Lina rolled her eyes, pushed me away with a light grin and left the bottle in the cart. She made sure to bend over more than necessary so her dress would cling to her hips.
"Same old. You love to boss me around and make me hot and bothered in public places."
I smirked at her.
"Is that a complaint? We both know you love being teased into submission. Now, we'd better go if you're done trying to pay me back with my own poison to earn a punishment later."
After a little spicy argument at the checkout, I paid the bill and we headed out into the ice-cold morning. Lina gave me the directions to her address, and five minutes later we were standing on the wooden porch with our bags.
I looked around while she took the keys out of her purse. Her house was right on the coast, close enough to town. Still, the area had a sense of wildness to it. It opened onto a white sandy lot covered in marram grass, overgrown rocks with a view to the ocean. A small pathway led down to the beach itself. It must've been fantastic to be here in the high summer season, with nothing but blue sky and infinite ocean washing the sand below.
I'd have appreciated the austere beauty of the landscape more if it hadn't been for the vicious winds blowing our way. Waves crashed against the shore with a threatening roar. The clouds gathering on the horizon were slowly spreading across the sky. Lightning flashed for a fraction of a second and distant thunder followed it.
Well, we'll be stuck inside for a long time, I thought with a smirk.
Lina opened the sliding door just in time before the first raindrops fell on the porch.
"Bikini weather," she mumbled as we brought the luggage into a sort of living and dining room combo.
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," I said, carrying two of the grocery bags. "You know, it may seem strange but I've never been much of a beach lover. Indoor activities are much more fun."
"You miss the finer things in life." Lina laughed, took her coat off and hung it on a hook on the wall.
"What can I say?" I shrugged, approached her from behind and hugged her. "I've got all I need right here."
She let out a happy sigh when my lips pressed to the side of her neck. I crossed my palms over her stomach and pulled her closer.
"This place is lovely and it suits you."
Indeed. The house was everything I had come to associate with Lina--simplicity, and elegance. It was smaller and cozier than I expected, a one-storey building with an inner patio. The open beams, high ceilings and the panoramic windows on all sides of the room made it look spacious. The walls and most of the furniture were in whites and grays. A few details kept the room from being too cold, such as the large dining room table in light brown, the paintings on the walls, and the potted plants. Two mustard colored leather armchairs were guarding the fireplace on both sides. The rectangular table next to the couch had some unlit candles on top.
I could picture Lina sitting on that couch, barefoot, with a glass of wine in hand and engrossed in reading on a lonely evening. Every now and then she'd raise her head to look at the ocean outside and take a sip.
Another thought came to me, how I'd make love to her there or give her a rough fuck on all fours while she was watching the crashing waves outside.
"Thank you." She leaned her head against my shoulder. "Last time I was here it was a week or so before we started seeing each other. If I chose to sell the house now, I'd get double what I paid for it. I don't think I'll ever do that, though, unless it's absolutely necessary."
Lina went quiet and slid her fingers across mine.
"It's your safe harbor, isn't it?" I kissed her temple and pressed her closer to me. "You come here when the world is too much and you need time for yourself."
"Stop reading my thoughts." She nudged me in the ribs and turned around to face me. "Yes, actually. I've never brought anyone here before."
"Really?" I held her tighter in my arms. Lina's cheeks turned pink and she looked away. "You never used the house for a romantic getaway? I always thought you were a woman who made the best of her resources."
"I never brought my female friends here either. Very few people know of the house's existence. I don't know..." She placed her palms on my shoulders and smiled. "From the moment I saw it I felt it was a place just for me. The one place where I could truly relax, away from everyone's eyes. Well... before you."
A pleasant warmth rose in my chest. I couldn't resist and kissed her deeply. My fingers rested on the back of her neck and massaged it while I tasted her lips.
"Thank you, Lina," I said and caressed her cheek. "That means a lot to me. I appreciate you wanted us to come here."
"If we decide to stay together, we should learn to trust each other more. I thought it was a good first step to bring you here."
"I love how you're thinking." I grinned and my hand slid down to her ass. "Would it be a desecration of your special place if I fuck you on every surface in it?"
She slapped my shoulder and laughed when I grabbed her wrists and brought them together. She didn't protest and smiled wider.
"I'm trying to be soulful and you ruin my efforts."
Her pouting was so sexy.
We brought the bags of groceries into her kitchen. It was a wide and long room with a window overlooking the patio, in the same grays and whites as the living room. It was a little cold and impersonal but it had everything necessary. The interior wouldn't stop me from doing some terrible things to the lady of the house over those pristine counters.
Lina kept yawning while she was taking the vegetables out of the paper bags. I told her to go refresh herself and take a nap while I was preparing our lunch. She tried to protest but it was a token resistance. After I threatened her with punishment she wouldn't enjoy, Lina gave in and retreated to one of the two bedrooms.
I heard the stream of the shower while I was putting the food in the fridge. It was still difficult to get over how freakishly normal our getaway was.
Oh well, I'd better not push my luck.
A few hours later, Lina and I sat down next to each other at the dining table close to one of the panoramic windows. She set up plates with salad, fish and homemade bread along with the promised small dose of wine.
