Submitting to the Devil Dom [The Martinis and Chocolate Book Club 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Lara Valentine

  More good news. Her seemingly perfect boyfriend was a Dominant and maybe a player.

  “It just gets better and better, Lisa. Is there anything else I should know? Is he the leader of the Hells Angels, too? Or maybe he’s like 007 and is a secret agent for the government, with a license to kill?”

  More like a license to thrill.

  Now she understood why he said what he said. He had figured Lisa would tell on him, and he wasn’t sure Tori would want to see him again.

  “Nothing else I know of. Conor has talked to him quite a bit. Says he’s a good guy.”

  “You’ve never talked to him?”

  Lisa giggled. “An owned submissive doesn’t get to chat with another Dom very often. Usually, I’ve been commanded not to speak unless Conor speaks to me. I get to chat with the subs, but Doms not so much.” Lisa sipped her martini. “Besides, with Conor’s schedule lately, we go and do a scene and leave. We don’t stay and socialize much anymore. Not like before we had kids.” Lisa sighed. “Conor works all the time. I think he loves his job more than me.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true. Conor adores you.” Tori twirled the base of her glass and chewed on her lip. She wasn’t upset Ian was a Dom. Far from it. The idea of being dominated by someone who knew what he was doing had always been an arousing one for her. She’d wanted someone adventurous, and anyone with a nickname like the Devil Dom, probably had adventure in spades.

  No, it was the fact he had been hiding it. Was he ever going to tell her, or had he pegged her as his vanilla girlfriend who wouldn’t know when he went to parties to get his freak on? Did she appear to be boring and rigid?

  If he’s going to get his freak on with anyone, it’s damn well going to be me.

  She reached for a chocolate from the gold box on the table and gave Lisa a serene smile. “Thank you for telling me. I know you didn’t want to, but now that I know I can talk to him about it.”

  “Are you going to kill him?”

  Tori bit into the dark chocolate truffle, letting the bittersweet confection melt on her tongue. “No. I’m going to give him a chance to explain. But the explanation better be damn good.”

  “If it is good? What then?”

  Tori popped the rest of the truffle in her mouth with a grin. “Then you and Brianne will have another submissive to train.”

  “If it isn’t a good explanation?”

  “Ian Taggert is history.”

  * * * *

  Ian wasn’t sure why he was getting ready to grill hamburgers for dinner. He also wasn’t sure why he had taken a shower and shaved after work. The chances of Tori ever speaking to him again were remote. Her friend Lisa was surely going to tell her his dirty little secret. Their relationship was over.

  When he’d met Tori three months ago, after moving into his new house, he’d been instantly attracted. More attracted than he could ever remember being, in fact. Her long dark hair and soft green eyes were gorgeous, and her tan-and-toned body made his fingers itch to explore her curves. She was in shape but not a stick figure. She was all woman, and she made him feel all man.

  She was smart, funny, talented, and successful. She was the author of a bestselling series of children’s books. She wasn’t looking for a meal ticket or someone to take care of her. She stood on her own two feet. It was a characteristic Ian admired. Despite his dominant tendencies, he liked a woman who could take care of herself. He wasn’t looking for a doormat.

  Which was pretty much all he had found in the last several years. Either the woman in question was simply playing at the lifestyle and not really submissive, or they were submissive to the point they wanted him to make every decision of their day, including what to eat and when to take a shower. Neither the former nor the latter was his style.

  He hadn’t really had a plan when he’d asked Tori out. She hadn’t seemed all that submissive, so in retrospect it had probably been a bad idea. Dammit, he couldn’t help himself. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. After two months of telling himself to leave her alone, he couldn’t ignore his feelings any longer. In the last three weeks, he had been coming to terms with the fact that his life as a Dominant was over.

