by Dakota Trace
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as Alyce’s cheeks flushed and her breath caught softly in her throat. Was she thinking about being made to stand in the corner with her bare ass out and available for his hand? He made a mental note to find out what exactly crossed her mind at her daughter’s words. “Something tells me you mom might just enjoy time out, Anissa.” He gave the young tween a fond look. “Did you enjoy yourself today, sweetheart?”
“Oh, yes!” Anissa’s head bobbed up and down. “I liked playing in the pool with Matt and the cupcakes your sister brought over. They were...” A huge yawn escaped her, breaking up her reply. “...yummy!”
Kaleb couldn't help but smile at the girl. At times she definitely reminded him of her mother. More than once he'd heard the same break in Alyce's voice during their nightly calls.
“I'm glad you had fun, sweetie. But I know you and your mom have brunch tomorrow with your nana and poppa, so I want you to promise me that when you get home you'll get ready for bed for Mom with no arguments.”
While Alyce had confided in him, that difficult nights were few and far between, the girl was more likely to have them if something out of the ordinary interrupted her routine. And having a busy day playing with his nephews could definitely be considered that.
“I promise.” Anissa tucked her long hair behind her ear, her ‘put out’ expression a familiar sight. “But I'm not five, Mr. Kaleb.”
He sighed. “I know you're not.” He shifted a bit closer to Alyce to make better eye contact, vastly aware of her light feminine fragrance as he spoke with her daughter. “But if your mom tells me you’re cranky during brunch with your grandparents, you won’t be able to participate in a special project at the center on Monday.”
“A special project?” Anissa's eyes lit up.
He nodded. “Yep. One that I planned particularly as a surprise for you and Matthew. But you can't tell him about it. It has to be our secret, okay?”
“I won't tell! Promise.” She made a zipping motion across her lips.
“Good. I look forward to seeing you Monday afternoon. Come find me when you get there. I'll let Ms. Bella know you'll be helping me.”
“I will.”
He drew back and turned his attention back to Alyce. He could see the mirth in her gaze. Evidently, she must have found the way he handled her daughter to be quite amusing.
We'll just see how amusing she finds me later.
“Drive safe, Kitten. And don't forget I expect a phone call after you get Anissa settled.” He put just enough edge to his voice to let her know that his order wasn't a request, but hopefully not enough that Anissa would pick up on the vibe.
“Of course, Kaleb.” Alyce moistened her lower lip and her fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
“And remember what I told you earlier.”
Remember, you’re not allowed to come without my permission.
Her cheeks flushed once more, and a visible tremor shook her. He lightly stroked his fingers over her cheek, concern stirring inside him. While he loved the idea of driving his submissive crazy with lust, the last thing he wanted to do was get her so hot and bothered she couldn't get herself and her child home safely. “Are you okay to drive?”
“I...yeah, I'll be fine. Once I get on the road....” she gave him a pointed look. “I'll settle down and...”
In other words, away from me.
“...it's really not that long of drive,” she finished her face nearly as red as her hair.
Amusement tickled him. He couldn't wait for the day that they had the time to explore whatever was building between them. And when I don't have to send her home.
The flicker of his yard light turning on, snapped him out of his erotic musings. It was beyond time for Alyce to hit the road. He didn't like the idea of her driving that far in the dark, even though he logically knew that she was a grown woman and had been taking care of herself and Anissa for years. He straightened, putting distance between himself and the car. “Text me when you get home. If I don't hear from you in twenty minutes, I'll be coming over.” He warned.
“Yes, Sir.” She gave him a mock salute before pulling away slowly.
“Oh, kitten, you shouldn't have.” He growled softly then grinned as he watched her taillights disappear. His little sub had a lesson coming - and he couldn't wait to deliver it. Dominants don't get angry, we plot out delicious and devious ways to make our bratty subs pay.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Carefully closing the door to her daughter's room, Alyce gave a sigh of relief. She didn't know if it was because of Kaleb's talk with Anissa or all the fresh air the tween had had, but her daughter had nearly been asleep before her head hit the pillow.
