Seduced by Fire

SIX




Julie jerked awake immediately the next morning and looked around in confusion. Where was she? Sunlight poured in through a nearby window and she was in the middle of a huge bed.

Daniel’s bed.

Oh.

She rolled to her side and found him awake and watching her.

“Good morning,” he said with his charming smile.

“Morning.” She looked around the room, and the scattered clothing and tousled sheets brought back memories of the night before. Had he really spanked her? And then she spent the night at his house?

He pushed her hair back and kissed her cheek. “What has you looking so troubled so early in the morning?”

“I didn’t plan on staying last night.”

“Is there someone you need to call? Will they have the police out looking for me?”

“No, I don’t have a roommate, it’s just . . . I didn’t bring a change of clothes. And I don’t want to be an imposition.”

He pulled back and gave her what she was coming to recognize as his Dom stare. The one no smart person would argue with. “You aren’t an imposition. Don’t think of yourself like that. Besides, I’m glad you stayed last night.”

“You are?”

“Yes, now I get to fix you breakfast.”

“Can I help?”

He gave her a truly wicked grin. “Sure. Do you want to cook naked or should I see if there’s a spare T-shirt sitting around?”

She threw a pillow at him. “I’m not cooking naked.”

Before she could blink, she was on her back with him looming over her. “Careful now, you’re still in my bed. And you’re quite naked.”

Her butt still ached slightly from his spanking the night before and there was a delightful soreness between her legs. She knew she’d think about him just about every time she moved. And she wondered when they could do it again.

He nibbled her ear. “Is someone thinking naughty thoughts?”

“Yes, she is. You’re turning her into a wanton woman.”

“Just the way I like my woman to be.”

His woman. Is that what she was? She rather liked the sound of it. She had so many questions about submission, especially submission as it applied to him. But before she could decide which one to ask first, her stomach rumbled.

“Guess I better feed you before we go much farther on that wanton trail.” He gave her a quick kiss and then rolled out of bed. He strolled about the room, unconcerned with his nakedness. She scooted back up in bed so she could admire him better. His body would make a sculptor weep; his ass alone was enough to make her want to suggest they skip breakfast.


He slipped on a pair of sweatpants and brought her a long-sleeved tee. “I’m afraid the pants are too big.” He pointed to a door off to the side. “Bathroom’s in there. I’ll go start breakfast.”

Fifteen minutes later, she stepped into the kitchen, which already smelled of bacon. She wore his shirt, though she’d had to push up the sleeves and the hemline hung almost to her knees. She stepped beside Daniel and took over making scrambled eggs while he cooked the bacon.

He smiled. “Thanks.”

They worked in a comfortable silence. While freshening up in his bathroom, she’d feared breakfast would be strange. She’d wondered if it would be odd to sit at a table across from a man who’d turned her over his knee the night before. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t.

He watched her closely as she sat down, but then lifted the juice pitcher and poured her a glass. He was on his second helping of bacon before he asked, “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Great. Never better,” she said, knowing it was damn near the truth.

“If you need anything, you’ll let me know?”

She nodded and buttered another piece of toast.

“Julie.”

His eyes were serious when she looked up.

“One of the most important things you need to know is a submissive must always be completely honest with her Dom.”

“Is that what we are?” She wasn’t sure she wanted a label yet. It had only been one night. Surely it took more than a night to make one a submissive.

He seemed to be examining her before he spoke. “There is no formal agreement between us, but I did serve as your Dom last night.”

His words made her insides quiver. Her Dom. Just thinking it made her shiver.

“Do you still have the paperwork from the meeting?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“If you want to explore submission more, I meant what I said, but I’ll need you to fill out the checklist. I’ll give you a copy of mine.”

She put her toast down, suddenly not hungry. “Makes it sound more like a business transaction than a relationship.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. “I like you, Julie, and I want to get to know you better. We can leave it at that for now. But”—he stroked her hand with his thumb—“if you’re interested in exploring what you’ve always wondered about, we need to do it right.”

She felt safe with him, felt secure in his hands. She’d enjoyed the previous night, and she had always wondered about BDSM. He was offering her a way to explore the part of herself she’d buried for so long.

“Do you have a blank checklist here?”

His gaze nearly burned her with its intensity. “I’ll print one off.”

Thirty minutes later she sat in his kitchen looking over a checklist, thinking to herself she had no business even attempting to fill one out. Daniel sat across from her, reading. He’d wanted to leave her alone while she completed the form, but she’d asked him to stay.

“Have you done all these things?” she asked.

“Not all, but I’ve done a lot.”

He said it matter-of-factly, like he was talking about riding a bike, rather than kinky sex practices. She glanced down at the list trying to picture him doing some of the things to her.

“There’s just, so much, you know?”

“Don’t let it overwhelm you, but whatever you do, don’t mark everything ‘Like to try.’ Everyone has limits. Establish yours.”

“Trust me, I have several hard limits marked.”

“No one should ever violate your hard limits. Discuss? Yes. Violate? Never.”

She set aside her pen for a moment. “That brings up a question—what happens if a Dom violates someone’s hard limit?”

“In our group, the individual in question would be forbidden to participate in anything we did and we’d inform others in the BDSM community as well. Depending on the offense, there might be other punishments inflicted.” His expression and tone of voice underscored how seriously he felt about the matter.

“I have a feeling you mean something more than being put over your knee.”

“By the time I finished with them, an over-the-knee spanking would be viewed as a reward.” The corners of his mouth lifted again. “Speaking of limits and spankings and knees, how’s the list coming?”

“Almost done.”

She went back to work, finishing up the remaining items and sliding the list across the table. Daniel took the piece of paper that had been sitting beside him and handed it to her.

“I wanted you to fill yours out without looking at mine. I didn’t want your list influenced by mine at all.”

She tentatively picked up his list and looked it over.

Holy shit, he hadn’t lied when he said he’d done a lot on the list.

Her eyes scanned the page for her hard limits to see how they matched up with his. “You have fire play listed as ‘likes a lot’?”

“Yes,” he said, reading over her list. “And I’m not surprised it’s a hard limit for you.”

“I know it’s not just lighting people on fire, I just—” She shivered. “No, thank you.”

He chuckled. “Keep in mind, limits can change. We can redo and revise as needed.” He spent a few more minutes reading over her list before speaking again. “If you’re still wanting to play and explore, I’ll look this over in more detail this week. You could come by next Saturday and we could play.”

Every nerve in her body responded to his words. Yes! Her heart raced and her breathing came in shorter breaths. She realized in that moment she wanted nothing more than to submit to Daniel. She wanted to be the one yielding and she wanted to yield to him.

Even though he sat across the table from her, she felt his presence as clearly as she did the night before when his hands were fisted in her hair while she knelt before him.

“Do you exchange checklists with everyone you play with?” she asked.

He leaned onto the table so his body rested on his arms. “Yes, everyone. You should never play with anyone before talking about limits. And as a senior member of the local club, I strongly recommend you get to know anyone before entering into a serious relationship.”

“Trust me. I’m all about the slow. I won’t be asking for a collar or anything any time soon.”

She meant for her words to put him at ease, to assure him she wanted to walk into the exploration with tiny baby steps. Yet when she mentioned a collar, his hands fisted on top of the table and then went back to normal so quickly, she wondered if she imagined it. She glanced up to his eyes. Calm and even, but something lurked behind them, she was certain.

“I think next Saturday is a great idea,” she said. “But I was wondering one more thing for today.”

He relaxed slightly. “Yes?”

“Will you show me your playroom?”

? ? ?

Daniel was glad he didn’t have any liquid in his mouth. As it was, he nearly fell out of his chair. “What?”

She looked all innocent-like. “Sasha said you had one. I’ve never seen one. I thought I’d ask.”

Yes, when she put it like that, it made sense. He supposed it wouldn’t be unheard of for him to show a person interested in submission a playroom. His only fear was that once he got Julie in his playroom, he would never want her to leave.


He rose to his feet. Best to do something about his growing erection before showing her the playroom. “I washed your clothes from last night. I’ll go get them and we can meet back here in ten minutes or so?”

After giving her the clothes, he spent the next ten minutes forcing his body into something resembling control. First, he took her checklist and firmly placed it on his nightstand. He wouldn’t look at it again until she had left. Then and only then would he memorize it while planning for the weekend to come.

Secondly, he gave himself a stern talking-to. He reminded himself that Julie was extremely new to BDSM, had no prior experience, and that he was putting himself in a situation that required delicate handling. One wrong move and not only would he lose her, but he could damage the beautiful submissive he clearly saw buried within her, yearning to be free.

By the time he made it back to the kitchen, where she was already waiting, he thought he was in a fairly decent frame of mind. Julie appeared caught between nervousness and excitement, both underlined with a hint of lust.

He held out his hand. “Ready?”

Tentatively, she took it and he led her to the basement stairs. How did one go about this? he wondered. If he mentioned women were typically naked when they entered his playroom, would that only bring to her mind the fact he’d had other women? But of course she would know, he argued with himself. She knew him to be a Dom.