  If Tori didn’t have any interest in the lifestyle, and he was pretty sure she didn’t, then he was going to have to give up something. Giving up Tori seemed incomprehensible. She was the kind of woman he’d been looking for since his divorce five years ago. It was just his tough luck she wasn’t submissive. He was sure he could get used to a life of vanilla sex. After all, sex was good no matter what, right?

  “Are you making hamburgers for dinner?”

  Ian whirled around and faced the woman who had filled his thoughts the last hour and half. The woman he thought would never speak to him again.

  “Yes, it sounded good. Simple. Just hamburgers, chips, and I have some fruit salad left over from dinner last night.”

  Tori nodded. “Sounds good. Can I help?”

  Ian was on his guard. Her expression was neutral. She didn’t seem disgusted, but she was perhaps hiding it, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Tori had a soft, loving heart. He’d seen it when her twin sons had left for college a couple of months ago. The love between the three of them had been so real and genuine.

  “Not really. The patties are made, and I can put them on the grill when we’re ready to eat.”

  “I think we should have that talk first.”

  Ian sighed. He was about to get the heave-ho. He could only try and convince her he could live without the whole D/s thing. He was almost sure he could. She was worth the try.

  “How about a glass of wine?” Ian motioned to the patio table, and Tori sat down while he poured her a glass of wine and refilled his own. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

  He sat down in the chair next to hers and grabbed her hand. “There’s something I need to tell you. I’ve been wanting to tell you but honestly haven’t known how.”

  Tori put up her hand. “Lisa already told me. Unless, of course, you’re referring to another secret you’ve kept from me?”

  She sounded pissed off, and Ian couldn’t blame her. As a Dom, he prized honesty. He hadn’t been honest with her, and it was time to right the wrong.

  “No, no other secrets. Fuck, Tori, I just didn’t know how to tell you. I was afraid you’d never want to speak to me or see me again. I pictured you building a big ten-foot fence between our properties.”

  That brought a smile to her beautiful face. “Ten feet? I don’t think the homeowner’s association would be too thrilled about that.”

  “I’m sure if you told them the story, they’d give you a waiver.”

  Her expression was amused and, luckily, not angry. Ian had seen her moss-green eyes turn dark with passion and gold with happiness.

  “Hmmm, you think I should tell them I’ve been dating this great guy but just found out from my best friend that he’s been keeping a secret from me? He’s a Dom in his private life and they call him the Devil.”

  Ian could feel the heat stain his cheeks. He’d always hated his nickname, given to him by a brat of a sub when he wouldn’t continue training her. She didn’t have a submissive bone in her body, and he wasn’t going to waste his time. She’d eventually left the lifestyle but had left the legacy of the Devil Dom.

  “It’s a nickname. Not one I’m fond of, by the way.” Ian scraped his hand down his face. Saying the words was harder than he had imagined. “Listen, I’m ready to give all that up. I’m sorry I kept it from you, but I was seriously nervous you would kick my ass to the curb. I like being a Dom. Hell, I love it. But I’ve been waiting years to meet a woman like you. You’re someone I can see myself with in the future. I want to see where this relationship can go. If I have to give the other up for you, well, then I have to.”

  “If you have to? Sounds like you don’t really want to, if you ask me.”

  Ian jumped to his feet. “If you’re asking if I’d like to have it all, then the answer is y
es. I’d like to have you as my submissive. Fuck, yes, Tori. But I’m not a stupid man. People don’t always get what they want.”

  Tori nodded. “True. How come you never even broached the subject with me? Do I seem vanilla? Am I that boring you didn’t even think to talk about it with me? See what I think?”

  Shock shot through his body. She wanted him to discuss it with her? Was she open to submitting to him?

  “You are not boring. Shit. And where did you learn the term ‘vanilla’?”

  Tori reached over to the purse she had tossed on a chair and pulled out her e-reader. She punched a few buttons and handed it to him.

  “Look. Look at what our book club reads.”

  Ian paged through the titles in her e-reader in amazement. His woman was a BDSM-book addict. He didn’t need to open most of the books to see what they were about. The titles were fairly descriptive.

