by Tori Carson
“I was married five years.” Her hand tightened around his. “There was never a hint that fireworks existed nor was there satisfaction. I’ve had better luck the few times at Cat Tails than in all the years I was married.”
“Then I’d venture to say either he sucked at it or he was a selfish prick who only cared about his own gratification.”
Angela exhaled and glanced away but not before he caught the sheen of tears in her eyes.
“Were you bored in your marriage?” He kept his tone gentle and as casual as he could manage.
She snorted. “I was terrified.” Her eyes immediately widened and her hand covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that. I meant mystified…mystified we stayed together so long.”
“What ended the marriage?” He went on without drawing attention to her confession. Brett knew she was lying but decided not to call her on it…yet.
“I asserted my independence. What caused the end to your relationships?” Her back was rigid and tension radiated from her.
Brett shrugged. “A couple of different things. Two girls had a problem with monogamy and telling the truth. Another refused to carry on an intelligent conversation. She grew bored or impatient if a discussion grew deeper than the latest fashion trends.”
“Well the latest in couture designs is paramount in every girl’s mind.” She smiled and began to relax.
John removed the salad plates, and moments later he returned with their entries.
After Angela had taken the first bite, Brett began to eat his own meal. “You like to cause trouble, push buttons.” He used a stern voice to see if she would cower from him or stick up for herself.
Angela shrugged. “That’s a fair assessment. I don’t like to take life too seriously.”
Brett smiled. “I like that. I enjoy spending time with a woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.”
While they were eating, Brett couldn’t hold her hand and he missed the contact. Angela, he feared, would slip through his fingers. Besides, if things worked according to his plan, she’d need to be comfortable with his touch. Under the table, she had her legs crossed daintily at the ankles. He surrounded her legs with his and locked her to him.
She sent him a devilish smile and blushed once more.
He wanted to keep the conversation light but still get to know more about her. “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
“Today. How about you?”
Brett shook his head. “That wasn’t a complete answer.”
She gave an exaggerated sigh. “It sounds pathetic, but I’ve never had a meal, let alone two in one day, with a man other than family or my ex.”
He was careful to keep his face from showing a reaction. “That’s not pathetic. You already said you don’t enjoy dating. It makes perfect sense and I feel honored that you made an exception for me.”
“Thank you. Will you answer the question?”
There were so many choices to choose from he was finding it hard to pick. For some reason, the k-i-s-s philosophy came to mind. Keep it simple, stupid. “This evening in the apartment upstairs, I’ve never had such an intense reaction to kissing a woman before. I very much wanted to take it to the next level.”
Angela’s eyes dilated and the vein in the side of her neck began pulsing. She shook her finger in his direction. “You sir, are a schmoozer and a very good one at that.”
Brett raised an eyebrow and glared at her. “Are you accusing me of feeding you a line?”
“Most definitely,” she appeared unfazed by his change in demeanor.
Secretly he was glad. He didn’t want her to fear him. “You, my dear lady, are asking for a severe tickling. I do not ‘schmooze’ women.” He wouldn’t profess to always telling the absolute no-holds barred truth, but he intended to come as close as he could without scaring her away.
“Tickling is an unfair tactic and proof I’m speaking the truth.” Her smile was endearing and sassy.
He loved her playful side. Looking at her plate, he noticed she’d eaten most of her food and placed the napkin on the table. “If you’re finished, why don’t we drop your car at your roommate’s place? It would be easier to only have one vehicle.”
“Sure.” She dug in her purse for a piece of paper and a pen. After she wrote her address on it, she gave it to him. “In case we get separated. Do you know where it is?”
He knew exactly where she lived, but it would be best to pretend otherwise. He glanced at the address. “No problem. Shall we?” He left a tip for John and escorted Angela back to her car.
Walking down the street, holding hands with Brett made her feel like a teen again. Being with him was fun and she found a smile on her face more often than not. The sexual attraction was becoming too potent to ignore. The only way to shut it off would be to stay the hell away from him and she wasn’t sure that was possible.
She couldn’t stop imagining what sex with him would be like. His touch set her on fire and the kiss they had shared, well…holy, fucking shit! No one should be allowed to kiss like that. She knew if he continued to pursue her, she’d end up scening with him. Everything about him appealed to her. She needed to set parameters and make sure he understood that a relationship, other than sexual, was out of the question.
“Angela, where’d you go, honey?” He brought her hand to his lips and brushed his lips across each fingertip.
“I’m sorry. Lost in my thoughts I guess.” She looked up and realized they were already in the garage only a few feet from her Nissan Sentra. “I’m parked right there. Are you far?”
“No, just a few spaces down.”
He walked with her to her car and opened her door for her but didn’t let go of her hand. “Kiss me.”
“I have garlic breath.” She didn’t know why she was hedging. She wanted to, if for no other reason than just to see if lightning struck twice. Maybe she’d get lucky and the electrical shock that passed between them had only been from the new carpet and not a pheromone overload.
“Kiss me.”
