Felicia and I went off to change.
“Damn, Abby,” Felicia said. She pointed to my back.
“What?” I said, twisting around.
“You’ve got a scratch mark or a bite on your shoulder. What were you doing last night?”
I sighed, remembering.
“On second thought,” she said, “never mind. I don’t want to know.”
We were called then and went our separate ways—Felicia to a massage and me to a facial.
The facial was completely relaxing. I actually fell asleep halfway through. Not that it would have been difficult. The bench was warm and covered with fluffy towels. Soft music played in the background and the room smelled like spicy lavender.
The technician shook me gently to wake me up and then led me to a room down the hall for my massage.
It started with a salt scrub. Again, lavender, this time combined with the gentle exfoliation of salts. I washed the salt off in a large shower with multiple showerheads.
But thinking about showers got me thinking about Nathaniel and the bath he had given me the night before. His hands. The way he washed me—almost reverently. And then he’d taken his time to brush out my hair and dry every part of me…
A knock on the shower door interrupted me. “Ms. King,” the massage therapist called, “are you ready?”
Once again, I found myself under warm blankets. I promised myself I’d stay awake this time so I’d remember the massage. Up to that point, I’d only had the one Nathaniel gave me on the plane. Hot wax and Nathaniel. Yum. I wondered what he had planned for the flight home?
“Any sore areas you need me to work on?” the therapist asked.
I wondered briefly what she’d do if I mentioned the particular soreness I had as a result of the previous night’s activities…
“No,” I said. “Not really.”
Before too long, I was in the spa’s ivory-colored dining area, waiting for Felicia, Elaina, and Linda. Soft music played in the background and candles flickered on the tables. I lay back in a thickly padded lounger and closed my eyes as I waited.
“Abby?” Linda said.
I sat up. “Linda, hey. I was just relaxing a bit.”
She sat down beside me. “Did you have a good morning?”
“Oh, yes, the best. It was so nice of you and Elaina to arrange this for us.”
She reached for a glass of water. “It was Elaina’s idea. I’d planned to spend the day shopping. This was a much better idea.”
Felicia and Elaina came in together as Linda was talking. They were laughing at something Elaina had said. They sat down right as four grilled chicken salads were delivered. They looked delicious—fresh greens, feta cheese, almonds, and cranberries. I smiled. Nathaniel would approve.
“Did everyone have a good night last night?” Linda asked, spearing a chunk of chicken.
Elaina smiled at her. “You and I have discussed the benefits of hotel sex many times in the past, Linda.”
Just a hint of color spread across Linda’s cheeks. “Yes, Elaina, but I was actually asking to make sure Jackson and Nathaniel were being good hosts, and acting like the gentlemen I raised them to be.”
“I’m not sure gentleman is the right word for Todd,” Elaina said, putting a napkin in her lap, “but he was good all right.”
Felicia snorted on her water.
Elaina and Linda obviously had a closer relationship than I’d thought. Regardless, I loved the way they could tease each other. The way they talked about sex and men like sisters would.
“Abby,” Linda said, changing the subject, “I understand you went to Columbia?”
“Yes,” I said. “Same as Todd, right?”
Elaina chimed in. “He did his graduate work there.”
“And Nathaniel went to Dartmouth.” I took a bite of cranberry with feta. You could never have too much feta. Feta went with everything.
“Yes,” Linda confirmed. “For the longest time he wanted to go to the Naval Academy. We had even arranged an appointment for him. But he changed his mind and went to Dartmouth instead.” She got a faraway look. “He was always a withdrawn child. I guess you can understand why. My sister’s death was very hard on him.”
I looked down at my plate, remembering the haunted look he had while I was at the hospital.
“Now Jackson,” Linda said, taking Felicia’s hand, “Jackson was always my wild child. It’s a good thing we steered him toward sports—there’s no telling what kind of trouble he’d have gotten himself into otherwise.”
“He still gets in plenty of trouble,” Elaina said in between bites. “Remember the skydiving incident?”
Linda laughed. “The coach made him sit out the next game as a result of that little incident. I don’t think he’s ever tried skydiving again.”
After we ate lunch, we changed into swimsuits and hung out in the hot tub. I pulled my hair to the left side to cover up the mark Felicia had noticed. I thought back to the previous night, trying to remember when Nathaniel might have marked me, but I couldn’t. I remembered pain in other parts of my body, but not my shoulder. Mostly I remembered the pleasure.
I think I spaced out in the hot tub for several long minutes just thinking back to the night before. I glanced up at the clock they had in one corner of the pool room. How long until I saw Nathaniel again?
“Abby,” Elaina said. “Did Nathaniel tell you?”
“Tell me what?” I asked.
She walked through the tub to sit next to me. “Linda’s turning in early, Jackson and Felicia are hanging out with some of his teammates, so you, me, Todd, and Nathaniel are having dinner together.”
Normally, I’d have loved to have dinner with Todd and Elaina, but after spending the entire day apart from Nathaniel, my thoughts had been drifting toward an intimate dinner in the suite. Dinner in the suite naked.
