Inheriting Control
Prologue
She is definitely under my control, thought Hans as he watched his servant, Sarah performing the tasks he had explained to her. The young brunette hovered thoughtlessly by the fire, adjusting the coals to increase the temperature in the room. He watched, transfixed as she bent over at the waist to poke and prod at the newly rekindled fire. Though dressed in an unappealing peasant dress, the position caused her body to press against the fabric, revealing her delicious curves. He had been fantasizing about her frequently over the past months since her mother had knocked on his door, offering her services as a housekeeper and maid.
“Is there anything else, Master Hans?” She asked, looking up at him with round brown eyes, her pupils mere pinpricks due to the brightness of the flames. Those eyes were framed by a cascade of curly brown tresses, her most prominent feature while she was wearing her less than attractive working clothes.
“Actually Sarah.” Hans said, motioning the young girl towards his chair. “I’ve been meaning to discuss some additional tasks you can perform for me.”
Sarah reluctantly approached the master’s chair. She had never felt entirely comfortable with him. It was something in the way his eyes roamed up and down her body when she moved about the room. She felt relatively confident that he wasn’t going to try anything, due to the small size of their community, but she was unnerved nonetheless.
“Thank you master.” She said, tentatively. “I’ve been looking for ways to bring more money home to my family. You’ve been a big help over the last months.”
“Have you seen this ring before, dear?” He asked, extending his left hand towards her as she approached.
“No, sir. Is it new?” She asked, wondering where the conversation was going. Did he want her to clean it, guard it?
“It is new, Sarah.” Hans said. “I found the stone on one of my journeys years ago and I recently deduced some of its more…interesting qualities. I just set it in this ring yesterday.
Intrigued, Sarah bent closer to examine the ring. The dark blue stone glowed in the firelight of the darkened room like a shimmer of glass. As she examined it, she noted that it seemed to have an inner light, as if the reflection was coming from within. It seemed to warm her heart in a way that disturbed her. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The band was thick, more gold than she ever expected to own in her lifetime and covered in intricate scrollwork surrounding the master’s monogram.
“Don’t be shy, Sarah.” Hans said, thrusting his hand a little more forward so it was mere inches from her gaze. “You can touch it.”
Delicately, Sarah reached out and pressed her finger to the smooth, round dab of stone prominently mounted on a relatively drab gold ring. When she made contact, she felt as if it took the weight off her feet. She felt an odd feeling as if she could lift off the ancient wooden floor and not come back down.
“It’s amazing.” She gasped, her fear of her master suddenly melting away.
“Kiss it.” He said, locking his eyes with hers in the way that usually made her turn away, blushing.
Sarah wasn’t even surprised by the request. It seemed like such a perfectly natural thing to do. She bent forward, unconsciously licking her pale pink lips the moment before they brushed the shimmering stone. The sensation of lightness became more intense as her lips felt the hardness of the cold stone. She imagined herself weightless, hovering over the amber field of wheat to the south of her own home. Nothing worried her, not even the gripping leer of her master’s eyes, locked to hers as she kissed his ring.
Hans reached to the side table, not taking his eyes away from Sarah’s as he picked up the silver hat pin he had placed there earlier.
“Sarah, will you please prick your finger with this pin?” Hans said in a flat, steady tone.
Sarah broke her contact with the ring and looked at the shining, sharp pin Hans held in his other hand. She had seen it setting on the table earlier and hadn’t given it much thought. It was just one more thing for her to put away when it came to cleaning and organizing the master’s house.
Hans watched as the beautiful girl took the pin from his hand without hesitation and pushed it cleanly into the meat of her left index finger, driving it deeper than he had expected it. She stared wordlessly at the pin protruding from her flesh, paused in apparent thought.
Reaching up, he removed the pin, feeling the tug of the flesh as it left her finger. Reflexively, he pulled her finger to his lips and sucked it in, tasting the little drop of blood that had appeared there.
“Why did you do that, Sarah?” Hans asked as he returned her hand.
“Because you asked me to.” Sarah said, somewhat listlessly. What an odd question for him to ask, she thought.
“So now you do everything that I ask.” Hans said firmly, “Even things that you don’t want to do?”
