Finding Love Down Under Read online

  Finding Love Down Under

  By Donna Jay

  Copyright © 2016 Donna Jay

  Cover Image – iStock

  All rights reserved. Except for the use of brief quotations in any review or critical article, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, is forbidden without prior written permission from the author, Donna Jay.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  This one is for you, Nana. You taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. I know you’d be proud of this story even though you passed over before I hit publish. RIP, Jane.

  Acknowledgements

  Heartfelt thanks go to my beta / proofreaders, Linda and Robert. Both of whom were my constant champions, and who pulled Claire into line when her Kiwi-isms flew over their heads.

  Thanks also go to Carolyn, fellow kiwi, for being my sounding board when I needed to brainstorm plot ideas.

  Prologue

  March 2014

  Claire pulled Amy into a tight embrace. Their bodies moulded together with the familiarity of long-time lovers, soft against soft. “Will you be home for lunch?”

  A hint of mischief twinkled in Amy’s blue eyes. “Depends. Will I get a spanking if I’m late?”

  Damn, Claire loved it when Amy acted like an innocent young girl. Something that had increased in frequency over the last year. Initially, Claire didn’t know if she wanted to explore age-play but she’d agreed for the sake of her lover to at least give it a try. At the end of the day, it simply added another layer to their roles of dominant and submissive. And it seemed like today was one of the days Amy wanted to act out.

  Claire cupped Amy’s firm butt-cheeks, eliciting a low moan when she dug her fingernails in. “I expect you home by one.” She released her grip and tapped the end of Amy’s nose. “Don’t be late.”

  Standing on her tippy-toes, Amy planted a warm wet kiss on Claire’s lips. “Or what?”

  Claire chuckled at Amy’s bratty behaviour and gave her backside a playful swat. “Get. Work first, then we play.”

  Sunlight glimmered off the gold dish on top of the wooden cabinet Amy fished around in for her car keys. She turned back to Claire. “Oh goodie, I can’t wait.”

  The dazzling smile and enthusiastic tone of Amy’s voice sent a surge of love and desire zinging through Claire’s veins. After five years together, she still found her lover as sexy as the day they’d met.

  Alone in the house, Claire set about trying to pass the next few hours constructively. No easy feat with the delicious throb of arousal pulsing between her legs. Determined not to take matters into her own hands and seek some quick relief, she filed some bills and cleaned up the computer desk.

  When the power icon on the laptop glowed blue, she figured Amy must’ve forgotten to log off before being called into work unexpectedly. With the intention of turning the computer off, Claire lifted the lid. Curiosity got the better of her when she noticed the web-browser open on a porn-site. Claire was aware of how often Amy took so-called sneak peeks at porn. Not bothered in the slightest, she chose to turn a blind eye.

  She plopped into the swivel chair and clicked the link to a lesbian movie. The image of a girl over a woman’s knee having her bare bottom spanked made Claire’s pulse race. She sucked in a breath, eager to get her hands, or paddle, on Amy’s backside.

  Off to the side of the video, a movie titled ‘Punish me, Miss’ caught Claire’s eye. She clicked the highlighted link, heart pounding as the new clip loaded. A brunette with a mask concealing most of her face came into view. Plush, pale-green carpet cushioned her knees. A beautiful oak coffee table sat to the left and a gorgeous wine cabinet to the right.

  The imagery made Claire’s heart trip into a gallop. She leaned back in the chair and stared at the scene, unable to look away and hoping against hope she was wrong. The girl’s Mistress emerged from the left. Chestnut hair framed a heart-shaped face, brown eyes, and a small straight nose. White thigh-high nylons, attached to a familiar body-hugging soft pink corset, showcased long athletic thighs.

  It was like watching a movie filmed in her own living room. The woman turned and Claire stared in stunned horror at the rose vine tattoo spanning the width of her shoulder blades. Fuck. It was a movie filmed in her own living room, with her and Amy centre stage. A sickening mixture of disbelief, hurt, and betrayal churned in Claire’s belly. She swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. How could Amy abuse her trust in such an atrocious way?

