by BJ Wane
She pivoted and met Avery back at the table, noticing she held even more books than Nan. Frowning, Avery asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I gotta run, sorry. My purse is gone and I have to make some calls. I’ll see you at our weekly tea gab.” Nan dashed toward the front door before Avery could keep her any longer, but her friend’s voice halted her halfway across the room. “Nan! It’s right here.”
Nan spun around, embarrassment washing over her face as she saw Avery lifting her purse from under the table, right where she’d left it. “I swear, it wasn’t there ten minutes ago,” she said when she reached her. Checking the contents, she was further chagrined to find nothing missing, not even her cash. Confused, she shook her head.
“Hey, relax.” Avery reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s the same color as the carpet. You probably just missed it.”
“Yeah, that must be it.” But Nan knew that wasn’t it. Her purse had not been under the table when she’d looked. Shaken, she followed Avery back to the counter where Alice had returned and now eyed her purse in surprise along with Willa. “Found it,” she quipped, feeling like an idiot as she withdrew payment for the books. “Sorry about the hassle.” Ignoring Alice’s skeptical look and Willa’s relief, she quickly took care of her purchases, told Avery goodbye and dashed out, hoping it was tiredness to blame for her confusion and screw-up.
As he did every morning upon leaving the house, Dan swept his gaze across the miles of acreage spread out before him, still marveling it was all his. His herd of Herefords grazed on the lush prairie grass, the half he kept as seed stock – cattle registered for breeding – keeping their young calves close. He spotted his four cowhands riding the fence line with Bernie keeping watch at the rail. Hiring the older, more experienced cowboy was one of his smartest moves, he thought as he strode over to him before heading into the office. What Dan didn’t learn growing up on a ranch five times the size of his, Bernie had taught him.
Joining him at the rail, he leaned his arms on the top post, squinting his eyes as he caught sight of Tank’s little offspring wobbling alongside her mother. “She’s growing into those legs nicely,” he commented, his lips twitching as the young horse frolicked with the energy of youth.
“She’s going to be bigger than Zenia, and her coloring will be closer to Tank’s black and white than her lighter shade. You still planning on giving her away to your girl?” Bernie flicked him a shrewd look from under his hat.
Dan pulled the brim of his Stetson even lower, although, why he bothered, he didn’t know. Bernie always could read him like a book, not to mention he’d been calling Nan his girl for years, despite Dan explaining they were just friends. He left out telling him about enjoying Nan’s submissive side at the club. His friend and employee may know about Dan’s membership at The Barn, and what went on there, but Dan never revealed names.
“Maybe. Nan’s thinking about it.” Given the short time she’d taken to mull over his proposition, Dan figured she was already done thinking about accepting the gift in exchange for agreeing to his offer of help. He’d thought, given her independent nature aside from her sexual submissiveness, she might take longer to think it over. Her quick decision spoke volumes about how desperate her trauma had rendered her.
His gut cramped as his imagination conjured up the terror and pain of whatever that son-of-a-bitch must have done. Without the details, he could only guess, and he didn’t like what he kept coming up with.
To take his mind off those thoughts, he nodded toward Pete and Morales, who were herding a few straying calves back to their mamas. “They seem to be working well now they’ve gotten the hang of things. Everything else going good with them?”
“As good as can be. Morales is adjusting faster than the kid, who I know has nightmares still. I do what I can, but it’s a good thing he’s still in counseling.”
Bernie had seen more than his share of war atrocities in ‘Nam, which was one of the reasons Dan had bonded with the older man so fast. His ability to cope without turning to drugs or even counseling spoke volumes about his inner fortitude. Dan hoped Nan’s courage was half what his foreman possessed.
“I’ll make sure Pete is forthcoming with the counselor. Thanks for letting me know. I’m headed into the office, but my schedule’s light, so I’ll be back after lunch. See you this afternoon.”
“I’ll be here.”
“Thanks, Bernie.”
