by Sherri Hayes
Their server returned with their drinks and a basket of bread. She jotted down their orders and told them she’d return shortly with their appetizer.
Once they were alone again, he decided it was time to have some fun. He pushed the hem of her skirt up a little and began tracing small circles on the inside of her leg a few inches above her knee. Grace tensed.
He turned and whispered in her ear. “Relax. No one is going to know I’m doing anything unless you act as if something’s wrong.”
He saw her swallow.
“If I’m doing something you don’t want me to do, all you have to do is say the word.” Grace knew exactly what word he was talking about.
She remained silent.
He picked up a piece of bread and handed it to her. “Did you eat lunch today?”
“Yes.” She was trying hard to keep still. “A sandwich and some soup.”
Alexander was glad to hear Beth was still taking care of her. “Good. I expect you to eat three full meals a day, no exceptions.”
When she didn’t answer, he gave her leg a light pinch. “Yes, Sir.”
“I’m going to make sure you take care of yourself, gattina.” He inched his fingers a little higher. “That’s part of my job.”
Grace nodded.
He removed his hand and reached for a piece of bread for himself, leaving her on edge. That was good.
Their appetizer came, a fondue. The interactive nature of the food lightened the mood a bit and he was pleased to see her release some of her tension. He dipped some of the bread into the melted cheese and held it to her lips.
She opened her mouth and he watched as her lips sucked the food inside. It was almost as bad as watching her give that fake cock a blow job the night before. He wanted to feel those lips around him, sucking him into oblivion.
Shaking the thought from his mind, he skewered another piece of bread and dipped it into the cheese. Pushing Grace was one thing, but jumping into bed with her was another. He wanted her to feel completely comfortable with him and what they were doing before he went there. This wasn’t just about him getting laid or getting her off. At least not for him. He didn’t want her to regret anything they did together. Ever.
Their meal came and he steered things to safer topics, all the while continuing to touch and caress her beneath the table. He asked about her mom and how things were going with her upcoming retirement. By the time they finished their meal, it almost felt like it had before he’d seen her at the club. She’d giggled at his jokes and even snorted when he’d suggested maybe her mom could take up juggling as a hobby.
Grace was smiling as he drove her home. A real, genuine smile. Throughout dinner she’d gotten more and more used to his touch. His heart felt lighter and heavier all at the same time.
She hugged her jacket against her as they stepped onto her front porch. Fall had definitely arrived in St. Louis. “Do you want to come in?”
Want had nothing to do with it.
He walked forward, backing her up against the door. Grace looked up at him, her eyes sparkling in the evening light.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he whispered, his lips hovering an inch above hers.
Grace licked her bottom lip. “Why?”
He stifled a groan. She didn’t make this easy.
Instead of answering with words, he closed the distance between them, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her against him. She let out a tiny squeak before his mouth covered hers.
It was the first time he’d kissed her. Really kissed her. Sure, he’d brushed his lips against hers a few times in the past, but this was different.
Her lips gave under the gentle pressure of his mouth. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, remembering how her tongue had moistened it moments before. She was so soft in his arms, molding her body to his.
Alexander dug his fingers into her hip, needing her closer. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring, tasting. It wasn’t enough, and yet he knew it had to be. For now.
Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers as he met her gaze. She was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling, making it that much more difficult to do what he knew he needed to.
“Good night, Grace.”
She blinked as if she were waking from a daze. His male pride soared at having been the one responsible.
Even though he knew she’d heard him, Grace didn’t move.
“Grace?”
“Hmm?”
“You need to unlock the door and go inside.” He released her and took a step back—the cool air helping to bring some sanity back to the situation.
It seemed to do the same for her. Grace dug her keys out of her purse and turned to unlock the door. She looked over her shoulder before going inside. Several strands of her hair were loose and her lipstick was almost completely gone, even though she’d gone to the bathroom before they’d left the restaurant and reapplied it. Alexander was most likely wearing the other half of it himself. He couldn’t care less.
“Good night, Grace.”
A light pink tinted her cheeks. “Good night.”
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Chapter 13
Friday morning dawned and Grace had to drag herself out of bed. It had taken her a while to get to sleep the night before. Her mind and body had been too worked up from the kiss she’d shared with Alexander. He’d kissed her before. A few times. But even she knew last night had been different. His kisses before had been innocent. Chaste. There’d been nothing innocent about what happened on her porch.
She went to work, happy for the distraction. That was until Alexander texted her at noon to remind her he’d be picking her up at six. After that, she hadn’t been able to think of anything else. They were going to the club and this time around he would be her Dom and she would be his submissive.
Beth noticed she was distracted. “Any big plans this weekend?”
Grace debated how to answer her boss. “I sort of have a date.”
It was the easiest way to explain her and Alexander’s plans for the evening. Especially to someone who didn’t know anything about BDSM. She could only imagine Beth’s reaction if Grace told her she was going to a kink club with her Dom.
