Handcuffs and Roses

by Laura Hammond

  "I don't normally do this as you know but this case is personal to me, so, I'm going go down to the Don myself as well and see if I can get anything more out of that bloody Dowd fellow. You two look like bloody hell, now get out of here.” He ordered good-naturedly.

  "Thanks Chief, you really know how to boost a woman's ego.” Lisa growled at him, shooting him disgusted look.

  "You can always count on me sweetheart, to make your day.” Willard chuckled. James looked on, almost envious of the easy camaraderie between them, but glad it existed. From what he had learned of Lisa since they started working together, he sensed that the chief as a father figure in her life was far more important to her than she let on, since her own father had been gunned down by drug dealers. James hadn't a clue where it suddenly came from, but he felt a sense of protectiveness surge within him towards her now, along with those other desires he harboured for her.

  "I'm taking you out for dinner. Now go home and get freshened up and I'll pick you up in an hour.” James commanded as he walked her down to the underground garage.

  "And what makes you think I'll go out to dinner with you McGuinn?” Lisa asked, despite the anticipation that sent the blood rushing through her veins as she saw the look in his eyes.

  "We both can do with a spell of our own special brand of R & R Callisto. So you'll do as I command.” He continued, assuming the ultra authoritative Dom role. His manner left her no room to do so even if she wanted to demur. Her mind, tired as she was, switched to sub space as though hypnotized into it by him as he addressed her by the name she used as a submissive. “In fact I'll I take you home."

  He might have as well had a collar on her and leading her for the way Lisa just calmly let him lead her to his car without a word.

  AS PROMISED, JAMES returned to pick up Lisa an hour after dropping her home. Despite how her body and mind may have protested the lack of sleep, she just couldn't pass up this opportunity. Even when she mentally stood back assaying her action and watching herself go through the motions as she got dressed, the harshest criticism from her strong, always in control self, wasn't enough to deter her from her need to just relinquish control to the gorgeous detective if only for a few hours. Her body tingled at the thought of him tying her hands together and stringing them up above her head while he belted and caressed her body alternately.

  After spraying on a splash of Angel which she always did first, Lisa took extra care to dress in the ever present staple found in every woman's wardrobe; the little black dress. Hers was made of silk with the bodice worked with black beads that caught the light as she moved; chic, understated and elegant. Of course she would have preferred to adorn herself in black leather instead, but he had ordered her to wear a dress with high spike heels and look feminine for a change. Feeling wicked, and in anticipation of what the night would bring, she wore a black half cup leather corset under the dress that pushed up her breasts and emphasized them with eye-popping advantage. With her long hair combed back from her face and left loose in a dark, shiny cascade down her back and her bronze toned makeup, she looked like beautiful dark Amazon, the high heels making her almost as tall as James.

  James looked her up and down when he met her at her front door and shook his head with approval at what he saw.

  "Perfect, just absolutely perfect, and that perfume you're wearing, suits you. You should always wear it.” He complimented her.

  "Mmmm, you're not too bad yourself McGuinn.” She complimented him, dressed in what looked like a very expensive designer black sports jacket, white shirt and black leather pants, under an opened full length black leather coat with a white fringed silk sash that acted as a scarf. As usual he looked and smelled like a walking ad for Ralph Lauren or some other top designer, and immediately Lisa realized that if this man had a vice she was looking at it in his clothing: A true Metrosexual male to the core.

  "Well thank you my lady. That's a compliment I'll treasure for the rest of my life.” He replied and for a brief moment, Lisa wasn't sure if he was whimsical or sardonic. Together, they certainly made a striking pair and no one who didn't know them would have guessed that they were a pair of cops out on the town for the night still secretly packing their guns and handcuffs, ready for any eventuality.