Still, he finally decided, knowing it and having him mention it were two totally different things.

He remained quiet.

When they stood before the closed door, he silently recited the pledge he always did before entering.

May I be found worthy of the submission given to me in this room.

May I remember it is a gift and not a right.

May I never punish in anger, speak without thinking, or act without knowledge.

May I never forget that in order to master another, I must first master myself.

Finally calm, he looked to Julie, waited for her to nod, and opened the door.

He tried to imagine he was looking at the playroom for the first time. Would she take in the beige walls first or the equipment?

Julie let go of his hand. “Can I look around?”

“Sure.” He stuck his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to hold on to her. “I’ll just stay here. Let me know if you have questions.”

She amazed him with both her curiosity and the easy way she took the lifestyle in stride. She walked around slowly, staring at the padded table, lightly running a finger on it. She stopped before his collection of floggers and didn’t touch, but seemed to take note of each. He tried hard not to envision using one on her.

Later, he told himself. When she was more accustomed to identifying as a submissive. After he had more of a handle on what she liked, what she craved.

She shivered when she moved on to the wall where masks and gags hung. He didn’t think it was a shiver of pleasure. The cane collection got a cursory nod and she tilted her head as she inspected the padded bench. She appeared so at ease with everything, it caught him off guard when she stopped short at the whipping post.

“What’s that?” she asked in a whisper.

Her voice held a note of anxiety he hadn’t anticipated. In less than two seconds, he was at her side, a hand on her shoulder. “Julie?”

“Is that a whipping post?”

He told her earlier a submissive had to be honest with her Dom. The reverse was also true. “Yes,” he said.

There was no mistaking her shiver at his affirmation. “Where you whip people?”

Silently, he cursed himself for being so blasé about her exploration of the playroom. “You can also use it for flogging and less intense play.”

“But you have a whip, like a bullwhip?”

He did, carefully tended to and practiced with weekly to ensure he stay proficient in its proper usage. “I think it’s time we left the playroom.”

“Show it to me.”

“No.”

“I marked the bullwhip as ‘won’t object’ on my list. Then I saw the . . . post . . .”

He breathed a sigh of relief; her reaction made more sense after she said that. “Sometimes we think we’re okay with something,” he said. “But when actually faced with it, we change our mind.”

“Just the thought of being strapped there, naked and exposed. Waiting . . . I want to change bullwhip to hard limit.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, but she didn’t move her gaze from the post.

“Look at me.” He took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Every submissive has a different need when it comes to sensation play. Some only desire a soft flogging, but others are hard-core masochists and require the bite of the whip. Part of play is to find where your need lies, but you get to be the one who ultimately decides how far you’ll go.”

Her body relaxed under his words and touch, which made him feel better.

“That’s right,” she said, though he realized she spoke more to herself than in response to him.

He took her hand and led her from the room. “Come with me.”

For the next few hours, they bundled up and he showed her around his property. She didn’t seem to be suffering any lasting effects from either the spanking or the playroom. In fact, she seemed more at ease around him.

He took her by the pond he’d spoken of earlier, showing her the place he would fish as a young boy. He pointed out his guesthouse and explained that he hosted play parties there. He even spoke of his parents, which was something he rarely did with anyone. How his mother died after giving birth to his sister and how his grief-stricken father had taken off and never come back.

He knew that, having lost her own parents, she understood. She simply took his hand and commented on how now it was even clearer why his grandparents were so dear to him.

Before she left, they made tentative plans to meet for lunch midweek and for her to come back to his house on Saturday. He wanted to ask her if she’d bring an overnight bag, but decided to wait until they met for lunch.

? ? ?

Sasha, of course, knew as soon as Julie walked in the door on Monday that something had happened.

“Tell me all about it, don’t leave a thing out.” She was hopping around the shop, way too hyper for a Monday morning.

Julie shrugged and tried to act all casual as she put her purse behind the counter. “We had dinner. It was nice. I spent the night.”

“Did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Get your kink on?” Sasha said with a waggle of her eyebrows.

“Must we discuss every detail of my sex life?”

“Yes, we must. Every detail. So spill. Now.”

“Not until I’m properly caffeinated. And what’s gotten into you?”

Sasha talked while Julie prepared the coffee. She had rarely seen her friend so animated. Her eyes glowed and her entire body seemed energized. “I think Peter’s going to collar me.”

“Whoa. Really?” At first, Julie felt surprised to hear her friend was ready to take what she’d learned was such an important step. Although thinking about it, she realized Sasha had been with Peter longer than any other man in recent history. Which wasn’t saying a lot, but still. Julie couldn’t remember her ever wearing a collar.

“Yes! He hinted at it this weekend and I ended up staying at his place all day yesterday. And he’s building a playroom, it’s not anything like Daniel’s, but it’s still a room, right? And he’s—”


“Damn, take a breath.”

“Sorry.” Sasha climbed onto the stool next to her. “It’s just . . . I’m ready, you know?”

Julie nodded and took a sip of coffee. She was starting to understand. “How does that work, being collared?”

“Peter likes playing the entire weekend.” Her forehead wrinkled. “I’m not sure about that. It seems like a lot, but we’ll work it out. Besides, you’ve had coffee now.”

“Half a cup.”

“Surely that’s enough. Now spill.”

She wasn’t sure she was ready to spill; she rather wanted to keep it to herself a bit longer. To take the memory of being on her knees before Daniel and examine it, piece by piece, until she unlocked the secret of why it felt so good.

But she knew Sasha wouldn’t let it drop.

“He spanked me. I slept over. Had a mini freak-out in his playroom.”

“You played in his playroom?”

“No, he let me look around.”

“Okay. Whew,” Sasha said. “I didn’t think he’d play with a newbie in his playroom. Not Mr. These-Are-the- Rules-and-You-Will-Follow-or-Else.”

“That’s what you think of Daniel?” She couldn’t reconcile it with the man she’d spent so much time with the last few days.

“I don’t know Daniel. I just know Master Covington.”

Master Covington.

She would put that away to inspect later, too. Why the sound of it made her insides feel all wobbly.

Sasha was watching her closely. “What caused the freak-out?”

“And here this whole time I thought you’d ask about the spanking.”

“We’ll go there next.”

Julie swirled her coffee. “The thing is, I’m not ready to talk about it. It made me feel things I didn’t expect and I need to process that first.”

Her words had the desired effect on Sasha; she straightened up a bit. “Sure, I get that. It’s been a while for me, but I remember being new.” The bell above the door chimed and Sasha went to greet the customers. “Just remember, I’m here when you’re ready to talk.”

Julie took longer than normal lingering over her coffee. Daniel had said he had the need to dominate only in the bedroom and the playroom. The playroom made sense to her, but how would it be to always give up control in the bedroom? Could she do that?

She thought back to the hotel, when she’d slept with Daniel before knowing he was a Dominant. No matter which way she looked at it, the night had been beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Well, at least until the night in his bedroom.

Perhaps, she decided, that was her answer.

? ? ?

He met her for lunch Wednesday at her favorite deli. Though they had talked on the phone and texted a few times, there was something about seeing him in person that made Julie feel as giddy as a teenager.

He stood when she approached the table and pulled her chair out. Before she could sit down, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

“I’m so glad this worked out,” he said. “That you were able to step away.”

“Sasha owes me. She does lunch with Peter regularly and I’m left at the shop by myself.”

“She’s a lively woman. The group wouldn’t be the same without her.”

Julie placed her napkin in her lap. She didn’t have to look over the menu; she knew exactly what she was going to order. “She’s the people person of the shop. Never met a stranger. And she’ll talk to a stone wall just to have someone to talk with.”

“You’re not exactly an introvert.”

“No, I wouldn’t call me that. I’d just say I’m guarded.”

“There’s a lot of wisdom in being that way.” He stood up. “Do you know what you want? I’ll go order for us.”

She told him her sandwich order and watched as he walked up to the counter. There was such confidence and grace in the way he moved, she swore she could watch him forever. Even though he wore a suit and tie, it was easy to picture him the way he’d been over the weekend. She knew exactly what was under those clothes.

“This looks great,” he said, when he came back with their sandwiches. “I decided to try what you ordered.”

“It’s one of my favorites.” Chicken, Brie, and sun-dried tomatoes on ciabatta. She and Sasha ordered takeout here at least once a week.

They ate in compatible silence for a few minutes, though she was aware he watched her with careful eyes. When they started talking, they spoke about work and how the week was going.

“How are you feeling?” he asked at one point. “Any questions about last weekend or anything you want to discuss?”

“Here?” She looked around the crowded deli. Sure, people were wrapped up in their own conversations, but she didn’t feel comfortable discussing kinky sex in public. He’d spanked her, for crying out loud.

“I could take you back to my place, but I’m not sure I’d be able to keep my hands off you long enough to talk.”

That made her laugh. “It’s just so public.”

“I think we’ll be able to discuss it without anyone knowing what we’re talking about.”

She pushed her chair forward and leaned close to him to ensure no one heard but him. “I feel conflicted. There’s one part of me that says, what should it matter if I enjoy being spanked? I’m a grown woman fully capable of making my own decisions. Then the other part says, why would a grown woman let herself be spanked?”

