Learning to Love & Submit

by Eileen Green

  “If you feel something out of place, or strange, don’t hesitate to say anything. That will be one way to earn a punishment.”

  Surprise struck her. “What do you mean? If I’m in danger, I’ll get disciplined?”

  “No, little one. Not if you are in danger. If you are in danger and don’t say anything about it, or if you put yourself in a dangerous situation, then you would be punished.” When her mouth wouldn’t shut as he explained himself, he must have realized he had possibly scared her, for he added, “The same would go for Gerard also. That’s why I don’t like you driving at night with strangers. You never know when you’ll find yourself in a bad situation. I want you to be safe and sound.”

  It was logical thinking, but then again, no matter how careful someone tried to be, something unexpected could happen at any time. Carrie knew that. She heard it from patients all the time.

  Parents were supposed to take care of their kids, but that wasn’t always the case. There were too many variables in life that made it unsafe. Life itself was unsure, and unsafe.

  However, she did understand Thomas’s reasoning, as a Dom. She had read that Doms and Dommes took responsibility for their subs, most of them seriously. Yes, there were some out there who said they were Doms to be abusive and take advantage of people. She had assurance from Mistress Eliza that Thomas was a good man and that she trusted him.

  Carrie had a standing phone call with the lady every day. Mistress Eliza had taken Carrie under her wing which gave Carrie comfort knowing someone was looking out for her. Carrie was to ask the woman any questions that may have come up during the day regarding the lifestyle, or concerns. She was to give a small report about her day as if Mistress Eliza was her Domme for the time being.

  Mistress Eliza had told Carrie that once Thomas asked to collar Carrie, then she would step aside although she would always be available to talk to or give advice. The woman took her responsibility as a teacher as seriously as she did being a Domme.

  Thomas worked his way through the apartment, checking the windows along with the sliding glass door to the patio to make sure they were all locked. Once he was happy with her safety, he held Carrie in his arms and kissed her gently. When he pulled back, he looked down at her.

  “Make sure when your roommate comes home you double-check the lock. I want you safe.” He kissed her forehead. “Make sure you text me in the morning.”

  Evie, Carrie’s roommate, had a class on Monday nights. She was studying to be an engineer. She wouldn’t be home until around ten, and that was if she didn’t meet up with friends after class.

  Carrie made sure to have her phone charging while she slept so if she needed it during the night, it would be ready. She took a shower and readied herself for bed, and then read while she waited for Evie to arrive home. Once her friend was home, Carrie did as Thomas had instructed, double-checked the lock, and then went to bed. She wasn’t going to take any chances.

  * * * *

  Gerard was shocked to hear Thomas’s revelation of Carrie’s feeling of being watched. The last thing he had wanted to hear was that his woman could be in trouble. There had been too many situations of women being in danger lately, and he definitely didn’t want Carrie to be one of them.

  “I don’t understand why I’m here,” he said to his boss, Shane, at the weekly meeting the next morning.

  Every Tuesday, Shane held a meeting with all the supervisors on staff to keep up with all the projects on the table. Gerard wasn’t a supervisor, so why had he been called in?

  The two men stood off in a corner of the conference room near the windows as the others helped themselves to coffee and donuts.

  “Technically, there isn’t a supervisor at the Tiger’s Lair. Thomas isn’t an employee of ours, but you report to him because he holds his title there. That changes today.” Shane looked at him with a smile. “You have had a couple of small errors that you have had to make up for, but you have proved yourself to me. I am promoting you to supervisor of the Tiger’s Lair team as of today.”

  It didn’t make sense. Gerard had screwed up and didn’t deserve this. But he knew why it was happening. “Thomas asked you to do this, didn’t he?”

  Shane Owens was a big man. He stood at least a couple inches taller than Gerard, but he had huge shoulders and was someone Gerard wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Gerard did fear his boss.

  Watching the smile disappear from the man’s face and a look of disbelief replace it was disconcerting. He might as well have just called Shane a liar.

