by Bella Juarez
Isabel smiled and reached for his hand. “I know this is hard for you.”
“I’m fine, angel.” Alex smiled at her reassuringly. He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Just starving. I didn’t have time for lunch today. Maybe that’s why I’m so grouchy.”
“No, that control freak is coming out. Tuck it away,” Izzy said, pressing her palm into his cheek.
The man returned. “Anything you and your lady want, sir, I’ll make it special for you.”
Alex chuckled. “What do you want, angel?”
“I’ll have the club sandwich and chips,” she said.
“I’ll have your hamburger and fries,” Alex said, picking up the menus and handing them to him.
Izzy left the table for a moment to check on how her father was doing with Leila. Alex glanced at the table of four people who had caught his attention earlier. They seemed to be having a good time and the blonde woman seemed vivacious and sweet. Every now and then her little giggle filled the air. He watched as she interacted with the men at the table. Alex saw how the men looked at her and could tell by the looks each one of them was intimate with her. He noticed the small caresses they shared with her. They were so gentle and loving when they looked at her and touched her. He watched as one of them leaned in and kissed her affectionately on the cheek. He saw their struggle to keep their hands to themselves and it suddenly occurred to him that those four were in a relationship, a serious one. All four, with each other. Alex hadn’t seen a polyamorous relationship in years. With the lingering looks of desire the three men were casting, they were captivated by this woman.
“Excuse me, young man.”
Alex looked up at a white-haired man and a nice woman standing next to the table.
“Yes, sir?” Alex said.
“I’d like to welcome you to Divine, Texas,” he said, offering his hand to Alex.
Alex stood and took the man’s hand in a hearty handshake. “Thank you, sir.”
“I also want to thank you for your service, son. God bless you and your family,” the man said, releasing his hand.
Alex saw the four people at the table he was watching stop and look his way. The woman said something to one of the men at the table and he got up without hesitation.
“Again, thank you, sir,” Alex said.
“Come back to Divine anytime. You’re always welcome,” the man said as he left.
Izzy came back and asked what she’d missed. Alex shrugged and told her not much. Their food arrived and Alex ate like a dying man. Izzy picked at her food for a while and then seemed to relax, finishing her meal. The four people at the table got up and left the restaurant. Whatever was going on between them seemed to be accepted by this town without batting an eye.
Everyone they passed was friendly and the four seemed to know a lot of people by the way they stopped and talk to almost everyone as they went along. Alex even heard a couple of people express congratulations. No one seemed to notice or care three men and one woman were in a very intimate relationship. Alex made a mental note of the town. There was something different about the air in Divine, Texas. They finished their meal and Alex asked for the ticket.
“All taken care of, sir. Divine appreciates those who serve our country.”
“Oh no, we can’t ask you to do that!” Izzy exclaimed.
“Someone already took care of it.” The man said with a broad smile that threatened to split his face.
Alex was speechless for a moment. He looked around as people in the restaurant started to stand and applaud. He was overwhelmed by emotion at the display of support that this little town was demonstrating. Izzy took his hand as Alex cleared his throat.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
“You and your lady have a good weekend,” the man said with a wink.
* * * *
Izzy was on edge as they finally reached their destination. They both got out and she checked them in. The desk clerk handed Alex a key and directed him to a road behind the building and down about a quarter of a mile. When they got back into the car, Alex turned to her.
“Angel, you didn’t get us a room?” he asked.
“I got a little cottage,” she said.
They walked into the spacious and comfortable cottage for two. It had a living room with a high cathedral ceiling that was set in rough cedar. There was a stone fireplace and French doors that led to a patio facing a small lake on the property. The sun was starting to set and the Texas Hill Country was ablaze with the red, purple, and yellow sky. The small kitchen was stocked with food and wine. Alex took the bags upstairs to the loft bedroom. A huge rough cedar four-poster canopied king-sized bed dominated the bedroom and was set against a window overlooking the small lake. This was truly a romantic place. Alex turned to Izzy when he set the bags down. She saw a slight frown crease his features.
“Do we need so much luggage, angel? I thought we were only staying one night?”
Izzy had been carrying a bag, too. It was now or never and she’d practiced what she would say. The words that had been so carefully crafted were gone and she couldn’t remember a single one. She looked down at the bag in her hand.
“This is your anniversary gift,” she said shakily.
The words sounded nervous and strained. She saw the slight narrowing of his eyes. She knew being as perceptive as he was he would pick up on her anxiety immediately. He went to a large leather chair in the corner of the room that faced the bed and sat down.
“Come here, angel, and bring the bag.”
Izzy did as he directed. Somehow she knew he’d already guessed what was going on and what was inside the bag she was holding. She slowly walked to her husband and handed him the bag, watching him set it in his lap. She knew what she wanted to do but couldn’t bring herself to sink to her knees before him. As if reading her mind, he slightly pushed the ottoman that was in front of the chair further away.
“Sit down, baby,” he directed. Izzy sat down on the ottoman. He looked away. She heard Alex release a long breath. “I don’t want to open this, Izzy.”