Dan strode over to his truck thinking about the gift he picked up for Nan. Because her needs had always been better met with the application of a flogger, cane, belt or hand, he’d never used toys with her. In fact, didn’t even know if she liked them. That was rather pathetic when he considered how many times they had paired up since meeting at The Barn. He looked forward to seeing her reaction to the bullet vibrator and prayed the powerful compact device would be effective enough she would be willing to give him answers in exchange for relief.
He never said he was not above using sexual blackmail to get what he wanted, and right now, he wanted nothing more than for her to tell him what happened to her in New Orleans.
Thirty minutes before Dan said he would pick Nan up for lunch, he texted her with instructions to wear a skirt, again leaving her to wonder how far he would go this afternoon in public. She’d spent the past two days looking forward to their lunch, anticipation fighting a never-ending battle with uncertainty until she opened the door at his knock and her body zipped into sexually heated overdrive. Her hopes for a positive outcome today soared from the welcome response to seeing him standing there in his casual attire of jeans and dress shirt, his tanned face shadowed by his Stetson. The only thing that could have made it better was if they were headed to the club with her dressed in her favorite lingerie or fetish wear instead of the simple khaki skirt and short sleeved topaz blouse. She didn’t know how to act around Master Dan outside of the club.
“Hey, I’m ready,” she greeted him, pasting on a confident smile.
“Not quite.” Stepping inside, Dan kicked the door shut and fished a small package out of his back pocket. “There’s the little matter of adding this to what I asked you to wear.”
Nan swallowed to ease her dry throat as she recognized the butterfly shaped clit vibrator even though she’d never used one herself. She’d heard from others how powerful the small stimulator could be and didn’t know if the heat enveloping her face stemmed from unexpected excitement or angry disappointment that he would attempt to push her that far in public. Before she could vent the latter, he laid a finger over her lips with a frown.
“Already you are not trusting me. I’m disappointed in you, Nan.”
Instant regret shoved aside everything else. She’d never given any Dom cause for disappointment, except for Gerard, who didn’t count as a respectable Master as far as she was concerned. In fact, she couldn’t recall a time when Dan had expressed any dissatisfaction with her, either as a sub or a friend, and didn’t care for the pang of guilt his words brought on.
“Sorry. This switch in our relationship isn’t as easy to adjust to as I’d first thought.”
He opened the package and pulled out the bright pink toy. “Let’s hope it’ll be worth it to you. Remove your panties, please.”
It seemed he could adjust to the change much faster and easier than her. Nan’s pulse skipped a beat as she reached under her skirt and slid her panties off, pushing them aside with her sandaled foot as he went to one knee before her. Extending the attached loops, he looked up at her and she could barely make out the dark brown slit of his eyes,
“Spread your legs and hold on to my shoulders as you step into the loops. I know we’ve never played with toys, but have you used the butterfly before, either solo or with someone else?”
“No, this will be a first.” Nan shook her head as she braced her hands on Dan’s wide shoulders and shuffled her feet apart before stepping into the loops. “I thought I was way past firsts.” His muscles bunched under her palms as he pushed the straps up h
er legs and under her skirt. She bit her lip as he brushed his knuckles against her bare labia before his thumbs spread her folds. As he slipped inside her pussy and rooted out her clit, his touch felt more intimate here in her apartment than when he’d had his hands on her at The Barn. Heat coiled low in her abdomen as she held her breath against the gush of moisture his marauding fingers provoked. God, it had been so long since she’d enjoyed such a response. That had to be a good sign, didn’t it?
“Breathe, baby, all done.” Pushing to his feet, Dan brushed two damp fingers over her lips before strolling into the kitchen to wash at the sink. “How does that feel?” he asked over his shoulder.
Nan blew out a breath and reached for her panties, the butterfly covering her sex drawing her eye. Licking her lips, she shuddered with a suppressed moan as she tasted herself. “Weird on the outside, I can hardly feel it inside.”
