Evan was more into the Master/slave thing than she’d expected, and while the scenes had been extremely intense and satisfying, they’d also left her with a strange feeling of unease she didn’t entirely understand.
As she mixed olive oil, vinegar and spices together for the salad dressing, she thought about what was bothering her. The primary issue was how different Evan was as “Master Evan” versus just Evan, the sexy, fun guy she’d gotten to know over the past week. And while it was thrilling to always call him Sir and surrender to whatever delicious, diabolical torture he came up with, at the same time it was frustrating to give up so much control.
It was tedious to ask for permission to do anything, and while the feeding thing was kind of sexy in a way, it was also frustrating. She’d had to exert all her self-will during their meals not to grab the fork out of his hand. Plus, it changed the tenor of their meals, which, before the experiment, had been a time when they’d talked easily about their lives and travel adventures. Now, he just fed her and himself, his focus on his task almost grim.
That was it—that was the crux of the matter. This Master/slave thing was too freaking formal. It went against her grain, and she suspected, against Evan’s as well.
She glanced over at Evan, who sat like a king at the kitchen table, not lifting a finger to help her get dinner ready. He had brought the bottle of red wine and the glasses to the table—his total contribution to the preparations. Normal Ruby wouldn’t have put up with such nonsense, but slave Ruby understood he was still engaged in the fantasy. Apparently Masters sat around playing on their iPads while their slave girls did all the work.
The timer dinged for the pasta, and she carried the hot, heavy pot to the sink, moving carefully in the stupid hobble chain. She poured out the boiling water slowly, careful not to let any of the scalding liquid hit her bare skin.
That was another thing. Being naked was all very well, but being constantly naked… It took away some of the allure. Sometimes a little clothing was sexier than nothing at all.
She brought all the food to the table, moving slowly back and forth in her chains. Evan was watching her now, his beautiful gray-green eyes fixed on her, his lips slightly parted. He was gorgeous—she had to give him that. And while he was clearly aware of his own charms, he wasn’t a dick about it.
Food on the table, she pulled back the chair across from him and started to slide onto it out of habit. He immediately stiffened and frowned. “Slaves don’t sit on the furniture,” he intoned.
Ruby couldn’t bite back her sigh of annoyance. “Come on, Evan, can’t we—”
“Slave Ruby,” he barked, pointing imperiously at the cushion on the floor. “You know the rules. Obey them or be punished.”
That depends if the punishment’s sexy enough, she wanted to quip, but didn’t quite dare. Instead, she moved to the cushion and lowered herself carefully to her knees, the process made awkward by the hobble chain.
Evan prepared their plates. “This smells delicious,” he said as he ladled sauce over the pasta. He twirled some noodles around his fork, breaking off a piece of meatball with the tines, and then lifted the large bite to Ruby’s mouth.
She was hungry, and she leaned forward eagerly, her lips parted.
As he lowered the fork, the whole mess fell from the fork and onto her chest, the hot sauce burning her skin. “Ouch,” she cried, jerking back reflexively.
“Shit,” Evan said at the same time. “I’m sorry.” He grabbed a napkin and began dabbing ineffectually at her, which caused the noodles to slide down between her breasts and onto her thighs. Evan reached out again, his elbow catching a glass of wine in the process and sending it hurtling to the floor. While the glass didn’t break, the wine went everywhere, splashing over Ruby and alarming the cats, both of whom had been hovering nearby in case of dropped treats.
Evan leaped up, pushing the table away from the bench, and causing the second glass to topple over, spilling its contents into the bowl of spaghetti. “Goddamn it,” he cursed, grabbing the empty goblet as it rolled toward the edge of the table, and catching it just in time.
As the cats streaked away with yowls of alarm, Ruby and Evan stared at one another, the corners of their mouths quirking upward. In a moment, they both burst out laughing.
“I’m so sorry, Ruby,” Evan said between guffaws as he helped her to her feet. “I ruined the meal.”
