In the Middle

by Sindra van Yssel

  “I do know that this evening has been absolutely wonderful, and I want more of it. And I don’t believe that you got me to do what I did in the ballroom. If you had told me about that scene, before we ever got here, I would have said not only no, but hell no.”

  He grinned at her. “I like bringing out the best in you.”

  “The worst, you mean.”

  “I most certainly do not. You’re finding out about yourself, and that can be a very heady experience. Pushing you, discovering what you’re capable of, is all part of that. And even as a dominant, experiencing submission can give valuable insight. Would you like me to show you more?”

  Her body felt like it had more than enough sex between Daniel and Rob. But she cuddled up against Rob and found she was still eager to learn. “I’m tired. But yes.” She kissed his neck softly. He was indeed a good friend to talk to.

  “How about spending the rest of the night back at my hotel? I have something I’d like to show you, although I think it might wait until morning.”

  She didn’t know if a single night’s sleep would rejuvenate her, but it couldn’t hurt. And she wanted to sleep with his warm strength against her. “Yes, please. That would be wonderful.”

  Chapter Six

  Daniel tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch just inside the door at Le Bon Vivant. He wasn’t used to being nervous. He was able to face the toughest judge without flinching or losing any sleep over it. He won almost all his cases. He knew he was one of the best, and he carried that with him each time he opened his mouth in front of a judge or jury in a courtroom. But in front of Louise, that was a different matter.

  She’d taken hours to respond to his text the night before. When she finally did, all she said to his request for a meeting at lunch was a simple kk. He knew she was with Rob, and maybe he should have left an e-mail for her to find in the morning, but he didn’t know how long she’d sleep in. He could be patient with court delays and hung juries, but it was hard not to press with Louise, even if he knew he’d benefit from waiting. Pushing didn’t seem very submissive, but he knew what he wanted. He reached into his pocket and fingered the box with the ring in it. He wanted her to be his, forever, and he was afraid Rob would make a move on her that took her away from him. In a couple of days, Rob would be gone, but still Daniel worried. The worst thing that could happen to him would be to lose Louise, and that thought was unbearable.

  She walked in, wearing a floral print sundress. She wasn’t wearing makeup except for a swath of ruby red lipstick. Had she gotten dressed in a hurry? He rose to greet her, and she smiled big and put out her hands to him, like she so often had before. He pulled her into an embrace. She purred in his arms. That was a good sign.

  “Thank you for inviting me to lunch, Daniel. Fancy place.” She looked around wide-eyed at the tuxedoed waiters, the chandeliers, the blue and white decor.

  “If monsieur and mademoiselle would follow me?” asked the maître d’ rhetorically. He led them to a quiet table in the back where Daniel knew they wouldn’t be disturbed, allowing Daniel to help Louise sit. Daniel had paid for the nearby tables to stay empty. The window held a perfect view of the river. Several sailboats floated by, and he waited until Louise had taken in the sights before saying anything further.

  But then Louise spoke first. “You haven’t been touching yourself, have you, boy?”

  Boy? He had to get past a moment of annoyance. Clearly she was enjoying her mistress role. He wasn’t at all sure he wanted her to be a domme every time he was with her, but his cock liked the idea, stiffening uncomfortably. She was studying him. He adjusted himself as discreetly as he could. “No, Louise.”

  Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t correct him; he’d half thought she’d make him say “Mistress.” “Good boy. Have you wanted to?”

  “A little. Okay, a lot. But—” He had lost control of the conversation already, and he wanted desperately to get it back on track.

  “I like to hear that. I’m finding I enjoy making you suffer a little, but don’t worry. I love you too, and I’ll take good care of you. Just be honest with me, please.”

  He nodded. Fighting the distraction of a hard-on was worse than any jury. He wanted to let her have control, but he needed to steer the conversation, and her question about touching himself hadn’t made it any easier. “Louise, I don’t want to be submissive to you every moment of every day. I value our friendship together, and I’m worried that might slip away.”

