Owning Bella Ch. 05

Bella chewed her lip, she had understood at the time, Mel had told her as much, and he had made it clear by his thorough inspection of her immediately after the collaring ceremony. She nodded, "Yes, Master Rob."

"I understand you have had little time for training with Mel as yet, but you will find me just as demanding if not more so when we are alone," His voice was hard and deep as he towered above her, "and when we are alone as now, I expect to be greeted appropriately when I enter the room."

Without hesitating Bella sank to her knees before him, his tone was commanding and left no doubt as to his expectation that she would obey him. She lowered her head to his boots and brushed her lips over them kissing them before kneeling back up. "I see he has not totally neglected your training then," Rob smiled in approval. "You will find Mel and I are men of similar taste which will make serving me on occasion much easier. The subtle and not so subtle differences you will learn over time."

Rob watched her as he moved away to sit in one of the two antique looking armchairs in the room, her eyes were alight and followed his every movement. He motioned her toward him and to his delight she crawled to him rather than standing and walking. He stroked her hair as she knelt before him, "Strip."

Bella's mind had stopped spinning as she concentrated on the Master before her, she had only seen a small part of this side him that first night when she had received her formal collar. She obediently pulled the short dress over her head and folded it neatly before placing it beside his chair.

While the way Mel dressed her left little to the imagination, Rob still marvelled at the youthful sweetness and lush beauty of the girl before him. "Display," he commanded and again took his time to survey her. He kicked lightly at her knees to open her thighs wider to his view. His fingers trailed over her breasts lightly taking in the small mounds of soft flesh before flicking the nipples lightly, "Not pierced yet, has he discussed this with you?"

Bella squeaked as he flicked the hardened pink tips of her breasts before answering breathily, "Master has decided not to do that at the moment, he uses a decorative chain with loops hung with bells beneath my work blouses."

"And in training," he pressed.

"He has used clamps once or twice, though we have had little time for training since I became his," Bella spoke quietly, a tremble in her voice as his booted foot rubbed between her legs the leather teasing at the lips of her cunt.

"Good," he looked down at his boot and smirked, "Quite the excitable little slut aren't you, Princess." He watched her blush fill her cheeks as he with drew his foot back momentarily before pressing it harder against her lips. While both Master's were sadists who enjoyed the aspects of pain and humiliation, Mel's kink was firmly embedded in his sadistic desire for a girls tears and cries of erotic pain while Rob enjoyed that aspect of it to a lesser degree, it was when it was coupled with the humiliating aspects of a scene that he got the most pleasure.

Rob could see that Bella had been as on edge as she had been the morning he had found her hiding under Dianne's desk. Her eyes though now seemed clearer as she concentrated on the Master before her. What the girl needed was routine and some small amount of normalcy in her life. From what he knew, Mel had put her on a rollercoaster ten days ago that hadn't stopped yet.

"I want you to listen to me carefully now," his foot stopped moving and pulled back a little and he waited for her eyes to show her understanding that he was serious. "It is the nature of Master's and Dominants that we are arrogant and insensitive people on the whole. What we do and how we act in public is quite different to how we are behind closed doors, much like the rest of society. When Mel and I and our friends are together we may seem laid back and light hearted, but there is always an underlying current there for little ones, good training will teach you those nuances. Taking Jack's good natured teasing to heart did not become a slave of Mel's or mine for that matter, and while you have been through some trauma this week and Jack may forgive you easily, I am extremely disappointed."

Bella blushed and hung her head in shame, disappointed with herself and the knowledge of what she had inadvertently done, insulting Master Jack. Rob leant forward and cupped her chin bringing her head up to meet his eyes once again. "I imagine that beautifully expressive face is one of the reasons Mel adores you so much, I have to admit it appeals to me greatly as well, so you will not hide it from me anymore , do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," Bella whispered.

"You know your place. You accepted your place at a Master's feet the moment you accepted your collar. Stop questioning it. That expressive face of your shows your doubt and confusion and it does not become you," Rob still gripped her chin tightly so she could not drop her head, so she lowered her eyes, shame flaming her features. "You are exquisite, intelligent and strong, but you lack confidence and trust in your masters and that is something that you must work on. Nothing that has happened is your fault. Nor has anything diminished your worthiness to wear Mel's collar. So stop worrying, and leave that to your Master's." Rob smirked at her and she stopped chewing at her lip.