“Hey, no big deal,” she managed, between chortles of glee that verged on hysteria, she was laughing so hard. “I was thinking when I made it that the sauce could use a little more red wine.”
They held onto each other as they continued to laugh. Eventually they got a hold of themselves, though they continued to grin at each other.
Ruby wiped away the tears of laughter and shook back her hair. “I better clean up this mess.” She took a step forward, intent on getting the mop from the pantry closet, and forgot she still wore the hobble chain. She stumbled forward with a yelp.
She would have fallen onto her face if Evan hadn’t been there to catch her in his arms. “I hate that damn chain,” she blurted without thinking. “Can you take the fucking thing off, for crying out loud?”
Evan’s smile fell away. “Is that how a slave speaks to her Master?”
“Maybe not,” Ruby said, exasperated. “But it’s how I’m speaking to you.”
He took a step back, holding her by the shoulders as he stared down at her face, his expression grave. Then the quirk that had lifted his lips a moment before was back, and he grinned, shaking his head. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, dropping to a crouch in front of her with a chuckle. “Right away, ma’am.”
~*~
“It’s not working, is it?” Ruby said as they cleaned up the mess and piled the dishes in the sink. “This whole Master/slave thing. I mean, it’s been super sexy but it’s not…” she trailed off, looking anxious, as if what she was saying was going to upset him.
“It’s not who we are,” Evan supplied, relieved she’d been the first to say it, as he hadn’t wanted to let her down. “It’s definitely hot, dominating you like that as part of our bedroom play, but this 24/7 thing, the rules and protocol”—he made a face—“it’s so much work.” He winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. They made it sound like he hadn’t enjoyed the fantasy, and he had—to a point.
“Wait, I didn’t mean it to sound like that,” he rushed on. “You’re the sexiest slave girl ever, and I loved being the one to bring your fantasy to life, but I—”
She stopped him midsentence by flinging her arms around his neck and pulling him down for an impassioned kiss. When they parted for breath, she said, “It’s okay, Evan. Really. We’re on the same page with this. You were a fabulous Master—really sexy and dominant and just like I fantasized. And like you said, it’s really hot in short bursts. But this 24/7 thing”—she wrinkled her nose in that adorable way she had—“it’s just not who we are.”
“No,” Evan agreed. “You’re way too much of a smartass to be a proper slave.”
“Hey, who’re you calling a smartass?” she retorted with a grin, giving him a shove with both hands on his chest.
He caught her wrists, holding them tight. “You, my sexy, smartass gypsy girl,” he said with a laugh, pulling her close. “Now, let’s go out to dinner. I’m starving.”
Chapter 11
“Mmm?” Ruby murmured, not wanting to let go of her dream. The annoying sound persisted, however, yanking her from sleep. Sun was streaming into the bedroom window, and the bed beside her was empty.
She realized the buzzing sound was her cell phone. She vaguely remembered that Evan had tried to rouse her sometime around the crack of dawn, but all she could recall was his leaning over her, already dressed, to kiss her on the nose and say goodbye.
She fumbled for the phone on the nightstand and pulled it to her, already smiling at the thought of him.
After a nice dinner, they’d returned to the house and tumbled into bed. She was surprised at herse
lf. Usually after such an intense interaction as they’d shared over the past twenty-four hours, she would have needed a break, but hanging out with Evan seemed as natural as breathing. It was as if they’d always known one another.
Maybe Evan would be her next relationship? He’d been clear he was only in town for a short while. Maybe she’d tag along to wherever he was headed next—if he didn’t mind.
They’d made love several times over the course of last night, and all of it vanilla—nary a rope or flogger in sight. It was actually a refreshing change after the intensity of the Master/slave experiment. There was only so much bondage, domination, sadism and masochism a girl could handle.
Ruby stared down at her phone, but instead of seeing Evan’s name, Janice Martin appeared on the screen. Were the daily texts and videos not enough for the cat-crazed couple? Did they now want to FaceTime with the cats?
