by Diana Hunter
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
It was clear to David that Adora had not told him the whole story. From the little he had read of the Roma culture, much of what she said about the ostracism made sense. But other parts didn’t quite fit. But he could be patient. He still had a great deal to learn on his own.
* * * * *
Lissa sipped the Rkatsiteli to cover the awkward silence stretching between them. She savored the rich, sweet taste of the exotic wine as she thought of and discarded several conversation starters. Master Richard leaned against the rail of the deck; light from the dining room spilled out through the sheer curtains giving his features an erotic, romantic cast. How did one begin a conversation with a man she was considering giving her total submission to?
Richard said nothing, only patting the railing beside him. With trepidation, Lissa obeyed his silent invitation, moving forward to stand next to him in the dim light. Was this what submissives did?
The woman’s very uncertainty intrigued him. The husband had been easy to read; he wore his desires on his face and in his eyes. But the woman before him guarded her secrets, secrets he knew how to unlock.
“You are a very beautiful woman, Melissa.”
Her formal name. Somehow it sounded sexy when he said it. His baritone voice; soft, intense, powerful, seductive, pulled her body, and she took a half-step nearer.
“You love your husband and yet you yearn for a different embrace.”
Her whisper on the warm night air barely breathed her desire. “Yes.”
“Tell me, Melissa Patterson, what is it you want above all else?”
His eyes sank into her soul, plumbing the depths of her yearnings; she let him plunge. Power emanated from every cell of his Roma blood; her desires were stripped away, one by one, until the core of her being stood naked before his gaze. He knew what she wanted even as she could not admit her conflicted desires; his power penetrated her defenses. Her mouth opened, but she could only shake her head.
“You are silent because you do not truly know what it is you need. You are afraid to face the darkest parts of your desire.” Richard’s fingers traced the line of her cheekbone and Lissa turned her face into his hand, ashamed and afraid even as she sought comfort.
“You have read of sexual slavery?”
Lissa’s breath caught and she nodded.
“But you do not know where the line is between the submissiveness you wish to give and the slavery your heart fears.”
Lissa pulled away, making an attempt at reassembling her wits. Turning away from him, she took several deep breaths and managed to put some semblance of her guard back in place. Online, she had read of Master/slave relationships; many had rules the slave was expected to follow and punishments for even the smallest infraction. That wasn’t what she was looking for—at all. Her voice was strong when she turned to answer him. “I am not a slave.”
“No, you are not.”
“And I don’t think I want to be one.”
“It is too early to tell if you could manage it. There are many steps for you to explore first. Such a decision would be a long way off yet.”
Richard did not move from his position, casually leaning against the railing, making an occasional gesture with his wineglass. Where Lissa fidgeted and paced over the small deck, he remained still, a constant while the storm whirled around him.
“I do like bondage.” Lissa turned away from him, making her admission to the backyard.
“Yes.”
“And I don’t want choices. I don’t want someone constantly saying, ‘How are you doing?’ That drives me nuts. I know you need to check, but you’ll need to find a different way to say it.” She didn’t even notice the pronoun change. No longer did she address a mythical Master, but the one who stood beside her.
“Because you don’t want me to really care how you are doing.”
“Exactly! I mean, I want you to care, but I don’t want to know that you care.” She stamped her foot in frustration. “This isn’t making any sense.”
“Sit down, woman.”
Lissa’s tempest paused. Richard had not moved, yet there was a subtle difference in his manner. An order had been given. Swallowing hard, Lissa did as she was told.
Still Richard did not move from his spot at the rail. He sipped from his glass before taking on a more pedantic tone. Time to make her stop wavering and climb down off the fence.
“You want a man you can trust.”
He paused as she considered the outwardly simple statement. Of course she wanted someone she could trust. She wasn’t going to let just anybody tie her up and fuck her. What was he thinking?
“You want a man you can trust.”
Richard stood, setting his glass on the rail. His voice was softer this time, more intent. She nodded, her eyes narrowing. What was he getting at?
“You want a man you can trust.”
With slow steps, he moved toward her, keeping her gaze locked in his eyes as he sat beside her at the small table.
“You want to abandon yourself, completely and thoroughly. You do not want to have to think. You want to let someone else make the decisions, let him handle all your concerns. You want simply to exist for one purpose—to fulfill his sexual needs and in doing so, have him fulfill your own. You want to be free to experience wild orgasms, free to give a man total pleasure. You want a man you can trust.”
He spoke her truest desires. She could only nod, her eyes filling with tears of longing. He put into words the confusion of her soul.
“The question becomes, can you trust me?” He stood, purposefully breaking the moment. He returned to his position at the rail, picking up his glass once more as he turned from her and watched the faint stars over the backyard.
Lissa blinked back her tears and cleared her throat. After a moment, she rose, smoothing her skirt out of habit. Her wineglass still sat on the rail where she had set it earlier. Holding her chin high, she strode over to him and picked it up.
“I don’t know if I trust you yet, Master Richard. I will admit that I want to trust you. And yet, I tend to be very cautious in my relationships with people.”
