But I can’t assume this represents a change to that either. Parker is Parker. He’ll always want to play the field. I should protect my heart and say no. But then I’d never know what would have happened—and I can trust Parker to keep me safe. At least physically. Emotions he can be clueless about.
She hit Reply, and typed, I’ll be there, Mr. Mysterious.
Was he planning to buy her something? It seemed unlikely. It wasn’t that he didn’t give her gifts now and then. A magic wand vibrator, a beautiful metal and glass butt plug, that sort of thing. Toys. But the mall didn’t have that kind of store. She shrugged. The note hadn’t told her what to wear, but she knew Parker’s tastes. She showered.
When she got out, she put on black lace underwear, jeans, and a red sweater. She realized she didn’t know Parker’s tastes as well as she thought. For fetish wear at a club, sure. At his house, he had her down to lingerie or less almost the moment she walked through the door. But she had no idea what he wanted her to wear in public, and he rarely commented on her clothes when they met before Knotty and Nice for dinner.
She walked to the Metro, a few blocks from her apartment in Silver Spring, rode the red line into town, transferred, and got to Pentagon City at five minutes of eleven. She ran to get to the C deck and glanced at her phone. Three minutes after. There wasn’t anything she could do about it. And there weren’t any texts from Parker.
The phone buzzed, and sure enough, there was Parker’s text. You’re late. Get in the backseat of the black Crown Victoria sedan.
She looked around to see a large black car pull out of a nearby space and then come to a halt in front of her, the back door even with where she stood. The door clicked and was pushed open. Karen’s heart pounded. She trusted Parker, but this was very strange. She opened the door and peered inside.
Alicia was there, dressed as casually as Karen was. There were two shopping bags on the floor next to her. Craig was driving. “Get in the car,” Alicia said.
Karen slid in beside her and closed the door. “What’s going on?”
“This is a kidnapping,” Alicia said cheerfully, as if that explained everything.
She means pretend, right? Yes. “Where are we going?”
“Not telling,” said Craig as he put the car in motion. “That’s the way kidnappings are.”
Alicia handed her a bag. “These are for you to wear. Change into them here.”
Karen looked inside. There was a skimpy black dress with sequins and a very expensive brand of red lipstick. And thick nude-colored tights. Black panties—not lacy, and surprisingly not a thong or a G-string. They covered more than what she had on. No shoes. The dress definitely didn’t go with the well-worn running shoes she was wearing. She rolled her eyes. Like a man not to think of shoes. But Alicia should have set him straight.
Conscious of the fact that other people could see into the car, Karen waited until the car was through the first light before whipping off her sweater and pulling on the shimmery cocktail dress. Alicia helped zip her into it. Only once the dress was on did Karen slither out of her blue jeans. She wondered about the panties. The ones I have on are sexier. But in the end, she decided she better obey.
“Panties over the tights. Trust me,” said Alicia.
Karen looked at her oddly but shrugged. She took her lace undies off and pulled the tights on, which, not surprisingly, were crotchless. Then she donned the panties provided. Alicia loaned her a mirror to help with the lipstick. It was a more intense red than Karen usually wore, but she guessed it looked okay. A bit slutty.
“You look perfect.”
She lifted her foot to show Alicia the shoe and also to put her license in it, because there wasn’t any place else for it except her cleavage. “Really?”
“That won’t matter,” Alicia told her.
“I guess I can go barefoot.”
“If you like. It’s cold on the sidewalk. I’d keep them on.”
Karen frowned at her.
“Here,” said Alicia, putting the second shopping bag on her lap. “Your job is to carry this. We’ll get your clothes back to you next Friday.”
She took a breath. Going out in the short little skirt on a winter day without her clothes with her took a lot of trust, but it was exciting to surrender that way. The bag was heavy. Karen looked inside, and there was a large box. A bit big for shoes, maybe for boots, but the bag was heavier than she thought boots should be. Unless they have steel toes or something. Also not the kind of thing I’d wear with this outfit. Could he be getting back at me with some strange kind of humiliation scene? But the dress is absolutely beautiful.
Caught up in her own thoughts, she rode in silence rather than chatting with Alicia. Finally, Craig pulled the car to the curb and slowed to a stop. “This is where you get off. Have a fun time,” he said.
Alicia gave her a hug. “Enjoy.”
Well, Craig and Alicia at least thought what Parker had in mind was going to be fun. She’d have to trust them. “Thanks, guys. At least I hope I should be thanking you.” She opened the door and walked out onto the sidewalk. It was a mixed shopping and residential district of Arlington, and there were plenty of people. A few glanced her way. Even with the tights her outfit was cold for standing on a street corner. Suddenly Parker was at her side. He was dressed nicely, if flamboyantly. Slacks, a shiny white silk shirt, and a bow tie. At least his footwear went with the outfit. He carried a sports bag in his hand that she presumed was full of toys.
“Hello, Karen.” He took her free hand in his.