“Hello?” she said, hoping she didn’t sound like she’d just woken up, since it was definitely past the cats’ breakfast time.
“Thank god,” Janice cried, alarming Ruby. “I finally got you. What’s happened? Where have you been?”
“What?” Ruby hoisted herself upright on the pillows. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been calling since last night. I’ve been frantic with worry.”
It was then Ruby saw the three missed calls and four missed texts. Shit.
“I must have missed your calls. I’m so sorry I worried you. Everything’s fine here. Binky and Cuddles are doing great.”
“Thank heavens,” Janice said dramatically. “But the damage is done. We’re coming home.”
“I’m sorry, what? I’m not following you.”
“I said, we’re coming home. I told Frank two weeks was just too long, but he wouldn’t listen. When I didn’t hear back from you, naturally I assumed the worst. I’m glad to know you were just being irresponsible, rather than lying dead somewhere while my poor cats were left alone, starving and hysterical. Nevertheless, I simply cannot be without Binky and Cuddles another day. We’ve booked a flight for first thing in the morning. That was the soonest we could get out.”
Ruby blew out a breath, fully awake now. She’d been around people like Frank and Janice before. Having never had children of their own, their pets were their surrogate babies. She could hear in the resolute tone of Janice’s voice that no amount of reassurance was going change her mind.
Rather than responding to the comment about being irresponsible, she said calmly, “All right. What time will you be arriving? I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
Janice gave her the flight information, and Ruby promised to be there. Setting down the phone with a sigh, she climbed out of bed and padded to the bathroom. She used the toilet, brushed her teeth and took a quick shower.
She didn’t like to think she’d upset the Martins, but she recognized Janice Martin was a little unhinged. It was quite possible, even if Ruby hadn’t missed the calls, that Janice would have found some other reason to cut their trip short.
Normally such a sudden change in plans wouldn’t have fazed her, but now there was a guy in the picture. He was still around for another week, and she wanted to be, too. Toweling off and combing out her wet hair, she pulled on a T-shirt and jeans and went downstairs to see to the precious felines.
Janice would have been pleased to know they were not at all hysterical or starving. They both seemed perfectly content. Binky, the toes of her front right paw splayed, was giving herself a meticulous tongue pedicure while Cuddles busily swiped at the fake mouse that hung from a string off the cat tree.
As Ruby entered the sunroom, Binky leaped gracefully from the bay windowsill and approached to rub against her ankles, while Cuddles lifted her delicate face toward Ruby and gave a plaintive meow.
They followed her into the kitchen, where she opened a can of the gourmet cat food specially imported from Denmark and spooned it into their china bowls. She had brought her phone with her, and as her coffee was brewing, she texted Allie. “I know I owe you an update on the M/s experiment. Oh, and I just got evicted. Crazed cat parents are on their way home.”
As she waited for Allie’s reply, she texted Evan. “I have a vague memory of your leaving sometime before dawn, but I can’t for the life of me remember what you said.”
Evan responded almost immediately. “Putting out a few last minute fires for Bob. Some issues with permits and other crap. Stay naked and needy for me. I’ll expect you on your knees when I return.”
Ruby laughed, shaking her head. “Dream on,” she texted, including a winking smiley face. She hit return and then added, “I’ll probably head over to Allie’s today. Good luck with the fires.” She would tell him later about the eviction, once she figured things out.
She poured a mug of coffee and added some cream. Just as she was taking her first sip, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and took the call. “Hey, Allie.”
“Finally,” Allie almost shouted into the phone. “I’ve been dying to know how the whole Master/slave thing is going, but I didn’t want to ruin the mood by texting. So, tell me everything right this second. Oh,” she added as an apparent afterthought, “and what’s this about you being evicted? What’s going on over there?”
“Everything’s fine,” Ruby said. “I’ll answer your questions in reverse order.” She took another sip of her coffee. “The Martins, well, specifically Janice Martin, are having cat withdrawal symptoms. They’ve actually cut their trip short because I missed some of their phone calls, and Janice freaked out and assumed the cats and I were lying dead in a pool of blood or something.”