She looked refreshed and dug into the food like a she-wolf. She finished her salad in less time than it took me to cut my fish and clean its bones.
"Wow, someone brought their appetite," I teased.
"I hadn't realized how hungry I was." She helped herself to more salad and took a large bite of the fish. "The last two weeks I've been surviving on coffee and morsels of food."
"I told you a long time ago I should fix your habits." I tutted with disapproval and stared at her. "I know you have a strong sense of duty and work ethics..."
"Do I?" Lina cut another large bite. "We broke up because I wanted to throw away all kinds of duties and work ethics, except to you as my Master."
"I thought we agreed on that. You were delirious. I'd not have taken your words any more seriously than if you had told me you had suddenly found God and decided to become a nun." The thought of her in nun's clothes made me quite horny, for some weird reason.
"So yes..." I cleared my throat after brushing those thoughts off. "I know you take your job seriously but you have to take better care of yourself if you don't want to burnout before you're even forty."
Lina sighed and poured herself a glass of water.
"The problem is not that I work too much. Work is the only thing that keeps me sane. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have the company to think of. I know it's not the healthiest solution but it's all I've got at the moment."
Her words sent a pang of guilt and sadness through my chest.
"I know. You're doing great no matter what you think." I moved my foot next to hers under the table. "You haven't gone back to smoking, have you?"
She shook her head and answered without hesitation.
"That part of my life is gone for good. Lists, schedules, plans and time managem
ent apps are my only vices."
That made me chuckle. Of course, I couldn't expect anything less from someone like her. I took her hand in my palm and squeezed it lightly.
"You should be proud of yourself."
Her fingers quivered in my light grasp and she gave me a nervous smile. I brought my lips to her ear and whispered, "If you ever need help with scheduling, let me know. I used to be a hell of a great personal assistant to one demanding slave driver of a boss."
"You jester." Lina rolled her eyes and mimicked my move under the table. Her bare leg pressed against mine in a slow, teasing way. "I thought you didn't want to micromanage another person or have a 24/7 submissive?"
"In a way, that's what you used to be," I said and went back to eating my fish before it had gone cold.
Lina drank the rest of her wine and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"How so?"
"Well, we didn't limit our relationship to bedroom games. You had certain rituals you performed for me and had strict orders. Keeping the butt plug, not wearing panties at work, that sort of thing." I filled my water glass while I thought over my response. "I held you accountable if you failed to obey my commands. So in a way, you were my 24/7 submissive. We just didn't have a total power exchange agreement."
She let out a groan of despair and rubbed her forehead.
"I can't figure out this lifestyle or how I fit into it even after so much time."
I shrugged.
"It's not like we have to find ourselves a box to mark our status in and always abide by it. We don't owe anyone explanations on how our relationship works, what we do together or what we call it. Besides, you were never the type to do things the usual way."
"Yes, just..." She clasped her fingers and admitted shyly, "I always thought of 24/7 as the type of scenario when I give you total control of my life and I have to surrender all my rights."
"That could be part of the deal but it's more along the lines of total power exchange." I got up from my seat, walked behind her and rubbed her shoulders gently. "That's another reason I didn't take your offer of being a slave seriously. I was sure you didn't have a clue what you were talking about."
Lina shivered when I said that. I kissed her neck and said in a quiet, soothing voice, "There are too many unknowns for us, pet. I don't want us to plan anything." My palms rested comfortably on her shoulders. "If we continue our relationship past this weekend, I'd want to include more rules for you. I'll never try to change your business decisions or force you into something you hate. The sole purpose would be to make your life less stressful."
"It's too early to say what I want," Lina started but I cut her off with a finger on her lips.
"That's totally fine. We'll take things slowly and talk them over. It's just some food for thought."
She nodded again and the tension on her face faded. I returned to my seat and we continued with our lunch.
"It's tempting to try it. Sometimes I feel like I can't breathe."
"I'm not surprised." I finished the wine and something flashed in my brain. "Speaking of work... how is everything going in ChaosTech? I should've have asked you sooner but with all the drama going on I didn't even think of it."
"Things are slowly picking up but we have a long way to go."
Lina and I spent the rest of lunch talking about the company, the clients they'd lost and the repercussions of the scandal. We discussed the projects I'd been involved with. It saddened me to find out some of them were canceled.
She told me many of my old co-workers had quit as they didn't want to be on the sinking ship. Diane, the designer who had a crush on me, had also left shortly after Lina came back to work.
"It wasn't pretty. She made sure to give me a piece of her mind before she took her personal possessions." Lina shrugged, moved her plate away and chuckled. "She even called me Mrs. Robinson."
Given my last conversations with Diane, I shouldn't have been shocked. Still, I sat there staring at Lina with wide eyes, shaking my head.
"That's just... low. I know she had feelings for me but..." I sighed.
Lina took my hand and kept talking with mild amusement.
"I'd understand her anger if she thought we weren't professional. It was clear to see she was just jealous and treated me like a romantic rival. I think she couldn't decide if you were a greedy social climber or a victim of sexual harassment. No worries, I put her in her place."