His tone had deepened and she responded in a purely physical way. Leaning in so their bodies were touching, she went up on her toes and initiated a sweet peck on his lips.
“I’m still waiting.” He raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that set her panties on fire.
Angela smiled. “That will have to tide you over until we get a few things worked out.” She slid down into her seat wondering why in heaven’s name she didn’t just kiss the man.
Brett just laughed and shut her door.
She drove home examining the situation from all angles. Running fast and far in the opposite direction would be the safest move, but Angela was already in too deep for that. She was attracted to and intrigued by him. The thought of scening with him made her squirm in her seat. She just had to make sure he understood it was only sex she offered. He had no say in the rest of her life.
As she drove into the complex, she found a parking spot with two open spaces and pulled in. After grabbing her purse and locking her car, she headed toward Brett and stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart started pounding and she took a step backward. As she turned to run, she noticed the driver and paused. She forced herself to stop. They drive the same kind of car. It wasn’t her ex-husband coming to drag her back. They just drove the same car. You can do this. Put one foot in front of the other.
He turned off the ignition, got out and met her halfway.
He must have seen her hesitate. Damn, how do I explain the problem without looking like an idiot?
When he held out his arms she went to him and snuggled against his chest before she could stop herself.
“What’s wrong? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just being silly. Are you ready?” She had no idea how she was going to ride in that car and not have a panic attack, but it was time to big girl up.
“Angela, if it upsets you, it isn’t silly. What frightened you?” His voice was
laced with concern and just a hint of Dom.
She fisted the edges of his suit coat and rested her forehead against his chest. “My ex drives the same type of car. For a moment I thought he was here. That’s all.” She lifted her face and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I’d really like to see the other apartments. Can we go?”
Brett examined her face closely then brushed his lips across her forehead before pulling away. He slid his arm around her waist, led her to the passenger side and held the door for her.
Once she was seated, he handed her the edge of the belt so she wouldn’t have to reach for it. She couldn’t believe how sweet he was. As the door closed, she leaned her head back and inhaled. It smelled of Brett instead of cigars. Maybe this won’t be so hard after all.
“I have another car. Next time we go out, we’ll take that.” Brett pulled out of the complex.
She sat up in her seat and folded her hands in her lap. “Brett, I appreciate what you’re doing for me and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time together today, but…”
“But, you don’t date.” He finished her sentence for her.
“Exactly! Thank you for understanding.” She sagged back against the seat.
“But does that mean that two people who weren’t dating couldn’t, on occasion, say after an evening of intense fucking, go out and share a meal? Think about it, they’d be famished. It would almost be rude not to find sustenance together.”
She had to laugh. How he’d managed to say that with a straight face, she’d never know. “Under those circumstances, I suppose it would be okay. As long as said participants didn’t think they had the right to make claims upon each other.” Oh dear lord, what can of worms had she just opened? She was definitely letting her pussy do the talking.
Brett was silent as he drove, making her wish she’d just kept her mouth shut. All the talk of sex at dinner and the kiss at the apartment had her feeling anxious and needy.
“Angela, I’m willing to meet you halfway. I can respect the non-dating rule, but I’d like you to scene with me exclusively. Since you don’t want to find a permanent partner and it doesn’t sound like you desire variety for variety’s sake, I think it might meet both our needs for the time being.”
Angela had learned to read body language pretty well while married to her ex. Though Brett appeared calm and casual, his grip on the shifter told a different story. He was also holding the steering wheel as if they were driving an obstacle course not a lonely side street. He definitely had more invested in the conversation than he wanted her to know. “What do you need, Brett?”
“I need to know you’re safe.” He glanced at her then back at the road. “I think we’re well matched sexually and I’d like to explore that with you, but I have to have an agreement that we’ll be exclusive. I refuse to share my partner with others.”
She closed her eyes. This was a bad idea, but she was too attracted to Brett to turn it down. Still, she had to be fair. “You want to find your forever girl. You won’t do that if you scene solely with me.”
“I haven’t found anyone I’m sexually attracted to other than you in months. All I’m asking is, before you scene with anyone else, do me the courtesy of telling me and I will grant you the same courtesy. That isn’t too much to ask, is it?”
When he put it like that, she really had no reason to refuse. As long as he knew all she was offering was sex… “No, Brett, that’s more than fair.” Angela felt all giddy inside and maybe a little nauseous. If they were scening on a continual basis, it stood to reason they’d be taking it to a higher level than she’d allowed before. The idea was more than a little frightening.
He reached over and took her hand. “Thank you, Angela. I know this is outside your comfort zone, but it will be worth it.”
She nodded, afraid of what would come out if she spoke just then.
Brett turned into a parking garage and pulled into one of the reserved spots near the elevators. “I’ll get your door.”
Angela tried to get her breathing under control as he walked to her side of the car. It was odd having her door opened for her. She felt ultra-feminine and cared for. She decided she rather liked it. As she took his hand and stood, she thanked him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a gentleman open my door for me. Thank you.”
He turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Your ex should receive a manners lesson.”
