His Pleasures and Pain (Book II) (Allen Trilogy 2)

by Chevelle Allen

  He knew this game, but hadn’t played it in a very long time. The only question was how far was she willing to take it. How rough did she want to get with him? He walked towards her as she continued backing away. The look on her face was intense while simultaneously alluring and inviting. Moving towards her she dashed up the stairway. He wasn’t about to run after her, but he would stalk her. He suspected she’d be waiting for him at the top of the steps, or hiding in one of the bedrooms.

  Stealthily ascending, it was fairly dark with the only illumination coming from below stairs. Letting his eyes adjust, he quietly moved from room to room but there was no sign of her. He stood for a moment, listening when he heard a subtle creak of a door. Making his way to the end of the hall, he entered the room standing motionless near the doorway. She came towards him but he caught her arm as she swung. He grabbed her tightly, trapping her arms and lifting her off her feet. Carrying her to the bed, he threw her down and immediately climbed on top of her.

  Holding her down she squirmed and playfully fought him. Using the whole of his weight, he pressed into her taking her wrists and pinning them over her head. She was vigorous and strong. He had to think quickly how best to contain her. The only items immediately at his disposal were the bed linen, the clothes he wore and the camisole still clinging to her rib cage.

  He roughly slid the camisole up so that it covered her eyes, and restricted her shoulders. Using the straps, he overlapped them in such as way any movement in her arms became uncomfortable. He reached for the lamp on the nightstand and turned on the light. As awkward as it all was, he had secured her well.

  He then leaned over her saying, “Now what am I going to do with you?”

  “You want it. You’re going to have to take it,” she dared.

  “I’ll only take what you give me. Now spread your fucking legs, Baby.”

  Grinning mischievously, she lay still before raising her knees and slowly opening them. In that instant he knew—even if she didn’t—everything their relationship had become was about to go even further.

  CHAPTER 39

  It had been a three days since he heard from Narissa. He’d left her a message, but she didn’t return his call. Her behavior was perplexing given what happened between them. When he left her later the next morning, she seemed content. He couldn’t begin to fathom what was going on with her. Rather than give it too much thought, he went about his business completing briefs and placing calls to clients. He knew she’d reach out when she had time or was ready. Well into his rhythm, he was interrupted by an intercom from Ricardo.

  “Michael, Narissa McCall is here to see you. Should I bring her back?”

  She’d been to his office before, but he wasn’t expecting her to just pop in. “I’ll come get her.”

  He walked to the lobby where she was talking casually with Ricardo.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi. I know I should have called first, but I was nearby and thought you might be available for lunch.”

  “Come on back.” Placing his hand in the small of her back, he led her down the hall to his office closing the door behind him. “What’s going on?”

  “Let’s talk over lunch.”

  He sat on the edge of his desk facing her. “I can’t. I’ve got a client coming in less than an hour.”

  “Oh. Well, maybe later.” She seemed antsy and far less confident than he’d ever seen her.

  “What’s going on, Narissa?”

  “I feel like I owe you an apology.”

  “For what?”

  “For not returning your call. I just…”

  “You don’t owe me anything. You call me when you want. Simple.”

  “That’s just it. I wanted to call, but I’m feeling…I don’t know…a little embarrassed after what happened between us.” Maintaining eye contact with him was clearly difficult. “I had too much beer.”

  “What?”

  “I drank too much.”

  “So you’re suggesting I took advantage of you?” He knew better, but he needed her to understand the ramifications of what she was saying.

  “Oh God no!! That’s not it all! It was…oh my God it was fire with you!”

  “Then don’t blame it on the beer. You knew exactly what you were doing and what you wanted. So did I.”

  “I’m not usually not like. I can only imagine what you think of me now.”

  He came in close taking her hands and looking into her eyes. “I think you’re beautiful, and smart.” He kissed her lightly adding, “And a sexy little freak. I’m good with all of it.”

  She drew back smiling coquettishly. “I hate that word.”

  “Then I might have another one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Come over tonight. I’ll cook for you and we can talk.”

  “Just talk?”

  “We’ll see how you behave. But if you scratch me like that again, I’ll tear your ass up,” he teased.

  She hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss. “I’d better go.”

  He opened the door leading her out. “You’ve got the address, right?”

  “Yeah. What time should I come by?”

  “Is six-thirty too early?”

  “No, I’ll come over when I leave the office.”

  “Okay. See you then.”

  She looked relieved as the warm smile he’d come to appreciate spread across her lovely face.

  By the time he got home, it was already after six. He only had a few minutes to change into sweats and a tee. Rummaging through the refrigerator, he had a few flounder filets and frozen vegetables. He set the fish in a pan to thaw in water, before checking his wine selections. He greeted her in the hall when Mr. Willis buzzed informing him she was on her way up. She was carrying a grocery bag along with a large shoulder bag. As she reached the door, he kissed her on the cheek.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi! Nice building.” She handed him the grocery bag as she entered the condo. “I picked up some cheesecake with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce for dessert.”

