Quickly, he grabbed his boxers from the floor then headed toward her tiny bathroom with the same swiftness, and Maxine turned on her side and clutched her pillow, watching the door for his return.
She could hear him tinkering around with the sound of water running as she made her attempt to return to reality. Perhaps their growing relationship might not be a conventional one, but Maxine already knew she was starved for another taste of what he'd served to her that evening—the lust, the play of power…and the affection with which he so dutifully showered her in the aftermath.
Just as she thought she might doze off in her sleepy, sated and surreal state, Drew was back in bed beside her, his hands caressing over her neck and shoulders, massaging with those practiced fingers, before skimming over her hips and thighs and between her legs once more. “Open them, little one...”
“Again?” she whispered lazily.
“Remember what I said earlier about self-control,” he warned. “After tonight, I think that's what we need to hone with your training...”
“Then what are you doing now, Mack?” she murmured.
“Cleaning you up and taking care of you.” Then he added, just to remind her, “It's what any good Dominant does for his cherished submissive...”
“Aftercare…” she whispered with realization filling her with a new sense of calm and protection. He did care for her…
“See—we’re learning…”
Ever so gently, he pressed a warm, wet washcloth against her, eliciting the roll of a gentle purr from a slightly fidgety Maxine. The sensation was so comforting, his gesture so caring. Slowly, as he rubbed the velvety cloth against her still tender center, he calmed her from the possibility of another burgeoning storm.
“You do,” he bent forward for another quick kiss on her lips, “need to have this blanket dry cleaned in the morning.”
“Oops!” she giggled. It was Ben’s turn to do laundry for sure!
“It's not that bad—just a couple of specks—and a little spotting on the washcloth,” he assured her. “You sure you're feeling OK?”
“I'm quite fine, but thank you…” She took his hand. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Always, little one,” he said, pressing again between her legs.
“And what about you, Drew?”
“Oh, Maxine...I think I'm feeling pretty fine right now, too,” he said, pulling her against him once more. “Now let's get some rest. You've had a very long and trying night.”
“Not so trying…” she insisted.
“No, you’re right,” he agreed. “How about enlightening?”
“I like that.”
Before she could even question his next intentions, he continued on. “I’d like for you to come over tomorrow…after we get up. Talk some things through. And maybe—if I think you’re ready—have a little training session…”
“I would love—”
Then she remembered. She had to go to Mike and Mandy’s for that birthday brunch. How dare Ben’s mother turn a year older the same weekend that she lost her virginity?
“Dammit…”
“What, little one?”
“Mrs. Worthington’s birthday is tomorrow. And I can’t cancel. This is for Ben—not so much for her.”
“I would invite myself as your date, but perhaps that’s a little too soon and a little too presumptuous,” he said. “So…I’ll see you tomorrow evening. He’s your best friend, and you should be there.”
She should also text Ben, but this moment was far too intimate to disturb. She needed this time alone with Drew before she announced the news to her bestie.
“Listen, Maxine, I’ve told you already, I don’t want to intrude upon your life here. I just want to complement what’s already there in place.”
“You know,” she said, “you are quite an amazing man, Drew…”
“No, I’m not,” he said. “But I do know an amazing woman when I meet one. And sometimes, it’s all about give-and-take.”
“Drew, seriously,” she began as he pulled her closer to him and tugged the covers around them, “thank you again for making tonight so special. I can’t even…words just don’t…”
With one last kiss as their evening closed, he whispered, “You deserved this. And there’s nothing that makes me happier than seeing you smile. Now please, little one, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.”
“You’ll be here in the morning?”
“Of course, I will. Someone needs to make sure you have your breakfast!” he teased. “Now close your eyes and have the sweetest dreams.”
Within minutes, Maxine was asleep in his arms, following his orders once again with the most delicious reveries fluttering through her slumber.
Chapter Twenty-Five
An autumn sun filled the room with its strong morning rays, as Maxine stirred from the most wonderful sleep. Stretching out, she thought of Drew immediately.
She held her eyes closed tightly, but smiled as she began to recount every single second from the moment he picked her up on her doorstep the previous night. In fact, she had never felt so serene in all of her nearly twenty-two years. Making love with Drew and falling asleep in his arms brought her comfort made her feel protected. She felt as though they could conquer the world together.
As she stretched out to reach for Drew with the hopes of engaging him again, she patted the bed beside her.
The space was empty.
Panic gripped her for a fierce second, and she hoped her worst fear wasn't about to unfold. Drew couldn't have—wouldn't have—left her to wake up alone the morning after he'd made such fierce but tender love to her. Sitting straight up in bed, she shielded her eyes from that damn sun and placed her hand over her chest. She could feel her heart thundering within.
How fucking stupid you were, Maxine! Of course, he doesn’t want you, she convinced herself. He just wanted to fuck you. That’s all. Now you’re left here all by yourself with nothing but a broken hymen and your shattered pride.
She threw back the bed linens and didn’t even bother to cover herself as she stomped over toward the bedroom door when her nose caught the wafting odor of something burning—toast perhaps.
It was then that Maxine sighed with relief.
