“Milk and cookies?” she drawls in the sexiest voice she could muster without busting into laughter.
“You made cookies?” Garrett picks one up and examines both sides. Biting into it, he lets out a moan.
“I did,” Zara says giggling.
“You know you win tonight.”
“Yep.”
“Thank you. These are great. I hope you made extra. I am totally taking some tomorrow to eat in front of Branden.”
He reaches for the milk and takes a long drink. “You chilled the milk, too.”
Zara laughs and nods.
“How much more work do you have?”
“Garrett, I am a student. Forever. What do you have in mind?”
“Let’s take a drive.”
“You want to take a drive tonight?”
“Yes. Bring cookies.”
“Are we going over to eat cookies in front of Branden tonight?” Zara asks suspiciously.
“Or maybe we just are taking a drive with the best chocolate chip cookies I ever tasted.”
“We are so going over to Branden’s,” Zara laughs. “I need to change first.”
“What? You look adorable. Don’t change. Let’s go.”
Chapter 31
Routine takes hold in short order. They enjoy breakfast together, Garrett drops Zara off on campus, and then Zara finds her way back to his house to prepare dinner. It becomes their new norm. Weekends are spent working and studying with breaks taken for a movie or dinner.
It is Friday, which means there would be a date after a long day on campus. Feeling the need to step out of her normal college wear, Zara takes extra care getting ready in the morning.
Smiling, she slips into one of her new matching bra and panties sets and picks out a pair of dark skinny jeans. Zara decides on a fitted fuzzy red sweater to complete the outfit and considers what to put on her feet. Spying the red-soled shoes she had been wanting to wear for a while, a wicked smirk comes over Zara’s face.
Not yet. Soon.
Laughing at herself, she walks toward the kitchen in a different pair of 4-inch heels. As their routine dictates, Garrett would be in the kitchen preparing the coffee. Stopping in front of the window, Zara marvels at how spring had burst through winter and is taking hold. The seasons are one of Zara’s favorite things about Michigan and she is already looking forward to the color tour Garrett has promised to take her on next autumn.
Hearing a loud whistle, Zara spins around to find Garrett checking her out. She slowly does a 360 to give him a complete view of her Friday outfit, and then runs across the living room to leap into his arms.
“Fuck Zara… you can run in those things.” He shakes his head in amazement.
“Requirement. Mother would have it no other way. If I was to wear heels, I had to be able to really wear them.”
“Sorry,” Garrett says ruefully, planting a quick kiss on her puckered lips.
“It is becoming easier. I want to remember. She was amazing.”
“Yes, she was, Zara.”
Zara turns at hearing voices coming from the kitchen. Garrett slowly puts her down, but holds on to her to provide support.
“Mrs. Dawson… Mr. Dawson. I am so sorry. I did not realize you were here. Please forgive my rudeness this morning. I… I really.” Walking around the island, Charlotte approaches Zara.
“Zara Faith, no apologies necessary. I thought we agreed that you would be calling me Charlotte. You remember Warren.” Pulling Zara in for a quick hug, she holds her back to look her over. “You look positively radiant. Love does do that for some women.”
Zara stands looking at Garrett’s mother unable to come up with anything intelligent to say. A woman in love, she muses before being snapped out of her thoughts by Mr. Dawson’s bear hug. She hugs him back with wonder that this was only the second time she could recall being hugged by a father figure.
“Zara, you do look lovely. I must say, I think Michigan agrees with you. How are you liking MSU?” Mr. Dawson asks.
“I am enjoying MSU very much, although my classes are far more challenging this semester. As for Michigan, now that spring has finally arrived, I am again a fan. Winter got to be a bit long and frigid.”
Mr. Dawson lets out a booming laugh as he makes his way back around the island. “You have successfully summed up the brutality of our winter season. It is why God gave Michigan four of them.”
As Garrett wraps his arms around Zara and guides her toward the kitchen island, her body becomes stiff as a board. She did not know how his parents would react to their contact.
“Relax, they are extremely happy for us,” Garrett whispers in Zara’s ear to prevent his parents from hearing.
With a slight nod, Zara pushes herself away from his embrace and walks to the refrigerator. “Is anyone hungry? I can make breakfast. Pancakes? Omelets? Anything?”
Zara looks as deeply into the fridge as possible to take a few seconds to gather herself. The presence of Garrett’s parents has caught her completely off guard.
“Zara Faith, come and sit with us for a moment, please,” Charlotte requests.
Closing the door to the refrigerator, Zara follows everyone to the dining table and takes a seat next to Garrett. Mr. Dawson sits in the seat directly across from her while Charlotte occupies the head of the table in the seat to the right of Zara.
“Zara, we are very sorry to show up this morning without warning. It is habit for us to pop in on Garrett, but we should have given the both of you a bit of notice. The very last thing we want to do is make you nervous in your home. We are very sorry.”
“But this… this is not my…”
Garrett reaches for Zara’s hand and squeezes. Giving her a smile, he looks at his mother. “Mom, I think what Zara is trying to say is that she is living in the dorm. Well, she is sort of living in the dorm.”
