Unbreak Him

by Sam E. Kraemer

  "And, you're not sleeping in your bed, are you? You can't maintain the healthy lifestyle I demand if you aren't sleeping in your bed, pet. Also, it's colder than a meat locker in here. Do you believe you're smarter than me, and I wouldn't figure it out?" she asked.

  "Oh, no, Mistress! Your sl… submissive knows he's not smarter than you. I'll gladly undergo any punishment you deem appropriate," Grant stated, hands behind his back and head down.

  She looked at Kyle and nodded. "Grant, I'll be overseeing your corrections for Mistress. You are to sleep in your bed and turn on the furnace. Keep the thermostat at sixty-nine degrees, but it must be turned on. And, best of all, I'm going to stay here and drive you crazy until we both feel we can trust you not to self-harm.

  "My building's being tented anyway, and I need a place to stay, I mean if you don't mind. I'm not your punishment… well, maybe I am. I can be a pain in the ass. Just ask my old roommate, Randy Graves, from the halfway house," he rambled until Felicity cleared her throat, trying to hide a giggle.

  "As an exercise in correcting this behavior, Grant, I want you and Kyle to go out to a club on Friday night. Not an S&M club, but a regular gay club. I want you to go dancing and have a few drinks. I want a full report next Wednesday evening when I come over," she demanded.

  That was a surprise to Kyle. She hadn't mentioned anything about a date to him, but it sounded like a lot of fun. He hadn't been to a club since before he was arrested. He'd always loved to dance, so he was all about it.

  "Do you have anything you want to say concerning your correction?" Felicity asked Grant.

  It was then they both noticed he was trembling. "Speak freely, pet," the Domme ordered.

  "Mistress, your sub has never been to a club without a Master. Kyle might not want to be saddled with your submissive at a club," he stated.

  Kyle quickly spoke up without prompting. "I'd love to take you to a club on Friday night. I'll check around and find a good one without electronic dance music. I hate that shit. Anyway, I haven't been since I got outta prison, so it would really be a favor to me," he suggested, seeing Felicity smile briefly before she slapped at Kyle.

  "Enough," she stated loudly. She placed her graceful hand under Grant's chin and lifted it. "Up, pet."

  Grant stood, looking at the floor with his hands behind his back in the presentation position. "Are you upset Kyle will be staying for a while? It's either him here or you at my house because you've proven you can't be trusted on your own, and I know you're a better pet than that. Prove me right, and we'll come up with a reward. Sunday night, I want you and Kyle to come to my home for Lance's birthday. Connie and his boyfriend, Brian Storey, are coming. I've bought that Corvette for Lance. He has a Mini Cooper Countryman for the winter months, but that convertible was too good to pass up. I'll call Kyle with details about the party.

  "You've served me well this evening, pet. Thank you for your service. I adore you," Felicity told Grant. She kissed his forehead and stepped back.

  He looked up and smiled at her. "Thank you, Miss Pembrook. I've learned much this evening, and it looks like I have a new roommate," he teased as he looked at Kyle.

  "Go put on something warm and turn on the furnace. I'm trusting you tonight because I need to go home to pack up some things, but I'll be coming home with you from work on Friday, and then we'll get an Uber to go out on Friday night. I'll see you tomorrow, Grant," Kyle told him as he squeezed his bicep.

  Kyle noticed Grant was filling out nicely since they started working out together. Seeing him without a shirt would definitely help make shower time a lot more fun, as long as he didn’t concentrate on the welts on Grant’s back. Mr. Libido would be happy for new fodder for the spank bank, even if it would be based in fiction. Mr. Dick was getting tired of Kyle’s right hand.

  Kyle picked up Felicity's coat and held it for her before he grabbed his own off the chair. She picked up the cat-o'-nine-tails and turned to look at Grant. "I'll be checking those on Sunday night, Grant. They'd better be on their way to healing if you want your reward," she told him.

  He kissed her cheek before he escorted her and Kyle to the front hallway. "I'll have a room ready for you on Friday," he told Kyle as he squeezed his forearm.