Bella wanted to apologise, to blame herself for her own self centred foolishness, but she knew that was what he had warned her against, so she stayed silent and looked up into his eyes. He was so similar but so different at the same time to Mel. It had taken time, and a lot of words on Mel's behalf to convince Bella that he wanted, needed and adored her, but she felt she could see it in this man's eyes though he had never come close to saying those things to her. She wondered if she might be reading too much into the look he gave her at that moment.

"I should spank you," Rob murmured, "but you are so tempting I may not be able to stop, and you haven't been given the all clear yet. Mel probably wouldn't be impressed if I damaged his girl. So you should go have a quick shower, Princess, then come back out to the living area."

Rob left the room, she was right he thought, she had been wrapped in cotton wool, and that wasn't the way to treat a girl like her. She needed to know what was expected of her, he felt satisfied he had stopped the inner turmoil that Jacks teasing had created in her already fragile psyche and had halted another possible melt down like the other day.

He was wrong.

Bella watched him leave and waited for the door to close before she let the tears fall. "She had tried to warn them all that she could never be good enough, be submissive enough, be anything enough," she cried to herself. Now she was the troublemaker who upset all his friends and the girls at the club. She felt sick at the thought of how disappointed Mel would be in her after today. She needed to go home, to her parents and forget all of the drama and trouble she had caused by her mere presence in Mel's life. She couldn't face Mel or his friend's again, knowing what they must be thinking about her lack of training and manners. There was only one thing she knew she could do now.

* * * * *

Joe walked into the heritage building and approached the front desk, "Hi, I am Joe Biancotti, my daughter, Bella, is expecting me. She is on three." Joe took in the surprised expressions of the reception staff one of whom openly gaped at him.

"Would you have some ID Mr Biancotti?" A young woman smiled at him, and the second woman regained her wits and went through a side door, allowing another girl to take her place.

"Oh, of course," Joe smiled, "One of the things we liked about this building was the added security. Can't be too careful these days can you?"

The young woman looked at the ID scrutinising it carefully, "So true, Mr Biancotti. Just a moment and I will get you a pass card for the elevators. Does she know you're coming?"

"Yes, I spoke to her about twenty minutes ago. She had a bit of a bump on the head, and I think she is just feeling unwell. I thought it best to check on her since I was in town today anyway," he watched the girl shuffle through several pass cards, "I wouldn't normally be able to pop in like this, but she sounded so upset on the phone," he let his worry show in his voice in the hopes that it may speed up her security check.

Bella emerged from her room as she heard the commotion and loud expletives that signalled the news of the arrival of Joe downstairs. She was dressed in one of her old comfortable dresses that had made the move with some of her belongings from her old flat. She was surprised at how like a shapeless sack it felt compared to the newer clothes Mel had given her. "Your father's here," Rob said as he walked toward her. Not wanting to alarm her father, Jack and Dusty were moving to Mel's apartment with the security team from the hallway.

"I know," Bella said calmly.

Rob finally took in the way she was dressed and the overnight bag in her hand. "What did you do?" He growled at her.

"You were right," Bella said quietly, "I have been self absorbed and emotional taking too much to heart. I can't bear to disappoint Mel, and you and his other friends anymore," she stopped and swallowed noisily as a tear escaped the corner of her eye, "I need to go home, where I belong." She put her bag down and fumbled with the chain collar around her neck.

"Don't you dare take that off," Rob roared loudly making her jump in fear from the tone of his voice. "That is Mel's, as you are Mel's. It is not something you can decide on a whim, then just leave," Rob stilled her hands surprisingly gently and pulled them away from her neck, "You will break him if you do this. Don't do this," Rob's eyes beseeched her.

"I can't be what you all want me to be. I can't live in this cage without any freedom at all. He promised I would have freedom and choice, but I don't. All I have is the constant disappointment of other people for not being good enough to be with him," she was crying in earnest now, and a knock sounded at the door. "I will keep the collar for now, but I need to get away," she waved her arms about, "from all this, from all of you."