Sarah thought about this for a moment. It was another odd question and she was feeling a little confused.
“Of course, master.” She said, her mouth forming the only words she could imagine.
“You look tired, why don’t you have a seat?” Hans said, barely controlling his elation at the seeming success of his little experiment.
Sarah glanced around the room. “There are no other chairs and I should probably be getting home soon.”
“Silly girl.” Hans said. “You can share mine.”
Of course, Sarah thought. Sharing the chair is the only obvious answer.
Hans felt the press of Sarah’s firm young flesh as she adjusted herself, timidly finding the most comfortable position atop his lap. He felt himself stirring from deep within.
“Let’s talk about your duties going forward.”
Chapter 1 — The Inheritance
“The kids are upstairs sleeping.” Dori said as she went through her mental checklist. “Avery was a little bit of trouble this evening, but nothing that I couldn’t manage. A Mr. Jackson called you and asked that you return his call in the morning and some packages arrived for you. I put them on the dining room table.”
Jared listened distractedly as Dori went through her standard recap of the night’s events with the kids. She had been babysitting for the boys since they were infants and she was only thirteen. Fast forward five years and they had changed considerably, as had she.
The distraction was caused simply by her presence. Her hair was as black as it was straight, falling loosely to her shoulder blades. She constantly brushed her long bangs across her temples and out of her flashing hazel eyes. At 5′10″, Jared stood almost a head taller than the cute little teenager and it caused her to look up at him as she spoke.
“Do you still want me to sit tomorrow night?” Dori asked, snapping him out of his reverie.
“Yes. I’ve got to work late. Can you be here when the kids get off school?”
Shit, Dori thought. She had been planning to go over to Joely’s house after school. They were making big plans for a party next weekend when her parents would be out of town.
“Sure. I’ll be here by 3:00.” She replied. Having money to buy a new outfit for the party was just as important as planning it. Joely would have to manage with the preparations by herself.
“Great. What do I owe you for this evening?”
Dori brushed her hair out of her face again, biting her lip as she looked up at Jared and did a little bit of mental arithmetic, working the problem aloud.
“Ten dollars an hour times four and a half hours is…” She paused only briefly. “Forty-five dollars.”
The teenager smiled as she told the total.
Jared found himself thinking he’d pay her forty-five dollars just to sit on the couch with him all night.
“Worth every penny.” He said, counting the bills off the wad in his pocket.
After Dori popped out the door, Jared found himself alone again in his empty house. The kids were upstairs sleeping, but there wasn’t anyone else. After his wife had died two years ago, he had devoted himself equally to the boys and to his work. Both endeavors had been successful, but he missed having someone to engage in adult conversation. At ten and seven, the boys were a treat, but not quite what he was after.
Anyway, conversation wasn’t really on his mind at the moment. Primarily, his mind was on the lingering mental image of Dori walking out the door. The image of her bouncing out of the house was right there in his eyes. He kept replaying the way her skirt bounced as she walked, showing off long, creamy white legs between the hem of the skirt (probably just at or above regulation length) and the top of her long white socks that stopped near the top of her exquisitely shaped calves. He had been living within blocks of the Trinity Girls’ College for years and was just now starting to appreciate its merits.
Jared popped the top off of a beer just as his eyes caught the packages on the table. Most were run of the mill product samples from his company but there was one that was out of place. It was in a standard airmail envelope, bulging with paper or packing material, but covered with at least three customs forms and declaration stickers.
He scooped it up and took it with him to the living room, where he plopped down on the overstuffed black leather couch and took up the remote as he deposited his beer on the coffee table. While the large flat screen was warming up, he turned over the package in his hands, examining the labels.
It was certainly addressed to him, even if he had to smirk at the title ‘Master’ proceeding his name. It had come all the way from Germany, having been routed to a couple of other countries on its long journey stateside. He heard the satisfying sound of ripping as he tore off the pull-strip, bringing back countless memories of receiving packages in the mail as a kid. Whether that had driven him into his current business or not he wasn’t entirely sure, but he enjoyed shipping out his products thinking of the joy someone else would have at opening them.
