Alex watched the two of them leave. Beth was about to be fitted with one of Giorgio’s special play collars—an easy-to-wear combination of leather and soft suede that subs could wear for hours without discomfort. It was all too easy to imagine her kneeling before him and wearing nothing but the collar and heels…cuffs too, at her wrists and ankles, ready to be restrained for his pleasure. Desire coursed like molten lava through his veins.
He made his way to the private room, supremely conscious of his arousal, growing in anticipation of what was to come. Once Beth was fitted with her collar, she would be brought to the private room by Giorgio, who would then leave them while Beth modelled the collar for him. Having her then strip for him was an indulgence they really didn’t have time for, but he longed to see Beth in all her naked glory, wearing just the collar, and he wasn’t prepared to wait.
Making a mental note to pick up those matching ankle and wrist cuffs that had also made it into his fantasy, Alex made himself comfortable on the sofa. After a few minutes Giorgio came in and behind him, Beth. In her left hand she was clutching the velvet ribbon, but around her beautiful neck there was the collar—and God, it looked even better than he’d imagined.
“Thank you, Giorgio. We won’t be long, but then we do need to look at those day collars.”
“No problem, everything’s ready.”
Once the other man had left, Alex turned his attention to Beth. She was standing quietly, waiting to take her cue from him.
“Take your clothes off, Beth. I want to see you.”
He was waiting for a protest, but it never came. Instead, lips pressed together to calm her nerves, she began to remove her clothing, and what she did next proved that she was everything he thought she was. She didn’t just strip for him; when she’d done that, she assumed her first position in front of him. Hell, if only they’d been at home…
He had to do it, Alex realised. Before he dragged her fully into this pile of shit, he had to give her one last chance to walk away, but not just from the security issue. He also had to be sure that she wanted to be in this relationship, before it killed him to let her go. “Beth, I have to ask you this one last time—are you sure you want to stay with me? You’ll be safer if you go away somewhere.”
“I’m staying with you, Alex. I’m safe with you.”
“And this relationship…it’s what you want? If not, just say the word and I swear I’ll never lay a finger on you again. I’ll take you back to your apartment, on one condition—that you go away until this is over. I need to know you’re safe until this is resolved. If you have any doubts, love, follow your instincts.”
Hesitantly, she looked up at him, moved into an upright kneeling position, and took one of his hands in both of hers. He felt the brush of her lips on his palm, and then her eyes met his. “I’m staying, Alex. I want this. And I want to be with you, no matter what happens. I can’t leave you. Now please…may I kiss you?”
He nodded, and their lips met in a gentle coming together that promised so much, yet also filled Alex with so much fear for what he might still lose.
“I’ll never leave you,” she whispered against his mouth. “If you want me to go, you’ll have to tell me to go. Tell me that you don’t want me—then I’ll leave.”
He couldn’t tell her that—he could never tell her that. She was his now, his to cherish and his to protect.
With his life.
“We’ll talk more about it later. For now, I’m going to take this collar off, and we’ll go and choose your day collar—something you can wear every day without advertising your status to all and sundry. Get dressed now. And by the way—you look incredible.”
The buckle of the collar was at her nape. While carefully unfastening it, Alex inhaled the perfume of her hair and her body, this woman he’d hungered after for so long. He let his forehead rest against hers for a moment, just a moment, so that a little of the ache could leave his soul.
As well as working in leather and suede, Giorgio was a master jeweller, a skill that enabled him to create magic from precious metals and gemstones. The pieces looked completely innocent to the vanilla world but conveyed a special message to those in the lifestyle.
Alex knew what he wanted for Beth as soon as he saw it. The ornate, heavy, gold chain, secured with a small working padlock, was perfect. A touch that Alex particularly liked was the discreet charm in the form of a tag that would soon have his initials engraved upon it. The advantage of the piece was that for ordinary day wear, it could be worn with the padlock and tag at the nape of her neck. If he wanted to make his ownership of her known, then he would direct her to wear it with the padlock resting over her heart.
“It’s stunning, Giorgio,” Alex approved, handing over his credit card. “And before I forget, I need the ankle and wrist cuffs to match the play collar.”
“Already in the box, my friend. May I congratulate you on your choice of daywear for your sub? It suits her perfectly.”
Alex had left the collar around Beth’s neck. He turned to look at her, his eyes devouring her face and body. “It’s as flawless as she is, Giorgio.”
~~*~~
After stopping at Beth’s place to pick up her belongings, they returned to Alex’s apartment for a few more essentials before setting off for their real destination, well away from the capital.
The further they drove away from London, the more Beth became aware of a change in the man beside her. The urbane, sophisticated businessman she knew was vanishing more with each mile, and in his stead she saw appear the cool, focused, professional soldier he had once been. The authority he projected so effortlessly became an air of command and control. Less the boss, more the Dom. So much more the Dom.
One thing was for sure, though—he was also a man with a lot on his mind, and as such, Beth didn’t feel inclined to press him about the mystery that was enveloping them—he had, after all, said that they would discuss things later. Of course, she wasn’t entirely sure that discuss was the right word—he’d talk and she’d listen…and probably agree, unless he started going on about her leaving again. No way was that happening.