  "Thanks, Grant. I'll see you in the morning at eight. We have a meeting with the team regarding the coffee account at eight thirty. I'll have their ideas on your desk before you get in. Get a good night's sleep on the bed. I'll know by the bags under your eyes," he told his boss as he leaned down and kissed the man's cheek.

  After the door was closed, he followed Felicity to her Mercedes SUV. She always gave him a ride home, giving the two of them a chance to talk. As she pulled around the drive and down toward the street, she stopped at the bottom, staring at Kyle. "What's wrong?"

  "What if he doesn't want out of the lifestyle? I mean, that's kinda where we're steering him, isn't it?" Without answering, she pushed a button on her steering wheel. "What would you like to do?" asked a mechanical voice.

  "Call home," she announced in a clear voice.

  It rang twice. "Hey, baby. You on your way?" Kyle heard Lance ask.

  "Love, I'm gonna stop and have a cup of coffee with Kyle, if you don't mind. I need to explain a few things a bit more in-depth. Don't wait for dinner, okay? I'll heat mine when I get home," she told him.

  "You go ahead. Anthony made some bangin' fried chicken. I'll put you a plate in the oven to keep it warm. I've got that stupid upgrade to do for Bangkok, so I'll be upstairs in the office. Come find me with you get home, okay? Hey, Kyle," he heard.

  "Hi, Lance. Sorry to keep her out. We newbs are a pain in the ass," he teased.

  Lance laughed a deep laugh. "I'd rather she have coffee with you for half an hour than have your ass move in like Anthony. I'll be glad when he gets the fuck out. He's messin' with my mojo," the man joked.

  Felicity giggled. "Thank you, love. I'll be home soon." He told her he loved her, and they hung up. It was still a little disconcerting to hear her be so playful after seeing her in Domme mode, but then, it was easy for him not to think of her as an average person, which she clearly was.

  "Think Grant and I could ever come to your club and watch you do your rope tricks? I understand that's your specialty," Kyle asked.

  Again, the woman giggled. "Shibari, it’s called. I studied with a Japanese Master about five years ago. I love the contrast of white silk against Lance's beautiful skin. We have the most amazing sex after those... Sorry. I get carried away sometimes. Anyway, I have a Christmas Munch at the estate and provide demonstrations. I can have you as my guests if Grant's ready to think about anything of the sort."

  The discussion stopped until they pulled into a Starbucks and hopped out. Felicity got a spiced pumpkin latte while Kyle got a cup of green tea with honey. They settled in at a table away from the few patrons out that late on a Wednesday night.

  "So, what do I need to know?" Kyle asked.

  Felicity sighed as she stirred her drink. "There's a term we use in the lifestyle, 'breaking in a sub.' It takes developing mutual respect, trust, and the desire to offer and receive the control over another to allow the pair to explore another level of intimacy and pleasure for their mutual satisfaction. Sometimes it requires discipline because old habits can be hard to break, but to truly achieve pleasure, and dare I say joy, out of the power exchange, discipline is a necessary part of the process. In thoughtful discipline and submission, there is great beauty.

  “However, there are some among our ranks who take the phrase and twist it such that they believe ‘breaking a sub’ is the proper approach. They want to strip away the freewill, the personality, and the spirit of another so as to retrain them to completely obey the Master and allow only the Master’s thoughts and desires to rule their lives.

  “I don’t agree with the second interpretation, but that’s the way Grant was trained, long before he even met Kade Blume. There’re a lot of things about that sort of relationship I disagree with, but I can say, bas
ed on the sadists I’ve come across in my life, there’s no love or kindness in those types of relationships.

  "All of the Doms and Masters that I have come to know and respect over the years have trained first as a sub or a slave, depending on what they're looking for in their personal lives. How could one begin to administer punishment if they’ve never felt the smack of the paddle or the sting of the cat? How could one know how tight to shackle a sub to a St. Andrews Cross if they’ve never been bound to it themselves? How could one tell when a punishment spanking goes too far if they’ve never felt the wrath of the cane or the crack of the whip? Don't even get me started on suspension and how many idiots dislocate their partner's limbs because they don't know what they're doing.

