He returned her look of astonishment with a quiet chuckle. “Of course. Didn’t you realise that any Dom worth the title will have been trained to take his responsibility for his sub seriously? He needs to recognise all the implications, the possible consequences of what he’s doing. Surely you came across that in your research?”
She shrugged. “I did, but I wasn’t sure it was true.” She gave a little self-conscious laugh.
“Oh, it’s true all right. And as part of the training, we also have to be on the receiving end of the kind of treatment we dish out to the subs. That way, we know exactly how it feels when we apply any given amount of force to a flogging, for example.”
“That’s comforting. You don’t exactly see the local college offering degrees or evening classes in Domination and submission.”
Alex laughed along with her. “That’s true.” He became a little more serious. “You know the sort of activities that can take place—it would be the height of irresponsibility to go take part in those activities without knowing the possible consequences if you get it wrong. I wasn’t born knowing all there is to know about D/s, nor was any other Dom. I had to learn, and I learned from some of the best in the business.”
Alex broke off, brow furrowed as he scanned their surroundings. His skin was prickling in a way he hadn’t experienced since he’d walked away from Spectrum Security. Back then, the sensation had been a precursor to trouble, but here? Now? If it was still the iron-clad guarantee of trouble it had once been, then maybe it meant that Cam’s investigations were starting to stir things up. If they were and someone was following him… He needed to talk to Cam as a matter of urgency—he couldn’t put Beth at risk from whatever was going on.
With an effort he turned his concentration back to the conversation and forced a levity into his tone that he was far from feeling. “This will be a learning experience for both of us, love.”
“It will?”
She seemed surprised by that, but Alex wasn’t going to tell her why—that, for the first time in his life, he was embarking on an intimate, physical relationship with a sub who would wear his collar. Or that he knew it would be the only time. That was the kind of disclosure that could overwhelm her and send her into hiding at this stage of their relationship.
He pressed a brief kiss to her lips. “Your nose is turning a delightful shade of pink, and it’s getting to the time when we should be thinking of lunch. There’s a pub I know not far from here, by the river, where they do a great Sunday roast. It’s just a pity it’s too cold to sit outside, overlooking the river, but I promise I’ll take you there next summer.”
Half an hour later, Beth was sitting opposite Alex, a glass of orange juice in front of her and a roast chicken lunch—not chosen for her by her companion—on order.
The hidden depths of the man amazed her. He’d given her so much to think about, not least of which was his comment about bringing her here in summer. A slip of the tongue, or a pointer to how he viewed the development of their relationship?
She rolled the concept around in her mind, testing it, trying it on for size—she supposed she’d get used to it eventually. The man she worked for was right there in front of her, yet in the space of forty-eight hours he had become so much more—her lover and her Dom. She wondered, a little frivolously, if she could find the bag thief, so she could thank him for changing her life beyond all imagination.
She thought of what Alex had said to her, about telling him everything, and sharing her worries with him. Oddly, that was going to be one of the more difficult aspects of this relationship—she was so used to dealing with things for herself.
And then she remembered his arms around her in the night, his body next to hers, the strength and heat of him. Her eyes lifted, stealing a look at him as he gazed out of the window, across the deck and the river beyond, almost as if he were searching for something. She’d been struck by his outrageously good looks from the moment she walked into his office for the job interview, but now she saw more of the man beneath. How could a woman not love him? Half in love and totally in lust from the start, she’d stood no chance. Beth smiled to herself.
“Something amusing you, love?” the man in question asked, setting his glass of wine back in its place on the table.
She shook her head, hoping he wouldn’t ask her to explain why she was smiling, because she wasn’t quite sure that she could. Or should.
“That’s okay.” His manner was deceptively easy-going. “I suppose you won’t mind a good spanking when I take you to bed when we get back home, then.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks as her stomach turned gold-medal-standard somersaults. With Alex, she knew, down to the last cell in her body, that it was no idle threat. She closed her eyes against the vision of him stripping her of her clothes and putting her over his knee to spank her naked bottom, but when she opened them again, her face was lightly flushed and her eyes held a new sparkle.
“Hmm, maybe that wouldn’t be such a good idea after all,” he observed thoughtfully. “I think you might enjoy it just a little too much, and we can’t have that.”
“You said you’d only do things like that in the bedroom anyway,” she reminded him. “We’re not in the bedroom now.”
“True—we will only do things like that in the bedroom and the playroom I mentioned, but I didn’t say we wouldn’t discuss these things elsewhere.”
She risked a quick glance at his face, and saw that he was smiling—that smile that had scored a direct hit on her knees more times than she could count. It was reflected in his eyes, and if she had to put a label on that look, it would be mischievous. The damn man was enjoying himself!
Far from being outraged, Beth just about managed to contain her desire to join in with laughter of her own. Just a few short hours ago she’d been shaking with nerves, yet now she was relaxed and happy, and looking forward to feeling Alex’s hand on her backside. The situation was verging on the surreal.
Lunch was over quickly and then it was back to the apartment. Ever thoughtful, Alex hailed a cab, offering Beth his hand as she climbed inside. Unaware of his earlier disquiet, she missed the way he cast one last look around before he followed her into the vehicle.
