by Keta Kendric
Her smile crept up with the slow ease of a kitten. “So, the stuff I heard was idle talk? A misinterpretation of what truly happens? You, you’re misunderstood?”
“You’re correct. People that have never been in the life always assume the worse. Granted, there are dominants that encourage, bring to life, or elicit those negative connotations, but I’m not one of them.”
My hand grazed across her tempting thigh, distracting her from the hundreds of questions she intended to ask.
“Will you be my submissive, Doc?”
Her gaze remained straight ahead although I knew she sensed I was fixated on her. My eager fingers tightened around her warm thigh. We were going to have to find a fix for those damn jeans. She had too sexy a body to stay trapped under that thick, constricting material.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t sexy in them, but her body would make other types of materials come to life.
She finally glanced in my direction. “Yes, Ansel. I’ll be your submissive.”
“Good,” I stated, surprised at the level of relief that washed over me.
With the flick of my finger, I called her closer. When her face was inches from mine, I projected my gaze, keeping hers stuck on mine.
“Why did you really tell me no, Doc? We are building trust, be honest,” I reminded.
When she managed to pull her gaze away from mine, her head dropped. Her shoulders stiffened with tension at the idea of answering my question.
“I told you no because I fear the unknown, but I was mostly afraid of not being able to give you what you wanted.”
She paused, thinking past the uncomfortable stiffness in her body.
“Ansel, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t have a vast wealth of sexual knowledge that I can pull from that would make me a suitable candidate. A lot of what I know comes from books, and I haven’t had a whole lot of opportunities to practice.”
That shit was about to change. Regina was about to physically get to know her every curiosity.
“Do you think differently now?” I asked, liking that she was being open with me.
“Based on what you explained, I don’t need anything but to believe in the trust we build.”
My lips drew into a deep smile. She was getting it.
“But…”
Damn. There was another fucking but.
“None of the others lived with you, did they? You went to them when you wanted to, right?”
She assumed she’d passed it off as just questions, but I’d picked up more in her inquisitive tone. Translation. She wanted to know if I had any other subs, and if I did, would I be seeing them while seeing her? I think Dr. Regina had a possessive streak in her.
She turned her palms up when I didn’t answer right away.
“If we do this, how do we balance the two different lifestyles and live in the same house?”
That was a valid question. Fact was, I had no idea. All I knew was that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her.
“Doc, you managed for three years with your cartel family that took you hostage and made you dispose of the bodies of their victims. You’ve been around me for three weeks now, and you’ve managed to avoid being tied to my headboard. I have confidence that we can handle whatever transpires between these walls.”
Regina had the potential to become my best sub. After I’d tossed around several suggestions of what I thought her safe word should be, the one she’d chosen surprised me as much as it turned me on. She played the shrinking violet role well, but I knew better.
If the rest of her body felt as good as I expected it to, she may become my weakness. God help her if she became my obsession.
10
Regina
It had been two days, and Ansel hadn’t put hands on me again, not that I’d mind it. Since sleep eluded me most nights, I noticed he’d left the last couple of nights and hadn’t returned until the next morning. I conjured up all types of stories as to where he’d gone.
He and his friends were always on guard waiting for my family members to make an appearance. However, I didn’t believe Ansel’s late-night outings had anything to do with my situation.
Was he leaving to seek out his other subs? A question I shouldn’t have about a man that wasn’t mine. No matter how many times he reassured me, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing because I didn’t know what a sub was supposed to do besides follow her Dom’s commands.
There was another reason I’d said no to Ansel that I hadn’t disclosed to him. The idea of being one of a group of Ansel’s women didn’t sit well with me. However, my demanding curiosity, coupled with my attraction had won over my good sense.
Was Ansel leaving at night to commit other sinister acts? I had no idea. The way August had described Ansel, I’d imagined him as this sadistic serial killer. Being around him, I didn’t know what to think anymore.
August wouldn’t have left me with Ansel if he were a threat to me. Ansel also had taken care of and protected Megan for six months, and it wasn’t lost on me that they’d developed a tight bond.
No less than a minute after I’d sat down to eat breakfast, Ansel stalked into the kitchen, impeccably dressed in a dark navy designer suit that fit him to perfection. His presence was so dominating that I dropped my fork. In my haste to catch it, I almost toppled my plate.
“Good morning, Doc,” he greeted as his signature smirk emerged.
A stiff glance was cast in his direction for making me drop my fork.
“Good morning,” I greeted, stifling a yawn. I hadn’t slept a wink in the last few nights. However, in this case, I didn’t mind the sleeplessness. My mind flooded with the memories of him making me orgasm, knowing that it was a teaser as far as he was concerned.
A shudder ran through me, making my shoulders twitch.
He crept closer to the table in that stalking manner of his. He’d probably memorized every aspect of me down to the clear polish I’d put on my nubby nails. He walked around to my side of the table and stood close enough for his warmth to wrap around me.
A whiff of his fresh scent drifted up my nose, a hint of spice, a dash of piney woods, and a pinch of sin. His scent wrapped around me, invigorating my senses as it stirred my listless passion. I could have breathed him in all day.
