Chapter 1

Despite her anxiety, Claire had to admit that the day was certainly a beautiful one. A crisp, clear autumn morning, light mist coating the brown and amber leaves, and gentle birdsong twinkled from the nearby park. None of this did anything, however, to settle her nerves.

The café she was sitting in was lively and an easy twenty or so customers were enjoying the brunch options being served. Claire took the time to carefully observe each and every one of them, desperately seeking any means by which she could take her mind off of the impending rendezvous that was fast approaching. For obvious reasons, she paid special attention to the couples, and the men in particular; subconsciously matching them up to the image she had in her mind of him. Claire had only a few scant details to go off: his musculature, his stubble, his butt. But none of the identifying details were available to her. She ached to know what his eyes looked like. How full his lips were. How his hair felt running through her fingers. Claire had invited him to come and visit her for the first time two weeks ago, and they had been the longest two weeks of her life. Every day had dragged on and on, each hour painfully bleeding into the next. Impatience had been overwhelming her as she awaited her first glimpse of her precious boy. But now, at long last, the wait was nearly over, and she felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest with nervous anticipation

Claire shivered despite herself in the cool air, unsure if whether or not the temperature was the cause. She glanced at her watch: ten fifty-eight. Two minutes to go before he said he was going to be here. Her heart quickened. He was a stickler for punctuality, and she knew that he wouldn’t arrive a minute before or after eleven o’clock. Claire wondered if he was as nervous as she was, then laughed despite herself. Of course not. He had done so much for her already, and had shown so much of himself to her that he couldn’t possibly be as nervous as she was. But then again, he had never heard, let alone seen, her before, so maybe he was just as anxious as well? Claire took comfort in that. The last thing she wanted today was to show weakness or embarrassment. She knew that he knew who was in control, but still, Claire wanted to make sure from day one of being together physically that he knew his place.

The server came over, “Anything to drink?”

“Just two glasses of water, thanks” Claire replied. It may have been a café, but she didn’t think she could manage anything more than iced water. Plus, she knew he didn’t like tea or coffee. He would appreciate having the water ready for him. He may be hers, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t accommodate his needs. The server came back with a jug of iced water and lemon, along with two glasses. Claire thanked them and then, with a slightly shaking hand, poured herself a glass and took a sip. The ice-cold water sluiced down her throat and sharpened her already alert senses. The adrenaline that was now starting to circulate around her body brought her vision into crystal clear clarity. She was now hyper aware of everything that was happening around her, so when a new figure stepped into her peripheral vision, her eyes snapped onto them. Her heart stopped.

There was no doubt about it. It was him.

He was tall, easily over six foot. Slender, but not scrawny. There was an obvious strength and agility to his movements that betrayed an athletic background. Although she couldn’t see it, it was obvious that he worked out. His movements were quick, yet precise. Calculated. Despite his relatively young age, he moved with the grace and elegance of one much older. His hands and fingers appeared slender and pale, but bore the marks of a life spent outdoors. Small scars here and there spoke of time spend with knives, axes, thorns, and campfires. But it was his face that attracted the most of her attention. While he was certainly no great beauty, there again was the sharp maturity that coloured the rest of his features. His eyes, a rich hazel, sparkled slightly in the late-morning sun as he took in his surroundings. His attire was simple but carefully thought out. A clean, navy-blue sweater hid under a long grey coat, the hem grazing his thighs. Tight black jeans teased the eyes as they fit snugly around his rear and calves, accentuating his musculature. He was clearly intelligent, analysing every detail around him, his bright eyes darting around, assessing each person before him. Claire guessed that he was doing the same as her, trying to espy their respective targets.

Then his gaze locked onto hers and it was as though the autumn air between them sparked. His thin lips curved into an easy, but knowing smile. He ran a hand through his thick, jet-black hair, spiking it up slightly before combing it back down. He spoke to the server who was attending to him, then stepped towards her. Claire stood up to say something, but before she could even open her mouth, he beat her to it.

She barely even had time to register his movements before he had her in his firm but gentle grip. He pulled her towards him, and despite herself, Claire melted slightly into his arms. She felt his warm, spiced breath on the side of her face, tickling her ear. Her long, dark hair was swept back by his fingers as he reached up to hold her head against his. He spoke only one word, softly whispering into her ear, but Claire’s heart burst when she heard it,

“Mistress.”

//This is the complete Part I, Chapter 1 of 'To Serve A Goddess'. This is the revised and edited form of my previously released 'From Across the Sea', which was an unedited, raw version intended to gauge audience response and interest. This version is being published as complete and final version. Please enjoy.