by Tara Sue Me
Blue? She had a vague memory but it tried to slip away. She closed her eyes, determined to catch it first. Almost.
Almost.
So close…
Her eyes flew open. “It means forever and I got the color from your eyes.”
3
Sasha didn’t know why she was nervous about Fritz and Kate coming for dinner. The couple had stopped by twice before in the past six months and they were fun. Totally unexpected since Fritz had intimidated her in the past and Kate was Cole’s ex.
But dinner tonight didn’t sit well with her. Though if asked why, nothing specific came to mind. She sat at Cole's feet while he worked. It was three in the afternoon, but she and Julie closed the shop early. Sasha had hurried home to spend a few quiet hours before their guests arrived.
It surprised Cole to see her and he expressed his disappointment he couldn’t join her. Stupid deadline. She’d smiled and sat on the floor by his desk, telling him she wanted to keep him company. He'd kissed her and whispered wicked promises in her ear before returning to work.
He sighed and took his glasses off, placing them on the top of his desk.“Is there something you need to tell me, little one?” A simple question, but nonetheless a command.
Her stomach flipped. The last time he’d asked that question she’d gotten herself off in the shower hours earlier. To make it worse, she hadn’t told him. Both were direct violations of his expectations. After she’d confessed, he’d made sure she knew of her action’s ramifications and told her the second time to expect worse.
No fucking way. Once was enough, thank you very much.
She went over the last few days in her head to make sure there was nothing to confess.
“No, Sir,” she answered. “Nothing comes to mind.”
Hell, they’d taken a shower together this morning.
He raised an eyebrow. “Then why have you been sitting for the past hour, looking as if you're waiting for the sky to fall?”
Fuck. She’d distracted him. Her intention to keep him company failed. “I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean….”
Her voice trailed off as he placed the first finger of his right hand across his lips in a shh movement. He said nothing. He didn’t need words.
When I ask you a question, your only response is to be an answer to that question.
She dipped her head, but looked at him when she replied. “I have an uncomfortable feeling about dinner tonight, Sir.”
He templed his fingers. "Dinner or who will be at dinner?”
“I’m not sure, Sir.” She shook her head; she couldn’t explain. “I don’t know what it’s about. I only know whenever I think about tonight, I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Sort of like when you find a box and you want to open it, but you also know you won't like what you find?”
He remained silent, but from his expression, was thinking on what she'd said.
“Yes,” he said after what felt like an hour. “I know the feeling. In addition, I know you and I value your intuition. In fact, if it was a box, we would leave it alone. However, in this case it’s dinner. So we will have it, but I’ll be on high alert. I trust you’ll tell me if the feeling gets stronger?”
“Yes, Sir,” she replied, feeling better, but wary at the same time.
“Good.” He smiled. “Since we have a few hours before Fritz and Kate arrive, I’m going to give you other things to keep your mind occupied. Stand up and strip. Quickly.”
4
Three hours later, the doorbell rang. Sasha rested on the couch, curled next to Cole with his arm around her. She stretched, relaxed and sated.
“I have to move, don’t I?” She teased, stroking his arm.
“We could eat in here, but it’d get messy.” He stood and helped her to her feet. Because of his deadline, he’d arranged for dinner to be delivered instead of cooking for everyone himself.
She hated cooking, but Cole did not. Another reason they were perfect for each other. He cooked, and she cleaned.
“What did you order for tonight?” she asked.
"Italian, but if they ask, I’ve been working in the kitchen all afternoon." He laughed at the lazy smile she gave him. "On second thought, never mind. All it’ll take is one glance at you and they’ll see the truth."
In fact, as they welcomed Fritz and Kate inside, the big German Dom grinned at Sasha and said, “Someone had a nice afternoon.”
Her cheeks heated at his causal remark implying how she and Cole had spent the last few hours.
“And she blushes,” Fritz teased. “A pleasure to see you again, Sasha.”
Months ago, before Fritz and Kate visited for the first time as a couple, Cole told Sasha he treated dinner with friends as low protocol. As a result, she replied, not needing permission first. “Nice to see you as well, Herr Brose.” She glanced at Kate. “You too, Kate.”
“Thank you,” Kate said.
Fritz shook his head. “I’ll never convince you to call me Fritz, will I?”
She grinned. “Probably not, Sir.”
Cole playfully whispered in her ear, making sure he was loud enough for everyone to hear. “Don’t let him lie. He loves you being so formal with him.” He looked up at his old friend. “Don’t stress my Sasha or else I’ll kick you out of my house.”
His jovial voice didn’t match the don’t fucking mess with me look he gave Fritz.
“Cole,” Fritz said. “I would never dream of doing anything to cause Sasha stress. Surely you know that.”
Cole nodded, but his movements were stiff. “Just wanted to make sure.” He took Sasha’s hand, and appeared to relax. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to eat.”
They headed into the kitchen where dinner waited for them, all handled by the company Cole hired. After preparing a plate, they sat around the kitchen table.