“Why?” she asked defensively. She never thought he would reject her offer.
“Because, I get the feeling if I do things will change between us and I don’t want anything to change,” Alex said softly.
“What will change, Alex?”
“Izzy…” Alex started.
“What the hell are you afraid of?” she demanded.
“Nothing. I told you I’ve put this behind me. Leave it in my past, angel. Please,” Alex said pleadingly.
“What happened that made such a drastic shift in your personality? You either tell me or open that bag and give me what I want,” Isabel said evenly.
Alex closed his eyes briefly and exhaled. She knew he was mustering his patience with her. He opened his eyes and looked squarely at her.
“No,” he said.
Izzy noticed that Alex hadn’t moved the bag away from him. In her mind, it meant he was still considering her offering. She hadn’t just read one book, she’d read several. She knew a man like him, with his experiences, wouldn’t just walk away from the opportunity of what she was suggesting.
“You haven’t changed. You’re still the adrenaline junkie you were back then. You just switched the way you get your high. Now your high is your job. You’ve always got to be walking that fine line, don’t you?” she said.
Izzy studied his reaction and it was hard to read him. One thing was for sure. Her husband didn’t like to be topped, and she watched a subtle transformation overtake the man she loved. There was a slow tension that started to fill the room as his sapphire eyes turned dark. She tensed along with the atmosphere because it was like waiting for a storm to hit.
“All right, Isabel. Do you really want me to open this bag and are you prepared for what will happen when I open this bag?”
Alex’s voice was harder and his body started to bristle. It was as if any moment he would pounce like a wolf on its prey.
“Yes,
” she whispered.
“Pick a safe word,” he commanded.
“Elmo.”
Alex smiled at the choice. It was Leila’s favorite toy, and if anything would put a halt this kind of activity, the reminder of his most precious possession would stop him in his tracks.
“Go downstairs, get on your knees, and wait for me,” Alex ordered. Izzy hesitated. Where downstairs? “Right fucking now.” He growled the command this time.
“Where?” Izzy cried.
Alex’s eyes narrowed and he stood. He moved so fast that Isabel’s senses didn’t have time to process he had moved, much less pulled her to her feet. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the stairs. The force he exhibited was overpowering her equilibrium. He forced her down onto her knees in the center of the sitting area and bent over her.
“Right here! Count the fucking wooden strips and remember the mark I put you on because you can damn well bet I’ll remember!” he snarled.
Alex grabbed the back of her head and pulled her head back, forcing her to come nose to nose with him. Izzy’s breathing was quick and uneven. Raw heat emanate from him as he stared at her. He was like an unstable element, threatening and explosive at the same time. She remembered his tenderness and wondered what had come over her. Why the hell was she pushing him like this? What did she want from him?
“All right, pet, here’s what I expect. When I say move, you fucking move. Don’t say a word unless I ask you to speak. Do not hesitate. Do not question me. Ever. You will be naked and kneeling in this spot by the time I come back. If you fuck up, I’ll punish you like you’ve never known before. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Izzy whispered.
“Say what?” Alex growled.
“Yes, sir,” she said a little more calmly than she felt.
Izzy willed herself to calm down because Alex was doing what she’d asked even if it wasn’t what she was expecting. She knew he could be hard and cruel, but he could also be the gentlest, most loving person she’d ever known. She needed to trust him and believe he was doing the right thing. She reasoned he was the one with the experience. He knew what he was doing even if she didn’t understand those reasons.
Alex released her and stepped back. She kept her eyes lowered while he was standing in front of her. It was something she’d read to do in a dominant’s presence, and right now it was much easier to deal with him when she wasn’t looking at him.
“A few more things, when I talk, you look at me. I want to make sure you understand everything I say.” Izzy cringed. She raised her eyes and looked up into his face. He wore a wicked expression that she’d never seen on him. He wasn’t done. “If at any time you utter a syllable of your safe word, it’s over and we will never do this again. Do you understand?” Alex said.
Izzy swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”
* * * *
Alex paced the bedroom. This was one of the most difficult things he’d ever done in his life. He hated treating Izzy the way he just had and wanted to make this an awful experience. He wanted to fix it so she would never ask him to do this again. He stopped when he caught a glimpse of the bag he’d tossed aside.
What the hell am I thinking? I know better than that.
Alex wanted to run downstairs, pick up Izzy, and hold her, just hold her for the rest of the night. His frustration and fears were preventing him from thinking clearly. He took two long, angry strides to the discarded bag and quickly opened it. He sank down in the chair and carefully took out the items one by one. Alex laid out everything that was inside the bag on the ottoman and stared at it for a long time. Izzy had acquired quite a collection and Alex’s mind ran wild with the possibilities. Okay, I can do this without causing permanent damage…again. He turned around and went quickly to work.
