One Chance ~ One Life

“I remember that stage, Ladon was a real hellraiser when he was that age.  Thankfully he had my father back then to take him under his wing and straighten him out, that and I put him into basketball.  If you want, I can have Ladon give Liam some lessons when they’ve both got time this summer, he volunteers regularly at different basketball camps with kids and he’s great at it.  I just hope Liyana stays as calm as she is now, since my father’s not around to help with her, but I’m sure she’ll be wonderful, she’s my perfect little angel.  I honestly thought I was too old to start over with a new baby, but she’s been exactly what I needed with Coyote leaving and Ladon growing up so fast.” She laughed at Amber’s comments abut beating Coyote up, “You might have to get in line behind me, my mother, my sisters, my brother, and Gyda, but have at him.”

Kami listened intently to Amber talk abut her past with Cillian, “Wow, I think complicated might be an understatement.  I’m hardly an expert on relationships, clearly, but the one thing I do know is having sisters, I’ve got 5 of them, and I think your sister is the one you need t talk t.  I know that’s probably terrifying, but imagine how worse it’ll be when she finds out, and she will find out.  She’ll likely be devastated or furious and she deserves t knw the truth.  That being said, I don’t know your relationship with your sister, so you have to do what’s best for you and Liam, those are just my two cents.  Whatever you do, just know that we love you and we’re on your side.” 

“That would actually be a great idea,” Amber said, looking at Kami with gratefulness. “He’s still young but I’m sure that any activity to get out some of that extra energy would do wonders for him. Besides, Landon is so good with him. Liam absolutely adores him.” The words were only confirmed by watching the two boys interact further ahead of him. Landon was a good kid and probably the closest thing Liam had to a male role model in his life, Glancing at the baby in the stroller, Amber smiled. “I think she will be fine. I’ve heard that girls really only start causing trouble when they get to those teenage years. Beside, you know you have a village around you now to help.” It was one thing she had missed about this small little town. How connected everyone was - New York had always been so cold and distant. 

Sophie had always wanted to do a wine and design night but with her chemo, she had been putting it off because she wanted to be able to drink the wine and with her chemo she wasn’t allowed to. She didn’t want to put it off any longer and she found herself sitting in front of the canvas, glass of water sitting next to her. He took a sip and looked to the person next to her. “I’ve never done this before and I am a terrible artist. I hope this turns out okay.” She said with a soft smile, putting the glass of water to her lips and sipping from it. “I’m Sophie by the way. I’ve always wanted to do one of these and nobody wanted to come with me so I came alone.” She said with a laugh. “Do you know what were are supposed to be painting tonight?”

@amber–stevens​

Though Amber wasn’t particularly artistically inclined, doing paint and vino nights were a particular joy for her. As fun as it was going in groups, the photographer found a special enjoyment of going out alone. The new connections made were sometimes the best friendships. Amber tied her apron around her waist and then moved to tie her hair up when a voice spoke to her. She turned to face her table mate and smiled at the other woman, reaching for her glass of wine and taking a sip. “I’m Amber. It’s nice to meet you.” She offered, moving to take her seat as they waited for the instructor. “I’m an awful artist too but they walk you step by step so it ends up being fine and fun. I find that coming alone is sometimes better than a group. I’ve done tons of these. But sunset pieces, like the one we’re doing tonight, are my favorite.” She took her brushes and put the bristles in the can of water given to each of them and motioned for Sophie to do the same. “I’m a much better photographer than I am a painter but I swear doing these will become addictive.” She laughed, brushing her bangs from her face.

Kami laughed, “I don’t miss those days, Ladon was a runner when he was that young, I could never get him to stay put for longer than a few minutes, I’m not looking forward to this little one following in his footsteps,” she said, smiling down at the baby girl in the stroller she was pushing.  “I’m definitely not the best person to give you advice on that subject, unfortunately.  I met Coyote when I was 16 and he’s lived rent-free in my head ever since.  He manipulated me into dropping out of college and cutting ties with my family just so I could take care of him full-time, but when I told him I was expecting Ladon, he yelled at me until past midnight then threw me out, I had to bed a waitress at a diner to let me use her phone to call my father.  He showed up out of nowhere when Ladon was 13 and I wanted him to have a father so badly I let Coyote back into our lives without a second thought and he left after I got pregnant again…I promised myself I’d never let him back into our lives, but if he showed up again tomorrow, I don’t know if I’d have the strength to turn him away again.  I don’t know the details of your relationship with Cillian, but I can tell you that finding a father for your little one isn’t a good enough reason to let someone into your life if you’re not 100% convinced it’s a good idea.” 

“Liam is really testing me.” Amber chuckled bitterly, moving to push her bangs to the side. It’s not that she didn’t love her son because she did but he started to learn how to push mom’s buttons and was doing it with glee. “Enjoy that baby stage.” The baby in the carriage fussed a little and Amber bent down to adjust her blanket so Kami wouldn’t have to stop to do it. The photographer listened as her friend told her a bit more of her relationship with Coyote. She had known bits and pieces of it from previous conversations shared but this was a deeper set of knowledge. She appreciated Kami’s openness. “Well, he sounds like a complete ass for treating you like that and if I ever see him, I’ll show him what I’ve been learning at the gym.” Amber chuckled, nudging her friend lightly. It was a way to communicate that she didn’t judge Kami for it because she understood. She understood what it was like to have someone you just couldn’t let go of in life. “Cillian and I were together for a while but I broke it off when I got an opportunity I couldn’t say no to in New York. I left and then I found out I was pregnant. I never told Cillian.” Amber shrugged, her eyes shifting to where her son was playing a little ways ahead of them. 

