“Did you mean what you said about sleeping here for a month?”
She looked taken aback. Her eyes blinked once, twice. “I could… I… Are you… Would you want me to?”
“Yes.”
She coughed softly, her fingertips stopping on his chest to curl into a fist. He expected her to push away from him but she didn’t. “Why would you want that?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Don’t you?” His hand roved down the satin curve of her hip to the juncture of her thighs, to the slick treasure there. She tensed and buried her head in his neck as he teased her clit. Her hips pressed closer to him and his cock throbbed in reaction, jabbing against her. He reached for a condom. She didn’t protest, didn’t draw away as he sheathed himself and moved over her. He entered her in a slow, liquid movement, holding her still with a hand on each hip. The pleasure was thick and heavy along his shaft, like a lazy humid afternoon when you didn’t want to move. He stayed still in her, feeling her closeness, smelling her female scent. She moved her hips, just a twitch, but he shook his head and tsked at her.
“Be still a minute, doll. I’m not done talking with you.”
She looked up at him, her eyes hazy with pleasure now. “I’m finding it harder to concentrate,” she whispered. He pinched her nipple hard, then harder. The haziness in her eyes dissipated. She jerked as the pain registered and still he pinched her harder until she sobbed, soft and quick. She put her hand on his but he didn’t let go. “This is why you want me here. Sex,” she said with mild accusation. “You want to fuck me whenever you want.”
He released her nipple abruptly. “No. That’s not why. There are so many more reasons.” He pulled out of her. She pressed against him with a small whine but he held himself away. “Stay with me for a month. Just a month.”
“My mother won’t like it.”
“Your mother will pack your bags for you and you know it.”
Her mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Yeah. She really likes you.”
“Because she knows I would be good for you.”
He could tell Kat was thinking it over. He stayed still, not wanting to hear a no or anything negative. He stayed still, willing what he wanted to happen. He glanced past her, just for a fleeting moment, at all the cranes on the floor.
“I don’t want to be your submissive all the time,” she said. “I don’t want to be with you all the time. So I just don’t know.”
“I won’t be here a lot of the time. I’ll be at work.”
“I work too.”
“I know. I understand you’ll need your own time. I will too.”
“I want my own room.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe.” He nudged his cock against her center, just enough to make her sigh. “If you’re a good girl.”
She melted as she always did when he talked about good girls. Not that she was one, not even close. Not that he wanted her to be. He pinched her nipple again, thrust his tongue into her mouth to taste her.
“Oh, Ryan,” she sighed when he drew away from her. “Okay. I guess I will.”
He held himself over her, going still. “You will?”
“Why not?”
Why not? It wasn’t exactly unbridled enthusiasm, but it was enough. “Yes, Kat. Why not?” he said, gathering her closer with a hard breath. He sank into her, pounded into her, not being gentle. He spilled all his hopes and fantasies into her questing hips, her gripping thighs. He groped at her breasts, squeezed them until she groaned and tried to twist away. He kissed her until she was breathless. He cast his fortune at her feet. Later he would pick up the cranes, string them into groups of forty until he had one thousand. Senbazuru.
“I know you’ll be sorry,” she said in his ear. “I know I’ll drive you crazy.”
“I know it too,” he said. “I know.”
* * * * *
They finally slept. He could have fucked her until dawn but he had a surgery scheduled, so he left her alone after he extracted her promise to move in. One month. He wanted more, but he would take a month for the present. In a month he would know if they were compatible or not, and she would too. He watched her fall asleep in his arms, at peace now that the decision had been made, now that she’d finally capitulated. But he felt less peace now and more pressure. She’d torn down her walls, at least a little, for him. Now he had to prevent her from building them up again.
But it was an improvement on before. Before she showed up, he’d spent a couple hours folding cranes, wishing for…what? To forget her? To possess her? To find what he sought? His fingers made the figures by memory now, thoughtless folds and creases, a tip down of head and beak. When he’d realized the sheer number of cranes he’d folded, when Kat saw them all, it embarrassed him a bit. God knew what she thought.
