by Zoey Derrick
His smile returns lightly. “You didn’t buy these, I did.” His confidence is returning.
“Jeez, I know, but…”
“Please just look at them? If you don’t like them, I will take them back.”
I fold my arms over my chest and look into his eyes. I can’t say anything for a moment and he beats me to it. “There comes a time in a woman’s life where she needs to let someone pamper her, someone take care of her, someone who treats her like the queen that she is. Raine, this is your time.”
Tears well in my eyes and I can’t say anything.
He sets the box down on the bed and comes to stand in front of me. He cradles my face in his palms and he tilts my head up so that my eyes can meet his. “I won’t push this stuff on you, I won’t be upset if you don’t accept it, but if I have it my way, these won’t be the last gifts that I buy you.”
“It just throws me off balance. I know that you have money, probably tons of it…” He starts to interrupt and I silence him with my finger. “But you have to understand that I have struggled, I have scrimped and saved pennies from the bottom of my purse for emergencies. Dex, I have lived off of ramen noodles and hot dogs. I have struggled for everything that I have and let me tell you, it isn’t much. I have done everything on my own for so long, and I have never had anyone buy me anything remotely close to what you’ve purchased today, let alone myself. The only reason I have half of the clothes I have for this tour is because I was given a clothing budget from Bold, dinner last night was on Bold’s credit card. Dex, I have maybe two-thousand dollars in my bank account and the only reason I have that is because I have a housing allowance that is paying my rent while I’m away on tour. I am poor, I am broke and this…It’s so much, too much.” I blink back the tears that are threatening to overwhelm me.
Dex rubs his thumbs under my eyes, capturing the strays.
“It was not my intention to make you feel uncomfortable. I really just bought a few things that I thought would look amazing on you. I can tell by your reaction so far that you do like them. Raine, if I could, I would spoil you every day, but I know that’s not what you want me to do. These are little gifts from me to you and believe me, these are more for me than you.” I give her a playful smirk. “I understand how accepting lavish gifts can be hard for you, but these are far from lavish. These are simply to make you feel special tonight, to make you think of me when you wear them.”
I watch as her face softens and the unshed tears dry up.
“I am capable of giving you so much more, and I want to do just that.”
“You give me so much already, Dex. Just being you, being around me, making me feel like I’m the most important person in the world.”
“You are the most important person in my world and all I want to do is make you happy. If taking this stuff back will make you happy, I will do just that,” I tell her and I mean what I’m saying. The last thing I wanted to do was upset her today. I didn’t think that buying her a couple of outfits, a pair of shoes and a new handbag would do this to her. It never occurred to me that she wasn’t used to being lavished on. Or that she never pampered herself. But more importantly, I learned something new about my glowbug. She is stronger than I could have ever imagined her to be.
“No, please don’t take them back,” she whispers.
I smile at her. “I won’t. But I need you to understand that this won’t be the last time I buy you things.”
She gives me a half smile. “I understand and I will try to be a little more excited next time.” She smiles wider. “Can I see the shoes?”
I chuckle and kiss her lips. “Of course.”
I release her and reach for the box. I hold it out to her and she removes the lid. “Holy crap,” she squeaks. “Those are fucking sexy,” she says, our conversation forgotten. I have a feeling we just might be back here again one day, but for now, I will take her enthusiasm.
The shoes are a black and silver suede strappy number that have a wedge heel. Now don’t go getting all ‘oh he knows his shoes’ on me, that’s what the woman at the store told me. I just thought, like Raine, that they were sexy as fuck. “So you approve?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. Her excitement is telling me that this is okay.
“I do. They’re amazing.”
“Good.” I smile and kiss her forehead. “One more thing.”
“Dex,” she scolds.
I laugh. “Close your eyes, princess.” She complies and I pull out the handbag from the Jimmy Choo bag on the bed and hold it up in front of her. It’s some black leather looking thing with a short strap. Shut up, I’m a guy, I don’t do the whole purse thing. “Open your eyes,” I tell her and she does.
