He stayed with her until her breathing became deep and heavy. Then he slid unnoticed from the bed and draped a sheet over her beautiful, naked body. She looked so serene and at peace. Her lashes curling down onto her cheeks, yet he knew her angelic appearance belied the inner turmoil deep in her head. Kirk had had an affair with another woman, and then for some unknown reason he’d killed himself. He could only guess how traumatic it must have been for her, finding her husband dead in the garage, with half his head blown away. Just how much shit could one woman take? No wonder she had such conflicting emotions. When all was said and done, it was unsurprising she’d f*ck
ed up. He had to make sure he used his control sparingly. If he used it unwisely, it wouldn’t have the desired effect. She’d be fine if he could keep her on the straight and narrow. What she needed was direction. Maybe he’d come up with a project to keep her occupied. Something that would focus her mind on new horizons, rather than the tragic events of the past few months.
With that in mind, Max went over to his computer. He had several building projects reaching completion. Perhaps she could contribute something positive to one of them. He flicked through his portfolios. Ella had been a keen photographer when she was at college. At one time she’d wanted to take it up professionally, before she met Kirk. Maybe she could put together the photography for a sales brochure needed for Crowley Heights, a condo complex in downtown Andover. He usually gave any photographic business to Parker Enterprises, an advertising and promotions company located right here in Wichita. Maybe he could save himself a few thousand bucks and give Ella the opportunity to shine once more.
He sat at his computer and perused the hundred or more e-mails that had accumulated. As he responded and deleted appropriately, he couldn’t help thinking about Kirk’s memory stick. The one containing intimate details of his affair with another woman. He had time to kill. Perhaps he’d take a look now.
Tomorrow he’d take her to get her clitoral hood pierced. It was something that turned him on, and Ella seemed keen on the idea, too. He knew she wanted to please him anyway she could. Having a sub eager to please was always a good sign for a Dom. He’d always been very fond of female genital jewelry. All his previous subs had worn a clitoral piercing in order to please him. They’d informed him it improved their orgasms immensely, by making them more conscious of their own bodies and sexuality. He knew that Lexi, his good friend and female piercer, would allow him to thread the bead securing the barbell through Ella’s clitoral hood himself. He’d performed this ritual on all his other subs. To him it was an important symbolic initiation for any sub entering a D/s relationship.
Max plugged the memory stick into his computer and waited for the files to load.
* * * *
The next day
Max gently shook Ella awake. “Come on, sleepy head, time to get up.” Ella groaned and pulled the sheet over her head.
“No, go away. It’s the middle of the night. Leave me alone.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Max laughed as he started to tickle her. “I’ve brought you some breakfast.”
She shrieked and squirmed away from him, until she said breathlessly, “Okay, okay. I hear you.” She sat up straight, her hair a cloud of tangles as she tried to focus on her surroundings. “Oh, my God, there’s daylight coming through the window. It’s morning.”
“That’s when I usually serve breakfast.”
“I must have slept for hours.”
“You did.” Max hadn’t had the heart to wake her. He’d been up half the night, reading all the sexually explicit e-mails between Kirk and his army f*ck
buddy. It couldn’t have been easy for her finding out. Especially as she’d been mentioned in such a disrespectful way in many of them. So he’d decided to let her sleep. Sleep was good for repairing tattered nerves.
“Since you’ve missed out on a couple of meals, I’ve been busy in the kitchen. I’ve made you ham and eggs, with a side order of pancakes, just for you.” He handed her the tray, and she immediately broke the egg yolks with a fork.
“Mmm, delicious. I can’t believe you’re such a good cook.”
“One of my many hidden talents.”
He watched her chew on her lower lip, and a faint blush formed on her cheeks. She smiled and raised her gaze to his. Her blue eyes appeared vibrant and alive. “I’m sure you’ve got plenty of hidden talents to show me.”
Max grinned. “Well that’s for me to know, and for you to find out.”
Ella looked at him as she forked a generous portion of ham and eggs to her mouth. “Do I get to wear some clothes today, or do you just like me being naked all the time?”
“Oh, baby, you look great naked, but it’s not very practical if we’re heading into Wichita today.”
“Oh?”
“There’s a project of mine I think you’ll be interested in.”
“A project?”
“Yes, I need some photographic work for one of my developments. They’re not selling as well as I’d hoped. All I have at the moment is an artist’s impression on the sales literature. I think some innovative photography showing the complex in an attractive manner may help sell the remaining units. I know it’s short notice, but it’s a rush job, and I was hoping you’d help me out. You studied photography for three years at college, and are very gifted with a camera.”