Bella sidestepped Rob, ran to the door opening it wide, and flung herself into her father's arms. "Elliebellie, what on earth is wrong?" Joe asked as he all but carried her back inside stopping at the sight of Rob.

"Hi," Rob said easily, "I'm Rob, a friend of Mel's, I was dropping off some stuff, and he asked me to check in on Bella while I was here. It looks like she is happier to see you than me, though it's hard to tell with those tears."

Bella gulped and sniffled, "Daddy, I should have come home with you and mummy from the hospital, this new place just doesn't seem like mine yet, and I want my own bed and some of mummy's chocolate chiffon cake."

"Nothing wrong with being homesick, Elliebellie," Joe hugged her tightly. "But what about seeing the doc tomorrow?"

"Dr Moss will come out won't he?" Bella asked hopefully.

"I am sure he will, but he is no expert," her father was looking at her as she wiped her face on the tissues Rob had offered. "What about the birthday lunch? You were so excited about that earlier when you rang me?"

"It's been two days, if I was going to have side effects, they would have shown before now. I am sure he won't even have to treat my homesickness once I am there," she smiled. "Maybe we could have Mel over for a barbeque on Sunday and thank him properly for all his help lately, then if I am feeling better I can come back to work with him." Knowing someone would have called him and not wanting the confrontation Bella looked up at Joe, "Please, Daddy, I just want to go home."

"Well your mother will be happy," Joe smiled and hugged her. "Go and pack a bag then, I will reschedule my afternoon meeting."

"I feel better already," Bella disentangled herself from her fathers arms and went to pick up the small bag she had already packed.

Joe walked to the kitchen as he spoke briefly to the secretary of his afternoon meeting and rescheduled it for Monday with sincere apologies for the late notice. Then he called Rosie and said he was coming back early with a surprise and asked her if she could bake a chiffon cake, she had laughed at the strange request and teased him about his waistline getting bigger before agreeing. Smiling he hung up it would be nice to have Bella home for the weekend. It had been too long since they had spent any real time together as a family, the party last weekend had been much too busy to find out how everything was with her.

Bella had stood at the door holding her bag counting the minutes while her father was on the phone, "This isn't the answer Bella," Rob tried reason, "You could have talked to Mel. He isn't the ogre I make him out to be."

"I did, during lunch. I begged him even, to let me go out for a walk, to use me when we were alone in the bedroom," her head dropped. "I have just been a fragile bird in a gilded cage, and I have still managed to disappoint everyone this afternoon, as well as last night, apparently. I don't even know what did wrong," Bella shook her head, "Can't you see, I am doing this for him. So he doesn't have to be embarrassed by me anymore and have to admit this was a mistake." She touched the chain about her neck.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Bella jumped again at his tone and Joe looked out from the kitchen.

"Alright Ellie, let's go. Nice to meet you Rob, I am sure we will run into each other again," Joe smiled.

"Indeed," Rob replied, "See you soon, take care, Bella, or can I call you Ellie now too?"

"Bye, Mm... Mister Rob," she smiled lopsidedly.

Rob laughed, "I am hardly going to stay in your apartment when you are gone. I'll ride down with you."

It was in the lobby Mel caught up with them, his face showing the concern he felt followed by the shock of seeing Bella with Joe coming out of the lift. "What's going on?" He asked a little more testily than he meant to but he had rushed madly back here when he heard of Joe's arrival.

Bella immediately dropped her eyes and head. She had wanted to avoid this direct confrontation, to avoid disappointing him yet again. "I am glad we caught you," Joe voice was friendly ignoring the tone of Mel's question, "Bella has become homesick, it's probably nothing but I am going to take her to see Dr Moss, just to be sure."

"You should have said something Ellie," Mel frowned at her.

She felt her father squeeze her hand reassuringly, "I did. Kind of," she whispered, "but it just got worse and worse and I knew I had to go home."

"I see," he said tilting his head and taking in her bloodshot eyes and blotchy face.