She’s shocked and she covers her mouth. “Do I even want to know how much that cost?” she says behind her hand.
“Probably not, though I’m not sure I know.” I give her a half smile. “I noticed the one that you had was kind of beat up and that you really don’t carry it often. I thought maybe you’d like something new. I found one in Louis Vuitton…”
“Don’t you dare,” she scolds me again. “That is something you would have taken back,” she tells me and I nod. She’s right, the one I saw was about half this size and three times the money, not that I wasn’t ready to pay for it, but I’d already purchased this one.
She finally takes the bag from my hand and looks it over. “This is gorgeous, Dex.”
“You like it?” I say like a little boy and she giggles, then sets it on the bed. She’s still buck naked, mind you, as she throws her arms around my neck, and pulls herself up to wrap her legs around my waist.
“I love it.” She plants a chaste kiss on my lips. “I love you,” she tells me and my heart skips a beat.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you saying that,” I tell her and I kiss her. After a beat or two, I work to coax her mouth open and succeed, sliding my tongue in along hers. Warm and wet. My cock jumps and it’s going to take everything I have to stop this from going further. Her hands slide into my hair, holding me hard against her lips as my breathing grows ragged.
She pulls back. “We don’t have time,” I softly say against her lips. “You need to get dressed, glowbug.”
She pouts at me, but nods.
“There will be plenty of time later,” I tell her as I set her down. “Now, go get ready.” She kisses me briefly one more time before heading toward the bathroom. “Oh, and princess?”
“Yes.” She turns back toward me. “Leave your hair down tonight, please?”
“Yes, Sir.” She smirks and my cock jumps once again.
“No, we’ll be fine,” I tell Mills on the phone. “No, if the guys are going out, you’re going to need all the help you can get. Keep the guys. I don’t know where we’re going, but we’ll be with Derek.”
“I need to at least know where you’ll be,” Mills says through the phone.
I tell him where we will be for dinner. “We’re going to a private club afterward.”
“I don’t like the sounds of that.”
“Mills, please don’t press it. There is more security in this club than you or your men can provide. It is exclusive and private. The kind where you need a five million dollar bank account to get in.”
“Alright,” he relents. “Just keep her safe.”
I snort into the phone. “Do you seriously believe I would let anything happen to her?”
He sighs. “No, I don’t imagine you would.”
“Thanks, Mills.”
“Yup, call if you need anything.”
“Done,” I say and we hang up and I return my phone to its holster on my pants.
“A five million dollar bank account?” I hear Raine say softly and I jump, standing up and turning around.
“Shit,” I breathe as I take her in. She’s wearing the charcoal grey dress. Her hair is down, like I asked and cascading over her shoulders. I can see her nipples through the top, not horribly, but… “I can see…” I point with a smirk.
She laughs. “It’s your bra, bubba,” she tells me. “It’s sheer, incapable of hiding anything. Do you want me to put one of mine on?” she asks and I gently shake my head no. “I didn’t think so.” She smirks. “Now, five million…” She doesn’t finish her earlier question.
I give a shake of my head as I’m contemplating how to explain this to her. “That’s not entirely accurate, but all members are required to go through a strict background check, pay dues and such before they are admitted into the club on a probationary basis.”
She gives me a puzzled look. “I haven’t provided any of that.”
I cut her off, “We’re going as guests of registered members. So we’re alright. But it is tight on security and because of its exclusivity, I don’t need or want our guys hanging around with us tonight.”
“Alright,” she says without hesitation and I go back to looking her up and down. She’s added a couple of bracelets over her one wrist. I love that the dress has built in thumb holes so that it goes almost all the way down her hand. “I can’t wear your garter with this dress,” she tells me and I know my face falls. “It’s too form fitting, I could see every line.”