He glanced quickly at the newsprint encasing the prize, noting that it was in German and from some town whose name didn’t ring a bell. Discarding it brought him down to the payload, which was merely a typical green felt ring box. He flicked it open, revealing a thick gold ring with a blue stone.
“Not much to look at.” He said, placing it on the table, digging deeper into the packaging.
There was an envelope stuck to the inside of the original mailer that hadn’t come out when he had extracted the rest. It was from a law firm in Berlin bearing the rather unpronounceable names of what were probably the partners of the firm.
Dear Mr. Baker,It is our distinct pleasure to deliver unto you the bequest of Hr. Heinrich Zimmer. As the next oldest male in his line, his wish was for you to have the enclosed ring as it has been in the family for over two hundred years. A sealed note from Herr Zimmer is also enclosed.
Odd, thought Jared, picking up the original package again. It was definitely addressed to him. As a child, he had always had fantasies about who his ancestors were. Being adopted, he had generally accepted living his life not knowing. As an adult, he had grown into it and the only remaining issues arose when Dr. Simms asked him about family medical history. He simply had nothing to present.
“So I’m the oldest living heir of a German with horrible taste in jewelry.” Jared said aloud, glancing again at the ring.
He pulled another envelope out from within the first and opened it. It was hand-written in what appeared to be an aged hand. Unfortunately, it was in German.
“What’s for breakfast, Dad?” was the first thing Jared heard. He found himself still on the couch with an impressive line of beer bottles on the table in front of him.
“Whatever you want, sport.” He said, guiding the boy to the kitchen. Normally he cleared up his beer bottles before the kids rose. Who knows what people would say at the school? Kids tend to exaggerate a bit. “Is your brother up?”
“Still sleeping, little dork.” Avery said, opening the refrigerator.
“Don’t talk about your brother like that.”
“Well, he is.”
“Quiet.”
Jared didn’t consider himself the best parent in the world, but he was managing, and neither of the boys had lost an eye, yet. He had thought about going through the courtship thing again and eventually remarrying, but the thought about made him sick. What he had with his wife had been special, but after her death, the last thing he wanted to do was to start over again.
As he reached into the fridge over the top of Avery’s tousled head, he noticed the ring. Apparently he had put it on last night and he couldn’t help but notice that it almost, but not quite covered the fading remnants of the worn patch where his wedding ring had been. He snickered out loud.
“What, Dad?” Avery said, pouring milk on his cereal. So much for gourmet cooking this morning, he thought.
“Nothing bud, just thought of something funny.”
Jared had thought about getting married again for a flash before the truth of the matter hit him. It would be nice to get laid, though. It made him smile some more as he fixed his own breakfast. With the kids and Laura’s death, he hadn’t made the transition into the single life. At thirty-seven, he wasn’t a spring-chicken, but he had quite a bit of life left. Too much left to spend it alone.
“Dori’s going to be here after school today.” He said, sitting down next to his son. “Don’t give her a hard time like you did last night.”
“I…” Avery started, then thought better of it.
“I’ll be home late, so listen to her and be good. Take care of your brother, too. You’re the man of the house.”
On the way out of the house, Jared folded up the German note and put it in his pocket, hoping to find someone to translate it for him. It might be personal, though, so it had to be the right person.
The day had been long and hectic and Jared pulled into the drive thoroughly exhausted. Dori’s car was in the drive and he pulled up next to it.
“Slugbug.” He said to himself as he passed the little Beetle and went to the front door. The only light in the house was in the living room, dim and flickering.
As he opened the door, he heard the melodic strains of typical scary-movie music. He closed the door quietly and popped his head in the living room.
“Dori!” He said loudly.
Dori shrieked and jumped back, trying to press herself into the back of the couch. The sudden movement caused her short skirt to ride up to the top of her thighs, just an inch below where he would have expected to see her panties appear between those delicious legs.
“You scared the shit out of me, Mr. Baker.” Dori giggled as she straightened her skirt and turned on the lamp.
Jared saw a brief snippet of the slasher movie on the screen before she shut it off.
“Such bad language for a pretty young girl.” Jared said, laughing as he pulled his tie out of his collar.
“How were the kids?”
Dori was staring at him. He gave her a quizzical look, but she continued to stare.
“Earth to Dori, come in.”