  HALF HOUR LATER HE gallantly escorted her into an upscale Japanese restaurant downtown. Being a very cold weeknight, the restaurant was just a little over half-filled. But Lisa knew that during the warmer weather one usually required a reservation, and there was a dress code in effect. It was also one of her favourite restaurants. As they approached the table that the elegant Kimono attired hostess led them to after checking their coats at the door, James held Lisa's chair out for her to sit down. The first thing she noticed was it was situated in a rather secluded spot, and although the other tables had none, there was a bud vase with a single flame coloured rose which was an all time favourite of hers.

  After the hostess left them, Lisa looked at a very composed and relaxed James McGuinn, whom one would have never guessed had just finished wrapping up a sixteen hour day on the case they had both been working on. And it was doubtful that it might even be over since the criminal was still out there, uncaught. However, right now work was the last thing she wanted to think about although she wondered how little Shira was doing. Lisa made herself a silent promise to call the hospital after dinner when she went to the ladies room.

  One thing James did that earned him her undying respect was turn his off before they even entered the restaurant. The last date she had been on a few weeks ago after parting ways with her last Dom had been with a Bay Street executive. The man had spent practically the whole evening on his cell phone. So when she had a chance to do so, Lisa had made the excuse of going to the ladies’ room and walked out on the date. Later that night he had rung her to find out what had happened and she had basically said; “sorry I have another call waiting", although there had been none, and hung up on him, refusing to answer any of his subsequent calls. To her what he had done was the absolute height of bad manners, not to mention insulting especially on a first date. No man treated her like that and expected to get a second chance far as she was concerned.

  "How did you know that this place was my favourite restaurant? And the rose.... ?

  "Contrary to popular belief women don't have the monopoly on intuition sweetheart."

  The smile on his face made her think that there ought a law against it, along with the look in his eyes that told her she was the only woman in the world at that moment. “Anyway, I want to love you in a very special way tonight. However, to do this you must give yourself to me completely and freely without fear. When you take that rose I will know that you've given yourself to me. That is the only communication of your submission that you need to make. I will then decide at that point, how the rest of the evening will proceed. So think carefully, because once you take that rose you're mine for the evening.” His voice had dropped to a velvety and caressing tone now while his eyes just held her captive. “By the way, I think you're most beautiful and captivating woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing so far...."

  With another man, Lisa would have written off his last comment as complete and utter bullshit, but James McGuinn had such a sense of finesse, and in the manner in which he conducted himself this evening, she couldn't help but be totally captivated by him and promise that the rest of the night held. All she had to do was give her acquiescence by taking the rose. In this day and age where every aspect of even recreational life still seemed rushed and casual, his gallant and old fashioned approach was certainly a welcome change. At that moment he seemed like a direct throwback to another era entirely. If she were looking for anything more than a Bondage and Domination session with him, she would have certainly said that this man was a keeper.

  Lisa reached over and took the rose, held it to her nostrils to inhale its heady fragrance before putting it back in the vase. James smiled at her, like a man who had just been given the finest present he had ever
received.

  "I will order for you. You needn't look at the menu,” he said as a uniformed waiter approached. Just then Lisa had a quick psychic flash that James had arranged for the waiter to take as long as he had before coming to take their order, because he had wanted to set the stage for whatever would transpire between them tonight. She had assured him that she never used her abilities arbitrarily or casually outside of work related events, but she couldn't always quell the involuntary psychic flashes she received even for inconsequential matters.

  True to her word she chose not to mentally probe more deeply to find out his intention outside of work, preferring to be surprised. However, right now she prayed desperately that he wouldn't order Sashimi for her, because while she did have some sophisticated tastes in food, they didn't as yet extend to raw fish. She didn't have to worry though. They started with an appetizer of the most delicious tempura and sushi she'd ever had, followed by the main course of teriyaki steak that just seemed to melt in the mouth, washed down with Saki. For dessert he took her to Soleferino, a gelateria on Wellington Street that boasted a very relaxed ambience along with some rather exotic flavours of gelato that included guanabana, guava and coconut. Although the place was known for its ‘to die for moccachino chocolate gelato’ Lisa found herself trying the guanabana which James ordered for both of them, and wondered what she had been missing from her previous visits to this little gem of a cafe.... one of Toronto's best kept little ice-cream and coffee secrets.