The first part of the meal was uneventful. They talked and laughed, and the unease Sasha felt for most of the day floated away.
She watched the relatively new couple at the table and felt silly over the conversation she’d had with Cole. The possibility of something bad happening or either one of their guests bringing devastating news seemed ridiculous. She hoped Cole didn’t think less of her, or her intuition.
“Before I forget.” Fritz lifted his eyebrow at Kate and she picked up her tote bag from the floor. She took a brown paper-wrapped package and handed it to Fritz.
Sasha almost dropped her fork because as soon as the package appeared above the table, she realized whatever the brown paper covered caused her bad feeling earlier. She gently placed her fork beside her plate, careful not to draw any attention with her movements, and slid her hand down to rest on Cole’s knee.
He looked at her, then the package, and nodded his understanding. Across from them, Fritz spoke, having missed the nonverbal conversation. “I’m not sure if you remember, but I kept a journal of our time together while you were in your mentorship.”
Sasha stopped herself from shaking her head. A journal? That didn’t make any sense at all. Why would a journal give her a bad feeling? Especially one about Cole being trained. Seriously, what was the worst it could say? That he would be a bad Dom?
“I don’t get it,” she whispered so only Cole could hear her. She looked up at him, but if he thought anything was off concerning the journal, it didn’t show on his face. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
She decided if he wasn’t worried, she wasn’t going to be either.
“I’d forgotten about that.” Cole asked. “Wherever did you find it?”
“Funniest thing,” Fritz said. “It was in a box. For the life of me, I don’t know how it got there.” He waved toward the journal. “Now you can share all those embarrassing early stories with Sasha. I’m sure she’d get a kick out of them. I also slipped a letter I received from India in there.”
Cole’s face paled. “What kind of letter?” He asked in a tight voice.
Fritz lifted his wine glass. “I’ll le
t you read and decide for yourself.”
5
“Sasha, little one.” His voice was low and gentle, but still insistent that she wake up. He softly brushed the hair from her forehead.
She slowly opened her eyes. He didn’t often wake her up once she was asleep because he said her body needed its rest. But he was dressed up to go out, had a coat on and everything.
Did he have a business trip and she forgot? He didn’t go away all that much. Only twice since they’d been together. Both had been over a weekend and both times she’d stayed with Daniel and Julie. Was she supposed to go to their house this morning? She hadn’t packed.
Her eyes flew open. “Did I forget?”
It was still dark outside, but he’d turned on a lamp on the other side of the room and the low light allowed her to see his face clearly. She pushed herself up to get a better look because she'd not once ever seen the expression he currently wore. She wasn't even sure she could describe it if someone were to ask her to do so tomorrow. He wasn't angry, but a quick look to her side told her that he hadn't slept yet. At least not in their bed.
“What do you think you forgot?” he asked.
"Do you have a trip?”
“No.”
She frowned. He didn't have a trip and yet he had his clothes on and hadn't made it to bed. “What time is it, Sir?”
“It’s almost five, so we better hurry.”
Hurry where? And who hurried at almost five anyway? “I don't remember us having to be anywhere today at almost five.”
By this time, he’d gotten her out of bed and was helping her dress. “That's because you didn't know about it.”
“And if I had known about it, we’d still be sleeping because I'd have made sure whatever it is we're getting ready to do could be done at a decent time of day.”
“I don't think I've ever heard you string so many words together before you had coffee.”
She glared at him. He was laughing. Laughing. At almost five in the morning.
He kissed her forehead. “Go do what you need to in the bathroom. You have exactly five minutes. One second more and you'll regret it. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir,” she said walking to the bathroom. I understand you've lost every bit of sense you had.
Four and a half minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom and found him waiting in the bedroom. He held her jacket in one hand, flashlights in the other, and had on a backpack. They were walking? Outside? Before five in the morning?
“I'm still asleep, aren't I?”
“I assure you, you are very much awake.” He nodded to her jacket. “Put it on so we can get going. We have a ways to go before dawn.”
She shrugged her jacket on. “Will you remind me to do something when we get back, Sir?”
“Of course, little one. What should I remind you to do?”
“To make hiking before dawn a hard limit.”
By twenty after five, they still hadn’t reached their destination, though Cole assured her they were close. They actually hadn’t walked that far, they were just taking their time.
“Is all of this your land, Sir?” She had been with him on the day he first saw the house and property, and while she couldn’t remember exactly how much land was included in the deal, she was fairly sure it wasn’t this much.
“It is actually,” he said surprising her. “When I made my initial offer, the agent told me the adjoining property, which was undeveloped, was also on the market. I decided to purchase it as well.”
They skirted around a large tree and she found they were in a small clearing.
“This is it,” Cole said. He took off the backpack and started pulling out various items. The first was a blanket he spread out on the soft grass, but when she asked if she could help, he told her under no circumstances would she lift a finger.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long for him to set up and when he did, he motioned for her to sit by his side. Once she was settled, he poured her some coffee he’d brought and gave her a homemade breakfast sandwich, her favorite - egg whites with feta and spinach.
