by Tori Carson
“I had to find you. I left something very important in your keeping and I couldn’t live anymore without it.”
His hands stilled on her back. “And what would that be?” His voice was cautious, but playful.
“My heart, of course.”
“Sorry, pretty girl. That you don’t get back. But if you promise to be careful with it, I’ll give you mine in its place.”
She remembered bantering like this for hours and smiling so long her face hurt. “Thank you, Master. I promise to take very good care of it. Do you think mine will be enough for you? You’re kind of a big guy…”
He leaned his back against the tree and patted his lap. Immediately, she obeyed his silent command, sat and snuggled her face along his chest.
“You’re all I need or want, Brianna. Just you.” Steven leaned over and pulled another blanket from the basket near the entrance to the path. He wrapped it snugly around her while they sat in peaceful silence.
She cherished every minute, sitting quietly, breathing in his scent, hearing his heartbeat slow and steady, and feeling his hardened cock pressed against her hip. It was a perfect moment in time.
Steven reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. “I’m letting Sean know that I’m leaving early tonight. We can swing by your hotel, grab your things and check out. You’ll be staying with me from now on.”
That’s exactly where she wanted to be, but she didn’t want to rush him. If she asked if he was sure, he might think she wasn’t. Why were things always so complicated?
“You’re tense again, Brianna. Don’t you want to stay with me?” His arms tightened around her.
“More than anything, I want to be with you, Steven. I just don’t want to be an imposition. If it’s money you’re worried about, I make more than enough to cover the hotel.”
“Taking care of my girl is my right, not an imposition. No more of that. Did you bring other clothes? I doubt you want to walk around the hotel in that sexy number you had on.” He sounded more relaxed.
“My stuff is in the ladies’ dressing room.” No way in the world would she walk around in public in PVC.
“Okay.” He helped her stand then got up and folded the blanket they’d been sitting on. “Let’s get your things and head out.” He slid his phone back into his pocket then grabbed his shirt she’d worn and his satchel.
Brianna kept the blanket wrapped around her as he led her back down the path, in front of the stage area, and to the entrance of the ladies’ locker room. His hand was firmly on the small of her back and she walked extra slowly to make sure it stayed there.
Before she could duck into the locker room he gave her a tilt-the-world-off-its-axis kiss and advised her not to take too long.
She entered the locker room in bit of a daze.
“Hey,” Brianna felt a hand on her shoulder, “you must be new.”
Brianna turned around and Steven’s warning came to mind. “Can I help you?” Brianna asked, instantly on edge.
“I’m trying to help you. I saw you out there with Master Steven. You should know he’s taken. He’ll play around with other women while I’m busy working, but he belongs to me.” She took a step closer. “And you’d best remember that.”
“Thank you for that information.” Brianna stood a little taller, hating to look up at the woman but refusing to take a step back and show weakness. “It certainly is news to me.” Brianna made an exaggerated show of looking at the woman’s neck. “I see you’re not wearing a collar so the only way for others to know would be for you to point it out to them.” Brianna dropped the blanket to her shoulders allowing the woman to see her solid gold collar.
“If you’re collared you shouldn’t be fucking around with my man.” Her hands went to her hips and pure hate shot from her eyes.
“Master Steven is his own man. If you have a problem with his actions, you should take it up with him. Excuse me.” Brianna turned her back as the woman put her icy cold fingers on Brianna’s bare shoulder and dug her claws into Brianna’s flesh.
“Don’t you talk to me like that. I work here and I can have your ass thrown out at any time.” Her grip tightened.
Brianna refused to flinch. She looked over her shoulder and met the woman’s gaze. “I work here as well and I don’t believe marring me will earn you any points and it might just get your ass fired. Think about that before you lay your hands on me again.”
The woman raked her nails across Brianna’s shoulder as she turned and stalked from the locker room.
Brianna was shaking from the confrontation. Instead of getting dressed, she just grabbed her things. Maybe Steven would let her change in his office. As she neared the exit, she heard the same woman talking to Steven. Brianna stepped into the shadows and peeked around the corner. Steven was leaning against the wall and the woman was on her knees in front of him. Her hands were behind her back with her breasts thrust forward. Her head was downcast, but her eyes were staring at Steven. There was something close to worship in her gaze and it bothered Brianna no matter how much she wished otherwise.
Brianna stood and watched the exchange. Steven’s body language was casual, but guarded. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but something twisted in her gut and forced her to step out into view.
“Master, may I please change in your office?”
“Of course.” He immediately stepped away from the woman. “What happened to your shoulder, Brianna? You’re bleeding.”
“Your pet took offense that you decided to play with me while she was busy working.” Brianna decided to pull no punches where this woman was concerned.
Steven’s large, warm hand covered the tiny scratches before he turned toward the woman still kneeling and now facing the wall. “Liz, pack your shit and get out. You’re fired.”
“Master Steven, she’s lying. She did it to herself just to cause trouble.” Panic rang clearly through her voice.
