by B. B. Hamel
“We’d have different lives,” I say, shrugging.
She picks at her salad. “Not that I’m complaining. I mean, Karl’s a creeper and a weirdo, but this job’s actually pretty decent. And I hear your load’s been light lately.”
“The guys talking again?” I ask. The guys are all our other employees. We typically talk about them collectively.
“Yep, complaining like always,” she says. “You know how they are.”
I sigh. “First Karl’s burying me in work and everyone feels bad. Now he’s taking it easy on me and everyone’s pissed. The guys’ll complain no matter what Karl does.”
“Pretty much,” Darlene agrees. “Though I don’t know what you did to turn things around.”
“No clue,” I say. “Maybe Karl has a conscience after all.”
We both laugh at that. It feels good to have simple, normal moments with another person, moments I can pretend that all this craziness isn’t happening around me.
I get back to my desk and log back into the network. I screw around for a little bit, and just as I’m about to dive back into my work, my desk phone starts to ring.
I frown at it. Nobody ever calls me. Tentatively, I pick it up. “Yes?”
“Hello, is this Sofia Wolf?”
“Yes it is,” I say.
“Hi, Sofia, I’m Kreyshawn from Human Resources.”
My heart basically stops. Fear spikes through me like a knife, and I don’t know what to do.
This is it. Karl went to HR with my story and now they’re going to call me down and grill me. They’re going to make a whole paper trail about what I said and it’s going to bury Jacob. This is exactly what I was afraid of. Karl went to HR with the tapes once before, and I thought he’d do it again, although Jacob disagreed. He insisted that Karl would keep it to himself and go over HR’s head.
“Karl’s a control freak,” he said. “He’s going to use this himself, not risk getting anyone else involved.”
And now here I am with HR on the phone, and I’m totally screwed. If I admit to lying, it’s going to destroy my reputation and potentially my career. But if I keep up the lie, it might destroy Jacob, and I don’t know if I could live with that.
“Ah, hello,” I say. “What can I do for you?” I feel overly formal, constrained. I’m sweating already.
“So I was looking over some paperwork and I noticed a little discrepancy,” Kreyshawn says.
I pause. “Paperwork?”
“Yes, for your benefits. I was processing you, getting it all finished, and I realized that you hadn’t signed form three, the eligibility release.”
I blink, head reeling. “I didn’t sign it?”
“No,” she says. “Not a big deal. I can bring the papers over for you, if that’s okay?”
“For my benefits?” I ask. “I just have to sign something?”
“That’s right,” she says, laughing. “It’ll just take a second.”
“Okay, great,” I say. “Bring it on over.”
“See you soon.”
We hang up and relief washes over me. I feel shaky and sick but so incredibly happy.
Kreyshawn shows up not long later, a pleasant woman in her thirties. We chat for a second, I sign the form, and off she goes. When she’s gone, I go into the bathroom and lean against the sink, water running full blast.
I think I might throw up. My heart is racing and terror arcs through me. That was so close, it could have ruined everything, but it was just about my benefits. Karl didn’t go to HR, or at least that I know of.
But I know I’m on edge. I can feel it deep down inside of me.
I splash my face with cold water. I need to get ahold of myself. I head back to my desk and check my phone. No messages from Jacob. I turn it off and shove it in my bag before forcing myself to turn back to my computer.
I work the rest of the day. I don’t mess around or take any breaks. I actually get through my queue completely, and by the time five thirty rolls around, I’m all done. Most of the floor is gone or heading out, and I stand up to stretch.
“Good day?”
I turn around and Karl’s standing there, smiling at me. It looks like he just learned how to smile yesterday.
“Uh, yes, thanks,” I say.
“Good. I saw HR here earlier. What did they want?”
“Benefits,” I say. “Forgot to sign a paper.”
“Ah,” he says, that smile still plastered to his face though it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Bureaucratic paperwork. Always a nuisance. Have a nice night.” He walks off without another word.