“Hello, Parker. What’s going on?”
“Trust me. It’ll be good.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. He walked with her a block, and she studied him, trying to discern his mood. He was being even harder to figure out than usual. When he turned the corner, she saw what was driving the crowd. There, between buildings, was an outdoor ice rink. Adults and children were gliding along the ice, laughing, occasionally falling. He led her over to a bench near the entrance to the rink and sat down.
“Well then,” he said. “Let’s put on our skates.” He unzipped his bag.
For a moment, Karen hesitated and then realized that was what was in the bag she was carrying. She pulled out the box with an eagerness that would have put an eight-year-old at Christmas to shame. She loved ice-skating, even though she’d only gone a time or two after moving east from Arizona. She’d even put it on her dating profile as something she’d like to do.
The skates were black and new and matched her dress perfectly. She toed off her running shoes without bothering to untie them, eager to find out if the skates fit. Parker had plenty of opportunities to find out her size, and he’d bought her high heels to wear at a bondage party once, so she wasn’t surprised to find that they fit perfectly.
His skates were worn and different from hers, with no teeth in the toe. Hockey skates, rather than figure-skating ones. He laced his up with practiced efficiency and then pulled out a skate hook she’d seen before. She hadn’t thought it was for actual ice skates; she’d thought he had it just to lace up corsets. He liked to cinch them tight, making them feel even more like bondage. Now he used it to tighten his skates and knelt in front of her to do the same with hers.
“Normally I kneel in front of you,” she said.
“Normally. Don’t get ideas.” He grinned at her. “I’m making sure you have proper ankle support.” He took her ID from her shoe and slipped it into his pocket.
He always was a perfectionist. “This is a wonderful idea, Parker. Or should I say Sir?”
He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “I always enjoy ‘Sir.’”
She smiled. “It seems one should treat one’s kidnapper with some respect. In fear of consequences.”
He smiled. “A woman as smart as she is beautiful.”
“Not everyone appreciates smart in a submissive girl, Sir.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. But their loss is my gain.” He stood. “Shall we?”
She almost fell right away. It had been a long time since she’d been on skates. Parker caught her in his strong arms before she’d lost her balance completely and swept her forward, gliding with her across the ice until she was able to regain her equilibrium. When he let her go, it was almost as if they had been dancing for a moment, she felt so graceful. Getting started on the ice was always the hard part. It was easier to stay up once she got going.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said.
“My pleasure, girl,” he replied.
She concentrated on building a rhythm and staying vertical for a slow lap around the track. He stayed to her outside and behind her, ready to catch her if she fell, and it gave her confidence. By the time she got all the way around, she felt like she could hold her own.
Most of the people there were dressed in street clothes. She was the only one in what could be called a figure-skating outfit, and she felt beautiful, although she hoped no one was looking at her expecting her skating to be as lovely as her clothes.
“Trust me,” said Parker and put his hand around her waist.
“I’ll make you fall.”
“No, you won’t. Trust me.”
They skated another lap that way. They weren’t very fast, and that meant that only once did they have to separate, to avoid a nine-year-old who was weaving awkwardly with his dad. And Parker warned her before he let go. When they rejoined on the other side, she felt a sense of accomplishment at maintaining an easy glide.
They skated around again, and this time skating felt natural enough that Karen was able to enjoy the simple pleasure of having Parker’s arm encircling her waist.
He let her go and skated past her a few strides, then did a graceful turn and skated backward in front of her as adeptly as she skated forward. He took a few glances behind him before turning, letting her catch up, and putting his arm around her again.
“It’s too crowded. I can’t keep my eyes on you that way. We should rent a rink and do this again with the ice to ourselves.”
This isn’t a one-off? And that’s so romantic. Her mind was swimming with the kinky possibilities as well, although she supposed even if one rented a rink for a private session, there would still be employees around. The idea of him pushing her against the edge and kissing her passionately was intoxicating, and if he happened to slip his hand under her very short skirt, well—
She stumbled, and he held her up. Have to focus on skating. He was so graceful, so assured. “How’d you learn to skate so well?”
Parker shook his head. “I’m not that good. Some of the guys I play hockey with are amazing. I get by on size and a slap shot.”
“I didn’t know you played hockey.”
“Every Wednesday night. We don’t know as much about each other as maybe we should.”
She silently agreed. She remembered he had Wednesday nights blocked off. “I always assumed there was a ‘Wednesday night girl’ just like I’m Saturday afternoon.”
He laughed. “No, you’re my only regular appointment.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I like being mysterious. I like having distance.” He pulled her close as he said it, matching her stride for stride, their hips touching. “It helps me be the big bad Dom you need.”
“I did need that,” she agreed. “But I think maybe my needs have changed.”
She took her eyes off where she was going long enough to look at his face, trusting that he wouldn’t let her fall even if glancing sideways affected her balance. She quickly faced forward again. He looked stung and vulnerable in a way she didn’t expect, and wasn’t sure she liked. She opened her mouth to explain what she meant, how she wanted more and not less, but then she shut it again. She didn’t know the words to use, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to be vulnerable either.