“Don’t look so disappointed,” she said, bumping my shoulder gently. “Nathaniel sees you all the time—I only get you for today.” She leaned in close. “And we’ll have you back plenty early. Tomorrow’s the big day, you know. Better get plenty of sleep.”
Sleep, right. Who needed sleep?
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
After our hot tub, we went to another room to have our nails done. The four of us were lined up with different techs doing our manicures and pedicures. We all decided to go for the same color—After Sex—a deep red. Elaina had a good laugh over the name and we all joined in like a group of crazy sorority sisters.
We hugged each other goodbye afterward and headed to our rooms. There was a brunch the next day we’d all be attending. Elaina blew me a kiss and told me she’d see me soon.
I was so ready to see Nathaniel.
He was waiting in the suite, reading a newspaper. When I came in, he looked up. His eyes smoldered.
“Did you enjoy your day?” he asked, being the gentleman. Like his eyes weren’t telling me in six different ways he wanted me. Wanted me badly.
“Yes, Master.”
He stood up, the collar in his hand. “Miss something?”
I nodded.
“Do you want it back?” he asked, walking to me.
I nodded again.
“Say it,” he said. His voice dropped. “Say you want it.”
“I want it,” I whispered as he moved behind me. “I want your collar.”
He drew my shirt over my head, swept my hair to the right. Kissing the mark on my shoulder, he murmured against my skin. “I marked you last night. Marked you as mine and I’ll do it again.” His teeth grazed my shoulder. “There are so many ways I can mark you.”
It took all my self-control not to beg him, because, damn it, I wanted him to mark me. My legs felt all wobbly just thinking about it.
“Unfortunately,” he said, fastening the collar, “we have to have dinner with Todd and Elaina. Go change. I have your clothes out on the bed.”
A long-sleeved cotton dress waited for me, with a pair of flats on the floor
. No hose. I took the hint and left my panties off.
Nathaniel stood by the couch when I reappeared. “Bend over the arm of the couch, Abigail.”
I did as he asked, wondering where he was going with this. We had to leave soon. He stood behind me and lifted my skirt, ran his hand over my bare skin. He chuckled.
“How well you read my mind. Too bad. I was looking forward to giving you a spanking before dinner.”
I made a mental note to wear panties next time.
We drove to a waterfront bistro, probably not far from where Jackson and Felicia had talked last night.
“There will be several fish dishes on the menu,” Nathaniel said in the car. “You will order one of them.”
Fortunately, I loved fish. I wondered what would happen when he asked me to do something I didn’t want to do.
We arrived before Todd and Elaina and went inside to sit down at a booth. Nathaniel motioned for me to enter first.
I was looking over the menu, trying to decide between salmon and grouper, when Todd and Elaina arrived.
“Abby,” Todd said in a tight voice.
I was surprised. Had I done something to make him angry? I looked up, but he was glaring at Nathaniel—he wasn’t mad at me after all.
I glanced over to Elaina. She shrugged her shoulders. Either she didn’t want me to know what was wrong or she didn’t know herself.
The waiter came to take our drink order. When he left, Todd slapped his menu on the table. Nathaniel scowled at him.
“So, Nathaniel,” Elaina said, eyes bouncing from Nathaniel to her husband. “Where’s Apollo this weekend?”
“At a kennel,” Nathaniel said, still looking at Todd.
“He’s better, then?” she asked. “You can leave him there?”
I wanted to ask why he wouldn’t be able to leave Apollo at the kennel, but I couldn’t get past Todd’s expression. What had happened between him and Nathaniel?
“He’s made marginal improvements.”
Todd mumbled something under his breath.
The waiter came back with our drinks. “Everyone have a chance to look over the menu?” he asked. His gaze traveled to Elaina’s hand. Her large engagement ring and wedding band sparkled in the light. He wrote their order down and looked to our side of the table.
“Ma’am?” he asked me.
“I’ll have the salmon,” I said, handing the menu to Nathaniel.
“Wonderful choice,” he said. “The salmon’s one of our bestsellers.” He winked at me.
Nathaniel cleared his throat.
“Yes, sir,” the waiter said, shifting his gaze to him. “What would you like?”
“The salmon,” Nathaniel said and handed him our menus.
The waiter wrote the order down and rocked back on his heels. “You guys in town for the game?” he asked, looking at me.
I scooted closer to Nathaniel. Sorry, I tried to tell the waiter. Taken.
His lips lifted at the corner.
“Of course,” Elaina piped up when no one else did. “Giants all the way.”
“You know,” Nathaniel said to the waiter, “if you put in our order, we’ll get our food faster, and get out of here quicker.”
The waiter shot me one more glance and left.
We all sat in silence for several long minutes. I glanced out the window to the water, still trying to figure out what was wrong between Todd and Nathaniel. I wondered if it had something to do with me.
“I need to hit the restroom,” Elaina said. “Abby?”
“Sure,” I said.
Nathaniel stood to let me out.
“What in the world is going on?” I asked once we were in the bathroom.
“I have no idea,” she said. “I think something happened after the golf game, but I’m not sure. I hope they’re over it by tomorrow. It’ll make for a long day if they’re not.”
“Do you think it’s something to do with me?”
