by Diana Ballew
"With you, I'll take anything I can get."
Joe pulled up in front of Vicki's apartment Thursday evening. She was waiting just inside the doors. She hadn't invited him back into her apartment yet. Instead, she met him downstairs each night. Not that he minded.
He watched as she made sure the door to her building was secure behind her. The last few days, he'd found odd notes on the windshield of his car at work. Nothing threatening, but he didn't like it. She had already mentioned an ex. He'd ask her about it, but not tonight.
Shaking off those thoughts, he watched her stroll to his vehicle with a smile on her face.
This week had been a test of his endurance. He left Vicki with a scorching kiss each night, but that was as far as he took it. He was enjoying getting to know her. Tuesday, he had taken her back to Marco's for dinner. They'd talked and he had learned more about her life and her sexual preferences, but nothing that led him to think she was into kink. Wednesday, they'd gone to a play at one of the theaters in Seattle.
Tonight, he was going to surprise her by taking her to the big independent bookstore in downtown Seattle. She'd mentioned how much she loved to read, and he'd seen the books in her apartment.
The car door opened and Vicki slid in. The scent of honey and strawberries tickled his nose. She turned to him, and he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.
"You smell delicious," he said.
"Thank you." A slight blush crept over her cheeks as she did up her seatbelt. "Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled away from the curb.
"It's a surprise."
She shifted in her seat. "You surprised me last night with tickets to the theater."
"And tonight is another one. Just sit back and relax."
"Easy for you to say."
Joe let out a husky chuckle. The traffic in Seattle had cleared out a bit, so it didn't take them long to get to their destination.
"Oh, Joe." Her face lit up as he escorted her into the bookstore.
"You said you loved reading, so I thought you might like to wander around."
"Yes." Her expression was dreamy as she swiveled her head from side to side, trying to take in everything.
"Go." Joe released her arm and she was off.
He followed her around the store. She was like a kid in a candy shop, stopping to browse the shelves. Fiction, nonfiction, history, romance. Her tastes were as eclectic as the woman herself.
She pulled a couple of books from the history section, looked at them, and re-shelved all but one.
"Let me carry that." He took the book from her.
"Thanks." She moved on to romance.
Within minutes he had ten books. Luckily, he found a basket to carry her books in. But he was enjoying himself because she was so happy. Then she walked into the sexuality section. Joe's interest flared.
Vicki glanced at him, her cheeks flushing, before she turned back to the shelves. Joe maintained his distance, but kept his gaze on what she pulled from the shelves to flip through. First it was a book on new relationships, which she put back after a minute. Then a book about sexual positions.
She began flipping through it, then looked up at him. "Why don't you go look around?"
"I'm fine." Joe grinned at her. "Finding anything interesting?"
Her cheeks turned a deep red, but she didn't put the book back, instead she snapped it shut and dropped it in the basket.
Joe leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I can't wait to try it out with you."
"Behave." She moved away from him.
He couldn't stop smiling until she picked up a book on alternative relationships, this one about threesomes. How interested in kink was she? He scooted closer to her.
"Fantasy or reality?" He kept his voice low even though there was no one else in the section with them.
"Joe," she whispered, putting the book back.
"I can make the fantasy come true if you want."
Vicki turned her head so quickly their noses bumped each other. "Oh, my God, you can't be serious."
"Only if you want." He took her by the arm and guided her over to the far corner. "Are you into kink?"
She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. "And if I am?"
"Then you and I are going to have a very frank talk, because I'd love to get kinky with you."
A giggle left her lips and Joe stared into her gleaming eyes. "I can't wait," she whispered.
His cock jumped behind the fabric of his slacks. Joe glanced around the store; thank goodness there was a small sofa with a table unoccupied close to them. He slipped his arm around her waist and escorted her over to the seating.
"Have a seat and I'll be right back." He set the basket of books on the table, then hurried back to the sexuality section. Scanning the shelves, he pulled off five books and returned to Vicki.
"Let's start with this one." He handed her "Kinky 101" as he sat down next to her.
"Ummm ... I've already read it."
"So you know the basics." This was interesting.
"Mostly, yes." While she wasn't totally shy, Joe saw her gaze dart around the store as if to make sure no one was close enough to hear them. She was probably right, this wasn't a conversation for public consumption.
"Have you read any of these books?" He handed her the other four, watching her face as she looked at the titles. Her eyes widened when she got to the flogging book, and her cheeks turned red when she read the bondage title.
The other two books were more basic so he wasn't surprised when she handed him the flogging and bondage books. "Those two I haven't read."
"Good. Let's buy this lot and get out of here."
"I ..." She took a deep breath. "I can't buy those books with you standing next to me."
"You won't have to." He helped her stand and tucked the two books under his arm while picking up her basket of books. "I'm buying them for you."
"But won't the clerks put two and two together?" she protested.
"I don't care." He leaned over and touched her forehead with his. "Everyone here will be envious that I have a sexy, adventurous woman with me."
"You always know the right thing to say." Her eyes went dreamy.
"Not always, but I try."He grinned all the way to the checkout. Joe allowed her to go first and buy her purchases. He wanted to buy them for her, but she'd already lectured him on the theater tickets the previous night.