“Brianna is my submissive. She wears my collar and is under my protection. You walked in there looking for a fight. But this time, you picked the wrong woman to try to bully. Clear out your locker and I’ll escort you to your car.”
He used his cellphone to send another message while Liz ran into the locker room.
“You didn’t have to fire her, Steven. She just needed to hear from you where things stood.” Brianna was trying to be the voice of reason.
“She harmed you. She’s fired. That’s it.” He was curt and his tone brokered no further discussion.
Brianna knew when to keep her mouth shut. There was obviously more going on here than she knew about. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Sean walking briskly toward them. Brianna tensed—this was not the way she wanted her new boss to see her.
“What happened?” Sean asked as he wiped a hand down his face.
Steven lifted his palm away and showed Sean the marks along the front of her shoulder. “Liz took exception to me collaring Brianna.”
Sean stood a moment, glancing between the two them. He had to be wondering what the hell was going on, but he simply nodded.
“I’ll take it from here. You two can head on out.”
Steven pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and placed a gentle hand along her cheek as he whispered, “I’m so sorry, baby.”
He turned back to face Sean. “Thanks, man. I owe you one…more.”
Both men laughed and Sean patted Steven on the back. “I’m happy for ya, man. It’s about time. Brianna, welcome to the family.”
A lump suddenly developed in her throat and she wasn’t sure how to respond. Quietly, she said, “Thank you.”
Steven put his arm around her waist and led her back to his office. “Are you okay? What happened in there?”
“I guess she saw us kissing and she wanted to make sure I knew you were taken. Did you have a thing going on with her?” Brianna didn’t want to pry into his activities during the time they’d been apart. It wasn’t her place and yet she had to know.
“Li
z was the receptionist here. We’ve scened a few times, but it certainly wasn’t serious. I’m very sorry she took it out on you. I’m grateful you told me what happened. Michelle had some trouble with the subs when she and Sean hooked up. She’d tried to ignore the petty comments and it escalated pretty rapidly. If anything else happens, you need to come to me immediately.”
She nodded. “Steven, were you serious with anyone? I mean…it’s okay if you were. I just wondered if I should be watching my back for someone with a legitimate reason to come after me.” She wasn’t worried about mean girls and it wasn’t right to mislead him, but she was curious if she had any real competition for his heart.
“No, Brianna. It’s always been you.” He cupped the back of her head and kissed her hard. Once they broke away, he took her clothes she had bundled in her arms and laid them on his desk. “We need to get you dressed before I take you right here. My cock is dying to be inside you.”
Brianna dropped the blanket and wiggled her hips along his engorged cock. “I’m fine with right here.”
He took a step away from her. Firmly, he took her chin in his hand and waited until she was looking at him. “Well, I’m not and I’m the Dom. Stop tempting me or it won’t end well for you.”
She tipped her head toward the ground in mock resignation. “Yes, Master. Whatever you say, Master.” Though she was trying, she couldn’t keep the laughter out of her voice.
“Keep it up, brat, and we’ll add some caning marks to those stripes on your butt.”
That took the smile right off her face. Canes scared her. She didn’t want any part of being hit by one of those fuckers. In a much more solemn mood, she put on her street clothes.
Steven had been sliding files in his briefcase while she got dressed. Once she was ready, she stood across the desk from him. Their eyes locked and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was…
Are we really in the same room together? Is the hell we’ve endured for the last six years really over?
“Come on, pretty girl, let’s go home.”
Chapter Four
As they pulled into the drive of a beautiful two-story home with a white railing around the porch, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She never dreamed of sharing a real home with Steven. During their time together, he had been career driven. She had always pictured him in a high-rise apartment in New York City.
She clasped his hand resting on the console and shifter of his car. “You bought this place? Oh my God, Steven, I love it.”
His smile warmed her heart. “I’m so glad. I own a small parcel of the woods behind the house, but there’s no view of the water or the city lights like our old place.”
“Steven, I used to love to go stomping through the woods when I was a kid. This is like a dream come true.”
“Well, be warned, the inside needs some help. We definitely have some shopping to do.”
It can’t be all that bad. “It’ll be fun.”
Steven hit a button on the overhead console and the garage door lifted. He pulled inside then dropped his hand to her thigh. “I’ll get your door. Sit tight.”
She thought back to their time together. This was the first time she’d ridden in a car with him driving. They’d always taken cabs. Their life had been different in so many ways and honestly, the only thing she missed was Steven.
Before he helped her out of the car, he grabbed her bag from the hotel then opened and held the door for her. She felt like a princess. His gallantry had always made her feel feminine. She wondered if that was a Dom thing or a trait of Steven’s alone.
At the door to the kitchen, he stopped her. “I spend most of my time at the club, so the house is pretty bare. We can go looking for furniture tomorrow.”
She didn’t know what she’d expected, but when he opened the door, she was shocked. It was as if he’d just moved in yesterday, except there weren’t any boxes. Walking through the kitchen, she saw all the basic appliances, but not a single chair. No pictures, no decorations…nothing to prove anyone actually lived here.