He laughed, a deep, rich, rolling laugh that filled the small yard. Down the street, a dog started to bark. “That is something I have known since I first sat beside you in the restaurant, my dear. I see you as a bit of a challenge!”
Her grin was a bit lopsided as she tilted her head and gave him a critical look. “Is that all I am—a challenge? If that’s the case, perhaps I should not fall too easily—or at all.”
“My dear woman, you do not see the incredible sexiness that pours from your very being, do you? Men turn their heads to look at you when you pass by and you do not even see it.”
She shook her head. “It’s getting pretty deep out here. I’m a married woman. Any sex appeal I might have had got turned off for all but one man when I said, ‘I do.’”
“Ah, but there is where you are wrong, my dear.” He held up a hand to forestall her protest. “My friend David has tamed you into turning off much of your…flirting? Is that the right word?” He didn’t wait for her answer, but continued. “But at your core, there is a wanton that begs to see the light of day. It is her I saw in the restaurant, struggling against the walls you throw up so no one gets close. You use the excuse of caution to keep the wanton in her place.”
Damn the man! How did he see all her tricks? She turned away in dismay.
“Taming that sexiness is a challenge most men could not meet.”
“Well, you’re right there.” There was more bitterness in her voice than she intended as her mind flashed to her Saturdays, bound by David’s hand. Suddenly those times seemed bland and uninspired. What she wanted was so much more than just bondage. But how much more?
“You want something your husband cannot give you in the bedroom.”
Lissa leapt to David’s defense. “He’s a good man. He binds me when I ask him to.”
Richard shook his head. “But he does not understand it.”
“He does it because he loves me.” Her chin jutted out as she found herself defending her husband’s mostly mediocre lovemaking.
“Of course he does. But that does not mean he understands that bondage is more than just tying your body.”
She swallowed hard. He was talking about slavery again.
“And that is what scares you now, correct?
Richard’s almost nonexistent accent popped up occasionally in his choice of words or in the way he said a particular phrase.
“Yes, you are correct,” she replied, defiance building in her heart as she half-heartedly mocked his formal turn of phrase. Please let him bulldoze these walls. Her silent plea echoed in the stillness of her soul. She was a challenge; she knew that. Her independent streak would let her be nothing less. Was Richard man enough to break through?
Tenderness filled his heart as he watched her independence war with her need to sexually submit. In time, she would come to understand she could have both. He smiled and brushed an errant strand of hair from her cheek as he considered how to convince her.
The kindness in his eyes and the gentleness of his touch melted a little of the barrier she had hastily resurrected. But when he spoke, his words confused her.
“Have you not realized yet, in a true Dominant/submissive relationship, that it is the submissive with all the power?”
“How so? I would be giving up whatever power I have to you.”
“By choice only. I cannot force you. There are laws against a man forcing a woman to be tied and used against her will. You must come to me willingly.”
“Yes, I understand that. But in doing so, don’t I give up power? I cannot both give it up and have it at the same time.”
The moon rose over the trees, its light spilling onto the tiny deck, illuminating the dark pools of Richard’s eyes. Mystery surrounded him. His trimmed black mustache and goatee gave him the look of the devil himself. The thought of being tied and at the mercy of such a rogue aroused her and made her juices flow, soaking her panties. She waited for his explanation even as her head swam with the realization that she did want this man to dominate her, and she wanted it badly.
“You do have both at the same time.” Quiet in the moonlight, his voice was seductive in its power. “You give up the power, but can take it back with only a single word. I cannot go further than you allow. You hold the power to determine what I can—and cannot—do to you.”
Apparently without purpose, Richard’s fingers skimmed over Lissa’s bare arm, idly tracing a figure on her skin. His touch raised goosebumps in the night air, setting her body tingling with anticipation. She swayed as he came nearer, raising her face to him, desiring his kiss.
And when his lips closed over hers, she tasted the sweet wine they shared, and inhaled the scent of him deep into her soul. His arms encircled her, embracing all that she was. Of their own volition, her arms came up to hold his broad shoulders. This kiss deepened and her fingers dug into the hard muscles hidden under the black linen shirt. And when Richard’s tongue brushed lightly against her lips, she opened her mouth, letting him possess her in a way she had never been possessed before.
His tongue penetrated deeply, flicking over her own, around it, assaulting, then caressing her mouth. The world did not exist. Only the touch of his tongue as he claimed her mouth, and she willingly gave up possession.
And when he pulled away, his eyes smoldering with controlled passion, Lissa knew she would lie down right there for him if he commanded it.
“Your body is mine, Melissa. Say it.”
Without hesitation, Lissa accepted the inevitable. “My body is yours, Master Richard. I want to submit to you.”
* * * * *
David looked at his watch, then looked again. “Holy cow! Do you realize what time it is?”
Adora shook her head. The two of them had been talking for hours, exchanging stories of their childhoods, trading recipes for favorite dishes, holding hands the entire evening. David felt moved by this woman in a way he’d never felt before. She was enticing and erotic, yet somehow as comfortable as an old worn-in sweater. Their dinner had ended around 7:30; it was now almost midnight.
