by Sophie Oak
Her arms crossed defensively over her chest. “She’s my sister. Can’t I be worried about her?”
If she had a heart, maybe. Val had gotten rid of her heart long ago in an attempt to get back to her birth weight. “No. You have an angle. I want to know what it is.”
She dropped the innocent act. Her lip snarled briefly. “You’re an asshole, Finn. I don’t care what you think. I need to talk to my sister. If you find her before I do, tell her to call me. We need to figure out what we’re going to do with the house. She was supposed to sell me her half of the house. I can’t have a damn roommate forever.”
He would have said Val couldn’t shock him. He’d been wrong. “That is the house she raised you in. She gave up her whole future to keep that house so you had a place to live. She didn’t go to college, so you wouldn’t go into foster care. Do you have any idea how hard that was for her?”
Val shrugged and flicked her nails. “I’m offering her a good deal. She can find someplace else. She’s lived there all her life. You would think she’d be sick of it by now. I’m doing her a favor.”
He huffed and zipped the bag closed. He didn’t want to spend any more time in Val’s presence than he had to. “Some favor. I bet you’ll try to cheat her somehow. I will take a look at any paperwork you want Dani to sign.”
She paled a bit, but her voice was filled with malice. “Why don’t you just take her back to the city with you? Don’t you need a hag or something?”
“Fuck you, Val.”
“Only a real man could do that.” She rolled those cold eyes. “That’s why you’re perfect for Dani. She wouldn’t know a real man if one tried to marry her. Oh, yeah, she fucked that up, too. She has pissed off a bunch of the women in this town. Trust me, she’ll be damned grateful I’m willing to buy her out. She is not going to want to live in this town after her stunt.”
Val turned on her stilettos and slunk off.
A slow heat started to spread through Finn’s body as Val’s words sank in. Dani had stayed for Val. After Val finished college, Dani had stayed because she didn’t know anything else. What if she had to leave? What if the town became completely unbearable? She would need a friend. She would need him.
Once he had her on his home turf, he would show her that they could make a relationship work. She would be surprised at first, but she would come around.
He slung the bag over his shoulder. He would make it work.
He just had to figure out where she was.
Chapter Five
Julian looked at Danielle across the living room. She sat next to Abby with Olivia in her lap. She’d barely touched her steak, salad, and mashed potatoes, or the excellent chocolate mousse the Barnes’ housekeeper had prepared for dinner. Though she played with the little girl and managed to hold a conversation with Abby, he could practically feel her anxiety from across the room. He smiled a little, trying to encourage her to calm down. It had been awhile since she’d made the decision to spend the evening with him. He could tell she was second-guessing herself. He wanted that. He wanted her to second- and third-guess herself. She should wrestle with the decision. It was a huge step to take in what already seemed to be a big day of change for Danielle Bay.
He’d sat down with Jackson directly after dinner and questioned him about Danielle. It was just as Julian had suspected. She was very submissive and completely untrained. She’d spent her entire life attempting to please the people around her. Most of them had taken full advantage of her nature. She’d given up her hopes and dreams to care for a mother dying of a brain tumor. When her mother was gone, she’d raised her sister, who Jackson had referred to as a waste of flesh. If she hadn’t fled from her wedding, she would have been taken advantage of by her husband, and her life would have continued on the same sad path.
A warm feeling suffused Julian’s skin. He could change that for her.
He could teach her and potentially find a permanent Dom for the gorgeous little thing. The thought of keeping her for himself nibbled at the edge of his consciousness. He disregarded the idea. He wasn’t cut out for long-term, but he knew many men who were. He would do what he’d always done. He would train her, enjoy her, and match her up to the perfect Dom.
“Baby hog.” Samuel held out his arms to Jackson.
Jackson rocked back in his easy chair, Josh against his chest. He glanced up at Samuel. “How about a please?”
Samuel’s lips turned up. “I thought I already pleased you enough for one night, Jack.”
