon. For all I knew, that granola bar was all she’d eaten in days.

When I stopped behind her, she craned her neck to look back.

“Face forward unless you’re told otherwise.”

She gave me a wary look but did as I said. I smiled. Pain and pleasure, the threat of the former and the shame of the latter. Remarkable teachers, that pair.