by Stone, Anna
Faith sighed. It seemed Eve still wasn’t prepared to let go of control in that area of their relationship either.
Chapter Nine
S o, when were you going to tell me about you and Eve?
Faith cursed to herself. The message was from Lindsey. She should have known that Camilla wouldn’t have been able to keep something like that from her girlfriend.
It just kind of happened, Faith typed out. No, that was a lie. Everything between her and Eve had been brewing for so long. It had only been a matter of time before it boiled over. And now Faith’s whole world had been turned upside down.
Faith placed her phone down on the coffee table without sending a reply and sat back to wait for Eve. It was 8 p.m., but Eve had been held up at the office.
The sound of the front door opening reached Faith’s ears, followed by Eve’s footsteps. A moment later, Eve entered the lounge room. She possessed her usual poise, but her face showed a hint of weariness. However, there was a spark of the woman Faith had glimpsed in the morning there .
“Thanks for taking care of everything for me,” Eve said.
“No problem,” Faith replied. “I just put the twins to bed if you want to say goodnight to them. Leah could use it.”
“Is she all right?”
“She was upset all afternoon. She didn’t want to do her homework. She’s been struggling a little with it lately.” Once again, Leah had expressed that she didn’t want Eve to be disappointed in her, although not in as many words.
“I’ll go talk to her. I’ll be back down soon.”
Eve disappeared upstairs. Faith busied herself tidying up the lounge room while she waited. She and Eve would have to have a conversation about Leah soon, but with Eve so clearly worn down from work, now wasn’t a good time. Which also meant their other serious conversation, about the events of the morning, might have to wait too.
When Eve returned, she collapsed onto the couch next to Faith. “Christ, this has been a long day.”
“Want to talk about it?” Faith asked.
“Well, aside from things at work getting busy, Harrison is being difficult. I’m taking the twins to see my parents in England next week, and he’s up in arms about me leaving the country with them. He wants to get his lawyers involved.” Eve threw her hands up. “He spent most of the twins’ lives barely acknowledging their existence, and suddenly he wants to be a father to them. And now this with Leah. She’s upset about something, but she refuses to tell me what. Did she say anything to you?”
Faith hesitated. “Not specifically.”
“What is it?” Eve asked.
“I have an idea of why she’s upset, but I don’t know if it’s my place to say anything. ”
“Go ahead. I won’t hold it against you.”
Faith chose her words carefully. “Leah, she feels like she’s under a lot of pressure from you.”
“I suspected as much,” Eve said. “It’s true, I push her. I want her and Ethan to make the most of their potential, that’s all.”
“I think she feels like you put more pressure on her than Ethan. That you compare her to him. That you’re disappointed in her when she doesn’t measure up to her brother.”
Eve was silent for a moment. “That’s not how I feel. Not at all. I didn’t know Leah felt that way. She’s never said anything to me.”
“Well, she didn’t say it to me in those words. But she sees that you push her harder than Ethan, and she’s afraid of disappointing you.”
“I never meant for this to happen.” Eve rubbed her temples with her fingertips. “It’s true. I’ve always put more pressure on Leah than Ethan. But it’s for her own good. I want her to be able to choose her own future.”
“And she’ll be able to do that. You’re giving Leah and Ethan every opportunity a child could possibly have.”
“It’s not just about opportunities. I need to make sure that Leah has all the tools she needs to do whatever she wants with her life. Ethan, his future is already secure. Harrison is grooming him to be the heir to his company and his family fortune. Even if Ethan doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps, his status will open every door for him. But Leah? If Harrison and his family have their way, there’s only one path for her, and it’s a narrow one. They expect her to grow up, get married, pop out children, and be the perfect housewife, living only to serve her husband. Just like they expected of Harrison’s sisters. Just like they expected of me.”
Faith knew what that was like. Her own family had expected the same thing of her.
“If that’s what Leah wants, that’s fine,” Eve said. “But I don’t want her growing up thinking that’s her only option. I want her to know that there are other paths she can take. I want to put her in a position where she can succeed in spite of her father and his family. I need Leah to know that she can build a fulfilling life for herself, one that doesn’t revolve around her family. And I need her to know that she’s not less than the men in her life.”
A pained expression crossed Eve’s face. “Everything I’ve done, all the pressure I’ve been putting on her, was so she wouldn’t grow up thinking she’s lesser. Instead, I’ve made her think she doesn’t measure up to her brother. I need to fix this. I can’t have her growing up believing she’s a disappointment. I’ll talk to her. Apologize. Lay off her a little, especially with the extra schoolwork. Clearly, it’s making her miserable. Who knows what that will do to her grades?”
“Leah’s already ahead of most kids her age. And she has lots of other talents too. Her violin teacher is impressed with her progress. He says she has a gift for music.”
“Really? I haven’t heard her play in a long time.” Eve sighed. “I suppose it’s because I’m never home these days. Juggling work and the kids, it isn’t easy.”
“Don’t forget you have help,” Faith said.
“I do. The best help I could ask for.”
