Jacob noticed her looking at her discarded clothing in the hallway, but she fixed her gaze back at him. She looked a little lost to him, uncertain, so unlike the strong, confident women in her interviews with the media. Jacob told her flat-out that he didn’t give a single damn who she was outside the playroom. He’d lied. Jacob had watched every interview she did and read up all the articles on her in print and online.
He nudged her into his bathroom. “Stay still,” he ordered. They were no longer in scene, but she obeyed his commands like it was the most natural thing to do. “Hold up your hair.”
Jane looked at the floor as he unbuckled her collar. Jacob didn’t miss the disappointment that flashed briefly through her eyes. He set the collar down and entered the shower with her. He kept the water pressure light. She let out a little gasp as he let the water run down her body, her welts.
Seeing the liquid streaming down the sensual swell of her breasts, the metal in her nipple rings catching the light, and down her stomach and between her legs, a groan escaped him. Newfound hunger assaulted him. It had been a mere hour since he exerted his dominance over this woman, reminded her who owned every last inch of her. She was sore, hurting, but he wanted to sink his dick inside her tender pussy again. Re-exert his claim over her.
“M-master? Jacob?”
Hearing his name on her lips snapped him back to reality. She stared at his cock, which hung thick and ready for her.
“Would you like me to—?” Jane didn’t finish her sentence. Jacob gripped her arm when she was about to go on her knees.
“No. You’ve done enough for tonight.” His voice came out harsh and she flinched. He needed to remedy his words before it turned into a misunderstanding. “We tend to your welts first.”
Jane nodded, looking relieved. She tensed at first when Jacob pulled her into an embrace, but she relaxed against him. The sensation of her wet breasts rubbing against his chest did little to help his erection. Jane closed her small fingers over his dick, surprising him again. He let her work his prick.
“Faster, apply more pressure,” he said, and she complied.
A groan of appreciation rattled from his chest as he came, painting her stomach with his jizz.
“Naughty little sub,” he told her. “Thank you.”
Heat danced across her cheek, making her seem so much younger. It was endearing. They finished showering and then Jacob toweled her off. He made her lie on his bed after, on her stomach so he could apply the ointment over her welts. Tending to his sub always felt therapeutic. Relaxing. After the ointment came the medical bandage. There. Fixed.
Neither of them spoke as Jacob kept his medical supplies and the ointment. Would awkwardness come next? They never quite reached this stage before and it felt odd but good. Their relationship was a hundred percent BDSM-centric so this was new territory.
Hearing her stomach rumble, Jacob laughed. Thank God for small favors. She burrowed her face into his pillows. Was she embarrassed? Cute, he decided, reaching out to stroke her right calf. Not an adjective he ever imagined using to describe her, but there it was. It struck him that they had so few moments like these. Normal, non-kinky moments.
“I’ll make us some dinner. Wait here.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Jane whispered those words as if she didn’t want him to know she uttered them, but he heard them anyway.
Jacob put on some boxers and headed to his kitchen. He was a chef by profession, so he fixed up something quick. He still had some leftover prawns from the night before and some parsley and fresh garlic. Jacob made spicy prawn aglio olio spaghetti. He served them on two plates, about to grab a bottle of wine when he noticed Jane watching him from behind the kitchen counter.
“It smelled so good, I got curious,” she said.
She’d found one of his old jogging shirts. It was two, maybe three sizes too big for her and fell to her knees.
Noticing his stare, she gripped the hem of his shirt. “Sorry, I should’ve asked if—”
“It looks good on you,” he said. He pushed one of the plates toward her, handed her a fork, and opened the wine. He poured them each a glass.
Jane twirled her pasta onto her fork and took a bite. Her blue eyes widened. “This is really good.”
Watching her devour her pasta was a pleasure, Jacob realized, sipping his wine. She was done before he was.