“Are you at least wearing the thong?” I ask, curious. She shakes her head, then begins to lift her dress, showing off the shoes I bought her, then her shapely gorgeous legs and finally as the dress crests her thighs, I see nothing. “Oh fuck,” I growl and I charge at her. “That is the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” I pin her against the door jamb and run my finger along her cheek. “You’re so beautiful,” I tell her, but I behave myself with a soft chaste kiss. “You ready to go?”
“Almost, I just need to grab my purse,” she tells me with a smile on her lips before I release her. She goes into the bedroom for her new purse and when she returns, I offer her my elbow, all gentleman like before we leave the suite.
Dex, in a button down black shirt, open at the collar with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his tattoos, and black jeans and shit kickers is, yep, it’s panty melting, if I were wearing any.
He escorts me down to the lobby. I notice he’s looking around as he leads me into the bar area of the hotel. “Oh, there,” he says while pointing a toward one of the darker corners. We approach a very handsome, long brown haired man and a very pretty blonde. Dex continues leading me until we’re standing at the table with them.
“How’s it going, man?” Dex asks the guy as they shake and the man stands up.
“Good. How are you?”
I watch Dex light up. “Excellent.” Dex then turns to the woman, releasing me. He leans over and kisses her cheek. “Dacotah, it’s great to see you again.”
“Likewise,” she says back softly.
Dex takes my hand again. “Derek, this is Raine. Raine, I’d like you to meet Derek Hunter.” When I look at Derek, something about his look sends a thrill up my spine and I suddenly feel the urge to lower my eyes. Then realization dawns on me.
I extend my hand to Derek who promptly takes it. “The pleasure is mine, Raine. I’ve heard so much about you.” He kisses the back of my hand, all gentlemanly.
“You have?” I say surprised.
“Cami speaks very highly of you. We’ve even spoken on the phone a few times.”
“Oh…oh, you’re…” I take a deep breath, trying to settle myself a little bit. “You’re Cami’s friend Derek?” I finally manage to say.
Derek smiles, his demeanor softening. “I am. Cami and Tristan are great friends of mine. But I am being rude. This lovely lady is Dacotah, my girlfriend and my submissive.”
My eyes lock with Derek’s, then to Dex, then finally, remembering my manners I turn to Dacotah. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say and it’s not a lie. I’ve never met another submissive before and now all of a sudden everything clicks into place and makes sense.
I watch as Dacotah looks to Derek who nods, then she looks back at me before wrapping her arms around me. “It’s great to meet you too,” she says with enthusiasm. “Derek hasn’t stopped talking about you,” she whispers conspiratorially into my ear. I smile. Suddenly eager to get on with this night but in the same, I can’t take my eyes off of Dacotah.
“Would you guys like a drink?” Derek asks.
Dex squeezes my hand and draws my attention back to him and Derek. “I’d love one, please.”
“Perfect,” he says and we tell him what we’d like to drink. “Cotah,” Derek says with a firmness similar to what Dex uses with me from time to time. I watch as Cotah promptly gets up, rounds the table and kisses Derek on the cheek with a wide smile before going to the bar with our drink orders. I stand there, dumbstruck.
“Sit,” Derek says and Dex immediately grabs for a chair, pulling it out for me and I take a seat near where Dacotah is sitting with Dex closer to Derek. “You’re right, Dex,” I hear him tell Dex.
“I told you.” Both men look at me.
I flush. “What?” I say without thinking.
Derek smirks. “Dex told me that he thought you were a pretty natural submissive and I have to agree with him.”
“Oh.” I blush and lower my head, my hands wringing together. I bite my lip. Confusion and a feeling like I’ve been shut in the dark courses through me and I don’t like the idea one bit.
“Raine, can you please look at me?” Derek asks nicely and I look at him. “You’re intimidated by me, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Sir,” I say automatically.
“Please don’t be,” he says gently and with a smile. “I don’t mean to scare or even trigger your submissive side, but I guess there are certain things that I do, without realizing it, that come across as Dominant. So please, forgive me. Tonight is very informal, but I’d like to help you and Dex. If you’re interested, after tonight that is.”
