by Corgan, Sky
I prop my elbow on my desk and scrub my hand across my face. To be honest, I hadn't expected her record to be clean. When I saw Piper at Club Fet, I didn't exactly peg her as a good girl. Apparently, looks can be deceiving. Still, it doesn't make any sense that she'd be working at a dead-end job when she has a BA in accounting.
“So what you're telling me is that you've got nothing.” I frown.
This will make getting rid of her a lot more difficult. I was hoping for something, anything as an easy out. All I've got in my favor is the possibility that she might only be working for my mother until she can find a better job. Hopefully, that will be enough to convince Mom to let her go.
CHAPTER TWO
PIPER
“Piper, I am so so sorry.” Ann clutches onto my hand so hard that it hurts. The tears brimming in her eyes have my heart about to break. I can't believe that bastard would upset his own mother to this degree. Some son he is.
“Hey.” I kneel down in front of her. “Don't worry about it. I'm not going to let him scare me away.”
“I would understand if you don't want to work for me anymore.” She turns her gaze to the window overlooking her backyard.
“Enough of that. He's gone now. You can relax. I'm going to get the kitchen cleaned up, and then we'll do whatever you want to do. Something to make you feel better. Something to make you forget he was ever here.” I offer her a smile.
“I wish it were that easy.” She shakes her head. “You don't understand my son. He's not going to let this go. I understand why he's worried. But he doesn't understand where I'm coming from,” her voice trails off into a hiccup.
“Listen. Let's make a deal.” I pat the top of her hand. “If you don't budge on this, then neither will I. I will be here as long as you want me to be, and nothing that he says or does will matter. Besides, my record is spotless. Sure, I don't have any experience as a housekeeper, but I have a stable job history. No criminal activity.”
“That's comforting,” she lets out a short laugh.
“There. That's better. Stop worrying, okay. I'll protect you from the big, bad bully.” I stand and strike a superhero pose.
“He's really not that bad when it comes to most things.” She misses the comedy in my gesture completely.
I deflate slightly, figuring that this might bother her for a while. How could it not? After the meal was over, she walked Holden outside and they were gone for a while. Who knows what he said to her.
I finish cleaning up the kitchen, then Ann rattles off a list of chores that she wants me to do before retreating to her bedroom to take a nap. It saddens me to see how much arguing with Holden seemed to zap her energy. Even worse, it makes me feel like it's my fault too, though I know it really wasn't.
Ann is still asleep by the time I finish my chores. I stand in the doorway of her bedroom, watching her and thinking. I don't want to waste her money by sitting around doing nothing, but at the same time, I'm worried she'll get mad if I leave. And I'm pretty sure that Holden already has her seriously considering letting me go. She seems kind of frail, both physically and emotionally. Holden definitely did not inherit her sweet personality.
I go into the living room and sit on the sofa while I decide what to do. My mind drifts back to when I opened the front door and saw Holden standing there. Thinking about my initial reaction causes a sarcastic smirk to tilt the corners of my lips. My heart undeniably fluttered in my chest the second that recognition hit me. He was so damned beautiful. Pale gray eyes. Tousled brown hair. Pristine business suit. All of the desire that I had for him at Club Fet came shooting to the forefront of my body. But then he opened his mouth and ruined it. I really am glad I didn't sleep with him. That would have made things even more complicated.
Not wanting to prove Holden right that I'd take advantage of his mother, I decide to make Ann lunch and leave it on the stove, then I write her a note letting her know that I'm leaving for the day since I finished all that she required of me. Hopefully, it's the right move. There's no way of knowing without waking her up. And she really looked like she needed the sleep.
I feel oddly better once I'm outside of the house. Even though I was alone for most of the day, the tension from my argument with Holden lingered like a heavy fog.
It's a little after 1 PM when I get home—still early. I'm admittedly disappointed that I didn't get a full eight hours of work in, but it can't be helped. Hopefully, tomorrow will go smoother without Holden around to muck things up.
Earl left me a note on the kitchen counter saying that he went out with friends. I'm thankful for the courtesy but wish he would have called me instead. Maybe he thought I would say no. I smirk, remembering a time that I did the same thing to my mom when I was a teenager and wanted to go to a party that she forbade me from going to. Her reasoning was selfish though. She had wanted me to stay home and take care of the boys while she and Dickhead went out. I was tired of being a slave, so I left a note on my bed, then sneaked out of my bedroom window. Did I ever get a tongue lashing and a grounding after that. It was worth it, though. There was so little happiness and fun in my teenage years. Thinking about that turns my smirk into a frown.
Earl doesn't have to worry about that though. I'm not going to yell at him. As long as he lets me know where he's going, I'm fine with it. If he doesn't come back tonight, that will be a different story.
To kill the rest of the day, I make Joe a grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup for lunch, then I load him up in the car and we head to Walmart to pick up a lock for Earl's bedroom door. It's interesting how quiet and well-behaved he is in comparison to his older brother. He barely says a handful of words as we walk through the store.
When we get back to the house, I ask if he wants to help me install the lock on Earl's door. Since I watched Earl install the one on my door, it shouldn't be so difficult for me this time around. Joe meekly nods, then kneels on the floor beside me while I remove the old doorknob and put the new one together.
