Reformat_of_Art_of_Submission_5-16-14-3

by Michelle

  ***

  Mark settled in his favorite leather chair near the front window and looked around the living room, seeing it in a new light since Kellie had so thoroughly christened it for him. She was a live wire to the somewhat lackluster battery of his life, one he’d never planned to find. Private Delights was his heart and soul, or so he’d thought until a few days ago. Now, all he could see was Kellie, and what the hell was he supposed to do with her?

  He had no idea how to manage a full time woman. After a car accident had taken his parents, he’d been raised by his grandfather, his staff, and a revolving door of girlfriends more interested in his grandfather’s money than his heir. At fifteen, he and Steve learned what to do with their dicks courtesy of an eighteen year old neighbor girl and life had changed dramatically.

  When he thought about all the women he and Steve went through over the years, he remembered vague faces and very few names.

  He didn’t want to put Kellie in the queue.

  Mark turned on his phone and called his personal assistant first. Mildred, with her experience, was a major asset and an organizational genius. Within minutes of answering, she had delineated the issues needing to be addressed, filled him in on a security breach Steve had quickly handled the previous night, and waited for his next directive. He explained the situation with Kellie and asked her to have contracts ready when they returned the next day.

  His next call went to Steve. If he kept Kellie, and he would keep her, he needed a thorough background check. Steve’s first look at her records covered the basics. Now he needed a deep, no holds barred investigation, which was Steve’s specialty. Dena, his sub, was Kellie’s friend, making her a valuable asset into Kellie’s past. Beyond that, Steve was a miracle worker when it came to ferreting out secrets. He wanted to know every detail of her life before he had her belongings moved to his home.

  Mrs. James appeared at the door. “Will you be needing dinner or do you plan to go out?”

  “I think we’ll stay in tonight. Thanks, Mrs. James. You’ve done an excellent job here. The house is perfect and I appreciate your hard work.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Harrison.” She tipped her head and left, smooth manners and decorum evident in every interaction they had.

  He doubted Kellie would be that amenable to his instructions. So far, she’d been willing to participate as he asked, but this was a short-term experiment as far as she knew.

  Changing the rules in the middle of the game might be a hard sell.

  Convincing her to stay with him after their little vacation wouldn’t be easy. He swiped a finger across the phone to bring up his contact list, one more call to make before he discussed this with Kellie.

  A knock on the doorframe made him look up. She stood in the opening, her body covered by one of the terry robes they’d worn earlier, her hair rumpled from wild sex and sleep, a hint of worry in her eyes, but the set of her mouth showed defiance more than anything. Mark raised a hand and crooked his fingers, urging her to come to him. When she complied without hesitation, his heart did a little jump and strut.

  She went to her knees between his feet and the thumping in his chest intensified threefold.

  Mine.

  The word echoed in his head, the newness of it surprising him all the more.

  Mark stroked her hair for a moment, appreciating her beauty and her submission, before lifting her into his lap. “You honor me, Kellie.”

  He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, and when she opened for him, he took possession, devouring and invading until she was limp in his arms. She cuddled into his chest, her head on his shoulder and he held her close.

  “I’d like to talk to you about this trip, and what we discussed before we came here.”

  The body pressed so close to his tightened and he caressed her arm, murmuring soothingly. “Nothing bad, little one. I’d like to amend the plan if you’re willing to spend more time with me.” So much for calling his accountant. Financial issues would have to wait.

  Kellie leaned away and made eye contact, both brows raised in question. “Depends on the circumstances and the demands you make.”

  “There are no demands, but we will discuss the terms and negotiate the relationship before we sign the papers.”

  Now her brows dropped down and crimped over the bridge of her nose. “What papers?”

  “I asked my P.A. to draw up the standard contract.”

  Kellie scooted off his lap and stood with hands on hips. “What standard contract?” The tilt of her head didn’t bode well, reminding him she wasn’t the typical submissive. “And just how often is it used?”

  Damn, she was such a little spitfire. He wanted to snatch her back into his arms but instead he sat back to watch the show.

  “You told me it’s been a while since your last relationship, but now I hear there’s a contract—a standard contract—your personal assistant draws up when you get involved.” She turned and paced the floor in front of him, grumbling under her breath. When he heard the word liar, he interrupted.

  Reaching out to snag her arm, he turned her to face him. “I never lie, Kellie. Never. I don’t condone deception of any kind.”

  Chapter 12

  Kellie took a deep breath and held it. The look on his face and the tense set to his shoulders told her more than she needed to know. No matter how this conversation ended, he’d hate her when he found out about her little exposé.

  Maybe she wouldn’t have to tell him.

  The last two days had opened her eyes to an unexpected turn in her research. Mark was a Dom with a capital D and had a reputation to go with it, but he’d yet to raise a hand to her in anger. Even when she had her little meltdown at the restaurant, he’d treated her with kindness. She was beginning to think the women she’d interviewed at Private Delights were telling the truth.

  Even if she wasn’t.

  Damn. She hated being wrong.

