by Blue Kincaid
Her other hand slipped down to cup his balls, watching his face for hints of how he liked them handled. Some guys liked a bit of rough and didn’t mind a yank or pull, but others would buck a girl right out of the saddle if she didn’t treat his boys like porcelain.
As expected, though, Sebastian growled and thrust his hips up into her hand a bit harder when she gave them a squeeze. “Fuck yes,” he snarled, the sound sending shudders down her spine. His hands slid up into her hair, tugging her head back as his mouth found her neck, teeth scraping sharply. Like a feral wolf, and it made her weak with desire. She stroked faster, tighter, moaning into the cold air. When she opened her eyes all she could see was stars and steam and snowflakes melting just before they hit her skin. It was beautiful, the whole moment was.
She dipped her head and caught Sebastian’s lips, kissing him fiercely as she squeezed and stroked his length, eager to feel him come apart. “Sebastian,” she whispered against his mouth. “Come for me, please…”
His lashes lifted and their eyes met, so close that she could make out the little flecks of darker blue around his pupil, a hint of green at the outside edges. “Are you…sure? You haven’t…”
She smiled and shook her head. “I will. You first. Let me, please. I want to watch you.”
He let out a rough laugh, hips lifting into her hand. “Can’t seem to say no to you, little one.” His hand came up to touch her face, wet fingers trailing along her jaw. “Keep going, just like that…a little faster…”
Her stomach clenched and flipped as he began giving her guidance, telling her, showing her exactly how he liked it best. She memorized every word, every rough sound of pleasure, every flicker in his eyes as his orgasm neared. She didn’t want to ever forget – not just so she could do it again sometime, but also in case there came a time when she wasn’t allowed to touch him anymore, when he learned how to say no to her and maybe made her leave him. She wanted to always remember how beautiful Sebastian was when she’d made him come apart on a snowy rooftop.
And then he did – come apart, that is, his big, gorgeous body bucking hard, muscles in his neck corded and his lips parted in a silent shout of pleasure. He stole her breath and she couldn’t look away.
He panted hard, and Drew exhaled softly, leaning in to burrow into his damp neck, pressed close against him and hearing his heart thunder where they pressed chest to chest. She’d done that. She didn’t know why it made her proud, but it did and she smiled, turning her face into his skin, pressing a soft kiss where his pulse raced.
She was falling in love with him, so fast it made her head spin. Jeannie would call her a fool. Maybe Bas might, too. She didn’t care. She’d never been more sure of anything in her life than that she was meant to be his and he was hers. Maybe she’d keep that to herself just a little longer.
Chapter Eleven
“Okay, so wait. I thought this was supposed to just be a one-time thing. But it’s been almost a week now and every night you’ve been with him and every morning you come crawling home exhausted and looking like you found the meaning of freaking life.” Jeannie gave her an arch look as she peeled away the paper wrapper on the mini-cupcake in her hand. “I demand details. Who is he?”
Drew smiled, reaching for one of the delicious little cupcakes on the plate in the center of their table. Bites of Bliss was the best cupcakery in the entire DC metro area, hands down. Even better they only sold mini-cupcakes so she and Jeannie could lie to themselves whenever they came and pretend they were way healthier than full size cupcakes so who cared if they had three instead of one? She shrugged a little. “He’s hard to explain.”
“Yeah, well so is global warming, but they managed so give it a shot, huh? All you’ve said is that he’s an IT guy – and I’ve met lots of IT guys so I dunno how you managed to nab the only hot one in existence – and he bought you on accident at that club. Like…that’s not nearly good enough. Not when you keep disappearing down to Arlington every night. Mrs. Denning even noticed, and keeps nagging me about are you being safe and wearing condoms. Oh my god, make it stop and come home occasionally.”
Drew snickered, nearly choking on her cupcake – a divine Boston cream pie variation. “Are you serious? God, she’s so nosy.” She sighed. “I don’t know, Jeannie. I don’t think I’m, like, in love with him or anything. Okay, well, maybe a little.” She sighed and shrugged. “It’s different. It’s more than that and yet not quite that much at the same time. I’m…drawn to him.”