Beth fingered her new collar, conscious of the weight of it around her neck, and her mind drifted back to what had happened back at Giorgio’s. The whole experience of being fitted for the play collar had seemed surreal, right from the instant that the other man had asked Alex for his permission to touch her and to use her name.
She still wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. No—she did know how she felt about it, Beth realised. Mainstream society might not find it acceptable, but the way Giorgio had spoken about her, the way he’d treated her, had all been an expression of respect not just for her relationship with Alex, but for her as a sub as well, even though she was so new to the world he and Alex inhabited.
So, what exactly was she getting herself into by staying with Alex? Whatever it was—she loved him. Was it time to let go of her independence and dismantle the wall that had protected the most vulnerable part of her for so long? Could she be brave enough to do that with Alex? She tried to imagine another man in his place—she gave this mythical man the face of others she knew among her colleagues and friends and drew a complete blank. Alex was the only man for her.
“Beth, tell me what you’re thinking.”
It would be easy to say “nothing”, but she had no intention of knowingly deceiving Alex. “I started off just thinking about what happened at Giorgio’s. It was…strange.”
“Did it make you feel uncomfortable?”
“Not exactly. There was a surreal quality to it. I know this will sound weird, but I felt as if I belonged to you, and Giorgio knew and respected that, but he also treated me as if…as if I were on some sort of pedestal. Does that make any kind of sense?” She had to ask him, because it made not one iota of sense to her.
He gave a short, soft laugh. “It makes perfect sense, sweetheart. Any true Dom knows how special a submissive, any submissive,
is. What else? There’s more to what’s bugging you than that.”
Was she really so transparent? Or was it just that he was more tuned in to her than she could ever have suspected? “I’m sorry I was such a pain over leaving the office.”
“You’re not a pain, love. I’ll tell you everything. Give me your hand.”
He pressed her palm down on his thigh. “Why are you trembling, Beth? Is there something else you’re not telling me?”
In that instant, Beth’s mind cleared. Those few words took the last bricks out of the walls that had defended her heart for so long. She so wanted to say it, to admit to how she felt. The words were there, battling to pass over the threshold of her lips, but was this the right place, the right time, in a car on the motorway? If not here, where? If not now, when?
She looked out of the car window, aware of the inadequacy of the words when measured against the feelings. Her throat felt so dry—funny what nerves could do.
“Alex—I love you.”
10
God, that sounds so pathetic.
As soon as she said the words, Beth wished she’d left them unsaid. Not that they weren’t true—she’d just sounded so pitiful. Even worse, tears of embarrassment made her eyes smart. All she’d probably done was make a bad situation worse.
“Beth.” His voice made a verbal caress of her name. “We’ll be at Winterleigh in about twenty minutes. When we get there, I’ll let you get settled in the family room while I bring everything in from the car, and then we’ll talk. There are things you need to know, but this isn’t the best place to tell you.”
Twenty miserable minutes had never passed so slowly. Beth watched the motorway turn into major roads and major roads turn into winding country lanes clothed in the russet shades of autumn. Then, in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere, Alex slowed the car and they were turning off the lane and into a drive guarded by huge electronic gates that swung open as they approached.
They passed between the towering structures and then carried on around a bend to the left, and after another curve back to the right, there before her was the most beautiful house Beth had ever seen. This was Winterleigh?
The car crunched over the honey-coloured gravel, following the sweep of the drive to draw to a halt at the front door. Alex came around to help Beth out. For a moment she simply stood there, looking up at the cream-coloured walls and leaded windows. She’d had no idea what to expect, but it wasn’t anything like this.
“You have a beautiful home, Alex.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Maybe, but it’s always been missing something vital,” he said, with a hint of longing in his voice, before turning back to her. “Until now, that is.”
He led her inside. The interior was every bit as impressive as the exterior. It was also light and modern, with a definite minimalist theme to the neutral décor. The family room was dove grey and white, with a luxurious carpet in pale oatmeal, and it was to that room that Alex escorted her, with an order to make herself at home. He would be back in a few minutes, and then they’d talk.
Beth was looking at the contents of the bookcases when he came back, carrying two cups of coffee.
“I’d have made it something stronger, but even I draw the line at alcohol at this time of the afternoon,” he stated, depositing the cups on the coffee table. “Come here, Beth.” He held out his hand. “Sit with me.”
Though she wanted to curl up at his side, Beth sat demurely a few inches away from him on the cream leather sofa, dreading what was going to happen next. This would be where he told her that he was very flattered, but unfortunately he didn’t feel the same way about her. He liked her and wanted her, but he didn’t love her. The story of her life, and it wasn’t about to change now.