“That’s great.” Beth paused. “Right? I mean I’m assuming you like the guy. You agreed to go out with him.”
“Do you remember me telling you about Kurt’s friend, the Army doctor?” Grace asked as she put the food Beth had prepared onto a tray.
Her boss’ eyes lit up. “Really? That’s great.” She put the finishing touches on another sandwich and handed it to Grace. “But haven’t you been out with the guy before? I mean maybe not on an official date or anything, but out to dinner and stuff?”
“Yeah.” Grace didn’t know exactly how to explain it without going into detail. “I guess it’s just that things are changing.”
Beth studied her face. “Is that not what you want?”
“No. I do.” Grace released a frustrated sigh. She wasn’t doing a very going job explaining. Then again, how could she? The only one who knew the whole story was Alexander. “It’s just . . . new.”
“Now, that I can relate to.” Beth laughed. “My advice? Don’t worry so much. Things will work out the way they’re meant to.”
Grace picked up the tray full of food feeling a little better after talking to Beth. She still had no idea what to expect from tonight, but her boss was right. Things would work out the way they were meant to, good or bad.
At three thirty Grace said goodbye to Beth and Tommy and made her way to the store before heading home. She had a lot to do before Alexander picked her up. After showering and shaving, she went to her closet to find something to wear. She didn’t want to disappoint her new Dom.
Grace tried on a handful of outfits before settling on the same fitted leather skirt she’d worn the week before and a white top that dipped low in both the front and the back. Because of how it wa
s made, Grace wouldn’t be able to wear a bra. If Alexander was anything like her husband had been, he would like that.
The doorbell rang a little before six and she raced downstairs as fast as her three-inch heels would carry her. Figuring it was Alexander, she opened the door without looking, only to find her sister staring back at her with her eyes about to bug out of her head, holding her niece. The look on her sister’s face had her wanting to cover up.
“What are you doing here?”
It took Gabby a moment to answer. “I tried to call, but you didn’t answer.” She gave Grace a long once-over. “Now I know why.”
This wasn’t a conversation Grace wanted to have standing in her doorway, so she took a step back and let her sister inside. “Sorry. I was probably in the shower.”
Her sister scanned her surroundings, and then met Grace’s gaze with a smirk on her face. “Are you waiting on your doctor?”
She started to say he wasn’t hers, but stopped herself. He was hers. At least for the time being. “He’s taking me to a club.”
“Oooo. Dancing. Fun.” Her sister placed a single finger in the center of her top and pushed down, revealing more of Grace’s skin. “No bra. Nice. Someone’s hoping to get lucky tonight.”
Grace batted Gabby’s hand away. She could already feel her blush starting. “You said you called?” She really needed to get her sister’s attention away from what she was wearing and how she was going to be spending her evening.
Gabby repositioned her daughter on her hip. “When I picked Taylor up tonight, her babysitter told me she had a death in the family and won’t be able to watch her tomorrow or Monday. Mom said she can watch her tomorrow while I’m at work, but I was hoping you could cover Monday.” A sly grin appeared. “That is if you’re not spending your day off with your new man.”
“I can watch her Monday.” Grace chose to ignore the rest of what her sister said.
“Great! We’ll talk more Sunday.” Gabby gave her a swift kiss on the cheek before heading toward the door. “I’ll get out of your hair so you can finish getting ready, but I’ll expect details.”
Grace tried not to groan, and waved goodbye to her sister. Every time Gabby had asked her about Alexander in the past, Grace kept insisting there was nothing going on between them, that they were just friends. It wasn’t as if she could claim that anymore. They were definitely more than friends now. He was her Dom. Everything else? Grace wasn’t sure about that herself. She had no idea how she was going to explain it to her sister.
With Beth it had been easier. Beth wasn’t going to ask for a blow-by-blow, as it were. Gabby would want to know when things changed and why Grace had been holding out on her. It made her want to call her mom and tell her she wasn’t going to make it over this week. Of course, that would only put off the inevitable.
She heard Alexander’s footfalls on the porch and opened the door before he had a chance to ring the bell. He was dressed in black slacks and a greenish-blue shirt that buttoned down the front. Her heart rate picked up at the sight of him.
It wasn’t until he came inside that she realized he had his cane with him. “Is your leg bothering you?”
He raised an eyebrow and she realized her mistake. Not a great way to start the evening.
“Sorry, Sir.” She lowered her gaze to the floor as he closed the door.
Grace wasn’t sure what she was expecting his reaction to be, but she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand on the back of her thigh. “Easy, gattina.”
She bit down on the inside of her cheek and told herself to breathe.
He gave her a moment, and then eased his hand up under her skirt and ran his fingers along the seam of her thong. “Very nice.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
His hand remained on her ass as he moved to stand in front of her. He lifted her chin with his free hand, his cane dangling only an inch from her breast. “I approve of your top as well.”