The next morning he woke before her, completely unwilling to get out of bed and leave her there, but not wanting to wake her prematurely. She looked so content, so peaceful in sleep. He drowsed beside her as long as he could, until his erection was too intense to ignore. He pressed it against her backside, bold now that he’d decided to take action. She stirred, squirming back against him, stretching like a cat.
“Ekaterina,” he murmured into her neck. “I have something for you. A big present.”
She laughed, looking over her shoulder at him. He stared, beguiled, at her too-fleeting smile. Someday she would smile all the time for him, smile and laugh out loud until her cheekbones ached. Goals. Life was nothing without goals. His present goal, however, was impaling her with his cock, which he’d already half accomplished. He fumbled in the bedside table for a condom, thinking to himself that he’d drag her in for blood tests that very week. He wanted to sink inside her without any barrier between them. He wanted every barrier breached, consigned to history. He reached around her to bury his fingers in her folds, to find her clit. She was already receptive and wet.
He fucked her from behind, holding her close and tight against him. “Now listen to me,” he growled against her ear as he slid in and out of her. “After work today, you go home and get ready to come stay. Pack your stuff. Tell your parents what’s going on, however you want to explain it. I’ll swing by to get you later. Understand?” He gripped her pussy in his hand, pushed hard into her from behind.
“Yes,” she said.
“Yes Sir. I understand.”
“Yes Sir, I understand,” she repeated in a sweet sober voice, pressing her head back under his chin. Absolutely everything had changed. She was almost unrecognizable from the girl she was just a few nights ago. She was more open to him and so much less afraid. Miraculous. He drove into her, feeling her cool skin slide over his. Each time he entered her she gave a delighted sigh. Her hand crept back and clung to his leg, dug in with a spasmodic grip. It was a small discomfort to balance the hot overwhelming pleasure. Her moans crested and her fingers bruised him. He took her hand hard in his, stroking her clit with the other hand until he felt the release, the gasping, the contraction of her walls around his cock. He grabbed her then, bucked against her as his own orgasm unfurled and shook him. He was rocked by the intensity of his feelings for her, by the draw that grew stronger the closer she got. He thought, with the one small part of his brain that still functioned, that he needed to proceed carefully. Perhaps she was right about having time alone, about keeping separate rooms. He thought perhaps they needed to keep some distance between them until their relationship as Dom and sub was developed and set.
He told her so as they sat bleary-eyed over a quick breakfast of toast and grapefruit. “Maybe we can set up times when we’re ‘on’ and times when we’re ‘off’. Certain nights and times,” he said.
“Okay.” She shrugged her shoulders a bit.
“Would you care for some soy milk with your toast?”
She looked up at him in consternation. “I’m afraid soy milk is a hard limit for me.”
“It’s a lot healthier than cow’s milk.”
“Um, no thank yo
u. I’m not really that into grapefruit either.”
“You need at least eight to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day.”
“Don’t you mean eight to nine servings a month? ’Cause that’s what I normally average.”
He thumped her lightly on the head. “At least eat the toast.”
“Little controlling, aren’t you?”
“Sometimes. But you’re a little out of control. Aren’t you?”
She looked down, blushing slightly. “Sometimes.”
“Anyway, I think we could make things work between us. You wouldn’t always need to be under my control. You could have time to yourself and we could still hang out. Get to know each other as people and not just D/s roles. I think it would be good. Healthy. Everything in balance.”
“I think so too. I don’t want to lose sight of real life in…all this.”
All this. As she said that, she gestured vaguely with one small hand, waving away what was between them with those two words. Or maybe casting a spell, like an incantation. All this magic between us… Let’s not lose sight of real life.
He didn’t know her well enough yet to interpret what she meant by that little hand wave, but he was determined to learn.