  She didn’t want to see anymore yet needed to know the extent of betrayal. Maybe it’d been a one off posting, something done on a whim. Although in her heart, Claire knew better. All the masks Amy insisted on wearing during a scene now made sense. Even though Amy professed they helped her to slip into the role of submissive, the reality was she’d gone to lengths to conceal her identity.

  Above the movie currently playing, Claire clicked on the profile name ‘Little Miss Aimee’. A page loaded with clip after clip featuring her and Amy’s make-out sessions. The angle suggested the camera would be on the wall behind her. Claire swivelled around in the chair so fast her head spun. Shell-shocked, she stood on shaky legs and stared at a large oil painting. Amy had bought it as a gift, stating she saw the beautiful scenery of an old vineyard and knew Claire would love it. And she had.

  As the initial shock wore off, anger took its place. With a strength fuelled by the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Claire clasped the gold frame and hefted the picture off the wall as if it weighed nothing. Her worse fears were confirmed when she spotted a small camera taped to the back; the lens strategically positioned through a small hole so it blended in with a bunch of purple grapes. She placed the painting face down on the coffee table, ripped the camera off, then hung the picture back on the wall. Pain tore through Claire’s chest as she slumped down on the sofa.

  How the hell did someone deal with such a blatant act of betrayal? She had less than an hour to decide. And frankly, right then she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to forgive Amy.

  ***

  True to her word, Amy arrived home shortly after one. She breezed in the door as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

  “Hey, babe, did you miss me?” The familiar scent of Fire and Ice, Amy’s favourite perfume, wafted over Claire as Amy brushed a kiss across her lips.

  Not bothering to reply, and taking advantage of the fact Amy was five minutes late, Claire fell into the role of dominant. She pursed her lips and tapped her wristwatch. “You broke curfew, young lady. What do you have to say for yourself?”

  A flash of excitement sparkled in Amy’s eyes. She dropped her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, Mummy.”

  Keeping her mask of dominance in place, because right then that’s all it was, a mask, Claire held up a hand and spoke in a stern voice. “I don’t want to hear it, Missy. Go to your room and wait until your father gets home.”

  Amy bit her lip and lowered her gaze. “Oh no, please don’t tell Daddy. I promise to be a good girl.”

  If Claire didn’t know better, she would’ve thought the quiver of fear in Amy’s voice was genuine, but she now knew it was all part of a game. Even so, she could almost hear the cogs churning in Amy’s head. Claire had never played daddy, and she hardly ever dominated Amy in the bedroom. Under Amy’s insistence, most of their D/S sessions took place in the living room, which now made sense. In fact, when they were in the bedroom Amy wasn’t so compliant. Well, if she wanted to play, Claire would p
lay. No masks or blindfolds. No acting for the camera.

  Claire pointed to the open hall door. “Go. Clothes off and kneel on the bed, back to the headboard.”

  Amy’s shoulders slumped and her lip trembled. “Yes, Mummy.”

  Relief washed over Claire when instead of asking why they hadn’t discussed the scenario ahead of time, something they normally did when introducing a new kink, Amy trotted out of the room playing her part of a forlorn child. As soon as Amy was out of view, Claire slipped her skirt off and stepped into the strap-on harness she’d hidden behind the sofa, when she came up with her idea of a fitting punishment.

  When Claire stepped into the bedroom, Amy’s eyes went wide, her gaze fixated on the pink phallus jutting out at the apex of Claire’s thighs. Nervous anticipation made Claire’s pulse race. She tapped Amy on the shoulder. “Look at me.” The words sounded foreign to her own ears, but she had no intention of letting Amy hide behind a mask or blindfold today. She wanted to see every expression on her face; to look into her eyes and see deep into her soul. “You’ve been a naughty girl.”

  A glimmer of desire shone in Amy’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Mummy.” Amy reached up to undo the top button on Claire’s white blouse.