The next cashier opened and Joe paid for his books and met Vicki at the door. Once they were both back in his car, he turned to her.
"Are you willing to be kinky with me?" he asked.
"Define kinky."
Joe thought for a minute. "Toys, bondage, spanking, maybe using a flogger. Beyond the missionary position."
"I want to start off slow."
He nodded. "We will." A plan was already forming in his mind. He knew just the place they could start off slow, yet he could test her kinkiness.
Friday night, Joe pulled up outside Vicki's apartment building once again. Would she be wearing the dress he had sent her? He knew she had received it because she called him and thanked him for the gift, then proceeded to tell him no more presents.
He loved showering her with small items. "Good evening, Vicki," he said as she climbed into his car, flashing bare legs. Her jacket covered most of her. Did she have the dress on? He'd taken a chance, but when he'd seen it, he couldn't resist. The sleeveless button-down black dress was perfect for her.
"Good evening, Joe." She fastened her seat belt. "Thank you for the beautiful dress. It's a perfect fit, and I don't want to know how you knew what size to get." She grinned at him.
Oh, that grin, that was a teasing Vicki grin. One full of promise and delight. After checking the mirrors, Joe pulled out into traffic. Tonight he had a plan. First stop, Plantation, a small, private restaurant. He'd see how she reacted to it, then he'd go from there.
"Where are we going?" she asked when he drove out of Seattle and headed south.
"Dinner at a place I kn
ow." It didn't take them long to reach their destination. He pulled into the small industrial area and parked the car outside a nondescript building.
"Dinner here?" She glanced from him to the building.
"Trust me." He climbed out of the car, then opened her door and helped her out. Keeping their arms linked, he led her to the door where a man stood.
Victoria's curiosity was aroused. Where was Joe taking her? She wondered how there could be a restaurant in this industrial area, but the tantalizing smells of roasting beef teased her nose.
Joe guided her to a door where a burly man stood with a clipboard. Bouncer?
"Joe Bradshaw."
The man looked at the clipboard. "Yes, of course, Mr. Bradshaw." The bouncer slid a key card into the reader, the light flashed green, and an audible click was heard. "Enjoy your evening." The door was pulled open, and Joe escorted her in.
The hallway was dim, but music drifted from the end of the hallway. The music was soft and subtle. They turned the corner, and she stopped in her tracks.
The red-and-white carpet with a flower design brought out the color of the high-backed booths around the outside of the room, with only a few tables in the middle of the floor. Each booth had curtains either pulled back or closed, surrounding them.
"Good evening, Mr. Bradshaw, ma'am." The black-suited maitre d' said, approaching them. "May I take your coat, ma'am?"
She unzipped her coat, slipped it off, and watched Joe from the corner of her eye.
"Oh, shit, I'm in trouble," he whispered.
Victoria hid a smile. The black sleeveless dress fit her to perfection. And the button- down front was something she wouldn't have picked out for herself, but she loved it. The dress flowed over her body perfectly.
The maitre d' cleared his throat after he had handed her coat off to another person. "I have your table ready, if you'll follow me."
Joe gestured for her to follow the man, and she did, adding a little extra hip action to torment him with.
She tried not to stare, but she was so very intrigued by the restaurant. Two of the booths had their curtains drawn as they strode by. The sound of flesh meeting flesh and a giggle made her head turn to one closed-off table; then, as they walked by another, she heard the words, "Yes, suck me, my pet."
What the heck? She tilted her head and stared at Joe, and he grinned and shook his head. But her brain was going a thousand miles an hour as she slid into the booth. Joe followed suit right next to her. "The wine steward will be by shortly with your request."
"Thank you," Joe said, and the maitre d' slipped away.
The booth was bigger than a normal one. While curved and with high backing, the seat was quite wide and very plush. The table had an elegant white tablecloth with a red swirl design on it. Wine glasses, water glasses, silverware, and napkins sat in the middle of the table. A loud moan caused her to jerk her head, and Joe let out a chuckle.
"Interesting place you've brought me to." Her throat was dry.
"The food is worth moaning about."
"Really?" She was suspicious. The other night he had asked her about sexual preferences, and even though she'd played down some of the kinky aspects she enjoyed, she suspected Joe was aware of them. Then last night at the bookstore, Joe had seemed overly interested when she'd browsed around the sexuality section. Plus they had talked in the car. Her nerves danced against her skin. She wasn't a prude by any means. How could she pretend to be after they'd had sex in the elevator?
But she hadn't exactly been adventurous, either, at least not before their encounter. She hadn't found a man who was interested in a little bit of kink. Yes, she had read about it. Some of it made her cringe, while other parts made her tingle.
"Yes, but there are other things, too." The wine steward arrived, poured a small amount in a glass, and handed it to Joe. She watched as he did the whole wine-tasting thing, then nodded. Wine was poured, water was poured, and then they were left alone.
"Tell me about this place." She took a sip of the red wine.
"Plantation is a very private restaurant." He slid closer to her.
"Like a members only?" Joe's thigh brushed hers, and her entire body heated. What was it about him? It was more than the bad-boy persona. All week, she'd tried to nail down why she was so damn attracted to him.