“There. All done.” I beam at him.
“Can I get one for my room too?” He fidgets with the torn plastic packaging from the new lock, barely glancing up at me.
“Maybe in a few more years.” I stand, mussing up his hair before gathering the parts of the old doorknob together to throw away.
For a few seconds, I expect him to argue with me. He doesn't though, not yet in the rebellious years of his life. I'm admittedly thankful that he's easier to deal with than Earl. Being around him isn't unpleasant.
Once that's done, we go into the living room to watch television. Joe's face lights up when he flips to a channel with a cartoon that he likes. I'm not really in the mood for cartoons, but I'm using this as bonding time. If I can keep him happy, then he'll be more likely to trust me in the future. Besides, I have too much on my mind to really pay attention to it anyway.
Work stress is still weighing on me. I feel anxious and like I need a release. A sexual release. It would be a good night for Club Fet. Not because it will be busy—it probably won't be since it's a Monday—but because anyone will do tonight. I'm not in the mood to be picky.
Holden might be there though. That's something I have to take into consideration.
A scowl sinks the corners of my lips as I think about how much he has ruined for me in such a short period of time. There are no other places like Club Fet in the entire city. My only other options are munches, Craigslist, and play parties. Munches bore me, especially since I'm not really interested in finding a permanent Dom. There's no point in going to a meet and greet when all I want to do is play. Craigslist is more miss than hit. Most of the guys on there are false Doms misinterpreting the lifestyle to fulfill their own sick sadistic fetishes. There's no barrier of protection for the submissive if you're locked inside some stranger's house. Play parties are really my only option.
After a few hours of watching television, Joe goes to his room to take a nap, and I slide in front of the computer in the living room to pull up a fetish websit
e and look to see if there are any play parties in the area. To my disappointment, there's absolutely nothing going on tonight. There is a play party tomorrow, though. That doesn't take care of my immediate cravings, however.
I turn off the computer, push the keyboard aside, and rest my head on the desk. “I hate you, Holden Longworth,” I grumble. “I just met you, and you've already wrecked my world.”
CHAPTER THREE
HOLDEN
“She just left you there? Not surprised,” I huff. The Newton's Cradle is in my hand, but the balls are silenced.
“I guess she just let me sleep because she didn't want to wake me. She did make me lunch before she left though,” my mother says on the other end of the line.
“How thoughtful.” I roll my eyes. “You should probably check to make sure she didn't steal anything.”
“Is this really why you called me? Haven't you done enough?” I can hear that she's already starting to get upset. I best not push her too far.
“No, I haven't done enough.” I set the Newton's Cradle down. “It won't have been enough until she's out of your house and replaced by someone more capable.”
“I'm not going to spend another fifteen minutes arguing with you about this, Holden.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I ran a background check on her.”
“And?” There's no doubt in her tone, only challenge.
“And she just moved here from Utah.”
“I know that,” she snaps.
“She has a bachelor's in accounting, so she's probably just working for you until she finds something better.”
There's silence for several seconds, and I know that I've gotten the wheels in Mom's head turning. She's considering what I'm implying, the very real possibility that Piper could leave her at any moment.
“I don't care,” she replies finally.
“But, you do care.” I tilt my head slightly, tired of her stubbornness. “I can hear it in your voice. Listen, this Piper girl hasn't worked for you for very long. You're not attached to her yet. You can—”
“Holden.” She cuts me off. “Piper is a sweet girl. If that's the only thing that you found in her background check, then you're wasting your time talking to me. There's no way to tell if she's only going to be working for me temporarily, and even if that is the case, I don't care. I like her, and you're just going to have to accept that. I have my reasons for wanting her around instead of someone that you hire. Please understand that and drop this. All you're doing is upsetting me, and I don't need that stress right now.”
Click!
It takes me a moment to realize that she's hung up on me. I shouldn't be surprised, though. She was getting pretty riled up.
It seems like she's made up her mind. That just means I'll have to work on things from the other end—harass Piper until she quits of her own free will.
To do that, I'll have to find her at Club Fet. The memory of Piper's breasts pushed up in that tight corset and the curvature of her ass in that leather skirt sends my mind in the wrong direction. She needs to be punished for speaking to me the way that she did at my mother's house. No submissive should ever talk to a Dom like that under any circumstances.
I'd like to bend her over my knee and give her a spanking that would leave her backside swollen for a whole week. Then I'd hike up her skirt and plunge my fingers into her, feel her warm, wet body wrap around me. See those perfect lips in a pretty little O all because of my touch.
Fuck! Would she even let me get her over my lap without a fight? Probably not. She'd likely defy me every step of the way. But I would win. I always win. And then I'd make her a slave to my pleasure. I'd make her beg and writhe and cry for my dick.
The bulge in my pants quickly becomes uncomfortable. I stand and go to close my office door, locking it before returning to my chair. It's almost 7 PM. Everyone has already gone home for the night. I've lingered behind to look over the details of a few other companies that were submitted to me for consideration. There was nothing impressive on the list. Not like the pharmaceutical company. I still need to make a decision on that. It can wait for a few days though. For now, I have more pressing business to take care of—namely the raging erection that's bugging the shit out of me.