  Admitting it to herself was one thing, confessing to Mark would be sheer lunacy. The article was still in its infancy, just notes in a binder easily discarded. She wasn’t ready to walk away from him, and the first thing he’d do when he found out about her tell-all article would be to set her out in the street and toss her measly suitcase after her.

  Kellie matched him eye for eye and stayed strong in the face of his declaration. “Then explain this contract thing you’re talking about and answer my question. When was the last time you used it?”

  Mark grabbed her wrists and held them tight, then said her name with enough force to get her attention. “While I appreciate this little show of jealousy, I expect you to listen when I’m speaking to you.”

  “I’m not jealous.”

  The strange tightness in her chest didn’t agree. The compression of air in her lungs increased at the thought of him with another woman. And what did that say about her or her not so nice reason for meeting him?

  There were too many words left unsaid between them, primarily those caught in her chest with all that extra air she couldn’t expel. Focusing on the status quo, she took a few cleansing breaths and let the tension in her body ease.

  “I’m sorry, Master.”

  He sat down and pulled her back onto his lap. “I haven’t signed one in years.”

  Kellie turned and made eye contact, hoping to judge his sincerity, but his Dom face was all she saw.

  “The contract is standard in the D/s community. It outlines the dos and don’ts of the relationship. Basically, it’s a negotiation of actions to be taken, or not, by each party. One part of Mildred’s duties as my personal assistant is to oversee the contracts.”

  “Why didn’t you have me sign one when I signed the nondisclosure agreement?” she asked.

  He smiled. “At the time, I didn’t think you’d be involved to this degree. I didn’t think I’d be involved with you.”

  Warmth surged in her chest along with understanding. He wanted more of what they’d been doing for the last few days. She did, too. But her secret needed to sta
y buried. He wanted her. She wanted him. The sex was outstanding. A sigh passed her lips before she realized what she’d done. “Okay.”

  “Okay to what?” he asked.

  “I understand a little more.” Her favorite song played in the background of their conversation and it took her a minute to realize it was her ringtone. But where? Turning her head, she tried to zero in on the sound while she looked for it.

  “My phone....”

  “No outside contact this weekend,” he told her.

  The music stopped and before voicemail kicked in, the ringtone began again. Her purse sat on the floor next to the fireplace, abandoned that first night they’d arrived. No telling how many missed calls and texts were listed in the log.

  “I need to answer my phone. It could be important, Mark. Please?”

  His brows came together over the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want you distracted. That was the point of this trip, now more so. We have things to discuss.”

  “I understand, but very few people have my cell number, and if something’s gone wrong at home, I need to know about it. If I don’t answer, I’ll worry until I get home. Not answering will be even more of a distraction.”

  “All right, answer the damn phone, but don’t be long. I have plans for you.”

  Finally out of his lap, she pulled her cell from her purse. “Susan, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

  “Where the hell are you? I’ve been trying to reach you for two days. I was worried.”

  Kellie met Mark’s sharp gaze. “I’m out of town.”

  “You’re missing school? What happened? Who’s dead?” her friend asked.

  Kellie cringed. “No, no one’s dead. I’m on a trip with a friend.”

  “Your boyfriend,” Mark added, moving closer to listen in on the conversation. Kellie shot him a glare and moved closer to the door into the hall, hoping the volume on her cell was low enough that he couldn’t make out Susan’s words. “You worry too much.”

  “Are you with that guy, Harrison, from the club? I told you it was a bad idea to get involved in that BDSR stuff, Kellie.”

  She laughed at Susan’s joke. “It’s BDSM, and yes, I’m with him in Corpus Christi.”

  Another phone rang and Kellie was glad to see Mark move back to his chair to check caller ID and answer his own phone.

  “I can’t talk now. Can I call you when I get home?”

  “No.” Susan was adamant. “Tell me the truth. Has he hurt you? Are you really okay or do I need to come get you?”

  Kellie lowered her voice. “You can’t come all the way from Colorado to rescue me, but I appreciate the offer. Honestly, I’m actually having a nice time. It’s not what I thought.”

  “Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t what you thought?” A gasp interrupted her Susan’s lecture for a second. “Are you having sex with him?” Susan was the last person she’d expect to be upset with premarital sex, but she was a good friend.

  “Um-yes, and I—ah, I don’t want to discuss it now.” Kellie couldn’t find the right words to explain her attraction to Mark, and she definitely didn’t want to try while he was in the same room.

  “He’s listening?”

  Kellie smiled. Sometimes, she and Susan were damn near empathic. “Possibly.”

  “Are you still planning to write that article? Does he know?”

  “Probably not and no, in that order.”

  “Thank God, that was the worst idea you’ve ever had, Kellie Windsor. So, is the sex really hot?”

  “Can we discuss this next week, Susan? I need to go.” She could hear Mark’s voice but his staccato remarks gave nothing away. Not unlike her responses to Susan. The comparison made her wonder what he was hiding. This situation was the poster child for a soon-to-be-failed relationship.

