“No marks.” She gazed at Sweet. “It’s like it never happened.”
Sweet tapped the camera. “Only it did.”
Nikla nodded. “You made it happen.”
He shook his head. “No, you did. You could have said no. You could have walked out and never seen me again. Or run to the media and talk about me and my strange ways.”
“Like you said before, telling on you would be like telling on myself.” Nikla rested her hand on his chest.
Sweet pulled her close to him. “Thank you for being brave. I don’t know a lot of submissives who have been in the lifestyle a while who would even do this.”
“But you subjected me to it. Why?”
Sweet looked serious. He didn’t look her in the eyes, a first for him. “I keep thinking you’re not real. I put you through tests to see at what point you’ll run.”
Nikla laughed. “I’m still here.”
“I should have known you wouldn’t shy away from this.” Sweet held her hand. “You’ve taken training as a submissive very seriously. I want to do so much more with you.”
Nikla put her hand to her wrist. “My students are going to wonder why I’m wearing a candy bracelet.”
“What will you say if any of them asks?”
Nikla thought about the question before she answered. “I’ll just say someone special gave it to me.” She glanced at the clock next to the bed. “Damn. I need to go. I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”
“Maybe you should the next time you come over.” Sweet put his hand on her thigh and rubbed his thumb over her skin. “I want you here a lot.”
Nikla beamed. “You don’t want to come over to my place sometime?”
“I have better toys here.”
She laughed. “Says the man who told me he can make anything kinky.”
“Is that a dare?” He wiggled his fingers into her sides.
Nikla laughed hard enough that her sides hurt immediately. “No! No! No tickling! Please!”
“What’s the word?” Sweet straddled her body and continued tickling her.
“Red! Red! Red!”
Sweet stopped but continued smiling at her. “You are a quick study.”
“And you are an unfair competitor.” She gave him a playful slap on the arm. “Here.” She held up his book.
Sweet climbed off her. “Keep it.” He nudged it toward her.
“Thank you. I’ll give it back.”
Sweet waved his hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I do have to go.”
“Not until I make you breakfast and set up your meal plan.”
Nikla so wanted to slide back down in bed and snuggle next to Sweet, or Swithin as she now knew him. She had to go home. Even though she would be leaving with the clothes she’d worn the night before, there would be no shame in her gait.
“What are you doing tonight?” she asked as she got out of bed.
He gave her a salacious smile as his answer.
Nikla’s clit twitched in response. “I want us to do something I’m good at.”
Sweet’s smile broadened.
“No. Not that. My last class is over around five. Are you able to break free then?” Nikla tiptoed back toward the bathroom.
“Maybe seven. Would that be too late?”
Nikla shook her head. “Wear workout clothing.”
Sweet groaned again. “More yoga?”
She shook her head. “Not this time. But it will be very physical. Are you game?”
Sweet got out of bed and stalked toward her. “There’s nothing you could do that could scare me away.” He guided her into the bathroom.
Nikla held onto his shoulders as she stared at him. Before he could say anything, she kissed his one cheek, then the other, then kissed his lips. When she lowered herself to her knees in front of him, she felt the muscles in his thighs tighten.
“Call in sick. Stay here.”
Nikla brought her gaze up to meet his. She shook her head. “I can’t. I want to.” She brought her hands up to his cock. “I have people who depend on me.”
Sweet held her wrists and pulled them back from his body. “I’ll see you tonight then. Let me get your breakfast going. Take your time in the bathroom.” He kissed the top of her head before leaving her.
Nikla allowed her body to slump down even more once he departed. She had to figure out what she wanted, what she needed, in her life. Managing this balancing act didn’t suit her. From Sweet’s reaction, he must not have liked it either.
Sweet was right. What the hell were they going to do?
Chapter Twenty
“Oh, my God!” Masaun stared at Sweet with his hand over his mouth.
Sweet looked down at the fudge bars he’d just made. “What? Something wrong?” His mind had been on Nikla and her luscious body so he wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d done something strange with his fudge, like adding Pop Rocks to the mix.
Masaun walked up to him. “What is that?” He pointed to Sweet’s face. “Is that a smile?”
Sweet grabbed his brother’s finger and shoved it back. “Asshole. It was funnier when I said it to you not too long ago.”
Masaun laughed. “I think it’s great. I haven’t seen you smile like that in a long, long time. What gives?” He leaned against the counter as he watched Sweet package each portion of fudge he’d cut.
“Can’t I be happy about making a beautiful tray of fudge?” Sweet wrapped another piece and put it on a pile with the other ones he’d wrapped.
“They are great looking. But I know you.” Masaun wagged his finger at him. “Is it the woman I caught you here with the other day?”
“You’re not going to let this drop, are you?” Sweet set the empty baking sheet by the sink.
“Is she the same woman you were playing with at the club?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. Really?”
The question in Masaun’s tone caused Sweet to bring his attention back to his brother. “What?”
“The whole thing with Melinda. I don’t want you to go through that again.”