  “You going to make me regret this?” Shane asked, his voice a mere whisper. “Do you really think I would do this because someone asked me to?”

  Geez! How many times was he going to screw up?

  “Thomas, Alex, all the others are my friends. We’ve been to hell and back, multiple times, and I would gladly bend over backwards to help them out if they need it. But they don’t dictate to me what I do with my company, or my men. Don’t mess this up, Gerard.”

  “I’m sorry. Sometimes I feel so unsure of myself, and I don’t know why.” Gerard’s voice cracked as he tried to hold his emotions in check.

  “You have friends who care about you. You have a man and a woman who most likely love you. You need to learn to accept what everyone is giving you with an open heart and open mind. You must learn to trust. Otherwise, you will never learn to accept yourself. There is an opportunity here, Gerard. I would advise you to take it and run.”

  God, I am such a fool!

  “I’m sorry. Things don’t usually fall into place for me, sir,” Gerard admitted.

  “Well, you are a good worker. You’re passionate in what you care about, and who you care about. You just can’t make rash decisions anymore, especially since you will oversee people.” Shane patted Gerard on the shoulder.

  “Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

  “Good. Now, how’s everything going with Thomas and Carrie?”

  That was a quick turnaround.

  “It’s going good. Still getting to know each other, you know how it is.”

  “How are you and Carrie settling into the whole having a Dom thing? I know neither of you have had a Dom before.” Shane wasn’t just a caring employer. He was a caring friend, and a caring Dom.

  Gerard sighed. He didn’t want to give too much information. “It’s taking some getting used to. Neither one of us are used to checking in all the time. We’re not into protocols just yet because Thomas wants to work up to it with Carrie.”

  “Sometimes you just have to throw a new sub into it,” Shane said with a smile. “But that’s up to Thomas.

  “He has already threatened to punish her,” Gerard said proudly.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Carrie said she felt like someone had been watching her last night, but it was after the fact. Thomas told her if she ever felt like that again, she needed to tell him right away. Otherwise, she was putting herself in danger, and that would deserve a punishment. He also doesn’t like what she does on the sideline for extra money.”

  “I heard she’s a ride-share driver. Could be dangerous work for a woman alone at night. I don’t blame Thomas for worrying.”

  Shane was a Seal through and through, and that made him good at security too. Gerard had seen the man in action, and he knew if he was in trouble, he’d want the man in his corner.

  “She’s trying to pay off her student loans as quickly as possible so she can have a future without them hanging over her head. She wants security because she hasn’t had any in her life before now.” Gerard wasn’t sure how much Shane knew about Carrie, but he didn’t think Carrie would mind Shane knowing now. “We offered to help pay off the loans, but you know how women can be.”

  Shane nodded. “I do. I don’t know why all the women we get involved with are so stubborn.”

  “I wouldn’t call it stubborn as much as I would say determined to be independent. At least they are strong women.”

  Dash stepped up to t
hem slowly. “Sorry to interrupt. We need to get started so we’re on time for the other meeting.”

  “Of course,” Shane said as he gave a nod to Gerard. “Welcome to the team.”

  “Thank you, again.”

  Everyone took their places, and Gerard began the next phase of his career.

  * * * *

  Carrie’s last patient had left, and she was entering her notes into their file when she heard the front door open and Gina say in a breathy voice, “Hello. How can I help you?”

  “Hi. I’m here to see Carrie home.” Thomas.

  “Oh, okay.” Gina sounded confused but enamored. “Were you the one who sent the roses?”

  “Gina!” Carrie called out in embarrassment as she closed her laptop hastily and stood. “I’ll be right there.”

  She pulled the curtains closed on her window, grabbed her purse from the locked drawer of her desk, and then put her laptop in said drawer, made sure the drawer was locked again, and headed out to the lobby. Gina was sitting at her desk looking up at Thomas with dreamy eyes.