He didn’t show any surprise at her confession. “And in your mind you think a grown woman shouldn’t want to be spanked or submit sexually?”

“I don’t know if it’s me who thinks that or if it’s what society has told me to think.”

“Then the question becomes, who do you listen to? Yourself or everyone else?”

She sighed and sat back in her seat, looking at the table. “You make it sound so simple.”

“Do you think I never struggled with the nature of my sexual needs?”

Her head shot up. “You? Why?”

This time it was his turn to lean in close to her. “Do you think society at large finds it acceptable for a man to get off tying up his lover and spanking her? Forcing her to her knees so she can suck him?”

“That’s different. You’re the man.”

“So where does that leave submissive men?”

She didn’t have a reply for that.

“You have to treat everyone by the same rules,” he said. “If you say men can be submissive or Dominant simply because they’re men, you have to say women can likewise be submissive or Dominant simply because they’re women. Fair is fair.”

She offered him a small smile. “Everyone’s equal?”

“Everyone’s equal. Inside the playroom or outside the playroom.”

“You make everything seem so easy.” What he said made sense at the moment. She just wasn’t sure if she’d still look at it that way when he wasn’t sitting across from her.

“Not easy,” he said. “Simple. There’s a difference. Something can be simple and still be hard. It was simple for your body to react to me last weekend. It’s hard for your mind to admit your submissive nature.”

She picked at a bit of cheese hanging off her sandwich. “You think I’m submissive?”

“Look at me, Julie.”


Her eyes met his before she could even process that he’d given a command she’d obeyed effortlessly.

“I’m not going to answer that,” he said. “If I say ‘yes’ because I’ve been around enough novice submissives to know, it’ll appear as if I’m trying to fit you into a defined box. If I say ‘no,’ it’ll look like I’m trying to make you something you’re not.”

“But if I’m simply looking for your opinion?”

He shook his head. “I’m too personally involved. Besides, understanding and accepting your sexuality is a journey of self-discovery.”

They spent the next few minutes eating silently. Daniel seemed at ease with the quiet. She appreciated that he allowed her time to think. Of course, she could always think more about their conversation when they weren’t on a date.

“Tell me about your journey,” she asked, breaking the silence. “How did you know?”

He put the remainder of his sandwich down and wiped his hands. “First of all, you should know it wasn’t easy for me, okay?” At her nod, he continued. “While I was in college, I dated a girl who liked to be spanked. I kept telling her no, that I wasn’t like that. Couldn’t do that to her. She kept insisting, so I eventually did it. It had to be the most inept spanking ever, but it made me harder than I’d ever been before.”

She nodded and picked up a potato chip. “And that’s how you knew.”

“No, that’s when I broke up with her the next day and swore I’d never do anything like it again.”

The potato chip fell to the table and he laughed at her expression.

“You’re laughing about it?” she asked.

“Sure, now. Then I was scared shitless thinking I was some sort of deviant who should either be locked up or kept far, far away from women.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I quickly learned that the more I told myself I wouldn’t think about it, the more I actually thought about it. I was miserable. For a long time. Then one day I was online and saw a notice for a group gathering and I went. Met some like-minded people. Discovered I wasn’t a freak.” He winked at her. “Learned how to give a proper spanking.”

She laughed.

“The point is, I’ve been where you are,” he said. “From a different point of view, but one just as hard to come to terms with.”

Knowing he’d dealt with his own demons while accepting his sexual needs gave her a sense of relief and hope. Just like Daniel, maybe she’d one day look back on this time in her life and smile at how far she’d come.

She reached across the table and took his hand. “Thank you.”

? ? ?

Daniel was smiling brightly when she arrived at his house on Saturday. “Hello, Julie. I see you’ve brought your bag.”

He’d asked her when they met for lunch if she’d stay overnight. At the time, she told him she’d have to check her calendar and make sure she thought the invitation through. At times, she felt everything was moving too fast and that she should take a step back. The funny thing was, though, every time she did think on it, she found herself wanting more of Daniel.

He leaned over to take her bag, and his lips brushed her cheek in the process. “You smell great.”

She’d actually put on the body mist as an afterthought. As she’d gotten dressed, nervous about not knowing how to prepare oneself for a playroom session, her eyes had fallen on the mostly neglected mist and she’d thought if you had to be naked, you should at least smell good.

He placed her bag inside the front door, explaining they could take it upstairs later, and led her into his living room. She sat beside him on the couch, taking the hand he offered her.

“How’s your weekend so far?” he asked.

She nodded. “Okay. Better now. Worked a bit this morning. How’s your grandmother?”

“Tess is still fighting me on putting her in an assisted living facility. The thing is, I’m not home enough to care for her properly, so she can’t move in here, and, well, Tess just found out she’s pregnant with twins.”

“Oh, wow.”

“Exactly, like she wasn’t busy enough with one.” He shook his head. “A facility just seems to be the best thing right now.”

She squeezed his hand. “You’ll decide on the right thing.”

“I sure hope so.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “But we can talk about this later. You came to play, right?”

“Yes, but I also came to spend time with you. To get to know you better and because I like you.”

“You have no idea how refreshing it is to be with someone who tells it like it is.” He leaned so close she felt the heat radiate off him. “I like you, too.”

His hand came up and cupped the side of her face, while his lips trailed lower to brush against hers. Softly. Nothing but a touch, but already she was hungry and aching for him. She clenched her fists in her lap.

He pulled away, but left an arm around her shoulders. “I thought we could spend some time in the playroom today. Nothing intense, just some basics.”

She leaned closer to him, anxious for more of his touch. “Yes.”

“Last weekend, I gave you ‘red’ as a safe word. There’s also ‘green’ if you want more, and ‘yellow’ if I’m pushing too hard or you’re approaching your limit.”

Green, yellow, and red. Seemed simple enough.

“No one should ever hold the use of a safe word against you. And you should never, ever play without one.” His arm dropped from her shoulder. “Make sense?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, simply because it seemed the right thing to say.

He gazed at her with unconcealed hunger and then took her in his arms and kissed her with a breathless intensity. His lips were hard and so possessive that she was finally beginning to understand the warnings he’d given her in the past.

He moaned when he pulled back. “Julie.” He took her hand and placed it on the bulge of his erection. “When you call me that . . .”

Something a lot like pride rushed through her at being able to affect him so.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” she said, stroking him through the material of his jeans. “Please, sir.”

“My, my, my, you nearly purred when you said that.” He lifted his hips into her palm. “Does my playful little kitten want what’s in her hand?”

She gave him another stroke. “Yes, sir.”

He grabbed her wrist. “Then first she has to prove she can behave. Submissives are always naked in my playroom and as of right now, that’s what you are. Meet me in there in ten minutes. You can undress in my bedroom.”

? ? ?

It was funny the things your brain thought sometimes, she decided as she walked to the playroom minutes later. Like, if she got undressed in his room, where did he get ready? Did he even have to get ready? Would he be naked?

Then of course, there were the thoughts she expected. How odd it was to be walking around his house naked. The excitement with a touch of trepidation at the fact that she was naked and on her way to his playroom.

The door to the playroom was open, and though Daniel stood inside waiting, he wasn’t where her eyes were drawn. Instead, she looked to the far corner where the whipping post had stood the previous weekend.


It wasn’t there.

She glanced around the rest of the room, but couldn’t find it.

“Come on inside, kitten, you won’t find what you’re looking for.”

If someone had told her the day before that someone calling her “kitten” would be a turn-on, she’d have called him a liar. Yet somehow, when Daniel said it, it made her feel sexy and strong.

“Punctual, I see.”

She wasn’t sure if the no-talk rule of the previous weekend still applied, so she decided to be quiet until told otherwise.

“Come stand next to me.”

He had changed, she noted. Or more aptly, he’d taken his sweater and shoes off, but left his jeans on. His eyes traveled over her body as she approached.

“So beautiful without those clothes.” The back of his hand brushed her breast and she leaned into his touch. “Mmm, you’ll have to earn the pets, kitten,” he said, removing his hands.

She almost whimpered; she wanted his touch so badly.

“Next time I have you meet me in here,” he continued, “I want you kneeling, like this.”

He dropped to his knees, butt resting on his heels. His hands each cupped a knee, and his head was bowed. He looked up. “You try.”

She knelt like he had, trying to get her body in the same position. Daniel came behind her, straightened her back, ensured her shoulders were square. Then he stood before her and separated her knees a bit with his foot.

He was silent for so long, she almost looked up. In fact, she’d decided to do just that when he finally spoke.

“A submissive is not weak because a Dominant controls her. A submissive is strong because she surrenders her power to him willingly.” He rested his hand on the top of her head. “It is not a power a Dominant should take lightly. Rather he should guard it as he would his life and when he returns it, she should feel her power increased because of his care.”

Kneeling before him like she was, it finally made sense to her. It did take strength to submit. While it was difficult on some level to be on her knees before someone, it also felt oddly right. She took a deep breath and allowed all the preconceived notions she’d held to disappear.