I let out a breath and slowly gather my things. I don’t want to get stuck on the elevator with him.
As I head down a few minutes later, I replay that short conversation with Karl and I realize something. He was worried.
He didn’t want me to tell HR. He was checking to make sure that I wasn’t talking to them for that reason. Which means he doesn’t plan on telling them himself.
When I get down to the bottom floor, I feel relieved. A little weight lifts from my shoulders. I hate all this lying and sneaking around but maybe it’s actually going to work out.
As I walk out front, I grab my phone from my bag and turn it on. As I get near the fountain, it boots up and starts to buzz. I have missed calls from Jacob.
I call him back right away, and he answers on the second ring. “Everything okay?” I ask, worried.
“Everything’s great,” he says. “I’m back.”
“You’re back?” I’m surprised. I didn’t expect him until tomorrow.
“I grabbed the first flight after my meeting, got lucky actually. My driver’s waiting for you around the block.”
“He’s waiting for me?”
“I want to see you.”
I hesitate, but only for a second. Even though I’m stressed as hell still, I want to see him too. No, I need to see him.
“I’ll be there,” I answer, and I hang up the phone.
Heart beating fast, I head around the block.
27
Sofia
The driver drops me off in front of Jacob’s house and I thank him before heading up the stoop. I ring the bell and Jacob answers right away, a small smile on his face.
“Glad you came,” he says.
I shrug a little. “Guess I’m a glutton for punishment.
That makes his smile a little bigger. “I’m glad to hear that. Come in.”
I follow him into the entry hall, expecting to go right upstairs. Every time I’ve come to his apartment, he basically keeps me up in his room. We don’t leave and don’t really need to, he has everything we need up there. When I leave, I go straight back out the front door, but I know there’s a lot more to his house.
But instead of going to the stairs, he walks toward the back of the house. “Come on,” he says.
I follow him, surprised but happy. He’s wearing workout clothes, a tight gray t-shirt and slim sweatpants that fit his muscular body perfectly. His feet are bare as we walk down the dark wooden floors, polished to a mirror-like shine.
“I told you I’d give you a tour,” he says as we go into the back of the house. “And here it is.”
He gestures at the kitchen and I grin at him. “It’s just a kitchen.”
“Ah,” he says. “That’s where you’re wrong. It’s the best kitchen in the world.”
I laugh as he shows off a little bit. He has a smart refrigerator, brand new fixtures and a gorgeous gas stove. Everything looks expensive and immaculately maintained.
“Too bad I never cook,” he says. “I have a private chef that uses this stuff sometimes, but mostly…”
“Mostly you let it go to waste.” I laugh and shake my head. “Not surprising. You’re just a lazy rich guy.”
He grins. “Got me. Come on.”
I follow him through the rest of the downstairs. There’s a living room, a gorgeous office, a perfect little patio out back, plus another bathroom off to the side.
“W
hat’s down here?” I ask, stopping in front of a door as he leads me toward the upstairs again.
“That… that’s the end of the tour. Come on.”
We keep going but I’m drawn back to that door for some reason. He shows me a music room with stereo equipment and a piano in the front room off to the right of the stairs, through the French doors. He plays a few bars of a Bach piece before we head upstairs.
“Guest room, guest room, bathroom, bedroom.” He opens each door in turn, letting me see. “And here’s a closet.”
“Amazing,” I say. “All that mystery, and it’s just a normal house.”
“Pretty much.” He stops closer to me. “Are you disappointed?”
“Yes,” I say. “Very.”
He smiles softly and tips my chin up. “There’s more. One last place.”
“That door downstairs.”
He nods and kisses my lips softly. “It’s not something I normally share with people.”
“What could you possibly have to hide?”
He reaches around and grabs my hair softly. “Nothing,” he says. “But that space is my private space. I like to keep it separate.”
“You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to.”
“I do want to,” he says quickly. “But you have to do something for me.”
My heart quickens. “Anything.”
“Tell me I’m your Daddy.”
