by Jenna Jacob
The thought of him coming to this special place night after night took my breath away.
“You did?”
“Yes. I’d spend hours in my studio, working—”
“You still haven’t shown me your surprise,” I interrupted.
“Tomorrow, little one... I’ll let you see it tomorrow.” He grinned.
“I’m sorry, go on,”
“Working with my hands wasn’t enough to process everything,” he began again. “I came here to remember the touch of your skin, the taste of your lips, and how you sweet you smelled.”
His expression turned solemn. I knew there was more he wanted to say, but struggled with the words, or the courage to say them.
“I also came here to talk to Veronica and Camille; to tell them good-bye, and to let them go.”
A fat tear slipped down my cheek as I leaned in and rested my head on his shoulder.
“I meant what I said at the lodge. I want to start a new chapter of my life with you, Mellie. And now that Carnation and Tideway are locked up, I need to know if you really, truly want the same. I love you and I know you love me, but we’re not young and naïve. We both know that sometimes, love isn’t enough.”
Sitting back up, I stared at him. He was worried… Worried that I didn’t need him anymore. Or that I didn’t love him enough to make the necessary sacrifices and changes in my life for him… for us. How could he think such a thing?
Umm, maybe because your track record isn’t the greatest, and even though you’ve turned over a new leaf, maybe he wants a guarantee that you’re not going to flip back out and float away on the wind. He wants a commitment, dumbass. You know… that thing you swore you’d never give any man? Seriously, do you blame him?
“I didn’t keep you by my side as an emotional safety net, Joshua. I stayed with you because I wanted you… needed you, far beyond the circumstances we were forced into. I still do. I meant it, too when I told you that I love you.” Joy flashed in his eyes. “I want to start a new chapter, too…with you. Change and grow, so we can live happily ever after. I might be your fantasy, but you’re my fairy tale.”
“I thought girls grew into women, and reality conquered their childish fantasies,” he quipped with a knowing grin.
I chuckled, wondering how he’d remembered the words I’d said to him that night. But maybe they’d been branded in his soul, just as every moment I’d spent with him had been branded into mine.
“They do, but if the girl is smart, she saves one, just in case… fairy tales do come true.”
“I knew you were a wise woman,” he whispered as he brushed another kiss over my lips. Closing my eyes, I welcomed the tingling sensation and the profound sense of peace that filled me. I finally knew what love felt like… it was like I’d always dreamed it would be.
Bright and early the next morning, as Joshua snored in my ear, I bit back a giggle and kissed him awake.
“Mmmm,” he rumbled as he pulled me in closer, warming me with his lean body.
“It’s tomorrow. You know what that means. Come on. You promised you’d show me,” I reminded him with an excited lilt in my voice.
Popping one eye open, he looked at me and frowned. “It’s not going anywhere, little one.”
“I know, but I can’t wait any longer.”
He chuckled. “I can’t wait to see you on Christmas morning, little one. You’re so cute.” With a mock scowl he shook his head. “But you need long hours of patience training. If I was a stern and hardnosed Master, I’d make you wait until tonight.”
“But you won’t, because you love me and you know it will make me happy to see it now.”
Joshua closed his eye and shook his head. “I’ve created a monster,” he murmured with a grin.
Hoping a different tactic might work, I slid my tongue over his nipple. “Come on, Master Stephen, pleaseeeee.”
Opening both eyes, he looked down at me and scowled, in earnest. “Don’t even play that shit, girl. I won’t have you manipulating my Dominance to get what you want. Topping from the bottom isn’t going to get you anything but a sore, red ass. Understood?”
His reprimand bordered on stirring my guilt and enticing my submission, both of which flickered to life in a heated rush, and I sobered.
Satisfied he’d made his point, Joshua leaned over me, studying my face. “The swelling’s gone down a little bit around your eye, but the bruising is getting brighter. There are some green tinges spreading out from the purple area and the blood in your sclera isn’t as dark.”
“Marvelous.” I pouted. “So I look like a mixture of Barney and Kermit with a raging case of pink eye. Is what you’re saying?”
“Not at all. You look like the woman I love.” With a tiny smirk he raised his brows. “I believe you woke me up to ask me something, little one?”
There it was; the not so subtle lesson he wanted me to learn. Communication.
“Yes, Sir. May we please go up to your studio so I can see the surprise you’ve been working on?”
“Indeed we can, since you asked so sweetly.” He smiled. “After we’ve had some coffee.”
I frowned. “So I guess tempting you with my body falls under the topping from the bottom category, right?”
“Yes it does. But there’ll be no sex, at least not for a little while. We need to give your brain time to heal, girl.”
“Then why do they call it sexual healing?” I challenged with a sly grin.
Joshua laughed. “God, I love you.”
Easing out from the covers, he stood and extended his hand.
“Coffee? Really?” I asked, curling my lips in a melodramatic pout.
“Yes,” he replied in that nipple-hardening Dominant tone.
Our simple cup of coffee turned into a huge breakfast. Tempering my impatience as we ate, I leaned back and sipped my coffee while Joshua chomped on his last bite of pancakes. With a wicked grin he turned and glanced at the dirty pans and mixing bowls lining the counter tops of the big kitchen and sighed.