Daniel must have sensed a change in her somehow, because at her exhalation he simply whispered, “That’s my girl.”

His words washed over her body, spreading warmth, almost as if he’d touched her.

Then his hand stroked her shoulder and playful Daniel was back. “Stand up and come with me, kitten.”

He led her to the padded table she’d looked over the weekend before. Interesting, but nothing scary. It looked rather like a twin-sized bed, covered with leather. He patted the surface. “Hop up.”

Much like he did when she knelt for him, he positioned her the way he wanted her. This time on her back.

“There are straps out to your side. Reach out, grab, and hold on. Keep your legs here,” he said, separating them slightly. “Your job is to not move. Understood?”

She took a strap in each hand and took a deep breath. “Yes, sir.”

“Relax,” he said, softly brushing her cheek, his thumb trailing along her eyelid. “Close your eyes and concentrate on the sensations and not moving.”

His hands moved in an unexpected massage, lightly across her face, down her shoulders, and up her arms. Then back the other way. Over and over he caressed her as she sank deeper into the leather.

So caught up was she in the sensation of his touch, she jerked when his finger unexpectedly grazed her nipple.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he said, and his hands were gone.

She had to fight not to open her eyes in an attempt to find him. Surely he hadn’t left. But he wasn’t touching her and it was so quiet.

The seconds dragged on.

“Let’s try again,” he said, low and soft, and right by her side.

Once more he started his sensual massage and when he next brushed over a nipple, she remained still.

“Good girl.” There was a flicker of warmth where he’d touched her and then his mouth replaced his fingers, sucking.

She whimpered, but remained still.

“Such a good girl,” he said. “I think my kitten needs a reward.” His lips trailed across her skin until he reached her other breast and he suckled that nipple. He teased her with his lips and tongue, gently palming one side of her while kissing the other.

Then he bit oh so slightly on her nipple and it felt so good, she lifted herself up for more.

He didn’t say a word, but moved away and she was empty and alone and cold without him. She tried to feel his presence, but she had no sense of him, couldn’t judge where he was. The very air in the room stood still.

Steeling her body, she willed him to return and vowed not to move again.

But there was nothing but silence.

Just when she’d convinced herself the session was over, he stroked her hair and she sighed.

“Better now?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, thrilled to have his hands on her again.

He kept himself contained to the upper part of her body, never venturing past her waist, but setting every nerve ending she had aflame as he worked his sensual magic on her skin. It felt as if every caress reverberated between her legs, and she wondered if she could come from breast play alone.

“You’re being so good, kitten,” he whispered against her skin. “I’m going to keep going.”

Though she pretty much knew what he meant, it still took all the strength she could muster up to stay still when he haphazardly dragged a fingertip from her belly button, down lower, tracing between her legs. The second pass was heavier. The third time, he dipped a finger into her.

She sucked in a breath, but remained still.

“Such a good girl.”

He added a second finger and began stroking in and out of her body. Every stroke had him going just a bit deeper, and her body tensed with the effort to be still.

I can do this.

I can do this.

I can do this.

She had almost convinced herself of it when his thumb started brushing her * with every inward thrust. Her legs trembled. She couldn’t do it.

“Orange. F*ck, yellow.”

She felt a little bad for saying it, but decided it was more important he knew.

His fingers didn’t stop. “Open your eyes, kitten. Look at me.”

When she met his gaze, he was smiling. “You’re doing so well. Keep your eyes on me.” His fingers moved deeper, his thumb brushed harder, and his eyes pierced her with their intensity. She couldn’t look away. “Keep watching me. That’s it. Good girl. A little bit more and you’re going to come.”

It built inside her, swirling, wave after wave, almost crashing. Caught between his gaze and his fingers, she let it come and sweep her along. He pushed three fingers inside and with a final rough swipe to her *, she came with a yelp, her release made all the more powerful by the strain to be still.

As her climax passed, she closed her eyes and sighed. Bliss. Her entire body felt completely blissed out. She never wanted to leave the table. The feeling only intensified as Daniel started stroking her arms.

He gently pried her hands free from the straps. “Let go, kitten.”

She had no idea she’d been grasping them so tightly until he helped her flex her fingers.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Can you sit up?”

She slowly worked herself into a sitting position and Daniel moved so that he stood at the foot of the table, between her legs. He lightly placed his hands on her upper thighs.


“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Mmm,” she hummed. “Weightless and floaty.”

He dug his fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp. She nearly purred.

“I lied, you know,” she said.

She didn’t realize the impact of her words until she saw the shock cross his face. Even then his voice was calm when he replied. “Lied about what, kitten?”

She turned her head into his hand and brushed her lips across his palm. “About not being putty.”

He laughed. “Oh?”

“I’m complete putty in your hands.”

He lowered his head and whispered against her lips, “I’d hoped that might be the case,” before capturing her lips with his.

? ? ?

Julie thought it might have just been her imagination, but something seemed off with Sasha. Maybe it was her relationship with Peter, though things appeared to be moving right along on that front. It just didn’t seem normal for Sasha not to beg for every detail of Julie’s weekend with Daniel.

Late Thursday afternoon, Sasha was making calls in the back when the front door chimed. Julie swallowed a groan. She wanted to get home, curl up on the couch, and talk to Daniel. They’d been chatting by phone every night and met for lunch on Tuesday. The more and more she got to know Daniel and spend time with him, the more she was willing to admit to herself that she was falling for him. When you paired that with what she was learning about her craving to submit? It made her shiver thinking about how everything seemed to be falling into place.

Unfortunately, before she could talk with Daniel, she had to deal with the late-arriving customer.

Julie stopped cold in the middle of the room when she saw who it was.

Dena, the submissive she’d seen at the group meeting, stood before her. The one Daniel was quick to call for help. The one who called him “Master Covington.”

One look at the tall blonde walking into her shop proved she wasn’t the only one who remembered.

“Oh, it’s you,” Dena said, with a thinly veiled curiosity and a tilt to her head. “I’m here to see Sasha.”

“She’s on the phone, but she’ll be out soon.”

Julie looked the willowy woman over quickly. She didn’t have a collar on, and a glance at her wrist showed no cuff.

Dena smiled as if she knew what Julie was doing. “I’m unattached right now.”

“Sorry,” Julie said. “I didn’t know I was that obvious. I’m new.”

“Dena,” the blonde said, sticking out her hand. “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself at the meeting.”

“Julie,” she said, shaking the offered hand.

The conversation died there and they stood in an uncomfortable silence. Too many thoughts were crowding in Julie’s head all at once. What was the history between Daniel and Dena? Assuming there was history. Why was it Dena had never stopped by to see Sasha before?

And speaking of her friend, what was taking Sasha so long?

Dena still watched her with a curious expression.

“Have I grown a third head?” Julie finally said. “Because I’m pretty sure you’ve seen a submissive woman or two before.”

Dena laughed. “Sorry, it’s just—” She shook her head. “I had to see.”

“See what?”

“We’re a close group, those of us who’ve been around for a while. You’ll have to forgive us if we gossip.” She leaned over and whispered, “The Doms are the worst.”

Julie lifted an eyebrow. Dena hadn’t answered the question.

“You’re gorgeous and you have spunk. No wonder he’s so taken with you.”

Dena’s words hit her so hard, Julie actually took a step backward. “Daniel? Gossips?”

“No, not Daniel,” Dena said with a wave of her hand. “But some of the others are like old women. Just don’t tell them I said that, it’ll be our little secret.”

Julie smiled. She had a feeling she would get along just fine with Dena. “Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Julie. Why don’t we sit down and you tell me about yourself, because you obviously know everything about me.”

Dena put her hands on her hips. “Damn, I like you.”

Julie laughed and motioned to a bench.

“I went by Daniel’s late Sunday,” Dena said, walking over to the bench and sitting down. “Daniel’s mentoring a new Dom and asks me to help out sometimes. We normally meet on Saturday, but somebody was busy and pushed the session to Sunday.”

He had mentioned he had a meeting. Funny, Julie thought it had to do with bank business.

“There had been whispers after the last group meeting. About you.” Dena shrugged. “So after the Sunday night session, I asked him.”

Julie’s hands felt sweaty and she pressed her palms against her thighs. “What’d he say?”

“That the next time I asked about his personal life, I’d spend some quality time on his whipping bench. That’s when I knew he was serious. Always before he’d shrug and say it was nothing.”

Julie didn’t know what to say to that. She’d only recently accepted that she was falling for the sensual Dominant. To hear he might feel the same . . .

“Sasha’s coming over to my apartment for dinner,” Dena said. “You should come, too.”

“Say yes, Jules,” Sasha said from the doorway to the back room, looking slightly flushed. “It’ll be good. We can have submissive girl chats.” Then she turned to their visitor. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Dena. That was Peter.” She looked at Julie. “So, you in?”

It didn’t take much thinking for her to decide. After all, she could talk to Daniel on the phone from anywhere.

? ? ?

Julie wasn’t sure what Dena did for a living, but the woman had excellent taste in wine. They breezed through the first bottle during dinner and opened a second while they sat around Dena’s living room.

