by Sue Horsford
We put the shutters down and locked up and Steph got into her car. “See you tomorrow, love.”
She drove off and I walked to my own car, then stopped short. My front passenger side tire was completely flat. I knelt to examine it and saw it wasn’t just a puncture. My whole tire had been deliberately slashed. I stepped back and looked around me, suddenly realizing the street was deathly silent and quite deserted.
Chapter Six
I forced myself to breathe normally as I rummaged through my handbag for my keys. Damn it! I had them only a moment ago. How could they have already fallen to the bottom of my bag? Then my fingers closed around my stress ball key ring—never had I needed that so much—and I managed to open the shutter on the front door and went back in, slamming the door behind me.
Of course it could have just been kids. There was no need to think anything sinister was going on. I just needed to stay calm, go back outside, change the wheel, stay focused and try not to think of Andrew creeping up behind me and… Maybe I should phone Paul. Firstly, though, I needed to get a hold of myself. Paul had to think it was just a random act of vandalism. I didn’t want him to know anything of what had been going on.
I took a deep breath through my nose then breathed out slowly through my mouth, then I called our home phone number. It rang eight times then the answer phone clicked in. I tried Paul’s mobile, but there was no answer there, either.
Damn. I didn’t want to have to drag Steph back out. Who else could I ask? Ginny? I didn’t really want her coming out on her own, but maybe she was with Gabriel and she could bring him with her. The thought of Gabriel seemed to calm me. I’d feel much safer with him than I would with Paul.
I rang Ginny’s mobile, but it went straight to voicemail. Maybe the battery was flat or maybe she was with Gabriel and she’d turned it off so they wouldn’t be disturbed. Would it be wrong of me to call Gabriel? Ginny wouldn’t like it. But now I’d thought of him, no one else would do. I realized I was holding my breath and I breathed out shakily and called his number.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Gabriel, it’s Faye. Is Ginny with you?”
“No, why? Are you okay? You sound a bit stressed.” His voice was warm and sympathetic, and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms and have him take care of me.
“It’s nothing, really, just that I’m at work and I was about to leave when I noticed my tire has been slashed.”
“And you wanted Ginny to change the wheel for you.”
I laughed, in spite of my nerves, at the thought of Ginny getting her delicate hands dirty. She didn’t even like putting fuel in her car.
“No, I’m quite capable of changing a wheel, thanks. I just feel a bit nervous changing it on my own because I don’t know who slashed it, and Paul isn’t answering his phone and Ginny’s is switched off.”
“Well, you won’t find her here in future. She told me I was a selfish bastard and stomped off in a huff about an hour ago saying it was all over. Would you like me to come and help?”
“That wasn’t why I phoned,” I said, flustered.
“I didn’t say it was. I asked if you’d like me to come and help.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“Tell me where you are and I’ll come straight over.”
So now, just as I thought my nerves couldn’t be wound any tighter, I was about to be alone with Gabriel. My stomach flipped over at the memory of that shared moment yesterday, that current of understanding which had seemed to flow between us, that nod from Gabriel as if he’d read my mind. It had been easy to be daring in the middle of the afternoon, in a busy café with my mother about to come back at any moment, but now it was evening and there was no one around and suddenly, I wasn’t feeling quite so brave.
My surroundings didn’t help. The center, so warm and welcoming during the day, was creepy at night. With the shutters down on the window, it was like being sealed in and, although common sense told me there was no way anyone could have entered the building, my overactive imagination turned every creak into Andrew’s footsteps on the stairs. Eleanor Roosevelt glared at me from her poster on the wall. ‘Some feminist you are,’ she seemed to be saying. ‘First sign of trouble and you call for a man.’
It seemed to take ages for Gabriel to arrive and, by the time he knocked at the door, I’d worked myself up into a bit of a state. This wasn’t like me at all. Why was I letting scare tactics get to me like this? And why did it seem as if Gabriel could make everything all right? I let him in then just stood there, not knowing what to do next. I was shivering and my teeth were chattering, despite the warmth of the evening, and I couldn’t seem to calm down.
