by Tara Sue Me
“Right now? I’ll eat anything.”
“Food during the flight wasn't very good?” he asked.
“Not the best.”
“Just as well all I'm doing is chicken salad. Maybe later this week, I can do something with a little more German flavor.”
It was then she realized he would not be disappearing after tonight. “You’re here the whole week?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“No,” she said. “I just wasn't expecting that. But it's okay, I mean it is your house.”
“I was invited to speak at the conference you’ll be attending.”
That surprised her. Although she remembered Cole talking about Fritz, she wasn't aware if she’d ever heard what he did for a living.
“Are you an architect?” she asked.
“No. I'm a contractor.”
She wasn't sure how often their paths would cross. At the conference anyway.
He seemed to pick up on the fact that his words startled her.
"If it's a problem," he offered. "I could find somewhere else to stay."
“Are you serious?” she asked. “I would never kick you out of your house.”
“Yes, but I understand that you had thought it would only be you at the house while you're here this week. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything.”
She had noticed him.
They had known of each other for years, yet he wasn't sure she'd ever noticed him. He would not have expected her to notice him when she was with Cole. Today, however, she did, and she did more than notice. She looked at him. And she liked what she saw. It made the man inside him want to roar and beat his chest.
From all appearances, she had been unprepared for him. He didn’t think it was just because he had shown up out the blue. No, her eyes had traveled up and down his body slowly. She’d liked what she saw.
“No,” she said. “I’m not uncomfortable with you being here.”
“As long as you're sure.”
She smiled. “I am. Now, what can I do to help?”
He handed her the vegetables and a knife. “Want to make the salad while I work on the chicken?”
“Sounds good,” she said.
For the next bit, they were silent as they worked in the kitchen. Even though she normally liked to chatter, he liked that she was quiet then. It gave him a chance to look at her closer. He had known that she was beautiful, but now he saw more. She moved with simple, but captivating grace.
Before too long, she had finished the vegetables. He opened a bottle of wine and poured them both a glass. They sat down to dinner, and the conversation was light and perhaps a bit flirtatious.
Their hands touched briefly when they both reached for bread at the same time and she jerked away. Now and then, their eyes would meet and perhaps linger a bit longer than what was polite. He blamed it on the wine and resigned himself to taking a lot of cold showers for the next week. He didn’t remember opening an additional bottle of wine, but he must have because when dinner was over, there were two empty bottles.
“Tell me, Fritz,” Kate said, sitting back in her seat and her lips curving upward in a sultry half smile. “Are you dating anyone?”
He assumed the wine was the root of both the question and the flush that heated her cheeks after she asked it. Yet he felt - satisfied - that she might be jealous at the thought of him with another woman.
“No, I'm not. Are you?” he asked.
She shook her head. That was a shame, he thought. He remembered how lovely she had served Cole. He couldn't imagine she didn’t miss that on some level.
“Are you like Cole?” she asked. “Into the whole twenty-four, seven thing?”
“That’s been my preference,” he said. Of course, he’d never found a partner he wanted to experience that with permanently, so who really knew?
The sad fact was, he didn’t play all that often these days. However, whenever he'd gone a few months without, he could tell. He should get moving before the playful flirtation went further than either of them planned. He was getting ready to suggest they clean up the kitchen when she surprised him and stood up.
“Kate?” he asked. “Are you going up to your bedroom?”
She didn’t walk toward the stairs, but rather toward him. She knelt beside him in a silent offering and he couldn’t catch his breath at the sight. His fingers itched to bury themselves in her hair and he lifted a hand. His gaze fell on the empty bottles and glasses and he knew he had to turn her down.
“Kate,” he said with a heavy sigh.
But he couldn’t get out anything more because she stood up. “I’m sorry.” There were tears in her eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that. Forget it, okay?”
He held up his hand. “Kate.”
But she had already left.
By the time she’d made it to Fritz’s place the next afternoon, Kate had very nearly convinced herself he’d made the right decision in turning her down the day before. Very possibly convinced herself, but not quite, she thought, stepping inside and locking the door.
After all, they really didn't know each other very well or how compatible they would be as play partners. Besides, they would be at the same conference for the next week. If they had sex, it might make things uncomfortable. Especially when they were around other people. Add to that the fact that they both had a relationship with Cole and it just wasn’t a good idea that they did anything.
Still, she couldn't help but think in the back of her mind that somehow, the possibility existed that he could be the one who could…
She turned back around and yelled at the unexpected sight of Fritz standing in the doorway.
“Kate,” he said.
“Oh my, God, Fritz.” She put her hand over her heart and took a deep breath. “You scared me half to death.”
“I see that and I’m sorry. That was not my intention.”
Now that she’d somewhat collected herself, she could study him better. There was something different about him. It went deeper than the intensity of his gaze and the way he held himself oh so still. No, there was an air about him this evening. An air that whispered to the hidden places of her soul that she’d buried after leaving Cole.