  “Susan, stop talking and listen for one minute. I’m fine, and I’ll call you when I get home. Please don’t call me until then.” When her friend tried to argue, she said a last goodbye, touched the disconnect icon, and powered the thing off. Generations of humans had managed to survive without cell phones prior to 1990 and she was ready to join their ranks, if only for a few days.

  Hard hands landed on her shoulders, tugging at the robe with enough force to loosen the tie and pull the fabric off her shoulders. She tried to turn toward him, but Mark’s sharp demand to be still put a catch in her throat. Forceful and rough wasn’t what she’d known from him. This difference might be what she’d been looking for all along.

  A needle of fear poked at her fight or flight urge and she reminded her brain to stay calm. He wasn’t Dale. He hadn’t shown anger.

  Heat pulled her attention to the back of her neck and to her shoulders. Warm hands smoothed a path down her arms to her wrists. In one quick move, Mark secured her wrists at the small of her back with cold metal bindings. Handcuffs.

  Hot breath floated against her nape.

  “Mine.”

  Chapter 13

  Hands behind her back, Mark kept a firm arm around her shoulders while they ascended the stairs. The initial fear subsided and she knew he had a plan in mind but she had no idea what it involved. She’d read about submissives being bound and gagged while their masters used them for sex or shared them with other men. Wary as she was, the idea sent a shot of excitement to her core. A surprise considering where her mindset was when she first met Mark.

  Once inside the bedroom, he led her to the bed and set her on the edge of the mattress. Watching him pull restraints from between the slats of the headboard made her heart pound in her chest. Fear of the unknown was replaced with an eerie anticipation.

  Mark’s eyes shone with desire and an echo of her anticipation as he removed the silver cuffs and ordered her to lie in the middle of the bed.

  “Hands up, Kellie.” His rough tone scraped against her already tingling libido.

  Heat flashed again, followed by embarrassment when she realized moisture trickled from between her thighs. She was aroused and he was still clothed.

  He knew.

  She saw it in his eyes when he finished securing her wrists. Lust hardened his features as he stood next to the bed and scanned her body.

  “You’re beautiful, Kellie, absolutely stunning in submission.” His fingers stroked her breast with a barely there touch of skin on skin that circled in an ever tightening spiral and ended at her nipple.

  She cried out at the sensation and then again when he moved away.

  “Scoot down some, little sub,” he said, squatting at the end of the bed. Before she realized what he’d done, her ankles were wrapped and tethered to the corners of the footboard.

  The spear of fear caught her off guard. Her trust in him, and his awareness of it, was a variable she knew made her vulnerable. Spread eagle and naked, she watched his broad shoulders disappear through the open doorway.

  Kellie let her head flop back onto the bed. Staring at the attractively sculpted ceiling didn’t help. Nothing to look at but texture and white paint. Not even a cute picture on the ceiling like at her gynecologist’s office.

  The bed dipped and he was beside her, a paper in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. “Now, I’m going to go through the contract step by step. You will listen and comment when you disagree with the stipulations. You may not argue your point, but you have the clear right to say yes or no to each item.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier for both of us if I just read through it and signed?”

  One brow rose. “I prefer to read it to you.”

  “Okay.” Mark didn’t respond so she tried “yes, master” and earned a smile.

  “Contracts are usually drawn for three or six month periods. Which time frame would you prefer?”

  Kellie closed her eyes and tried to relax, but with arms and legs restrained, she had no way to escape his attention. She didn’t know how long she’d be able to stay in a relationship with him, even without his knowledge of her deception. If he found out about her initial motives, he’d drop her like a used cigarette b
utt and probably squash her, too.

  “Can you give me an idea of what will happen during the terms of your contract? What will be expected of me?”

  Mark’s hand rested on her belly, his fingers moving leisurely across her skin and distracting the hell out of her thought process.

  “You will move into my home for the duration of the contract, but will be free to go to work and school as you do now. I will even provide a car if that‘s an issue. When we’re together, you will be mine to do with as I wish.”

  “What do you mean as you wish?” Slavery wasn’t going to work for her. Ever.

  “Quiet, little one. The contract will spell out all the details.”

  “What if I agree to six months and want to stop after a week or two?”

  His hand stilled and she heard him sigh heavily. “I would try to convince you to stay longer, but I wouldn’t force you.”

  “Fair enough. Three months, then. Can we renegotiate at the end of that time?”

  “Yes. How do you feel about—well, I’ll skip over the things we’ve already done together, unless there’s something we’ve done that you prefer not to repeat?”

  “No, I don’t think, I mean, I don’t have any complaints so far.”

  “Have you decided on a safe word?”

  “Orange? Will that work?”

  “Fine. Orange. I’ll make a note of it. That leads us to the next item on the list. Discipline. I’m planning to initiate training in this area when we finish going over the contract, so we’ll leave this line open until your first official spanking.”

  “I haven’t done anything wrong.” Even as the words tumbled out, her body responded to the possibility. The liar and hypocrite inside her complained about being caught while her libido danced a little jig.

  “You accused me of lying. You yelled at me. You didn’t trust me.”

  “Sorry. I was upset.”

  “Three separate punishments will be administered. Later.”