by Suz deMello
Parting the nets, she rolled cautiously out of bed. Set on the nightstand were a coffee carafe, a mug, and warm croissants in a napkin-covered basket. After pouring herself some coffee, she considered her situation.
The door to the living room was closed, and the bedroom was peaceful, quiet. A dent in the pillow beside her held James’s lingering scent, so he’d slept with her but hadn’t disturbed her rest. That surprised her, given his capacity for sex.
Standing, she realized she wasn’t as sticky as she should have been. Someone had taken off the dog collars and sponged her privates, but as far as she was concerned, she wasn’t clean enough. She took coffee with her to the adjoining bathroom and set her mug onto the red-tiled counter, checking herself out in the mirror.
Except for the tips of her dark nipples, which seemed a little reddened and swollen, she looked completely normal. When she turned, she could see the marks that the whip had left. Just as James had said, an X marked the spot over her anus. Another blurry red line lay along the top of her thighs.
She winced. She wouldn’t be able to sit comfortably for some days. How the hell was she going to explain this to Tom? Or anyone else she might want to strip for?
With a start, she realized she didn’t particularly want to get naked for anyone but James. He was the only person who’d understand, the only person who understood her. Tom didn’t know she liked raspberry gelato or that she was named after Eliza Doolittle.
How the hell did James Li know so much?
Well, she’d find out Sunday night.
The bathroom was more spacious than hers, boasting red tile, gold-plated fixtures, and a large bathtub with Jacuzzi style jets as well as a big walk-in shower with several heads and a built-in, tiled bench. A row of bath oils, shampoos and conditioners glowed in the light filtering through the glass brick wall.
She figured that the shower’s spray might hurt her behind, so she chose a bath. Tepid would be best, and she skipped the bath salts and gels that sat nearby. She didn’t know what was in them and wouldn’t take the chance that they’d irritate her skin.
She adjusted the taps before going back to the bedroom to top off her coffee and grab a croissant. She set everything on the wide, flat rim of the tiled tub. When the tub was three-quarters full, she stepped in, stretched out, and sank down to her chin, careful not to let her tender backside touch the tub’s bottom. She sipped coffee, wiggled her toes, and relaxed, sighing with pleasure.
But what surprises, delights, and horrors would the rest of the weekend bring?
After she’d drained the mug, eaten the croissant, and washed from head to toe, she used towels hanging from a heated rail to dry off. She paused before rifling the drawers for a comb -- what if James got mad at her? She didn’t want another whipping, but hated wet, uncombed hair. After a few moments of hesitation, she used the comb and dried her hair off as best she could with another towel, hanging them all up to dry. The heated railing was a nice touch in San Francisco, a city that could stay cold even in midsummer.
Back in the bedroom, she arranged pillows so she could sit without putting any pressure on her butt. She poured more coffee, enjoying the flavor and aroma of the bitter brew. Like her, he apparently liked his coffee strong. She pulled apart another croissant, finding it flaky and fresh, like the first one. He was evidently a perfectionist about pastry as well, and she made a mental note to get the name of his bakery.
She lay back on the pillows with a deep sigh, allowing herself to zone out, letting her mind go blank as she watched shafts of golden light march across the walls. Then she remembered. Tom. Where the hell had he been last night? And what had Wilson discovered?
She spied a phone on James’s bedside table and picked it up. An operator immediately answered. “Uh, I need an outside line, please,” Liza stuttered.
“What number, ma’am?”
She paused. She didn’t want to call the SFPD from here, didn’t want to leave any traces of what had happened. How could she explain to anyone about what she’d experienced with James? Biting her lip, she gave the operator Tom’s cell phone number and hung on for the connection.
While she waited, she took the handset and walked to the window, hoping to see a street sign so she could tell her partner where she was. Unfortunately, the view four stories below showed only a small back garden, typical of homes in San Francisco. It was beautifully landscaped with Japanese maples and azaleas, which were in bloom. A small stone bench sat by a pond. Nice, but nothing to show her location.
She’d just have to stick it out.
