by Fallon Blake
“I’ve—I’ve never… God, by the way I’m stuttering you’d think I was one of the brainless boob jobs out there.” She sighed as if she were disgusted with herself then looked him directly in the eyes and continued. “I know of the BDSM lifestyle, but haven’t had the chance to explore it for myself. I’ve always been curious. I’ve just never met anyone I wanted to take me there…until you.” She uttered the last words so quietly he almost missed them.
The fact she wanted him to be the first to dominate her made his dick swell. It was archaic and primitive, but he couldn’t help the satisfaction that spread through him knowing he’d be the first to venture into that territory with her. “You have no idea how much that pleases me.”
Her cheeks warmed to a soft pink. “I’m blushing again aren’t I? I am so not the girl who blushes. I’m not shy. I mean I model for a fetish agency. I’m happy with my body. I’m not embarrassed by it and it’s not like I’m some virginal innocent. I should not be blushing now, but for some reason I just can’t seem to help myself around you. And I should really just shut up.” She forced out a breath, expanding her cheeks.
“No, you shouldn’t. Your candor is one of the reasons you’re here. No pretenses, Indigo. There’s no need for that. If you feel like saying something, please say it. I don’t think you’re the disrespectful or disobedient type. It’ll be very nice not having vocal restrictions in place.”
Her brow creased again. “Vocal restrictions?”
“Yes. There are submissives who need strict rules about speaking or they tend to say things for the sole purpose of receiving punishment,” he informed her.
Indie looked positively appalled. “You’re joking.”
“Afraid not. I happen to like conversation so I tend to stay away from bratty, masochistic submissives. You’re not a brat are you?”
A loud bawdy laugh burst out of her—the kind of laugh that made him want to laugh right along with her. He was really going to enjoy this woman. Three days might not be nearly enough, especially if she turned out to be as natural and responsive as he thought she’d be.
“Maybe when I was a kid. Yeah sure. Trouble was kind of my middle name. But I’m a big girl now and my bratty days are behind me.”
“We’ll see. Let’s talk about the rules. You’re to follow my orders at all times. I’ll give you two safe words. You can use yellow for slow down and red for stop. If there is something that you don’t think you’re capable of, tell me. We’ll discuss it. Dom and dickhead are not synonymous with me. Trust takes time and we’re sort of skipping ahead here so being open with each other will be crucial. Do you think you can do that?”
“I can do that, but I haven’t been trained or anything. How will I know…?”
“Don’t worry about protocols. I’ve never been big on them. Just go with your instincts.”
“And you’re telling me that because you think I’m already submissive by nature,” she stated.
“Yes, I do and saying that I’m eager to show you that side of yourself would be the understatement of the century.”
The way she bit and worried that full lower lip of hers made his dick twitch and demand attention. Innocence and intelligence wrapped up in a beautiful lush package, and a submissive one at that. It was all he could do to keep his ass in the chair when he really wanted to bend her over the desk and fuck her right there in his office.
“I already have your medical history since it’s a requirement here for nyotaimori. You’re on birth control, correct?”
She nodded.
“Good. I can tell you that I’m clean and have recently been tested, but if you’d like to see for yourself my file is on the desk. I keep a copy here at the office in case I’m ever injured on the job.”
“How do I know you’re not some deranged psychopath?” she asked as she opened his file and began to go over the paperwork.
“It doesn’t say that in the file does it?” he asked with mock horror and she answered with a smirk. “Incidentally I’m not a deranged psychopath. But I wouldn’t want you to do anything that you don’t feel safe about. Do you have someone you trust that you could leave my information with?” he asked her.
Indie nodded. “My roommate, Aimee.”
He took an index card from one of the desk drawers and wrote down his name, address and phone numbers. “When you go home to collect your things, give this to Aimee. Tell her about our arrangement and that you’ll be calling her the first night to check in. It’ll give you a safety net if you feel like you need one.”
She seemed a bit puzzled as she took the card from him. “How thorough of you and controlling, and strangely considerate.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Now before we finalize our arrangement, are you able to take off work?”
“I don’t have anything scheduled for the next few days. I’ll call my agent and tell her that I won’t be available to take any new assignments.”
“Perfect. I’ll expect you at eight in the morning.” He gave her a wicked grin. “And, Indie, pack light. You won’t be wearing clothing for much of your stay.”
Chapter Three
Indie double checked the address as she pulled her old beat-up VW Rabbit onto 55th Street. It was 7:49 a.m. Good. She’d be on time, a near miracle for her since she’d overslept this morning. When she’d gone home last night, she’d been so stirred up she couldn’t sleep. She hated to admit it, but Banner had been right. She needed someone to talk to and who better than Aimee?
Aimee, who had worse taste in lovers than she did, thought Indie had been pulling some sort of prank when she’d told her about the arrangement she’d made with Chef Faust. Together, they’d gone through many boxes of tissues and dozens of cupcakes during the five years they’d lived together. She’d given Indie exactly the push she’d needed last night when second thoughts had her considering backing out.
