The fact that we were in new territory together, pleased me. But then I keyed in on his first statement.
“What do you mean I have no idea what a real dominant would be like?”
He smirked. “You read about it on the Internet. I like to be in control in the bedroom in a dominant way, but we definitely aren’t in a dom-sub relationship, Sasha. Not even close.”
I had read about it, and he wasn’t wrong. He might be bossy and take over with sex, but he definitely didn’t treat me like I was submissive. Which made me wonder about the other girls he’d been with.
“I’m glad I’m here with you,” he murmured, kissing my hand.
“Right back at you.”
***
We walked hand in hand on our way to dinner. Wearing a little black dress that showed off my legs, I enjoyed the way that Brian looked in his linen pants and a light blue, button-down shirt. Thus far, I’d answered some emails late this afternoon but then had been able to turn work back off. As he had during our time in the islands for the wedding, Brian seemed to distract me from my normal obsession with my job. The result was I felt more relaxed than—well—ever. We took our seats at dinner. Although I would put the number of meals we’d shared throughout the years in triple digits, I could practically feel the air sizzle when he took my hand over the table and kissed the inside of my wrist.
“You look very sexy this evening,” he commented in that low tone that made me quiver in expectation.
“You look very good yourself. I like that color of blue on you.”
He found my compliment amusing. “Does this feel like a date?”
“Considering I’m comfortable and enjoying myself, uh, no.”
He threw his head back and laughed, then leaned over. “I wonder. Do you put out on the first date?”
I shrugged. “Keep the margaritas coming, and I might.”
After an amazing dinner, I sat back, stuffed, and contemplated a burning question. “I want to ask you something about the other women you’ve been with in these types of arrangements.”
He wavered and then took both of my hands. “Okay, ask me.”
“Were they more submissive? I mean, were you a lot more dominant with them?”
He looked at me for the longest time and then swallowed. “Yes.”
His answer bothered me more than I thought it would. His eyes hadn’t left mine, and I knew he waited for whatever I was about to say in response.
“Why haven’t you done it with me, then?”
He looked surprised and then shook his head. “Because for you, giving up any amount of control is a big step. I don’t want to do something you won’t enjoy.”
“But there’s more you could do?” I hedged, watching his eyes flash with interest before they hid it again.
“Sasha, one of the things that’s most attractive about you is that you do, in fact, challenge me. None of those other women did, in or out of the bedroom. It’s tough to explain, but the fact that you can test me intellectually and look at me with defiance even when I’m demanding is a bigger turn-on than ever having you be completely submissive. Plus I told you I’m not into pain or punishment. Pleasurable torture maybe, but not the other stuff.”
I swallowed hard. “What does pleasurable torture involve?”
Heat radiated from his eyes. “Do you honestly want to know?”
I nodded, taking another gulp of my drink. Something told me I was going to need it.
The waitress came over to clear our plates and ask if there was anything else we needed. Brian grinned. “Two shots of Patron, please.”
After our shots arrived and we went bottoms up, he sat back. “I’d like for you to make your way to the ladies’ room and take off your panties. Bring them to me.”
I sucked in my breath at his request and felt myself flush. For a brief moment, I contemplated denying him. But it didn’t make sense for me to do so. My consent to his requests merely heightened the sexual tension, and we both benefited from that. And I had, in fact, wanted the challenge. I knew it turned him on to see me accept it. “Excuse me a moment.” I slid my chair back and then made my way to the restroom.
Resuming my seat at the table, I passed him my thong underneath. Then I watched him ball it up in his hand and bring it up to his nose, inhaling. Jesus, this man made me feel on fire. Next he tucked it away in his pocket like nothing had happened. His chair moved closer to mine, and I held my breath in expectation of his hands on me, but they didn’t come.
“Did you want to check out the dance club?” he queried.
I quirked a brow. “You want to go dancing at a club?” I couldn’t see it.
“Mm-hmm.”
Given our earlier conversation, I was disappointed we weren’t heading back up to the room, but I tried to hide it.
He took my hand, and we made our way to the nightclub on the other side of the resort. Their version of a club turned out to be a bar with a dance floor. We found a dark corner booth easily as there was hardly anyone here yet.
He slid in next to me, and I sucked in my breath when his hand found my thigh. I wasn’t sure what you could see, if anything, under the table, but Brian didn’t seem to care.
“Did you mean what you said earlier about wanting to know what pleasurable torture was?” he asked gruffly.
Desire coursed through me, but so did trepidation. I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on him.
“Open,” he commanded.
I swallowed hard, slightly spreading my legs for him.
“Further. No one can see under the table.”
As soon as I did so, his hand glided along my inner thigh and then right up into the heat.
“You’re burning up here. And drenched already, aren’t you?” His fingertips skimmed my slit, teasing.
I found myself pushing toward him while trying to remember that we were currently in public. Sucking in my breath when his finger probed deeper, I squirmed to try to find relief without it being obvious to anyone who may be witnessing us.
“Can I get you two something to drink?” the waitress asked, snapping both my thoughts and legs shut.
“Honey, what would you like?” Brian questioned casually, as if his hand wasn’t currently crushed between my thighs.