“Cause he’s hot?”
“No.” Then laughed a little. “Well, yeah, he is, but that’s not why. Not all of why, anyway. It’s…it’s like he knows all the things deep down inside that you’re afraid if anyone ever knew they’d judge you and hate you for. But he doesn’t judge or hate, in fact he thinks those things are the best parts. The real parts of me that only he gets to have.”
Jeannie blinked, sucking a bit of frosting off her thumb. “Whoa. Does he have a friend?”
Drew blushed, looking down at her cupcake. “He does. I’m going to meet some of them tomorrow.” She glanced back up at her best friend. “He’s taking me back to the club. He said some of his friends would be there and he wants to introduce me.”
Jeannie’s eyes got wide then. “Oh my god. What if Chad’s there? That guy is a complete douche, he’ll totally make a scene. You know he will.”
“Oh, no he won’t. It’d be admitting he gave a shit that he lost me and Chad’s way too prideful for that. If he’s there I bet he’ll just act like he doesn’t even see me or know me and I certainly won’t be checking for him, not with Bas there. Chad who?” She felt a bit guilty for being so blunt, but it was like the more time she spent with Bas, the more she realized just how crappy Chad had treated her. Bas never made her feel like her mistakes were mistakes, or that she was a disappointment or a prude if she hesitated on something, never manipulated or tried to cajole her into doing what he wanted. Bas just had a way of making her want it, too, so she was begging to give him anything and everything.
“Wow, you really are into this guy. A week ago you’d defend Chad’s dickishness as just a bad day at work or that I didn’t get his jokes or something. Well shit, any guy who can make you see the damn light is okay by me. What’d he do, whoop some sense into you in that dungeon of his?”
Drew laughed, shaking her head. “No, he’s not into that. And it’s not a dungeon. He just…he’s showing me what a real Dom is like and it’s pretty much everything Chad is not. I didn’t exactly have a point of reference before. And no, that book your mother went nuts over does not count.”
Jeannie shrugged. “I’m just saying. Whatever he’s doing is clearly working and you look good, baby girl, so go ahead. Just promise me – and Mrs. Denning – that you’re playing safe?”
“Very safe, I promise.” Drew laughed, popping the last bite of her third cupcake in her mouth. “Alright, that’s three, no more for me or I won’t fit into the latex dress he’s making me wear tomorrow.”
Jeannie gasped, leaning forward. “Shut up!’ she hissed in a hushed whisper. “You’re making that up.”
Drew giggled and grabbed her wallet to go pay for their treats. “I’ll never tell!’ she sing-songed as she left the table – and left her best friend wondering if she was teasing or not.
Being naughty was fun, it turned out. In and out of the playroom.
* * * * *
She didn’t actually own a latex minidress, and since she really had no desire to go buy one, Drew cobbled together the most scandalous outfit she could from a black leather mini that barely covered her ass, a white, almost-sheer button down that hinted at the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra, and a pair of sky-high Louboutins that, with any luck, would make her almost as tall as Sebastian’s shoulder tonight.
“I look stupid,” she groaned as she smudged a red lip stain on, wrinkling her nose.
Jeannie shook her head and kept right on working the sea spray into her hair – it was supposed to create ‘beachy’ waves ou
t of her sometimes unruly curls, but Drew wasn’t entirely convinced that was the look her best friend was achieving. “You do not look stupid. You look like that man’s wet dream and if he says otherwise then he’s an idiot and you should come right home and let me take you out so this hotness isn’t wasted.”
Drew smiled, meeting Jeannie’s eyes in the mirror. “You’re my favorite, you know that?”
“Of course I do.” Then the doorbell rang and Jeannie’s eyes widened, tossing down the spray. “You finish up, I’ll stall him!” She sounded entirely too gleeful about that possibility.
“Don’t you dare embarrass me!” Drew hissed, but Jeannie just laughed and disappeared. Oh great. She could just imagine the horrors about to come to life with Sebastian left to Jeannie’s devices.