  “Thanks.” He slipped the items in the refrigerator.

  “You’re welcome. “

  “You can set your bag on the side table or in the closet.”

  She dropped it on the floor instead and walked over to the expansive living room windows. “This place is fabulous. How long have you lived here?”

  “A little over three years.”

  “Do you mind if I look around?”

  He’d never had a woman ask before. Usually they just wandered around without permission. On more than one occasion, he stopped women in their tracks trying to venture too far in his home or opening cabinets. That annoying habit was part of the reason he kept his bedroom door closed whenever he had female company. In the case of Narissa, he figured turn about was fair play since he’d seen every room of her townhouse during their recent escapade.

  “I’ll be happy to show you around. But first, would you like some wine or a beer?” he asked.

  “Do you have any white wine?”

  “Yep.” He poured her a glass and brought it to her as she stared out the window. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck.

  “So what have you cooked for me?”

  “I was just mixing the filling for the stuffed flounder when you came up. I need to finish up.”

  “Ooh, that sounds nice. Need help?”

  “Sure. Grab a couple of baking potatoes and rinse them off. The plates are over there. I’ll microwave them later. The rest is fairly simple.”

  She did as he asked and set the plate in the microwave. Kicking off her shoes, she sat down at the counter sipping her wine. He worked effortlessly and put the flounder on low broil in the oven.

  “Do I get my tour now?”

  “Why so curious?”

  “For one, this place is damn near spotless. Do you have maid service or something?”

  He chuckled, “No. It’s just me. Keeping it clean isn’t hard.”<
br />
  “Then I must be doing something wrong,” she giggled.

  He didn’t think her home was unclean, but definitely untidy. She also had more clothes and shoes than he’d ever seen. Her clothes were strewn on the back of chairs or stacked in her spare bedroom. Shoes were everywhere, some still in boxes. He hadn’t been with her long enough to determine if she never got rid of anything or if she was a shopaholic. One thing was certain, he’d never seen her in the same outfit.

  He took her hand and led her down the hall to the office. He flipped on the light.

  “My office.”

  He watched as she looked up and down the shelves looking at his titles. Retrieving a few, she read the covers before carefully replacing them. Running her fingers across his desk she said, “Ridiculous. Not even a speck of dust. I should have known you were a neat freak.”

  Smirking he said, “You say freak like it’s a bad thing.”

  “You’re funny.”

  She peeked into the bathroom nodding and giggling. She turned back to him before looking at the closed door in front of her.

  He opened the door and said, “After you.”

  She walked in and stood for a moment. “This is beautiful. Let me guess. Custom furniture?”

  “Yes.” He was curious which object would draw her attention. She walked to the dresser apparently taken with the cedar box with his initials.

  “Cufflinks and watches, right?”

  “Right.”

  “May I open it?”

  “Be my guest.”

  Delicately lifting the lid, she admired the array of cufflinks and watches inside the satin lined box.

  “Is that watch what I think it is?”

  “It was a gift from my parents when I graduated law school.”

  “That’s some gift. Those things are over ten grand.”

  Choosing to let the comment go, there was no need to confirm her assertion. Given the clients he worked with most often, he rarely wore it anyway.

  “You have a lot of cufflinks. They’re nice.” She pulled a pair out and placed them in her palm. “These are stunning and very unique. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before. Is this a Celtic symbol?”

  The pair she selected were those given to him by Mistress Spectra. “It’s based on an ancient Triskele symbol, but not Celtic per se.”

  “Then what is it?”

  He took them from her and placed them back in the box. “A gift from an old friend.”

  “An ex?”

  He chuckled. “No.”

  She studied him for a moment before turning her attention to the cross in the corner. “What in the world is that? Gym equipment?”

  He took a deep breath knowing this conversation was inevitable and said, “It’s a St. Andrew’s Cross.”

  She walked towards it clearly letting what he said sink in. She lowered her head and asked softly, “Is this a torture device?”

  He came to her side saying, “It’s a pleasure device.”

  Her breath quickened as her nervousness mounted and she rushed out of the room. He followed her out giving her plenty of space physically and emotionally to process what he shared with her. She grabbed her wine glass from the counter and sat on the sofa. He sat quietly at the kitchen counter stool waiting for her to speak. But she didn’t.

  Aromas from the flounder and vegetables wafted throughout the living area. He took them from the oven and placed them on warmers on the counter.

  “Narissa, are you okay?”

  “No.”

  He took a deep breath and asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “You have that fucking thing in your bedroom! God knows what else is in there.”