God, she couldn’t believe she was really going to do this. She was out of her mind. But as Aimee always said, life is too short for regrets, and Indie had a feeling she’d regret not knowing this man. She turned her car onto the drive of the address Banner had given her. The tires crunched along the pebbled path as she drove slowly to the house. Just beyond the entrance to the drive there was a forest of dense tropical foliage. Tall bamboo grew in clumps, a variety of palm trees shaded the area and exotic flowers grew everywhere.
Indie absolutely loved that the man kept surprising her. His home was nothing short of breathtaking, but not in the way she’d expected at all. She was so sure he’d have a huge waterfront mansion somewhere on South Beach. Not a modest home in a quaint little neighborhood a stone’s throw from Little Haiti. She felt a little guilty for judging him so harshly.
The Key West-style home sat hidden deep in the center of what had to have been at least a double lot. It was a bright Caribbean blue complete with a wraparound porch, white trim and a metal roof. It was as if she’d entered a small slice of paradise instead of a property on the Upper East Side of Miami.
Indie shut off the Rabbit’s engine and took a deep breath. “You can do this, Indie. Just get your butt out of the car.” She leaned forward and adjusted her cleavage, checked her lipstick in the mirror and smoothed her hair down. She got out and brushed herself off.
Maybe the retro-style dress with its black piping and plunging neckline was a bit much with the four-inch black patent leather pumps. But she’d wanted to deliver the first punch when she walked in the door this morning.
The heels were a little precarious on the loose pebbles, but she managed to walk to the back of the car and retrieve her bags from the trunk. He’d said not to worry too much about clothes, but it’s not as if she would listen to that. Better to have and not need, than to need and not have. She tried for a deep breath, but it was difficult with the brocade under-the-bust corset she’d worn beneath her dress.
Indie loved the look and feel of a corset. A well-fitting one flattened, molded and enhanced a figure that was less than perfect—li
ke hers for instance. Would Banner think the same way about how she looked in one? Would he love her curves? He’d already seen her practically naked and on display, but this was different. A shot of doubt raced through her. Why had he chosen her? She couldn’t figure it out. This man…there was something about him that made her feel vulnerable. Made her want to please him. Made her afraid to disappoint him. And for some reason, all of that really got under her skin.
She heard a low whistle from the front porch.
“Nice dress you got there.”
“I like to think so.” She closed the hatch then turned to see Banner standing in the doorway. She paused for a second. Hunger burned bright in his blue eyes and she didn’t think it was because he was looking at her car. The head to toe treatment he gave her made her stomach do a little dance. Funny how all her doubts flew straight out of her head with just one look from him.
He was a sight standing there shirtless in a pair of striped pajama pants worn low on his narrow hips. Holy hell, a girl could do a week’s worth of laundry on those abs of his. A light dusting of dark hair curled between his sculpted pecs and trailed from his navel down below the waist of his pants. She so wanted to see where that trail ended.
“Enjoying the view?”
Her gaze flew to his face as heat flooded hers. Great, there she went with the blushing again. She really had to stop doing that. “Actually yes. Good morning, Banner.”
“I’m rather enjoying the view myself. You look beautiful this morning. Let’s get you inside and settled.” He loped off the porch and over to where she stood. When he bent down to pick up her bags she saw that his back was covered in traditional Japanese tattoos. He was just one surprise after another.
“After you,” he said with a nod toward the door.
She headed into the house with Banner behind her. The interior was no less impressive than the outside. Her heels clicked on the pale hardwood floor as she walked into the living room. Everything was so open. At first glance there didn’t appear to be a back wall, but she noticed tracks for what must have been quite a few sections of a sliding glass door that disappeared into the wall to the left.
He had an eclectic mix of furnishings. Looking at it piece by piece, they didn’t seem to go together. The bone-colored, retro-style sofa and loveseat didn’t quite fit with the jade antique Chinese cabinet that stood against the far wall. The rustic scarred wood of the heavy square coffee table didn’t match the more modern glass end tables. Splashes of colors could be seen in the large embroidered throw pillows and flowering plants that were scattered about the room.
Floor to ceiling bookcases filled one entire wall and a plasma television took up a decent portion of the other. An old paddle fan spun lazily as it hung from its perch high on the ceiling. All of these things shouldn’t have fit together, but somehow they were perfect. It struck her that nothing was here by mistake. Everything had been carefully collected.
Wow. She really had no idea who this man was at all.
“The bedroom is to the left,” he told her.
“Oh, okay.” Would she be staying with him? She felt…decidedly okay about that. It had been a long time since she’d slept next to a man. A big part of her looked forward to that, which was probably why she wasn’t as freaked out about this as she should have been. That and there were no relational expectations with this arrangement. Three days to fulfill her submissive fantasies then she’d be back to her regularly scheduled life. No heart risks. That was a good thing too, because she was done with that.
She turned left and headed down a short hallway to a set of double doors. When she placed her hands on the levers she stopped cold, seized by a rush of anxiety. She was very aware of Banner’s presence right behind her and of the fact they were about to walk into his bedroom. Had he planned to show her around or was this where their torrid kinky affair would begin?
“Open the doors, Indie,” Banner ordered.