  “I guess you had a secret, too.”

  She rolled her eyes, and a touch of pink colored her cheeks. “I didn’t think my reading material was a big deal until this afternoon.” She reached across and laid her hand on his tanned arm. “I have an open mind, Ian.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I have no actual real-life experience having an open mind, sexually speaking, but I am open to us talking about this.”

  He put her e-reader back on the table. “How open-minded are you? Are you open-minded enough to discuss a Dominant-submissive relationship? Wow, I can’t believe we’re having this discussion. I thought you would be shocked and mortified. Think I was some kind of pervert.”

  He still couldn’t believe she wasn’t running a mile in the other direction. He hadn’t had much luck in his personal life, and it seemed too good to be true she might want to explore his dark secret with him.

  “I don’t think you’re a pervert. As you know, Lisa and Conor have a D/s relationship. The other women in the club do, also, although Sara says they only play at it when they’re in the mood.”

  He nodded. “There’s no right or wrong way. Some people live every minute of their lives that way, some people when they’re in the mood, and everything in between.”

  Tori frowned. “Which are you?”

  He took his time answering the question. He’d had several years to figure it out for himself, but explaining wasn’t always easy. “I’m somewhere in between. I like being in charge in the bedroom. Period. No leeway there. The rest of the time, it’s more complex. I want a woman who can be a partner to me. I don’t want to have to control her every move and thought. But I do want to take care of her.”

  Tori sipped her wine. “What does take care of her mean?”

  He lifted her hand and played with her delicate fingers, the nails cut short, as she was on her laptop all the time. “It means I want to order for her in restaurants. It means I want to make sure she’s safe. I want to hear about her lousy day and make all the bad things better.”

  “What if I don’t like what you order for me?”

  Ian laughed. “Is that what you’re worried about? We would discuss what you wanted, but when the waiter came to the table, I would order for you. How does that sound?”

  Her expression was so serious and cute. “That would be okay. I’m a really picky eater.”

  “I know. I’ve learned that about you these last months.”

  He could see the wheels turning in her mind. He needed to find out what she was thinking about.

  “You would want to be in charge? What if I didn’t agree with something? What if you’re being an asshole?”

  They were getting down to the nitty-gritty. “Any man can be an asshole, sweetheart, even a Dom. I work hard at not being one, but Dom’s make mistakes. The key is to acknowledge them and learn from them. If we didn’t agree on something, we would talk about it. Just like other couples. The only difference is if I thought it was something that concerned your health, well-being, or safety, I would insist you follow my command. And I would punish you if you didn’t obey me. As my submissive, you would agree that I was in charge of those three things.”

  He watched her closely as she processed his words. He’d chosen them carefully, for effect. She needed to know up front what this was about.

  “What if I didn’t like your punishment?”

  Ian had to laugh. “Punishments aren’t meant to be fun, honey. They’re punishments. However, in a D/s relationship, we would agree what rules should be followed. You would agree to be punished for breaking them and that I will choose the method of punishment. You would have to trust that I will be just in meting out discipline.”

  Her eyebrow arched in question. “Just? From the man called the Devil Dom?”

  He gave her his sternest Dom look. “I told you it was a nickname.”

  He hid his grin when her body language instantly responded to his dominance. Her eyes dropped and her pupils dilated. She might be submissive, after all.

  He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them softly. “And as a Dom who prizes honesty, I need to acknowledge and apologize for keeping this secret from you. Fear is not something I am comfortable with, Tori. I was instantly attracted to you and fought that attraction for some time before I succumbed. I told myself finding a partner was more important than being a Dom. I am truly sorry for keeping this from you, and I ask your forgiveness.”

  Chapter Two

  She’d never had a man ask for forgiveness so sincerely. Ian was truly sorry for keeping his secret. She breathed a sigh of relief her judgment regarding him wasn’t off. He was a good person. At this point, there was only one question left.

  Do I want to be his submissive?