A mechanical voice informed her that her call couldn’t be completed as dialed, and could she check her number and try again? “No, I can’t,” she snarled into the phone. She didn’t feel comfortable using James Li’s phone to call out. What if he got angry and whipped her again?
Damn. She replaced the handset and picked up a croissant, chewing thoughtfully, questioning herself some more.
What had she learned? Nothing about the Keller case, but she continued to believe that James either held the key or, by the end of the weekend, could be eliminated as a suspect. She had to admit to herself that she preferred the latter result.
She’d learned far more about herself. She’d thought of herself as sexually experienced, but now realized she’d only scraped the surface of who she was as a woman. She recalled the lash swishing down on her butt and winced.
Some paths were best left untrodden. But others? She lay on the bed, again nestling into the cushions.
James was nothing short of astounding, in every way. Handsome. Smart. Wealthy. Potentially great in the sack, if she could either curb his more arcane pleasures or get used to them. She couldn’t live with the threat of the rod hanging over her. She didn’t want that kind of relationship.
The door to the room opened, and James came in, followed by Kevin. Her hand shook, and she dropped the croissant.
James, again in his red robe, picked it up and placed it on the nightstand. He scooted onto the bed behind her and kissed her mouth. His lips were warm and soft, and his kiss a friendly one. “Happy Saturday, sleepyhead.”
She blinked, trying to get a grip on herself and her emotions. But fear ruled, forcing adrenaline through her veins, clouding her thinking.
“Umm, hi,” Kevin said, shuffling closer. His eyes were heavy, and his polo shirt wrinkled. She bet he’d partied all night.
James caressed her shoulders, holding her. “She’s all yours, buddy.”
“Geez, what’s your name, umm, Liza? God, you’re so beautiful.” Kevin sat next to her and leaned over. “Your boobs, they’re like coffee ice cream with, uh, raisins or something.”
She smiled. She couldn’t help finding him, well, cute.
He licked her nipples, then sucked, starting a thin curl of arousal.
But last night had been such a wild ride. Was she ready for more?
Kevin suckled her left breast and fondled the right, his eyes closed in ecstasy.
Did she have a choice?
He climbed onto the bed, which creaked, parted her legs and knelt between them. He looked at her crotch, then buried his face in her muff. “God, you smell so good.”
Lifting his head, he poked her with a curious finger. She guessed that he’d never been with a woman before last night or had never met one who’d allowed him to really check her out. She remembered her first, hurried sexual encounters. She hadn’t seen a penis in the light until she’d moved out of her mother’s home into an apartment. In a weird sort of way, she envied Kevin.
He parted her labia and looked inside her vagina, then found her clitoris, touching it softly. She moaned to encourage him, thinking, might as well get the kid started off right. He bent his head and licked her, and she wiggled to press herself against his mouth.
He learned quickly, taking her clit in a long, sucking kiss and adding the tiniest of nips at the end.
“Wow!” Liza would have come off the bed but for James holding her shoulders and kiss
ing her neck. The combined stimulation was too much, and her breath came short as her pleasure built.
Kevin’s tongue slid down to her slit, pushing inside, frenching her channel. Then he stopped. She bucked, wanting more. James kissed her mouth, penetrating her, commanding her response. She kissed back, reaching for him and sliding her fingers through his hair.
Their tongues danced together ... for the first time, she realized. It was heavenly. He really knew how to kiss, how to use his mouth to communicate demand, desire, want.
She distantly heard the scrape of a zipper followed by the crackle of a condom wrapper. Then Kevin’s cock slowly entered her wet pussy, his weight pressing her into the mattress. Her sore butt protested, and she squirmed.
Then the ridge at the base of his cockhead rubbed her G-spot. She yanked her mouth away from James and panted. “Right there! Right there!” She closed her eyes to focus on the pleasure.
Kevin stopped. “Right where? What?”
“You hit her G-spot.” James sounded amused.
“Oh, I’ve heard about that, but I didn’t know where it was.”