One soft command and her panic eased. She obeyed him just like that, flinging the doors wide. He was right. There was a submissive inside her. The idea of being dominated had created a longing she’d never known what to do with. The anticipation of learning firsthand what it would be like was its own special form of torture. It suddenly became clear in that moment that the world would be different for her after this. There would be no going back. Already she’d begun to see things differently and they hadn’t even started.
Banner’s hands grasped her shoulders from behind. The second he touched her, she automatically relaxed against him and his strong arms wrapped around her. His strength and warmth, caging her in like that, felt safe. It felt right. It felt so damn good. She hadn’t realized how starved she’d been for human touch.
“That’s my girl,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think I am,” she replied as she looked around. So this was Banner Faust’s bedroom. Beautiful, but it seemed a little sparse compared to the living area. Why was that?
The two far walls of the room were made entirely of glass and so seamlessly put together she had to strain to see where they met in the corner. A large pond with water lilies, koi fish and a small fountain bubbled just outside. The huge platform bed sitting in the middle of the room was understated yet elegant. The wall across from it held a long mirror that reflected not only the furniture but the view of the outside. It gave the illusion that the bed was in the middle of the outdoors, not inside a house. Though she couldn’t see a hint of the neighborhood beyond the rainforest he called a backyard, she felt incredibly exposed.
“Is the whole house this open?” she asked.
“Pretty much. I like my privacy, but I need to feel like I’m not shut in.”
In a strange way it made sense.
He let her go then hefted her luggage over to the huge walk-in closet. Indie peered down the little hallway next to it. From what she could see, it was a huge bathroom with a large sunken tub. She would kill for a bath like that.
“These are awfully heavy,” he said, setting her bags down.
“You didn’t really expect me not to bring any clothes. Did you?”
“I expected you to pack light, not your entire wardrobe,” he said, his tone casual.
“Oh that there? Not even close to my wardrobe. I have a serious weakness for pretty things.” Flirtatiously using every curve, she sauntered over to him. They didn’t call it a wiggle dress for nothing.
“Mmm, I suppose we’ll have to remedy that.” He held out a hand. “Dress.”
She deflated. “What?”
“Take off your dress, Indigo.”
No. She and Aimee had spent hours last night planning the perfect outfit for this morning. She wouldn’t even get to wear it for thirty minutes? She itched to glare at him and stomp her foot, but remarkably kept it in check. Following orders was a bit harder when it involved something she didn’t want to do.
Her resistance must have shown on her face because he frowned as he looked at her.
“You look lovely and I appreciate the effort, but you still need to hand me the dress. Not all punishments involve spankings, Indigo,” he said with a smug grin.
He was enjoying this! Her clothes, makeup, high heels, they were her armor. She felt like a goddess when she was made up. She felt in control. And Banner knew it. Damn him. She’d almost rather be spanked.
With a huff, she took of the gorgeous blue dress and handed it to him. The look on his face when he saw what she wore underneath had been worth the cost of her dress. She knew she looked damn good in her corset.
“Because you and I are just learning about each other, I’ll overlook the attitude for now. I’ll need your undergarments and shoes as well,” he said, his gaze a narrow blend of heat and hunger.
Attitude? She’d give him—
Oh God, she was acting like a total brat. Some submissive she was.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she began to unlace her corset. Submitting to someone else’s will wasn’t as ea
sy as she’d originally thought.
The corset nearly did Banner in. It took every ounce of his control to keep from fucking her right there in the closet. She was so damn beautiful he didn’t know whether to stare at her or kiss her. Excitement colored her porcelain skin and glittered in her violet eyes as she unfastened her corset. Her ebony, blue-streaked hair had been curled and shined like satin about her shoulders. She finished undressing and handed him the rest of her things with a mournful sigh.
“Good girl,” he said as he placed them on a shelf in the closet. He knew she thought he had punished her for not listening to him about packing. And partially he had. But stripping her down also served to allow him what he really wanted; to recapture the vulnerable, responsive woman from last night.
Her fiery attitude concerning her dress had been very interesting and very telling. She had a specific style with her retro dress, heavy makeup and high heels. Combine that with her modeling career and he’d say she used her image to create a wall between herself and everyone else. After he’d realized she’d packed for three weeks instead of three days, he knew he’d get to the genuine Indigo much faster if she didn’t have her clothes to hide behind.
“Is there a hair tie somewhere in all this?” He gestured to her things.
“Yes.” She bent down and rummaged through her cosmetics bag then stood and presented him with an elastic.
“Good. The bathroom is that way. Put your hair up and use the washcloth next to the sink to clean your face. You can come back out here when you’re finished.”
She stared at him as if he’d just sprouted horns and a tail. “You want me to wash the makeup off my face?”
“Yes, I do. Now go on,” he said, directing her with a little pat on the ass.
He hadn’t wanted to bruise her feelings, but it was inevitable when breaking through someone’s defenses. He rounded the doorframe and leaned against it to watch her. Hurt and confusion clouded her eyes as she peered at herself in the mirror. She twisted her hair into a knot and secured it with the elastic. Slowly she washed the makeup from her face, revealing the woman beneath the façade she’d created. There was a moment where he thought she might cry, but he watched her swallow it down and straighten herself before returning to him.