The young girl seemed to shake her head, clearing a fog.
“Is that ring new? Is there something I need to know?”
Jared looked down at his hand and laughed. After all the years of wearing his wedding ring, he had completely forgotten about it, wearing it all day. I wonder what the guys at the office thought, Jared mused. He made a mental note; time to hire a girl for the office. Guys don’t mention anything.
“No, I got it in the mail yesterday. Some fancy inheritance, eh?”
“Cool.” Dori said, not able to take her eyes off it. Jared was wondering if she had been hitting his liquor cabinet.
“From some German guy. He left me a letter that I can’t read.”
“I took German in High School.” Dori offered, shaking her head again. Something attracted her to that ring and she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Jared took the letter out of his pocket and handed it over to the girl before he turned around and went to the kitchen for a beer. When he returned, she was smiling.
“I can’t read all of it, but he says it has magical powers over ‘the gentle sex’.”
She laughed, handing it to him.
“Jeez, I knew it would be something weird, so I was going to find some way to translate it without anyone knowing.”
“Your secret is safe with me, Mr. Baker.” Dori laughed. “I won’t tell anyone about your secret powers to seduce women.”
Jared felt the blush, thankful of the dim room.
“Can I see it?”
Try as he might, Jared couldn’t seem to get it off his finger. Probably swelled from the drinking last night, he thought. He offered his hand to Dori as he sat down next to her on the couch.
She touched the stone as she stared at it. It was kind of weird watching her fascination with the thing. If he could get it off, he’d probably let her have it.
“Secret powers.” Dori whispered, grinning up at him.
Jared rolled his eyes.
“Forget you ever read that, Dori.” He said, laughing.
He caught the blank look in her eyes. It was only a flicker, but it seemed like the light in them shut off for a moment, before coming back to life.
“I don’t want everyone in the neighborhood giving me crap about it.”
“About what?” Dori asked, bemused.
“About the ring’s ‘powers’.”
“What powers?”
Jared caught on to the game Dori was playing. She said it with a straight face and even looked a little quizzical.
“Thanks.” He said, relieved that he wouldn’t have to be going through this at the block party every year for the rest of his life.
“Thanks for what?”
“Gotcha.” He said, wanting to end it.
“I really need to go.” Dori said, breaking eye contact with the ring. “I’m supposed to be planning a party with a friend of mine.”
“Invite me.” Jared joked. “I need to get a life.”
“Sure, Mr. Baker.” Dori said, bouncing towards the door. “Friday night at 46 Stoneacre Ct. See you there! And that Mr. Jackson called again..”
Jared sat on the couch, stunned. Was she joking with him? Anyway, what would he do at a house full of freshman college students? He grinned as he felt a stirring in his pants. Maybe a good fantasy, he thought, now back to the real world.
He went into the kitchen and found the note with Mr. Jackson’s phone number. He had been a friend back in college and was always trying to get something out of him.
The phone picked up on the other end after just a couple of rings. Jared had been about to consider it good.
“Jared, long time no hear, buddy.” Came the voice on the line. Stan Jackson lived about twenty minutes away and Jared had felt fortunate not to have run into him in town very often.
“Stan, what’s up?”
“Well, I’m looking for a favor.” Stan started.
Nothing new, Jared thought.
“Well…”
Stan interrupted him before he could get his excuses lined up.
“It’s my daughter. She’s out of work and on unemployment and she’s looking for a job. Before I go any deeper, I don’t need you to hire her.”
“Ok, what can I do?”
“Are you still running that little import/export business?”
“Not as little as it used to be, but yes.” Jared replied.
“Can she list you as someone she’s interviewed with?”
Jared’s mind went out searching for information. Stan had knocked up a girl in high school, so his daughter would be quite a bit older than his own kids. Probably almost an adult if not ready. He remembered stories about the trouble she used to get into.
“Well, I don’t like to falsify that kind of thing, but I’d be willing to talk to her.” Jared said, turning the ring on his finger absentmindedly. “That way we’d be fully above board.”
“I would really appreciate it. I want to get her out of the house!”
Jared gave Stan the address of the business and setup an ‘interview’ for the next morning. Building good karma is a bitch, he thought.