“Oh, my God. I must seem so greedy,” she murmured, glancing at his half-eaten plate and then her own. “Do you make this, at your restaurant, I mean?”
“Not yet. It’s a new dish I’m experimenting with.”
“No wonder I haven’t seen it on the menu.” Jane pressed her lips together as if she realized she’d revealed more than she should.
“You’ve eaten at Arianna’s?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice.
“Twice. A client once took me there. Second time, I went alone.” Jane fiddled with the last bit of parsley on her plate. In a small voice, she said, “I really love the calzones there.”
They told each other about their professions before, but they didn’t include the details. Jane looked horrified, as though worried about how he might react.
“Are you mad?” she finally asked him.
Jacob felt the exact opposite. He had become completely obsessed with her to the point it was a little unhealthy, so this accidental revelation gave him a measure of relief. So she was curious about him, too.
“Not at all. Next time, tell me beforehand. I’ll make you something special. Something not on the menu.”
“You’re not … freaked out?” she asked.
“Not at all,” he said, smiling.
“Who is Arianna? It’s just, I’ve always wanted to ask.”
“My mother. She died when I was young but my earliest memories of her are in the kitchen. She loved to cook.”
“That’s wonderful,” she murmured. “Not about her being gone but naming your restaurant after her.”
Jane seemed awkward again. Jacob wanted to keep talking, to continue this conversation, the first real one they had about their lives and each other, but she spoke again.
“I should um, wash the dishes. You already did all the cooking.”
Another time then, he decided. He touched her arm. “Leave them. I’ll take care of them tomorrow. It’s late. Let’s head back to bed.”
She must be tired, he realized.
They returned to his bedroom. Jane slipped into his bed and looked tiny, lost in the dark-blue silk sheets.
“Just need to check some emails,” he said, seeing the lighted screen on his phone. He went to the opposite side of the bed and looked at his phone. Jacob couldn’t really focus on his email with Jane there. For the longest time, he’d slept alone. He didn’t realize how lonely it had been. He set down his phone. She lay on her side, facing him.
“Same time next week, Master?” she asked in a sleepy voice. Her eyelids drooped.
“Yes.” He gave her ass cheeks an affectionate pat. She lifted her lips to a smile.
Jacob’s answer sounded hollow, but she didn’t seem to have noticed. She had fallen asleep, judging by her closed eyes and the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Tomorrow morning, he had a feeling she’d be gone before he woke up. She always started her day early. He remembered her mentioning that once.
He would be left with his empty apartment, dirty dishes in the sink and toys in the playroom he needed to clean. He wasn’t complaining but already, he felt restless. Uneasy.
One entire week.
Jacob didn’t think he could wait that long.
Chapter Six
All week long, thoughts of Jacob and the night they had preoccupied Jane’s mind. A week? She checked the calendar on her phone this morning and saw it was only Wednesday. This week seemed to drag on forever. On Monday evening, Jacob mailed Jane her assignment. The same one. She began to dread receiving the same package every week. He knew she left his place every week, conveniently forgetting that tragic piece o
f cloth. His old baby blanket still graced her coffee table, untouched.
Jane should focus on the road, but she kept replaying the events of last Friday night in her head. Half of her hoped that one night was an irregularity, that things would go back to normal this coming Friday and yet the other half longed for change. To see where this was going.
Jane let out a little sigh. She was doing it again. Overthinking. She found a parking spot across the store, killed the engine, and got out, taking her purse and a heavy bag of samples with her. She crossed the street and for a moment, she stood outside the doorstep of her main store. She took a deep breath, like had Jacob taught her.
Most days she took for granted, but it was fine to sometimes take it slow.
Jane always had an endless list of tasks to do. She liked to keep busy, tending to freak out when things didn’t go according to schedule or if there was a delay in shipments. Jane eyed the wedding gown on display in the window. It was one of her first ones. White, classic, and with a sweetheart neckline. One of her bestsellers. She still owned the battered sketchbook containing the rough design of this dress.