I unzip my pants and lean back in my chair, shoving my hand into my fly to pull my cock out. I keep my gaze up to the ceiling, imagining that it's Piper's hand instead of mine. I doubt she'd be so gentle, especially since she hates me now. The fantasy of her on her knees glaring up at me with so much hatred makes me smirk. She'd probably rather break me than pleasure me.
Just because we hate each other doesn't mean we don't still want to fuck though. I saw the way she looked at me, not only at Club Fet but when she opened the front door at my mother's house.
That's all in the past. Realistically, I probably can't have her now. All I can do is pretend. Pretend and stroke myself off to thoughts of her, forever wondering how it would feel to be inside of her. To taste her sex. To listen to her moaning as she orgasms. The thought makes my dick ache with desire.
It's quite the conundrum, when I think about it. I'm so used to getting what I want. The two things I want are conflicting this time though. I want Piper's body, but I also want her to stop working for my mother. I likely can't have both, but I can certainly try.
CHAPTER FOUR
PIPER
“Your services won't be needed today,” Ann's voice sounds gravelly and tired.
My heart sinks as I realize that Holden probably got to her. Is this the beginning of the end, or was it already over the second he stepped through that door and made it known that he despises me?
“What about tomorrow?” I ask timidly, wholly expecting her to give me the next day off as well. The coward's way of firing me. Cut my already thin hours so that I'm forced to look for work elsewhere.
“Yes. Come in tomorrow.”
Internally, I sigh in relief. Hopefully, I'm over thinking things. It doesn't seem like a good idea to bring up Holden right now, though, despite the fact that I desperately want to inquire about whether or not he's still pestering her. As long as I still have a job, that's all I should care about.
“Alright. I'll see you in the morning then, Ann. You have a good day,” my tone takes an upward swing. She needs to know that I'm happy to be working for her.
As soon as I hang up my phone, I make a beeline for the computer in the living room. I can't keep counting on hope. If Holden does manage to convince Ann to fire me, then I need to have a backup plan.
I scowl as I wait for the computer to boot up, wondering why Holden was so angry that Ann hired me in the first place. The answer should be obvious though. Guys like him are often control freaks. A successful business man and a Dom. He probably thinks he needs to rule everything around him.
With a sigh, I scroll through job listings. Every application that I submit and resume that I send makes my chest twinge with pain at the thought that I'm somehow betraying Ann.
When I'm done, I shut off the computer and swivel around in my chair to stare at the blank television screen. It's eerily quiet this morning. The boys must have decided to sleep in. Either that or they're both just hanging out upstairs. I haven't heard much noise coming from the top floor, though.
It's going to be another long, boring day, but the thought of staying home isn't as daunting as it was before. Lately, it seems like I've been making some progress with the boys, and while I'm still not happy with my situation having to play parent to them, it's slowly starting to become more bearable. I suppose I'll just spend the day cleaning. To be honest, I haven't done a whole lot around the house since moving back, and it could use some tidying up. I wonder what the odds are of me being able to recruit the boys to help me once they do wake up.
I force myself to my feet and get to work on the kitchen. At the very least, cleaning will help me kill time until tonight. Nothing makes a day drag like sitting on your ass. And there are a whole lot of hours to fill befor
e it's time for me to go to the play party.
***
I leave the house with a smile on my face. The day has gone swimmingly well for me having it off. As soon as Earl and Joe woke up and finished eating breakfast, they jumped in on the chores with me. As a reward, I let them have friends over for the night. Everyone was happy for once.
My mom would probably kill me for doing this, for leaving a fifteen-year-old and an eleven-year-old home alone with a house full of other kids. I want them to have the childhood I didn't though, and I really don't see the harm in it as long as they don't burn the place down.
I'm dressed conservatively in a sleeveless black cocktail dress, not wanting to come off as overly slutty. Going to play parties always makes me nervous when they're being held at someone's home, especially when it's someone I don't know.
I pull up the address on my GPS and daydream about who I might meet as I drive to the location. Usually, these types of play parties have a small turnout, so my options are going to be slim compared to Club Fet. That makes me frown. Stupid Holden Longworth. He ruined everything for me. And over what? Because he doesn't want me working for his mother. What a prick!
I can't think about that now though. I have to be optimistic and hope that I can find a handsome Dom willing to show me a good time. Hot sex would be the cherry on the cake of this day.
The house where the party is at is in a cul-de-sac. There are about half a dozen cars parked in the driveway and lining the street. Nothing impressive. I start to wonder if this was a waste of time. Most of the people who are here will probably be Doms already paired with subs. What will that leave for me?
I find a suitable place to park, then kill the engine and sigh before stepping out of my car and smoothing down the front of my dress. There's a large part of me that doesn't want to even bother going inside—that wants to get back in my car and head to Club Fet. I could definitely find someone there. Maybe not the ideal person, since it's a Tuesday, but my options would be better. Then Holden's face flashes through my mind, and I realize that I can't deal with that today. Just seeing him would tank my mood, and I deserve this one good day.