“You’re my Daddy.” The words come out quickly, almost rushed, and I feel a tingle run down my spine.
“But more than that… I’m your Dom.”
“Dom?” I ask, surprised.
“That’s right. I’m in control at all times. I’m the dominant one, and you submit to my every whim. Do you understand?”
“Of course,” I say.
“Okay.” He kisses me again, releasing my hair. “Let’s go.”
I follow him, heart hammering, nervous as hell. We head down the steps and toward the door and I don’t know what I’m walking into.
This could be his murder dungeon. Maybe he’s a serial killer luring me into his lair. But no, that seems silly. Maybe he collects dolls or something totally weird. Or maybe this is his sex room. Maybe it’ll be all black lights and pillows and cum stains on the carpet, plus whips and chains and handcuffs.
That last thought actually excites me. He stops in front of the door, opens it slowly, and flips on the light.
“Down here.” I follow him down some stairs. I can’t see into the room just yet. “Don’t judge it yet until I explain.”
We move down into the basement… and it looks like a normal finished basement. Well, normal for our parents, at least. The walls are covered in wood paneling and all the furniture looks like it’s straight from the 1970s. The television is old and there’s even an old desk with an ancient computer on top of it over in the corner. The carpet is shag and the couches are orange.
I look around and can’t help but laugh a little bit. “Okay, it’s a little dated, but why is this weird?”
He lets out a sigh of relief. “I thought you’d think I’m weird.”
“No, but what is this?”
“It’s my basement,” he says. “The basement from the house I grew up in. Well, it’s close, not exactly. I made some modifications for myself.” He walks over to a bar in the corner and pours himself a drink.
I walk over, a smile on my face. “This is what your old house looked like?”
“My parents’ house, yeah,” he says. “Lots of memories down here. I even have all my old gaming systems and stuff. Sometimes I come down here and I feel like I’m home again.”
I stare at him, totally shocked by this. “This is really amazing,” I say.
“Really? I thought it might be weird.”
“It’s a little weird, but it’s also sweet. And I’m jealous. I wish I had something like this, a place I could escape to and feel…”
“Home,” he finishes for me.
“Yeah. Like home.”
He smiles and sips his drink. “There’s a little more.”
“Show me,” I say eagerly.
“Well, this part you might like even more.” He comes around the bar and walks over to a door in the far corner. He pulls it open and at first, I think it’s a normal closet.
But then he turns on the light. Inside, the 1970s styling disappears, replaced by modern displays. It’s a walk-in closet and it’s full of sex gear.
I can’t help but gape. There are outfits, whips, chains, handcuffs, paddles, ball gags, dildos, vibrators, all sorts of things I don’t even recognize.
“Wow,” I say finally. “This explains a lot.”
“Does it?” He comes up behind me, hands on my hips. “Do you like it?”
“Yes,” I admit as I realize that this feeling in my chest is pure excitement. “I knew you were into this… I mean, the ropes and stuff…”
“These are my toys,” he says. “Not many people have seen this.”
I turn around and face him, our lips inches away. “Does that make me special?”
“It means I’m your Daddy. And I think you’re ready to take this to the next level.”
“Okay,” I say, and he kisses me. Our tongues touch as he pulls me tight against him.
“We’ll take it slow,” he whispers as we move into the closet. I look around at all the things and I have no clue where to start, but he seems to know. He grabs a ball gag, a small paddle, and some ropes, the velvet kind he had upstairs, before bringing me back out into the main room.
“Strip,” he says, staring at me.
“Right now?”
“Strip,” he repeats. “Or I’m going to punish you.” He smacks his hand with the paddle, making a loud thwack.
Heart beating fast, I take off my clothes. I remove my top and bra first before I do my pants and panties. When I’m done, I’m standing in front of him, completely bare.
“Say the word ‘Nebraska’ at any time if you want to stop,” he says, looking at my body. “For now, I’ll go easy on you. But in the future…”
I nod my head, excitement pulsing through me.