All the way back to the apartment, she wondered when he would take her to the bedroom, assuming he meant what he’d said. Once there, she shrugged off her jacket and hovered, waiting for some clue from Alex. He was heading for one of the sofas but stopped suddenly, looking back at her.
“Not yet,” he told her with the tenderness she was starting to recognise would always make her feel special. “Take off your boots and come and sit with me for a while.”
She kicked off her footwear as quickly as she could manage, took the offered hand and followed Alex to one of the sofas. He sat, pulling her down beside him. The next thing she knew, she was lying full-length on the sofa, half on top of the full-length sprawl of him, cradled between his body and the back of the sofa.
“Beth, my sweetheart, later on we are going to go to the bedroom to discuss your discipline for keeping secrets—remember, I told you I want to know about everything that makes you happy—but for now, I want to get to know you better.”
With that, he began to kiss her.
“Sir…”
“Shh.” He placed a gentle finger on her mouth to silence her. “Not here, not now. It’s still Alex, remember? Until I change that, this is just Alex and Beth getting to know each other.”
He resumed the kiss, cradling her close to his lean strength. Or he would have done, had Beth not placed her hand on his chest to slow things down.
“If this is just Alex and Beth getting to know each other,” she said, “does that mean I can go and put some underwear on?”
His grin was devilish, telling her without words what the answer would be. “You’re forgetting—firstly, you don’t have my permission to wear underwear, and secondly, there’d be no point—it’d be coming off soon anyway.”
“It would,” he confirmed absently, apparently far more interested in cupping her cheek in his hand and tracing the outline of her lower lip with his thumb. “I like having you naked around me.”
Just as well she had no objection to that…no objection at all. At that precise moment, she found herself actually hungering for it. She could feel her mind moving into that space where she felt owned by this man whom she suddenly wanted beyond all reason.
“But I want to call you ‘Sir’,” she murmured, giving voice to one of her deepest desires.
“Do I have to remind you who’s the boss when it comes to that part of our relationship? You will call me that when I tell you and not before, and you will do it whenever it’s appropriate to do so.” He was suddenly fascinated with the way her hair curled around his fingers.
“I suppose I’ll have to wait, then.” She couldn’t keep the grin out of her voice. “So… How long?”
“Until I’m ready!” His hand insinuated itself under her sweater, exploring the silken flesh that covered her ribcage. “Aren’t you hot and uncomfortable with this thing on?”
The trousers and socks made her hot and uncomfortable as well. Moments later, her clothing was in a heap on the floor, and she was naked in Alex’s arms. He was still wearing his jeans and rugby shirt, and looked like sex on legs. The difference in their attire made a huge feeling of submissiveness unfurl and wrap itself around her like a soft fur blanket. She felt she belonged like this—belonged to him. When her gaze began to shift from his face to his chest, his finger under her chin halted the movement and reversed it.
“You didn’t even realise you were doing that, did you? I think I’m just going to have to kiss you to stop you doing it again.”
This time he didn’t stop at just kissing her; his hand stroked down her side, curved over her hip and pulled her against him. His knee pushed ruthlessly between her legs, and the next thing she knew, she was straddling him, her mouth still on his while his hands roamed possessively over her back and bottom.
Instinct drove her to push herself up so that she could look at him, her hands on his chest supported her, and between her legs she felt the force of his erection under the fly of his jeans. She couldn’t help herself—her hips began to rock back and forth, riding as instinct demanded. With perfect precision she lined her pussy up with the fly of his jeans and began to grind down in an attempt to stimulate her clit. God, it felt so good…
“That’s it,” he encouraged her. “Christ, you look beautiful like that.” His eyes were half-closed as he found his own pleasure beneath her.
Beth didn’t expect to feel his mouth on her breast, or the strong suckling at her nipple. Her body responded instantly, and she knew that if she hadn’t already, she was going to leave a wet patch on his jeans, right over the hard cock that she was growing more and more desperate to have inside her. His hands bracketing her hips held her firmly in place.
“Alex.”
“Tell me what you want, Beth.”
Her response was a single word, barely breathed.
“You.”
~~*~~
A little while later, with a thoughtful look on his face, Alex was standing at the door to his home office, just watching Beth while trying to work out the best way to convince her that she belonged under his roof.
He rubbed the back of his neck. He knew it was unreasonable to want her to move in so soon, but it wasn’t like they’d only just met. Did they really need to go through the whole dating thing when they’d been around each other nearly every day for three damn years? They already knew each other, and as far as he could see, their attraction was both fierce and very mutual. So why delay?
Their make-out session on the sofa had been every bit as frustrating for him as it had been for her. By the time he’d called a halt to proceedings, she’d been teetering on the edge of what he was sure would have been an explosive orgasm and he’d had a hard-on that had felt as if it could have held up the tent for a three-ring circus. He was going to remember the look on her face when he’d told her he had to call Cam for a long time to come. She’d stomped over to the kitchen, giving him a stellar view of her beautiful arse in the process.
