Her Dom (Dominic Powers #1)

by A. D. Justice

  The thought on repeat in my mind is, When do I tell her?

  Chapter Seventeen

  We’re both quiet as I drive us to my house that is as far away from the crowded Dallas suburbs as I could find but still within a reasonable distance to my office. Sophia picks up my free hand and examines my knuckles. They’re an angry shade of red and slightly swollen from pounding Harrison into the ground. She gently strokes my hand with hers, careful to not further aggravate the slight injuries I sustained from his face repeatedly slamming into my fist.

  She examines my hand thoroughly, moving it gingerly as if she thinks she can hurt me. I can’t help but smile at her as she bites her lip at the corner of her mouth, furrows her brow, and genuinely looks concerned for my wellbeing.

  “Does it hurt?” her small voice breaks the silence.

  “No, just a little sore but nothing major,” I reply and wrap my hand around hers to show her that I’m fine.

  “You were so fast. One second, you were walking off to get the car and the next second you had him on the ground. I don’t even know how you moved that fast,” the awe and shock is thick in her voice.

  “To tell you the truth, I don’t remember how that happened, either. I guess the old adage of ‘seeing red’ and not remembering anything after that is true,” I shrug with my reply. I don’t want to get into the details of this in the car. There’s no good place to do it, but there are bad places to discuss it. In the car, while I’m driving at night, is one of those bad places.

  “Have you ever done that before?” she asks, and I hear the trepidation in her voice. I know now where her mind automatically went.

  “No, Sophia, I haven’t. You never have to worry about that with me. Ever,” I promise her again. Seeing me in that fit of rage must have scared her and brought back that seed of doubt. That actually makes my plan for tonight even more important to carry out. I have to prove to her that she can trust me, regardless of the circumstances.

  Harrison deserved what he got and more. I would still be there pounding the shit out of his face if they hadn’t stopped me.

  Sophia is quiet—too quiet. She’s now gnawing on her thumbnail and staring out the side window. In deep thought, she has mentally left me here in the car while she’s off reliving some terrible situation. I gently squeeze her hand and bring it over to my lap, resting it on my leg. This gets her attention and her eyes drift to meet mine. She stops chewing on her nail, finally conscious of her nervousness, and drops her hand.

  “Do you trust me, Sophia?” I say, knowing that we’re now within a couple of minutes of my house. “Or did my outburst back there make you doubt me again?”

  Her eyes soften as she tilts her head, “I don’t doubt you, Dom. Of course I still trust you.”

  “Good. We’re about to pull into my driveway. This is another big step for us, Sophia. You’re ready for this and I’m ready for this, but we have to be together in your mind, too,” I begin.

  “Together?” she asks for clarification.

  “On the same page, love. You need to know that there is nothing I will do to you that you won’t enjoy or that you don’t want me to do,” I explain. “You can’t doubt that.”

  She nods and shifts in her seat to face me just as I turn onto my street. My house is at the end of a cul-de-sac, set on a sprawling estate with no close neighbors. “I don’t doubt anything about you, Dom. I promise,” she replies so sweetly.

  We approach the gated entrance to my driveway and she glances over her shoulder when she feels the car slowing. Seeing the wide, brick gates on either side of my driveway, coupled with the tall brick fence and lantern posts that line my yard along the front, her jaw drops open and her eyes fly open wide. “Where are we?” she gasps.

  “Home,” I reply nonchalantly.

  “This is where you live?” she asks, looking around even though there’s really nothing to see here except the landscaping beds my gardener created.

  Continuing slowly down my driveway, she’s still trying hard to see even though it’s pitch black outside. My headlights are the only illumination until we round the curve and my house comes into view. The landscaping spotlights are lit up, showcasing various aspects the house. It’s a fairly large house, considering only my house staff and I live here, but it gives me the space I need for the playroom, my office, overnight guests, parties, and anything else I could possibly need.