  Under any other circumstances, Claire would’ve welcomed the attention. It normally turned her on the way Amy peppered kisses over every inch of her flesh as she undressed and worshipped Claire’s body. But today the gleam of desire shining in Amy’s eyes sent a cold shiver up her spine.

  When Claire smacked her hand away, Amy flinched. The confused look in her eyes made it clear the sharp sting hadn’t caused her reaction. Claire shook her head and lowered the tenor of her voice so she’d sound more masculine. “Today you have to answer to Daddy, understood?”

  “Yes.” Amy’s warm breath tickled Claire’s neck when Claire reached behind her and cuffed her wrists together.

  Claire slid her hand along the length of the silicone phallus. “Yes, what?”

  Amy licked her lips. “Yes, Daddy.”

  Steeling her resolve to punish Amy, Claire grabbed her chin. “Open up, little girl.”

  The look of trust in Amy’s eyes when she complied, red lips parting and forming into a perfect O without question, tugged at Claire’s conscience but she soldiered on.

  As soon as Amy’s lips closed around the phallus, Claire grabbed a fistful of her long locks and thrust in and out a few times before pulling out again. “Do you want my cock?”

  Amy nodded, face flushed and nipples standing to attention. “Yes, Daddy. Please fuck me.”

  That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Amy needed to be taught a lesson. Claire twisted Amy’s rock-hard nipples eliciting a yelp followed by a low moan as Amy breathed through the pain. She bent down until her lips brushed the top of Amy’s ear and spoke in a low voice. “Repeat after me in a nice loud voice, ‘Amy Timmons is a very bad girl and needs to be punished’.” Claire released Amy’s nipples and folded her arms under her breasts. She didn’t want to make her next move without Amy’s verbal consent.

  Amy’s mouth formed into a pout. “Amy Timmons is a naughty girl. Please punish me, Daddy.”

  The fact she didn’t repeat the line word for word didn’t matter. All that mattered was she was stupid enough to consent without bothering to ask what she was consenting to. Claire thrust the phallus in Amy’s face. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she waited for Amy to latch on. The minute she did, Claire grabbed the back of her head and plunged forward until she met resistance.

  The impact vibrated through Claire’s groin when the toy hit the back of Amy’s throat and her nose smacked against the leather harness.

  Surprise flashed in Amy’s eyes before she started to work the toy with vigour. Astounded by Amy’s ability to deep throat, Claire twisted her hips and angled her body slightly to the side so Amy could see herself in the mirror attached to the dresser. Amy’s blue eyes took on the glazed appearance of arousal, tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

  The image reflected back at Claire hit her with such force it was like a slap across the face. What the fuck was she doing? She was acting like a woman scorned, which wasn’t far from her reality. Disgusted with herself for stooping so low, even though she saw it as a necessary evil, Claire pulled out and unclipped the harness. It landed on the floor with a dull thud.

  The sound of Amy sucking in air made the hair on Claire’s neck stand on end. She reached around and released the wrist-cuffs. Feeling generous, or perhaps because she couldn’t stand to look at Amy’s naked body for a minute longer, she tossed a T-shirt at her.

  A confused face disappeared for a second then popped out the neckline. “What was that about? You could’ve clued me in first. You know? Safe, sane and consensual?”

  The words were thrown about so casually, anyone listening in would think they were discussing the weather.

  Amy was perfectly safe. The only thing Claire had hurt was her ego. As for sane, Claire’s sanity all but fled about an hour ago. However, hearing Amy spout off the word consensual made her blood boil. “How fucking dare you talk to me about consent.”

  Spurred on by righteous indignation, Claire reached up and pulled the camera down off the top of the wall-mounted television. The time had come to give her soon to be ex-fiancée a taste of her own medicine. “You abused my trust in the most heinous way possible. But, now I have footage of you with no mask to hide behind.” Claire suppressed a sardonic smile.

  Amy shook her head and scoffed. “Is that what’s got you all bent out of shape? Please, get over yourself.”