She finished getting ready as fast as she could, deciding the tumbled effect on her hair was actually pretty good – kinda looked like she’d just rolled out of Sebastian’s bed and he was bound to like that. She swiped on some mascara and a quick smudge of liner and declared herself ready. Deep breaths, she told herself. No need to be nervous, it was just Bas introducing her to his friends, sort of letting her into his life. Oh yeah, no biggie at all.
She forgot all about how she looked, though, when she stepped out into the living room and got a look at Bas. He was well over six feet of tall, dark and dangerously good-looking. His hair was down, a white Henley showing off his gorgeous, golden skin where it opened at the throat, and a pair of black jeans clung to every freaking inch of his long, long legs, drawing the eye and making her weak in the knees.
“Wow,” she breathed, and could see the sentiment echoed in his admiring look.
Jeannie agreed. “No kidding. You didn’t say he was this hot.”
Drew’s eyes widened. “I’m going to kill you.”
Bas just laughed, though, holding his hand out for Drew to take. “No murdering anybody tonight. Or any night, for that matter. Jeannie, it was lovely to meet you, I hope you won’t find any need to use your Liam Neeson mercenary skills on me anytime soon.”
Jeannie gave him a deadpan look. “I can kill you with my brain.”
Drew rolled her eyes. “That’s Firefly, dummy. Okay, I’m leaving now, stop being a freak in front of my…date.” She’d almost said boyfriend, choking the word back at the last minute. Bas was definitely not her boyfriend, though she was pretty sure date was far too casual a term. How was it she’d dated Chad for several months and never considered anything about them serious, but a week with Bas and she wanted to claim him as her own in every way possible?
Bas winked down at her, then led her out of the apartment. Jeannie waved then shut the door behind them and Drew looked up at him.
“She’s mortifying.”
“She’s sweet. I like her.”
She couldn’t help but grin, because what girl didn’t love a man who liked her best friend even when said best friend was obnoxious? “Me, too.”
Her apartment building was actually a 19th century mansion that’d been renovated and converted. Which meant no elevators, but lots and lots of architectural beauty and personality. Worth it, in her opinion. Although right then, with five inch needle-thin heels on, she certainly did wish for a bit of modern convenience.
“You look beautiful, by the way,” Bas said as he helped her button her coat before they stepped outside into the chill. “You’re going to make all the men – and some of the women – at the club jealous of me.”
Drew laughed. “As if. I’ve been there a few times, I know there’s some kind of ‘hot people only’ code. I’m cute, but I’m no supermodel.” She liked that Bas thought she was beautiful, though. It made her feel that way, too, and she wasn’t used to that. It was nice. “You, on the other hand, might be breaking some laws right now. It can’t be legal to just walk around looking like…that.” She emphasized with a gesture of her hand in his direction, shaking her head.
Bas opened the car door for her and when he came around and slid behind the wheel, he didn’t start the car right away. Instead, he reached out and took her hand, meeting her eyes. “Relax. I can tell you’re nervous.”
“H-How?”
“Because you’re being self-deprecating and rambling a bit. It’s your tell.”
She blushed. Great. He really shouldn’t be able to read her so well. She felt so exposed. “Oh. Um…well, I am nervous. Why shouldn’t I be? Your friends will be there and the last couple of times I’ve been haven’t exactly been smooth sailing, you know? Once I ended up bolting in tears and the other I ended up sold to a stranger.”
Bas lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, then gave them a light bite with a grin. “I think that second one worked out pretty well, actually.”
She shivered, even though the heat was blasting as Bas started the car and drove them toward the club. “Yeah, it did, didn’t it?”
What she didn’t add was that she was also a little nervous that Jeannie might be right and Chad might be there, might make a scene. She really hoped not. Sure, she’d stung his pride a bit, but still. Bas didn’t seem worried about anything, though, so she decided to take her cue from him and trust that whatever happened, he’d make sure she had a good time. It came easier than it should, trusting Bas.
It fell silent inside the car for a few minutes, then Drew glanced over at Bas. “So…”
His lips twitched and he didn’t look at her. “Yes, little miss curious?”