Eve gave Faith a small smile before folding her hands in her lap, her expression growing serious. Faith knew that face. It meant business .
“We should talk about this morning,” Eve said.
“Right.” Faith had been afraid to bring it up.
“Truthfully, I’ve been so busy today that I haven’t had a chance to think everything through.”
“Maybe it’s better that way,” Faith said. “Not thinking about it. Just doing what you feel.”
“That’s easy for you to say. My situation is complicated.” Eve crossed her legs. “I’ve been separated from Harrison for a few years now, but our divorce was only finalized recently. We weren’t on good terms when we separated, and we both brought lots of assets to the marriage, so it took a long time to untangle everything. We’re still in the middle of this custody battle. I’m on the verge of convincing Harrison to give me primary custody of the twins, but he’s unwilling to compromise on anything else. His lawyers are sharks. They won’t hesitate to use any ammunition they can find to paint me as an unfit mother. And they already have plenty of that.”
Eve, an unfit mother? The idea was crazy. What could Harrison possibly have on Eve to suggest that?
But Eve didn’t elaborate. “So, I need to be on my best behavior. And my lawyers have advised me that it’s in my best interests to avoid dating and relationships until the custody situation is resolved. And under no circumstances am I to bring a lover or partner around the children. I need to be able to show I can provide the twins with a stable home environment, and I need to demonstrate that my children are my priority, not my romantic life. Being involved with someone so soon after the divorce will really hurt my case. Having a relationship with my children’s nanny, a woman who works for me, is not a good look. ”
“Oh.” Faith stifled her disappointment. “I understand. I wouldn’t want to make things any harder for you.”
“On the other hand, I’ve spent most of my adult life being on my best behavior. Being that perfect wife and mother that everyone demanded I be. I’m tired of it.” Something spark
ed behind Eve’s eyes. “And I’m very good at being discreet.”
Faith smiled. “So am I.”
Eve leaned in closer and brought her hand up to Faith’s cheek. Faith thought Eve was going to kiss her. Instead, she asked a simple question.
“What do you want from me, Faith?”
“I… don’t know.” Faith chewed her lip in thought. “When I saw you at Lilith’s Den, it was like something inside me awakened. But I don’t know what that something is.”
“You said the other night that you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about me. The ‘woman in the corset.’”
“Yes.” Now it seemed so silly to think of that side of Eve as a whole other person.
“When you thought about that woman, what did you want from her?” Eve asked. “What appealed to you about her?”
“I think it was about what she represented. An idea.” Faith paused. She didn’t know how to put it into words.
“Surrender?” Eve said.
Was that what it was? Was that what Faith wanted?
“I can show you what that’s like,” Eve said. “That surrender. But you’ll have to show me that you can give me your submission in return.”
Faith nodded. “I can do that.”
A smile crossed Eve’s lips. “We’ll find out if that’s true very soon.”
Chapter Ten
C an you go to the house? Eve’s message read. I need you to do something for me.
Faith pried herself up from her couch and stretched out her arms. Eve and the twins were somewhere in the English countryside, visiting Eve’s parents who had moved there years ago. Faith was taking full advantage of her time off. She’d spent the day at home doing absolutely nothing. But apparently Eve needed her, and she wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.
After replying to Eve’s message, Faith got into her car and drove to the house. It was late evening, and the roads were clear. She arrived in record time.
As soon as she walked through the front door, her phone rang. Eve.
Faith picked it up. “I’m at the house.”
“I know,” Eve said. “The camera in the doorbell.”
“Right.” Faith had forgotten about it. “What do you need me to do?”
“First, I need you to go to my bedroom. I’ll wait. ”
The other end of the line fell silent. Faith headed to Eve’s bedroom. Even with Eve’s permission, she felt an anxious thrill going into her boss’s room.
“I’m in your bedroom,” Faith said.
“I should let you know, there’s a camera in the room,” Eve said. “Hidden in the alarm clock.”
Faith looked at the small clock on the nightstand. It looked like a regular alarm clock. She wouldn’t have known it was a camera if Eve hadn’t told her. Had it been in the room when Faith went into Eve’s closet that day? Had Eve watched Faith snoop through her clothes?
Eve read Faith’s mind. “I got it after an incident with a nosy babysitter, but I could never bring myself to use it. Spying on the help just seems wrong. But before I left for my trip I thought of a much more creative use for my nannycam.”
Before Faith could ask what she meant, Eve gave her another command.
“Go into the closet and look to your left.”
Faith entered Eve’s walk-in closet. Hanging from a velvet coat hanger by the door was a baby doll chemise. It was made of sheer white fabric that was so fine and light it was almost transparent.
“Do you see it?” Eve asked.
“Yes,” Faith said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Put it on.”
“Now? Why?”
“Because my parents have taken the twins out for the evening. Right now, I’m all alone in the house, with nothing to do,” Eve said. “I need some entertainment. You’re going to put on a show for me. ”
It all clicked in Faith’s mind. The camera. The lingerie. Warmth crept up her body. This was not the kind of task she expected to be doing for Eve this evening. Faith certainly wasn’t complaining. Since the other night, when she and Eve had resolved to keep everything between them a secret, they’d barely had a moment alone. An illicit kiss here and there was all they’d been able to manage. Those fleeting kisses had only made Faith want Eve so much more.