  The problem with being a police detective in Toronto is that there's hardly a place in the city that I haven't been to, or at least know of. Lisa smiled to herself as she sensed that James thought that this was the first time she was discovering this place and that he was responsible for it. She wasn't about to burst his bubble. Yet on the other hand there was a certain magical quality to the night so far that made it feel like she was discovering it for the first time indeed.

  Conversation came easily between them, although there was still an underlying sense of heightened tension ... on her part at least. She learned that he was the third and last of three siblings ... the other two, a sister and a brother, were twins and also lawyers. He had been estranged from his family for many years during which he chose to roam the globe, before finally returning home ten years ago, and was still in the process of trying to reconnect with them.... an uphill battle.... he claimed. His sister who was the oldest ... at three minutes ahead of his brother, and extremely career driven always criticized him for choosing to be ‘just a detective'. And his brother had dubbed him as hopelessly spoiled by their parents and therefore too damned lazy to go after a ‘real’ career.

  "I suppose his idea of a real career is sitting behind a desk in hopefully a corner office on Bay Street, wheeling and dealing and having Maalox as a daily staple in my diet, along with a disgusting gut and losing all my hair by thirty. Thankyouverymuch, but I'll pass.” He remarked in cavalier but snide tone about his bother's attitude towards him, however, Lisa sensed that deep down he was wounded, and that there was a lot more that he wasn't saying as an embittered expression momentarily hardened his face.

  "There's more to it than what you just told me isn't there?"

  James looked at her wordlessly for a few poignant moments, as though he was trying to decide whether he trusted her enough to reveal to her that he actually despised his brother.

  "Do you remember the Nostra crime family case..? You heard about it haven't you?"

  "Who on the force hasn't? It was a damned shame that Mauricio Nostra with all the evidence that they had on him managed to walk away with a measly two years to be served under house arrest. What a sick joke...” Lisa grated with utter distaste.

  "Thanks to my slimy slick talking lawyer of a brother, who sold out all his principles..if he ever had any to begin with, for the almighty buck. Nostra paid Jeremy a million dollars for his defense. Lees, my partner and I worked our asses off to get the evidence to put Nostra away for damned long time and that bastard that calls himself my brother, with the help of his twin, got him off with practically a slap on the wrist. My partner ended getting killed by the Nostra gang during this investigation. He was damn good cop and we had become very good friends ... he had been like a real brother to me.... “His voice sounded strangled and Lisa could tell that he was still deeply affected torn up by it. “There wasn't anyone else I would have rather had covering my back."

  "Oh gawd James, I can't begin to imagine how you must have felt.” Lisa placed a gentle, comforting hand on his arm. “I'm so sorry,” she breathed sympathetically.

  "You don't have to be sorry, you didn't do anything,” he said with a wan smile, putting his other hand over hers. “But thanks for your understanding and sympathy. Right after Duke was killed and knowing that his death proved to be in vain thanks to my brother and sister, I guess I really went crazy. I got brought up on police brutality charges and investigated by the SIU, but they didn't stick, because the division superintendent had a soft spot for me and covered my ass under the condition that I agreed to a psych evaluation, and get grief counseling."

  "And have you? Got grief counseling?"

  "Uh hmm, you're first person besides my counselor that I've spoken to about this since it happened. But one thing I can honestly say I'm happy about is that I've regained my enjoyment in what I do for a living. Jeremy and Janet weren't able to take that away from me. Sometimes, I think Jeremy did what he did to try and undermine what I do, make me feel like no matter what I did, how hard I tried, I wasn't going to make a difference in the world; the bad guys with the money would always escape justice thanks to people like him. Thankfully, my parents bless their hearts, accept me the way I am and that's all that matters now to me where the family is concerned.” He dismissed.

  "How do your parents feel about the dissension amongst you and the twins?"