She swallowed and then to cover the effect he had on her, she tossed her hair over her shoulder, put her hands on her hips, and asked, “Well then, what was your intention?” in the haughtiest voice she had. It was a move that would have ninety-nine percent of all men eating out of her hand.
Ever so slowly, the corners of his mouth uplifted into what had to be the most sadistic smile she’d ever seen. When he finally spoke, her skin broke out in gooseflesh because, in that moment, she knew Fritz was not ninety-nine percent of all men.
“Oh, Kate.” His German accent made her shiver. “You know very well what my intention was.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “No.” She crossed her arms. “I believe you made it quite clear last night that those were not your intentions.”
“You assumed you knew what I was going to say and ran out before I could say anything. I was going to say we had had too much to drink. I certainly wasn’t going to rule out the rest of the week.”
Her heart raced. Surely, he wasn’t suggesting what she thought he was suggesting. But she really hoped he was.
“I think,” he said. “If you'd like to explore what I have to offer, I’d be happy to do so with you.”
“Explore?” she asked.
“You want me to specify it? If you would like to serve as my submissive for the week you're here, we can do that.”
She said nothing.
“Tell me, Kate,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “Do you find me attractive?”
It was a preposterous question. The type no decent man would ever ask a woman. She crossed her arms and started to say something to let him know in no uncertain terms what she thought of his question.
But he took a step closer, shook his head, and pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't say a
nything if you’re going to say something sassy. I want you to think about your answer. Think about what I see when I look at you. You’re breathing more rapidly. Your cheeks are flushed. You’re looking everywhere except me. I don't ask for much, Kate, but I ask that you answer me honestly.”
“Well, the thing is, I'm just, oh hell.”
He flinched. “Do you have a Master? I didn't ask and should have. I'm sorry.”
“No I don't have a Master.” She lifted her chin. “And I don’t want one.”
“That’s understandable,” he said. “I have no desire to be your Master. But what do you say about me acting as your Top while you serve me this week? It would only be while we play.” At her silence, his voice dropped. “Imagine the pleasure I could bring you.”
She was so tempted. It was way too easy to imagine the pleasure to be had with him. She only had to look at his fingers. Or his mouth. How long had it been since she’d played with an experienced master? Or Top? Way too long. Not since Cole.
But who could think of Cole with Fritz in the room? He was so close she could feel him. Feel the heat of him through her clothes. He wasn’t even touching her. And he wouldn’t, until she asked. “And after this week?” She asked finally. “What then?”
“Then we go our separate ways. I have no claim on you. Nor you on me. We enjoy the week for what it is having no expectation of what happens next.”
She felt almost drunk with the sheer gluttony on it. “What happens in Berlin stays in Berlin?” she asked with a laugh, but even she could hear how nervous she sounded.
“Something like that,” he said.
“That’s all?” she asked. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
He watched her with those cool blue eyes that missed nothing. “Yes, it is,” he said. “I want whatever happens to be your decision and your decision alone. After all, you’re a guest in my house. I would never want to make it appear that I require this of you.”
Her mouth was suddenly parched and her heart pounded in her ears. She was one hundred percent out of her mind because she knew that even though she had vocalized nothing, she was going to agree. And standing before her, silent though he was, Fritz knew it as well.
She took a deep breath and asked, “If I decide I want to do this, when will we start?”
“You’re only here for a week.” He spoke as calmly as if was discussing the weather. It would be quite infuriating if she dwelt on it too long. Especially considering how not calm she felt. “I propose we start tonight. We can exchange checklists now, discuss them at dinner, and proceed from there.”
“Good lord. You’ve really thought this through.”
For a brief second, something flashed in his eyes, but left so quickly, she told herself she’d imagined the whole thing.
He smiled. “Is that a yes?”
She returned the smile because it was a yes. She held his gaze as she lowered herself to her knees. He continued to look at her, not bothering to disguise the desire she saw there.
2
“Ma’am. Ma’am.” Someone was tapping her shoulder. Fritz disappeared and her eyes flew open.
She let out a groan. She was no longer in Berlin, but rather an airplane and from the looks of it, the last passenger onboard.
The stewardess moved to the side as Kate stood up, grimacing at the sore muscles that were not from eight hours in an economy seat.
“I’m so sorry I had to wake you. You were sleeping so deeply, but everyone has to disembark now.”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“Make sure you get everything. You’d be surprised at what people leave behind.”
The stewardess kept chatting, but Kate ignored her. She grabbed her bag from the floor first. It held the gift from Fritz. The one he told her not to open until she was home. Her mind spun trying to decide what it was and suddenly she felt wide-awake. It wouldn’t be too much longer until she could open it.
She snagged her purse. That was all she’d carried on board since she’d planned to sleep the entire flight. Bidding the remaining airline employees goodbye, she walked toward baggage claim with memories of Fritz still fresh in her mind.