“What the hell?” Gabriel said, frowning. He pulled me to him and held me against his chest.
The warm security of his arms about me proved to be my undoing and I started to cry, not in a pretty damsel in distress kind of way, but like a hurt child, big, raw, choking sobs.
Gabriel didn’t try to comfort me like Paul would have done by rubbing my back or shushing me, he just held me close until it was all over, one hand on the small of my back, the other entwined in my hair.
Slowly I began to feel calm again. I should have pulled away from him, but somehow I couldn’t move. All I wanted was to hold on to the feeling of being in his arms, my face pressed against his chest, listening to the steady, comforting beat of his heart.
Gabriel was the first to speak. “Okay now?” he said.
“Yes.”
“Good.” He let go of me. “Is there any coffee in this place?”
“Only instant.”
“That’s fine. Have you got a jack and wheel brace in your boot?”
I nodded.
“Right, give me your keys and I’ll sort the wheel out while you wash your face and put the kettle on.”
It was reassuring to have him take charge. My fears seemed irrational now that he was there, and although I felt like an idiot for breaking down, I was glad he didn’t seem to be making a big thing out of it.
I sorted myself out and made coffee in the little back kitchen, then Gabriel came back in and washed his hands in the sink.
“All done. Is there somewhere quiet we can sit?”
I took him upstairs to the room where we held group sessions. There were no shutters on the upper floor, and the first rays of sunset bathed the whole room in a soft rosy blush creating the perfect ambience for a seduction, an exciting yet unnerving prospect. I sat on a two-seater sofa, hoping he would join me, but instead he sat opposite me on a hard-backed chair.
It was strange having Gabriel there in the center where no men were allowed. He looked too big for the room, like a grownup in a child’s playhouse, and I wondered if the women who came into the room tomorrow would sniff him out like lambs picking up the scent of a wolf.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on, then?” he asked. “What has happened to make my warrior woman get so upset?”
I thrilled at the possessive pronoun. “I need you to promise not to tell Paul or Ginny.”
“Cross my heart. It will be our secret.”
So I told him everything that had happened.
“Sounds nasty. Do you know this guy’s name?”
“Only his first name. I don’t know where he lives or anything about him, but he seems to know all about me.”
“And is that the only reason you got so upset?”
My heart hammered violently against my ribcage and my head began to swim. I wasn’t ready for this conversation. How could I distract him?
“You said Ginny had gone off in a huff. Does that mean it’s over between you, then?”
Gabriel gave a tight smile. “Well, that’s what she said, so, yes. I’m not in the habit of running after women.”
“She’ll calm down tomorrow.”
Gabriel shrugged, unconcerned.
“You’re a hard man, Gabriel.”
“So I’ve been told.” He stared at me, unsmiling, then
said, “I asked you why you got so upset and you changed the subject. I don’t believe a couple of malicious phone calls and a slashed tire would unhinge you that much. You’re made of sterner stuff than that. So tell me why you were crying.” He raised his eyebrows. “And don’t lie to me.”
I swallowed hard. “I’m…just feeling very confused at the moment.” I tried to meet his gaze but couldn’t. Without meaning to, I started playing with my necklace.
“Come here,” he said.
I stood up, and slowly and unsteadily, as if I were being drawn toward him against my will, I put one foot in front of the other until I was inches away from him. I still couldn’t meet his eyes and my hands were clenching and unclenching with apprehension.
He sat forward in his chair, legs apart, then he caught hold of my hand and pulled me toward him so I was standing between his knees. I looked down at my hand imprisoned in his, his long tanned fingers against my pale skin, then I drew in my breath sharply as he touched the back of my leg just above the hem of my dress.
“Tell me what you want from me, Faye.”
“I…” Suddenly I felt unable to talk to him. I wanted more than anything to tell him how I felt, that I craved his control, that I needed to give myself to him absolutely, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.