Now if only the same could be said for Mom.
Even away from Kaleb’s intoxicating presence, she still felt on edge. Her bikini bottoms were still drenched, and she who never really cared about sex longed for a repeat of what had happened in her Sir's playroom. Fidgety at the remembered ecstasy she’d felt under his fingers and tongue, she couldn’t help but scrub her hands up and down on her denim-covered thighs. Trying to push the tempting memory away, she focused on the mundane as she secured her home for the night and shut off all the lights, before heading down the long hall toward her own bedroom. Even though she normally called him from the comfort of her rocker in the living room, she had a feeling that tonight's conversation was going to quickly turn carnal – something she definitely didn't want her daughter to overhear.
After entering the darkened room, and shutting the door behind her, she headed to the attached bathroom, stripping off her flannel as she went. The bikini top soon followed - to only be tossed in her hamper. The jeans quickly followed until all she wore was the miniscule bottoms of her suit. She fiddled with the side ties, wondering if she dared take them off. Unfamiliar with the toys still nestled inside her, she didn't know if she would be able to keep them in if she removed her last item of clothing.
And I promised Sir to keep them in until after we talked.
A quick glance at the clock on the wall assured her she had just enough time to shower beforehand. She’d just leave the bottoms on until after their talk. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been wet for most of the day anyway. She’d just turned the water on, when on the counter, her phone began to vibrate. She quickly picked it up, expecting it to be another text from Kaleb - a gentle reminder that he was still expecting her call at ten-thirty. Instead of being Kaleb however, it was a terse text from her mother. She was evidently concerned that Alyce had returned so late.
Is everything okay? O’Connells don't keep their children out late.
She sighed and typed back a quick reply to reassure her worrywart of a mother that everything was fine.
A few seconds later, the phone rang. Recognizing her mother's number, she answered it. “Yes, Mother?”
“What do you mean, everything is fine? The doctor has said a routine for Anissa is a must to keep her from having 'flare-ups’.”
Alyce rolled her eyes at her mom’s phrasing. Only her mom would call her daughter’s meltdowns a flare-up. Making it sound like her granddaughter had arthritis or something.
“…I just don’t understand how you can be so hypocritical. You won’t let Obed take Anissa because he didn’t follow every suggestion from your doctor, but yet you pick and choose which ones you want to follow. I can’t believe you took her to some strange man’s house…” The cool condemnation in Abagail’s voice sent a chill down Alyce's spine.
“For the last time, I didn't take her to some strange man's house, Mom. She went to a cookout with several of her friends from the youth center.” Which technically wasn't a lie. Both Matthew and Michael were in her daughter's class and Serena, their younger sister, was in another class at the center. Along with Kaleb, in his role as director and Bella, as Anissa's teacher, it was almost an official outing.
Almost, if it hadn’t been for our little side trip to Kaleb’s playroom.
�
�Stop trying to change the subject. An outing that lasted until nearly ten o'clock at night? What were they doing? Catching fireflies? It’s entirely too cool out for Anissa to be running around. She’ll get sick.”
Cold filled the pit of Alyce's stomach. She hated when her mom acted this way. She was a grown woman who didn't need to answer to her hypercritical mother anymore. Especially when it came to raising her own daughter. But blowing up at Abigail wouldn't do any good - only fan the fires of her mother's irrational ire.
“No, we left before they came out. As a special treat for having a good day, we stopped and got ice cream on the way home.”
“You gave her ice cream this late at night?”
Her patience wearing thin, Alyce squeezed the bridge of her nose. After being off balance all day with Kaleb, her mother's interrogation was just too much. “Look, Mom, if there's nothing more, I was just getting into the shower before heading to bed. Anissa and I will be up tomorrow for brunch and you can ask her then about how much fun she had tonight.” She was just about to hang up when her mother spoke again.