Drew’s calling card. He hadn’t left her after all. And he’d ruined breakfast. Again.
“Oh, my sweet man, it’s too early for this,” she said stepping up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist while Drew stood about two feet back from the flaming toaster. “Why do you try?”
“Where the fuck is the extinguisher, Maxine?” he demanded in alarm. “It’s on fucking fire!”
Technically, the toaster was not on fire, but merely smoldering. Waving her hand to clear away the smoke, she coughed as she unplugged the small, now useless, appliance, and then rushed to the window to prop it open with the wooden board Ben had left nearby for just such occasions. That thing hadn’t been able to remain open on its own since Jimmy Carter was in the White House. Oh, her father was going to have a field day when he came to visit in a month.
Even though she was slightly peeved by the entire drama of his latest attempt at cooking, Maxine couldn't help but stop to take a long look at Drew. His curls were tight, slightly damp from the shower. She must have had a gloriously deep rest since she never heard the water running. She could have just stood there all day, studying each cut and curve of his biceps, his shoulders, his back…and that washboard stomach.
“Where’s the extinguisher?” Drew repeated, throttling Maxine from her daydream. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he hoped for some Zen, but that yoga shit never worked on him.
“We don’t have one!” she shouted back.
“That’s not safe, Maxine! You fucking need one…and I’m buying you one—today.”
“Not safe when you’re here,” she spat, fanning away the clouds and stench billowing around them. “Uh, can you throw a new toaster in there, too, Chef Ramsey? Because Ben loves his bagels in the
morning…”
“Are you getting sassy with me, Maxine? While I-I…slaved over a hot toaster, just to make you breakfast?”
Her bottom lip curled downward, and she wondered if she could stretch it all the way to her chin in her pout. However, as she pounded her foot against the cold, cracked tiles, she nearly stubbed her own damn toe. “Call the deli!” she suggested haughtily.
“Why don’t you call the deli, Maxine?” he quipped. “They seem to know and love you over there…”
Both brows raised, she took a step backward in challenge. “You want me to eat breakfast?”
Reluctantly, he reached for his phone, which he’d placed on the counter earlier. “Where is the fucking menu?”
“Number’s already saved in your contacts, Mack—from last night…” She took a seat at the small table and didn’t bother to close her legs. “While you’re at it, can you ask them to throw in a copy of the Daily Snooze and The New York Slimes? I need to catch up on the news in the city.”
“Oh, you might be cute, little one, but you’re going to get punished for that mouth…” he warned.
“Yay! Finally…” she cheered and clapped her hands in a childlike manner that nearly made him break from his frustration. “Drew, seriously, I am no five-star chef, but how the hell do you eat at home?”
“Nanny cooks for me,” he mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.
Maxine lunged forward so fast that her breasts gave a little jiggle. “What?”
His face flamed into a lovely hue of red. “Nanny Fiona—my old Scottish sitter from when I was a kid,” he said and folded his arms in reciprocation to her scowl. “She's my part-time housekeeper now. She's semi-retired, and I pay her well to keep my household up and running. She prepares all of my meals every Sunday, and she freezes everything.”
“Wait, wait…wait…” Maxine jumped from her chair, nearly choking on her laugher. “You still pay your own personal Mary Poppins to babysit you?”
“Maxine Elizabeth Kirk, that’s not even funny…”
“Really, Mack, I prefer to be called Captain…”
Oh, she was indeed now his captain. But that’s something he’d never admit out loud—at least not now—even if she already knew it.
“Keeping a log…” he reminded her.
“I should hope so.”
“Listen, all indiscretions—and smoke—aside here…” Unable to resist her open mouth, he stopped to steal her lips gently with his own, reminiscent of his beautiful kisses as he made love with her the previous evening. “I just want you to know that…last night was one of the most spectacular nights of my life. You have no idea how honored I am that you allowed me to be your first…”
And last…?
“Drew, you…you went above and beyond,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. She'd been running on emotional overload, and sometimes a girl just needed to cry—happy tears—and he folded her into his arms to comfort her. “I've never felt…I've never felt so close to anyone in my life like I did with you last night.”
And I just wanted to be closer, he thought, but I was so afraid I would hurt you…so afraid you would hate me and run away…
“Maxine…little one…” Fuck, if you hold her any tighter now, you’ll break half the bones in her little body, you asshole! Loosen the fuck up. “You make me so joyously happy. Just know that.”
“As do you,” she whispered.
“Know it—and accept it…” he pressed her.
In truth, Maxine never thought that she’d react so intensely over losing her virginity. If she had pondered it at all at an earlier time in her life, she’d assumed that it would just be something she’d do to get it over with—some less than memorable experience with a guy whose name she’d forget shortly thereafter. Drew, however, swept her off her feet and away into a world that she still didn’t understand.
Even in the wake of her first punishment, the concern he lavished upon her had heartened her deeply. He forced her to realize that she could trust him, even when she didn’t always have faith in herself. That road leading to something darker and kinky seemed far less frightening with Drew as her guide.
“I’m trying,” she whispered with a sniffle.