She blushed. “I was just wondering what, um…what you had in mind. For tonight, I mean. Do you? Have a plan?”
He did glance at her, then, at the stoplight, his blue eyes dark in the shadows. “I might.”
Just those two words made her breath hitch and come faster, shallower. Oh boy. She couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of ‘plan’ Bas might have come up with. So she didn’t try, and she didn’t ask either. “I trust you. I remember my safeword. I want you to do what you want.”
He didn’t say anything, didn’t look her way, but a smile curved his lips – slow and sensual – and it made that warm feeling of satisfaction curl in her belly. The one that happened when she’d pleased him. It was quickly becoming her favorite feeling in the world.
Once they’d arrived at Twisted & Tied, Drew steadied her rattled nerves while they waited for the front desk girl – the same pretty brunette from the night of the auction – to put their coats in the back.
“I have something for you,” Bas said, stroking a finger down the side of Drew’s neck.
She blinked up at him. “You do?” She certainly hadn’t expected any gifts. They weren’t even really officially dating. And yet they were so much more than that, somehow, so maybe a gift wasn’t so unusual. Her eyes widened when he pulled a slim black ribbon choker from his pocket.
“You’ll have the stamp tonight, and there’s your bracelet – ” His fingers brushed over the rope around her wrist. “But I thought maybe…I want everyone to know you’re taken tonight, Drusilla. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
God, how could she say no to that? She wanted to be his so much, and even if it was temporary and even if it wasn’t a real collar like she’d seen on some of the submissives at the club before, it was still a big deal to her. And, she thought, to him, too. She swallowed hard, then nodded, looking up at him.
His smile made her tummy flip as he reached around her neck under her hair to tie the silky ribbon at the back, a simple silver ring dangling from the center. God, it was such a tiny thing, and maybe she was over-reacting, but when he pulled back and looked down at the collar on her – she thought it was as big a deal to him as it was to her, from the way his eyes got all possessive and his jaw sort of clenched a little.
She shivered. “Thank you.”
He pulled his gaze away from the collar around her throat, their eyes meeting. “Same here,” he laughed softly. He squeezed her hand when the girl came back, holding out her hand.
“Your wrist, miss?”
Drew put her
free hand wrist-side up in the girl’s palm and got a blue star, just like the night of the auction, except this time it meant something, sitting there just above the fuchsia rope around her wrist. This time it meant she belonged to Bas, the same way the rope bracelet did, the same way the collar now did. More and more, in lots of small ways, he was laying claim to her and Drew didn’t mind one single bit. Maybe by the time he decided she knew enough to choose a Dom properly – he’d want her to choose him.
Sebastian gave the girl behind the desk a smile. “Thank you, Summer.” Then turned back to Drew. “Ready?”
Was she? Maybe. Maybe not. But either way, she was determined to jump in feet first and trust that Bas wouldn’t let her drown. So she nodded with a smile of her own up at him. “Very.”
He didn’t let go of her hand as he led her through the double doors into the heart of the club, and Drew was grateful for it. She still wasn’t comfortable really at the club, despite this being her third visit, but already she felt a big difference between coming here with Chad and coming with Bas. Bas smiled at her and held her hand, occasionally turning sideways and stretching his arm out to guide her through a crowd that gathered in some spots, sort of clearing a path as if he didn’t want anyone touching her. It was sweet and sexy at the same time, reaffirming the whole ‘she belongs to me’ thing.
The club didn’t seem nearly so overwhelming with Bas as a buffer between her and everything going on. A pair of men clad head to toe in latex with one in a full face mask didn’t freak her out when Bas grinned and shoulder-bumped the non-masked one and asked about their poodle who’d gone to the hospital recently with a broken leg. A woman in a schoolgirl outfit sucking on a lollipop didn’t seem so shocking when Bas introduced her and congratulated the schoolgirl on making partner at her law firm.
These were just people, was the message she got loud and clear. With the same everyday lives and loves and hopes and dreams – just a little bit skewed away from the ‘norm’ when it came to how they liked to get off. And what was wrong with that? Absolutely nothing.
