The lights in the room were purposely kept dim. The only illumination a soft glowing from the single tiffany lamp settled in the corner of the bathroom on a small material covered stand. I felt a humming inside of my body as I set about getting things ready and doing a final look over at the room. My eyes first took in the entire atmosphere. From the soft light to the amber glow that surrounded my reflection in the mirror. The room was permeated with a heady scent of cinnamon and musk. The beautiful odor assaulting my mind and enhancing my senses.

My bare feet skimmed over the cold tiled floor as I moved around setting all the necessary items near the tub where they would be close at hand. My hands cradling the odd shaped bottles and jars as I spaced them just right, so that I would be able to reach for what I needed without looking at it’s precise location. Delving into the linen cabinet I came forth with two large freshly laundered towels. I lifted them to my cheek, rubbing softly and inhaling their fresh clean scent, my mind heady with thoughts of the evening ahead. I placed them to the side, close enough for easy reach, but far enough away that they would not become soiled before they were needed. Looking around again, I thought I was ready.

I walked slowly into the main room, my hips swaying seductively underneath a sheer white wrap. Held together only by the thinnest of silken ties. My Master was sitting comfortably on the large couch, purposefully bought so that there would be room for both of U/us should He so desire. My eyes went to Him immediately. Drawn to Him like they would be to a single flame in an otherwise darkened room. Quietly I slipped to my knees on the floor beside His legs, making no gesture or word to attract His attention. Just keeping my mind focused on what the evening held in store.

So entranced in my thoughts did I become that I almost jumped when the wandering hand first reached to caress the back of my neck, skimming lightly over the leather collar that encircled it. I still did not speak as I felt the fingers tracing along it’s edging and the little carvings in the center of the leather. My eyes were kept lowered to the floor and I did not alter my position in the slightest way. A slight frison of nervousness ran over me.

I served my Master 24 hours a day, except for small periods of time each evening when I was given permission to do as I wished. This time was usually reserved for me to catch up on personal things I needed to do. Correspond with family, make a long distance call to an old friend, or just sit back and relax with a good book if that was what I wanted to do. During this time I did not need to ask for permission to come and go. I could do as I pleased. Of course, there were still the unwritten laws and rules that governed me, but they were of the sort that I would never break anyway, so they hindered me not in the slightest.

This time benefited both of us in many ways. Master usually had things to catch up on, work or personal hobbies or interests that I had no desire to participate in even if I could. And to be honest it was easier for Him to devote His attention to what He needed to do when I wasn’t constantly under foot. But this evening was different.

Neither one of us had anything planned for this personal time this evening, and when we were catching up on the trials of the day earlier this had become apparent to me and an idea had sprung forth in my mind. I had come up with a way in which I wanted to spend this free time. It had been an especially hectic week for us. Outside things had stepped in and demanded our complete concentration for most of the past days. We had not had much time together other than rare snatches of conversation at odd times of the day. It had gotten to where we said hello in the morning as one was coming to bed and the other was leaving the house. And did the same with goodnight in the evening.

This for us was uncommonly rare. In our relationship first and foremost we counted on each other as friends. One was always there to support the other no matter what. The love and trust between us was unconditional. And acceptance of each other was paramount. But this week things had just gotten in the way. We both had things to struggle with that had to be done alone. Battles had been waged, won, and lost, in each of our lives with barely a word spoken between us. By the time this evening rolled around we both looked like identical frayed ends. And in my mind it was time to get back in touch with each other. To find that warmth and security that always surrounded our home and bring it closer to each.

In the background I heard as the clock chimed the hour of six. The appointed private time. His hand moved from the back of my neck and rested lightly on the arm of the couch. Without a word spoken I knew that He was giving me leave to go. But for this evening, I had no intention of going anywhere. I knelt there for a moment collecting my thoughts before I spoke. My voice soft in the now quiet room. "Master?"

"Yes, darling?" His head turned slightly towards me, not quite looking at me, but enough for me to know that I had His full attention.