My gaze settled on the phone he’d placed on the table in front of me. His finger sat on the shiny black face of the phone, keeping it in place. My gaze traveled up his strong hand before it caught a peek at the tattoo that covered his arm.
“2826 to unlock it and 666 to get me. If I don’t answer after three rings, it will go to Scott’s phone. If Scott doesn’t answer, it goes to Marcus’ phone, then JG and then Rob. If no one answers, you take the black Mercedes in parking space 127, second floor. The keys to the car are in your bedside table, directions on where to go are already programmed in the car. Aaron’s and Megan’s numbers are in here too. In case you forget, everything I just told you is in a neat little note locked inside this phone behind a picture of me.”
He already had a serious backup plan in place, making me realize he took his job of protecting me seriously. I glanced up in awe until I found my voice.
“Wow! Thank you,” I uttered as I shrunk under his lingering gaze, cast over me like a burning light. To have something else to concentrate on, I picked up the phone and started to scan through it. To say that I was impressed with this man was an understatement.
The flick of a shiny thin card passed across my view and was placed in front of me. A credit card? Specifically, it was a black card.
“I need to take care of some business today,” he offered, luring my gaze away from the card. “Marcus is going to take you shopping and wherever you need to go. If I catch you in jeans one more time, I promise you, I’m cutting you out of them and burning them. I may even toss the rest of your clothes in for good measure.”
A grin escaped me. “You wouldn’t.”
“You want to try me?” he replied in a dominating tone. Was he serious? H
is arms folded across his chest, those intense green eyes darkened as they dared me to try him.
“Now, tell me what I want to hear,” he demanded although his voice had returned to its normal timbre.
Was this the Dom side of him? What was I supposed to say? Somehow, I got the impression my time for asking questions had passed. Screw it. I’d wing it. Wouldn’t be the first time. I got the impression that Ansel wanted me to mess up so that he’d have an excuse to punish me.
“I’ll get something besides jeans to wear,” I answered, hoping it was what he wanted to hear.
“Good. I’ll be taking you out tonight. Pick up something sexy.”
“Okay,” slid across my lips, low and unsure. In my opinion, I was so far from sexy, I’d forgotten what the word meant.
Before my family had gotten a hold of me, I was carefree, playful, and outgoing. People wanted to hang out with me. They’d invite me to their parties and get togethers. The cesspool my family had dragged me into had swallowed my personality, and only jagged pieces of it remained.
At twenty-eight, soon to be twenty-nine years old, I was a prude.
Ansel glared at me until I dropped my gaze and flipped the card across my fingers. Without saying another word, he eased away, taking his warmth and invigorating scent with him. My gaze followed him as he exited the kitchen, looking as good going as he had coming in.
11
Regina
My four-hour shopping trip had gone well. The idea of having someone with me at all times had bothered me at first, but Marcus knew how to keep an eye on me while somehow giving me a certain depth of freedom I didn’t expect. For the most part, I didn’t see him but was aware that he watched from someplace.
Ansel had texted me on my new phone to let me know to be ready by the time he arrived at seven.
A call from D had been the highlight of my day. He’d gathered the information needed to start the process of getting me an official name change. The excitement of dropping Dominquez gave me a level of joy I hadn’t felt in a while.
Marcus and I shared small talk on the ride back. He, like Ansel, had a strong, dominating personality that he kept in check, for my sake, I was sure. He accompanied me up to the penthouse, carrying my bags.
Although posing as a gentleman, Marcus never stopped working his protection angle. I glimpsed the big silver gun tucked into his side and noticed the constant scans of our surroundings before every move we made.
Once I was safe and back in the apartment, and after he’d scanned it, Marcus bid me a good evening and back into the elevator he went.
The new Kindle I’d picked up kept me company. I flipped it open to one of the many medical books I’d downloaded. I’d also downloaded all of Megan’s books that I was anxious to start reading until it was time to prepare for my date.
Was it a date?
Ansel and I weren’t a couple, that much I was sure of. I shrugged off the ideas of us when they caused my mind to hurt. My eyes fell closed, thinking of the good times before I’d been force to hide from my family.
My body jerked at the sensation of turning into a fall. Ansel’s strong hand shook me awake. I berated myself for not setting an alarm, realizing I’d fallen asleep.
“I’m sorry. Are we going to be late?”
“No, it’s only five,” he stated. His gaze roamed although I was clothed, specifically in my jeans.
I sat up and my gaze caught a white garment bag slung across Ansel’s shoulder. It must have been the clothes he planned to wear on our outing.
“Where are we going?” I inquired, curiosity flooding me.
“You’ll find out when we get there,” he stated with a hint of finality.
“Okay,” I voiced with an eye-roll I’d failed to hide. I was sure he noticed the hint of underlying irritation I held at his answer.
He placed the bag across the back of the couch and headed toward the kitchen. I followed.