"Bella tells me it's your birthday tomorrow, Come out to the house for a barbeque Sunday, I will get Bella to invite those friends of yours that were such good company at the party, Kurt and Dianne. You can give her a lift back to the city if she is feeling better. You weren't expecting her tomorrow anyway with the doctor's appointment and all, were you?" Joe was as good natured as ever as he watched the expression darken on Mel's face.

"No, of course not I had expected she would come to lunch with our work colleagues. They will be disappointed not to see her," Bella looked around at Rob as she fought back more tears.

"Seems I am always disappointing someone lately," she whispered sadly.

"Come now, Elliebellie, he didn't mean it like that, and just think how happy your mother will be to see you," Joe's arm tightened around her shoulder.

Seeing the tears Mel immediately softened, "We will miss you tomorrow, my Ellie, but you did the right thing if you are unwell, you have to look after yourself because the people that love you can't always see it." He smiled softly, "Can I give you a hand with that, Joe?" Mel reached for Bella's bag.

Joe was stunned by Mel's words of love and easily gave up the bag, following him out of the front of the building. "I'll call you after we see the doctor, a few days of Rosie's fussing and she will be begging to come back," Joe laughed as he helped Bella into the car, "Have a great day tomorrow if we don't see you, Happy Birthday."

"I'll see you Sunday," Mel replied, "Better get Rosie to make some macaroons if you're inviting Kurt again," He chuckled.

Mel waved them off and strode back into the building. He said nothing as he passed Rob and went down to the office in the club. He called the head of his security detail and changed the location of his most precious piece of property giving them exact layouts and directions to her whereabouts within the small town. Only when he was sure of her safety again did he look up at Rob.

*****

Joe and Bella travelled out of the city in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Once out on the open road Joe cleared his throat, "He's a bit old for you don't you think?"

Bella squeaked and looked up at her father, open mouthed. "Don't treat me like an idiot, Bella," he took his eyes off the road momentarily and looked at her, "Blind Freddy could see how much you just hurt him by running away." Bella remained silent, unsure of how her father felt about the discovery.

"I brought you up to be a good girl, I trust your judgement, Ellie, but I must admit I am a little confused right now," Joe admitted, "I think it's time you told me the truth don't you?"

"Oh Daddy, everything just went wrong," Bella said tearfully. "I knew you wouldn't approve, and now you are disappointed in me too."

"Who said I didn't approve? Quite the contrary, as you grew up I wished we could go back to the days of arranged marriages, and mature successful men. It would save all the Jim's of the world coming knocking on our door," he laughed at her stunned expression, "Mel mightn't be who I would have picked for you exactly but he is a good man, and a vast improvement on Jim. Your mother and I realised at the hospital that there was something more than friendship between the two of you."

Bella blushed and nodded confirming his words. She felt the need to protect Mel from the assumptions her parents might make. "It was me," she said quietly, "Who made the first move. Nothing had happened until the week before your party when Jim was away, and then Jim showed up at the party and everything just went wrong from there."

Joe was considering his words carefully, he wanted to know much more, but he also realised scolding and interrogating her right now would do neither of them any good. "Well I guess that explains Mel's insistence on helping you so much," Joe said thoughtfully. "It was your Aunt who thought something was going on that night, at the party," Joe chuckled, "It is the way Mel looks at you that gives him away."

Bella remembered the conversation in the kitchen about older men and shook her head at her Aunt's gentle prodding. "When I am with him I never think about ages. He makes me feel so... so... precious," Bella concluded lamely using one of the words Mel called her often.

"So why all the tears then, what really happened? You are not the type of girl to come running home like this," Joe kept his voice light and easy, but he was tense. He did not want to think Mel would mistreat his daughter. There would be repercussions if he had.

"Everything went wrong, Jim showing up at the party, his threats and having to move to a new apartment, I got a concussion the day I got a promotion," she sighed, "I just seem to be doing everything wrong, and he is a man that does everything right." Bella took a deep breath, "I just seem to be constantly disappointing him with all the stupid things I do."

"He said you were a disappointment?" Joe raised his voice slightly, and Bella saw his knuckles whiten as he gripped the wheel, "For things that were out of your control?"