by Ashlee Price
“Whitney, you’re the one who doesn’t understand, but I don’t think it’s your fault. The fact is that last night I had to take care of some personal business. Your sister, the gorgeous Ms. Tiffany, followed me. I didn’t know who it was, so I hung back after I turned a corner. It was my intention to confront whoever was following me, and she came very close to getting hurt. As it turned out, I put her in a cab and told her to get lost. But instead of going home, she had the cab follow me, and suffice it to say that where I was going, and the business I had to attend to, she had no business watching.”
“My God, what were you doing?”
“You’ll have to trust me when I say that it’s related to my days as a SEAL. I’m really not anxious to talk about it, although you do know a part of it as it has to do with Tim. The point being, it involved some bad people and Tiffany getting in the way. That may get her, or possibly me, killed. I don’t want her around you. Do you understand? I don’t want the trail to lead back to you.”
“Tiffany may be a little wild, but I don’t think she’d ever do anything to endanger me or herself. I’ll have a talk with her and tell her not to follow you, but I really think you’re alarmed for no reason.”
“Oh, really? How about this?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, tapping until he found what he wanted. He handed it to me and I saw a dim, night-time picture of my sister pulling down her shirt to reveal her cleavage. Her other hand was down her pants.
“What the hell is this?” I could feel a sort of fury begin to cloud my head.
“That, my dear Whitney, was the proof I snapped to show you that your sister threw herself at me. She’s gotten it into her head that she wants your job. I think she wants me, too. At least, she made a few very promiscuous offers to get my attention. I knew she would turn around and tell you that I had propositioned her, which is why I shot the picture. So, in short, what you’re seeing is your sister throwing herself at me. You still think she has your best interests at heart? Not in my book she doesn’t. Maybe your parents need to acknowledge that instead of you trying to make up for her shortcomings. I will tell you one thing. She’s not going to hurt you as long as I’m around, and that’s the last word on that subject.”
“Dagger, I had no idea. She’s always been on the loose side, but she never went after anyone I cared about.”
As we stood there, we suddenly heard our own words. He had just staked his claim as my protector, and I had admitted that I cared about him. The words of love are often the most dangerous. They reveal the depths to which people will go to protect what’s between them. Dagger towered over me, his face at the same time angry with Tiffany and protective of me. I’d never experienced that before, and the thrill it incited was exhilarating. I no longer fought him off. I no longer argued. For the first time in my life, I acknowledged that being cared for was better than fighting for yourself.
While the glow of all that still hung between us, I moved toward him and put my arms against his chest, my hands pulling his head downward so I could kiss him. Dagger kept the control by lifting me against himself, my feet off the floor and his big hand cradling the back of my head as he kissed the length of my neck.
“Let’s never fight,” I begged.
“That wasn’t fighting. It was me claiming what is mine,” he rasped, and my silence was my submission.
His arm moved to cradle me against him as he carried me up the stairs to my apartment. That seemed to be the place. We were best when together. Perhaps that was because it was out of bounds for clients, as well as Kat. Dagger had given her strict orders never to come upstairs unless invited. In doing so, he had set me above all others.
He set me down so I was standing before him. Taking two steps back, he continued the primal energy between us by crossing his arms over his chest and ordering me, “Take off your clothes.”
I knew what he meant. This wasn’t to be a quick jerk of my shirt overhead and then scrambling between the covers to wait for him. He wanted to enjoy the spectacle me disrobing for him.
I was barefoot, having discarded my shoes when I entered the gym area. I’d always adored the sensual feel of textures beneath my soles, so barefoot was my preference and state of mind. I wore leggings, a soft blue in color. My agility had improved over my weeks of training, so I planted one foot and raised the other slowly until I could touch my ankle by reaching upward, much like a ballet dancer. I pivoted so that my crotch was facing his direction as I inserted my index fingers beneath the fabric at my ankle and slowly began tugging the pant leg upward and over my foot.
