by Ivy Nelson
“Fine,” she said with a scowl. Later, at Michael’s house, she begrudgingly agreed to personal security outside her office and with her at campaign events at all times.
Darci and Carrie arrived at Michael’s not long after Adara and the others did. The two women immediately took over Michael’s kitchen to make dinner. Adara was amused at the banter between Darci and Michael. She knew they had been friends for a very long time, but they acted like siblings sometimes. The six adults enjoyed a dinner filled with laughter and a lot of inappropriate jokes. When the dishes were cleared, Peter and Carrie were the first to leave. Bradley and Darci weren’t far behind them.
Bradley hugged Adara at the door while Michael and Darci were finishing some childish argument that had started at dinner.
“A piece of advice friend to friend?” Bradley asked when he released her. “Talk to him. Be honest. Set some clear roles. Kink and D/s make anyrelationship harder but it’s especially complicated if you don’t define the roles you’re both going to play. Think of it as a game you’re both playing. You’re on the same team but you have different roles to fulfill in order to play the game effectively. You need to decide what those roles will be. That doesn’t mean your roles can’t ever change but things are a lot more fun when you know what your roles are.”
“You’re right. I know you are. I appreciate the advice. I’ll talk to him. I promise.”
“Good choice.” He turned to the still bickering Darci and Michael. “Alright children. Clearly I need to separate you two. Darci, let’s go home and let these two have some alone time.”
At that, the redhead clapped her hands. “Good idea, Sir.” She winked at Adara. Michael just shook his head and kissed her on the cheek. When they were finally out the door, Michael locked it and leaned against the wooden panel.
“That was interesting,” he said.
“That’s one word for it.”
They stood in awkward silence for a moment. It was really the first time they had been alone since the club last night. Was that really just last night? It felt like a lifetime ago after the day she’d had. Bradley’s words came rushing back to her, and she knew what she needed to do so she inhaled deeply.
“Can we talk?”
### Michael eyed her carefully. He hadn’t been able to hear what Bradley was saying to her before he left, but he knew they weren’t talking politics.
“Of course, Angel. Do we have to do it standing here though?”
She shook her head.
“Where do you want to talk?” he prodded.
“Living room is fine. Can we have some wine or something?” Her voice was trembling.
“I think I have some beer left.”
“Beer is fine.”
He laughed. “What kind of conversation are we about to have, Angel?”
“I don’t know yet. We’ll see what happens.”
“That’s either really good or really bad. Go get comfortable in the living room. I’ll grab the beers. Take a deep breath. It’s me baby. We can talk about anything.”
Turning on her heel, she walked to the couch. He watched her sit. She was stiff. Jesus, was she trying to break up with him? What the fuck had Bradley said to her? He was going to kick his ass if she dumped him. In the kitchen, he grabbed two beers and popped them open.
After he handed her one of the beers, he straddled the ottoman in front of the couch and took a long pull from his own bottle.
“Let’s talk,” he said. “What’s going on? You seem nervous.”
“I am. I don’t really know how to do this but I’m taking a friends advice.”
“I’m listening.”
“I know I kind of freaked out on you about the whole no strings thing so let me apologize for that first. I don’t know what happened in my brain.”
“To be fair, I didn’t help any. I was feeling insecure and did not handle that conversation well at all,” he admitted.
Her shoulders relaxed. “OK. That makes this easier. I’m sorry you were feeling insecure. That wasn’t my intention. I just really was unclear about our relationship. That’s what I want to talk about.”
He motioned for her to continue.
“I like what we’re doing and I love being with you. But, Bradley brought up a good point about the need to define what we are and set some boundaries. I’m not sure where this is going Michael. I do know it’s going somewhere though. I also know I’m not ready for a collar because that’s some engagement ring level shit.”
He chuckled. She wasn’t wrong. “Fair enough. So, how do we define us then?”
“I want more boundaries like when we settled on when I would call you Sir.”
“So, what you’re saying is you want to be my submissive but you don’t want a collar.”
“I think I’m saying I want to be your girlfriend and if that also means being your submissive sometimes then yes.”
“So, some strings then.” He pretended to be thoughtful, considering what she was saying.
A slow smile spread across her face. “Yes, Michael, some strings.”
“Deal. Wasn’t that easy?”
“I mean, is that it? I still don’t feel like I completely know what you want from me as a submissive.”
He set his beer aside and slid the ottoman closer to her so he could pick up her hands. “That’s easy, Angel. I want your trust that I’m going to take the power you give me and use it to enhance our lives together. I want a submissive who aims to please without the insecurity that you can’t please me. I’ll never set you up for failure but I will challenge you. You’re free to question the challenge but I expect you to meet it with the same tenacity that you approach life with in general.”
“Why do you like a woman to be submissive to you? Is it a control freak thing? I don’t want to wake up one day and find that I’ve suddenly wound up in a relationship where I have to ask permission to use the bathroom.”
“Have I ever acted like that kind of control freak?” he questioned, still holding her hands.
“Not yet. I just want to know the appeal of a submissive for you.”