“Don’t go in much further. Go back and forth, just a little bit.”
Kevin obeyed, and she moaned. “Oh, God, yes yes yes yes. Just like that.”
“I want to come. I want to pound right in.” Kevin’s voice was strained.
“Try to hold out. Learn to let your lady come first.”
Curious, Liza opened her eyes to see Kevin grit his teeth. His forehead started to sweat as he sawed back and forth inside her. She deliberately clenched around him, driving herself higher, sure he couldn’t hang on much longer. One -- two -- three -- four pulses, and she gasped, “Okay, I’m coming,” and let herself go. James kissed her lips and caressed her breasts. His tenderness added a dimension to the orgasm she didn’t expect, but she didn’t have time to analyze.
Kevin groaned and pushed hard, driving deep. “Oh, God, Liza, thank you, thank you, thank you.” His cries became incoherent, and he came in a fast, hot rush, then draped himself over her, limp from his release.
Satisfaction, warm and heady, pervaded her while James continued to kiss her mouth, her face, stroking her neck with his lips. She shivered with a little residual orgasm; her throat was very sensitive, and he seemed to understand that, nibbling and licking to heighten her pleasure.
Rousing himself, Kevin kissed the inside of her knee.
“Dude, grab the rubber,” James said. “Use a tissue. You don’t want to get it all over the place.” He seemed more concerned about his bedspread than the possibility she could get pregnant. She was on the pill, but how could he know that?
Kevin went to the bathroom, and James rolled her onto her side and pushed into her from behind, but didn’t take her aggressively, instead cuddling her close. “You were very kind to Kevin,” he murmured into her ear.
“He seems like a nice kid,” she said.
“Oh, he’s great. You’re his first, you know.”
“I had guessed that.”
“He’s only eighteen, and a little geeky.”
“Well, he’s got a good start with women, thanks to his Uncle Jimmy.”
He chuckled. “Did you come?”
“Yeah, a little one.”
“Want more?”
“Umm, yeah, but I’m kinda sore.”
“I’ll be gentle.” He seated himself in her more securely and reached around to finger her clit. “How’s that?”
“Good ... the other side’s more sensitive.”
He moved his hand. “Yeah, you have a little extra fold on the right side.” He pressed and fondled, slicking her pussy juices along her sensitive nub.
“Oooohhhhh ...” She came in a languid flow of heated pleasure, like a summer tide streaming through her body. She dropped off to sleep with James’s arms around her.
* * * * *
“I can’t believe how much I’ve slept today.” Liza stretched her arms over her head, bent her knees, and rolled her hips from side to side, careful not to abrade her bottom, which still hurt. One of her vertebrae popped, and she sighed with relief.
“Oh, I can believe it.” Gorgeously naked, James leaned against the bathroom doorjamb. His nipple ring gleamed, its charm swinging. “You need the rest. You work too hard.”
She shrugged. “That’s a cop’s life. Our work is never done, in part because of people like you.”
He raised his brows. “People like me? I’m a legitimate businessman, as our case together should have taught you.”
“Huh. You dance on the edge of the law.”
“Yes, but I never cross the line -- like some cops.” He grinned at her. “We’re more alike than you know.”
She let that go by. “What time is it?”
“Time for a little snack.”
“What did you have in mind?”
He held out a hand. “For you, raspberry gelato. For me, hot green tea.”
“Is it teatime?” She got out of bed on unsteady feet and followed him into the living room.
“Close enough.”
Their snacks sat on the coffee table between the sofa and the fireplace, now filled only with cold ash and cinders. She also saw a root she recognized as ginger, and a knife with a silver handle enameled in orange and turquoise cloisonné.
Curiosity jabbed. By now she knew never to underestimate James, but trying to guess what he had planned was impossible. She resolved to just enjoy whatever he had in mind ... if she could.
He seated himself in the middle of the couch, and she moved to his side. “No,” he said. “At my feet.”
She darted him a resentful glance.
“Do I have to whip you again? I really don’t want to.”