He turns in the chair to face Zara. “Little One, you are living here. You have not spent a night in the dorm in weeks. We should move the rest of your stuff. If you want. I do not want to rush you.”
“Live here with you? Permanently? Yes!”
Garrett reaches for Zara’s face and draws it to him. Looking closely, he stares into her eyes for a moment. Zara has a hint of moisture building in the corners. “I love you, Little One.”
“I love you too, Garrett,” Zara whispers.
*****
Zara steps out of Garrett’s car in front of the dorm. It feels different. She feels different. Rewarded with a quick kiss and hug from Garrett, Zara strolls to the entrance of Yakeley. She does not need to look back to know that he is still standing there watching her. Zara can feel his eyes on her and it feels amazing.
Walking up the steps, Zara pauses to say a quick hello to Sara. The ‘you’re never around’ comment she is hearing more frequently follows. With a quick hug and promise to catch up soon, they both head off to embark on their own day’s adventure.
Standing inside the door of her first home after leaving her parents, Zara looks around and takes everything in. Nothing has changed. The furniture is still in the same position, music is still playing while a group of girls in the corner laugh, and Beth is still seated behind the desk looking like she would like to be anywhere else.
The surroundings are the same. Zara is changing. Walking toward the hallway to her room, Zara nods at Beth who returns it with a smirk.
Each of the girls Zara sees on the way to her room say hey and rave about how great she looks. “What’s different about you?” “You look HOT?” “OMG… GIRL!!”
Smiling, Zara thanks them, but keeps moving.
Zara had picked this time of day to come to her room, knowing that both Liliana and Ella would be in class. It is not that she wants to avoid them exactly… well maybe that is exactly what she is trying to do. Zara closes her door and surveys her surroundings. Such a short time ago, she had spent her very first night alone in this room.
That had been such a confusing time. Leaving the Circle without a collar a
nd having the opportunity to attend college is more than Zara had ever allowed herself to hope for. The fact it had come true was exciting, yet terrifying. Losing her family and best friend was not something that she could have been prepared for.
Waking up at the beach house and being able to spend some quality time with Garrett before being dropped off at school was a gift. Although, at the time she did not know how he felt about her, Zara had never felt abandoned. Garrett was always a call away and he made sure that she had everything she needed.
“So much has changed,” Zara repeats to herself. Realizing that Garrett is outside waiting, she jumps into gear. Moving as if on a mission, she grabs a couple of the books needed for upcoming assignments and a handful of pictures.
She jots a quick note to Liliana and Ella telling them that she is sorry that she missed them and that they should do dinner next week. She locks the door to her dorm room and slides the note under their door. Making her way back down the hallway, she is out of the dorm in less than fifteen minutes.
Garrett is standing in the same spot she left him. A broad smile appears on his face when he sees her standing on the steps. In that second, Zara knows she is more than ready to make this a permanent move. Life is about changes, big and small. Today is one of those big change days.
Chapter 32
Telling Liliana and Ella about her decision to move in with Garrett is easier than Zara had predicted. Garrett’s genius idea to invite them over for dinner and to show them the house has worked wonders.
“Zara, no wonder you don’t come back to the dorm anymore. This place is to die for,” Ella gushes.
Both girls seem a little taken aback when Zara takes them on a tour of her bedroom. Ella sits on the bed and forces Liliana to close the door. “Girl, explain to us why you are NOT sleeping with your man.”
“It is a bit complicated.” Blushing, Zara lowers her gaze and tries to find the right words to explain the situation.
“Are you waiting until marriage? That is not all that complicated. But why live together if you don’t sleep together?” Liliana asks, inquiring gently.
“I love him very much. I want to spend every minute with him. I believe he feels the same about me. But there is an additional element that makes it feel ‘more’ right living closer.” Walking over and sitting next to Ella on the bed, Zara looks at her hands that are crossed on her lap.
“Garrett and I were raised within a community where there are Dominants and submissives. Some people are familiar with that lifestyle. Well, our story is different than most. If you are interested, I’ll share it with you.”
Liliana and Ella sit speechless. They nod and stare at Zara when she looks up at them. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Zara slowly tells the story of her eighteenth birthday and the Circle Ceremony. She explains the circumstances of how she came to be at MSU and in their dorm.
“Are you sorry that you didn’t finish the ceremony?” Ella asks.
Zara thinks for a moment. The question is fair. In fact, she should have been prepared for it. “No, I’m not sorry. I would not have been able to get to know Garrett and discover how he really feels about me or what he wants in a relationship. I would not have met either of you. And I would not have been able to live on my own and have these experiences.”
Smiling to herself, Zara is more sure of her life choices now than she has even been.
“Why the eighteenth birthday? And what about the boys? Isn’t Garrett way older than eighteen?” Liliana chimes in with more questions.
“Keep in mind, the Community focuses on the Circle Ceremony as the joining of a chosen Dom to a submissive. To outsiders, it is a wedding. The age of the ‘submissive’ bride is the legal marrying age in the country. As for the men, the sons of King Council members select a submissive from the eligible submissives around the country. He then takes his place on the Council.”