Chapter Seven
“Dr. McCarthy?”
Ryan turned to see one of the neuro nurses poking her head in the door. “Yes, Kelly?”
“Did you want to sign off on Mr. Bellman’s papers?”
“I don’t believe I need to.”
“Oh.” She feigned confusion, double-checked the papers. Ryan was already turning around, trying to refocus on his work. Kelly was one of a handful of nurses who liked to trump up reasons to interrupt him, to come into his office when he was at the hospital and wave around her fake nails and boobs. Wild, bombshell blondes had attracted him at one point, admittedly.
But not now. Now he only wanted shiny dark curls and light green eyes.
Kelly paused, perhaps considering another tack, but to his relief he heard the door close. He was eager to finish up and get his notes in order for tomorrow. He had a feeling he’d be preoccupied at home tonight.
At home. Home took on a whole new meaning, knowing she would be there now. Home, for him, had always meant quiet. Structure. Solitude. He’d never lived with a woman, never wanted to. He went out to the clubs and bars when he wanted sex, when he wanted to party, and came home later alone. It wasn’t that he didn’t want a lively homelife someday—he just wanted it on his terms. To tell the truth, he’d always harbored vague, distant fantasies of a vibrant home front, a doting wife, wonderful kids, holidays and parties and togetherness. Something like Kat’s family, a loving, intertwined unit that stuck together. Constant activity, companionship and a shoulder to lean on. Blood was thicker than water. He was a doctor. He knew.
He finished checking off his notes and appointments then closed his laptop. He left some paperwork for Kelly to deal with and moved resolutely to the door, noting it was 6:05. He’d been aiming for 6:00 but he would take it. It wasn’t far to Kat’s house. On the way to the car, his phone buzzed. He thought it might be Kat but she was pretty phone-avoidant. He looked down to see his friend Dave’s number instead.
“Dave!”
“You in surgery, man?”
Ryan laughed. “If I was I wouldn’t be answering. We’ve been over this before. How are you? How are Sophie and Hunter?”
“They’re great. The little guy’s growing like a weed. Sophie wants me to make him stop but I don’t know how.”
“Typical subby. Thinks you have the answer to everything.”
“Well, I usually do,” chuckled Dave. “I’ve trained her well. What about you? How are things with your new girl?”
Ryan drew in a deep breath. “I’m going to see her now. Get this. She’s moving in.”
There was a short silence on the other line. “Er… Who are you? And how did you get my friend’s phone? ’Cause the Ryan I know doesn’t live with girls.”
“I know. I think I may live to regret it.”
“Or she may,” snickered Dave. “She must be a glutton for punishment.”
“She’s a glutton for punishment and sex. So I can’t complain. We’ll work the rest out.” He sobered, clearing his throat. “But really. I don’t know. I hope it does work out.”
Dave was silent a moment, picking up on Ryan’s pensive vibe. They had always been that way, childhood friends, able to tell each other’s moods from nothing more than the tone in their voice. “So who is this girl who’s tamed the beast? She’s special, huh?”
“Yeah,” said Ryan. “She’s…different. I can’t explain. When you met Sophie…you told me once that you knew right away. The first day you met her. The first time you talked.”
“Sure. I guess it was that way. At the time it just felt like infatuation. Or madness. But looking back, that’s what it was. We just matched. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“I get that feeling too with this girl. Problem is, I’m not so sure the feeling is mutual.”
“Well, she’s moving in. That’s a pretty big commitment.”
“She’s moving in for a month.”
“A month? Like…just a month?”
“The jury’s still out on that.”
“Oh, okay. I see. Well, work your magic. Dom her into submission. You’ve always done that in the past.”
“I know. It’s just that now…” His voice trailed off.
“The stakes are higher.”
“Yeah.” Ryan laughed softly. “See. You always know.”
“I have been there, done that, my friend. Either way you’ll come out on the other side, right? So don’t stress. And look, if things work out, I’ll be happy to take your wedding pictures.”