“Submissive, not doormat sweetheart. Someone strong enough to meet the challenges I give her. Someone who can have this conversation with me, question me when needed, and still beg to come when I have you stripped and bound to my bed. Is it about control? Absolutely. But it’s also about a give and take that makes us both better people. Not to mention that some things are just hot as fuck and there doesn’t need to be any other reason for it. The challenges I’ll set for you are about empowering you, not just controlling you.”
“So… what now?” she asked, pulling her hands from his.
“Now, we keep talking but we take it to the bedroom.”
“You’re not going to like… make me move in with you are you?” If her face hadn’t held an expression of sheer terror, he might have laughed. Instead, he stood and pulled her from the couch.
“That’s not something I can make you do, not even as my submissive. What I am going to do is ask that we spend every night together until this situation with your brother is resolved. I will not sleep at night if you’re not next to me. Is that fair? We can secure your place a little more if you want to stay there sometimes. I know it’s your space and I understand the need to be in your own space sometimes.”
“OK. I can agree to that.”
“I like it when you agree with me, Angel,” he said with a wink before kissing her forehead. “Can we take this conversation to the bedroom now?”
“Yes, Sir. I would love that.”
He grinned. She was catching on quickly.
With his hand in hers, they walked down the hall to his bedroom. Time to test her resolve. Once they were in the bedroom, he released her hand.
“Strip,” he said curtly.
Chapter 17
Adara’s eyes flew to Michael’s at his terse command. “I thought we were going to keep talking,” she said. Feeling confused.
“We are. But yo
u’re going to be naked. In fact, anytime you enter this room to spend any amount of time, I expect your clothes to come off.” He leaned against his dresser and folded his arms, never breaking eye contact. “Is that clear, Angel?”
She swallowed. In that moment, she wasn’t sure he had ever looked hotter. Her brain told her she was supposed to say Yes Sir and take her clothes off. But, some part of her still wanted to rebel. Not because this wasn’t hot, but because it was in her nature to question the why of everything she did. He was asking for her trust though and they were working on defining their roles. This was part of that and she knew she should give him this.
“I’m waiting, Angel. Clothes off. It’s a simple request.”
“Yes Sir. Sorry. You just caught me off guard,” she said as she lifted her blouse over her had. “Though, I suspect that was your intention.” Her jeans slid down her legs.
His smile was instant. “You’re catching on. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She enjoyed hearing those words from him. Next came her bra, and then her panties. Then she stood naked for him to examine. And that’s exactly what it felt like when he stalked toward her. His eyes roved her curves as he circled her, looking at every inch of her. Her resolve to be confident and witty began to waver under his intense gaze. She just wanted him to find pleasure in her. He was facing her again, and she knew from the heat in his eyes that he was very pleased indeed.
“You’re beautiful naked. You’re always beautiful, but naked and vulnerable, ready for whatever I may have planned? Fucking stunning. I want to be able to enjoy that anytime we’re in this room.”
She nodded, her heart pounding in her ears. “Yes Sir.” She had always been comfortable with her body and was never shy about sex. But sex for her had never included power exchange until Michael. This was unsettling, especially since he was still fully dressed. That was likely also intentional on his part. When he was through with his inspection, he stopped behind her and slid his arms around her waist. Gentle kisses landed along her neck and shoulder causing her to shudder.
“I thought we were going to talk,” she managed to say without sounding too needy—she hoped.
“We are. But there’s nothing wrong with me enjoying what’s mine while we do it, right?” he asked as he continued to feather kisses down her neck and back and up to her ear lobe. She sighed. They would never get any talking done if he kept kissing her like this. “You are mine, aren’t you, Angel?”
“Yes, I’m yours Sir.” There was no keeping the need out of her voice this time.
“Excellent answer.” His hands slid up her abdomen to cup her breasts. “I love the way you feel in my hands. All of you.”
“I like your hands on me. But if we don’t stop, we’re never going to talk.”
“Sure we are. Just trust me.”
She sighed and gave up, leaning into his touch instead of shying away from it.
With one arm wrapped around her waist, he walked them backwards until they were at the foot of the bed.
“Kneel.”
The carpet felt hot against her knees, or maybe her knees felt hot against the carpet, as she sank to the floor.
He sat on the edge of the bed. “Eyes on me.”
Raising her head, she looked him in the eye.
“What is it you want out of this relationship, Angel?”
“To please you?”
“Nice answer Angel but wrong. I’m not asking you to tell me what you think I want to hear. It’s not a trick. I want to know what you’re looking for.”
“Out of a kinky relationship? Or just a relationship in general?”
“Let’s say both. Start with whichever is easier for you to answer.”
The butterflies in her stomach fluttered, and she placed a hand on her abdomen hoping to calm them.
“From a relationship, I just want someone who isn’t afraid of my aspirations. Someone who wants to be a partner but who at the same time doesn’t hold me back. I’ve avoided relationships in the past because it always felt like the men I dated were afraid of the things I wanted.”