“Daniel’s your first Dom?” Dena asked, returning to a conversation touched on during dinner. At Julie’s nod, she continued. “Lucky bitch. First guy I submitted to was a grade A a*shole.”

“Then why did you do it?” Julie asked.

“Because as bad as it was, it was better than anything I’d done before.”

Julie wasn’t so sure nothing wouldn’t be better. “At least you knew and admitted what you needed. You weren’t like me, sitting around, wondering, and too afraid to do anything about it.”

Dena patted her on the shoulder. “You’re doing something about it now. That’s the important part. Besides, look who you have for a teacher.”

The wine had loosened her tongue. “I want him for more than a teacher.”

“Don’t they all.” And with one swallow, Dena downed the last of her wine.

Julie wondered if that meant her assumption about Daniel and Dena was correct. “What?”

Dena sat her glass on the floor. “All the submissives in the group want him.”

“I told you they all drop their pants, remember?” Sasha asked.

Sure, Sasha had told her, but to have Dena confirm it . . . it made her head spin. Before she could think of a reply, her phone rang. “It’s him!” she said, and realized if either of the other two women had any doubt of how she felt about Daniel, her reaction to his phone call probably cleared it up.


Dena pointed to a closed door. “Guest bedroom through there. You’ll have privacy.”

“Thanks,” she said, then answered the phone. “Hey.”

“I thought for a second you were screening calls and I didn’t make the cut,” he teased.

Julie shut the door behind her. “Afraid I’d decided you didn’t pass my test after all?”

“Yes and I’d be upset. Last I checked, I speak in complete sentences.” There was a slight pause. “Most of the time.”

She shivered, remembering what caused him to speak in phrases. Picturing him over her, his back arched in pleasure as he climaxed inside her.

“Mmm,” she hummed. “Maybe complete sentence are overrated.”

He laughed. “We better change subjects before I’m tempted to come pick you up and render you speechless.”

“Tease.”

“I’m completely serious,” he said, and she didn’t doubt him. “What are you doing tonight?”

“I’m actually at Dena’s place. Sasha and I came for dinner.” She took a second to look around. The room was tastefully decorated in a French country theme. Simple and uncluttered, much like the rest of the apartment. “I like her.”

“I didn’t realize Sasha and Dena were close.”

“I didn’t either. Today was the first time I’ve seen her, not counting the group meeting.”

There was silence before he spoke again and when he did, his tone was flat, almost as if he were describing the weather. “She’s a good person. And an experienced submissive. She’d be happy to answer any questions you have on the lifestyle.”

“She mentioned she saw you on Sunday.” She brought it up, not because she felt jealous, but because she wanted him to know.

“Mentoring session with a new Dom. She helps sometimes.”

She wondered what that would be like, training someone. From what Daniel had told her, there seemed to be a lot to learn.

“I thought about asking if you’d like to stay and watch,” he said. “But decided it might be too soon.”

She respected both his decision and the thought that had gone behind it. He told her he’d been a Dom for over ten years; if he felt it too soon, it was too soon.

“Probably,” she agreed.

“I won’t keep you. I just wanted to call to see if you could come for dinner tomorrow?”

“Just dinner?”

“I was hoping you’d spend the night, too, but it didn’t seem polite to ask you to dinner and then to stay after so I could tie you up in my playroom.”

He chuckled after he said it, but she had a feeling he wasn’t joking. He was going to tie her up and have sex with her. Her heart pounded with excitement and desire swelled between her legs.

“Julie?”

“Is it tomorrow yet?”

“Have a good time with the girls, kitten.” His voice was low and sultry. “Tomorrow night you’re all mine.”

Minutes later, she walked back into the living room on weak legs. She didn’t have to guess what her face looked like; Sasha’s expression said everything.

“Damn, that must have been some phone call,” Dena said.

Julie knew she could lie and say it was nothing, but instead she took her seat and smiled. “It was.”

Sasha and Dena both waited.

“So, what were you two talking about while I was gone?” Julie asked.

“Is she always like this, Sasha?”

“Yes, it’s annoying as hell.”

They both looked at her and she sighed. There was no escaping. “If you must know, he asked me to dinner tomorrow night.”

Sasha crossed her arms. “There is no way dinner would put that expression on your face.”

“And then he might have mentioned what he’d do after.”

Dena stood up and carried her wineglass to the kitchen. “I so do not want to hear this.” She looked over her shoulder to Sasha. “Not worth the evil things he’ll have his mentee do to me.”

Sasha snorted. “You love it.”

“Of course I do. It’s just part of my game to pretend otherwise.” Dena shifted her attention back to Julie. “If you tell us what he has planned, we could give advice.”

Julie ran a finger along the rim of her wineglass. “I know you could and I’m sure there’ll be a time in the future when I need your advice. But for right now, it’s just Daniel and me, and it’s new and we’re getting to know each other, and, well, I just want to keep it to myself right now.”

“Oh, wow.” Dena was looking at her all strange.

“Told ya.” Sasha just looked smug.

Julie didn’t understand what they were talking about. She was missing something. “What?”

“It’s basically what Daniel said Sunday.” Dena sank into the couch. “You just squashed the hopes and dreams of damn near every submissive in the western hemisphere.”

“And half the vanilla women, too,” Sasha added. “It’s clear Mr. Covington is no longer available.”

? ? ?

Daniel hung up the phone with a smile on his face. If he guessed correctly, Julie would think of little other than his words until she came over the next day. Hopefully by the time they finished dinner, she’d be so needy with want, any trepidation she had at being tied up would be overshadowed by desire.

He was surprised to hear she was spending the evening with Dena. Though if his relationship with Julie continued on its current path, it only stood to reason that the two women would spend time together. Dena had taken several young submissives under her wing over the years; she enjoyed mentoring as much as he did. Daniel was relieved Julie now had two people other than himself she could talk with.

He decided to walk down to the playroom so he could start planning for the next evening. But halfway down, his doorbell rang.

That was odd. He wasn’t expecting anyone. He checked his phone to make sure he hadn’t missed a call. Nothing.

He opened the door and smiled when he saw who waited.

“Cole Johnson, you bastard,” Daniel said, pulling the scruffy man into a hug. “How long has it been? Don’t you have a phone?”

Cole laughed and returned the hug. “Too damn long and yes, but by the time I figured out where I was going, I was already here.”

Daniel led him inside with a shake of his head. Some people never changed. He had met Cole when they were both in graduate school, though Cole left before getting his master’s, opting to return to his homeland, England, to finish school there. He currently lived Stateside and was a well-known award-winning journalist. They typically spoke every few months, but it’d been at least a year since they’d spent any time together.

They settled into the living room after Cole passed on a drink and Daniel got his first good look at his old friend. It appeared as though Cole hadn’t shaved in days and fatigue laced his features.

“What brings you to my doorstep?” Daniel asked. “And you look like hell, by the way.”

Cole scrubbed his fingers through his dark hair, making it look even worse. “I haven’t slept in over thirty-two hours. I was hoping I could crash here.”

“Sure, for as long as you need.”

“It won’t be long. I’m on my way to India for a few months. I leave in a few weeks.”

Which meant there would be no playroom with Julie the next night. He’d have to call and tell her about the change in plans. He wondered if she’d even want to stay. Even though he hadn’t seen Cole in over twelve months, he wished his friend had picked a different weekend to stop by.


Daniel stood. “Why don’t you take a shower and crash? You can sleep here for now and move into the guesthouse over the weekend.”

“Thanks, much appreciated.”

After Cole made his way upstairs, Daniel went to his bedroom and sent Julie a text asking for her to call him when she got home. His phone rang less than an hour later.

“Miss me that bad?” she teased when he answered. “Or were you afraid of what I learned from Dena and Sasha?”

He laughed. “Both, if I think about it long enough. But I was actually calling to let you know about a wrinkle in our plans.”

Her breath hitched and her even tone belied the desire he knew she felt. “Wrinkle? For tomorrow night?”

“Unfortunately, yes. An old college friend of mine stopped by unexpectedly and needs a place to stay. I’ll move him into the guesthouse, but the cleaning crew won’t have it ready until Saturday. I knew it’d probably be uncomfortable for you to play knowing he was in the main house.”

“Thank you, yes, I’m not bold enough to go there yet.” Her voice had lost its teasing touch.

“I’d like for you to meet him, so the dinner invitation stands. And you can still stay over if you’d like. We’d have the whole day to spend together.” He added the last statement to try and bring back her teasing side. “You know, if you’re not otherwise tied up.”

She laughed. The low seductive tone never failed to make him hard.

“There’s only one person going to tie me up,” she said.

He felt unexpectedly pleased at her reference and an overwhelming feeling of something that felt almost like possessiveness burned through his body. “You got that right.”

She sighed. “I guess a little bit more anticipation won’t hurt me.”

Probably not, he thought, but his erection wasn’t especially the most pleasant feeling in the world. Might as well do something about it.

“Talking about tomorrow night has me hard,” he said. “Let’s build that anticipation a bit more.”