  "They understand my feelings, and as a result, I no longer visit during holidays if the twins are there. I know I should try to forgive and forget ... forgive, maybe I have to a certain degree, but I can't forget the bitter feeling of betrayal. Jeremy could have had one of the other lawyers in the firm take the case, but I guess that kind of money was too enticing to pass up. I sometimes think they must have gotten switched at birth in the hospital with another pair of twins that should have been my brother and sister instead."

  "That's bad."

  "Yep."

  "What are they like? ... Your parents."

  "Mom's the best, perpetually youthful, a stained glass artist ... and if I were a teenager still, I'd be apt to describe her as ‘cool'. I suppose that's because she's basically a golf widow, so she's spent a lot of time developing herself and pursuing various interests. Dad is more laid back, but spends too much time on the golf course. So in the winter months you can usually find them in some warm place where there's generally a golf course close by and hopefully a town with lots of antique stores and art galleries for mom to explore. And a little bit of embarrassing family trivia for you,” he chuckled and Lisa's heart went zinnnng looking at and listening to him, “thirty-nine years later, she still refers to me as her Canada Day baby, particularly when she wants to irritate the heck out of me."

  "Oh really, try having an official birthday every four years when you're a kid,” Lisa mock pouted. “The perfect excuse for grown ups to dodge out on buying you birthday presents.."

  "Really, you were born on February 29th?

  "Uh hmm, so technically from an official standpoint that would make me only nine and a half now, and you could be arrested for consorting with a minor.” She continued in a jocular vein.

  "Oh lord, now I'm going to feel like a pedophile considering that I have in mind for you.” James joked.

  "Don't worry officer McGuinn, I'm not going to tell anyone, if you won't,” she teased affecting a conspiratorial little girl's voice.

  "Little girl you should be home. It's way past your bedtime. You deserve a spanking for being out this late. I see I shall have to take you
home in my squad car and spank you there myself.” He responded in a mock gruff voice, with that grin on his face that caused her insides to turn cartwheels. “But seriously, what about your family, what were they like if you don't mind talking about it?” He asked, the heaviness in his mood had lifted now.

  "My father was killed years ago. He and Willard were partners when they worked together in Vice. He was alright, I suppose, as fathers of his generation go. Not terribly affectionate, but caring enough. I blame that on his English background and upbringing. As you probably already know he was gunned down in a drug bust gone awry.

  "Mom's more of the typical ebullient Italian mother who's always worrying about me, and constantly pesters me to get my house renovated before I bring down the property values of the other homes on my street.” Lisa grinned. “It was left to me by my grandmother and I've just been too busy with work and all to bother. Anyway, I finally took her advice when my furnace kicked out again the day chief called me for this case we are on. Gawd, I sure would like to find that sick bitch and give her a taste of what she put that poor child through."

  "You and me both, but one of my rules tonight is no talk about work, so we'll drop that subject for now.” James said softly but firmly, his manner authoritative again.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  AFTER LEAVING THE GELATERIA they walked back to his car, parked in the same area where just a few days ago it was filled with a long line of movie production trucks. And from the neat line of orange pylons set up along the stretch now, there was no question that another production unit was on its way in. But Lisa wasn't concerned with that as she sensed that this was where the night was really going to begin. A light dusting of snow was coming down now and while it seemed a little milder than when they entered Soleferino, the air was still crisp with winter coldness.

  "Take off your coat and put it in the back seat.” James suddenly commanded her as he opened the passenger door. Then, cursorily glancing around to ensure that there was no one close by, “now, stand up against the car, hands on the roof,” he continued as though he was ordering a criminal he had just arrested, as he whipped out his pair of handcuffs. “Lisa Mayne a.k.a. Slave Callisto, you're being detained on the charge that you're desperately in need of discipline which will be administered through bondage and flogging. You have the right to use a safe word if any of the treatment administered to you becomes too harsh or unbearable. And from this point on throughout the rest of the night, you have a right to address me as Master James."