She chuckled. He needed a lot more than that.
“This apartment is on the third floor. It’s a little smaller, the view isn’t as nice, but it’s closer to the college. One thing you might want to keep in mind. Most classes are only a couple of times a week. It might be more beneficial to live closer to work.” He smiled. “And I like the other apartment better.”
“My job pays enough to get by, but I can’t do this for the rest of my life. I’m grateful though that they took a chance on me when I had such limited work experience.” She glanced up at him as they stepped into the elevator. “My ex wouldn’t allow me to work.” Or drive, or have friends… “So finding any job was a Godsend.”
Once the doors shut, Brett took her in his arms. “I’ve met men like that. They aren’t secure in their own skin so they bully others to boost themselves. I’m glad you got away from him.”
They broke apart as the doors opened. Walking hand in hand they turned and headed down the hallway. Brett was constantly touching her and now that the initial shock had passed, she decided she loved it. He gave her a warm, safe feeling.
“So you’re saying you wouldn’t expect Mrs. Mercer to be waiting at home with dinner on the table when you get home each evening?” Angela wasn’t sure she believed him.
Brett laughed. “Hell no. I don’t want Betty Crocker.”
He worked the lock and pushed the door open for her. “You say that now, but I can’t see you sitting at home twiddling your thumbs waiting on a woman.”
She walked into the apartment. It was substantially better than the place she shared with her roommate, but it paled in comparison to the first one. As she walked into the living room, he wrapped his hand around her arm and spun her around. Lifting her in a fireman’s carry he took her into the kitchen and set her on the island.
She squealed and beat on his back, but he ignored her protests.
“My wife wouldn’t be just ‘a woman’. She’d be my partner, my other half. Hell yes, I’d wait for her. If I got home first, I’d even cook her dinner. We’d be equals.”
He continued to glare at her until she couldn’t take it anymore. She put her index fingers at the edge of his frown and turned it into a smile.
Brett moved more quickly than she anticipated and bit the tip of her finger then ran his tongue over the sting. “I don’t like your impression of me.”
Angela tried to shrug casually, but she was breathing hard and her skin felt a little too tight and tingly. “Don’t take it personally. I’m basing my opinion on the men I’ve met. They start out all smiles but quickly digress into possessive, ‘you’re my property and will do as I say’ jerks.”
He hung his head and sighed. “You’re painting those generalizations with a mighty wide brush, little one. Not every man is like that.”
She was trying to keep the smile off her face and wasn’t having much luck. He looked so indignant she couldn’t help baiting him a bit further. “You’re probably right, but you are a Dom.”
He shook his head. “Girl, you’re so far off base, you aren’t even on the baseball field.”
Angela raised her eyebrows in response. “Really? Then enlighten me.”
Brett stared into her eyes for a few moments. “Only strong women like you, Angela, attract me. Let me back up. Sometimes, the wrong types of people are attracted to this lifestyle. Men like you describe, abusers looking for an easy victim can find BDSM appealing. But the flip side of the coin can also be found. Weak women who refuse to make a decision for themselves who want to be told what to do not because they find it empowering t
o please their Dom, but because they simply are not willing to make a stand for themselves, can also gravitate to the lifestyle.”
When she started to speak, he put a finger to her lips, “Shh, let me finish. What brought me to D/s is the power exchange. Dominating a woman who received nothing in return would be unfulfilling. Submissives like you, strong women who find it sexually gratifying to be dominated, attract me. It has to be mutual.”
His explanation wasn’t what she’d expected and it chipped away at her confidence. She felt as if she were crumbling inside. Though Brett scared her, she was terribly attracted to him. She wanted to know what sex with him could be like. She’d never found satisfaction from her ex, and the men she’d scened with at the club had been fun enough, but nothing that made her want to play with them a second time. Once, she’d even orgasmed. The other two times, she’d faked it then went home and took care of business herself.
“What is it? What did I say that upset you?” His hand was under her chin directing her gaze toward his.
He already knew her tells. That was both exhilarating and terrifying. She decided she had nothing to lose by telling him the truth. “I don’t know that ‘dominance’ per se arouses me. All I’ve tried is various impact play…spanking, flogging, paddling…that sort of thing.”
He pulled away from her and scanned her face. She was pretty sure she’d shocked the hell out of him.
“How many times have you scened?”
“Not including last night?” When he nodded, she answered, “Three.” He should know that. He’d been there each time sending her disapproving looks as she spoke with the men.
Brett leaned in and brushed away a few stray tendrils from her face. “You need a safe environment in which to explore. I can give that to you. We’ll take it slow, but I need you to talk to me and let me know if something isn’t working for you.”
“I can do that.” She’d found it was much easier to talk about things she didn’t like than it was to ask for what she wanted.
He took her hands in his and crossed them behind her back. She watched as he slowly bent his head toward hers. Her heart stopped until their lips touched. The pounding that ensued was out of control, a rush she couldn’t remember experiencing before. His kiss began tenderly but quickly deepened until she was pressing her breasts against his chest and wrapping her legs around him.
