The thought of Dan McGrath standing over her with a crop in his hand wearing black leather pants and nothing else made her pussy clench. She wondered if he had hair on his chest or if it was smooth and “manscaped.” The thought of her standing over him in a leather dress with nothing underneath and a crop in her hand had the same effect. Where had that come from? She had thought him very attractive from the first time she had seen him when he and J.J. came in to talk to her about representing Antoinette Marie. Since then, with Antoinette Marie out of the picture legally, she had found him even more attractive. But she knew he was still hurting over that whole situation and doubting himself and his judgment. She could be letting herself in for a world of hurt if she got into the middle of that. Some wounds took a lifetime to heal. She would have to be very careful.
Chapter Four
At Sea Watch on the Ocean, Lauderdale-By-the-Sea, Florida, Friday evening, March 13, 2015
Dan raised his glass and clinked with Nikki. “TGIF. I know it’s Friday the thirteenth, but I certainly hope that’s going to be good luck, not bad.” It was dusk, and their table on the enclosed porch at the well-known Fort Lauderdale restaurant overlooked the sandy beach. Sand Pipers were combing the creamy froth residue from the crashing waves at the shore line.
“This was an excellent choice, Dan. I haven’t been here in several years, but I love this old building on the beach. I’m sure your luck is changing for the better—a new firm, a new life. Hopefully things will improve markedly from now on. People only talk and remember until the next big scandal—and there’s always another big scandal.”
“It certainly couldn’t get much worse than last year. But I don’t want to rehash all of that. Tell me about yourself and particularly your involvement in BDSM.” He looked around to be sure they wouldn’t be overheard, but their table was quite secluded.
“I joined Jack’s club when I moved into his building after I opened my own firm. Things at the old firm had been going downhill. As you know, it was a Fort Lauderdale institution, and I got some great on-the-job training and a good start there. I could tell they were in financial trouble, and the partners were getting very touchy about billable hours, et cetera. I just knew it was time to bail. They have since been absorbed by another big firm, and I understand no one is happy with the new arrangement.”
“That happens. Sometimes the really big firms can’t withstand the stress and strain of the ups and downs and end up fracturing. We had been having a downturn at McGrath Loveless because of the collapse in the real estate market. Lenders weren’t lending and builders weren’t building. I think we would have been able to hang on if not for my unpleasantness.” He really did not want to bring Anne Marie into this conversation although he knew he would have to address the situation sooner or later if he continued to see Nicollette. He would certainly like to continue seeing her. Her apricot-red hair was loose around her shoulders, and her beautiful blue eyes sparkled. She wore a dark peach-colored sheath dress that complemented her skin tone, skimmed her curves, and hit a few inches above her knees, exposing a beautiful length of leg. She had natural class without having to try too hard. Anne Marie had tried too hard—and now he knew why.
“Well, I had represented Jack for several years in matters pertaining to The Black Iris Club, and he made me a deal I couldn’t refuse for the office space and a club membership. I had been interested in that scene since law school. I dabbled a bit and met Jack at a private party before he opened the club.” She laughed. “The problem was that I couldn’t decide if I was a sub or a Domme. Jack, bless his heart, helped me understand what a switch was.”
“I’m not sure that I understand that.”
“A switch can be a submissive or a Dominant depending on the relationship or their mood on a particular day—they can switch back and forth, so to speak. Some ‘One Right Way’ practitioners of the lifestyle look down on switches. Really, there is no one right way in BDSM. It’s up to the participants to find their own comfort level.”
“I took the opportunity this week to do some reading on the Internet. It’s really quite fascinating. J.J. thinks I should take a class or two at the club and explore the possibilities. I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
“You might want to take Jack’s ethics and practices class. That would be an excellent introduction. You wouldn’t have to actually participate until you were ready if you ever were. You could consider it ‘continuing sexual education.’”
“I might do that.” Their steaming black bean soup and hot, homemade bread was delivered to the table followed by broiled Maine lobsters.
Nikki related several humorous episodes from her early forays into the lifestyle. Dan laughed with her when she told him how she and her boyfriend from law school had decided that they wanted to experiment and due to their lack of experience had gotten into some funny but potentially dangerous situations. “One of the funniest episodes was the time Ted couldn’t remember where he put the handcuff key. That was the first time I decided I wanted to be the ‘top.’”
Over coffee and key lime pie, Dan realized that he enjoyed Nikki’s sense of humor as well as her keen mind. They really had a lot in common.
* * * *
After dinner, Nikki was mesmerized watching the white curls of the waves crashing on the dark beach. That was all that could be seen except for the lights of an oil tanker well offshore.
“Would you like to take a walk? We can leave our shoes in the car.” Dan had a hopeful look on his face.
“That would be nice. I’m not ready to call it a night, and I wouldn’t mind walking off some of that wonderful dinner. I think I could eat lobster every day for the rest of my life and not get tired of it.”
“Did you know that the early settlers considered lobster ‘slave’ food, and didn’t eat it themselves?”
“Really? Just think of what they missed!”
Nikki dropped her purse and shoes into the trunk of Dan’s vintage Jaguar. “Beautiful car.” They took the path next to the restaurant back to the beach.