She shook her head. “I really don’t think so. He knows about you and Nathaniel.” She turned to the mirror and played with her hair. “It’s strange Todd won’t tell me.”
As we left the bathroom, I saw Nathaniel and Todd arguing. Todd looked up, saw us approaching, and they stopped.
Dinner was tense. Elaina kept trying to start a conversation, but it never went anywhere. Even the waiter picked up on it, dropping our dinners off and coming back only to refill our drinks.
Nathaniel and I were both out of sorts by the time we made it back to the hotel room. He slammed the door behind us and I jumped. In one swift move, he had me against the door.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it,” he said against my skin as his hands drew my dress up and over my head. He tore my bra off, throwing it to the floor.
His wild, uncontained actions excited me and a surge of pure lust pulsed through my body. I wanted him. Wanted him as badly as he wanted me. He stepped back and jerked his pants down. Kicked them off.
He picked me up and pushed me against the door. “Next weekend you’re not wearing a bit of clothing from the time you arrive until the second you leave my house.”
Yes. Yes.
His hands dipped down and he slipped two fingers inside me. I was already wet. “I’ll take you whenever and wherever I want.” His fingers twisted. “I’ll fuck you five times Friday night alone.”
Please.
“I want you waxed bare next weekend, Abigail,” he said. “Not a bit of hair left.”
Uh, what?
“Spread your legs and bend them,” he said. “I’m not waiting any longer.”
I did as he asked and he bent low, thrusting into me and lifting me up in one movement. I gave a short squeak, marveling at how deep he went with that one thrust. Then he pulled back and thrust again, pounding me into the door. I wrapped my legs around him.
He slammed me into the door again and again. My arms went around his back and my nails scratched him.
“Yes,” he shouted with another thrust that sent him deeper into me than he’d ever been. So deep I sucked in a breath, trying to grow accustomed to him, and held him tighter. “Damn it. Yes.”
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
I hoped no one was walking by our room. Each slam sent vibrations through my arms, down my spine and right to where we were connected.
The familiar feeling of impending release built up inside. I groaned as it threatened to overtake me.
“Not yet, Abigail,” he said with another thrust. My back slammed into the door. “I’m not finished.”
I groaned again. Squeezed my internal muscles around him.
“You better not come before I tell you,” he said, pulling back and then slamming us into the door again. “I brought the leather strap.”
I clawed at his back, his muscles tense under my hands. Again we hit the door. I couldn’t last much longer. Again. He angled his legs and when he thrust, my butt hit the door, pushing him deep. Damn, he was good. Again.
I bit the inside of my cheek. Slam. Bad move, I tasted blood. Slam. I couldn’t last. I was going to explode. Slam. I whimpered.
He dropped his head. “Now.”
I threw my head back and let my climax overtake me. His release shot into me and he bit my shoulder, sending another wave of pleasure through my body.
He was breathing heavily as he lowered me to the floor minutes later. My legs were quivering and I could barely stand. He left for the bathroom and came back with a washcloth, then cleaned me gently, the way he had the night before.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and for a moment I thought he was apologizing for the rough sex. “I have to go out. I’ll be back later.”
I didn’t hear him come back at all that night, although I’m sure he did at some point. I eventually went to bed and fell into a restless sleep.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Brunch wasn’t until eleven, so I slept late again and took my time getting dressed. Nathaniel hadn’t said anything about what to wear
, so I decided on black pants and a gray cashmere sweater. I also wore panties.
Because he hadn’t told me not to.
Because I wanted to see what he’d do when he found them.
Of course it was a calm, cool, nothing-but-collected Nathaniel who met me. No trace of the wild man who had taken me against the wall, biting my neck as he came…
Damn it, yes.
But I had to spend the morning with his aunt, his friends, and several strangers. It wouldn’t do to get all flustered just because I’d had amazing sex the night before.
Amazing fuck-me-now-against-the-door sex.
Stop it, Good Abby said.
Show Nathaniel you have panties on, Bad Abby said.
I decided Bad Abby was the stuff. Nathaniel watched as I walked over to the coffee pot and poured a cup. I turned so my butt was in plain sight. Gave a little wiggle.
“Abigail,” he chided. “Do I see panty lines?”
I held still, coffee cup in hand. Hell, yes, you see panty lines. What are you going to do about it?
“Come here,” he said, sitting his coffee cup down.
I walked over, heart thumping in my throat.
He stood up and moved behind me. “You’re wearing panties. Take them off. Now.”
I undid my pants and pushed them down over my hips. I stepped out of my panties.
“Over the arm of the couch, Abigail.”
I leaned over the couch arm, butt facing him.
He smacked my backside. “No more panties the rest of the weekend.” Another smack. “When I finish, you will go to your room and bring them all out to me.” Smack. “You’ll get them back when I say.” Smack. “Which won’t be next weekend either.” Smack. “I told you last night what will happen next weekend.”
He gave me another smack. The warmth was spreading, reaching between my legs. Everything he did felt so good. Damn. Absolutely everything. I pushed back toward him, wanting more.
“Not this morning.” Another smack landed on my backside. “Put your pants on and bring me what I asked for.”
The Submissive Page 13