  Stopping in the circular drive in the front of the house, one of my staff, Lewis, meets us at the car to open the door for Sophia. Lewis then takes the car to park it in the garage as I escort Sophia inside. She’s awestruck as we enter the front door. Walking slowly, she’s trying to absorb every detail. Instantly remembering the apartment she lived in when I first met her, I feel a twinge of humility at how blatantly I’ve taken this house and its luxuries for granted.

  “This is your house?” she asks disbelievingly.

  At first, I’m almost embarrassed at her reaction, but I know how hard I’ve worked at building my company. Just getting it off the ground was a major ordeal in itself. I’ve worked long, hard hours to achieve my success and I’m not ashamed of that at all. There were days, and long nights, that I questioned whether this was the right business for me to go into. The software giants just kept growing exponentially while I struggled to make ends meet. When I developed my current bestselling software, then customized it for commercial use, I knew I’d found my niche. It took a lot of my own blood, sweat, and tears to get here, but I’m here and I’m damn proud of the company I’ve built from nothing.

  “This is home,” I reply and look at our surroundings, trying to see it through her eyes.

  The mixture of light and dark wood in the flooring gives it a warm ambiance as we enter the wide, open foyer. Rather than take her on a tour, like a tour guide, I decide to tell her where everything is located. Then, she can take her time exploring and getting used to where everything is so that she won’t feel as much like a guest when she’s here. I want her to be comfortable and love it here as much as I do.

  “Directly ahead to the left are the stairs that lead upstairs to all of the bedrooms. The first floor has a media room, a formal living room, a formal dining room, a library, my office, and the kitchen. Off the back of the kitchen is the patio area with a full outdoor kitchen and lighted, heated pool and hot tub combination. Just before you reach the kitchen, there’s a door that leads downstairs to Tucker’s apartment.

  “The upstairs bedrooms are all master bedroom suites. Each bedroom has its own separate sitting area and full bath, complete with a garden tub and walk-in tiled shower. The upstairs patio extends the full length of the house and every bedroom has double French doors to access it. They all overlook the pool area that is lit up at night and the fountains jet streams of water in a choreographed pattern.

  “The room at the end of the hall is the playroom. I designed the layout and have everything in there that we could possibly need.”

  Taking a step closer to her, I thread my fingers through her hair and lightly tug from behind, pulling her head back and exposing her neck to me. Leaning down, I lick and nip on the sensitive area below her ear. She plays with my hair at the base of my neck, lightly stroking as she purrs with pleasure. As I reach her ear, I take her earlobe between my teeth and cold chills flash down her arm.

  I murmur in her ear, “Take some time, look around the house, and make yourself at home. There’s nothing I have that is off limits to you—feel free to look in every crack and crevice. The staff quarters are not in the main house and they’re all finished for the evening. Some of your clothes have already been brought over, along with your car.”

  She smiles like I’ve just given her the keys to the kingdom and excitedly hurries off to explore. Funny, I feel much the same way since I know what tonight holds for us. I’m anxious to get started but I won’t rush her. Once she’s finished her exploration of the house, she will find her way to the playroom when she’s ready. That’s the room I will be waiting
in, with the scene set up with nothing but her pleasure in mind.

  As I climb the stairs, I hear her on the first floor opening and closing doors, pulling open drawers, and making little squealing sounds as she finds something she likes. It makes me smile and makes me want to give her so much more. She never asks for anything, tries to avoid taking anything, and profusely thanks me for anything I do for her. Tonight, she will beg me to do more, but for very different reasons.

  The playroom is the same size as the rest of the bedrooms, but its contents are much different. I tend to go for originality rather than conformity, so the theme of my room is not like a basement dungeon at all. I prefer the finer things, and even though the whish of a flogger or the crack of a bullwhip against my lover’s skin excites me, I don’t want anything overly abrasive on her, either.

  Walking contradiction, that’s me.

