Submission

by Robin Roseau

  I looked away again. Neither of us said anything for a while. I was the next to speak. "San Francisco was pretty fantastic."

  "It was for me, too. I'll take care of you, Cassidy, like you can't imagine."

  I didn't say anything to that. But finally I held out the car title. "I don't want your car."

  She pushed my hand back. "Yes, you do. You're just afraid you'll be obligated to forgive me if you accept it, and you're not quite there yet."

  "I can't accept because I can never let you have me back, Miranda. I could never trust you." I looked back. "I've let enough screwed up women mess with me. I believe your apology is heartfelt. I don't know if I fully forgive you, but I appreciate what you've said today. But we don't have a future together. I'm crazy, but frankly, I'm not that crazy."

  She stared for a minute then looked down. "We'd be good together," she said.

  "Maybe, but I'd always wonder when it was going to happen again. Even if I grew to trust you, I'd never fully trust you. Maybe you deserve the distrust. Maybe you'd do enough to make up for what you did, and you wouldn't deserve it anymore. But whether you do or not, you shouldn't live like that, and neither should I."

  It was her turn to look away. "I'm really sorry, Cassidy."

  "I believe you." I held out the car title, and she slowly took it from me.

  "Is there any chance you'll change your mind?"

  "No."

  There was a time I wouldn't have been that sure. There was a time she could have lured me back with a lot less effort than she'd spent today. Sitting on my legs and whispering into my ear the things she had said would have done it, even after everything had happened.

  But I deserved better than that. I deserved better than her.

  She sighed, and I saw the tears in her eyes.

  "I supposed we should go."

  "Yeah."

  She stood then pulled me to my feet. Together, we walked back to the car.

  "I didn't intend to out you," I said. "That last day at Branson. I was showing my claws so you would make sure I got what I wanted."

  "Anita suspected, but she never accused. And I wouldn't have blamed you."

  We got to the car, but she stopped me with a hand on my arm. "Did you want to drive?"

  I shook my head. I let her hand me into the passenger side.

  We were halfway home before I realized we weren't going to my place. "Miranda, where are you taking me?"

  "My place."

  "Miranda."

  "You're dropping me off. The car is yours."

  "No."

  "We can argue about it in my driveway."

  "Fine. Then I'll know which house to egg."

  She smiled.

  She had a nice house. She offered a tour. "No, thank you. You're just trying to talk me into a set of scarfs."

  "I wouldn't use scarfs. I'd use something far sturdier."

  "No, thank you. Nice house. Take me home."

  "Take the car," she said. "Title is in the glove box. Drive it for a week or two. If you don't want it, you can give it back. Just..." She turned to look at me. "Don't sell it. If you don't want it, give it back. Please. Or... I'll buy it back."

  "What are you doing, Miranda?"

  "It's my most prized possession. I'm not really that materialistic, but this car..." She caressed the leather. "As you said, words are cheap."

  "We don't have a future together, Miranda."

  "Take the car," she said. "Do you have a safe place to keep it?"

  I nodded. "This is crazy."

  "What I did to you makes this pale in comparison on the crazy scale."

  We sat there for several minutes, neither of us saying anything. Then she held out the keys. "It's hard to get parts," she said. "I may not be doing you any favors. If you don't drive it, it will rot. If you do drive it, the maintenance is daunting."

  "Changing your mind?"

  "No. Take the car. I want you to have it. Maybe, if nothing else, you'll think at least a little more kindly towards me."

  "We're never sharing a bed again, Miranda. You do understand that?"

  She closed her eyes and nodded, then thrust the keys into my hand and climbed from the car. I was slower. She met me at the front of the car, and we came to a stop perhaps two feet apart.

  "I'm so sorry."

  "I know."

  "Will you let me kiss you one last time?"

  "That's a bad idea," I said. "I'll let you hug me."

  She didn't wait but immediately moved into me, wrapping around me tightly. I held her as well, not as tightly, but I held her, and I didn't rush her to release me.