I wore a pale blue thong, and with my leg thusly extended, there was little he could not see. With a slow, seductive grace, I switched to the other foot and managed to maintain my balance as I pulled off the other pant leg and waistband. I paused at this point as Dagger held up his finger as a signal to stop. He bent before me, placing his hands on my hips to rotate me in place. With one index finger, he gently pulled aside the fabric of my thong and bent to kiss the skin it revealed. His tongue parted my labia lips, flicking from side to side, a touch that nearly buckled my knees. He was promising what was yet to come, and I mean that in more than one sense.
He resumed standing and took a step back, motioning to me to continue. I was wearing a sleeveless silk blouse that had a six-inch zipper on the back of the neck. It was a deep azure blue and lay over my body with a sensual fluidity. Reaching behind, I unsnapped my bra and slid the straps out of the sleeves, dropping it to the floor with my pants. I now stood before him in thong and silk blouse, the erotic fabric caressing my nipples and making them jut out visibly.
Dagger held up a finger again and moved toward me, lifting my blouse and fastening his mouth on each of the burgeoning nipples in turn. My body responded instantly with currents of excitement shooting to my pussy. That’s when I understood what he was doing.
By undressing myself, I was participating in elevating my level of excitement. As each layer came off, he rewarded me with his mouth and his fingers. I was submissive to his control, and yet able to direct his manipulative touches to where I wanted them most. I supposed, in a sense, I could have called it remote control masturbation. He was brilliant, and the more I learned, the more I wanted from him. I believed he knew that, and yet he was making no effort to direct me. Why not? He’d expressed feeling a possessiveness for me. But Dagger was a protective man, one who’d often put himself in the path of danger to protect others. Was he sensing some danger for me? Or perhaps that he would lose me? It was an interesting topic to contemplate, but at that exact moment, all I could think of was wanting his body on and in mine. I wanted relief from the torture I was creating for myself.
He could read it in my face and the way my lips couldn’t seem to close. I needed, no, I craved, to breathe the air between us. It was charged with his testosterone and drawing me toward him like a bee to a scarlet flower.
I crossed my arms and pulled my blouse over my head, shaking my hair and allowing the silk fabric to slowly seep down my body until it lay upon my feet. I kicked it away with pointed toes. At that point, Dagger got caught up in the illusion. His arms now hung at his sides and his stance had widened. He had unknowingly assumed the posture of a male animal about to approach his desired female.
All that remained was my thong. The hairless skin of my pussy made it more presentable. I knew that. His eyes were trained there. With a slow, graceful movement, I spread my legs and bent backward until my arms touched the foot of the bed and my hair fell away from my face. I was offering myself to him, yet presenting the faintest of obstacles to his total possession.
There was a flurry of movement as he stripped his clothing onto the floor and came with fascinated lips to my thong. He pushed me onto my back and lowered his head, seizing the fragile cloth with his teeth. A sudden and powerful jerk of his head rent the fabric and then I was bare.
Dagger’s hips thrust forward and his engorged penis entered me smoothly, without hesitation or te
nderness. It was not a moment designed for anything but the raw emotion of copulation. He was the male animal and I the object of his desire. He sank himself clear to the back of me, jerking quickly to assure himself that no inch of my moist inner skin remained untouched. I closed my eyes and let my mind float. I let the sensations of being ravaged drive my blood low into my female grotto, making me swell and the sensitivity soar. Every stab he drove into me stroked me higher in desire, and then came that mindless place where I no longer thought. It was where sensation and the fire within took over thought and logic. I became purely his female animal. I heard the cry from his throat. He felt the primal response, and it pleased him. It pleased us.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dagger
I was furious with Tiffany’s intrusion into our lives. I knew I’d made it very clear that I wasn’t interested in her. Not as an employee, and not as a romantic interest. It was difficult to believe that she was Whit’s sister, or that they shared parents and an upbringing. She wasn’t a bad-looking young woman, but her narcissism totally overwhelmed that. On her own, I couldn’t care less what she did, but she’d forced her way into my world. She had become a danger to Whit, and that wasn’t going to continue.