  All the furniture in this room has been custom made per my specifications. The bed is centered on the back wall with the restraints connected to the wall and the footboard. The mattresses are extra firm—too firm for me to sleep on—but their purpose isn’t for sleeping. There’s a custom designed padded cross that locks into place in three different positions, a spanking horse, and a four-point sling stand. One wall is lined with an assortment of paddles, floggers, handcuffs, ropes, and several other necessities. The walls are painted a warm shade of amber and the lighting gives a sensual glow to the room.

  After preparing the spanking horse, I choose the flogger with the multiple suede tails. I turn the sheets on the bed down and arrange the handcuffs for easy access. I’m waiting for My Angel to join me so we can get started with the part of this relationship that scares her. This will help to seal her trust in me, and it’s safe to say, it will also bring us even closer.

  I hear the click of the doorknob as it turns and she walks in, cautiously peering around the door as her eyes search for me. Once our eyes lock, she unconsciously licks her lips and I feel my cock twitch. While arranging the furniture, I unbuttoned my shirt and took my shoes off. The heat from her eyes is searing my skin as she drinks in my bared chest.

  “Close the door, Sophia,” I direct as I keep my eyes locked on hers. She does as she’s told and then steps fully into the room. “Do you know what that is?” I ask as I incline my head toward the spanking horse.

  “I think so. I’ve been strapped to one before, but it didn’t look exactly like this one,” she says as she runs her hands over the soft, padded leather. “It was scratchy wood and it gave me splinters. I didn’t like it,” she says ruefully.

  “You won’t get any splinters from this one, love. It’s very soft and very comfortable. Your hands and feet will be bound, but if it becomes too overwhelming for you, just use the safe word and I will stop immediately.

  “Your safe word that tells me to stop is ‘heartbeat.’ Use it, and I will stop in a heartbeat. I will also use a different type of binding this time so we can untie it quickly, if needed. Trust me.” It’s both a command and a request that Sophia seems to instantly understand.

  Speaking of heartbeats, I can see her pulse increasing rapidly as the vein in her neck jumps in anticipation. She’s still rooted to the same spot as when she first came into the room. I’m patient to a fault. It’s an inherent part of me, much like being a Dom is. She needs a moment to process everything in front of her and what she knows is coming with the spanking horse. Part of her is excited to experience it with me and part of her is terrified to experience it at all.

  “It’s time, Sophia,” I command. “Show me what’s mine.”

  She nods and begins to undress. I watch as she removes her shirt and her bra. She hesitates for a few seconds before reaching behind her and unzipping her skirt. Her hesitation is only meant to heighten the anticipation, make me want her more, and to an extent, delay my gratification as long as possible. She’s not doing this in a rebellious way—she just wants to extend the time for my viewing pleasure as a gift to me. It’s one of the ways she gives all of herself to me.

  She deliberately takes her time pushing her skirt over her hips and down her legs. Remaining as still as a statue, with my arms crossed across my chest and my feet hips-width apart, I relish in the show she’s putting on for me. She intentionally left her G-string on so that she could take more time to languidly roll it down her legs. When she finishes, she stands up straight and waits for her next command.

  I smirk at her, one corner of my mouth quirking up in a half-smile as I take in her beauty. Uncrossing my arms, I stride closer to her and stop at the halfway mark. “Come to me, My Angel.”

  Quickly walking to me, she lowers her eyes when she reaches me and then seems to remember because she immediately looks back up at me. “Relax, love. You can look down when you need to. Your eyes belong to me any time I’m pleasuring you in any way. Other than those times, you can look wherever you’re most comfortable.”

  “Thank you, Dom, for explaining what you want me to do,” her tone holds both admiration and relief in it. The memories of the abuse from her former partner still have a hold on her.

  Stroking her cheek with the back of my hand, I lean in and kiss her gently. “Always, love,” I promise her. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes, Dom,” she responds without hesitation.

  “That’s my girl.” Taking her hand, I lead her to the spanking horse. “Get into position,” I gently command and wait.