  “Asking you not to touch yourself was too much? I’m sorry. I’m new at this, you know. I’m kind of following my instincts.”

  He smiled. “Asking me not to touch myself was fine. But I need for the moment to talk to my friend and my lover. My sometime mistress too. I would love that to be part of the package. An important part, especially in our lovemaking. I have no problems with you taking charge any or even every time we’re in the bedroom. I’d like it, actually.”

  Louise noticeably relaxed in her chair. “I’m glad, because I think being that way 24-7 would be hard on me too. Is that what you brought me here to talk about?”

  “No, but it’s all tangled up in it.”

  “Then what?”

  The waiter was approaching. “Let’s talk after we’ve eaten, if that’s okay.”

  Louise looked like she was about to object, and then she noticed the waiter as well. They ordered their food. She asked for the coq au vin, and he requested the beef burgundy. They chatted about the Redskins’ latest acquisition and the chances the Nationals would ever win a pennant, and all the latest gossip Louise had gotten from her friend Zoe about a new CPA who wasn’t working out. Under any other circumstance, he would have enjoyed the conversation; putting off his question was agony. He hoped she’d say yes, but he just didn’t know. He wanted to ask at the right time, the food tasted and smelled heavenly, and he noticed Louise relaxing and breathing it all in.

  The waiter swept away their plates, and Daniel told him they’d like to wait awhile for dessert. Louise looked at him expectantly after the waiter departed.

  “Well,” he said, “I guess that connects to what I have to say too. The whole business at the office. You don’t have to work, if you don’t want to. But you can, if you do.”

  “Huh?”

  He smiled. “What I’m trying to say is that I’ve realized in the last few days how much I love you. Submission is only a part of it, the final piece in an emotional puzzle if you will. The rest has been growing for months. I long ago quit looking for any other woman to spend time with, even though we’ve always had an open relationship. I’d like to spend more time with you. I’d like to share a home with you. As my mistress, but more importantly as my friend and lover.”

  He couldn’t read her face, so he went on as he’d planned. Inside his heart felt like it was stuck in his throat, but his words were still coming smoothly enough. He reached into his pocket, aware she was looking on curiously. He pulled out the small box he’d acquired weeks ago, knowing the moment would come to use it. He got up and knelt on one knee in front of her. Then he opened the box and let her see what was inside. His heart felt like it was in his throat. He badly wanted her to say yes.

  “Louise, will you marry me?”

  LOUISE BLINKED. A dozen little diamonds glittered around one huge marquise-cut diamond in the center. The band was a perfect yellow gold. It must have cost a small fortune.

  Despite the food she’d eaten, she felt light-headed. The chardonnay she’d had with lunch wasn’t helping, but that wasn’t entirely it. She was overwhelmed. She opened her mouth to respond, not knowing whether she was going to say yes or no, when suddenly something buzzed deep in her pussy. She grabbed the table for balance, even though she was sitting down.

  Timing.

  She had agreed to have the vibrating plastic egg inside her all day when she got up in the morning. Rob held the remote control, which used cell phone technology. He could activate it from anywhere in the country, no matter where she was. There w
as no way he could know what he was buzzing in the middle of, however. It was part of what she liked about the idea—that it could go off at any time, convenient or otherwise.

  Rob had certainly found the most inconvenient time.

  She was conscious of Daniel waiting there for an answer. She tried to think—would he want her to be faithful? That went along with the whole marriage thing, although maybe as his mistress she could order him to let her do what she pleased. Except he was quite clear he wanted that dynamic in the bedroom only. She wanted it that way too. Well, perhaps for a rather wide definition of what constituted the bedroom. Bossing him around was fine. Doing things against his will that would cause him real emotional distress? No. That was not what BDSM was for. But it was hard to think with the vibrator buzzing away inside her. She ached for something to rub her clit on or to pinch her nipples. But of course the restaurant was far too public a place, even if it seemed pretty empty except for the waitstaff and a few customers all the way on the other end. She shifted her weight in the chair, but that didn’t help.