“This is wonderful, Sir,” she said around a bite.
He chuckled and poured her more coffee. “The food or the entire experience?”
She didn’t answer immediately and his chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. She still wasn’t sure why they had to get out and about so early, but if she had to guess, she’d guess something having to do with the sunrise.
“The entire experience is starting to grow on me, Sir.”
His smile was in his voice. “I’m pleased to hear that, little one. Finish up. It’s almost time.”
Almost time for what, he didn’t say. But she finished her breakfast as quickly as possible and then he packed everything back up. Once more, not allowing her to help. It didn’t take him long and when he’d finished, he gathered her to him, sitting on the ground, her back to his chest and surrounded by blankets.
It was the sunrise, she decided as the first streaks of light teased the dark sky. What surprised her more, though was when Cole spoke.
“Before you came into my life, little one, I lived in the darkest night. I was lost and lonely, even when surrounded by people. I knew, even though I would never admit or voice it, that my life was missing something. And not just anything, but something very important and vital. I was scared, not knowing where to look or where to go. I searched the world in vain.”
He tightened his embrace around her and she leaned against him and held onto his arms even as he was holding her. Together, they watched as the light grew brighter.
He continued, “Then one day on an unplanned trip to stay unannounced with an old friend, the most stunning woman I ever saw fell right into my arms.”
She would have laughed if he hadn’t sounded so serious. To say she fell into his arms was much more romantic than what actually happened, which was she almost fainted and he caught her before she busted her head open. But if he wanted to make it sound more romantic, she wasn’t going to argue.
“Come here,” he said, standing and pulling her up with him, turning her so they faced each other. The sky around them was filled with the radiance of a hundred different hues of yellow, orange, and red. But in spite of the splendor around her, all she could see at that moment was Cole.
He took her hands and squeezed them. “Weeks later, I still couldn’t get you out of my mind. I found I had to return to Delaware, even if I was only able to see you one more time. But once I got there, I couldn’t leave because you amazed me with your strength and resilience. Then I was fortunate enough to get to know you and I fell deeper and deeper under your spell.”
She didn’t realize she was crying until the warm wet tears ran down her cheeks.
“I love you,” his voice was low and somber, but his expression held nothing but love. “You already wear my collar, and you told me you would wear my mark if I wanted to put it on you.”
He let go of her hand, knelt down on one knee, and held out a ring box. “Sasha Blake, my little one, will you also take my name? Will you marry me and become mine in every way possible?”
She nodded even though she was more convinced than ever that this was a dream. But then, because she knew he needed the words, she said. “Yes. Yes, Cole Johnson, I will marry you and not only will I become yours in every way, but you will become mine.”
He stood, his face holding nothing but unrestrained joy. “I’ve always been yours, Sasha. Even before I knew who you were, you held a part of me.”
He took the ring and she was able to see it for the first time. It was a flawless diamond solitaire, set in a simple platinum setting. He slipped it on her finger and she had never seen anything more perfect.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said, holding her hand out to get a better look.
“It’ll do,” he said, and when she looked at him, it wasn’t the ring he was focused on, but her. “It’s dull and rather ordinary compared to the woman who’s wearing it.”
Once
they made it back inside, he took her hand and, without a word, led her to the bedroom. He walked her to the center of the room and framed her face with his hands. “I love you, Sasha.”
He didn’t give her a chance to reply, but lowered his head and kissed her. Slowly. Taking his time, as if there wasn’t anything else he ever had to do other than kiss her. She brought her arms up and dug her fingers into his hair, holding him to her tightly.
For the longest time, they simply kissed, their hands and fingers teasing the other with the pleasure that would soon follow. But it was more than pleasure, for every touch of his lips whispered his love.
Just when she thought she would self combust with the need for him to take her further, he pulled back and undressed her, stilling her hands when she tried to help. She whimpered, unaccustomed to him going slow, but he refused to be hurried.
Once she was naked, he walked her to the bed, and lifted her up, sitting her on top so she could watch him undress. And watch she did. She would never tire of seeing him naked. His chiseled chest, the visible strength of his arms, the way his muscles moved, so full of raw power.
Her eyes moved downward, following his hands as he lowered his pants and then, finally, his boxer briefs. He was hard and ready, and she licked her lips in anticipation of his taste. It was his turn to moan and she hoped he would he signal for her to get off the bed and move to her knees before him.
But he didn’t. He moved toward her looking like a predator. The heat in his eyes made her heart pound because now maybe he’d take her. He slowly joined her on the bed, but when he pushed her under him, he slid down so his face was between her legs.
Oh dear, Lord. She feared she wasn’t going to able to hold back her orgasm. Not today. Not with how emotional the day had been. Especially not with his warm breath caressing her the way it was. She clenched her fists tightly and hoped for the best.
“Not today, Sasha,” he said, kissing the inside of her thigh. “Today, you hold nothing back. You give me everything. I want to hear and feel every single thing I do to you. Every moan. Every whimper. And every orgasm. I want them all.”