Sweet waved his hand. “Won’t happen. We talked. We established some rules. We both know what we have going on is only going to be for a short time.”
“But you think about her and smile. You don’t see anything happening beyond just play and, uh, other activities?”
Masaun’s question had been rolling around in Sweet’s head for days. Did Sweet see a lasting relationship with Nikla? He wanted one. In her he’d found his dream woman, one open for both playing and sex with drive and ambition that rivaled his own. The competitiveness concerned him.
“Look, just be happy I’m getting out there.”
“Trust me. I am. Where you were before worried me.” Masaun put his hand on Sweet’s chest.
Sweet brought his full attention to his older brother.
“I didn’t want to see you spiraling down again.”
Sweet knew exactly what Masaun meant. As much as he wanted to admonish his brother for being so overprotective, he couldn’t.
“I’m okay.” He pushed past Masaun.
“You look it. So, since what you have going on is a temporary thing, does that mean I won’t get a chance to meet her?”
Sweet turned back to Masaun.
“Can you two do dinner tonight?” Masaun asked.
Sweet shook his head.
“Come on. I’m not like you in the kitchen, but I do okay. Kindle, not so much.” Masaun laughed. “We haven’t broken bread since–”
“Since you and Kindle got together.” Sweet didn’t mean to sound bitter about his brother’s happy love life. He couldn’t deny he wanted something like that for himself. Something permanent. Something of his own. “I have plans tonight. She’s taking me somewhere.”
Masaun blinked. “Really?”
“Why does that surprise you?”
“I can’t believe you let someone else plan an event. Vanilla or not, I’ve never know you to r
elease the reins on anything.”
When Masaun posed the situation that way, it struck Sweet that he’d had relaxed his standards around Nikla. What did that mean to him?
He shook his head. “I’m learning to be open. What can I say?”
“I’d say I really would like to meet this miracle worker.”
“Rain check.”
“At least you have something keeping you busy to keep your mind off that crazy plan to expand.” Masaun shook his head. “It’s just not a good time. You know that, right?”
Sweet just smiled at Masaun. Now would have been a great time to share with him his idea to acquire that new spot downtown. Even though Sweet hadn’t talked to Bobbi in over a week, he had a good feeling that she saw his business as a frontrunner. Not that Nikla didn’t have something to offer.
As he thought about her, he imagined her having her own business. With her drive, she could do it. More importantly, it would make her happy. Where would that leave him?
Sweet carried the tray of fudge to the main store and placed them in the case. He broke his attention from his task when he heard his name being bellowed out in the store.
“Sweet!” Connie called out.
Sweet turned to the older woman standing in the middle of the store.
Connie pointed to the front of the store. “She’s back.”
Sweet didn’t even ask her who she meant. He darted to the door and marched through it. His heart pounded with each step until he came face to face with Nikla.
He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “What are you still doing here?”
****
Nikla’s stomach trembled with excitement although in front of Sweet, she tried to remain cool. “What? You think because of what has happened between us that I wouldn’t still come and do this?”
Sweet approached her. He lowered his voice and whispered, “I would expect nothing less.”
She gripped her fliers as she let his deep voice roll over her. If she were honest with herself, Nikla would admit that her visit today had everything to do with seeing this sexy man again.
She should have taken him up on his offer to call in sick. Nikla had never done that before. She’d never missed a day of school, either. Good ol’ reliable Nikla Dearwood. Here she stood with a man her father wouldn’t want for her.
His race had nothing to do with it. Lawrence would say Sweet controlled her. Nikla would have to happily agree.
“Having any luck?” Sweet circled her body.
“Not a lot of people out here today.”
“They heard you were coming and they all ran.”
Nikla looked at Sweet and noticed he laughed. Better than his smile, his laugh made her feel light. “Cute.”
“Tell me what you were like as a child.”
Nikla regarded Sweet for a moment. “Are you serious?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to know what a young Nikla was like.”
She smirked. “My father would say I was unmotivated and lazy despite being my high school’s valedictorian and graduating magna cum laude from college.”
Sweet shook his head. “I have no interest in hearing how other people have defined you.”
“Says the man who calls me Sugar Baby.” What she did as Sugar Baby made her cheeks feel hot.
“Do you really want to go there now? If so, you didn’t give me my standard greeting.”
Nikla stared at him for a moment before she smiled to break up the tension. No way in public could she kiss his cheeks then his lips, then lower herself to the ground. What would people think if they saw that?
“Me as a child, right?” Nikla crossed her feet and locked her knees back in her spot. “I was curious. Where we lived, the woods backed up to our property. I would go exploring in the woods all the time. I’d catch tadpoles and snapping turtles.”
She noticed that at that bit of news, Sweet’s eyes widened.
“You caught snapping turtles? Wasn’t that dangerous?”
She nodded. “But when you’re a kid, you feel invincible like nothing can ever hurt you.” Nikla lowered her gaze as she thought about herself as a child. “I can’t believe how brave I was back then. I couldn’t do that now.”