“Wait! I really need to talk to you.”
Alyce sighed. “Can’t it wait until the morning? I’ve had a really long day and want to go to bed.”
“No, it can’t.” There was a slight pause before a rush of words. “Obed stopped by tonight. He wanted to see Anissa. He was quite disappointed that she was out.”
Alyce froze, the irrational fear that her ex would steal her daughter away from her caught her tight in its grip. It was a challenge but she forced herself to respond. “You know I have a restraining order against him, Mom. He shouldn't have even been on the property.”
“That thing?” Her mom seemed put out, but then again, Abigail had never agreed with Alyce’s divorce, let alone the court order her daughter had brought against her ex-husband. “It was nearly two years ago. He assures me, that he’s gone to counseling…”
Sure couldn’t have proved it yesterday.
“…he's swears he’s a changed man. Why can't you let bygones be bygones? The man misses his daughter. And every little girl needs her father. He has every right to see her.”
Anger began to thaw the fear that Obed’s name had caused. “No, he doesn't. He lost that right when he ignored everything that I told him, that the doctors told him when it came to dealing with Anissa, and the last straw was when the cops had to be called to take her out of his home.”
“He's said he's sorry about that, Alyce.”
She began to pace back and forth, barely noticing the motion of the Luna balls inside her. “I don't care. I refuse to let him near her again. And if you continue to try to take his side, I will leave and take Anissa with me. I refuse to place my daughter in danger. If Obed felt it was okay to hit me, what do you think would stop him from touching Anissa? I’d rather give up her only home than risk it. Do you understand?”
“You would break your father’s heart, Alyce?”
Alyce flinched at the reprimand in her mother’s words. “No, Mother, you can’t lay that blame at my feet. I’ve repeatedly warned you that Obed’s lack of interaction has never been up for discussion. Yet, you still persist in trying to change my mind. Any relationship between Anissa and her father is over. Until Anissa comes to me and specifically asks to see her dad, I will continue to deny him access to her, and no amount of browbeating and unwarranted pressure on your part will change that. So, either you drop it, or Anissa and I’ll leave. Period. End of discussion.”
Pulling the phone away from her ear, she didn’t wait for her mom to answer. She hit the end button, sick to her stomach. It had been five years since her divorce, two since the fateful night when the cops had to intervene – so why was her mother still trying to fix the unfixable? Why couldn’t she just accept the fact that Obed was no good for her or Anissa?
Probably for the same reason I keep letting it upset me. Despite her many flaws, I love her, and wish our relationship was different.
But she knew it never would be. It didn’t matter what she did or didn’t do. Her mother would always find fault with it. Like hanging up on her. An O’Connell would never do something as rude as hang up on someone. But with Abigail O’Connell, subtlety never worked. Sometimes you needed a two by four to get your point across to the woman. Tossing the phone away with disgust, she headed toward the shower, all desire now gone.
* * * *
On the wall, the grandfather clock struck eleven. Sitting in his studio, Kaleb tossed his paint brush into a nearby jar of turpentine, then scowled at the half- finished canvas depicting a smiling Anissa. He’d started it several weeks ago, hoping to give it as a Christmas gift to his submissive. But at the moment, the last thing he was feeling was charitable. In fact, if he didn’t hear from her in the next ten minutes, he would be getting into his car to drive over to her home.
And heaven help her when I get there. A warm ass will be the least of her worries. Her punishment will make our earlier play look child’s play.
He was reaching for his deck shoes, when his phone finally rang. Relief filled him when he saw it was her, but it was quickly shoved aside by frustration.
“You're late.” The words came out clipped.
“I know.” Her voice sounded rougher than usual. Had she been crying? Had her earlier release caused this? He'd been so sure she'd be okay. He'd done aftercare and everything before they'd rejoined everyone.
“What's wrong, kitten? Were the Luna beads too much?”
There was a long silence, then a broken ‘no’ filled his ear. It sounded as if she was trying not to sob. “I'm sorry, I took them out...I couldn't after...”