“Our spouses must be getting along, or we’d have heard from them both.” There was a lilt of humor in Adora’s voice. She, too, had enjoyed the night’s conversation. She felt as if she could very easily spend time with this man and tell him all her secrets.
With a start, David thought of Lissa’s earlier reluctance about this night. Since sitting down to speak with Adora, he hadn’t given her another thought. Guilt set in, and it showed on his face. “We’d best go find them, I suppose.”
She placed her hand reassuringly on his arm as they stood. “Your wife is a strong woman and my husband is considerate. I suspect they have forgotten us just as we have forgotten them.”
David nodded, trying to let her words ease his conscience. Still, his contrite look remained as the two of them headed back through the swinging door to find the others.
The moon had long since gone behind the approaching storm clouds and the temperature had turned a bit chilly. But that had not stopped Lissa and Master Richard in their conversation on the deck. When Adora and David peeked through the door, they found the two in a very animated discussion about feminism and how it related to the submissiveness Lissa warred with. Richard was laughing his deep, barrel laugh and Lissa had obviously just finished some particularly vehement statement; David saw her pound the table with her fist. But the light from the candles the two had lit illuminated her face and he could see she wasn’t angry, but passionate. It was a look he had not seen in some time.
For a moment, a flash of jealousy crossed his heart, but then was gone. He had nothing to be jealous about. Hadn’t he just spent several hours conversing with a beautiful woman and feeling similar passions building inside of himself? How could he not want the same thing for his wife? By the time he and Adora were on the deck, the green-eyed monster was gone.
“Well, you two seem to have found some things to talk about!” He walked over and leaned down to kiss Lissa, very aware that he was reclaiming his property by doing so.
She nodded, accepting his light kiss, wondering if his lips had kissed Adora’s this evening.
“We did, my friend, we did.” Richard stood and put his arm around his own wife’s waist, giving her a fond smile as he did so. “Your wife is a woman of many opinions!”
“I told you she would be hard to tame.” He put his arm around Lissa’s waist in a move that unconsciously mirrored Richard’s. The little squeeze he gave her let Lissa know he was teasing. Little did he know just how right he was. No matter how much her soul might want it, her mind kept getting in the way. There were just so many issues!
And Richard had dealt with every one of them in a calm and rational way. One by one, he dismissed her arguments with countering opinions he then backed up with her own feelings. Every wall Lissa threw between them in her fight, he took down, not with a battering ram, but with faultless logic. And in the end, she knew there could be only one outcome; she would fall completely into the subjugation of his will.
While she would have liked some time to talk again with Adora, it had gotten quite late. Goodbyes were said; David kissed Adora tenderly on the lips; Richard kissed Lissa’s hand in an eloquent farewell gesture. With a small flourish, they were gone and David and Lissa were alone together once more.
* * * * *
David and Lissa lay side-by-side in bed, both exhausted; neither one tired. The evening’s stresses allowed neither one to rest just yet. David was haunted by the dispassionate recitation Adora had given him of her past; Lissa was preoccupied with the way Richard had commanded her and how she had complied with his few simple requests. It wasn’t until the two were in bed that David broke the thoughtful silence that stretched between them.
“So what do you think?”
“I have to give hi
m credit, David. The man is incredibly intelligent.”
It was not what he expected her to say. But then he smiled in the dim light filtering in from the streetlight outside. Lissa would never submit to a man less intelligent than her. His appearance might be what caught her eye; his intelligence kept it.
“Oh?”
“He argues well. No matter what I threw at him, he was able to counter with a logical argument of his own. And he never tried to intimidate me. All that power he exudes…yet he used persuasion instead of force.”
“You knew he was trying to seduce you. Sounds like he succeeded.”
Lissa remembered the taste of his lips on hers. The rush of blood, the pounding heartbeat. Yes, she had to admit it. He most certainly was succeeding. Her breath quickened at the memory.
“What…” Her voice cracked. Clearing her throat, and calming the memories, she tried again. “What about you? Did things go well?”
In his mind, David again saw Adora in the soft kitchen light, her face alternately lit with anger, with hurt, with tenderness. “She was raped as a child.”
“What?” Lissa sat up and faced him.
David nodded. “It was pretty brutal. I think she’s looking for a refuge.”
“Isn’t Richard her refuge? Or is he part of the problem?” Lissa’s heart sank to think her handsome Gypsy king might also be insensitive to his wife’s past.
“He’s not part of the problem. He sees it clearly. He told me she considered herself dominant, but he thought she wasn’t.”
“Adora told me the other night she and Richard both were dominant.”
David nodded as Lissa lay back, pulling her over to him so he could hold her as they talked. With the companionship borne of long association, their bodies melded, spooning into one another without thought.
“They are both dominant. Well, he is, anyway. Apparently that’s how she approaches men now, because of the rape. But I don’t think she is.”