“You will. Ready?” Returning to her side, Dan grasped her hand and opened the door.
“For lunch, yes. For whatever you’re going to ask me while that thing is buzzing, I don’t know. Honest enough for you?”
“Yes. Thank you.” He squeezed her hand. “But the buzzing won’t come until you earn that pleasure. That should ease your mind a little.”
Before she could admit it did, she took a step, the move shifting the butterfly tentacle over her clit, the tingle halting her in place. “Oh.”
Dan smirked as he tugged her down the stairs. “Told you.”
She tried to adjust to the distracting sensation as they walked down to Dale’s Diner and accomplished that feat well enough to pause at the door with an assertion of her own. “Just so you know, I’m not calling you Master outside of the club.”
“I’ve always admired your independent streak as much as I’ve enjoyed your submissive side, Nan. But don’t push me too far by dictating to me.”
His displeasure, given in that dark tone, drew a quick tremble and another damp quiver inside her pussy, reaffirming what she’d been thinking. Agreeing to Master Dan’s help was going to work, and she would have the gift of that filly and her life back on track soon.
“Belle,” she announced as soon they entered the diner and he placed his hat on a hook.
Dan turned to her with a puzzled frown. “Belle?”
“That’s the name I picked for the filly you’re going to give me.”
He nodded in approval as Gertie called out from behind the counter. “Just you two?”
“Yep, just us,” he returned.
Gertie pointed to one of the smaller, corner booths. “Sit your butts over there. I’ll be by in a minute.”
A smile creased Dan’s lean, weathered cheeks. “You gotta love that woman. Confident of yourself, now, are you?” he asked Nan as she slid behind the table and he took the seat opposite her.
“No, I think I’m more confident of you than of me. And don’t let that go to your head,” she warned.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Nan wasn’t fooled by his deadpan tone; she caught the brief grin twisting his mouth. Her attention shifted to his hand as he reached down into his pocket where he’d slid the remote to the butterfly and a second later a low hum buzzed across her clit. Even knowing it was coming, she still jolted at the sudden burst of fluttering sensation. Fisting her hands, she glared at him as she adjusted to the arousal the low, soft thrum produced.
“Relax. I know what boundaries not to cross. Feel good?”
“Yes, different and…” She sighed and reached for the glass of iced water as heat spread up her core. After taking a drink, she admitted, “It’s been a long time.”
Leaning back in his chair, Dan turned the vibrator off and crossed his arms. “How long?”
As her body settled down, Nan breathed a sigh of relief and took another sip of water before revealing the mortifying honest answer. “Almost a year, not since before I went to New Orleans.”
Dan’s eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed in speculation, but before he could comment, Gertie arrived to take their order. “You already know chicken strips are today’s special, so what do you want?”
“A smile first, Gertie. Come on, it won’t hurt you,” he cajoled with an engaging grin even Nan was hard pressed not to fall for.
Gertie bared her teeth but her eyes twinkled. Everyone knew how much she enjoyed her gruff reputation, and how caring and protective she really was of the people she’d known most of their lives. “Not all of us have cushy jobs we can take long lunches away from, Daniel.” She looked at Nan. “You need something that’ll put the weight back on you, girl. How about the special with extra mashed potatoes?”
“I haven’t lost that much weight, but the special sounds good. I can’t eat all that in one sitting, so bring a take home box too, please. Thanks Gertie.”
Dan handed Gertie their menus back. “Make it two specials, but I won’t need a box.”
Nan smiled as the older woman walked away, calling out their order as she went. “She’ll never admit to being a softie under that gruff exterior. I should know. I’ve tried to get her to.” She hissed at the sudden return of pulsations against her clit, fisting her hands until he stopped them again a few seconds later. “Why do you keep doing that?” she grumbled, squirming on the seat.
“To give you hints of what it can lead to if you answer my questions to my satisfaction. Tell me how you met this asshole.”