“I’d love a margarita, no salt, please,” I choked out.
“Same, thank you.” He turned toward me, and I flushed at his gaze. “Open.”
“Brian, we’re in public,” I protested weakly, and then my knees fell open; I was unable to resist him.
His fingers reclaimed my pulsing sex. “That means you need to get better at putting on a poker face because after that waitress sets down our drinks, I have plans for this sweet pussy of yours.”
I shivered in response to his crude language.
“Thanks darlin’,” he said once the drinks were dropped off. He took a sip with his free hand.
I almost downed mine in one gulp.
“Easy now, or she’ll be coming back to get you another drink sooner than I’d like,” he whispered. “I want you to relax.”
I tried to do as he requested, but when his finger pressed deep into me, I gripped the table. “Bri—” My entire body was on the brink, and he knew it.
His expression looked pained. “Fuck it, we’ll explore pleasurable torture some other time. Let’s go.” He downed the rest of his drink. I didn’t get a chance to finish mine before he was pulling me out of the club.
Once we reached the elevator, Brian cornered me, kissing me soundly. “The look on your face is about to do me in.”
I could feel his erection pressed up against me and bit my lip at the fact that I was practically dripping with anticipation.
When we arrived on our floor, I was unceremoniously scooped up and put over his shoulder. Once we got to the room, Brian wasted no time in tossing me onto the bed with his face following between my legs.
I screamed when the orgasm came crashing down over me. Breathing hard, I looked at him when he stood up, a f
rown marring his handsome face. “What’s wrong?” I asked, noting the frustration in his features.
“Nothing,” he muttered.
I narrowed my eyes. “Lie to me again and see what happens.”
Evidently we could read one another accurately in that department. His hands captured my face, and he sealed his lips over mine. He slipped his tongue greedily into my mouth, and then he pulled back, putting his forehead on mine. “The truth is: I’m not dominant with you like with other girls because you make me lose control. Like in the club five minutes ago, our first time in the ocean, and too many other times to count. Pleasurable torture is supposed to be an exercise, not only in pleasuring you, but in my control. Instead, I completely lost my damned mind not even five minutes in.”
His admission didn’t come easy, I could sense. “Do you hate that?”
He hesitated, vulnerability evident in his eyes. “Only if you do.”
I smiled and touched my lips to his. “You make me lose my mind, too.”
We proceeded to lose it together.
***
The next day we slept in past breakfast, and I was absolutely starving by the time we made it down for lunch. We both piled our plates with the fresh seafood, and I indulged in the pasta bar.
Brian quirked a brow, taking in the fact that my plate was larger than his.
I shrugged. “I need it to keep up with you,” I muttered.
He smiled, surprising me by taking my hand over the table. “I’m glad we’re doing this.”
“The sex or the trip?”
“Definitely both, but this vacation feels good with you here.”
I had to agree it felt good for him to be here, too. It was almost like we were in a real relationship.
“Hey, do you two want to sign up for the trivia hour at the pool in an hour?” the bubbly guest relations girl came up to ask us. “It’s like a traditional pub quiz.”
Brian looked toward me, and I shrugged. Trivia sounded pretty tame. So long as it wasn’t something like chugging beer or playing volleyball in a team of strangers, I was game.
“Sounds good. We’ll see you there,” he answered.
***
We walked up to the bar an hour later, and it looked to be overrun with other couples who were chatting it up at different tables in groups. When the activities girl came over and told us to pick a table with two people because we’d be playing in teams of four, I lost all desire to play.
Sensing my immediate discomfort at the idea of sitting with strangers, Brian grabbed my hand and kissed my wrist.
“Who would you like to be?” he asked with an amused look on his face.
“Excuse me?” What on earth was he talking about?
“I’d like to be Austin. I’ve always thought that was a cool kid’s name.”
“You want to pretend to be different people?” I clarified, completely dumbfounded.
He laughed and took both my hands. “I know meeting new people is uncomfortable for you. How about you relax and become someone else for an hour?” His voice had turned into an overly dramatic drawl.
Oh, the irony of that question, considering I always pretended to be someone I wasn’t. “I’m not sure how. This feels more nerve-wracking than walking over to the other bar and keeping to ourselves.” I eyed the other couples, noting that they looked extremely friendly and excited. Those two words instilled fear in me immediately.
“We’ll grab a cocktail to relax you. All you have to do is follow my lead. Think of it as something light and fun, plus we’ll never see these people again.”
I knew he wanted to do it. I could see the competitive gleam in his eyes. He was a people person. He would naturally do great in any sort of social setting and most likely craved some other conversation beside mine. “What if I mess it up?” I voiced my insecurity.
He shrugged. “Who cares? We fess up and say we’re role-playing for a sexcapade or something.”
As if that would be less embarrassing. But he made it sound so easy, and I wanted to be a fun girl for him on vacation. “Okay, if you’re Austin from the South, I need a similar name.” I paused. “I’ll be Mary Beth. Any true Southern girl would have two names.”
His mouth twitched in amusement. Taking my hand, he led me over to one of the few tables remaining with only one couple already seated.