"It was still very petty of her." I ran my fingers through my hair. Suddenly, I wished for another glass of wine but knew that would be unwise.
"Thomas..." Lina cleared her throat. "No matter what happens between us over the weekend, I really want you to come back and work for me. The people who had a problem with you are gone. You were a valuable member of our team and we all miss you."
"I appreciate that Lina, but..." I shook my head. "I'm not ready to go back. Right now I'm in a pretty vulnerable position and... well, I'll do some freelancing before I decide what to do next. Let's handle things one at a time."
"Sure," Lina said. "I just want you to know that bridge isn't burnt. You're always welcome to come back."
Her voice trailed away, and both of us stayed silent, holding hands and looking at each other. I was about to speak when the deafening roar outside shattered our peace. Lina trembled and jumped in her seat when the thunder roared again and again. The sound was stronger with every clap. It'd been raining the entire afternoon but right then, the raindrops were falling like bullets. They bombarded the wooden porch and hit the windows, in rhythm with the angry thunder outside.
Lina looked around and frowned with anxiety in her eyes.
"It's okay," I said quietly and caressed her wrist as she squirmed on the chair. She stared out the window at the thunderclouds that hung over the raging ocean waves. Her fingers dug deep into mine and she tensed for a long moment without realizing how strong her grip was.
The skyline was getting blurrier as if the clouds were becoming one with the dark green waves. Strong, white lightning flashed across the horizon, covering it with its blinding web. Lina gasped and grabbed my hand even tighter.
"Hey..." I caressed her face and turned her to look at me. Her blue eyes were a little glazed but the panic episode was a mild one. Her tense grip loosened and she relaxed her jaw. "Lina, it's okay. You're safe in here. The storm can't reach us. It's too far."
"I'm sorry." She blushed and rested her cheek against my palm.
"I didn't know you were afraid of storms," I said gently and caressed her bottom lip with a thumb.
"I'm not." Lina stared up at me. Her earlier catatonic gaze had gone. The blue in her eyes was shimmering with emotion. The slight quiver of her lips made her look so fragile and lost. "Sometimes small things trigger me. It's embarrassing."
I got up from the chair, pulled on her wrist and spoke in a soft yet commanding tone.
"Come here."
Lina followed me without a word of protest. She smoothed the lines of her dress once I helped her up and stared at me curiously.
I led her to the window next to the dining table and placed her hands on the cool glass, over her head. The tension in her spine became tangible and she tried to move away.
"Relax." I pressed my body close to hers and aligned my fingers over hers on the smooth surface. "I'm here, and this is just a storm. It will pass sooner than you think."
I traced the outline of her hands and pinned them against the window. Lina was staring at the fierce waves outside while I kissed her neck.
"I've been meaning to ask you something, pet," I said. "About that time at The Fortress when I wanted to put handcuffs on you. Was it just that time or is bondage a hard limit for you now? What happened?"
"I don't know," she said after a long silence. The raindrops were crawling down the glass, sliding between our interlaced fingers. "I was terrified of the handcuffs. That's all I know. The thought still makes me uncomfortable."
Her voice grew low and edgy and tension rippled in
her shoulders, against my chest.
"I think you know better than me why I may have a problem with handcuffs, though. Remember? You were there."
Another thunderclap echoed. I pulled her away from the glass and spun her around so we were facing each other. My hands rested on the small of her waist, right over her ass.
So soft.
"Yes, I know. I can see why you'd be terrified of ropes and cuffs. If you make them a hard limit, I'll never try to persuade you to change your mind. However..."
My hands found themselves on her wrists again. I raised them above her head and pinned them against the window. She gasped lightly when I moved even closer and cornered her in the narrow space, one knee sliding between her thighs.
"I remember the last time we had sex before we broke up. I held your wrists behind your back and didn't let you move. In The Fortress I restrained you just like that. Today I did it a few times. You never looked like you had any problems when I held you down. Even in the gas station. So... can you tell me why that it?"
"It might not make any sense," she said with a nervous smile.
"I'm sure it will make a lot of sense to me, pet. Just talk." I squeezed her
"I... well... when you restrain me, hold either my wrists or ankles, you're focused on keeping me still, not letting me move." Lina shifted her hands while she was speaking. "Your attention goes entirely into that. You would've harder time to reach for the cuffs if you're busy to restrain me with hands. If you end up trying to abuse me, I'll have a better chance of fighting you off. I don't mean I'm afraid you'll do it. I'm scared of letting anyone put me in bondage."
I remembered all the times I'd used rope to keep her spread-eagled. Her eyes were always swimming with emotion varying from shame to sheer happiness. The more I turned her flesh pink with teasing or a whip, the brighter she glowed. I loved keeping her on the border between release and the agony of all sensations, to alternate between pleasure and pain. To push her, and take her to places beyond reason and logic.
To watch her beg and succumb to insanity, to see her break was the ultimate turn on.
Back then, I knew I could put all the broken pieces in their place.
Unorthodox Chemistry Page 25