“Do what? Go into the woods?” Sweet asked.
“The unknown.”
“That I don’t believe.”
She brought her gaze up to meet his.
“You’re wanting to start your own business, which takes a tremendous amount of guts. And you’re learning about my lifestyle and have yet to flinch.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“The business is my passion. I love what I do. The business is just a natural extension of me.”
“And with me?” He took a step toward her. He lowered his arms down to his sides.
“You talked about your lifestyle with such passion, I believed you.” Nikla meant that.
Had Sweet acted goofy or immature about being a Dom, or worse, cocky, she wouldn’t have been willing to allow him to do what he’d done to her.
“Go on. Talk about your childhood.” Sweet put his hands to his hips.
“You don’t want to hear about my boring childhood, me catching fireflies and reading old books.” She turned her back on him before she could admit anything else embarrassing.
“You act as though what you did as a child is so very different from everyone else.”
After Nikla returned her gaze to Sweet did he continued speaking.
“I did the same thing.” He patted his flat stomach. “Remember I didn’t always look like this.”
Nikla snickered. “Yeah? So who’s your favorite author?”
“Back then? Edgar Allen Poe. What can I say? Even as a kid I knew I needed to be in a dungeon.” His smile slipped down. “You?”
Nikla shook her head. “I’m not going to say. You’ll laugh.”
“Never.”
She took a deep breath. “I liked Judy Blume.” When it looked like nothing registered over Sweet’s face, she elaborated. “I didn’t like her children’s stuff, even as a kid. You know. Fudge, and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.”
“There’s a book out there titled like that?” Sweet swept his brown hair back from his face.
“Yes. It’s about a young girl’s foray into womanhood.” Nikla smirked. “She gets her period.”
“Ah, nice. Guys don’t have any books about masturbating for the first time. You know. No, Hey, God, Climbing This Rope Feels Good.”
Nikla laughed. “You’re funny. No, I liked Judy Blume’s adult stuff like Wifey.”
“What did you like about the book?” he asked.
“She talked honestly about a woman, a wife, and how she dealt with everyday life. She gets to live out fantasies. It all starts with a naked man on a motorcycle wearing an American flag.”
“All it started with us was some licorice whips.”
Nikla stared at him. The silence that existed between them made her feel like she stood right in front him, not just a few feet away. She noticed his breathing increasing. He licked his bottom lip as he stared at her.
“Hey, Sweet. Should I call the police?” a heavyset woman asked from the store’s open door.
Sweet broke his gaze from her for a moment to address her. He turned around. “No. I told you I had this handled.”
“You’ve been out here a long time. I thought–”
“I’m fine. Go back in the store.” Sweet kept his stare on his employee until she retreated into the store.
“Maybe you should go.” Nikla looked at her fliers. “And I should go, too.”
“I’m not going to call the police on you. I believe someone told me that you had a right to stand on this public sidewalk.”
Nikla went to her car. “Yes. But I shouldn’t be out here doing this.”
“So why did you come?”
Nikla stared at Sweet. She nibbled on her bottom lip.
�
�Did you have lunch already?” Sweet went toward her car.
Unable to speak, she nodded.
“Did you eat what I had in your plan?”
Nikla nodded again.
“Come up to my place.”
She opened her door and threw the fliers inside. Nikla shook her head. “I shouldn’t.”
“Just to talk. I like talking to you.”
Nikla smiled. “I like talking to you, too. But when we get together, it tends to go too far.”
“It doesn’t have to.” He held his hands up. “I won’t touch you.”
“You wouldn’t have to. I look into those eyes and–” Nikla stopped herself before she could admit anything else. “I need to go. Suddenly a very cold shower sounds just about right.” She sat in her car and powered the window down as soon as she started her car. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Besides workout clothes, should I bring anything else?” Sweet asked as he braced his hands on her car door.
Nikla shook her head. “I’ll have what you need.”
“Yes, you do.”
Before Nikla could crumble, she backed her car up and left. For the first time, Nikla felt conflicted about handing out fliers about Sweet’s business. How could she hurt him when he’d done nothing to her but accepted her for her true self, something she couldn’t even get her father to do? She glanced over at the stack and flipped them over.
Tonight she would push Sweet this time. If he cracked, she would know if she had Sweet pegged right. Something deep inside told her that she already knew the answer to that question.
Chapter Twenty-One
It took every bit of strength for Nikla to leave Sweet, especially being so close to his apartment. She had time in between classes to get in a good spanking...or more. It seemed like he wanted to know more about her than what he could do to make her climax. She smiled and had to fight herself from turning around in the middle of the street to go back to him.
When she returned to work, Nikla had to keep reminding herself to focus on her students. Her mind wandered over several topics. First she thought about Sweet. Swithin. It didn’t escape her notice that in a short amount of time the man managed to get her to forget her sorry ex-boyfriend while getting her to bend to his will, to submit.
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