Jackson’s face lit up as he shook his head. “I’ll give you that one, Sam.” He kissed the top of Josh’s head and allowed Samuel to pull the baby into his arms. The little guy lit up at the sight of his other father, and Samuel carried the baby to the couch. He sank down beside Abby and cooed at the child.
Jackson sat up. “He’s going to kill me one of these days.”
And yet the content look on his face told Julian it wouldn’t be a bad way to go. He studied his former protégé for a moment. Jackson’s lips turned up.
“Are you ready to ask me about it?” Jackson made the question seem almost like a foregone conclusion.
“Ask you what?” He wasn’t aware he had any burning questions for Jackson.
“Aren’t you going to ask me how settling down feels? You’re not exactly a young man anymore, Julian. Haven’t you thought about settling down?”
He was mildly affronted at the thought. “I’m only five years older than you. I’m not exactly an old man.”
Jackson held his hands up in apology. “Of course not, and don’t raise your voice. You’re almost the same age as Abby, and I do not want to have that conversation with her. All I’m saying is you’re in the prime of your life, and it’s time to think about the future.”
Julian’s eyes stole to Danielle, who quickly averted her gaze. She was so shy. He would have to rid her of that condition. At least around him. His immediate future looked quite bright. Danielle was beautiful and completely untrained. She would prove to be an amazingly rewarding challenge, he just knew it. “I’m happy with my life the way it is. Not all of us get a white picket fence, Jackson. Not all of us want one.”
But the words rang hollow, even to his own ears. He kept his face perfectly even, but Jackson’s words sent a strange restless feeling through his gut. He’d hoped that enforced celibacy would cause him to work through the odd longing he’d had in the last couple of years, but it had only seemed to sharpen the hunger. He’d finally decided to take up his old life again. He would take two subs, carefully chosen from a plethora of eligible candidates, and continue as he had before. He would ignore the unsettled feeling he got when around his “settled” friends. His future would be ordered. Then Danielle had jumped into his car.
Chaos suddenly didn’t seem like such a bad thing.
“You need to be careful with her.” Jackson leaned forward, his voice low, his elbows on his knees.
“I am always careful.”
His hands tightened on his knees, and Jackson’s eyes studied him carefully as though deciding how to continue. “I wasn’t talking about physically. She isn’t some submissive who knows the score. The subs you’ve taken up until now know that eventually you’ll pass them off to someone else. They know that you will give them what they need as a submissive, but not much else.”
Julian felt his eyebrows draw together. What was that supposed to mean? “If you are accusing me of something, Jackson, I would rather you stated it plainly.”
“You are so touchy about this. That’s what I mean. You look at Dani, and you see a submissive in need of training. I know that you’ll give her everything she needs as a sub, but she needs other things. She needs you to see her as a woman, too.”
The whole conversation was making Julian uncomfortable. “Of course I see her as a woman.”
Jackson sighed, disappointment plain on his face. “I’m talking about something beyond tits and a heart-shaped ass. She needs more than an affectionate Dom. That woman nee
ds a lover. She needs someone who won’t dismiss her because she acts out, and she will act out. It’s inevitable in a real relationship. People get mad at each other. People in love really get mad at each other.”
Julian looked at the woman in question. She was lovely and obviously in need, but he couldn’t see himself ever getting mad at her. Disappointed, yes, but he rarely got angry. Anger meant a loss of control, and he would never do that. Though he wanted Danielle, he wasn’t willing to anger his oldest friend over her. He felt his jaw tighten. “If it bothers you, then by all means, make different arrangements for the girl. I wouldn’t want to offend you in your own home.”
Jackson sat back, and Julian had the terrible feeling that he’d done just what he’d sworn he didn’t want to do. “I wasn’t telling you to leave her alone, Julian. Forget I said anything. I had Benita move your things to the guesthouse. We converted the upstairs of the guesthouse to a playroom last year after Abby’s mom got remarried. You should be perfectly comfortable there. There’s a stash of new toys in the closet.”