  Yes, but only if I can sleep around.

  That wasn’t really what she wanted to say either. Yet she couldn’t turn her back on what she felt when she submitted to Rob.

  I want them both. Master and slave.

  “I—I don’t know what to say.” Rob and Daniel. Both. At the same time? Why not? An imaged flashed through her mind: Daniel eating her out while Rob fucked her ass. Or is Rob too big for that? Would I even like it that way? It sure is hot, though.

  Daniel’s face fell but only for a moment. “Perhaps ‘I’ll think about it.’ I obviously caught you by surprise.”

  Yes, that, and another man’s plastic toy is vibrating inside of me and making me soak my dress. A tear ran down her face as she looked at the diamond ring. He’d done it perfectly—dinner at a French restaurant, bended knee, lovely ring. He deserved a yes, dammit, and she wished she could give it to him. “I need to go to the restroom a second. Girl thing.” She got up in a hurry, nearly bowling him over in the process. She could hear the egg buzzing away, but she hoped the sound was only carrying through her bones and not to Daniel’s ears. She ran to the bathroom, leaving Daniel no doubt stunned behind her. She didn’t look back. There was no way she could focus on him without doing something. I’ll take it out. Or maybe I’ll just rub my clit until I come.

  The moment she opened the bathroom door, the thing stopped. She stood there, panting for a moment, and then realized she looked stupid so she slipped inside and shut the door. She caught her breath. What does Daniel see in me as a mistress anyway? She understood what made someone like Rob or Spike an attractive dominant. They were calm, self-assured, seemingly impervious to harm. A man like that could protect me from anything. Heck, Daniel could protect me, and he has most of those traits too. But me, I’m small and can’t make up my own mind half the time.

  At least the overpowering lust she felt was ebbing. The fact that the egg could resume buzzing at any time still worried her and kept her on an erotic edge, but it probably wouldn’t go off again soon. Hopefully. She didn’t want to take it out. I told Rob I’d keep it in all day until he takes it out in the evening. Removing it now would be cheating. But getting proposed to is an extreme circumstance.

  She took a deep breath, straightened her dress, and walked back out. Daniel was sitting in his chair again. The small box with the ring inside was still on the table, but it was closed. He watched her as she walked across the restaurant, and didn’t move, not even to pull her chair out for her when she was ready to sit down. He’d done that the whole time they knew each other. Maybe she should have guessed at his submissive personality from that, but she always thought he was the last true gentleman. In any case, she was certainly capable of sitting down without a man’s help.

  “Daniel,” she said, covering his hand with hers. Her heart was thumping hard, which was nearly as distracting as the vibrating egg had been. “You’re my best friend. And you’re a terrific lover, and you’ve woken up in me a side that I never knew I had. I really get off on being your mistress. I never expected how much I’d enjoy that. When I set out online to explore my submissive side, I thought that was it for me and kinky. But it’s not, and I’m happy I can share some of my wild side with you.”

  He smiled warmly at her as she paused, although she sensed the sadness in his eyes. “I sense a ‘but’ coming. It’s okay, Louise. I’m not that fragile, and I’ll survive your answer.”

  “Just that it’s not one or the other, it’s both. Dominant and submissive. Both are incredibly hot. And I’m greedy and don’t want to give either up. Maybe one will run its course, and I’ll be able to accept your proposal, but right now I really can’t.”

  “You’re having too much fun with Rob.”

  “I’m having too much fun with Rob.”

  “But that’s just a weekend. I’m not looking for a long engagement, but I wasn’t planning on rushing off today to get hitched, either.”

  She reached for her chardonnay and lifted it halfway to her lips before deciding more alcohol was not the best solution. It smelled awfully tempting. She set it down anyway. “I do love you, Daniel. But I think I’m falling in love with him too. And he said some things, vague things, about being around for more than just a weekend. Chicago isn’t that far away, anyway. It’s not like he lives in New Zealand or something.”