“What does the Council do?”
“That is a bigger question. The Council is the governing body for the Community. Outsiders know of the ‘lifestyle’ and BDSM. Some practice it in their bedrooms. There is a population that lives it – every day – in their bedrooms, at work, in the shopping malls and parks. All day… every day.
“Of course, this population interacts with outsiders, however, the interaction is kept at arm’s length. All meaningful connections and bonds are made with individuals within the Community. There are no restrictions placed on whom one may speak to but the members tend to be very tight-knit.
“For example, I am the daughter of a King Councilman. I was homeschooled and the children I was allowed to interact with were very closely monitored. Regulated.”
“Music!” Ella says with assertion.
“Yes, music. The entertainment I was exposed to was very limited. Coming to State was overwhelming. One of the things that made it so was that I was exposed to so many new things all at once. Music was, of course, one of them.”
“Fuck… Zara. I had no idea,” Ella reaches out to gives Zara a hug. Liliana crawls across the bed and hugs the both of them.
“I have missed you both,” Zara whispers as they break apart.
“No you haven’t! Look at this place.” Ella waves her arms in a Vanna White motion.
“I still miss walking across the hall and having you guys coming in my room late at night. Just talking about nothing. It was amazing. I will miss it.”
“You can always visit or better… we can visit you.”
“El, I am going to hold you to that one.”
“Zara, can I ask you something personal?” Liliana questions.
“Sure, Liliana.”
“Are you nervous what will happen after you are collared? What he will do to you?”
“I will tell you… that is a really big fear for a submissive as we prepare for our walk to the Circle. I was raised by parents who had a high protocol Master/slave relationship.”
Zara looks at the blank expressions in both girls’ eyes and knows she needs to speak in outsider language for them to understand.
“My parents followed the guidelines set for being a Master and a Slave. Once I was old enough to care for my brother, there was never a time when my mother was out of the role of ‘slave’ if my father was present. There was a complete exchange of power between the two of them and, in his presence, her primary focus was to serve him.
“That was what I had been preparing for as I walked toward the Circle. Garrett was raised very differently. His parents have a very relaxed Dominant/submissive relationship – a completely different perspective than what I am used to.
“So to really answer your question, I am not nervous about what he will do to me once I am collared. I have had the opportunity to get to know the man that he really is and I trust him completely. Our relationship is unique in that we have been able to fall in love over time and build trust. It will make the next step a lot more exciting than it would have been originally.”
“Will you wait for your rescheduled Circle Ceremony to be collared?” Ella asks excitedly.
There is a knock on the door and Garrett opens it.
“Ladies, how is it going in here?” he asks everyone, but his eyes are on only one girl. Zara gives him a smile to reassure him that she is holding her own. He returns the smile and closes the door.
“Is anyone getting hungry? Something tells me Garrett is ready to eat.” Zara begins to get off the bed. Both girls follow, but Ella pauses and blocks the door.
“Zara, first answer the question.”
“Collaring is a very personal and private event. I have never understood the Circle Ceremony. If it were up to me, the only two people in attendance would be my Sir and me.”
*****
Garrett asks Viv to oversee Zara’s relocation. As they are tearing down decorations and moving the furniture, Zara asks if Beth could move into the room for the rest of the semester since it was already paid for. With a quick kiss on the forehead, Garrett instructs Viv to leave the room
livable for the girl.
Each day Zara returns home from school, a little something has been done to make it more their home than Garrett’s house. Zara’s biggest surprise comes one week into the new living arrangement. Garrett suggests that they go to his office to study and work. It is the first time they would be going to his office to work.
Zara has two huge exams coming up, so wherever they were going to work she just wanted to get there and get started. The best part about Garrett’s office is that it is located on the floor below Branden’s loft, so she can chat with Viv during her breaks. Once they arrive, Garrett grabs Zara’s backpack and his briefcase and guides her into the elevator. Lights come on as they step out of the elevator and make their way to Garrett’s office.
Setting her books and laptop on a small conference room table, Zara looks around at Garrett’s office. She remembered the surprise she felt the first time she walked in and saw pictures of herself. Framed pictures of her sat on his desk and on the bookcase. Ella had taken photos at several different times throughout the school year and Garrett had arranged to purchase pictures of Zara the very first time he met Ella at the MSU football game.
Shaking her head, Zara opens her laptop.
“Are you still thinking about me buying the pictures? You need to get over it. I will always find ways to obtain photos of you. I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world. Any other questions?”
“No, Garrett.” Chuckling to himself, Garrett goes to work and lets Zara try to regain her focus on her schoolwork.
Turning on a classical Spotify channel, the two become engrossed in their work. Several hours later, Zara is the first to look up with a glance at Garrett. “Snacks. I did not think of snacks. I am sorry.”
Garrett stands up and walks around his desk. He leans over Zara and kisses her on the forehead, “Be right back.”
Zara returns to studying.
A moment later, Branden comes in and takes a seat at the table across from Zara. Saying nothing, he just stares at her.
Before Him Comes Me Page 25