“It belonged to my father. I’ve recently had it completely restored. It has so much more character than the new sports cars.” Yes, Nikki thought. Just like you. She had come to realize that this man had a boatload of character, which showed in the way he had handled the Anne Marie situation. They headed north on the beach walking along the hard-packed wet sand at the tide line. After a few moments of walking side-by-side, Dan took her hand.
“Dan, I think we should talk about the elephant in the room just this once and then forget about it.” She paused to let him interrupt her if he wanted to. “I have to say that I was impressed by the way you handled yourself in this very distressing situation. Despite your belief that Anne Marie was innocent, you divulged possibly incriminating information against self-interest in order to help locate the missing girls. When you found out that Anne Marie was indeed guilty, you were willing to pay for her criminal defense even though you wanted nothing more to do with her.”
“Don’t be too impressed. I’m also the dumbass who lived with her for twenty years, had two children with her, and had no idea of who she really was or what she was capable of.”
“I know you are still hurting and extremely conflicted about your feelings for Anne Marie. If you want to talk to me about it, feel free. I won’t try to drag confidences out of you. I’m no amateur psychologist. I would just like to be a friend.”
“I appreciate that. Now that the divorce is final I feel a certain freedom that I didn’t before. The kids are both in boarding school in California near my parents. I’m very worried about how this will affect them in the long-term.”
“I think kids are more resilient than we give them credit for, and they still have you, each other, and other family members to depend on.” Nikki had never met Dan’s kids, but she had seen pictures of them in the press. They looked like healthy, attractive, self-confident kids, but who knew how this unfortunate incident would color their futures.
> They had reached the patio just off the beach in front of a small condominium and sat down on two chaise lounges facing the dark water. Dan recaptured her hand, and they watched in silence as the waves rolled in.
“Nikki, I have to admit that I am very attracted to you. I’d like to explore those feelings, but I’m afraid it’s too soon. As much as I would like to leave all of that behind me and move on, I can’t honestly say that there won’t still be some fallout.”
“That’s understandable, Dan. Let’s take it slow. Why don’t you take a couple of the classes at the club and concentrate on getting your new firm up and running. We can spend a little time together and see what happens.”
Nikki knew that was the wisest choice, but she had to admit to being a little disappointed. She assumed that Dan hadn’t been with anyone else since this drama with Antoinette Marie had happened. He had to be feeling the lack of sexual release. She was beginning to wonder if Dan was as attracted to her as he said he was. Right now her panties were damp. She wanted to find out, but she could see the wisdom of taking it slow. “That’s probably for the best although I have to admit to being a little disappointed that we aren’t going to jump right in.” She had to laugh to herself. She hoped that he felt the same way she did at the moment and that they wouldn’t be waiting too long to test those waters.
“It’s getting late,” Dan said. “We should get back.” When they stood up, Dan pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His lips were tentative at first, but when he encountered no resistance, he deepened the kiss. He thoroughly explored her mouth and ran his hands down over her back until they cupped her butt. He pulled her in tight to his chest, and she felt the bulge in the front of his trousers. His kiss sent a sharp tug to her clit. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers.
“I have to tell you that’s the first time I’ve kissed a woman other than my wife in over twenty years. It’s good to know I haven’t forgotten how.”
They walked back to the car, and he drove her home. After another heated kiss, he walked her to the front door of her townhouse.
“I’m not going to ask to come in, Nikki, although I would really like to. I don’t think that would be adhering to the spirit of the agreement to take it slow that we just made.”
“Probably not. Good night, Dan. See you in the office tomorrow.”
Her three-bedroom townhouse in the Colee Hammock section of Fort Lauderdale between Broward Boulevard and Las Olas Boulevard had been a law school graduation gift from her parents. When she was inside, she dropped her handbag on the foyer table and kicked off her shoes. She walked out onto the patio and sat down on one of the chaise lounges. Her plump pug, Riley, jumped up into her lap, turned around three times, and settled in. She laid back and closed her eyes. All she could hear was the sound of the night birds in the heavy tree canopy and the sound of frogs in the small pond. She could still feel the tingling in her pussy from that last kiss. Taking it slow was going to be harder than she had thought.
* * * *
Nikki Sommers’s townhouse, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Friday evening, March 27, 2015
It had been two weeks since their first date, and Nikki had been getting anxious for a taste of Daniel McGrath. They spoke every day at the office and had gone out to lunch a few times. They had gone out to dinner about a week ago and again tonight. She was beginning to wonder if Dan actually was attracted to her. He said he was, and his kisses seemed to bear that out, but she was definitely ready for the main event.
He had decided that they should take it slow, and he had seen to it that they had. She didn’t think she would have been able to take it quite so slow if Dan hadn’t kept a lid on their interaction. He was definitely running the show and controlling the tempo. They had been dancing around each other at the office every day, and Nikki thought she was more than ready to pick up the pace a bit. Her attraction to him had continued to grow, and she was definitely ready to bump it up to the next level. Hopefully tonight would be the night.