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of. They’re basically elaborate sex toys for a very specific kind of enjoyment.”

  “I knew you were too good to be true!”

  Her reaction wasn’t that unusual but he was disappointed nonetheless. He got up and sat beside her but she scooted away from him.

  “Listen, we should be able to talk about this,” he said.

  “I don’t even know what to say.”

  “Tell me what scares you about it.”

  She looked up at him with a mix of disbelief and trepidation. “I can’t even wrap my head around you being into…that.”

  “BDSM?”

  “Yes!”

  “Why? What we did was as close as it gets.”

  “No it wasn’t!”

  “Yes it was. You like to be taken and tied up. You like it rough and you get off giving pain. I have the scratches to prove it.”

  “That’s different, Michael.”

  “Not really. The biggest difference is I know what I’m doing…how much pain to deliver and where. There are a lot of other ways to please you that don’t involve pain.”

  “Then you’ve been playing me. Setting me up?”

  He took her hands into his and kissed them. “What have I done that leads you to believe you can’t trust me?”

  Looking at him she quietly said, “Why didn’t you tell me this when we met?”

  “I don’t recall you saying anything specific about how you enjoy sex.”

  “So why are you sharing this now?”

  “Because we’ve crossed that line and I enjoy being with you. This is a part of who I am and I want to share it with you. If you can’t do that, then we can go our separate ways if that’s what you want.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “No. I want to see how far our relationship goes. All of it, not just sex.”

  She gazed into his eyes seeking more illumination. The tension that built between them was slowly ebbing away. She came in close hugging him tightly. He returned it with all the affection he had for her.

  “Let’s eat and if you want, I can show you what else is back there. No secrets, nothing to hide. Okay?”

  “You sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then tell me about the cufflinks.”

  “They were a gift from a BDSM mentor. Some practitioners wear the symbol to identify one another.”

  “Someone taught you how to do this?”

  “Parts of it, yes. She’s a very skilled Dom.”

  “She? So you’re her Sub—that’s the word for it, right?”

  He grinned devilishly saying, “No, I’m a Dom. My rules, your power.”

  He could tell she was becoming aroused as her curiosity piqued.

  “My power?”

  “My rules.” Pressing against her so she lay back onto the sofa, he raised her leg over his shoulder. While nibbling at her breasts and between her legs he said, “If you agree, among other things you’ll be my Sub.”

  “Oh. And what would you do to me?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  CHAPTER 40

  In the year following his revelation, Narissa proved a vibrant and adventurous lover. She was curious about and willing to try everything. Even when her limits were reached, she’d come back to him wanting to test them again, just to be certain. Much to his surprise, she began purchasing devices she kept at her home. When he visited, she’d bring out some new toy placing it in his lap as a signal to play. She knew exactly how most of them were used. Others less so, but she was eager to discover the possibilities. Scouring the Internet finding scenes and activities she wanted to try, she shared them with him freely.

  But she was also stubborn. It took considerable effort getting her to perform submissive postures. As punishment, he’d deny her requests to play for failing to follow his rules. Other times he’d indulge her, taking her to the edge of pleasure and stopping until she did as expected. Despite the occasional annoyance, their relationship was everything he hoped it’d be.

  Outside of their play, he found their lovemaking serene and deeply fulfilling. He loved her mind, humor and damn near everything about her. He found himself looking forward to being with her whenever the opportunity arose. He began attending various functions with her. Yet spe
nding quiet weekends stretched out on either’s couch watching TV, sharing a newspaper or just talking about random things was what he enjoyed most.

  It was late in the evening. Her legs rested across his lap while he gently stroked them and read.

  “You want something else to eat? Some wine?”

  “No, thank you. But I do want to go out,” she said.

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied sheepishly.

  The look on her face said otherwise. “Sure you do. What are you up for?”

  “Will you take me there?”

  He knew exactly what she meant. He’d been to the club several times since they became intimate. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

  “Yes. I want to see what it’s like. I want to meet her.”

  He’d never taken a woman he seriously dated to Club Spectra. The thought of it left him a bit uncomfortable and he wasn’t entirely sure why. Perhaps it was because what happened there could be far more extreme than he thought they could handle. Or perhaps he felt he’d be more exposed. He wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t find a logical reason to deny her request. Narissa had come a long way from her initial fear. The part of her she felt most shameful about had been unleashed. She was coming to peace with and fully embracing her sexual self.

  “Okay.”

  “Great!” She got up and turned back to him asking, “Is there anything in particular I should wear?”

  “No. Whatever you want is fine. But you do need to wear your necklace or a collar.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re mine. And you’ll be expected to behave that way.”

  She looked at him for a moment smiling devilishly before responding, “Yes, Sir.” She dashed upstairs returning about thirty minutes later.