The living room was only slightly better. There was a flat-screen TV hung above the mantel, an old, ratty recliner on the floor in front of it, with a TV tray beside it. Again, nothing was on the walls. As they continued on their tour, she found room after room with four bare walls.
Upstairs wasn’t much better. The only room with any furniture was his bedroom. He had a king-size bed—no headboard or footboard, just the mattress, box springs, and frame. There was a file cabinet beside the bed that doubled as a nightstand. Beside the alarm clock, she spotted a small frame with her picture.
With lump in her throat, Brianna turned into him and gave him a hug. Her life had been a shambles after she’d left him, but nothing this bleak. What the fuck had she done to him?
“You have a beautiful home.” She gave him a playful smile. “I like the less-is-more look, but I doubt we can find another recliner exactly like yours. We might have to settle for a whole new couch.”
Before she could scoot away from him, he picked her up and tossed her on the bed. “Who says you rank a recliner? You may kneel by my side and gaze up at me adoringly.”
“I can do that,” she said, rolling onto her belly and resting her chin on her palm. “But your hardwood floor might make that a bit ouchy. We’ll have to spring for a throw pillow and maybe a rug or two.”
“So demanding. You need to remember I’m the Dom around here. Get naked, my beautiful subbie.”
She rolled off the bed and started to remove her clothes. “Now sex, unlike furniture, is one area where more is much better than less.” She smiled to make sure he knew she was kidding.
“I’m beginning to think I took it too easy on you. Does your ass need another beating?”
She shrugged. “Could be…”
“Maybe what your ass needs is a good fucking.” Steven unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it toward the closet.
While the thought sent butterflies zinging through her belly, she wasn’t ready to take that plunge. “Can we work our way up to that, Master? I’m not opposed to the idea in theory…”
“Don’t worry, pretty girl. I’m not going hurt you.”
“I shouldn’t be such a chicken. You’ve taught me to enjoy a little pain.” A blush covered her face. She couldn’t believe she’d just admitted that.
“Come on into the bathroom. We need to get those scratches cleaned up.”
The bathroom was gorgeous with a sunken tub, separate shower and counter space for all her stuff.
Steven took her by the hips and lifted her onto the vanity. She’d already kicked off her shoes and removed her pants, leaving nothing between her and the very cold countertop.
“Raise your arms.” He lifted the hem of her shirt and tugged it off her.
As she shrugged out of her bra, she realized, for some bizarre reason, she was nervous. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been naked around him before. “Steven, if you guys really did fire that woman, then you should take a picture of my shoulder. She isn’t going to go away quietly.”
Sean had already texted Steven telling him the same thing. Liz was persisting with the story that Brianna had injured herself. Unless Brianna could turn her arm completely around backward, it wasn’t a possibility.
They didn’t need any more crap to deal with. Sorting through their past and building a future was going to be difficult enough. He kissed her forehead before wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry my baggage is touching you.”
“I’m not that same skittish woman I was in New York, Steven. I can handle mean girls. Besides, it’s my fault you have this baggage. Don’t worry about it. I’m not.”
Steven used his cellphone to take a couple of pictures of the scratches. He was careful to keep her breasts out of the frame in case they really did need proof later. Brianna would be uncomfortable if photos of her bare breasts were seen by others. “I have little doubt that you can handle anything that comes your way, Brianna. I just don
’t want you to have to. I want to protect you, not place you in an uncomfortable situation of my making.”
Brianna granted him a naughty smile. “During our time together, I learned comfort is highly overrated.”
An answering smile danced across his lips. He remembered well how surprised she’d been to learn that a bit of pain heightened her senses and made the pleasure all the more explosive.
“You know what I mean, pretty girl.” He liked that she was teasing him. In the days leading up to her leaving him, that had disappeared. It was one of many reasons he’d suspected something had been wrong, but every time he approached her about it, she’d shut him down with some lame excuse or another. He should have probed harder.
He reached under the sink, withdrew antiseptic and cotton balls, then took his time making sure the scratches were cleaned. Based on her winces, he knew he’d hurt her, but she never complained.
“I want to taste you, Master. It’s been way too long.” Her voice took on a seductive, silky tone.
His dick was throbbing. The idea of burying his cock deep in her mouth was very hard to push away and yet he had to. His first concern was her safety. “Not yet, my pretty girl. I’ve been with other women since I was last tested. I always used a condom and I’m ninety-nine percent sure I’m safe.” He shook his head. “But until I’m tested, and one hundred percent sure, that will have to wait.”
“How long do you plan to play hard to get, Master?” She gave an exaggerated pout.
“We’ll take care of it tomorrow. Tonight, I want you to fill out a new interest inventory.” He wanted to lie together in bed and just hold her as he’d dreamed of doing every damn night since she’d left.
“I’m sure we could come up with something more entertaining than paperwork to do this evening.”