Julian sat back, unsure of what to do. This was why he didn’t have many friends. He didn’t know how to act around them. It had been easier when Jackson was his employee. And yet, he found himself unable to cut the tie. “I didn’t mean to be difficult. I just don’t understand. Why don’t you tell me plainly what you think I should do?”
Jackson’s face relaxed. “You really don’t understand, do you? Here’s what I want you to do, I want you to keep an open mind. I want you to go into this relationship with Dani with no thought to when it’s going to end.”
“Well, it will end when she no longer needs me.”
“And what if she always needs you?”
Julian had absolutely no answer for that.
* * * *
Dani felt her hands tremble as Julian Lodge opened the door to the guesthouse. She stared at the broad plane of his back, encased in an expensive-looking dress shirt. She longed to run her hands across those shoulders, to feel the muscles beneath his tanned skin, but she held back.
What was she doing?
He turned as the door swung open, gallantly inviting her to go first. She hesitated. If she walked in that house with him, she was agreeing to have sex. She doubted it would be regular, normal sex after that speech he’d given her. It would be super kinky, monkey sex. Was she ready for that?
His hand touched her hair, smoothing it back. “It’s all right, little one. You don’t have to do this. I really won’t throw you out because you don’t want to have sex with me. You can spend the night in the main house, and we’ll figure out what would be best for you in the morning.”
How did he do that? One minute he scared the crap out of her, and the next she wanted to melt against him. She thought about Finn. Finn was the only man she’d ever really loved. She remembered the one time she’d kissed him. He’d been so embarrassed he’d walked away from her. When he’d come back, he’d acted like nothing had happened.
It had been the only time she’d tried to be aggressive. It had been a miserable failure, and she wasn’t very good at it in the first place. It felt wrong. Unnatural. Yet, when Jimbo was aggressive, she’d just wanted to get it over with. Kneeling over Julian Lodge’s lap this afternoon had been the most sensual experience of her life. She was scared, but she wanted to see where this path led.
“I know what I want.”
His finger traced the line of her jaw. “Brave little sub. Did Abigail explain what you needed to know? We can talk for a while if you want.”
She swallowed. Abby had explained a lot. She’d fully explained what a safe word was and why Dani needed one. Abby had explained about the playroom/dungeon and some of the things Julian would probably want. It had been a bit awkward in the beginning, but Abby had been patient. By the time Sam had joined them, she had put Dani at ease. She’d also assured Dani that Julian would honor her safe word. Abby wasn’t Julian’s biggest fan, but she claimed he was good to his…subs. He was the Dom, and she was the submissive. “I think I understand.”
“Very good.” He gestured for her to enter.
Dani glanced around the nicely decorated little house. The Barnes-Fleetwood guesthouse was way nicer than the house Dani had grown up in. She found herself in a living area. It didn’t look anything like a dungeon. There was a comfy-looking sofa and love seat. She could see there was a kitchen and a small dining area. Off to the side were the stairs that led to what Jack had called the playroom. She was very interested in seeing what was in that playroom. Abby had gone over some of the things in there, but she wanted to see them with her own eyes.
“Should I go upstairs?” She wasn’t quite sure what to do.
“I think we should begin down here.” He didn’t seem at all uncomfortable. He walked straight to the couch and lowered himself into it. He’d unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, and Dani couldn’t help but look at the smooth skin he’d uncovered. He looked like a man who didn’t mind hitting the gyma lot. He patted his lap. “Sit with me.”
It wasn’t a suggestion. His voice had gone deeper than normal. She sank onto his lap. One arm anchored her at the waist while the other found her neck and drew her head down onto his shoulder. She could smell his masculine scent. Sandalwood. She breathed it in.
“See, this is nice.”
She felt his low rumble all along her skin. He nuzzled her neck, causing her to shiver, but not from the cold. This was very nice indeed. His hands moved soothingly across her curves. He did everything with a seductive deliberation that had her hormones simmering.
“Let’s set our ground rules for the evening, little one.”