“Turn around,” he says.
I obey him, feeling oddly shy. I know he’s seen every inch of me, but I feel so exposed here, so incredibly naked. I feel every bit of it.
“Hands on top of the bar.”
I glance over my shoulder at him. “Here?” I ask.
He takes the paddle and smacks my ass. It stings, but not too bad. He grabs my hair, tugging it back. “You’ll say only ‘Yes, Daddy Dom,’ from here on out. Understand?”
“Yes, Daddy Dom,” I whisper, heart hammering in my ears.
“Good girl.” He kisses my lips. “Now, hands on the bar.
I do as he says, hands flat on the bar. He takes the ropes and walks around to the other side, facing me. He takes one wrist, wraps a rope around it, and ties it off to a pipe down toward the floor. He does the same thing with the other wrist, and I’m bound to the bar, bent over it slightly.
He walks back around behind me. “Look at that pretty, perfect ass,” he says. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous it is? Perky and round.” He slaps me with the paddle again. “God fucking damn, do I love this ass.”
He spanks me with his palm and grabs my hair, leaning up against me. I feel his fingers sliding down my skin, up my inner thigh, and toward my dripping pussy.
“A little pleasure to go with the pain,” he whispers in my ear. “I take care of my girl.”
I feel his fingers down my pussy as they slowly start to massage my clit. I gasp and a moan escapes my lips as the slight sting from his spank disappears completely, washed away by his deft touch.
“Do you like being tied up by me?” he asks. “Completely at my mercy?”
“Yes, Daddy Dom,” I moan.
He pulls his fingers away and he slaps my ass with the paddle. “Too perfect,” he says. “I need to dirty you up. Do you want to be dirty for me?”
“Yes, Daddy Dom.”
/> He paddles my ass, both sides, stopping to rub my clit between each hit. The pleasure and the pain are so mixed up inside of me that I barely know what’s happening. He’s tied me up and smacked me before, but this… this is something else. He’s in total control, almost a different person, and I like it.
I want to be his little slave. I want to be his submissive. I know a little bit about BDSM, but clearly not as much as he does. I want him to teach me so badly I can barely breathe.
“You’re such a good girl,” he whispers in my ear. “Now I want to do what I brought you here to do.”
He suddenly pulls the ball gag around my face. I open my mouth for it as he attaches it behind my head. It’s not too tight, but I couldn’t get it out if I tried.
He slaps my ass, hard this time, and I moan through the gag. He drops down to his knees and spreads my ass wide open before plunging his face against me. I feel his tongue start to lap me up, licking my every inch, exploring every part of me.
It feels so fucking good. My ass stings and I barely moan with the gag in my mouth but the pleasure is almost overwhelming. His tongue goes everywhere, absolutely everywhere, licking my ass and my pussy, lapping me up. I’m so dripping wet I’m practically soaking his mouth but he seems to love it, grunting his pleasure as he licks and sucks me.
He pulls back and slaps my ass, this time harder, before pressing his fingers deep inside of me. I gasp and moan through the gag.
“Delicious,” he says, and I can hear the smirk on his lips. “Perfect and delicious. I need to dirty you up, but you’re doing so good.”
I moan and let him fuck my pussy with his fingers. He stands and gets them deep inside of me, sliding them in and out, jiggling my ass as he goes. I groan and move but he pulls my hair with his other hand, keeping me there.
I’m tied to the bar, a ball gag in my mouth, and he’s tugging at my hair. This is even more control and domination than the night that he tied my legs open and gagged me. I like that he’s pushing me, spanking me, giving me pleasure to mix in with the pain, making it all so much sweeter.
I realize now that this is the next level. He’s always been my Dom, but now he’s being open about it, making me understand. He gradually brought me into this world, giving me taste after taste, getting me addicted. Now I’m fully into it, so deep I can barely see myself anymore, and I love it. I want to be his little girl forever. I want him to be my Daddy, my Dom, to control me, take care of me, and to make me feel good.