  She wasn’t sure she was ready for that question. She stalled by asking him something else.

  “I do forgive you, Ian. I can understand why you did it now that you’ve explained. But I need to know. Is that why we haven’t slept together? Do you not like having vanilla sex?”

  Laughter rumbled from his chest, and a wide smile covered his face. “Honey, I love sex in all its forms. Do you imagine I would have you tied up every single night? I wish. Life gets in the way. We get busy at work, and we get tired. Sometimes, vanilla sex is all there’s time for. We haven’t had sex for two reasons. One, I knew it had been a long time for you. I didn’t want to rush you into something you weren’t ready for. Two, I was unsure myself. I wanted you but haven’t had a totally vanilla relationship in years. Since the early years in my marriage, frankly.”

  “I’m confused then. Why were you concerned about living a vanilla life then?”

  “As much as I like vanilla sex, and I do, I prefer to be dominant. I enjoy crafting a scene with a submissive. I wasn’t sure I could live without it, but you were worth trying it for.”

  She looked deep into his beautiful blue eyes. He’d been courageous in trying to change his life. For her. She was deeply humbled. Her conversations with Lisa, Brianne, and Noelle had educated her as to how ingrained dominant and submissive tendencies were. He was willing to try, and that had to mean something.

  So what the hell do I want?

  She’d had vanilla and it was nice. She’d been reading BDSM stories and fantasizing for a long time now. In her fantasies, she was submitting to a hot, sexy Dom. Now she had one sitting right across from her, offering more than sex. He was offering her a shot at a relationship. She hadn’t really been looking for anything serious. She was looking for a monogamous relationship, and he wasn’t talking marriage, thank goodness.

  She took a fortifying sip from her wine. “I think I might be submissive.”

  There, I said it.

  He leaned back in his chair, and she felt his gaze on her face. “You might be. That may explain part of my strong attraction to you. You’re an independent woman, and any submissive tendencies you may have are not overt. They’re deep inside. I’ve seen a few signs today, but they were fleeting. Are you saying you want to explore this possibility?”

  She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Yes. I want to. With you.”

&
nbsp; Frustration crossed his face, and her heart fell. He didn’t want her. “Tori, I’ve fantasized about dominating you from practically the moment I met you. If we do this and it doesn’t work out…our relationship will, in all probability, be over. We can’t go back in time and be vanilla as if your submission never happened. You can’t un-ring a bell.”

  She breathed a little easier. He did want her, but he was as scared as she was. “It’s a risk either way. If I don’t try this, our vanilla relationship might not work out either. Logic, and my gut, tell me the odds wouldn’t be in our favor. You are who you are. If we have any chance, we need to explore a Dominant-submissive relationship.”

  He stood up and refilled her glass. He was smiling and shaking his head. “Brave, aren’t you, honey? You’re probably right. You seem to be right all the time, anyway. It’s a risk either way. I can certainly give you an introduction to the lifestyle if you’re willing. I’ll go inside and get the hamburgers for the grill and the paperwork for you.”

  Tori blinked. “I have to fill out an application to submit to you?”

  He laughed so hard the neighbors probably heard it. She scowled at his amusement. She was trying to be serious here.

  “No, honey. No application. But this is a questionnaire that will give me a window into your likes, dislikes, fantasies, and so forth. It will help me figure out how to proceed.”

  “Don’t you know what to do?” She was surprised. Lisa said he had a great deal of experience.

  “Every submissive has to be treated individually. There’s no prescription for training a sub. I don’t want to treat you like anyone else.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, pulling her up against him. The heat from his body set hers aflame. She pressed herself closer as his tongue explored her mouth. She ran her hands down his muscular back and gave herself up to her senses. She could smell the tang of his soap, taste the wine on his tongue, feel the beat of his heart, and hear the roar of blood in her ears. He lifted his head all too soon. “You’re special. I’m going to treat you like the special woman, and submissive, you are.”