“Try harder,” he encouraged. “For me, Maxine.”
She lifted her head, only to rest her chin against his chest. Her eyes, glistening with tears and a million emotions, looked into his, and Drew noticed something very different that morning: the absence of fear. Now he only had to squash the last of her disintegrating doubts.
“So…you’re in this…with me?” she had to ask.
With anyone else, she would have admitted that her question might have seemed a little desperate, but she already felt as if she’d opened her heart and soul to him, revealing secrets of her life that she’d tried to hide from everyone except for her father and Ben.
“As long as you’re in it with me…” he replied.
Fuck, don’t lose your head, Maxine, her mother’s voice echoed in her thoughts. Take this relationship one single day at a time. You’ve worked too hard. Time to start your career.
And time to embark upon your first real relationship outside your little comfort zone, she told herself, for once ignoring her dear mother's words of caution.
“I am, Drew,” she took his hands in hers and brought them up to her face. His fingers were so long and thin—strong yet gentle—and as they intertwined with her own, she found her reassurance.
“Little one?”
“Yes?”
They’d still had plenty of food in the fridge, with another order on its way already, but Drew had lost all motivation for cooking a meal on his own that morning, even with Maxine’s assistance. “I do need to feed you now…”
At that moment, she realized that their connection stretched far beyond sex. All week, Drew had spent so much time—taking her to doctors, planning dates, and smoothing away her sadness with his endearing words of support—and now all of that attention and affection had come full circle.
“A couple of bagels?” she suggested.
“And two large—hot—coffees.”
“I shall acquiesce, Kind Sir, to hot coffee this morning, if you supplement it with some orange juice.”
“I’ll raise you salmon on the bagel…”
“I’m willing to try it.”
“What else?”
“Oh, just get whatever you fancy New Yorkers order. That yogurt stuff with honey and granola.” She laughed at herself. As much as she took after Judy, sometimes she just sounded like her dear old stubborn dad. “A hardboiled egg. One of those cronut thingies. A flagel…”
“Little one…what the fuck is a flagel?” Shit, even he didn’t know that one, and he was a Native.
“Flat bagel, Mack! Program—get with it!”
And she just reached out, revved up her pitching arm and swatted him. Right on the ass.
Oops.
Maxine covered her mouth with both hands.
“Are you implying that my ass is like a flat bagel, or are you trying to punctuate your silly little point here?”
“Fuck. To the Balls.”
“Excuse me, Maxine? Didn’t hear you…”
“Alright, Mack…” She spun around on her tiptoes with as much grace as she could muster and bared her bottom to his approving gaze. “You can punish this ass all the fuck you want later…”
“Ha!” he snickered. “I am not fucking your ass—yet—little one…”
“Did I ask you to fuck my ass? I just said you could punish it. Negotiation. Hard limits. There—I have erased one, and set another.”
“And I do intend to punish you for this…”
“Be my guest…” she turned around and curtseyed before him.
“I could just put you up on that countertop right now…and…”
Her eyes widened in expectancy. “And…?”
He just had to ignore her for the moment. Flicking through his contacts, he finally found the number for the
damn deli. “Yes, it's Miss Maxie's house here—right across the street. Oh, hi, Roni, my name is Drew. You'll be hearing quite a bit from me,” he said, and glared at Maxine as she attempted to hoist herself upon the counter. Drew, however, had to lend an assist and plunked her right down on top, and then rubbed his finger right between her legs just for good measure. Poor thing was wet again.
“Nooo, pal, we don’t need those this morning, but thank you! We’re just looking for some breakfast…starting with…”
Hmm…they had two condoms left. Maxine could imagine a couple of ways to use them up before he left her that morning…
“Could just skip it like we did with dinner last night,” she said and snapped the band of his boxer shorts. Those glaring blue eyes were most dismayed with her at that moment. Maxine was certain that little maneuver moved to the top of her list of misdemeanors.
“No, thank you, Roni, that's all for this morning. We'll see Claudio in a bit…” After depressing his thumb upon the screen to hang up, he moved in, leaning very close to Maxine, and when she opened her legs wide to accommodate him, he closed them, pressing her knees together, then pointed the naughty finger in her face.
“Kisses…?” As his eyes narrowed and his face tightened, she leaned back to rest on her hands. “Guess…not…”
“You’ve been acting out for the last fifteen minutes, and now you want kisses?” he asked. “Oh, Maxine, you’ve got so much to learn about how all of this works…”
She already understood more than she, herself, even realized. His denial, while woeful, only made her want him more.
“So what time is the party today, little one?” he asked, dropping the conversation of her indiscretions rather suddenly. “When does Kind Sir get to see you again?”
“I should be there at one. And I can probably make it out of there by five…”
“I’ll have Lou waiting for you,” he said. “Text me the Worthington’s address.”
Wiggling just a bit, she smirked at Drew. “Any dress code for this evening?”
“You know, little one,” he began rather pensively while his fingers crawled up and down her thighs, “I think we’ll just make it a come-as-you-are occasion…”
WEAKENED: The Manhattan Bound Series Book One Page 33