She peered out at the room, her eyes falling on the hidden camera on the nightstand. “You’re watching me?”
“Not yet,” Eve said. “I want you to get ready first. Then the fun will begin.”
Faith smiled. “What kind of fun?”
“So many questions.” Faith could almost hear Eve shaking her head through the phone. “I told you you’d have to show me that you can submit to me. That you can obey my instructions. That you can surrender control. That is, if you still want that.”
“Yes,” Faith said. “I do.”
“Then you’re going to do exactly as I say. Now, put on the lingerie. And nothing else.”
Faith put down the phone and slipped out of her jeans and t-shirt. When she was down to her panties, she took the chemise off the hanger. The delicate fabric was weightless in her hands. It was extremely short, and it didn’t come with a pair of panties.
Heat rose through her. She stripped off her panties and slipped into the chemise, then turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror. The chemise only fell a few inches past her hipbones, barely enough to cover her. Through the sheer fabric, she could see the outlines of her nipples and the triangle of neatly trimmed hair at the apex of her thighs. Eve would be able to see everything.
Here goes nothing.
“I’m done,” Faith said.
“Go back into the bedroom and put the camera at the end of the bed,” Eve said. “Put your phone on speaker while you’re at it.”
Faith did as she was told. “Are you watching now?”
“Not yet. There are a few more things I need you to do first. Do you see the drawers under the bed?”
“Yes.” The king-sized bed had several drawers built into the frame underneath the mattress for storage. Up close, Faith could see that they had locks on them.
“You’ll need the key,” Eve said. “It’s in the bottom drawer of the dresser.”
Faith went over to the dresser and retrieved the key. “Got it.” She was starting to feel like she was on some kind of scavenger hunt.
“Open the first drawer on the right-hand side of the bed,” Eve said. “Inside, you’ll find a long box made of wood.”
Faith unlocked the drawer and pulled it open. Sure enough, there was a long, thin box made of dark wood. And scattered in the velvet-lined drawer next to it were a dozen whips and canes, all of different lengths and sizes.
Faith stared. All of this had been in the house, right under her nose, the entire time she’d been working here?
How had she ever thought Eve was this boring, proper woman?
Faith glanced at the locked drawer next to it. There were even more drawers on the other side of the bed. Did they all contain kinky toys too ?
“What’s taking you so long?” Eve asked. “I hope you’re not snooping.”
“I’m not,” Faith said. “I’ve found the box.”
“Open it.”
Faith placed the box on the bed. Inside was a long metal bar with a leather cuff attached to each end. “What’s this?”
“You can’t figure that out for yourself?”
It was obvious that it was some kind of restraint, but the cuffs were too big for Faith’s wrists. Not that she’d be able to cuff her wrists by herself. And the bar was so long.
Oh. “These are for my ankles,” Faith said.
“That’s right,” Eve said. “It’s a spreader bar. Get onto the bed and put it on.”
Faith climbed onto the bed and sat down in the center of it. The bed was so vast and soft that she felt like it was swallowing her up. She positioned her phone on the pillow and set about cuffing her ankles.
Once she had the first cuff on, she understood why it was called a ‘spreader bar�
�. The long bar between the two cuffs would hold her legs wide apart. With nothing underneath the chemise Faith wore, Eve would have quite the view.
“Are you done?” Eve asked.
“Almost.” Faith fastened the second cuff around her ankle. It wasn’t easy. With her legs held apart, she had to stretch to her limits to reach her ankle.
When she was finished, she pulled the chemise down, covering as much of herself as she could. She wasn’t shy. She simply wanted to draw things out, to reveal herself slowly to Eve. Eve wanted a show?
Faith would give her a show .
“I’m done,” she said.
Eve’s voice rang out from the phone next to her. “Then it’s time to begin.”
“Are you watching now?”
“I am. It’s amazing how advanced technology is these days. I can see you as clearly as if I was in the room with you.”
A thrill raced through Faith’s body. “Do you like what you see?”
“I do.” Eve’s voice fell to a whisper. “That lingerie looks lovely on you. You have no idea how hot this makes me, seeing you in something I gave you, all laid out for me on my bed.”
Faith bit her lip. Eve’s sultry voice set off a thirst within her. “What do you need me to do for you, Eve? I’ll do anything you want.”
Eve chuckled softly. “Careful. You have no idea what goes on in the depths of my imagination. There are so many wicked things I’d love to do to you. For now, we’re going to start with something simple.”
Faith glanced at the phone, eagerly awaiting Eve’s command.
“Do you ever touch yourself?” Eve asked. “Make yourself come?”
“You mean—” Faith’s face grew hot. “Yes. Sometimes.”
“Sometimes? When?”
“At night. Before I go to sleep.”
“I want you to show me how you play with yourself when you’re all alone. Show me what you do late at night, under the covers.”