Ryan groaned, turning into Kat’s street. “One step at a time. A month from now I might be calling to tell you she’s driving me nuts.”
“Come on. Think positive. Hey, I’ll be up in your neck of the woods for a photog convention in February. Maybe me and Soph can meet this new little sub of yours. That would be fun, huh?”
Ryan smiled as he parked and turned off the engine. “Down, boy. She’s been practically vanilla up to this point. I don’t know how she’d take to a ménage a couple months in.”
“Vanilla?” Dave scoffed. “If you’ve been with her, she’s halfway to chocolate by now. Rocky Road. Moose Tracks.”
“Okay, okay,” Ryan laughed. “I’ve got to go.”
Ryan tucked the phone back in his pocket. He pulled at his tie while looking in the rearview mirror, attempting to straighten it. He thought he should have changed his clothes before he came over, but then perhaps his office dress would impress Kat’s parents more. One should look their best when showing up to take someone’s daughter home to move in. He rang the bell, thinking for the first time what he might do if her mother forbade it. As if on cue, the door swung open and Elena stood with a dubious look on her face.
“Dr. Ryan.” Elena peered out at him as she stood on the doorstep, her greeting typically loud and blunt.
“Is Kat here?” he asked.
“She is here,” answered Elena, threading her arm under his and pulling him in. “But I think before you go, you come to dinner. We discuss a few things. We talk.”
* * * * *
Kat had to bite her lip not to laugh at the look on his face.
She could see he was trying his very best to present himself as the responsible and well-intentioned suitor. To be honest he was doing quite well, but Kat recognized the nervous tension underneath.
Sure, she could have called and warned him that Elena would make him stay for dinner, make him undergo an interrogation only slightly less aggressive than those conducted by the State Department. She could have, but that would have ruined all the fun. Anyway, he should have known. When he was just a “friend”, a successful doctor and polite dinner guest who seemed to have a passing interest in her daughter, that was one thing. Now he was something else… A prospe
ctive son-in-law.
At least her mother jumped to that conclusion. Kat had told her nothing of the “one month” agreement or her dabbles in power exchange with the fresh-faced young doctor in the spiffy tie. In Kat’s family, when you moved in with someone it was to practice for marriage. Kat hadn’t told Ryan that, hadn’t seen a need. But he realized it now, certainly. Elena had just pried the last few generations of his ancestry from him in conversation. Now she was moving on to religious and political beliefs. Next would be questions designed to intuit his morality, his integrity on personal issues Elena considered important. Fidelity, personal responsibility, social issues. She’d heard it all before, witnessed this dissection with each of her sisters’ husbands.
She only half listened, tuning in for the parts where he revealed something that surprised her. Stepsiblings she didn’t know he had, a childhood sojourn in the Far East. Agnostic beliefs that were well thought out and interesting. But she already knew most of what she needed to know about him. Everything else was extraneous, insights she wasn’t in the mood to analyze. Some part of her didn’t want to know him that well. Some part of her wanted to preserve a distance. She knew he could control her—he’d proven that already. She wasn’t quite ready yet to give up that control. She thought he could get a dangerous grip on her if he wanted to.
She fully intended to move out at the end of a month. She knew she’d be over him by then, probably long before then actually. She was always that way… Got obsessed with something or someone and moved on when she’d scratched the itch. She’d done her best to warn him that she wasn’t good relationship material, so she wasn’t going to waste a lot of time feeling guilty when she left. Or feeling guilty while she watched him squirm through Elena’s questions.
“And you want children, I guess?” Elena asked him with a smile.
“Oh yes, Mrs. Argounov. Tons of them.”
Kat choked on piece of dinner roll. Her father’s face lit up over his cabbage and potatoes. Ryan looked around the table at Kat’s sisters, at their messy, squalling babies and impish children.
Fortune Page 10