Dan parked his Jaguar in front of her townhouse, and they necked for a few minutes like teenagers. He kissed her hard and his tongue explored her mouth before sliding up her neck to the shell of her ear. She shivered. This was actually kind of fun. She hadn’t necked in the front seat of a car in years.
She leaned back against the soft leather of the car seat and sighed as he slid his hand down the neck of her dress until it slipped under the lace of her bra and settled over her breast. She felt her nipples contract when he skimmed his thumb over the pebbled nubs and a pulse of desire darted to her clit. Her legs automatically parted for him as his other hand rode her thigh to the embarrassingly damp crotch of her thong and slid under the lace edge. He traced her now-drenched pussy and began to tease her clit with the lightest of touches. She hadn’t been this wet in a while. It felt good. It felt right.
He opened her door and helped her out of the low-slung car, and then they had brought it inside. At the moment he had her slammed up against the front door, and she wasn’t sure they would be taking their clothes off for this first time. So much for continuing to take it slow. Dan pulled her dress up to her waist, and had one hand on her ass and the other in the front of her thong. Geez. I guess he’s attracted to me.
“Do you want to take this upstairs, Dan?”
“No. I don’t think I can wait that long. I’ve been barely hanging on for the longest two weeks of my life. I didn’t want to rush things. You know? Under the circumstances…but here I am rushing things.”
He kissed down her neck and nuzzled into the fairly low-cut neckline of her dress where his firm lips caught hold of her distended nipples through the lace of her bra. It wasn’t a slut dress by any means, but it didn’t seem to have the power to slow him down. The feeling was like a bolt of electricity shooting from her nipples to her clit. He reached down, opened his fly, and freed his steel-hard cock. He quickly donned a condom. He boosted her butt up, and she found her legs wrapped around his hips. Before she knew it he was sheathed in her hot, wet pussy.
He held her braced against the door with one arm while he used his other hand to work her clit. He kissed her hard and began to stroke with enthusiasm. The man can multitask. Good to know. His hot cock sent shivers through her body. She was ready to explode. She watched the play of emotions cross his expressive face as his hard cock pounded into her. She wasn’t sure what he was feeling, who he was fucking. She sure hoped it was her.
He was definitely hitting her sweet spot, and she was ready to fly. She felt his cock jerk inside her, and her pussy pulsed around him, milking his shaft for all she was worth on every withdrawal. Finally, she could hold back no longer, and she exploded with exquisite pleasure as he blasted into her with an explosive climax. When he had pumped all he had into her, her head dropped down on his shoulder, and he finally let her legs fall to the floor. He held her up while she recovered. It had definitely been too freaking long since she had been so well fucked.
He disposed of the condom in the small bath beneath the stairs. “Now we can take it upstairs.”
“Good idea.” She was breathless. She took his hand and led him up the stairs to her bedroom.
“I’m sorry if I was rough and too rushed, Nikki. All of a sudden all my good intentions flew out the window.”
“Dan, don’t apologize for making me come like a house on fire. That is always a good thing, and it was about time. I was beginning to think you didn’t really want to be with me.” She had actually been concerned that his desire to take it slow meant he wasn’t really that interested. Apparently she had been wrong if the up-against-the-door sex was anything to go by.
“Nikki, don’t ever think that. I was just trying to give us both time to adjust to the situation.”
“I think we’re adjusted.” She pulled back the white coverlet on her big, mahogany bed. She turned to him, and he was bearing her down to the bed for round two.
“Do you think we can take our clothes off this time?”
“Good idea.” He pulled her dress off over her head, stripped her panties down to her ankles, and unhooked the front closure of her lacy bra. The man was on a mission. Then he stripped out of his own clothes and rejoined her on the bed.
“Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am isn’t my usual style. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
She giggled. “Well, I know who has gotten into me.”
He rolled on top of her and settled into the V of her thighs. He kissed her mouth with leisurely thoroughness before slowly coasting his hot mouth down her chest toward her pussy. She knew where he was headed, and she couldn’t wait. Finally, his mouth closed over her clit, and she thought she’d blast through the roof. Her hips were beginning to pump uncontrollably in rhythm with his mouth. He eased off.
“I want to make it last this time.” He stroked her grasping pussy with his clever tongue before he flicked her pulsing clit. She couldn’t believe she was on the edge again so soon. He took his time pleasuring her, and she was almost ready to scream when he entered her with a hard, sure stroke and took her over the moon again. Then they cuddled and slept, and did it once more. Nikki thought she might be walking funny the next day. Wasn’t that great?
Chapter Five
The bar of The Black Iris Club, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Friday evening, April 3, 2015
Nikki walked into the dungeon and took a seat at the bar. She was meeting Dan after the conclusion of the class he was taking at the club. She was anxious. They had screwed like bunnies last Friday night and most of Saturday, but this was their first trip to the club. His Dom-y side was really starting to show.
She had seen the dominant, senior partner side of his personality at the office, not to mention in bed last Friday. She had been delighted when he had caged her wrists above her head and spread her legs with his thighs. He was definitely the “man on top” sort of guy in bed. She usually enjoyed that—unless her switch decided to make an appearance.
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