Izzy had been downstairs on her knees for a long time and had to be in a little pain by now. Alex picked up the things he would need when he saw her again. He crept down the stairs and saw she’d done just as he’d asked. She was naked and kneeling in the same place he’d left her. She looked up at him as he approached. She was uncomfortable and uncertain. Alex crouched behind her, setting the things he’d brought with him behind him on a small coffee table in front of the couch. Her long hair was still tied up and it flowed to her shoulders in a straight cascade, it was like a thick black waterfall.
Alex saw his wife naked almost every day but this time was different. He was seeing her in a new light. As he let his eyes run up and down Izzy’s back, he took in every single detail, the small mole on her lower left side, the way her waist curved in and widened at her hips, her soft shoulders. He lightly traced her spine and saw her shiver slightly.
“Don’t move,” he ordered. Izzy tensed and stiffened. “This is your last chance, angel. Are you sure about this? You’d better be damn sure.” She said nothing. “Speak,” he ordered.
“I’m sure,” she said shortly.
Alex shook his head slightly. Three years ago this would’ve been a dream come true. He wouldn’t have had any hesitation about returning to his lifestyle and taking a woman of Izzy’s caliber for himself in this way. But Izzy wasn’t just any woman. She was his wife and the mother of his child. Taking a woman and training her without being married was one thing. Dominating his wife was something different. He had a plan and decided to see how this first time went before he made any further decisions about their future as dominant and submissive. Alex was terrified and electrified at the prospects ahead as he stood and walked around Isabel a couple of times.
“I told you to get naked.”
“I am, sir.”
Alex walked around her and pulled out the scrunchy that held up her hair. He wanted to bury his face in the long black sheet as it fell down her graceful back. He would enjoy every inch of her, later. He walked around and came nose to nose with her again.
“Then what the fuck is this?” he demanded, holding it up. Her eyes darted to the object he was holding and back him. She was too confused to answer. “Naked means everything that’s not a part of your body. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” she whispered.
“Do. You. Understand!” Alex said louder.
“Yes, sir,” Izzy said more firmly.
“Since you’re new to this, I’m going easy on you the first time. Don’t expect me to be so generous every time. Now stand,” Alex commanded.
Izzy started to stand, slowly. He knew she was stiff and sore from being on her knees for so long. He took her elbow and gently helped her up as he guided her to the couch in the living space. He sat down on the couch facing her and noticed her belly was right in front of his face when he sat. He couldn’t resist placing a little kiss on her.
“Stand here for a minute, angel. I need to get you ready,” he said softly.
Alex noticed the sudden increase in Izzy’s breathing and understood the unconscious reaction to his words. He saw the slight goose bumps that started to rise on her skin. He ran his hand slowly up her legs and grasped her ass and watched Izzy bite her lower lip, trying not to utter a sound without permission to do so. He reached around her and took the white leather wrist cuffs and buckled them around her wrists. He did the same with the ankle cuffs that matched.
“All right, angel, we’re moving to the bedroom and lesson one begins now,” Alex said, standing.
* * * *
Izzy found herself questioning why she would ever think she wanted to do this as Alex fastened the final clasp on her restraints. He’d become unpredictable and hard to please. She understood from the box, the restraints would be used while she was lying down. Instead Alex had found a way to use the four-posted canopy as a restraint system, making her stand while restrained. Her arms and legs were spread open and stretched to their limits. She noticed he’d taken out everything that was inside the bag. She understood the organizational system because it looked like a surgeon’s tray by the way it was neatly and precisely laid out in the order he would be using it.
Alex walked d
eliberately to his instrument layout and picked up the flogger that had been recommended to her. The lady who had helped her build this kit assured her if she had an experienced partner, he’d know what to do with it. She watched his fingers curl around the braided leather handle and saw deerskin tails swing gracefully as he adjusted his grip. He looked at her and smiled and Isabel unconsciously shivered.
“You know me so well, angel. The flogger is my favorite. It’s so versatile.” He held it up and ran his fingers through the soft tails. “Nice, very good quality. I’m glad to see you did your homework.”
Isabel’s heart threatened to pound out of her chest because she was excited and scared beyond reason. Was he really about to hit her with that thing? She watched him pace back and forth, like an animal waiting for the right time to pounce. Her pulse quickened and her breathing become uneven with every step he took. She sensed the sudden rush of dopamine into her system, making her shake slightly. The rush of the hormone heightened her senses and made her tingle, and suddenly she realized she was just as much an adrenaline junkie as she’d accused him of being. Alex stopped and walked to her. He lightly traced his fingers over her body and kissed her.
“You look so beautiful, angel. This is a dream come true,” he murmured.
Izzy had been feeling the sexual effects of being dominated since he’d come down the steps to find her naked. Alex’s sensual voice combined with her exposed helplessness, the physical contact of his kiss and touch made her pussy cream with anticipation. Alex stepped back and Isabel relaxed slightly, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her racing pulse. Smack! Her eyes flew open when the first kiss from the tails of the flogger reached her skin. She tried to pull away because it startled her and it was an automatic reaction. She struggled against the restraints but they held fast, not allowing her to move an inch. He swung and landed another strike to her belly.