  Thomas was standing near the table that held the small fountain that was supposed to be soothing to the patients. He was looking at the picture that hung above it, a tranquil picture of a meadow with a stream rolling through it, his hands in the front pockets of his black jeans. He wore a black leather jacket and a pair of black motorcycle boots.

  There were going to be questions. Lots of questions by Gina. Hopefully, Carrie would be able to avoid them while Thomas was in the office.

  “Hi there,” Carrie said as she stepped up behind Thomas. “What are you doing here?”

  Thomas turned, a brilliant smile on his face. “Hi, yourself,” he said before he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

  It felt good after a long day of work to be held by Thomas. She wished Gerard was there also, but that would send Gina into a tailspin.

  The hug was brief. “How was your day?” he asked as he took her hand.

  “It was good. How was yours?”

  “It’s so much better now that I have you in my arms.”

  Gina cleared her throat, drawing both Carrie and Thomas’s attention. Her face was flushed as she continued to look at Thomas with anticipation.

  Carrie couldn’t help the smile on her face. “Gina, this is Thomas, my new friend. Thomas, this is Gina.”

  Thomas stepped towards the receptionist desk and extended his hand. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

  Gina kept smiling up at Thomas as she shook his hand. “Um, nice to meet you, too.”

  Thomas pulled his hand back and then turned back to Carrie. “I’m going to follow you home, and then we’ll go to dinner. We have something to celebrate.”

  “Oh?” she asked, curiosity blossoming in her. When he just stood there, Carrie turned to Gina. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Thomas opened the door and let Carrie step through into the dark December evening. Once the door was closed behind them, Carrie asked, “Does this include Gerard?”

  “Yes. It does. He’s going to meet us at my place. I’d like to take you by your place, and have you grab some clothes for a few days, and then we’ll be on our way.”

  She stopped in her tracks. “That’s pretty presumptuous.”

  Since Thomas was holding her hand, he stopped when their arms stretched out between them. He turned, his smile dropping quickly. “I’m sorry. It is. I want us to spend as much time as possible together, especially since our hours don’t mesh. I also want to make sure you’re safe.”

  “I know that you’re the big bad Dom, but a girl would still like to be asked,” she pointed out.

  Thomas gathered her in his arms again. “I will remember that, little one. However, I want you to remember that I’m not trying to be bossy, but to help make your life more fulfilling and happier. Your safety is important to me. You’re important to me. You have wormed your way into my heart, and I want you with me as much as possible.”

  His heart was strong in his chest against her ear, his voice rumbling there also. She liked being held by Thomas. He was warm and strong. A flash of heat shot through her as she remembered what he looked like without his clothes on, his muscular body a sight to behold.

  “I forgive you this time,” Carrie murmured.

  “I promise to be more gentlemanly, in a Dom way, of course,” he said as he gave her one last squeeze before he released her. “Now, let’s get going. I can’t wait to show you my house, and the dungeon.”

  “Okay.” She didn’t know what to say to that last part, so she just went with it.

  They walked to her car where, after she unlocked the door, she got in and started her up. Once Thomas was in his car, she pulled in behind him, and they drove to her apartment. She gathered enough clothes for a week and then followed him to his house.

  He lived nearly an hour away from downtown Denver in a nice neighborhood of new homes. A giggle escaped her at the thought of his neighbors not knowing he had a dungeon inside this normal-looking house.

  The front door opened as they made their way up the walk and Gerard appeared. He was wearing black slacks along with a dove-gray button-up shirt. He was quite handsome.

  Thomas and Carrie stepped into the foyer before Gerard gathered her into a bear hug. She heard the front door close before Thomas stepped up behind her, and the three became one, a place Carrie was really liking to find herself.

  After a minute or so, Thomas released her and Gerard and stepped back. “Let’s give you a tour, and then eat,” he said, his voice echoing in the foyer.

  Carrie pulled away from Gerard and took Thomas’s hand as he began to move towards the living room. “I’ve already given Gerard the tour, so he’s going to finish cooking while I show you around.”