  "People think it sounds like fun ordering someone around and smacking them if they don't do it the way they would like, but that's them re-enacting shit they saw in a movie or read on the internet. That's not our reality. Do you think I could live with myself if I went too far in a scene with Lance and somehow injured him? I could never forgive…" she choked up, and Kyle was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

  She quickly dried them with a napkin and smiled at him. "That's why some of the hardcore freaks like Kade Blume think a woman can never be a good Domme, much less the Head of Regents for a BDSM club. Blume believes having a heart is a detriment to the lifestyle. I'll bet you a hundred dollars his new plaything ends up leaving him within the year. He has cruelty in his blood, and he won't be happy living a vanilla lifestyle no matter how many times he says it.

  "My Lance and I find what we need in each other when we need it. That's the great thing about it. We have complete trust, which can only be earned. If he has a bad day, he'll come to me respectfully with his favorite strap and kneel in presentation, and whether I feel like being Mistress Felicity or not, I suck it up and do it because it's what my lover and submissive needs.

  "There have been times when I've given him the paddle to use on me because I needed it. It's not to maim the other person, Kyle. It frees something inside us we need," she explained.

  Kyle was surprised she allowed Lance to spank her, but it wasn't his business. In fact, he was a bit uncomfortable knowing this information about her, but he knew she was trying to get him to see something. He just didn't know what it was yet.

  "Okay, um. So, you break a sub, and then what?" Kyle asked.

  "Then, you begin again together, learning both of your likes and dislikes, compromising on those about which you disagree. You experiment with limits. There are hard limits… things one absolutely refuses to try, which are to always be respected. There are soft limits, which are things one's never tried and might be open to trying if given time and gentle teaching. That's where a Dominant and submissive grow together, learning from each other and wanting to be what the other wants and needs. When it's done right, it's a beautiful thing.

  "What was done to Grant is when it's all done wrong. All of the joy in life has been stripped of him for more years than he's been in service. He's lived the life of a slave for a very long time, and I doubt if he was actually released during his workday, as he told me. I know Kade Blume. He wants all the power all the time.

  "What we're trying to do is give Grant back his power. He needs to re-acclimate to something less than total slavery. That's where you'll be good for him. If you work with him and get him to the point where the two of you can do normal things. Go to the movies or even go bowling and have a good time together, and he actually participates instead of doing what you say, that's a win. If you two can have a fight over something stupid, that's a win, because I'd bet he hasn't had a fight with anyone in years. That was beaten out of him, and we need to unbreak him," she told Kyle.

  When they left the coffee shop, which was close to his apartment building, Kyle kissed her cheek and started walking home with the cat-o'-nine-tails she'd given him. He had a goal… one day, he wanted Grant Cummings to use it on him. If they could get to that point, Kyle would consider it a win.

  Chapter 11

  Thursday morning, Kyle had everything set up in the conference room for the team meeting. He'd stopped at the grocery store down the street from the firm and picked up a five-pound bag of 'Columbia's Best' coffee beans. They were the company Grant was going to pitch, so it seemed like a good idea to give the team a taste of what they were supposed to be selling.

  Kyle grabbed some cookies and a bean grinder he found at the end of the aisle before making his way to the cashier. After he paid for his purchases, he hurried back to the office and upstairs to his desk. After dropping his coat, Kyle rushed to the kitchen to make coffee. Two carafes: one with the regular brew they bought from the beverage service the firm used, and one of the freshly ground, 'Columbia's Best' beans he'd purchased at the store.

  He gathered cups, saucers, and the cookies on a tray while the coffee brewed. He hurried back to claim the coffee before anyone got in and tried to take some. Unfortunately, he was too late. Standing at the machine with the 'Columbia's Best' was Jesse McCaffrey. He'd pulled the pot out from under the drip and was holding his mug there.

  When he heard Kyle, Jesse turned to look at him and laughed. "Well, if it isn't Rancid. I haven't seen you in quite a while. You must be suckin' Grant Cummings’ cock well enough, so he let you stay," the snake sniped.

  Kyle thought over what the man had said before he grinned. If he'd said it any other way, Kyle would have knocked those capped teeth down his throat without a second thought. Instead, he took the man's mug and dumped it into his pot, replacing it under the drip until it finished.

  "This is for a meeting. Go down to the bullpen and drink the shit you make down there. You have no business up here," Kyle snapped as he poured the pot into the carafe before changing the coffee filter to make a fresh batch of that other crap.