“Rules?” She thought he would just take her. She was surprised he hadn’t already. She could feel the thick line of his erection against the cheeks of her ass, yet he seemed content to cuddle against her.
“Oh, yes, there will be rules. I think we’ll take it easy tonight. I’ll ease you into high protocol. For tonight, you may speak without express permission. I want you to be able to ask questions if you’re afraid.” His hand trailed along her leg. “Do you understand what a Dom is?”
“Apparently someone who doesn’t want me to speak.”
His hand came down on her ass in a short, sharp arc. “No sarcasm allowed. I don’t take well to Sams.”
His slap hadn’t really hurt, but it left a lingering warmth. She squirmed a bit. “Sam?”
“Smart-ass masochist. Samuel Fleetwood was aptly named. It fits him to a T, but this is lingo we use for a little submissive who talks back.”
She shook her head. She knew what a masochist was. It wasn’t a good thing to be. “I’m not a masochist.”
His hand fondled her breast. “Yes, you are. Just a bit, or you wouldn’t be here. You liked your spanking. Don’t try to lie to me. Lying to me means punishment. Rule number one. Rule number two is stop thinking like a tourist. I can see the way your brain is working. With me, there is no right or wrong. There is only what feels good and what doesn’t work. That’s what we’ll discover. The only way we can do that is if you’re honest with me and with yourself. Now, answer me honestly. Did you enjoy your spanking?”
“Yes.” It actually felt good to not lie. It felt good to admit it. She’d spent so long denying herself that there was a sort of freedom in admitting she was a little bit of a freak.
His hand tightened on her nipple. It was through her shirt and bra, but she felt the warning in it. “What do you call me?”
That pinch on her nipple sent a flare of heat that fired into her pussy. “Sir.”
He lessened the pressure, but kept his hand on her breast. “Excellent, Danielle. For now, I am Sir. If we choose to move on, perhaps sign a contract for the duration of your training, you will call me Master, but for now, Sir will do. Now, take off your clothes and let me inspect you.”
She immediately pulled back. The thought of standing in front of him naked made her stomach roll. She wasn’t exactly a hard-bodied girl. She was short and
really curvy and could stand to lose ten, maybe fifteen pounds. Certainly not the fifty Val thought she needed to lose, but she could lose some. Her boobs were too big. They sagged a little. She had cellulite on her ass.
“Is there a problem, Danielle?” His calm voice held an edge of impatience.
She swallowed. “I just thought we would turn off the lights maybe.”
“No, we won’t turn off the lights. Nor will I rip your clothes off your body. You will make the choice every submissive makes every time her Dom gives a command. You choose to obey and continue the session, or end the session with your safe word.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, indecision banging through her head. “It would make it a lot easier if you would just do the ‘rip my clothes’ off thing.”
He chuckled, his chest moving against hers. “I’m sure it would. If you have any rape fantasies you would like to explore, I would be more than willing to play with you, but that is for later. For now, you will either obey me, or use your safe word.”
She scrambled off his lap. Several scenarios played in her head. He could take one look at her without her clothes and run screaming from the room. He could laugh and tell her it was all a joke. Or, he could really, really want her.
How the hell would she know if she never took the chance? It suddenly struck her that she’d had it easy all these years. Yes, she’d had to give up what seemed like a promising future to help out at home. That was awful, but what about the last couple of years? What about after Val got through school? She’d gotten used to not trying. She’d gotten used to being able to blame her crappy life on circumstances. She’d gotten used to thinking that staying in this town and marrying someone she didn’t love was just something that had happened to her. But it wasn’t. It was a choice she’d made. And so was this.
Her hands went to the bottom of her shirt. If he laughed, that was on him. She couldn’t live her life making choices based on the worst-case scenarios, not if she ever wanted anything good to happen to her. She pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Without stopping, she undid the clasp on her bra and let it fall to the floor. Her nipples puckered. Her breasts felt heavy on her chest. When she looked up, Julian had a faint smile on his lips. His normally chilly eyes suddenly seemed warm.