  Sophia moves into position, putting her knees on the padded step and stretching her arms over the top to the other side of the bench where I’ve attached the wrist restraints. I watch her carefully to see whether she will put her wrists in the restraints. Without being told, she slips her hands in up to her wrists and waits for me to tighten them.

  Pulling the strap, I tighten the padded wrist restraints and check to make sure they’re not too tight on her. “I’m not restraining your feet this time, My Angel. Unless you give me reason to, that is. Keep still for me.”

  “Yes, Dom.”

  Her bottom lip is quivering and her eyes are squeezed shut. Her first lesson is coming up as I select the black ping-pong paddle from its place on the wall. It’s wider than most, so it covers more area. One side is covered with leather and the other side with fleece. Pain and pleasure is wrapped up in one package.

  She doesn’t realize it yet, but one of her fears is about to be annihilated. She is about to see that I can give her what no other man can. I can take her to heights so high, she will never come down again. She will beg me, and I will give her what she needs every time.

  “My Angel, we are starting with this because you need to know that you can trust me with every little thing that concerns you. This is about pleasure, trust, and need—yours. My job is to make sure that you are pleasured beyond the limits that you can stand,” I lower my voice an octave and let my words settle into her mind. “Pleasure through pain at times, but pleasure nonetheless. Are you ready?”

  Sophia nods.

  “I need an answer, Sophia,” my voice is authoritative and unyielding.

  “Yes, Dom, I am ready.”

  Using the leather side, I raise my arm and swing, swatting one side of her ass. Her smooth skin immediately reddens in the shape of the paddle. I rub the spot with the fleece side of the paddle to soothe it as I speak softly, murmuring soothing words to her. While doing this, my fingers lightly stroke her skin until I reach her core.

  Running one finger between her legs, I suck in a breath and hiss, “Fuck, baby, you’re already soaked for me. Did you like that?” I ask as I push my finger in and out of her until she’s on the edge, her body involuntarily writhing and her hips bucking as much as they can in her current position. Simultaneously inserting a second finger and swatting her other cheek with the paddle, she cries out in ecstasy as she comes.

  “Tsk, tsk,” I admonish her. “I didn’t give you permission for that one, My Angel. You know what that means.” Quickly, I give her two more swats, one on each side, as my fingers continue their work a
t making her come apart in front of me. The fleece side of the paddle is soft and plush against her skin, lessening the sting. The mixture of sensual pain and erotic pleasure is reconditioning her mind to make her body crave it.

  “Have you learned your lesson?” I ask her, my voice low and sensual.

  “Yes, Dom,” she breathes out.

  “Good girl,” I say as I move to release her hands. She actually looks disappointed for a moment. “Don’t worry, love, we’re just getting started.” I help her to stand and motion toward the bed. She waits for me to move and follows one step behind me.

  I stop suddenly and turn to face her. Looking down at my still fully clothed self, I draw my brows down and scratch my chin like I’m in deep thought.

  “Something’s off here. Something just isn’t right,” I start. Although I’m not looking directly at her, I can see and feel the tension rising in her. “Hmmm, how about that? I’m still dressed. I really shouldn’t be dressed at this point, should I?”

  “Would you like for me to undress you, Dom?” she asks hopefully.

  I nod and she puts her hands on my chest. Taking her time to caress my skin, she runs her hands underneath my shirt and pushes it off of my shoulders without taking her hands off of me. As my shirt falls away, her fingers trace the tattoos on my chest, shoulder, and arm again. She’s fascinated with them and takes every opportunity to intimately study them.

  She raises her eyes to meet mine and I see panic flash across them, as if she’s done something wrong. I smile lovingly at her and nod, wordlessly giving her permission to take her time. I have all night if she needs it. This is about her, all about her, and not me. This is about her pleasure, her trust, and her peace of mind. Unshed tears glisten in her eyes as she shakes her head to clear them away.

  “Tell me,” I state.

  “I’m so lucky to have you,” she says. “I just get overwhelmed with gratitude sometimes. They’re not sad tears, Dom, but I know you don’t like them.”