“Hi, guys. I’m Tami Sue, and this is Lester. Where are you guys from?” the friendly woman spoke up first.
They appeared to be in their upper thirties and, judging by their accents and names, were definitely from the South. Tami Sue looked like the nice soccer mom who was on vacation for the first time in years. She and Lester appeared to be the typical all-American suburban couple, right down to their fanny packs.
“We’re from Dallas originally. This is Mary Beth, and I’m Austin,” Brian introduced in a heavy twang. We all shook hands. “Where y’all from?”
“Raleigh, North Carolina,” Tami provided, clearly the more assertive one of the couple.
“I hear North Carolina is real nice,” Brian commented while we proceeded to start the game.
Turned out the boys were good at all sorts of random trivia. Tami was able to contribute some, but the only thing I’d been able to answer was a football question about how many Super Bowls the Patriots had been to in the last fifteen years.
During the hour we hadn’t had much time in-between questions to discuss a whole lot of personal things. I’d been relieved, but evidently it had only been a temporary reprieve.
“Are y’all on your honeymoon?” Tami inquired after the resort people gathered our sheets to score the teams.
“Technically, we’re on hers. See, Mary Beth’s wedding was on Friday, but you know the part where they ask anyone to say something or forever hold your peace?” Brian had them hanging on his every word.
Tami nodded, her eyes big.
I had the sensation like watching a car accident about to happen and not being able to look away.
“Well, it was my duty to speak up and tell everyone I objected,” Brian finished on a shrug, like this was everyday conversation.
I was at a complete loss for words. Improv was not my thing. Hell, socializing wasn’t my thing. Suddenly I felt like one of those small goats that go paralyzed when spooked.
He stroked my arms. “Sorry. Mary Beth is a little embarrassed that I told y’all. But it’s all right, darlin’, they aren’t going to judge. Are you?”
Both Tami and Lester shook their heads while I sat there trying to figure out what to say.
“What did your fiancée do?” Tami questioned, riveted.
I took a deep breath, happy when Brian rescued me with the next part of his story.
“He was an unfaithful bastard is what he was. I accused him of cheating right there in that church in front of God and his mama, and he didn’t bother to deny it. It’s one thing to watch the woman you love marry another man, but to know that man is out and about cheating on her—I had to do it.”
They both sat in awe, and so did I.
“Uh, did you love Austin all along, then?” Tami asked, addressing me.
I finally got up the courage to try my hand at this. “Uh, I did. We were high school sweethearts, but then he left to pursue his music career, and I moved on with Clayton.” I got a wink of approval from Brian, who was clearly enjoying this. I needed more to drink and ordered a shot, which merely made him chuckle.
“What happened at the church, then? Did people freak out?” Lester questioned.
I could tell he too was being sucked into the story. Before Brian could answer, I got up some more courage. “They were shocked that he’d been cheating on me with my sister. I think everyone was speechless. And she started crying because turns out she’s pregnant.”
Brian choked on his drink.
“Baby, you okay?” I soothed, patting him on the back and watching him try to recover.
“Oh, yeah, dumpling, I’m great,” he cooed.
I had to bite
the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
Tami clucked her tongue. “That sounds like an episode of Jerry Springer. You poor thing. But you two—I can’t imagine you not together. I have this thing about me, Lester will tell you. I have what I call the love meter. And the one for you guys is off the charts. Seriously, we saw you guys by the pool yesterday. Not to sound like a stalker, but when you two kissed poolside—Wowsers, I knew that was love.”
My cheeks heated, and I could hardly swallow past the lump in my throat.
Brian squeezed my leg, and I was thankful when he finally broke the awkwardness. “You know how it goes with high school sweethearts. It was good for me to be on the road awhile getting some experience, if you know what I mean. Because this hellcat, she’s not easy to keep up with.” This little adlib earned him a kick from me under the table.
He winked at Lester, and it was all I could do not to spit out my drink this time. He was upping the stakes so that when I looked over at the karaoke machine, I couldn’t help myself.
“Sugar pie, you should go show them how you sing. Hand to God, it’s better than a deep-fried Oreo at the Texas state fair,” I drawled and watched his eyes get big.
It was his turn to keep from laughing. “They aren’t doing karaoke right now, and you know me, I’d hate to show off,” he deflected, pretending to be modest.
“Oh, I bet they’ll make an exception, maybe after they score these cards and decide the winner. We’d love to hear you sing,” Tami encouraged, getting out of her chair and making a beeline for the activities director.
She came back squealing with joy. “They said after dinner tonight they’re having karaoke. What song will you sing?”
Brian was momentarily speechless, then finally recovered. “Uh, I’m not sure.”
I enjoyed the moment, but it was short-lived.
Brian came back with a doozy. “What was the name of that song playing the night I met you? Do you remember, cupcake? You were on the pole, and we swore it would be our song.”
Oh, no, he didn’t. Now I was a stripper? I reached over, my nails digging into his shoulder, and I heard his grunt from the pain.
“I thought you guys met in high school,” Tami remarked, confused.
Ask Me Something (The Something Series Book 2) Page 21