I licked my lips slightly, wetting them before I began to speak, running the words through my mind one last time before I loosed them. "Master, I have been thinking. When we were first starting our relationship and set down the ground rules, establishing how our lives should be like together, You gave me this personal time to use as I wished. So that I would always have time for all the things in my life. And would not be forced to give up anything that was important to me. I came to You as a complete person, and You did not wish to detract from that."

He did not speak, but I could see from under my lowered lashes that He had turned a little more towards me as I spoke. I kept to my position, glad not for the first time about having to do so as I spoke. It gave me something to concentrate on and hold on to when I was nervous or frightened. Otherwise I would not have been able to keep still at this moment.

"And I think that since we have been together I have used this time wisely. Spending it on things that needed attention at the time. I do not think I have abused this privilege." A slight nod from Him but still no words. "It seems to me right now that there is something that needs my attention at this moment now. Us."

I swallowed hard as I said the last words, waiting for a reaction from Him, but none was forth coming so I plunged ahead with my little speech I had prepared. "This has been an especially hard week for us both and we haven’t been able to spend much time together, and tonight I would like to use this time to get in touch with each other again. To just spend it quietly and closely."

On the last words I finally lifted my head so that I could see His face. An answering smile came to my lips as I saw the one on His own. "And what did You have in mind?"

His soft voice filled the room and me. I could feel my body softening under His gaze as it always did. I raised my voice slightly to answer Him. "I just wanted to be able to take care of You, Master. To do all the little things for You that I haven’t been able to do lately."

His smile broadened and He nodded. I reached up and closed both of my hands around His. Turning it in my fingers and pressing a kiss into the center of the palm. "I gave You this time to do as You wish darling, and if that includes something with Me, then you need ask for no permission." , his deep chuckle echoed through the room. "All you had to do was ask, you didn’t need to make the big speech"

I looked up at Him with a sheepish grin on my face. Knowing that He was used to me having to beat around the bush in most things before I finally came to the point. Especially when it came to something new. Not wanting to speak, wanting the mood to be carried along without words, I rose to my feet, still holding His hand, leading Him off of the couch and into the large bathroom.

I caught the slight widening of His eyes in the mirror as He looked around the room at the stage I had set. I let go of His hand for a moment and bent over the large circular tub in the center of the room, turning on the taps and adjusting the temperature. Moving back towards Him I started to disrobe Him. He did not help precisely but would follow the soft urgings of my hands as they swept the clothes from Him. With mild urgings and soft touches I lead Him into the tub. Large enough and deep enough that a child could have used it as a swimming pool.

I heard Him make a long sigh of relaxation as the warmth of the water closed around Him. I bent down to turn off the taps and stood back up to drop the wrap on to the floor. Sitting on the rimmed edge of the bath I gently scooped up water in my hands and starting pouring it across His shoulders and down His back. He settled into the tub along the curved bench that rested under the water, slightly sideways so that I had access to both front and back. His eyes fell shut as the water ran down His skin.

The steam from the bath created a cozy warmth within the room. Intensifying the smell of the cinnamon and musk that I had used earlier to scent the area with. The room became humid, like a sauna, and I brushed small tendrils of hair out of my face as I bent over Him, tilting His head slightly backwards, my hands dipping into the water and wetting His hair. Reaching without looking, I caught up a bottle of shampoo in one hand, placing a small amount in my other hand. Gently I began to work it through His hair. My hands massaging His scalp as my fingers sifted through His hair, cleaning every strand. I could hear the soft sounds coming from deep within His chest as He started to relax under my ministrations. My one hand closed lightly around the back of His neck, and He slid down further in the seat, lowering Himself closer to the water. The other reached for a small container and began rinsing away the shampoo.

I carefully poured the water over His head, watching as He shivered slightly when the warmth permeated the coolness of the soap drying on His hair. Paying special attention so that the water fell back and not forwards on to His face. When I had His hair completely rinsed I ran my fingers through it, separating the wet strands and pulling as much water from it as I could. Then I picked up a small sponge and a brightly colored bottle of body wash and stepped into the water myself.