Jane pushed the door open. Her assistants, Mary and Gina were already there, gossiping. Both women were behind the counter, looking at Gina’s phone. Neither had heard her come in.
Jane was about to tell them to get back to work, but she heard the venomous words of the video they were watching. Some kind of entertainment channel.
“Supermodel Azalea Swan dissed fashion designer Jane Sparrow’s latest creation as ‘nothing special,’ ‘banal,’ and ‘boring’. Swan tells Gossip News that she’s considering another designer for her wedding with famous actor—”
Seeing her, Gina widened her eyes and hit pause on her video.
“Hey, I want to listen to the rest of the news,” Mary protested but Gina gave her a sharp nudge in the ribs.
“Morning, Jane, didn’t see you there,” Gina said.
“Isn’t there work to do?” Jane didn’t like how sharp her voice sounded. Both women were suddenly busy. They started pulling racks of gowns from the storeroom. Jane took a deep breath. “I’ll be in my workroom if anyone needs me.”
She went to the room in the back and closed the door behind her. Then she dumped her fabrics on the big table in the center of the room. Finding it hard to breathe, the first thing she did was yank open the curtains of the two big windows. She opened them both, letting fresh air in.
Azalea Swan had been a difficult client to work for. Jane had gritted her teeth and designed the dress the way model wanted, exactly to the last detail because she knew Swan could bring her more famous clients. She wasted four months of her time for that dress to be perfect. Frustration welled up inside her.
She dragged out a chair, sat down, and looked at her hands. She knew it was pointless, letting comments like that get to her. Not everyone would like her designs. Going into this line of work, she should’ve learned to accept criticisms and harsh reviews by now. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something positive.
“Just move past this,” she told herself. Except she took out her phone to watch the original video. It only made her feel worse.
“… I urged my bestie, actress Violet Wild, and my other model friends to consider getting another designer to make their wedding dresses. Jane’s an uppity and cold-hearted bitch,” Swan finished.
Jane turned off the video, hating Swan but mostly herself for taking on the job in the first place. Her staff and other designers warned her what a spoiled princess Swan could be, but Jane didn’t listen. She’d persisted, thinking it would be a good idea at that time.
She pulled out the fabric samples from her bag, letting them spill onto the table. Jane took out her sketchbook next, but she didn’t feel particularly inspired. There was a knock on her door and Gina entered.
“Jane, I’m taking my lunch break. Mary’s helping a client and shipments for blue lace came in. Just thought you should know.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Gina paused. “Are you okay?”
Jane looked up. She’d been unaware of time swiftly passing her by. Jane had a long to-do list on her agenda, but she’d accomplished nothing so far today. She knew sitting here and trying to somehow salvage the rest of her day wouldn’t do her any good.
“I think I’ll take the rest of the day off. Call me on my cell if there’s an issue,” she said.
“Will do, Jane.”
Long after Gina left, Jane heard her phone beep. She was about to ignore it. It was probably just a reminder of some task she ought to be doing. Jane swiped her finger over the screen and blinked. A message from Jacob.
Jacob: I’ve been thinking about you all week long.
The dark cloud over her head lifted slightly. She found herself smiling and found she could breathe again.
“Jane?”
She looked up from her phone, seeing Mary. Mary looked baffled, surprised almost.
“What is it?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that. Something good happen?” Mary shook her head. “Sorry, that’s not what I wanted to say. Can you help me with a client? She has a lot of questions.”
“Of course.” Jane typed Jacob a quick reply before following Mary out the store.
****
Jane: I miss you, too.
Jacob didn’t know why he kept rereading those four words over and over again even though Jane had sent that message hours ago. Their actions reminded him of two awkward teenagers who’d never dated before. In a sense, it was true. For the first time, he was finally seeing the woman under the sub. No. That wasn’t exactly right. He had always known Jane had layers. Before, he always respected the boundaries, the rules they agreed upon when they started this arrangement.