As we sat and ate, I was too busy staring at Ansel and talking my head off to cut through the tension he’d built in me. As usual, he let me talk as he studied me. A smile or a nod kept him in the conversation, but the mischief in his gaze hinted that my run-on sentences weren’t the only things his attention was on.
I paced, taking anxious steps. I didn’t know what to expect. Had I picked the right outfit? Had I applied too much makeup?
I may not have known a lot about the life I was embarking on, but if there was one thing I’d learned in my boarding school upbringing, it was the ins and out of makeup and how to fake my way through a difficult situation. Thanks to my father spoiling me, I also knew how to run up a credit card.
Ansel stood facing the view when I entered the living room. My hair was in curls that fell over my shoulders. I’d gone so long with a ponytail that it felt foreign. My hand rushed down the sides of my pale blue Michael Kors studded sheath dress with a daring slit up the thigh. I thought it was sexy, but who knew what Ansel would think of it?
I’d yet to master the art of balancing myself in skinny, steep heels, so I’d opted for a sexy pair of beige strappy sandals with a three-inch thicker heel to be able to walk and balance myself at the same time.
When Ansel turned at my entrance, he presented a ready smile.
“You did good, Doc. Your makeup is flawless, your hair, stunning, and your dress is sexy, just what I asked for.”
His smile widened, showing rows of perfect teeth as his pleased gaze met mine. Why did I get the sense that I’d missed the mark?
“Thank you…?” I stated, making it sound like a question. My hand swept the sides of my dress once more.
“You look very handsome,” I complimented although my mind raced onward with a more detailed description.
Sexy as sin and hot enough to melt my panties, harden my nipples, and make me wet was what really flowed through my mind. Ansel’s suspicion of what I’d think and what I’d say had been spot on. There were thoughts I didn’t want leaving my mind.
“Thank you,” he replied without lifting his gaze from my body.
He’d paired a navy blazer, from some well-known designer that he’d left open with jeans and a white button-up underneath. A Devon Tread watch flashed on his wrist. As always, everything he wore sat elegantly draped over his tall, strong body.
He approached, stepping into my personal space as his gaze rained all over me. His steps didn’t stop as he strolled around me, taking me in at every angle. He paused behind me before he released an appreciative moan, admiring my ass. He’d let it be known from the start that he appreciated my healthy dose of ass.
Once he’d completed the circle and left my body buzzing with anxious energy, he walked over to the couch where the garment bag lay and started to unzip it. Once opened, he reached down into the bag and removed a sexy black dress.
When he stepped closer, I noticed he had a pair of black stilettos with strategically placed gold accents that spelled trouble for my ankles, feet, and my life. The dress had cutouts that revealed way too much skin. Were my eyes deceiving me? There were also lacy see-through parts.
The frown in the center of my forehead stood strong as my gaze darted from Ansel to the too-sexy dress, to the five inches of heels on the sexy shoes guaranteed to kill me.
“You did a good job, Doc, but you picked the kind of sexy that would be reserved for a date. We’re in a relationship, I’ll admit that much, but I’m not the dating kind, and our relationship is anything but traditional. And trust me, where we’re about to go…” He glanced down at the black dress that hung in one of his hands and the black stilettos that hung across his fingers in the other. “…Where we’re going, this is me taking it easy on you because it’s your first time.”
If this was him taking it easy, I hated to find out what my future wardrobe would be like. Goodness, I’d never been so nervous about an outfit in my life.
12
Regina
“Let me help you with this,” Ansel offered. He reached his hands around me, closed me
into his body and unzipped my dress. My breath caught and wouldn’t release as a river of tension surfaced. As quickly as he pulled me in, he backed off, but his hands gathered the top of my dress and started to slip it down my shoulders before I could part my lips to protest.
I would have liked to have had some privacy to change, but Ansel wasn’t going to allow that.
The material stretched with ease as he peeled it over my shoulders, then over my chest. His lips drew into a pleased smile at the view of my ample chest in my black strapless bra. When the dress slipped past my chest threatening to expose my midsection, I froze. I hadn’t had time to prepare him for the scars on my body, a gift from my cousin Sorio. The ones on my arms had faded and nearly blended with my skin, but there was no hiding the ones on the left side of my stomach. They were ugly and large jagged knife marks.
Ansel’s actions ceased, and his gaze was focused on the large slashes.
“Did he do this to you?” he questioned. His voice carried above a whisper, but I could sense the hate rolling off him. I believed he’d kill my cousin a hundred times over if given the opportunity.
“Yes,” I answered, embarrassed and horrified. My cousin was a beast of a man that had no tolerance for me, or my quest to get away from my family. He had marred me with so many cuts and bruises that cocoa butter and various quick healing medications had become my best friends. Some scars, I’d been able to fade into whispers of what they once were, others I’d take to the grave.
The wall in front of me had suddenly become interesting because I couldn’t bear to glance down at Ansel. I was afraid of his reaction as we were just getting started. My back had more evidence of my cousin’s hatred of me.
When the material of my dress started to slip further down, my breathing stopped, but my heart pumped twice as fast. Was he not disgusted? My black bra and panty set was on full display as he continued to peel away my dress.