“And what about kink and power exchange? Are you doing these things just because I’m into them?”
“At first, yes. But it’s clicking for me and it seems to fit. I want to explore it. I’m curious. The exploration we’ve done, the books you’ve had me read it all just makes sense for me. In a weird way, I feel like exploring like I have is what helped me take back some of the power I felt like I had lost. Reclaiming that power and being free to do what I want with it… even giving it to someone, you, is exhilarating in some ways.”
“Such beautiful words to hear Angel. I’ve avoided relationships because I never met anyone who understood the kind of power exchange I was looking for. It was easier to just play on a casual level to fulfill some of my baser needs.”
“Will the other subs you used to play with be mad at me for taking you away from them?” Her concern was genuine. She enjoyed being at Exposure with Michael and their friends but hated the idea of a group of women their being angry at her.
Michael chuckled and tilted her chin to look at him again when she looked away.
“No, Angel. They aren’t going to be mad. They’ll have plenty of other opportunities to get their kink on. It just won’t be with me anymore. They understand, and if it isn’t too weird for you, they’ll welcome you with open arms.”
Her nose crinkled. “I’ll have to think about it. I’m not jealous of them or anything but I can’t imagine watching you do the things you do to me with another woman.”
“And I couldn’t imagine watching those things done to you by another man.”
At least they were on the same page about that.
The tension in the room shifted and Michael’s gaze grew heated.
“Enough talking Adara. I want to take you, make you mine every way I can. Stand up.”
Eager to please, she scrambled to her feet. His arms encircled her waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder, inhaling his masculine scent. Fingers trailed down her back in gentle caresses and a sigh escaped her lips.
“Can I make love to you Angel?”
“Of course, Sir. Do you have to ask?”
The rumble of his chest beneath her as he chuckled made her want to snuggle even closer to him.
“I try to be a gentleman always, now come to bed with me.” He backed them onto the bed, pulling her on top of him.
Since she was sitting atop him, she took a chance and began unbuttoning his shirt, wanting to feel his hard chest beneath her fingers. When his chest was bared to her, she bent and planted several soft kisses on his smooth skin. “You always smell nice,” she murmured between kisses.
Suddenly, she found herself on her back staring up at him as he straddled her. “My turn,” he whispered as he bent to kiss her neck and chest.
“My turn didn’t last very long.” Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout that he apparently found amusing because he laughed and nipped her stuck out lip with his teeth.
“You’ll get plenty of turns, Angel. Now hush.”
His mouth moved from her neck to her left nipple and she sucked in a breath at the sensation of his tongue swirling around the oversensitive nub. With his tongue and fingers, he worked her into a frenzy and she was dying for him to touch her pussy and make her cum. That isn’t what happened. Instead, when she was on the verge of begging him to touch her, he sat up, still straddling her.
“Are you mine?”
“Yes Sir.” Where was this going?
“Good.” He climbed off of her and strolled to the chair that sat near the wall and pulled it directly in front of the bed. When he was settled, one ankle rested on his knee, he said, “Lay back and spread your legs Angel. Show me how you touch yourself.”
The pace of her heartbeat kicked up a notch, and she stared at him.
“I’ll only ask once, Angel.”
“Why?” The sound of her own voice was loud in her ears but she knew she wa
s whispering.
“Do I really need a reason?”
He was challenging her. Was she up to the task? Her breathing hitched as she tried to convince herself to do as he asked. Laying flat on her back, she spread her legs wide and felt her face heat with embarrassment, knowing he was staring at her most intimate places while he sat still fully dressed.
“Keep going, Angel. You’re so hot like this.”
His words fueled her, and she slipped one hand between her legs and began to gently stroke the folds there. After a minute or two, she grew bold, her legs spreading wider as she found her clit and began to rub in gentle circles.
“Don’t stop until you’ve made yourself come.”
The tenor of his voice sent waves of desire pulsing through her and her body warmed further despite the cool air blowing through the room.
Normally, it took her several minutes to even get in the mood to masturbate, but the way his tongue and lips had worked her into a frenzied need, she was nearly ready to orgasm within minutes.
He encouraged her to keep going when she started to moan. Soft gentle moans as she increased the pressure on her clit. It wouldn’t be long before she fell over the edge.
“Come for me Angel.” His voice sounded husky now, and she imagined the lust that would undoubtedly be lurking in his eyes. That thought alone, the thought of his eyes searing into her with desire was enough to send her over into ecstasy. She didn’t recognize her own voice as she cried out while riding the wave of the orgasm. Just as it was starting to slow, she jerked when his mouth pressed against her still pulsating pussy.
“Oh, God,” she cried.
He sucked and nipped until she was on the verge of a second orgasm. His fingers dug into her thighs and kept them pressed firmly apart when she tried to close her legs to escape his tongue lashing against her. And then she was riding the high of pleasure again as she jerked beneath his tongue.
Then he was straddling her again, only now, she felt his erection pressing against her belly. He had stripped off his clothes.
“I’m going to fuck you now, Angel.”
“Please,” she begged.