  The way Amy dismissed Claire’s anguish felt like a punch to the gut. At a loss for words, she stared at Amy as if seeing her for the very first time, and she didn’t like what she saw. The conceited smile made her feel like vomiting.

  When Amy held out her hand, Claire didn’t know if she expected her to hand over the camera or to take her hand in her own. Claire put both behind her back.

  Amy lowered her hand and sat on the end of the bed. “Come on, babe. I did it for you, for us. How else do you think we could afford all of this?” She swept her arm in a semi-circle.

  Claire took in her surroundings, the new four-poster bed and matching bedroom furniture. How could she have been so naïve as to think Amy’s salary as General Manager of a large retail store had paid for everything, including their three-bedroom home.

  Pain tore through Claire’s chest as she asked the question she already knew the answer to. “You got money for those videos?”

  Amy shrugged. “Of course. People love you. The camera loves you. And, oh my God, the little girl/mummy clips sell like wildfire.” Her voice became increasingly animated. She bounced her feet up and down as she sat perched on the end of the bed, still half-naked. “We won’t become millionaires, but if we play the market right, we’ll be far from poor.”

  The stupid bitch thought she was a genius. Claire almost felt sorry for her, but the pain filling her heart left no room for pity or forgiveness. Claire swiped away a tear. “You don’t get it do you? It’s over, Amy. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you, let alone trust you again.”

  The smile fell from Amy’s face as the words penetrated her thick skull. “You can’t mean that. Come on. We can work it out.” She stood and took a tentative step toward Claire. “Let’s talk about it when you’re feeling less emotional.”

  The condescending tone of her voice pissed Claire off no-end. It took every bit of self-control not to grab Amy by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. She swatted Amy’s arm away.

  At least her arrogance made it easier for Claire to stick to her guns. “I want half of everything. You can pay me out for my share of the house.” She’d never call the place home again. Amy could live in it and stew in her own juices. “If you ever come near me again,” she held up the camera, “this video, with your face clearly on display and you stating your name, will go viral. Free for all.” It was an idle threat, one she hoped would scare Amy enough to heed
good advice and stay the hell away from her.

  Amy’s gaze flicked from the camera to Claire. The blank expression on her face gave away nothing. It could’ve been from shock, being resigned to her fate, or for all Claire knew, Amy could’ve been plotting her next move.

  Claire’s mind raced, and a fresh wave of hurt washed over her. Had Amy ever really loved her, or had the five years they’d spent together been one big game to her lover? “I’m going to my parents. I’ll be back to get my things in the morning.” Claire slipped on a respectable knee-length skirt.

  “Okay.” Amy smiled. “We’ll talk more then. Things won’t seem so bad after a good night’s sleep.”

  Something in Claire snapped. “Did you not hear me, Amy? It’s over!” She yanked her engagement ring off and tossed it across the room. The sun glistened off the white-gold band as it flew through the air and smacked Amy in the chest. Claire’s head pounded and her vision blurred. The walls of the room seemed to close in on her. She had to get out of the house before she lost her shit. “Goodbye, Amy,” she called over her shoulder as she hightailed it down the hallway, through the kitchen, and out the back door.

  After firing up the car, she backed down the driveway, then stopped to check for traffic. While waiting for a blue sedan to pass, Claire glanced up at the house. Wrong thing to do. Amy stood in the bedroom window, white net curtains framing her face like a wedding veil. She brought her hand to her mouth, blew a kiss to Claire, and mouthed the words love you .

  Even though she doubted the sincerity of Amy’s words, knowing she’d never hear them uttered again shattered Claire’s fragile heart. Her throat constricted, and she swallowed down a painful lump.

  Dragging her gaze from the window back to the road, Claire hit the gas and sped down the street. She didn’t even make it as far as the first intersection before she had to pull over. Parked on the side of the road, she let the tears flow. She hugged herself and rocked back and forth in the seat, grieving for what could’ve been yet never would.

  When she had no more tears to shed, she started to laugh at Amy’s insistence they talk about it when Claire was less emotional. “Well, how’s that for emotional, Amy?”