His arm went around her shoulders, pulling her against his body. “About what you said in the car, Beth –”
“It’s all right.” She pushed away from him, suddenly feeling stiff and awkward as she fought to find the words that wouldn’t humiliate her any further. “It was a stupid thing to say –”
“It wasn’t,” he countered softly, pulling her back to him. “It was brave and wonderful.” A finger under her chin tilted her head up for a kiss that consumed her from her head to her toes. “And I should have been the first to say it. I love you, sweetheart. I never realised it, but I have for a long time.”
She looked at him in silence, searching for some sign that he was just humouring her, but there was none—he truly meant it. Beth let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and rested her head against his chest, one arm draped across his abdomen. Suddenly, everything else faded into the distance. Whatever the reason behind their flight from London, it would be all right now. They’d see it through together. Alex loved her. Everything would be all right, she knew it. It had to be.
“Now, about…this.” He waved his hand around the room. “Being here. You were right, this is too soon. Not knowing how you feel, I figured we’d date a while, spend a few nights together, and one day you’d wake up and realise you’d moved in with me while you weren’t looking. Then you’d smile, and I’d kiss you and tell you that I’m in love with you.”
Her heart felt as if it were going to burst out of her chest. The words were beautiful, but it was the way they were reflected in his eyes. It damn near broke her heart. With great reluctance, she tore her gaze away from his eyes and looked at the mouth she was desperate to kiss.
“I am, you know,” he continued. “And that’s why I had to hurry this up. I have to protect you, Beth, and I can do it better here than I can in London. This doesn’t have to be for the long term, just for now, until we get to the bottom of the current situation. You need to be in possession of all the facts before making a decision about the rest of your life.”
The rest of your life. He meant it—he really meant it. And as she imagined what it might be like to live with Alex and bind her life to his, Beth knew she had all the facts she needed already. When the time was right, she’d tell him. She wanted him to be as sure about her answer as she was.
“Okay. So why do I need protecting? What’s going on?”
“I promised you an explanation.” He sipped his coffee. “By the time I’m finished, we may both need something stronger than this.”
Beth listened intently as the man she loved began to tell her of his past, the years he’d spent in the military, and the transfer to Special Forces, where he’d been the linguist on the team. Without going into too much detail, he told her about the missions he’d been sent on to some of the world’s most hostile hot spots, where he’d acquired the scars that marked his body. She wept silent tears for what he’d gone through, for the friends and comrades he’d lost.
“Shh, Beth, don’t cry, not for me. It’s all in the past now,” he comforted her. “Or at least it was. Cam thinks—and I have to agree with him—that the bugs and cameras were planted by, or on behalf of, someone we ran into back then, someone who may be looking for revenge.”
Eyes wide with shock, she looked at Alex. Her mind was struggling to comprehend how anyone could possibly have cause to seek vengeance against the man she knew him to be. “Revenge? I don’t understand. I know you mentioned it as a possibility, but you said it was more likely to be industrial espionage. Why? Why would anyone want to ruin Paduan Ventures?”
Alex shook his head. “Who knows? Beth, it wasn’t a picnic out there, we had to do things –”
She reached up to kiss him. “You did what you had to do, Alex. You had to protect innocent lives—how many did you save?”
“If this is someone out for revenge, then perhaps not the one or ones that mattered,” he replied, his voice almost haunted. “I brought you here because Winterleigh has state-of-the-art security—Cam had it installed it last year—and out here, I have the means to protect you with reasonable force, if it becomes necessary. I can’t do that in London.”
Beth went very still. “Wait a minute�
��I think I’m missing something. Someone’s using electronic surveillance equipment to spy on your business and ruin you financially, but you’re acting as if…as if there’s some sort of threat to our lives. Why would ‘reasonable force’ come into it? And what sort of ‘reasonable force’ are you talking about?”
Alex sighed. “Industrial espionage comes from the head—it’s a purely business decision, prompted by material greed, and as such, the risks involved will be weighed up with cold logic. Revenge, on the other hand…that’s emotional. It comes from the gut and the heart, and it has no built-in boundaries. The measures taken to satisfy a desire for revenge could ramp up to the point where lives can be at risk.”
That made sense. “And what about ‘reasonable force’?”
“The house has a gun room—all legal, don’t worry. It’s out in what used to be the stable block. I normally only use the shotguns on clay pigeons.”
A chill descended over Beth as she realised the implication of what he was saying. The danger they were in wasn’t some abstract concept—it was very real and Alex was talking about the possibility of using firearms in their defence. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I’m not teaching you to shoot, if that’s what you’re asking,” Alex stated in a tone that brooked no argument. “If someone sees you with a weapon, it makes you a target—you can leave that to me. What I want you to do is get to know this house inside out, so you can get to a secure room I’m going to show you from anywhere in the house.”
“A panic room, you mean?”
“Not in the sense you’re thinking, Beth—not like the movies. It’s just a secure room with an independent communications system, so that if we’re attacked and they cut the obvious lines of communication, the system in that room will still function.”
For a moment, Beth wondered when reality had morphed into the pages of a thriller, the only place where any of this would make sense. She had to ask. “Why do you even have a secure room? Do you have a crystal ball I don’t know about?”
The Velvet Ribbon Page 15