She swallowed, not saying anything as he ran the back of his hand down her neck to the hollow between her breasts where the material of her shirt pooled. But unlike her sister, he didn’t tug at her shirt to confirm she wasn’t wearing a bra. Then again, he didn’t have to. Grace could feel her nipples pressing against the silky fabric, trying to get free.
Grace was so focused on her body’s reactions she almost missed his next words. “It’s going to be a big night for you, and as I said before, there will be no running. You will be by my side as my submissive and you will conduct yourself as such. If there is a problem, you will tell me immediately.”
“Yes, Sir.”
They stopped to have dinner. He’d sat beside her again, but this time he kept his hands to himself. She didn’t know if that was due to the fact that the restaurant was crowded or if it was because he could tell how nervous she was.
When they arrived at the club, he helped her out of her coat and handed it to the woman behind the desk in the lobby. “Thank you, Ali.”
“You’re welcome, Sir,” the woman said. “Have a fun time tonight.”
He placed a hand on Grace’s lower back and guided her into the club.
***
Alexander paid close attention to Grace’s reaction as they walked into the main room of the club. He kept his hand on her lower back as he guided her through the crowd and over to the seating area. Daniel was already there chatting with Nicole and Jeff.
Daniel saw them first. His gaze fell on Grace, and then back to Alexander. “And who do we have here?”
It was then he saw Nicole’s expression change. She recognized Grace. And from the looks of it, so did her sub, Jeff.
A moment later, he knew Grace had recognized them, too. Alexander had been so concerned about her reaction to seeing Beth that he hadn’t considered she’d also know Nicole and Jeff. He knew Nicole and Beth were best friends, but he wasn’t aware Nicole and Grace had ever met.
Alexander circled his arm around Grace’s waist and pulled her closer to his side before answering Daniel’s question. He wasn’t about to have her take off on him. “This is my submissive, Grace.”
His friend raised one eyebrow in silent question, but didn’t comment.
Turning to Nicole, Alexander said, “I think you may already know each other?”
“Yes. Grace works at the café with Beth.”
He edged Grace closer to the couch, sat down, and tugged her onto his lap. “I didn’t realize you frequented the café.”
Nicole shrugged. “I drop by every now and then.”
Alexander also heard her unasked question lingering behind her words. Did Beth know Grace would be at the club tonight? He subtly shook his head and saw her frown. While he could understand her concern for her friend, it wasn’t Beth he was worried about. Grace had been in the lifestyle with her husband for years. She wouldn’t out her boss. She might, however, try to run again.
“Well, clearly I’m the odd one out here,” Daniel said. The two Doms had hit it off right away due to them both having a military background even though Daniel was almost twenty years older than Alexander. Then again, there were days when Alexander felt twenty years older than he actually was. Daniel leaned toward Grace. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Nicole appeared mildly irritated at the casual way Alexander was handling the situation. Jeff, on the other hand, looked somewhat bored. This new development didn’t seem to bother him. Daniel took another long look at Grace. Alexander could only imagine what his friend was thinking.
But the reaction he was most focused on was Grace’s. Her breathing had picked up and her fingers were white from pressing them as hard as she could into her legs. He pried her fingers up and laced them with his.
“How did you two meet?” Nicole asked.
Alexander slipped his thumb under the hem of Grace’s shirt and began rubbing back and forth. He needed her to relax. “Her husband and I served together.”
It was as if a light bulb went off in everyone’s head.
“
So this is the woman you spent so much time searching for,” Daniel said.
Alexander grinned, not breaking the rhythm of his touch against her skin. “She made herself difficult to find.”
Grace let her shoulders sag a little. She was paying attention to the conversation even though she hadn’t said a word. He hadn’t given her any speaking restrictions for tonight other than letting her know that she owed both Justin and Katrina an apology for running out last Friday. Her silence thus far, however, didn’t surprise him. His Grace was shy.
Daniel chuckled, either unaware or ignoring Grace’s reaction. “I remember.”
Conversation turned to a new piece of equipment Katrina had acquired for the club. Alexander was only half paying attention. Grace was still stiff in his arms.
Several more minutes passed and the topic of conversation shifted again, but Grace’s posture hadn’t changed. He lifted their linked hands and brought them to his lips. She met his gaze. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you, Sir.”
Alexander released her hand and cupped the side of her face. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
Her bottom lip trembled. “What if Nicole tells Beth and I lose my job? I don’t want to lose my job.”
“You’re not going to lose your job.”
“You don’t know that,” she whispered.
He stared back at her, both eyebrows raised.
She lowered her gaze. “Sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean—”
He tipped her chin up so she was looking at him again. “I’m not upset with you, gattina. I do, however, want to understand why you think your boss would fire you for being a member of a kink club when her best friend is one.”
That, at least, had her thinking. “I just don’t want Beth to think less of me.”
“Why would I think less of you?” They hadn’t heard the couple approach, but it was obvious at least part of their conversation had been overheard.