  Amazement filled Carrie as they moved from room to room. She had never had friends, so she had never seen a house as big as Thomas’s. The master bedroom and two others were on the first floor along with an office, a formal dining area, the kitchen, and the living room.

  The master bedroom took up one side of the house with two walk-in closets and a huge bathroom. Sliding glass doors led out onto the terrace that ran along the back side of the house overlooking the city. His house was on a hill.

  The downstairs consisted of a recreational area, with a billiards table, a poker table, and a large seating area for company. Two small rooms and a media room were down there also. There was another area, but Thomas said that was for later, giving Carrie the assumption that it was the dungeon.

  Once they returned upstairs, the three of them ate, talking about their days. Gerard had gotten a promotion which was great news, and they celebrated with warm brownies he had baked with vanilla ice cream since Carrie didn’t drink. When dinner was over, they relaxed for a bit in the living room, watching a comedy on TV. Thomas turned off the set after it was over, and she and Gerard followed him down to the lower level and waited in front of one of the doors they had been denied entry to before.

  “This area is for our play time, or for discipline if needed. If at any time I instruct you to come down to the dungeon, you are to remove your clothes and place them on the chair here before you go in. It is a sacred area for us, one where you will follow instructions promptly. Your safe words are ‘red’ for stop, ‘yellow’ to slow down, and ‘green’ for all is good. I am a Dom in the dungeon, and in certain circumstances elsewhere, but I am not one 24/7.

  “I am to be called Sir in the dungeon, the club, and the bedroom. In public, you can call me by my name, or if you have a cute nickname for me. Sometimes, we may have friends that come over and use the dungeon, but it is very seldom. It will be up to them whether or not they want company inside. Now, let me show you our playroom.” Thomas opened the door and motioned for her and Gerard to enter.

  Gerard let her go in first. She managed to get a few feet inside the door before she stopped and took in the large rectangular room. Gerard bumped into her as he too came to a stop. Speechless, Carrie was amazed
that anyone would have all the paraphernalia in their house.

  Then, a giggle escaped before she blurted out, “God, I hope there is never an emergency here. The police would think you’re holding hostages!”

  Chapter Eleven

  Butterflies bounced wildly around in Gerard’s stomach as he realized what Thomas was offering Carrie and himself. He didn’t think she saw it yet, but a man didn’t bring just anyone to his private dungeon, did he? Then, Gerard did think about how many people Thomas had down here before them.

  “I don’t play around, so no one has seen this space, at least not to play,” Thomas said, giving Gerard peace of mind. “I’ve only lived here for about six months.”

  Turning to look at Thomas, Gerard felt at home. This was where he wanted to be, now and forever with the man he knew he loved, and with the woman he was falling in love with. A glance at Carrie showed him that she felt the same way. Gerard’s heart blossomed.

  Silently, Gerard began to undress, his head bowed. He was quite aware of Thomas’s eyes on him along with Carrie’s, who was looking on more with interest than surprise. When he had his clothes off, he walked over to a table that sat right next to the door. He folded his clothes and then placed them on the table before moving to stand about five feet in front of Thomas. With as much grace as he had in his body, he knelt before the man he hoped would not only collar him but take him on as a husband.

  He kept his head lowered, but he heard clothing rustling. He turned his head to see Carrie unbuttoning her pale pink blouse. She stopped when Thomas barked, “Back in position, boy!”

  Gerard bowed his head again, making sure his back was straight.

  “Go ahead and continue, little one,” Thomas instructed.

  There was a moment of silence before he heard Carrie continue to undress. He heard her moving around, and then from his peripheral vision he could see her awkwardly kneeling beside him.

  It took her a moment to balance herself and then get her body straight. When she placed her palms down on her thighs, Gerard cleared his throat, moved his hands to indicate palms up. She quickly switched her hands’ positions, so she followed his lead.