Fuck this. I'm going over there. “After what? Talk to me, sweetheart. What's wrong?” He squeezed the phone between his ear and shoulder as he shoved his feet into his shoes, and strode down the hall toward his kitchen. Pausing briefly, he snagged his key ring off the hook by the door. He was in his car, before she managed to string together a coherent sentence.
“Mom called and we....fought...over Obed and …Anissa…and....”
“I'm coming over. You don't need to be alone right now.”
“You...shouldn't...” her voice was muffled for a moment, as if she were covering her mouth with her hand, then became clearer. “I'll be okay...I just promised I'd call...”
“Which I'm glad you did, but I'm not going to be able to sleep knowing you're this upset.” He pulled out onto the highway and headed north, praying there would be little traffic, or cops. “Besides what kind of Dominant would I be if I left my submissive hurting?”
“I'm your submissive?” She seemed to be taking comfort in his words.
“Damned straight. Exclusivity, remember? Besides do you honestly think what I did this afternoon, I do with every sub I interact with?”
“I...don't know...Bella knew what we did....she commented on it.”
Mentally, he wanted to curse the other woman, but knew that Bella would've never tried to hurt Alyce in such a way. “It was a lucky guess, Alyce. She's watched me with other submissives at the club. She's seen how I operate during a negotiated scene.”
“But todayt wasn't...” Alyce hiccupped.
“Of course not. You're not ready for a full-on scene in front of everyone at the club. What we did today was for our pleasure only. I wanted to hear you come for me. And you did...beautifully.”
“I still can't believe I did that.” There was a tone in her voice, that he would be addressing later, after he made sure she was okay. She would find out quickly enough that he wasn't about to let her belittle herself for having a natural sex drive. Her orgasms belonged to him, and damnit if he wanted her to have one, she would - and thank him for it afterwards.
He slowed and turned off the highway, taking the smaller subdivided road toward a gated vineyard. Before reaching the main gate, he veered off onto a lesser traveled gravel road. It skirted around the main home on the premises, and led to the small caretaker’s cottage at the back of the property. If it
hadn’t been for a previous trip, when Anissa had forgotten her bag at the youth center, he wouldn’t have noticed the entrance. Whoever had designed the drive had privacy in mind. Dimming his lights in an effort to not draw attention to his arrival, he was thankful for the small solar lights that dotted the edges of the lane. They lit the way to the quaint cottage where Alyce lived with her daughter.
As he slowed to a stop next to Alyce’s car, he gave a sigh of relief when no outside light flared to life. It would keep his presence hidden until the light of day revealed his SUV parked in front of her home. While he could care less if her parents knew about him, he understood why Alyce had requested discretion. After meeting her sister, he could only imagine what kind of woman her mother was.
“Are you still there, kitten?” He shut off the ignition and slid from the vehicle. It took him less than twenty seconds to make his way up the walk and onto the porch.
“Yeah.”
“I'm at the front door. Come let me in. I need to hold you.” He kept his voice soft but firm.
“I...give me a minute, I need to get dressed.”
“No.” He ignored the way his cock perked up at the idea of her being naked. “You've got thirty seconds to throw a robe on and get your ass to the front door, Alyce, or I'm going to warm it.”
“I...yes, Sir.” The line went dead in his ear. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he silently began to count. He was just hitting twenty-five, when the door opened up, revealing a disheveled Alyce, her hair up in a towel and her robe tied hastily around her slender waist. She had her arms wrapped around her waist and wouldn’t look at him. Everything about her posture screamed abuse. What the fuck did she think he was going to do? He might warm her ass when she deliberately strayed outside their set boundaries. But he was nearly a hundred percent sure that wasn’t what he was dealing with here. His subbie had done a pretty good job of beating herself up already, he wasn’t about to add to it. The time for discipline would come later. Right now she needed comfort. Or at least his gut was telling him so – and he’d learned to never ignore it.