She toyed with her napkin as she replied, “At a BDSM mixer in a reserved party room at a popular restaurant. The public venue was safe enough, and my research into the people hosting it didn’t unearth anything negative about them or their private club, which had a good reputation. What I didn’t know was he was as new to the group as I.” She shrugged. “That was just one of his lies.”
Regret crossed his face. “Unfortunately, there are no safety nets out there against liars. I’m sorry, Nan. What did your brother have to say about you going?”
Nan shook her head, hating to admit her fault. “Another mistake I made. He was out of town and I was lonely and bored.” And thinking way too much about you, missing you way too much for my peace of mind. In the aftermath of dealing with her trauma, she’d forgotten that until now. “I did call him and tell him where I would be that evening.”
Barbara, the other waitress delivered their meals, and the laden plate she put in front of Nan looked so appetizing, her stomach rumbled in appreciation. “Enjoy you two,” she said as she refilled their water glasses before shuffling off to the next table.
Someone cranked up the old-fashioned juke box as she dug into the mound of steaming, gravy smothered potatoes. “Oh, God, there’s nothing like freshly made mashed potatoes.”
Dan scooped up a large forkful of the creamy spuds. “Or French fries or hash browns. Clyde mentioned once he’s here slicing and dicing potatoes by four every morning.”
“Mmmm, remind me to kiss him in gratitude before we leave.”
His lips twitched as he replied, “I’ll do that.” Cutting into a juicy, breaded chicken strip, his gaze sobered as he resumed his questioning with a frown. “You went to his place that night?”
“No,” she returned sharply. “I wasn’t that stupid. I agreed to meet him for coffee the next morning, at a bistro where we sat outside. We spent the entire next day touring the French Quarter and no, he didn’t give off any strange vibes, not until I agreed to dinner at his mansion the following night.”
Just thinking about that evening sent a wash of shame and remembered fear through her. Her throat went dry and she reached for the water, only to stop short of taking a drink when the tiny pulses resumed. “Jesus, Dan,” she moaned, gripping the glass and taking a fortifying gulp. Every time he teased her with the toy, her frustration and ache for more inched up another notch.
“I want all of you here, with me, hon, not your mind back there.” He turned the vibrator off as soon as she set the glass down and nodded. “Good girl.” The simple praise warmed Nan where the cold had begun to return. “E
at before we continue. I don’t want you getting too distracted or upset before you’re full. Gertie was right. You’ve lost too much weight.”
Nan scowled, irritated at the reminder, but their long friendship kept her from taking it personally. Biting into the juicy, breaded chicken, she glanced around at the lunch crowd, hoping he wouldn’t delve much deeper with his questions while they were here. Nobody could hear them in the corner, with the music playing and noisy conversations echoing, but that didn’t mean she wanted to tell him about Gerard’s evil side with others so close, or even today.
Chapter 8
Dan didn’t care for the way Nan’s face paled with his questions, or for the slight tremor in her fingers, and thought it best to table further inquiries until after they left the diner. Whatever memory had distracted her was enough to cause her distress, and that bothered him on a level he’d never experienced before. He caught signs of the woman he remembered whenever she teased him or refused to kowtow to him as she might at the club. She’d always given back as good as she gave, and he liked that about her. Which is why it hurt to see her cowed over a bad memory, and why his gut tightened in anger on her behalf.
Still, as he signaled for the check, he needed to know more before they got together at The Barn, with luck, this weekend. “Lunch is on me,” he insisted when she reached inside her purse. “I asked you out.”
In a flash, that spark of independence returned with her frown and tight jaw, amusing him. “That’s not the way we’ve ever done it, and you know it.”
Pushing back, he stood and took the check from Barbara with a thank you before grasping Nan’s elbow as she slid out of the booth. “That was then and this is now. Don’t argue with me.”
She rounded on him as soon as they stepped outside. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, when you agreed to let me help you get past the mental block that fucking asswipe is responsible for, things changed, at least temporarily, between us.”