From the other end of the phone came a low moan and he smiled. “I believe the correct response would be, ‘Yes, sir. If it pleases you.’”

Her reply was a whisper. “Yes, sir. If it pleases you.”

“Good girl, kitten. Now put the phone on speaker and undress for me.”

While she followed his order, he took time to slip out of his own clothes and put his phone on speaker.

“Okay, I’m finished,” she said.

“Okay, I’m finished, sir.”

“Okay, I’m finished, sir.”

“Thank you. Now for neglecting to call me sir, you get a punishment,” he said. “I’m not there to spank you, so instead take a picture of yourself naked and text it to me.”

Silence from the other side of the phone.

“Julie?”

“Yes, sir?”

“You have words if this is too much.” He felt the need to remind her; asking her to take a naked picture and send it to him might be more than she could handle at this point.

“Yellow.”

“Thank you for being honest, kitten. What’s wrong?”

“I know you’re not going to post pictures of me on the Internet. I know that. It’s just, once it’s out there, it’s out there.”

“I promise you as soon as this call is over, I’ll delete it. I won’t download it anywhere or show it to anyone. If you still don’t want to do it, say ‘red.’ We’ll say our good-byes and good-nights and have a wonderful day tomorrow. Otherwise, send the picture and we’ll continue. It’s up to you, so take your time deciding.”

He waited patiently while she thought. He knew he had to give her the time and space to make her own decision. Needed her to realize she was the one who decided the next step.

He’d prepared himself for her to say “red” when a soft chime alerted him to an incoming text. I trust you, it said, followed by a picture of her naked from the chest down. He felt the enormity of the gift she’d just given him.

“I’m honored and pleased by your trust, Julie,” he said, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “It isn’t something I take lightly.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Now I want you on your back in bed with your knees spread.” He pictured her situating herself. “One hand on your breast, the other checking to see how wet you are.”

“Wet, sir.”

“Good girl, now palm your breast, gently pinching a nipple, but gradually and gradually get harder.”

One day in the future he’d put nipple clamps on her. He had a feeling she’d like them. It was so easy to imagine her in his playroom, decorated for his pleasure.

From the other side of the phone came a short gasp.

“Did you pinch hard, kitten?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now, see if you’re wetter.”

“I know I am, sir.”

“Such a naughty kitten, getting off on pinching her nipples.”

“What about you, sir?” she asked in that sultry voice that drove him wild. “Are you hard?”

He loved her playful side. “I’m so hard it hurts,” he said, stroking himself. “If you were here, I’d have you suck my dick to take the edge off. Then just before I came in your mouth, I’d pull out so I could finish in that tight p-ssy.”

She groaned again. “I wish I were with you, sir.”

“You will be tomorrow night.”

“But your friend will be there.”

“We’ll have time together, don’t doubt it.”

“I’m horribly impatient.”

“Don’t tempt me to withhold orgasm from you,” he warned. “I can teach you patience.”

She knew he could do it; it’d been on the checklist she’d filled out. It hadn’t been marked as a hard limit.

“I’m patience personified, sir.”

He chuckled and decided not to call her bluff. He’d already pushed her by having her send the picture. Now it was time for him to reward the trust she’d given him.

“Are you still in position?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl. Now take your finger and circle your *, but don’t touch it.”

He listened carefully for her sharp intake of breath, smiling when it came.

“Ready to come, kitten?”

“Yes, please, sir.”

One day soon, he’d have to work on delaying her orgasm, stretching it out so she could take more of the pleasure he had to show her.

“I’m going to stroke my cock in a steady rhythm,” he said. “You follow along with me, however you wish.”

He took himself in his hand. “Ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

Stroking his cock, he started slow. “Now. Now. Now. Are you following me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Let me hear you.”

She followed each of his “now’s” with a “yes” of her own and together they kept up his tempo.

“Now.”

“Yes.”

“Now.”

“Yes.”

He gradually went faster and she went with him, until he finally felt his climax rushing forward. “Whenever you want, kitten.”

She came in a rugged sigh and he followed, spilling in his hand.

“Mmmm,” she said.

“Did that help ease your anticipation?” he asked.

“No, sir. I think it only made me want you more. My fingers are a poor substitute for the real thing.”


Her honesty was enchanting and he found himself laughing. “Trust me, kitten, I feel the same. I’ll take you over my hand any day.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I guess that’s not so long.”

He thought briefly about telling her she couldn’t come again until he gave her permission, but decided against it. If everything went the way he planned, there would be plenty of time to claim ownership of her orgasms.

“Long enough, Julie. Long enough.”

They spoke for a few more minutes, revising their plans and saying good-nights. Not long after hanging up, he made his way down to the playroom to plan.

? ? ?

Daniel decided to work from home the next day, so he heard Cole trudge into the kitchen around noon.

“Feel better?” he called from his home office.

Cole gave a grunt that might have been an affirmative reply.

Daniel sent the e-mail he’d been working on and went into the kitchen. “Sleep well?”

His friend looked better after a shower, a shave, and a decent night’s sleep, but there was still an underlying fatigue in his eyes. “Like the dead.”

“Ready to talk about why you’re going halfway around the world for months?”

Cole took a deep breath. “Kate left me.”

The news was so unexpected, Daniel sat down. Kate had been Cole’s girlfriend and submissive for years. “No. Cole, I’m sorry. When she wasn’t with you last night, I just assumed she’d be following later. What happened?”

“There was only one thing we ever argued about on a regular basis.”

“The baby issue.” It had been an ongoing battle between the two for almost as long as Daniel could remember. Kate wanted children and Cole didn’t.

“It’s not an area you can compromise on,” Cole said. “You either have kids or you don’t. She eventually decided kids were more important than me.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t exactly like that.”

“Trust me, it was exactly like that.”

Daniel chose his next words carefully. Cole was hurting, but Daniel wouldn’t be much of a friend if he didn’t tell the truth. “You know that if you’re in pain over losing her, you can’t escape it by running.”

“Maybe not, but I can sure as hell avoid it for a while.”

“You know you’re always welcome here.”

“Thanks.” Cole smiled, but it looked forced. “How about you? Did you and Dena ever, you know?”

Cole had always thought Daniel should make more of a move with Dena. No matter how often Daniel insisted they were and would always be just friends and occasional play partners, Cole had the idea stuck in his head.

“No. I’m actually seeing someone new. She’s coming for dinner tonight, you can meet her.”

“New woman? Nice.”

“She’ll probably be spending the night.”

“Ah, hell.”

Daniel knew what Cole was thinking. Could only imagine how he felt. “I’m sorry. I invited her before you arrived.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be okay.” He stood up. “I’m going to go for a run. Clear my head.”

Daniel nodded. “Trail hasn’t changed.” The pond had always been a favorite spot of Cole’s to run when he visited and needed time and space to think. Daniel was under no misconception that one run would aid Cole in exorcising his personal demons, but maybe it would be a start.

? ? ?

The first thing Julie noticed about Cole was his eyes. They were a stunning bluish green, and though his mouth smiled, his eyes didn’t. She wondered what made him so sad and if his warm smile fooled most people.

“Julie,” he said, shaking her hand and speaking in a smooth British accent. “So good to meet you. Cole Johnson.”

“Cole Johnson,” she said. “Daniel didn’t give me your name. I love your writing. Especially your piece on the diamond mines.”

His eyes widened with shock and then he playfully pushed Daniel aside and took her arm. “Daniel vastly underestimated your many charms. Come sit beside me at dinner. We’ll talk.”

She laughed and threw a smile over her shoulder to Daniel.

He shook his head. “She’s much too smart for that game. There’s no way she’ll sit through three hours of ‘Cole Johnson, Man of Adventure and Intrigue.’”

“That’s okay,” Cole whispered, patting her arm. “I’ll condense it down to one. I’m a little low on intrigue lately anyway.”

Daniel served a hearty meal of steak and potatoes, and the wine and conversation flowed freely. Cole actually did keep her fairly entertained retelling some of his many exploits, and if the certain sadness lingering in his expression never quite went away, it seemed he tried not to let it cloud the conversation. Daniel added enough groans and snorts for her to understand that Cole was embellishing his tales rather well.

“Tell me, Julie,” Cole said when their plates were empty. “Are you new to the area?”

“Me, no. Why do you ask?”

“I visited last year. I didn’t see you. . . .” Cole looked over to Daniel, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Daniel shake his head. “I just can’t imagine him never mentioning you.”

“We just met recently,” she said, not sure what the interaction between the two friends meant, but deciding to question Daniel about it later. Something seemed off.

“That explains it, then,” Cole said a little too easily.

Daniel cleared his throat. “Let’s go to the living room. It’ll be more comfortable.”

“Nah.” Cole stood up and stretched. “I’m still beat. I’m going to head on up to bed.”

Daniel and Julie wished him a good night, but because it was too early for bed and the house was too crowded for playroom activities, they curled up on a couch in the living room after cleaning up the kitchen. A movie was playing, but between small talk and wandering hands, neither of them paid much attention to it.