His eyes opened just a fraction to peek at me as He felt the disturbance in the water as I entered the tub. Then just as softly they closed again, a small smile playing about His lips. Kneeling in front of the bench, the water’s lever up to my shoulders, I began to soap up the sponge and trail it across His neck and shoulders. Dipping it in to the water occasionally to rinse it off and bring clear water up to squeeze over His skin. Slowly I worked my way around His body, giving each part special attention. Moving around as I needed to, watching as He languorously shifted His position around to help enable me to reach everywhere I could.

Both of our movements were slow and gentle. Neither one of us making the slightest ripple in the water as we moved around. Taking my time I cleansed Him thoroughly, stepping out of the tub when I finished, shaking one of the large towels open and holding it wide in front of me as He followed me out of the tub. Quickly I dried Him off with the towel, not wanting Him to catch chill going from the warmth of the water into the cooler air. I enfolded Him within it, softly rubbing and patting at His skin as the material soaked up the droplets of water clinging to His skin.

I lead Him out of the room and onto the bed in the next. Another smile of surprise lit His face as I walked around the room lighting the candles I had placed about earlier. Rushing back into the bathroom as He settled Himself in the bed, I quickly dried off and returned to kneel beside Him upon the cool sheets. One of my hands resting gently on His back.

Through all of this, we never said a word, as none were necessary. I was fulfilling the desire within me to serve Him and at the same time bringing us closer to each other in small moments of intimacy that words could only destroy. A great sense of pleasure began to overtake me as I poured some heated oil into the palms of my hands and starting at His neck began to work my down His body. Relaxing those muscles that the water hadn’t been able to touch.

As my hands roamed over His body, paying special attention to certain areas when I felt Him stiffen under my hands, letting me know that I had hit a particularly tense spot, my mind began to wander over things we had done in the past, how I had felt then, and how I felt now. It started to become clear to me through this simple act how much His pleasure gave to my own. And how much just the act of serving Him in anyway brought me such a high, such a sense of self satisfaction that I was almost overwhelming.

Each little sigh or moan that slipped past His lips shot into me with a burst of pleasure like nothing I had been able to experience on my own. I continued to work across the muscles of His back, slowly moving lower as each part became pliant in my hands. All the while feeling this strange urge inside of myself that was becoming fulfilled with each movement that I made. A need with myself that was being assuaged by being able to do this for Him. To take away the stress of the past few days and just show Him by my actions how deep my love for Him was. And strangely enough, my own stresses were floating away with every curling of my hands into His skin.

Eventually He rolled over to lie on His back and I began covering the front of His body with the oil. Watching as His skin glistened in the glow of the candles. Every muscle shown in stark relief. As I worked, my mind continued to spin. My entire being filled with love for this man, my Master. The one who had taken me from myself and given me back so much more in return. Showing me things about myself that I had never known, and opening me up to a world filled with love beyond my greatest imagination. Here for these precious moments, as my hands swept up and down His still body, this world surrounded us completely. Nothing could pull us from it. No force on earth was powerful enough to destroy all that we had created within each other.

As I made the final sweep with my hands, His gently came up and covered mine, bringing me instantly from my quiet reverie. My eyes met His in a silent question. He said nothing, just pulling me down beside Him on the bed, His arms closing around me as I rested my head upon His shoulder. My own body feeling as if it was the one that had just been bathed and massaged so completely. A hazy veil lowering over my eyes as I lie there enjoying His warmth and closeness. A serene sense of peace overcame me. I tilted my eyes up towards His. Seeing the beginnings of sleep within His as well. His chest rising and falling in a deep familiar rhythm that my own was trying to match. The beating of our hearts as one in the darkness as the candles began to gutter and die out, the light fading from the room.

My soft whisper carried only to His ears as did His reply to mine, my heart and soul lifting within me, just at the moment that sleep came forth to claim us both.

"I love You, Master."

"I know."