“Answer me, Faye.” He stroked my leg, caressing the skin behind my knee, his fingers sending pulses of electricity along my skin to my nerve endings.
“I… I want whatever you want,” I said shyly, lifting my head to meet his gaze at last.
“Really?” His eyes seemed to penetrate my very being. “What I want is for you to obey me. I think that’s what you want, too. Am I right?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“You want me to dominate you, control you, make you submit to me.” He spoke quietly, but his voice was already the voice of my Master and I could only nod in reply.
Was this really happening? It was like a dream, and yet I was almost supernaturally aware of every sensation—the warmth of his fingers on my leg, his thumb drawing circles on the back of my hand, the scent of cedarwood coming from his skin, the sound of my ragged breathing, the cold beads of sweat on my forehead, the hum of distant traffic, a dog barking somewhere nearby.
Gabriel continued to stroke the back of my leg, inching upward toward the top of my thigh, and I thrust my hips forward as a sign that I wanted him to go higher still.
Gabriel immediately withdrew his hand. “A submissive’s role is to be passive. She responds when her Dom gives her permission.”
“Yes, Gabriel.”
He smiled. “I see you’re wearing your necklace.”
“Yes, I bought it because of what you said about imagining me in Celtic jewelry.”
“I know you did. It’s perfect. From now on, I want you to wear it whenever you’re with me.”
“Yes.”
“Take off your clothes.”
I moved away from him and slipped off my sandals, then stepped out of my dress and stood there in my underwear.
“All your clothes, sweetheart.”
I reached round and undid my bra then let it fall to the ground. I stopped and looked at Gabriel but he just waited patiently. Heart pounding so hard it seemed to be trying to escape from my chest, I peeled off my panties and stepped out of them then, waiting for his reaction.
Gabriel didn’t move from his chair, but his gaze traveled all over my body with excruciating slowness while I waited, almost afraid to breathe.
“You’re every bit as beautiful as I’d imagined.”
He stood and came to stand close to me, his strong fingers encircling my wrists, trapping them at my sides, and he gazed down into my eyes, his expression serious and intense. “I want you to stand perfectly still. No matter what I do, I want you to remain quiet and passive. You don’t react until I tell you to. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Yes, Sir.” My voice shook as I said the words.
Gabriel released my wrists and grazed his fingers up my arms, making me shiver. He reached my shoulders and trailed the backs of his fingers down to my breasts, his eyes never leaving mine then, taking each nipple between thumb and forefinger, he squeezed, hard.
I gasped and Gabriel smiled. He bent his head and cupped his hands underneath my breasts, bringing them up to his mouth. His breath seared my skin as he teased my nipples, drawing slow, tantalizing circles with his tongue, then tugging with his teeth until both nipples were agonizingly sensitive and swollen.
Being forced to stand perfectly still was so erotic, it was almost painful. My total passivity allowed me to be in the moment, to concentrate on what he was doing to me, and I became aware of throbbing between my legs and a longing to have him touch me there that was so intense, I had to bite back a moan.
Gabriel moved his hands down to my waist and he pulled me against him so the hardness of his body was pressed against my nakedness. His rough cotton shirt chafed against my bare breasts, and the heavy buckle on his black leather belt dug into my belly, the metal cold and hard against my skin.
The sensation of being naked while he was fully clothed was beyond erotic. I felt soft and vulnerable and utterly in his power, as if I existed only for his pleasure.
Then his hands tangled in my hair and his lips brushed mine, demanding yet caressing at the same time. I wanted so much to respond, but I kept still as he’d ordered.
He drew back and smiled down at me. “You’re a quick learner. I’m going to kiss you now and I want you to kiss me back.” He bent his lips to mine and I kissed him back hungrily.
I had been waiting far longer than a couple of weeks for this. This was something that had been simmering deep inside me for years, this longing to give myself to a masterful man, to be possessed, to be enslaved.