Oh, she was going to be a handful all right, and he relished the thought of witnessing every moment of her development as a sub—his sub. Thoughts of showing her the ropes turned his mind briefly to learning more about Kinbaku—she would look truly stunning, adorned in a complex, artistic arrangement of bindings and knots. A human work of art.
The thought planted an intriguing idea in his mind, and the more he considered it, the more attracted to it he became. Aegis often played host to Doms giving demonstrations of various D/s activities. Bondage was a favourite, and if he could acquire the knowledge—and Beth the confidence—she would be a truly awesome sight to witness. Oh yes, an intricate web passing above and below her breasts. He’d position the rope carefully between her pussy lips, so that it was riding her clit. She’d be constantly aroused as the demonstration progressed…and forbidden to come until he gave his permission. That would wait until they were in one of the private rooms.
Much though he wanted to drag Beth away from the kitchen and play, there were other priorities to which he needed to attend, not least of which was that call to Cam, to find out if there’d been any developments in the investigation in the last twenty-four hours. He had no intention of making that call in front of Beth. He didn’t want to alarm her any more than necessary—he hoped it wouldn’t be necessary at all.
Most people would probably label the disquiet he’d felt as some sort of paranoia, but not Alex. He’d experienced it too often in theatre to dismiss it out of hand now—not when there had been occasions where it had kept him and the men in his troop alive against all the odds.
The phone call was brief, and as he’d expected, Cam couldn’t add anything to what he’d told Alex the previous day. When Alex informed his friend of the uneasiness he’d experienced, he immediately sensed an even greater keenness in Cam’s focus on the matter. Having witnessed it in action on more than one occasion, his former staff sergeant had an unshakeable belief in Alex’s sixth sense for danger.
Once the call was finished, Alex emerged from the office to find Beth still in the kitchen area, and from the aroma wafting over, she was making coffee. It felt good, Alex realised, to have a gorgeous naked woman in his kitchen. Thank God the apartment was too high up to be overlooked—the idea of introducing a no clothes rule when they were there together was hugely appealing.
He slid down on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table as usual. He hadn’t forgotten about the spanking she’d earned over lunch, and he had every intention of administering it soon.
As he continued to watch Beth in the kitchen, he found himself considering the matter of a collar. While some might consider it too early for a formal collaring, he wanted her to have the symbolism of a collar for the spanking he was shortly going to deliver. In his opinion, she’d benefit from the added sensation and the way it would help her to get into the mind-set of a sub.
So… What could he—
Of course…the ribbon. It had been tied around the box when he’d collected the diamond collar from the jeweller. At the time, Alex had tossed the piece of black velvet into the drawer and never given it another thought. His focus had been on the collar—he’d had it made just after Beth came to work for him. Given all his reasons for not getting involved with her, it was a rash extravagance, but he’d felt compelled to commission the piece for her. He’d never imagined how important the ribbon would be.
Beth brought the drinks over and sat beside him on the sofa, her legs curled under her. As he sipped the coffee, made just how he liked it, Alex slipped his arm around his woman, drawing her closer to him.
“Well,” he said eventually, “now that you have your safe words, I seem to recall that I promised you a good spanking at lunch.”
8
Alex led his submissive into the bedroom.
It was a powerful moment for him, taking a sub who would wear his collar and warm his bed. Not just any sub, though. This was Beth, the woman who had been an integral part of his professional life for so long, whom he’d wanted in his personal life for almost as long, and for Alex, it was a defining moment. Soon, when she was ready, he would take her to see Giorgio, a fellow Dom who specialised in crafting slave collars—not just collars suitable for play, but collars that could be worn as if they were jewellery, innocent-looking pieces in the vanilla world, but full of meaning in the community.
“On your knees.”
He didn’t intend to keep her there long. She obeyed immediately, assuming her designated first position. For a few moments Alex simply looked down at her, giving himself time to appreciate the impact of the picture she presented. For so long he’d believed that this could never become reality with any sub, let alone Beth.
The ribbon was in the drawer where he’d left it. He drew the narrow length of velvet through his fingers. Perfect.
“Beth, it’s important to me that my sub knows her place when in a scene. I don’t have a suitable collar for you yet, but in a scene like this I want you to be aware of your place in this relationship. As a symbol of my ownership, this will be your collar for the time being.”
Beth gathered her hair together, lifting it out of the way so that he could tie the ribbon around her neck. With great care, he laid the band against her skin, ensuring that it wasn’t twisted, tying it with a perfect double bow at the nape of her neck.
“Now you’re mine.”
In that moment, life was perfect. Beth was perfect. Even the power of his nightmares receded as he took in the sheer beauty before him.
Her eyes briefly met his and then lowered, in an automatic expression of submission that stoked all his dominant impulses into a blazing inferno. At her soft “Thank you, Sir”, he needed every last bit of control he could muster to remove his shirt without firing buttons all around the bedroom. He flung the garment to one side and then offered Beth his hand to help her up. He wrapped his arms around her as she rose, and when he pulled her against his body, felt her skin next to his, it took all his resolve not to sweep her off her feet and onto the bed, cover her body with his and fuck both of them senseless.
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