Chapter 6

"Mom, you OK?"

The voice was Sierra's, awakening Cathy. She had not fallen asleep until the first rays of sun were filtering through the windows. Jessica also stood nearby looking on with concern.

"Uh, oh sure, I'm all right. I woke up last night with a headache and came down for some aspirin," she lied. "I guess I fell asleep waiting for the medicine to kick in."

"You look like hell," said Sierra.

"Well, thanks a lot," smiled Cathy wearily, "I'll try to return the compliment as soon as I get the chance."

Cathy arose and looked at her reflection in the hallway mirror. Sierra was right. There were dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, her hair was a mess and she felt terrible. She knew Dahlgrin was right on at least one count. She had become addicted to the pleasures of the flesh he afforded her. She had ached all night to be held, to be entered, to climax, and all had been denied her. She recognized that what lay in the mirror was evil and what Dahlgrin was asking was unthinkable, yet how could she live another night without the men and women who visited her bed whenever she wanted and satisfied her in ways she never knew existed?

She dragged herself into the shower which helped. A good breakfast cooked up by Carmine also gave her some strength, but the kind of strength she needed now had to come from within and she was not at all sure she could resist the mirror's allure.

"Remember we're going to the movies this afternoon. You said we could drive into Benton," reminded Sierra.

"Oh, yeah, right you are," replied Cathy. "What time does it start?"

"Two p.m."

"OK, let me get some more coffee into me. Would you two like to come with us?" she asked of Jessica and Carmine.

The lovely Mexican shook her head negatively.

"No, I think I'll stick around here as well. Perhaps next time," said Jessica.

Cathy thought she caught a look between the two, but couldn't be sure, however it was enough to raise a suspicion. Surely there was nothing between her mother and the beautiful twenty-two year old. The idea seemed preposterous. Yet, Jessica was a youthful and attractive forty-seven, and who knew what years of living alone with a woman as sensuous as Carmine could produce in the way of a relationship. Cathy had never considered the possibility that her mother might be gay, but even if it were true, the story Dahlgrin had told her was beyond the limits of credibility... wasn't it? She shook her head to clear the images which began to appear, images of a young woman and a horse.

"Tell you what," she said to Sierra," let's get ready and go in a bit early. We'll do a little exploring and maybe a little shopping. That is, if you don't mind being seen with someone who looks like hell."

"Oh mom," laughed the teenager, running up the stairs to get ready.

"Butter?" asked the girl behind the concession stand as she filled the tub with popcorn.

"Guess not," replied Sierra teasingly, "someone in the family has to watch her calories."

"Watch it Kiddo or you'll be watching this movie from the parking lot," laughed Cathy.

More uncertain than ever about her mother and Carmine, Cathy had again seen the two women exchange a glance as she and Sierra were leaving. Maybe it meant nothing, then again...

She noticed two girls about Sierra's age strike up an animated conversation with her daughter. They seemed to be suggesting something about which Sierra seemed uncertain.

"Mom, this is Jackie and Rachel. They were sort of wondering..."

"If you would sit with them in the movie," Cathy finished it for her.

"Please Ms. Mapleton," pleaded one of the girls. "We are all going to be starting college this fall and..."

"And so you girls want to have a chance to get to know each other," Cathy again finished the sentence.

"See, I told you she was psychic," grinned Sierra.

"OK, I'll be back to get you at four."

"Aren't you staying for the movie?"

"Not this time. I think I'll explore a few more of the shops here in town. See you at four... and Sierra."

"Yeah, I know, no frat parties," she said smiling.

"Now who's reading who's mind?" asked Cathy as she handed them the popcorn and left.

She sat in the car for several minutes trying to convince herself she shouldn't drive back to the ranch. It was spying. It was an invasion of her mother's and Carmine's privacy, yet a compulsion gripped her. She must find out if Dahlgrin was lying. She would be discrete, no one ever had to know. Besides, perhaps by proving Dahlgrin a liar she could somehow find the strength to resist him and the world of sexual fantasy he offered.

The drive back to the ranch took only twenty-five minutes. She parked the car down the lane and decided to walk the remaining hundred yards. Cathy felt guilty for sneaking around on her mother and Carmine, but somehow, for some reason, something inside her drove her on.

She started toward the house but was distracted by the neighing of a horse. The sound had come from the barn. Cathy found herself drawn to the structure by perverse curiosity. She heard a different noise now as she approached the large barn door. A series of slapping noises greeted her as she tried to peer inside. Seeing nothing in the interior darkness, she slipped inside the door which was already ajar.

Cathy froze as Jessica's voice came to her from the far end of the barn where the horses were stabled.

"You've been bad Carmine and you know what I do when you've been bad."

There were two more slapping noises as Cathy crouched behind some hay bales, her eyes becoming accustomed to the dim light.

She almost gasped at what she saw. Carmine, her hands tied together and strung to an overhead beam, stood naked as Jessica, standing nearby, wielded a leather whip. There was fear in the girl's eyes, Cathy noted, but also something else, even stronger... acceptance and desire.

Jessica brought the whip across the young woman's buttocks.

"You must be disciplined, Carmine. Like your mother, you are beautiful but willful. You must learn to obey. Do you understand?"

There was an affirmative nod from the lovely Mexican.

"I discipline you because I love you, but if you are to be loved you must learn to take the whip."

Jessica brought the whip across the young woman's back this time, raising an angry welt. Carmine's flesh quivered, Cathy couldn't be sure whether from pain or masochistic pleasure. The young woman whimpered but did not scream.

"Thunderbolt needs a mare to breed, Carmine. Are you ready to be bred?"

The Mexican looked into Jessica's eyes in supplication, tears running down her cheeks.

"Yes, I know there is great pain, but there is intense pleasure as well my little philly. Take him or I shall have to discipline you even more."

Again the look of pleading, but Cathy could not be sure for what, the whip or the stallion.

Jessica spun the girl around to face her. Three lashes across her breasts and Carmine was moaning in real agony.

"Will you take him?" asked Jessica.

Carmine looked once more into Jessica's eyes, beseeching, loving.

Five more times the whip lashed her breasts as the dark haired beauty writhed under its stinging tentacle.