Matching my passion, he held me tighter, bending me backward and invading my mouth with his tongue. I moved my hands away from my sides and I clutched at his hair. I didn’t know if this was allowed, but Gabriel didn’t stop me and I moaned with pleasure.
He smiled against my lips. “I like to hear you moan,” he murmured. Then he moved his hand to the top of my legs and spread the lips of my pussy apart with his long fingers. It took every ounce of my willpower not to react, but I couldn’t help a sharp intake of breath as his fingers finally found my wetness.
“You’re soaking wet, naughty girl,” he scolded me.
“Yes, Sir,” I gasped.
He brought his finger to my mouth. “Taste yourself,” he ordered.
I took his finger into my mouth and sucked greedily, tasting my own muskiness mingled with the scent of soap on his skin.
I looked up into his beautiful amber eyes, then gave a start when my mobile phone rang, the sound shrill and jarring in the silence.
For a moment, I stood unsure of what to do, then Gabriel said, “Answer it.”
I picked it up, and, to my dismay, saw Paul’s name. I cleared my throat and pressed accept. “Hi,” I said, perhaps a little too brightly.
“Hi. I had a missed call from you.”
“Yeah,” I said, as casually as I could while standing naked in front of another man. “I got a puncture in my tire, so I was phoning to say I’d be a bit late, but it’s all sorted now. Where are you?”
“I finally made it to the gym,” he said. “I’m just about to get a shower.”
“Oh, okay, well I won’t be long now. See you at home.”
I hung up and looked apologetically at Gabriel. I wondered if he’d be annoyed at the interruption, but if anything he seemed amused.
“You’re a very smooth liar. I hope you’ll never lie to me.”
I shook my head. “Never.”
“Good, because if you did, I’d have to punish you.”
I nodded, a thrill of desire zapping through me like lightning.
“Now get dressed.”
As I put my clothes back on he said, “And next time we’re together,
you’ll make sure your phone’s on silent.”
“Yes.”
Gabriel raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, Sir,” I said.
As soon as I was dressed, he beckoned me to him. “I can read your mind,” he said, taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger and gazing deeply into my eyes. “I know what you’re planning to do as soon as you get home. You’re going to lie down on your bed and you’re going to finish what I started, aren’t you?”
My cheeks grew warm. “Yes, Sir.”
“I forbid you,” he said.
My mouth dropped open. How could he do this to me?
“You need a lesson in self-control,” he said. “From now on, your body belongs to your Master. You only touch it if I give you permission.”
“Yes, Sir,” I said, crestfallen.
He laughed. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I won’t make you wait too long. Wear your collar for work tomorrow and put that talent for lying to good use. You’re going to be a couple of hours late home. I’ll phone you and tell you where to meet me.”
I cheered up immediately. “Yes, Sir.”
Luckily, I got home before Paul, and I jumped into the shower, washing all traces of Gabriel from my skin. As the warm jets of water massaged my body, I relived his touch and I ached to satisfy myself but I dared not. Gabriel was sure to ask me if I’d obeyed him, and I knew I’d always tell him the truth. The thought of Gabriel punishing me was inexplicably exciting, but he expected total obedience from me, and I didn’t want to be a disappointment to him.
Paul came home to find me sitting on the couch in my bathrobe with my hair wrapped in a towel.
“Was it dirty?” he asked me.
I looked at him blankly for a moment, then I realized he was talking about the wheel. “Yeah, it was filthy.”
How easy it was to lie to him. Steph was right. There could be no going back from this.
I went into work early to make sure Gabriel and I hadn’t left any evidence of our liaison. On the table in the group room sat two untouched mugs of coffee, which I quickly removed, then I went back in and just stood for a moment, remembering the feeling of his hands and mouth on my body. Lust still seemed to hang in the air and I opened the window to let it escape, then I glanced around at the posters on the wall. The irony of submitting to a man in a room dedicated to teaching women about self-empowerment was not lost on me. This was one thing I’d never be able to tell Steph.