She pressed her lips together. “No.” She sat at his feet, kneeling so her sore bottom wouldn’t touch the carpet.
“Good girl.” He handed her a celadon-glazed china bowl with three rounds of raspberry gelato in it. “You have to earn your snack, though.”
“Earn it? How?”
He gave her a spoon. “It’s hummer time, baby.”
“Oh. Well, I can do that.”
“I just bet you can.” Smiling, he poured tea from a matching pot. “Anytime you’re ready.”
She ate a spoonful of the icy gelato, letting it melt in her mouth, enjoying its sweet-tart flavor. Then another, and while it was still chilly on her tongue, she parted James’s knees and crawled between them.
“What’s this tattoo?” She stroked his belly just above his pubic hair, where dark lines marked his otherwise smooth skin. There were six horizontal lines arranged in a square shape, with the first two and the fifth broken.
“It’s an I Ching hexagram. Means abundance.” He leered at her.
“You do think a lot of yourself, don’t you?” Chuckling, she bent her head and sucked the tip of his prick into her mouth.
With a happy sigh, James poured himself some tea and relaxed into the couch’s cushions. He looked down at Liza’s black head while she bobbed back and forth, his dick in her mouth. His entire body tingled, the ecstasy centering on his penis. “Baby, your mouth is made for cock.”
Her blue eyes opened, went wide as he thickened and grew, filling her. In just a few seconds, her full lips working him brought him from limpness to full arousal.
He laughed. “Yeah, baby. When I first met you, I thought about only one thing. Getting you on your knees with your pretty lips around my dick.”
She let him pop almost all the way out, then took him in again, tightening her mouth into a small ring.
“I wanted you the moment I saw you.” He groaned. Ready to come, he felt himself swell, reaching the back of her throat. Damn her, she stopped to nuzzle his balls and eat more gelato. “Bitch.”
She laughed. “I’m just doing what you asked, Master.” Her tone was mocking.
“I’ll get you for that.” But he liked what she was doing too much to put any sting into his words.
Her little pink tongue darted out
and licked around her lips before she took him again. The contrast between the frozen gelato and the moist heat in her mouth turned him on even more.
Lightning flashed along his skin, and he began to sweat. He fondled his nipple ring, imagining Liza nipping the sensitive tip. He wanted her to suck him off forever, but didn’t know how long he could last.
His scrumptious little slave ate more gelato and went down on him some more, flicking her talented tongue into his ultrasensitive slit, then rimming the plummy head.
Watching her doubled his pleasure, but he’d never last. And he wanted it to last a long, long time. He needed a distraction. Picking up the gingerroot and the knife, he began to carve.
He worked until her sucking became more intense. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks hollow with effort, and she emitted charming hums and moans of pleasure. He was delighted to discover that his Liza was one of those women who truly loved to suck dick.
Fearing he’d hurt himself, James put down the knife and dropped the ginger into his pocket. He breathed, looked at the ceiling and sipped tea. When his hand began to shake with his impending orgasm, he set down the cup with a clatter. “Stop,” he said.
She rocked back on her heels, small breasts swaying with the motion.
He refilled his cup and handed it to her, full of steaming liquid. “Drink.”
She obeyed, grimacing. “It’s bitter.”
“Green tea, full of healthy anti-oxidants.”
“Give me gelato anytime.”
“Not right now. Sip some more tea and finish me up.”
With the heat of her mouth turned up to “high,” he lost control, grabbing her hair and fucking her face. Her muscles clasped his cock as she deep-throated him, a talent few women knew. She was fabulous.
He’d already decided that he didn’t want to give her up Sunday night, and now he was sure he’d never let her go.
But how to keep her?
Not even he could imprison a city cop. She had to choose to stay.
To choose him.
Liza reached up and stirred his balls with her index finger. Her nail’s gentle scrape across his scrotum shot him into the stratosphere. Heat flashed through his body, and he came in short, intense bursts. Groaning her name, he spurted hot jets of jism into the back of her throat. His hands clenched spasmodically around her head, asking her to take everything he had to give.