It hit her at that moment. Joe wasn't afraid of being a man. Wow, that sounded sexist. Her thoughts scattered when he ran his finger over her cheek.
"Sort of. In order to get a reservation here, you must know someone who has a connection with the restaurant."
"And you do?" She swallowed as his fingers caressed her skin, her neck arching as he stroked and petted her.
"The owner." Joe shifted. "He's an old friend."
"You seem to know a lot of restaurant owners."
"Yeah." He grinned. "I enjoy investing in them." He shifted toward her. "Plantation is a restaurant that caters to those who wish to have a nice dinner but also be ... shall we say, naughty."
A breathy moan escaped her lips as his fingers dipped to the base of her neck, then toyed with the first button of her dress, undoing it so he could tease the valley between her breasts.
"Sexy naughty?" she whispered.
"Yes." His breath teased her ear. "Remember what you heard walking by the closed curtain booths?"
She nodded and words caught in her throat. He couldn't mean ...
"Good evening." A male voice interrupted them. "So sorry to interrupt, Mr. Bradshaw, but the chef wanted me to inform you your entree would be ready in about thirty minutes. Would you like your salad now?"
Victoria closed her eyes and took a breath as Joe removed his hand and spoke to the waiter. Her blood was tingling along with other parts of her body. Her nipples were tight.
"That's fine." The waiter scurried away, and Joe's attention turned back to her. "So, where was I? Oh, yes, the closed booths."
"You can't mean they were ... " She shook her head.
"Yes." His warm palm cupped her chin. "The first I'm pretty sure was a very nice spanking, the second was pretty self-explanatory."
"But." She glanced around the restaurant. It was almost a full house. "Does everyone ... indulge?"
"Not everyone," he whispered. "But many find it a thrill." He fingered the second button on her dress.
"Do you?" She swallowed.
"Depends." The button loosened under his ministrations.
Victoria held her breath, but the second button didn't reveal much. The slight swell of her breasts was all. But a shot of excitement flowed through her veins. "Ummm."
The clearing of a throat snapped her from Joe's heated gaze. The waiter's face was impassive; it would have to be, working here.
"Excuse me, your salad." He set the large salad on the table in front of Joe. "I'll be back with your main course when it's ready."
"There's only one salad," she said after the waiter walked away.
"Yes." Joe picked up a set of silverware and an extra napkin. Opening the napkin, he laid it in her lap. Then he unwrapped the silverware and put a napkin in his lap. "You see," he said as he lifted the fork, "with only one salad, I get to feed you." He speared some lettuce and held it to her lips.
She opened her mouth and let him slip the food inside. After she chewed and swallowed, she licked her lips. A fire lit in Joe's blue eyes. Placing her hand on the table, she inched her way over to the silverware, snagged a fork, and held it up.
"My turn." She lifted the food-filled fork to his mouth. A shiver went through her body as he closed his lips over the food. They continued to feed each other until the salad was gone.
Her skin was flushed and tight by the time their main meal arrived. Again, only one plate. A huge plate at that. The scent of roasted beef and butter made her mouth water.
"Would you please pull the curtain?" Joe requested of the waiter.
"Of course, sir. Just signal when you're ready for me to remove the plate or if you need anything." Within minutes the curtain was
released and encased their table.
Her breath caught in her throat. What was Joe going to do?
"That's better." He cupped her neck and brushed a light kiss over her lips. "Now we can enjoy ourselves." He flicked open the third button on her dress, revealing her lacy bra.
Victoria wiggled in her seat. Could she do this? Who was she trying to kid? She felt anticipation along with a healthy dose of keen awareness that they could get caught. But who would catch them? The waiter had already said he wouldn't come back until signaled.
"Okay?" Joe asked, his fingers hovering over the next button.
She nodded and the fourth button was opened.
"So beautiful," Joe whispered before turning to their meal. He cut the large piece of meat, then fed her a bite.
The beef flavor exploded along with Italian spices over her tongue. She moaned.
Joe didn't think his cock could get any harder, but Vicki's moan proved him wrong. His lady was more than ready for anything he could throw at her. After they had fed each other more food, he undid a couple more buttons of her dress.
Now it was open to below her waist. Dipping his index finger in his wine, he trailed it between her breasts. She leaned her head back, and he licked the wine from her skin.
"So sweet," he murmured against her skin.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as he cupped her breast through the lace while nuzzling between her globes. Shifting in the booth, he slid his right arm behind her neck.
"You've been driving me crazy."
"I don't mean to." Her throaty response heated his blood.
"I know, but you are so sexy, so beautiful, and so responsive." The silverware rattled as he pushed the table away with his foot. "If you want me to stop, say Red."
"Yes, Sir," she whispered.
Every nerve in his body went on alert at her words. Lifting his head from between her breasts, he took her lips in a hard kiss as he unbuttoned more of her dress, only breaking the kiss so he could reach the last two buttons.
Once the dress was undone, he spread it apart, revealing her black lacy bra and panties. Her nipples were poking against the fabric. Thank goodness it was a front-clasp bra. He unsnapped the clasp.