This moment is far too precious to risk an argument. She leaned into him. He held her up, his hand briefly brushing against her breast as he adjusted his grip around her waist. That touch aroused her. They got to a clear stretch of ice, and he suddenly moved in front of her, skating in reverse again, and lifted her in the air. She shrieked with joyous laughter, then had a second of fright as he continued to spin and set her down with her momentum carrying her backward. She wasn’t sure what to do, but it didn’t matter because he kept moving, holding her in his strong arms and turning her around to face forward once more, then spinning to catch her waist again as momentum caused her to glide by. Despite being utterly out of control, she felt elegant. It was all his grace, she realized. Just as when he tied her up and suspended her off the ground in the club, it was his skill with rope, but it was her who felt beautiful and weightless.
For the next half hour, she enjoyed the ice. She got better at skating, and when she asked Parker to teach her to skate backward, she didn’t end up plowing anyone over. Another session and I might get it.
At last they came to a stop. He didn’t look like he’d even exercised. He leaned back against the rail, and she leaned on him, catching her breath.
“It’s time to take you home,” he said. “I’ve got my car nearby.”
“I never expected this,” she said.
“I know.”
“Did you read my dating profile?”
“You have a dating profile?”
She couldn’t tell whether he knew about it or not. Damn him for being so unreadable. It was a chance to open up and tell him why, but as the silence lengthened, it got harder. “Yes.”
“Ah.”
“You could answer my question.”
He smiled. “That would make me a lot less mysterious.”
Grr. She wasn’t sure which was better—if he’d read it and decided to take her ice-skating because he saw that she wanted that, or if he had done so without knowing. She stepped off the ice, and he followed her and gave her a pat on the rear. She looked back at him, but he had the same unreadable face, with a touch of innocence. Innocent, my foot. She wanted more of the romantic side of him. Or a spanking. Hell, she couldn’t decide what she wanted right now. But more. Definitely more.
“I don’t want to go home,” she said as she sat on the bench.
“I didn’t mean your home. I meant mine. We have a regular appointment, I believe.” He grinned at her and then started unlacing his own skates.
Somehow, wearing tennis shoes with the short dress didn’t seem so bad now. Now that she knew they’d been ice-skating, it felt like everyone could figure out. Hell, she would have figured it out herself had it not seemed so utterly unlike Parker. Even though he’d been leading, there had been no BDSM twist, no pain play, or anything like that. Making her ice-skate while wearing ben wa balls or a butt plug? That would be the Parker she knew. But just skating seemed strange. Even though she liked it, it was unsettling.
They drove to his house with her still puzzling it out, and he was silent. It wasn’t until she was nearly there that she realized she’d been ungrateful.
“Parker, thank you so much. That was a truly wonderful experience. I don’t know what got in you, but the whole thing…from the mysterious beginning that I know you loved and made me shiver with anticipation to the actual skating where you were so patient with me—it was amazing. I love the dress. I love the way it feels to have your arm around me as we glide around the ice. I love the way you made me feel beautiful.”
“I was beginning to wonder if you liked it,” he said. “But I thought you did.”
“I loved it. And anytime you want to take me again, I’d love to go.”
“Noted.” He pulled into his driveway. “Is there anything else you’d like to share?”
Was there something I missed? Does he want to hear why I put up a dating profil
e? “No. Why?”
“Because we are about to enter my house. And the moment you cross that threshold, you are mine, and I expect you to submit to me and my desires.”
Her heart raced the way it always did when she approached his house. There was something different too. They’d had what she could only think of as a date. But that didn’t change her desire for the special kind of attention he had always given her. But still, this was her chance to find out what it all meant. “Why did you take me ice-skating?”
“Because I wanted to.”
She stared at him for a moment. Was that all the answer she was going to get? Apparently it was. It’s not like I expected him to say I love you. But I guess I let myself hope. “Yes, Sir. Let’s go.” I don’t want the skating to make things weird between us. Although I suppose a lot of people would think we already are weird. She reached for the door.
“Stay,” he said and opened his own door.
She didn’t know why he was telling her that, but she waited. He walked around and opened the door for her. “Come,” he said.
She got up. “Why did you get the door?”
“Because I wanted to.”
“There are times, Sir, that you can be the most frustrating man.”
He smiled as if it was a compliment, took her hand, and led her to the front door.
Chapter Four
Parker was used to knowing all the moves. Sure, sometimes with a new girl he had to figure out her needs, but that was okay because he rarely failed. If he and a woman could find something mutually satisfying to do—and they usually could—that was great. He was always in charge. If she didn’t like what he wanted to offer, no harm done. But with Karen, the stakes were higher, and that made his dominance more fragile. He knew that despite her occasional bratty moments, she got off on him being confident and in control. He had to get the balance right.
Too Hip for Love Page 4