Jacob wanted to break them. He returned to his apartment close to midnight, exhausted. He’d been on his feet since 4:00 AM and he’d just cooked for a private dinner party. He wondered what Jane was doing at this time. She always worked late nights, he remembered. She was a stickler for details, always pouring all her attention and talent into her work. She didn’t even let her assistants help.
Jacob stripped out of his clothes and entered the shower. He set his phone down and shoved his head under the icy water. It did little to ease the ache in his cock. Shutting his eyes, he closed his fingers over his shaft and began to stroke himself. He rested his other hand on the wall for support as he imagined it was her small fingers touching him, her sweet lips wrapped around them.
She gave the best blowjobs.
Jacob groaned, thinking of her tight and wet pussy now, the rise and fall of her chest, the light catching her nipple rings as he pounded her against the floor, the mattress, the kitchen counter like a brute. Places he’d never taken her before. They always had sex in the playroom. He’d only fuck her right after leaving marks on her tempting body with his favorite instruments. Things would change.
He expelled a breath, coating the tiled walls with his cum.
“Fuck.” Jacob rested his forehead against the wall. For a few seconds, he stood there, visualizing Jane in the shower with him, smiling up at him shyly while glancing at his rising cock.
He suddenly missed her presence in his home and longed to hold her in her arms. Jacob could make her a permanent captive if he chose. Tie her up like a prisoner and forbid her from ever leaving him again. He thought of the spare key he’d made for her over the weekend. The key innocently sitting inside one of his drawers. An impulsive decision.
He must be going crazy with want. He toweled off and headed straight to bed as he had an early morning. He always looked forward to his early-morning trips to the wet market at the docks to get his first pick of seafood. The kitchen was always hectic, so the blast of fresh sea air felt good. Jacob loved to lose himself in the hustle and bustle of the market.
Right now, it felt like Jane and he lived in two completely different planets, but he had an idea on how to eliminate the distance between them, or at
the very least, give her an insight into his world. He picked up his phone, feeling reckless. Jacob texted her for the second time that day, another anomaly. They didn’t send messages to each other often. Before last Friday, Jacob only contacted her if he had a special request for their session.
Jacob: Are you still awake?
Jane responded less than a minute later.
Jane: Yes. Trying to come up with a new design.
Jacob: I won’t bother you if you’re busy.
Jane: I always have time for you, Master.
Jacob glanced at the empty space in his lonely bed. He saw the phantom and naked image of Jane, lying on her stomach in her bed, her eyelids drooping as she tried to shake off sleep. Her tempting body would be marked with fresh welts, his personal marks. Longing speared right through him like a sharp blade, gutting him open.
Jacob: Calling you now.
It took her longer to answer. Jacob thought she wouldn’t pick up, that something came up or she was busy, but she eventually did.
“Hi,” she said, sounding breathless.
“Did something happen?” he asked, curious.
“My phone fell under the bed. It took me some time to retrieve it. There were definitely a lot of dust bunnies under there.”
The image made him smile. Jacob wondered what she wore to bed. A nightshirt? Pajamas? Sexy satin nightwear? If she became a permanent addition in his bed, he wanted her to wear absolutely nothing, so he’d always have full access to his property.
“So, what’s up?” she asked. The words sounded awkward, coming from her.
“What’s up?” he repeated, amused.
“Um. Well. This is the first time you called me on my cell. I wasn’t sure what else to say.”
“I have new instructions for you.”
“Yes?” She sounded interested now, less apprehensive.
“Meet me at the docks tomorrow morning. 5:00 AM sharp.” Jacob didn’t bother asking her if she was free on a normal workday. He wanted her to hear the expectation in his voice and besides, he knew she had time to kill. Jane only dropped by her studio at nine or ten in the morning.
Sparrow Obsessed (Romance on the Go Book 0) Page 3