  He poured the other pot into a carafe and started to walk out. "I'm up here now," he heard behind him.

  Kyle turned around and looked at the jackass. "Come again?"

  "Since Cooper Daniels left, your boss's team is one man down, and I've been assigned to him as his number two. Looks like you'll be working for me, bitch," Jesse stated as he laughed before he walked out the other door, which led to the hallway near the restrooms.

  Kyle was stunned at the announcement. Grant hadn't said a word about getting another graphic artist assigned. He thought things were going well with them. Kyle had done artwork for a few things, and it seemed Grant liked it. If he wasn't happy with Kyle's work, that was a whole different story.

  As Kyle set up the conference room, he stewed on the reason Grant hadn't told him he was requesting another graphic artist. It's this shit with Felicity, you idiot. It's too much. You've overstepped some boundary or something, he thought as he grabbed the package of pads and opened it, placing them around the table. He made tent cards and put them in front of both pots… Coffee A and Coffee B.

  Kyle had put the biscotti on a plate to the side, and he had the opened bag of beans in a bowl on the table. He glanced at the clock in the conference room to see it was nearly eight, so he hurried to his desk to grab his phone, which was charging.

  Kyle heard the door open, and the sound of an unmistakable laugh echoed down the hallway. "I'll check with my new assistant to see if I have time next Tuesday. I'm under the gun right now, but maybe next week, we'll see. Have a good one," Grant chanted to none other than Reginald P. Snow, his rival for the upcoming partnership. The man nodded at Kyle as he walked down the hallway with a salacious grin. Kyle didn’t like it one bit.

  Kyle's heart and head were pounding. Apparently, Grant was giving him the boot in favor of a guy he despised. He'd hired Jesse McCaffrey as his second, and he'd hired a new assistant. Kyle remembered sniping at Cooper Daniels about needing boxes to pack his personal things to leave the firm. Apparently, the last laugh was on Kyle Rance.

  Head held high, Kyle pulled on his favorite suit coat and walked over to Grant's door, knocking on the door jamb. The blond looked up with
a bright smile. "Good morning. Do you have the team's ideas yet? Have you packed up your things?" he asked as he took off his own jacket and hung it on the guest chair.

  Kyle swallowed the lump in his throat. "Um, I sent the e-mail before I made the coffee. I expect them any minute. The conference room is ready. As soon as my replacement arrives, I'll get my things together," he stated before he turned to leave.

  "Wait, Natalie told me he was already in the office. He's supposed to be moving his things as well," Grant stated.

  Just then, Kyle saw Jesse McCaffrey emerge from Cooper Daniels' old office. "Your new second is settled," Kyle responded as he turned on his heel and hurried down the hallway to the bathroom because he wasn’t about to let them see him cry.

  Kyle feared he was becoming soft, and that wasn't acceptable. Fuck, he was an ex-con. He damn well wasn't going let this bullshit ruin him when he’d never shed one tear the entire time he was in prison.

  He'd need to call Felicity and tell her she was on her own because he never wanted to set eyes on Grant Cummings again. He was all her problem if she wanted to continue to help the dirty, double-crossing…

  "Kyle? Are you in here?" Grant asked as he pushed open the other stall door. Kyle was leaning against the wall of the handicapped stall. He quickly wiped his eyes.

  "Yeah, gimme a sec," he stated as he tore off some toilet paper to dry his tears. Suddenly, the door opened, allowing Grant Cummings inside. He quickly closed and locked the door, turning to look at Kyle.

  "God, what's wrong? Did someone die?" he whispered.

  Only my dreams, Kyle thought. "No, no. I'm fine. I was just trying to get myself together to talk with Marion. I hope they still have my job in the mailroom," he explained, tossing the tissue in the toilet.

  He saw Grant's face squeeze up in concern? "Wait, why would you go back to the mailroom? I'm… damn, Marion didn't leave you a message, did she?" Grant asked.

  It was then Kyle remembered he'd been too busy to listen to the messages. "I, uh, I don't know. I've been busy since I got in this morning. I won't cause a scene like Cooper did when he left, okay?"