“What’s happening tonight?” I ask, looking from Derek to Dex and back again.
“I wanted to surprise her,” Dex says quickly and Derek chuckles.
“Well, first, we’re going to have drinks here, then we’re going to go out for dinner. After that, I’d like to take you to a place called The Box,” Dex tells me.
“What’s The Box?” I ask.
It’s Derek that answers simply, “A BDSM club.”
I gasp and a shiver runs up my spine. Not in fear, but utter excitement. “I’ve never been to one before,” I tell both Dex and Derek.
Just then Dacotah returns to the table, kissing Derek before taking her seat. I watch as he reaches over and takes her hand. “The waitress said she would bring them over for us,” Dacotah tells us.
“Great, thank you, Cotah.” Derek then kisses her on the cheek and she glows. Then he whispers something into her ear. I watch carefully as a switch flips with Dacotah and she lights up a little.
“Thank you,” she says to Derek and I can’t help the puzzled look on my face.
Derek smiles at me. “Cotah and I have a lifestyle relationship. She is my submissive twenty-four seven. However, on nights like tonight, for now, the majority of her rules are turned off.”
“Rules?” I ask curiously.
“I am allowed to talk without permission,” she says with a bright smile. “I can basically do whatever I want, talk, be friendly, be normal.” She shrugs. “For lack of a better way to describe it. Though there are still certain rules in place because everything I do reflects back on Derek.”
“Jeez, it all seems like so much,” I mutter. My confidence is raised a little when Dex squeezes my hand then pulls it onto his thigh.
Before anyone can say anything else, the waitress arrives with our drinks. “Thank you,” I tell her before she leaves.
“How you wish to live the lifestyle is up to you and your partner,” Derek says. “There are any number of ways you can work a Dom/sub relationship. In fact, there are no guidelines. It’s more about what pleases you and your partner. I, for example, enjoy a lifestyle submissive. One who is rewarded for the things that she does and her behavior while doing them. We live by the Dom/sub rules tw
enty-four seven. Except on nights like this where we’re out with friends or out with people unfamiliar with the lifestyle and especially for business related functions. To them, we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. Much like right now. Though we’re discussing the lifestyle, I think it is important that you be able to discuss any questions you have with me or with Cotah.”
“Thank you for that,” I say as I take a sip of my Cosmo. I look over to Dex, who has been quiet since we’ve been down here. I’m not entirely sure what to say at the moment and I need to find a distraction, but unless it involves asking more questions, I’m not sure what to do or say.
Dex helps me with that. “How long have you and Dacotah been together?” He naturally asks Derek the question, which is fine. I watch as Dacotah lights up then blushes, probably remembering something about how they met.
“Almost a year,” Derek says before taking a drink of his beer. “We met in Vegas last May.” Cotah blushes again and I wonder if there is a way to flush out that reason.
“Vegas of all places,” Dex says.
“How’d you meet?”
Cotah giggles, “An indecent proposal.” That’s all she says and now I’m fully intrigued.
“Is this like a romance novel come to life?” I ask and Cotah giggles again.
“You could say that,” she says with a big smile. She looks up to Derek who has a huge smile on his face too.
“That wasn’t exactly my finest hour,” he says with a laugh before leaning over to kiss Dacotah.
Dacotah looks at me. I can see her becoming more animated with each passing moment as she leans into me. “He practically stalked me around Vegas until he finally managed to get me alone over breakfast.” She blushes. “Over that breakfast, he asked me to spend the week with him. No strings attached.”
“Oh my god.” I giggle.
“And how’d that work out for ya?” Dex asks Derek.
“Well, I knew about three days into it that I was falling in love with her. Then she made me chase her all over the country to find her.” He playfully scowls at Cotah who blushes with embarrassment. “I found her at Cami and Tristan’s in Phoenix.” He squeezes her hand and winks at her. There is a love connection between the two of them that I am beginning to see more frequently in Dex’s eyes.