  But finally she did. "You can drive a stick?"

  "Yes."

  Miranda stepped away then watched me as I climbed into the car. But then she hurried to the side. "Cassidy!"

  I looked up at her.

  "Do you think, someday, we could be friends?"

  "Someday, maybe." I paused. "Miranda, there are a lot of submissive women out there and not very many dominant woman remotely as good as you are."

  "I know," she replied. "But how many have a statue of Aphrodite in their living room?"

  After that, she walked me through starting the car. I looked up at her one last time. "Miranda, you don't have to do this."

  "It's the right thing to do," she said. "Will you take care of her?"

  "Yes."

  "Go," she said. "I'm going to go in and cry."

  "Over me, or the car?"

  "You."

  That was the first time someone had cried over me. I put the car into reverse and carefully backed out of her driveway.

  Love

  I drove two blocks before I pulled over. I parked, dug out my phone, and made a call.

  "Hey. Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine," I replied. "Are you home?"

  "Just got here. Are you sure you're okay?"

  "I'm fine," I said. "Confused, but fine. She apologized."

  "I imagine that was an interesting conversation."

  "Quite. Look, I know we were going out tonight, but could we stay in?"

  "Of course, Darling."

  "I'll be there in about thirty minutes. I have something to show you."

  * * * *

  Meryl was already waiting when I pulled into her driveway. I set the parking brake and climbed from the car. She met me at the door and enveloped me in a hug, delivering a soul-wrenching kiss.

  Finally, she released me. "Where'd you steal this?"

  "Miranda gave it to me. I haven't decided if I should keep it."

  "You could give it to me. May I drive it?"

  "Tomorrow," I said. "May I leave it here?"

  "Oh yeah," she said. "Of course you may."

  "Good. Open a garage door and then climb in. I'll give you a ride all the way into the garage."

  * * * *

  "So," I said about twenty minutes later. "Please don't be angry."

  "I'm not. Well, I'll forgive you if you let me sit in the car again."

  I laughed. "Do you think you can forgive me now if I promise to let you sit in it tomorrow?"

  "Why can't I sit in it now?"

  "Because I really, really, really was hoping to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening completely, entirely helpless."

  Meryl smiled. "I have a new toy to show you. Well, you won't get to see it, but you'll certainly be feeling it."

  * * * *

  I know it's kinky. Weird. Use whatever term you want. But Meryl treats me exactly the way I want to be treated.

  And she loves showing me off at work.

  About the Author

  A writer by avocation, Robin has a renaissance interest in many areas. A bit of a gypsy, Robin has called a few places home and has traveled widely. A love of the outdoors, animals in general and experimenting with world cuisines, Robin and partner share their home with a menagerie of pets and guests, although sometimes it is difficult to discern who is whom.

  Robin can be reached via email as robin.roseau@gm
ail.com. Robin's web site is http://www.robin-roseau.com.

  Works by Robin Roseau

  The Madison Wolves Series

  Fox Run

  Fox Play

  Fox Mate

  Fox Afield

  Fox Revenge

  Fox Dish

  Fox Lost

  Wolf Watch

  Wolf Ways

  Wolf Women

  Fox Short Stories

  Hunting Pups

  Fox in the Water

  Fox Rematch (set after Fox Mate and Fox Afield)

  Fox Opponent

  Other Books in the Madison Wolves Universe

  Familiar

  Seer

  Seer: Thrall

  Other Novels and Novellas

  Blood Slave

  Emergency Claus

  Fitting In

  Free to Love

  In Custody

  Lost in the Words

  Privateer

  Stark's Dell

  The Interrogation

  Tresjolie

  Galatzi Trade

  Galatzi World

  The Ski Bindings Shorts

  Short stories of love and lust amongst the slopes.

  Snow Fox

  Short Stories

  Cooking for Love

  Southern Night

  Captured by the Raptor (writing as Rosetta Robins)

  Submission

  Copyright 2015 by Robin Roseau

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

  * * *

  License Notes

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