Page 44 of Minha Dona

“Anything you tell me to, Minha Dona. I am yours.”

“So perfect… come here then, Gatinha, and show me what you can do for your Dona.” She grinned. “And if you’re very, very good, then maybe you might get your turn after.”

Chapter 17

Helena woke to sunlight through the gap in the curtains and the weight of Caitlin lying against her side, stirring but not quite awake. The light was much too bright for early morning and she lay still for a while without reaching for her phone, just letting the room come back into focus around her. She was sore, pleasantly and thoroughly. It had been a very, very good night indeed.

She turned her head to look at Caitlin... dark hair loose and messy against the white pillow, makeup smudged, but the necklace, their necklace, still there. The bathrobe belt was still knotted to the bedframe where they’d left it. The silk scarf was on the nightstand. Caitlin’s dress was draped over the armchair. Helena couldn’t help smiling to herself at the silent testament to the night they’d had.

Caitlin stirred against her again and turned her head, and when her eyes opened a slow smile spread across her face that had nothing about the dominant partner and everything about the submissive lover about it.

“Hey,” she said.

“Morning, Gatinha.” Helena smiled back. “How are you feeling?”

“Comprehensively excellent.” Caitlin stretched carefully and winced. “I was worried at one point I’d popped a rib.”

“When I…?”

Caitlin leaned over and kissed her. “Yeah, when you… did that. That was naughty.”

“It worked, didn’t it?”

Caitlin grinned. “It really did, Minha Dona. It really did.” She collapsed theatrically back down onto the pillow. “What time is it?”

“Late.”

Caitlin glanced at the curtains and Helena saw realisation dawn. “Brunch?”

“Will have been and gone, I think.”

“Good. I’m not moving.”

Helena laughed, and they lay there for a few minutes more, neither of them feeling any compulsion to be anywhere. Helena thought about all the mornings she’d lain awake in São Paulo thinking about this woman and they seemed very far away now, something that had happened to a slightly less happy and contented version of herself. This, she thought, is more perfect than I could have dared to hope.

Eventually Caitlin’s stomach expressed a firm view on the matter of food, and Caitlin laughed into the pillow.

“Room service?” Helena suggested.

“Please. Coffee.” Caitlin laughed again. “Urgently.”

***

Helena phoned down for food and, most importantly, coffee. While she was on the phone Caitlin pulled on one of the bathrobes and looked around the room with her hands on her hips, conducting a satisfied audit.

“My belt’s still on the headboard.”

“I know. I’ll unpick it before they get here with the food.”

Caitlin retrieved the silk scarf from the nightstand, folded it, and put it on the side.

“Mimosas?” she asked.

“It’s still not long after ten.”

“It’s the morning after the last night of the conference. Medicinal mimosas are expected.” Caitlin shook her head in mock disappointment. “Minha Dona, you told me I could leave the orders to you.”

Helena grinned. “I’ll forgive a moment of insolence, Gatinha. Just this once.” She rang back down and added the mimosas. Then she went to unpick the bathrobe belt from the bedframe, which took a minute of genuine effort before it came loose, and when she handed it back Caitlin grinned and tied it around her bathrobe.