They had not slept the night before. Instead choosing to focus on each other for one more night. She blinked her eyes as tears threatened to fall. Weepy, achy, and feeling like she was falling apart? God, it had been ages since she’d had such a brutal subdrop. But it was to be expected after such an intense week.
She shivered, even though she didn’t feel cold and was suddenly thankful she had the next two days off and wouldn't be back at work until Wednesday. Two more days she could put off dealing with reality. She stretched and decided to spend most of the next forty-eight hours in bed.
As she waited for her bag, the back of her neck prickled. She straightened her spine. Someone was watching her. Fuck. She didn’t have the strength to deal with this tonight.
She grabbed her bag once it appeared on the carousal and glanced around the baggage claim area to determine whose attention she’d captured. At the sight of the familiar form making his way to her, she didn’t know whether to sigh in relief or curse.
She did neither, but simply waited for him to draw near. “Hey, Cole.”
He looked odd to her and it wasn’t until he said, “Hello, Kate,” that she knew what it was. His smile He’d rarely smiled when they were together and though she didn’t expect to feel anything when she saw him, she felt a little depressed. “Where’s Sasha?”
Holy shit, his smile grew even larger at just the sound of his new submissive/girlfriend/lover/whatever’s name. Kate felt even worse.
“She’s shopping for wedding gowns with Julie. Daniel proposed.”
Kate snorted. The world was filled with happy people in love. She couldn’t get home fast enough. “That’s wonderful. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m ready to head home and I need to go grab a cab.”
“That’s why I’m here.” He reached for her bag, but instead of giving it to him, she pulled it further away.
“Oh my, God. He called you, didn’t he?” Fritz had called Cole and asked him to pick her up. Damn it. Did Cole have any idea that her and Fritz had played together?
Cole’s smile wavered for the first time. “Yes. He thought you might experience a drop, and he wanted to make sure you got home safely.”
Fucking hell, he did. She shook her head. It didn’t matter. It really didn’t. “I’m neither a child who needs help to get home or a newbie sub who doesn’t know how to handle the drop after a scene.”
He chuckled. “That’s what I told him you’d say.”
“Are you laughing? Is this funny to you?”
When he looked at her again, he was no longer the blissed out man in love he’d been seconds before. Instead he’d reverted to the man she recognized from when they were together.
“Bloody hell.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’d forgotten how sub drop made you mad as fuck.”
And that just made her even more upset. “I’m sure Sasha is the world’s perfect sub. She never says anything wrong, and she never does anything inappropriate….”
She had planned to say more, but Cole looked upset and her words died in her mouth.
“Stop.” He held his hand up. “You can say whatever you want about me. You can curse my name for however long you want and use whatever words you think best. But you will not talk about Sasha. One, because she is mine, and I said so and two, because she has done nothing to you.”
His words were like ice over her. “Cole, I'm so sorry.”
He nodded, but he didn’t say it was okay. And he wouldn’t because it wasn't. “Is that your only bag?”
She nodded. This time when he reached for it, she handed it to him.
“Let's get out of here,” he said.
She said nothing, but followed behind him as he led the way to his car. No one spoke until they were off the airport property.
“I didn’t realize sub drop turned me into a
bitch,” she said.
“I never called you a bitch.”
“But I was. And I shouldn't have said what I did.”
He nodded. “No you shouldn't have.”
“I guess I was more affected by the drop than I thought I was.”
“Are you okay to be by yourself right now?”
She looked out the window. “It’s the only thing getting me through this. My plan is to stay in bed, eat ice cream, and sleep. At least for a day or two.”
He still wasn't chuckling like he was. “When do you go back to work?”
“Not until Wednesday.”
“Why don't you have dinner with me and Sasha?”
She glanced at him, but he looked serious. “I can’t this week, but maybe over the weekend or sometime next week?”
She decided he knew that on Wednesday she’d start work on the club for his BDSM group. Already she’d made a plan to meet with the group’s submissives. Frankly, she wanted some downtime to process the last week and to get in the right frame of mind for work. It was doubtful having dinner with her ex and his true love would provide that.
He told her either should be fine for dinner, but they remained silent the rest of the way to her house. Once there, she told him he didn’t have to walk her in. But of course, Cole being Cole, didn't like that and walked her in anyway.
It was odd as hell, having her ex in her new place. She was acutely aware of how different it was compared to the house they’d lived in together. Just looking his way, it was clear he was as uneasy as she was.
“I have a long drive ahead,” he said. “I’ll be on my way if you’re sure you’re okay.”
“Yes. I’m fine. I’ll let you know about dinner.”
She thought she’d feel relieved once Cole had left, but that wasn’t the case. Because once he left, she was alone. And when she was alone, all she thought about was Fritz.
Fritz had just finished packing when Cole called. “Is she okay?” he asked instead of saying hello.