“Our relationship was complicated.” It was always hard to explain the relationship between a dominant and submissive to someone who wasn’t part of that world. “It was a...mutually beneficial arrangement but I fell in love when I knew better and I was never sure if he felt the same way. When I got the job offer in New York, I told him about it.  I think I expected him to confess something...anything really but he didn’t so I...left.” Her voice softened, thinking of Cillian and their relationship and then it flickered to the result of their involvement. Her beautiful little boy. The perfect mixture between her and Cillian. “My sister got engaged and was throwing an engagement party so I came down and ran into Cillian again. We got….reacquainted.” She chuckled, a dust of pink coating her cheeks. “But I found recently that he’s the one my sister is engaged with and I just….I don’t know what to do. I just want what’s best for my son and maybe, having Cillian out of his life is what is best. Liam has to come first.” It didn’t matter if she wanted Cillian or not. Beside, she didn’t even know if he would ever want anything more than their relationship now and whether he even wanted a kid. Besides, as long as he’s seeing his sister, everything was a moot point. 

Cillian stood by his spot at the door to the bathroom, just on the other side of where she had said. He took a moment, letting silence sit in the room. He wanted to make her wait, make her ruminate in the silence before moving to the bed, kneeling carefully next to her. “So close…yet so far.” He said as he set his open palm against her ass, rubbing circles before pulling his hand back and then letting it smack against her bare skin. “I thought you would be more observant. We will try again. That was strike one. Two more and we might have some fun with some ropes out in the living room.” He said as he moved to her head, whispering in her ear. “Don’t disappoint me. You know I hate it when you disappoint me.” He warned before pushing up from the bed and slowly, quietly walking, standing in the doorway to the closet. 

He hated when he had to punish Amber at all, he he couldn’t lie, the thought of having her tied up in his living room was intriguing to him. A part of him was hoping she would strike out. He stood quietly, not making a noise for a few moments, waiting till he could have been anywhere. “Where?” He asked, keeping his voice soft and not raised at all, almost in a whisper. He looked at her on the bed, thinking about everything he could do to her in that moment, knowing she would let him do almost anything he wanted. He had missed this, the relationship and trust the two had once built up and when it had been over, he was sad, keeping to himself for months to try and move forward. He looked at the way that the black leather sat against her skin, not too tight but flush against her neck, leaving no room for it to move anywhere, and snug enough that he couldn’t even put a finger in between the leather and her skin besides his pinky, having had the collar fitted to her neck in the past. He was happy to see it where it belonged and that he had her back to him.

The silence was killer, each second that ticked by caused Amber’s breath to fall heavier than the last. She heard the shuffling, low and almost inaudible and knew that Cillian was approaching her but she didn’t dare open her eyes. That would disappoint him. A sense of disappointment rolled through her when he revealed that she had guessed wrong but before she had a chance to process that sentiment, his hand came down on her bare skin. She gasped at the suddenness of it, her skin left tingling. “I’m sorry, Sir, I’ll do better.” She finally spoke out, a shiver running through at the whispered words against the shell of her. As much as he hated being disappointed, she hated disappointing him.

Cillian knew that she would be ready by the timehe got back to the room, trusting that she would follow his instructions. He smiled to himself as he found his box that was hidden in the back of the closet, hidden from view and he pulled it down. He opened the lid and revealed all their old toys and then found what he had really been looking for. He brought the box back into the room to see Amber laying face down on the bed with her face tucked into the comforter. He grinned as he stepped up to the bed, setting the box down. He grabbed the black collar from the box, leaving the other options where they were. He reached down, moving her hair from her neck before wrapping the leather around her neck and locking it with the small lock before setting the key on the bedside table.

Taking a step back, Cillian looked over Amber’s body, smirking to himself. “Now, I want you to stand up and face me.” He said very clearly. “That collar will be on you whenever you are here should you wish to continue this.” He said. “Obviously I still have the others should the need to be more discrete arise.” He said as she stood up. He let his hands reach out and rest on her shoulders before he let them fall to her hips. He reached to the box and grabbed the four leather cuffs from the box, fastening them to her wrists and ankles. He then pushed her gently to the bed before fastening the cuffs to each corner of the bed with her on her stomach. He took a step back. “Close your eyes now and follow my movements. If you cannot figure out where in the room I am, then, well, let’s just say you might have a hard time sitting because you will get a spank for every wrong answer. I hope you were paying attention when we walked in.” He said as he leaned down and kissed the back of her shoulder before giving her a warning spank, the sound of skin hitting skin loud in the room.”

Amber waited with bated breath as she heard Cillian approach her and she sighed contentedly at the first touch of his hand. She lifted her head up slightly to help him place the oh too familiar collar around her neck and the moment he had secured it, Amber couldn’t help but feel safe.  She still didn’t move, simply waiting for his next move or command and when it finally came, Amber was quick to oblige her former dom. She made her off the bed, standing up and kept her eyes lowered, but there was a soft smile that played on her lips at his words. “Thank you, sir.” She breathed, knowing that Cillian was well aware that she had always loved when he placed collars on her. She had loved it from the first time he had done it years ago. Amber’s bright eyes followed Cillian’s movements, watching as he pulled out other restraints and could hardly stop the way her skin was a blaze with each touch. The brunette fell back on the bed easily, letting him maneuver her until she was back on her stomach and he had restrained her. It was a bit uncomfortable but nothing that was too bad.