“What was that look between you and Cole at dinner?” Julie asked during a quiet moment.

“Saw that, did you?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Cole assumed we’d met in the group. He thought you were new to the area since he went to a meeting when he was here last year and didn’t see you.”

“Cole went to a meeting?”

“He’s a Dominant. I didn’t think you’d want to discuss your sex life during dinner.”

She felt like she was on information overload. Learning Cole was a Dom and even imagining talking about sex with him threatened to crowd her brain. Something tickled on the edge of her mind, though, and she struggled to grasp on to it.

“He thinks you’d only go out with a submissive woman,” she finally said. “Why else would he assume we knew each other from the group?”

“I typically only date submissives, yes,” he said, but his words sounded calculated.

“So if I wasn’t . . .”

“You are, so it doesn’t matter, and if you weren’t, it wouldn’t have mattered.”

She snuggled deeper into his arms, overjoyed he would still want to be with her if she wasn’t interested in submission.

“You could look at the reverse, too,” he said. “You could have not dated me because I’m a Dominant.”

She turned around in his arms and kissed him. “What a mistake that would have been.”


He didn’t answer, but ran a finger along her jaw.

“Is something wrong with Cole?” she asked. “He looks sad.”

“His longtime girlfriend and submissive, Kate, recently left him.”

The pain Cole must be experiencing hit her hard. She wondered what had happened between them.

“Must have been horrible for him if he’s leaving the country,” she said.

“The bond between a Dominant and submissive is intense on many levels. Cole loved Kate. A part of him always will. But I don’t know the details of what happened. He hasn’t been able to talk about it yet. He just wanted a safe place to stay for a while, and we’ve been friends a long time.”

The sadness of the situation moved her to silence. Daniel tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head. They watched the rest of the movie without speaking.

? ? ?

Late the next morning she knelt in the playroom, trying to calm her mind. The cleaning crew had finished with the guesthouse earlier and they’d seen Cole settled. Julie had enjoyed spending time with him and was glad he’d be around for a few weeks before heading to India.

Daniel’s footsteps helped her refocus and she shifted, trying to perfect her position. She was naked, and on her knees, having carefully positioned herself as Daniel had instructed her.

“Good morning, kitten,” he said, the smile evident in his tone.

“Good morning, sir.”

“You look so beautiful, kneeling, and waiting for me.”

Before being with him, she’d never thought of kneeling as beautiful. Somehow when he said it, it made sense and she felt beautiful.

“Stand up for me, kitten. Let me see that body.”

She rose to her feet, acutely aware of him watching her. She felt powerful.

He ran a hand down her side. “I missed this last night. Had to make do with fantasy and dreams.”

With Cole in the house, when they went to bed, they’d only slept. Though she’d ached for Daniel’s touch, she’d not comprehended how much until he touched her intimately now. He brushed her nipple and she moaned.

“Yes, kitten. I’m going to touch you in all kinds of ways today and I want to hear all your noises.” He playfully slapped her butt. “Go hop up on the table. On your back.”

The leather of the table felt vaguely comforting. Soft and supple against her skin. Daniel looked almost predatory as he approached. He slipped something from his pocket and within seconds, black silk stole her sight.

“You’re going to be tied up and blindfolded at my mercy. What do you say if you want to stop?”

Her heart pounded and she was willing to bet he saw every beat. “Red, sir.”

His fingers traced her lips. “Very good. And if I need to slow down?”

“Yellow, sir.”

“You can also use ‘orange,’” he teasingly whispered in her ear as he blindfolded her, and she smiled.

She had expected to be tied with scratchy rope, so it was a surprise when a soft, thin coil circled her wrist.

“I’m using black rope today,” he said. “It contrasts so nicely with your skin.”

He continued speaking, low and deep, all the while working to bind her to the table. Any fear she had slipped away under his expert touch and smooth-as-sin voice. He told her how good she looked, how much she turned him on, and how he couldn’t wait to do all sorts of wicked things to her body.

Before she knew it, she was bound spread-eagle. His hands were absent just for a moment and she had a quick sensation of panic. She was all tied up and blindfolded. She sucked in a breath.

“Everything okay, kitten?” His hands were back, stroking her shoulders. Calming. Soothing.

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here beside you. Understand?”

She did. “Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.” He was no longer touching her, but she could sense he was nearby. “Today’s all about sensation. I just want you to feel and experience. It works better when your sense of sight is deprived.”

Something lightly tickled the hollow of her throat, trailed downward between her breasts, circled them, and made its way back up.

“Can you guess what this is?” He flicked it against her nipple.

“Feather?”

He tickled the other. “Is that an answer or another question?”

“It’s a feather, sir.”

“Good girl. It is a feather.” He lightly trailed it down one arm and then the other, teasing her in places she’d never considered erogenous before. Her nerve endings came alive under his touch and subtle teasing. It didn’t seem possible to be so turned on by a feather.

“How about this?” he asked, and something soft and furry stroked her arm.

“Feels like fur, sir.” Warm and soft and comforting.

“It is fur. It’s also a flogger. A rabbit fur flogger.”

She tensed at the word “flogger,” but Daniel kept on with the fur strands, dragging them along and across her body until she was once more relaxed.

“A lot of people associate floggers with pain,” he said. “And there’s certainly a place for that. But with this type,” he murmured as the soft strands flicked her chest, “it’s more about sensation.”

Tied as she was, she could do no more than relax her body and allow Daniel to elicit responses she never knew were possible. Starting at her shoulders, the rabbit fur swiftly pelted against her skin with light breezy strokes. He left no portion of her body untouched by the flogger. It felt delicious when used on her breasts and her nipples hardened with desire.

Along her belly, it felt more ticklish. She almost giggled, but with the next stroke, several strands hit her between the legs and she moaned instead.

“Like that, kitten?” he asked, and when the flogger came again, more of its tails landed against her wetness.

Her hips jerked, desperate for friction, and her body ached, longing to be filled. “Yes, sir.”

“Would you like something harder?”

The fur struck her again, but it wasn’t enough, could never be enough. She needed more. “Please, sir.”

He spanked her there with three quick strokes and she moaned in pleasure.

“Please,” she said again because it hadn’t been enough.

“Poor kitten,” he said. “It’s not time yet. We have more toys to explore before you’re allowed to come. And when you do come, I’m going to be buried inside you.”

His footsteps sounded as he walked away from her. She tried to hear what he was doing, but it wasn’t until she heard the telltale clink that she had any idea why he had left. Once she did, her body tensed in anticipation.

“I think my kitten needs to cool down, she’s too hot.”

She shivered at the touch of ice to her shoulder and groaned as he trailed it along her collarbone. So cold when the rest of her felt so heated. The ice continued moving lower, but in the second before it reached her breast, his mouth was on her skin. Then the ice was in his mouth and her skin was enveloped in the most surreal combination of frozen heat.

She strained against her bonds with a whimpering moan of pleasure.

A chuckle was his only reply. He suckled her, and then he slipped a finger inside her. A cold finger.

Her hips jerked. “F*ck!”

His finger was so cold, it might as well have been ice. As he worked it in and out of her, his skin gradually grew warmer. The ice in his mouth melted, leaving tiny wet paths along her body. Her every nerve stood at attention.


Slowly, he ran his hands down her right leg and untied her ankle. He repeated the action for each limb. Taking the newly untied arm or leg and massaging it gently before placing it back on the table. Any other time, his attention would have relaxed her, but at that moment all it did was serve to entice her more.

He moved leisurely, his seductive touch teasing every bit of anticipation possible out of her. A soft towel was draped over her body and those same hands gently dried her off. With tiny swirls, he circled her breasts, pressing rougher and rougher while he worked his way lower and lower.

The towel slipped from her body and heat once more surrounded her, but it was him. He was above her, on her, and he kneed her legs apart, and seconds later, he was in her. The familiar sweet stretch of him pushing inside made her lift her hips in a desperate attempt to draw him deeper.

He was slow and tender, and shattered any lingering misguided impression she had about domination. Fast or slow. Hard or gentle. He would take what he wanted in any way he wanted. And she would let him, because she knew there was only freedom to be found in placing herself into his keeping.

His hands slid to her face and the blindfold fell from her eyes. She saw her own desire reflected in his gaze. And as he drove them both toward an encompassing climax, she saw something deeper. It was her strength that made him strong, and his command that made her complete.

? ? ?

Daniel looked to his right at Julie as they drove to the assisted living facility later that day. She had her head back on the headrest, eyes closed, and her fingers played a staccato beat against the doorframe. At her feet was the flower arrangement she insisted on putting together. Wildflowers. He smiled at the thought of her remembering his grandmother’s favorite.

“What are you thinking over there, all relaxed and smiley?” he asked.

She lazily peeked through one eye at him. “I’m willing to bet you have a fairly good idea.”

They had already talked about their morning. She indicated her enjoyment of sensation play, and even more so, he believed she had a breakthrough of sorts, though she hadn’t said it in so many words.

He dropped a hand to her thigh and squeezed. “Stroke my ego and tell me anyway.”

“How about I stroke something else?”