  “He’ll want you for himself, Louise. He’s not going to want to share.”

  “Do you?”

  “Hell no. But what I might ask for, he’ll demand.”

  “And you know that because?” Louise found herself getting upset defending Rob.

  “Because that’s what you did. You demanded my fidelity.”

  Louise half smiled. “And did you like that?”

  “Yes, I did. And I’m afraid you will too.”

  Maybe you should demand it back, then? She stopped herself short of saying it. She didn’t really want him to. And Daniel wasn’t the demanding sort. She wanted to enjoy both men and all they had to offer. What girl wouldn’t want them both? But I’m insane to think they’ll both be happy with half of little old me. Sooner or later, I’ll have to choose. She remembered the words he’d suggested. “I’ll think about it,” she said.

  Daniel nodded and relaxed in his chair. The calm, assured mask covered his face again, although Louise didn’t buy it. She’d given him nothing to go on, no reason for anything but uncertainty.

  “Their desserts,” said Daniel, breaking what had become an uncomfortable silence, “are to die for.”

  Given the lack of prices on the menu, dinner alone probably cost enough that death might be preferable. But Daniel wasn’t concerned, and she resolved not to be. She kept it to herself. Did Daniel choose it as a nice place for a proposal, or was he trying to hint at the luxury she would live in as his wife? She’d love to say that she didn’t care about the material side of things, but she knew herself better than that. It wasn’t the main consideration in her life, but it was a consideration, and if it wasn’t, she’d have quit being an accountant long ago. She was good at it, but it wasn’t as if she found balance sheets that fascinating.

  Daniel signaled the waiter, and at once a tray was brought. Cheesecake with strawberries. Key lime pie—now that wasn’t French, surely, but it sounded yummy. Chocolate mousse. Triple-layered chocolate cake.

  She wanted to sample them all. But the mousse looked like the most authentic thing, and that was as good as any reason for a decision. If only choosing men could be done so arbitrarily, I’d—no, I still wouldn’t be able to choose. “The chocolate mousse looks delight—”

  The buzzing started again, and she almost choked on her words. Daniel may not have noticed the sound, but the waiter was looking at her strangely.

  “I’m sorry,” asked Daniel. “You okay?

  “Yes.” She felt like her cheeks were blazing red. But her impish streak overrode her embarrassment. “I was just saying that the mousse looks so good I m
ight have an orgasm eating it.”

  The waiter’s eyes went wide.

  “Make that two,” said Daniel.

  The waiter turned and looked at Daniel but said, “Yes, ma’am,” anyway before scurrying off.

  Daniel raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Take off your shoes.”

  He blinked. She fixed him with a stare. He shuffled, and without looking she knew he was obeying.

  “Good boy.”

  “We’re not in the bedroom, L-mmm.” He seemed to have been undecided whether to call her mistress or by name, so he went for both before stopping to untwist his tongue.

  “Bedroom is a state of mind, Daniel. I do hope you have skillful toes.”

  Daniel stared at her. She kicked off a shoe and stretched her leg until her foot was in his crotch and she’d found something hard. “Whenever you have a hard-on, Daniel, we’re in the bedroom.”

  He took a moment to digest that. “Yes, Mistress.”

  “Now wait until the other good boy brings us dessert, and then you’re going to help me come. Aren’t you, Daniel?”

  He sighed. “Yes, Mistress.”

  She glanced around. There was still no one at the nearby tables, although others farther away were occupied. There was little chance anyone else would notice what they were up to, if the waitstaff didn’t show up at an inconvenient time. And she’d told him enough of what she intended that she couldn’t back off now. He’s going to notice the vibrations, though. And he’ll guess who is responsible. I must be insane.

  Then again, if this thing keeps shaking around inside me and I don’t come, I will be certifiable before the day is over.