I contemplated taking Whit and walking away. I sure as hell didn’t need the money, and the studio had grown into something it was never intended to be. I’d never expected to meet Whit, and for that I would be forever grateful. Now, however, it represented a threat. I had only one way of dealing with threats. I put an end to them.
Whit had me enchanted. That was a word with which I’d never identified. She was smart, beautiful, strong-willed, and yet loving and submissive when she sensed I needed it. It never undermined her strength. It was more like a layer she could wear to comfort me, and then discard without another thought or diminishing her own sense of value. I knew she didn’t realize she could do that. My logic said she’d done that for years to maintain the balance between her sister and parents. She was a many-prismed creature, but her clarity never wavered.
For her sake, I would remain and clean up this mess. If I talked her into leaving with me, she’d likely become estranged from her sister and maybe even her parents. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, let that happen—least of all from an event that I had initiated.
It was still pre-dawn, and I turned to look at her silhouette against the rising light. She was like a beautiful statue, locked into an unmoving pose that was cold and gray. I knew that with even one kiss, she would stir and all the rainbows locked into her soul would emerge and envelope me. It was part of what made her so attractive. She wasn’t passive with life. She took it on, dealt with it and reached beyond her comfort zone.
I kissed her hip gently through the sheet and carefully rose from the bed so as not to awaken her. We’d had quite the romp the night before, and I knew she needed her rest.
The studio was quiet in the morning light. I made coffee and went into my office, planning to look over the books. I sorted email and went over the figures in the bookkeeping program. They were due to be turned over to the accountant for quarterly taxes, but I’d always been a very hands-on supervisor.
I sipped my coffee and moved on to randomly browsing the Internet. Curious, I searched the high-end real estate available in coastal California. I favored the open floor plans with huge windows and an ocean view. The offerings seemed limited, most likely due to the real estate boom that had once again seized the nation. I wondered idly what sort of architecture Whitney liked. I stopped, again realizing I was investigating based on having her in my life.
“Whatcha doing and that coffee smells great!” Whit was standing in the doorway, a coy smile tugging her full lips.
“Preparing for the day’s class. Things are going well, and I think the guys are finally starting to get what this is all about. They started out thinking it was all about the sex, but I’ve kept talking about how control, anticipation, patience and planning lead to reward. It took a while, but now I’m hearing how they’ve applied some of the concepts to their business and personal lives. Finally, they get it!”
“Wish I could say the same for the women. They’re not motivated in the same way. It’s like one big gab session while they compare yoga wear.”
“Here, let’s grab coffee,” I invited as I came around the desk and gave her a morning-after kiss. I put my arm over her shoulders as we headed to the kitchen. “I want to talk with you about something.”
Her eyes snapped up to my face. I knew she was trying to anticipate whether this was an anger-based talk. I set her to ease, smiling and kissing the top of her head.
She refilled my mug and one for herself, and I sat down on one of the small tables, my feet propped on the chair beneath me. She was busying herself warming up a couple of blueberry muffins for us. I liked the domestic picture it created. “So…” I began, “I’ve been giving some thought to maybe buying a place. All by myself, living here on the studio premises just made convenient sense. The apartment you’re in was intended for my partner, but I expected it to be a professional relationship.”
She’d reached the table next to mine and sat down. She handed my plate to me before she began buttering her muffin, and it felt good to have someone be so considerate. She nodded. “Does this mean I’d be living here by myself then?”
That took the breath out of me. I hadn’t expected she’d see it as anything other than the two of us living together. I didn’t want to admit that my feelings were hurt, but in a way, they were. I thought I’d made my feelings for her clear.
“Well, it was just a thought,” I finished quickly, wanting to change the subject. I felt awkward, completely out of my element. By the look on her face, she hadn’t picked up on where I was going. I guessed that was a sign she didn’t think of our relationship with the same sense of commitment I did. Listen to me! I’m thinking like a lovesick schoolboy. I had to change the subject.