“But that’s crazy.”
“Yep. Apparently crazy is her typical MO, at least when it comes to the cats. I talked to her this morning. While she was relieved to know her babies are fine, the damage, to quote her, is done. I have been deemed unworthy. They’re heading back from Canada in the morning. I’ll be picking them up at the airport.”
“They’re still going to pay you the full amount, right? I mean, you did nothing wrong.”
“I don’t know,” Ruby replied with a shrug. “I didn’t ask. It doesn’t matter. I mainly took the gig so I could see you. And I feel bad about that, Allie, because I’ve been spending all my time with Evan.”
“Not all your time, and anyway, I totally understand. When loves comes knocking, we have to open the door.”
“Love, huh,” Ruby retorted. Allie had always been such a romantic.
“That’s right. And I’m actually glad that crazy cat lady is coming back. Now you can come stay with us, right? Or wait, are you going to stay with Evan at his hotel?”
“He doesn’t know I’ve been evicted,” Ruby replied. “He had to leave early this morning for work.”
“And he left you naked and in chains, right? Does he know you’re using the phone, slave girl?” Allie asked in a teasing voice.
Ruby laughed. “No slave girls here at the moment. The experiment was intense. It was super exciting to have a real Master bringing my fantasy to life. I learned a lot about myself as a submissive and a masochist, but I also learned that there’s a big gap between fantasy and reality. We both agreed that kind of lifestyle isn’t for us, at least not 24/7.”
“I get that. Liam and I started out super intense, because that’s what I needed at the time. I still think of myself as his sub girl, and I wear his collar, but I wouldn’t call myself a slave. That’s a tough relationship to sustain for the long term, for sure. But tell me, was it fun while it lasted? Was it hot? Details, girl. I need details.”
“Okay, okay,” Ruby replied with a laugh. “I promise a full report. How about I come over now? I’m sure you can use more help.”
“I absolutely could,” Allie replied. “I’ve been working on a commissioned bracelet that I promised would be ready by tomorrow, and it’s taking longer than I expected. It’s put me behind on the cane making, so getting your help would be ideal right now. Oh, and I’ve got warm cranberry muffins here with your nam
e on them.”
“Be right there,” Ruby said, her stomach rumbling.
~*~
Evan looked at his phone far too often over the course of the morning, but there was nothing from Ruby. He almost texted her at least a dozen times, but managed to restrain himself. Since they’d agreed to give up Ruby’s slave fantasy, the dynamic between them had changed. Though she still seemed responsive and eager, he wasn’t entirely sure where he stood. If he still hadn’t heard from her by the end of the day, he’d shoot a casual, “What’s up?” in her direction.
Though he had agreed it wasn’t really who they were, he’d enjoyed the control aspect of the Master/slave thing. He wasn’t used to asking for what he wanted when it came to most women—he was used to taking it. But then, Ruby wasn’t like most women. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met before.
This thing with Ruby—it was just infatuation, right? And yet, he hadn’t felt this way since… Well, not since Marissa. Normally, he would have been perfectly content with a bit of hot, spicy, whirlwind sex with a dash of sweet romance thrown in. He would have been already itching at this point to take a break—to put some distance between himself and his latest conquest. It was simpler that way, since his lifestyle didn’t accommodate anything long-term.
Yet, with Ruby, he didn’t want less. He wanted more.
Stop it, he chided himself, alarmed at the direction of his thoughts. After the grand opening, I’ll be moving on. That’s how it always goes. That’s how it’s got to be.
But did it?
Maybe he’d stay a while longer, just to make sure Bob had everything up and running. After all, there was no rush. He had no commitments in the near future. Maybe Ruby would stay too.
Meanwhile, enough time had passed, and it wouldn’t hurt to check in with Ruby about their plans for the evening. Maybe he’d take her to Hardcore and put her through her paces there. Yes, that sounded good. He smiled, his cock hardening in anticipation.
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