Damn, but she was always throwing him off guard by saying things like that. Two could play at that, though. He put his hand back on the steering wheel. “That would be an excellent idea.”

She smiled in assumed victory and turned toward him.

“Unzip your jeans, kitten.”

“What?” she asked, sinking back into her seat.

“You suggested stroking something and I’m agreeing. Unzip your jeans.”

“I meant—”

“I’m well aware of what you meant. Now unzip the jeans or the shirt goes next.” He was pushing, he knew, playing in such a new way for her. Outside the safe confines of his house, would she still be willing to bend to him?

He kept his eyes on the road, allowing her space to make her decision. Seconds later, he was rewarded with the sound of a zipper being pulled down.

“Good job, kitten. Now slip a hand inside your panties and tell me if you’re wet.”

Again he waited.

“Yes, sir. I’m wet.”

“Excellent. Now I want you to stroke yourself. You have until the next stoplight to reach orgasm.”

She sucked in a breath. “Honesty, right?”

“Always,” he said, pleased she felt comfortable enough to be truthful with him.

“I tried once, with an old boyfriend, and couldn’t do it. By myself, I’m fine, but with someone watching?”

He was willing to bet the old boyfriend did nothing more than to sit, watch, and jerk off. What Julie needed was someone with a bit more authority.

“I appreciate your honesty, kitten, but the truth is, that old boyfriend isn’t here. I am. And you’re going to f*ck yourself with your fingers, in my car, with me watching, and you’re going to orgasm before we get to the next stoplight.”

He turned his head slightly to watch. First she looked out the windows. He pressed down on the accelerator and when she turned her gaze to him, he gave her a sly grin.

“Close your eyes. No one’s watching.”

She looked out the window again, but closed her eyes before he could say anything else.

“Now slip your hand between your legs and feel how wet you are for me.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she obeyed.

“That’s it. Pretend it’s me. Those are my fingers parting you, slipping into you.”

Her body was still tense, almost as if she was fighting herself.

“Except my fingers are bigger than yours, so you need to use two. I’m pumping them into you, going deeper each time, giving your * a little stroke right before entering.”

Her knees fell to the sides as she worked her fingers in and out.

“That’s it. Feel how deep I’m going. Harder.”

Before long, she was writhing in her seat, making little moans. He was so hard, he wondered why he thought having her masturbate in his car was a good idea. She rocked her hips into her hand and let out a whimper of release right as he stopped at a red light.

He smiled at her self-satisfied grin. “Good job, kitten. I knew you could do it. Now give me your hand.”

“I’m sorry, sir. What?”

“Your right hand. That orgasm was mine and I want to taste it.”

He took her offered hand and sucked one finger at a time. By the time he finished, she was shifting in her seat again and his erection was so painful he almost had her go with her original stroking plan.

Instead, he pressed a kiss into her palm and enjoyed her flushed face. “I wonder sometimes . . .”

“About?”

“How you denied for so long what you so desperately need.”

She took his hand from where it rested on her thigh, and drew light circles on it. “Maybe I was just waiting for the right man.”

At her words, something inside his chest grew tight. He found that he couldn’t speak, so instead he simply squeezed her hand and hoped she somehow knew what her spoken words did to him.

? ? ?

“Is that someone with you, Daniel?” his grandmother asked, peeking around his shoulder. Daniel had only visited the facility once before and that had been when he and Tessa were making their final decision. He was anxious to see how his grandmother was settling in.

“Hello, Mrs. Covington,” Julie said, and stepped to his side.

“I know you, young lady.”

He was shocked she remembered. Her dementia had been growing steadily worse, especially her short-term memory. Though she had good days, there were times she appeared to reside solely in the past.

“Yes, ma’am, at the floral shop. You were looking for something for your great-granddaughter. I’m Julie.”

“That’s right, you said pink roses instead of wildflowers. You were right, though I never did understand why people are so taken with roses. Compared to wildflowers, they’re just plain.” She turned to Daniel. “Come on inside, don’t stand there in the hallway.”

“Speaking of wildflowers.” Julie stepped inside while he held the door. “I brought you these as a housewarming gift.”

His grandmother took the flowers with a wistful smile. “How beautiful. My husband used to bring me wildflowers. It was all he could afford when we first went out. To this day I’d rather have wildflowers than all the roses in the world.”


Daniel caught Julie’s gaze and mouthed a “thank you” to her. She had been the one to insist he stop at her shop so she could put something together. It’d touched him at the time, but at that moment, as he watched his grandmother, flowers clutched tightly in her hands, lead Julie into the small kitchen for coffee, the tightness in his chest grew.

He followed the ladies, but his grandmother shooed him out.

“I know you want to inspect every inch of my new home to make sure no one left a hair out of place. You go do that while I talk with your Julie.”

His Julie. He really shouldn’t think of her like that yet; it was much too soon. But all he had to do was remember her sighing into his touch, bending to his will, and the look of amazement that covered her face when she discovered something new, and he knew it was a lost cause. He was already thinking of her as his.

He walked around the apartment, making sure everything was in place as he had requested. The locks and alarms, call buttons and phones. He checked them all. But he kept one eye on the couple in the kitchen. They were sipping coffee and talking intensely about something.

“Everything looks good, Grandma,” he said, walking into the kitchen. “What are you two ladies discussing?”

“We’re talking about men. You in specific.”

Julie raised an eyebrow at him. “Stories of your childhood. How you used to torment your sister.”

He placed his hand on his heart and sat down at the table. “Me?”

“He was awful. Just awful,” his grandmother said. “But just when I thought they’d be enemies forever, they’d crawl under the table and he’d read to her.”

“Shel Silverstein,” he whispered. “I remember that.”

“The poems, yes.” His grandmother’s forehead wrinkled. “Wish I remembered where those books got to.”

“I have a set I can bring you,” Julie said.

“Oh, no, dear. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering.”

His grandmother lightly patted Julie’s arm. “You’re such a fine lady. Now, Daniel, you treat her right.”

“He does, Mrs. Covington, I promise.” Julie’s face was the tiniest bit flushed. Her breathing just a bit hitched.

“He better. You let me know if he doesn’t.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Julie said, and then turned the conversation to the upcoming spring season, suggesting a few flowers she thought would work well in a patio garden.

While she talked about it, Daniel had the most vivid picture of Julie working in his garden naked. He decided he was particularly ready for spring to come as well.

? ? ?

“The next group meeting is the weekend after next,” he said hours later, when they were back at his house, lounging on the couch. “Will you go with me?”

“Can I wear a red bracelet?”

His heart threatened to beat out of his chest in happiness. He’d wondered if she would want to turn in her white for red, but thought it best it was her idea. He circled her wrist with his fingers. “If you show up with me, wearing a red bracelet, everyone will assume you’re my submissive. Will that bother you?”

She leaned back and he could tell she was thinking through her response. He was glad she took time to ensure her answer was honest and didn’t spout off what she thought he wanted to hear.

“No, it won’t bother me,” she finally said. “I’m realizing I am a submissive, so it makes sense I’d wear red. And I’m not interested in being with anyone other than you, so I don’t mind if people assume I’m yours.”

His Julie, his grandmother’s words came back to him. But now he added his own: his kitten. “I do enjoy your rational side.”

Her eyes grew dark. “I’m sure if given enough time, you’d enjoy all my sides.”

“Trust me,” he whispered. “I plan to.”

She sank deeper into his arms. “Can I think out loud for a bit?”

“Of course.”

“Sasha said she thinks Peter wants to collar her. I guess I’m just worried for some reason. She’s never had a collar before.”

He ran a finger along her neck, unable to stop himself from picturing her wearing his collar. “For me, it signifies the bond between Dominant and submissive. When I have a collared submissive, it represents my commitment to her, and hers to me. I would hope it holds the same meaning for Peter and Sasha.”

She was silent. He imagined she was thinking about Sasha. As far as he knew, Peter had never collared anyone before. His own thoughts were so focused on Peter and Sasha, her next question surprised him.

“How many submissives have you collared?”

His finger dropped from her neck. “Three.”

“Is that a lot?”

“I was too young when I collared the first. Didn’t know enough to know what I didn’t know. I waited a few years before the second. We were together the longest, but she moved away. Job promotion.” He paused, remembering her words that she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It wasn’t until later he realized it was for the best. “The third wanted something more permanent than I was willing to offer. We went our separate ways two years ago.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a yes or no to my question.”

“I’m not sure there is a yes or no to your question.” He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. “Some Doms have more, some less. Some have more than one.”

“Would you? Have more than one?”

“No.” He gave her hair a tug. “That wouldn’t work for me. When a submissive wears my collar, I want all my attention and care dedicated to her. I’ve never been one to share my affections.”

“Yet you haven’t collared anyone in two years.”

He had not. He hadn’t found anyone he wanted to collar. Not from lack of offers. Several submissives in the group had subtly expressed their interest. His response had always been a kind but firm no.

That was all before Julie, though.

“No, not in two years,” he said. “To echo what a smart woman told me earlier, perhaps I’ve just been waiting for the right person.”