“If you need someone to go house shopping with you, let me know. I’m guessing you’re looking for something I could never afford, so this would be a once-in-a-lifetime treat. Anyway, I don’t have classes today. Anything I can do to help with yours?” she offered.
I looked for some sign of guile, but could see nothing but honest interest on her face. Maybe I was being too sensitive. Maybe it was simply too soon, just the wrong time and situation to bring it up. Regardless, it was a bad idea to talk about it now, so I would content myself with business as usual. I just didn’t want to take a chance on losing her, but I knew if it was meant to be, she wouldn’t be going anywhere.
“No, I’ve got it.” In my mind I was saying, the men are easy compared to relationships!
“Okay, it’s up to you. If you need me, let me know. I’m going to take a swim in the meantime.”
I watched her walk away, and it felt like an opportunity lost. There were so many thoughts I wanted to express, and to share with her, but she was the focal point. I had to accept that time played a certain element in what was going on between us, and I needed to let things be for the time being.
I did some stretches and got ready for my class. I wasn’t sure whether Whitney knew, but I had been conducting mine in the nude. That was the core strategy of the studio, and while she wasn’t doing the same, someone had to.
I was in the men’s workout room, waiting for the students to arrive. They filtered in slowly, some of them still uncomfortable with being their natural selves. I understood this and gave them time, leading by example.
Most everyone had arrived and I could hear the low-toned chatter coming from the locker area. I decided to give them some inspiration, so I took up a pose that had me balanced on my head, using my hands to form two corners of the triangle of support. My legs were vertical and my toes pointed toward the ceiling. It was very similar to a handstand, with the exception that I balanced for short periods and then opened my legs to form a V shape, maintaining the upright stance. I had my back to the class, but the room was mirrored and therefore all of us
were visible from any angle.
The door opened and I watched a pair of feet come into the room. I frowned, realizing no one had prompted him to take his shoes off on the mats. “We ask that you remove your shoes in this room,” I called out in a loud voice. The man continued to stand, either unable or refusing to hear me. I called out the request once again, but the body remained unmoving. Irritated, I pushed off from the floor and landed on my feet, turning toward the offender.
It was Malchevsky. Hot flames ignited in my brain, and I felt the fight-or-flight impulse consume me. I was immediately transported back in time, and even though this was my place, my nudity made me feel vulnerable. He allowed his eyes to slowly roll down the length of me, pausing at my groin. A smirk crept onto his face and he let the gym bag in his hand drop unceremoniously to the floor.
“I came for a little instruction, big guy,” he mocked me, jerking his hips forward and back to trigger a response. I knew the other students were watching me, waiting to see my reaction. There was a lot riding on what I was about to do and say.
“Mr. Malchevsky,” I greeted him with a flat voice. “I trust you are a member of the studio?”
“Sure, I am,” he smirked. “My partner and I just joined.”
“Fine. Since you’re a new student, allow me to give you the rundown.” I needed to assume control of the situation, as it was quickly spiraling away from me. I would deal with him, calm down, and figure out how to get rid of him later. I couldn’t let him see me sweat. “As you can see, this room is floored with mats for our workouts. For that reason, we request that all members remove their shoes and store them in lockers. You’ll find the locker room behind me.” I motioned with a swing of my head. “The concept of what we study here is based on yoga, enhanced with self-control and openness brought on by our personal nudity. We therefore ask that our guests also remove their clothing and store it in a locker, as mentioned, and that you respectfully go through our poses without making immature comments. At the conclusion of this class series, you and your partner will be invited to a communal night where the both of you will practice the moves you are each being taught. These are designed to bring additional enjoyment to the act of copulation. Therefore, it is important that your partner be someone who is not only willing to take part, but morally a true partner. We do not invite scandal or promiscuity in any sense. Do you have any questions?”