“I suppose the dishes can wait,” he teased.
“Yes, they can. I’ll even help you clean up… after.”
“After? After what, little one?”
“Arrggghh,” I groaned, then flashed him a knowing smile. “After you decide if I can see the surprise in your studio now or not, Master.”
“Now you’re catching on. I think I’ve made you wait long enough.” He laughed. “Come on, girl. It’s time.”
I jumped up from my chair and a sharp blade of pain pierced my skull. Quickly sitting back down, I gripped my hands around my head and groaned.
“I think you need to go lay back down,” Joshua whispered as he rushed to my side.
“No, I just need to stop acting on impulse and take it slow.”
Halfway up the first floor, Joshua lifted me into his arms and carried me the rest of the way. Once on the third floor, he eased me to my feet and told me to close my eyes. I bit back the urge to argue, since I’d barely gotten a glimpse of his studio, and did as he instructed.
As he led me through what felt like a maze, my anticipation built, and when he pulled me to a stop, my excitement swelled.
“Open your eyes, Mellie,” he whispered.
When I did a soft gasp cooled my throat. On a tall pedestal before me sat the sculpture of a beautiful four- poster bed, painstakingly carved and glazed in a rich masculine chocolate color. A woman lay bound and naked upon an intricately etched blanket.
A slow smile tugged my lips as I realized it was an exact replica of Joshua’s bed. The piece appeared to be about the size of my computer bag: about a half a foot long, maybe a foot or so wide, and about six or seven inches tall.
She lay on her back with her wrists bound in long, braided rope, stretching her arms open wide, while her long, slender legs remained free. One knee was bent, and I followed the smooth ivory flesh to find her toes pointed and slightly tucked behind the calf of her other leg, resting on the bed. Her right hip thrust forward a
s if frozen in time while she writhed in ecstasy. Her shoulder blades pressed against the blanket, thrusting her full breasts and beaded nipples outward, in silent supplication for her Master’s tongue, lips, and teeth. She looked so lifelike and real I almost expected her to move… to moan.
“Oh, wow,” I murmured.
“Look closer, little one,” Joshua urged as he pointed toward her face.
Moving in closer, I gazed at her features. It was me… from the top of her head to the tiny scar on her chin, the one I got when I wiped out on my skateboard the summer I turned ten. Awestruck, I blinked and leaned in even closer. My heart skittered in my chest as I stared at the expression poised on her face. It was hauntingly identical to the overwhelming serenity I’d witnessed the night Joshua pressed me over the marble vanity and brought me face to face with the submissive inside me.
The woman on the bed was me… soaring in sexual splendor lost in submissive bliss. Her hooded lids, heavy in seduction, partially concealed her glassy, unfocused gaze. Long, billowing curls spilled over the pillow, fanning across her delicate shoulders. Her swollen lips glistened—as if freshly kissed—parted and pursed in a silent cry to please. Though I couldn’t visibly see it, or tangibly touch it, a palpable energy emanated from the flawless figure. She was readily handing over her soul to the Master who owned and controlled her.
The vision of unadulterated submission was so moving; I couldn’t hold back my tears.
“It’s… it’s…” I sobbed.
“It’s you, my love. It’s the way I see you… the way I’ve always seen you in my dreams, in my fantasies.”
“Oh, Master.” Wrapping my arms around him, I wept.
My heart, mind, body, and soul had been swept away by this remarkable man… a feat I’d thought possible. Joshua Lars had taken my forsaken desires, cupped them in the palm of his hand, and sculpted them back to life.
My amazing and gifted Master had made good on his promise…
He’d saved my submission.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bestselling Author Jenna Jacob’s erotic romance comes from the heart of submission. With over twenty years experience in the dynamics of the BDSM lifestyle, Jenna strives to portray Dominance and submission with a passionate and comprehensive voice. Her stories will make you laugh, cry, and may leave you with a better understanding of the fulfillment found in the BDSM power exchange.
A married mom of four grown children, Jenna and her husband live in Kansas. Her passions include her family, reading, camping, cooking, music, and riding Harleys. She loves to make people laugh with her outgoing and warped sense of humor. If you’re looking for hot romance with a kinky twist, you’ve found it.
Connect with Jenna online:
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.jennajacob.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jenna.jacob.author
Facebook Fan Page: http://on.fb.me/1sW1b1b
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@jennajacob3
Other Titles Available By Jenna Jacob
THE DOMS OF GENESIS
Embracing My Submission: (Book One)
I love all the twist and mystery in this book. It constantly kept my attention. This is DEFINITELY not a dull read. I have read my share of BDSM but this book was unlike the others as in I get an even CLOSER look inside the relationships.
Twinsie Talk Book Reviews
Masters Of My Desire: (Book Two)
Masters of my Desire by Jenna Jacob was a delicious, sexy, kinky treat that I couldn't get enough of. THANK YOU for pulling me in to this world. This world full of love, lust, and intrigue. THANK YOU for creating such a powerful connection with these characters and their lives.
Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads
Master Of My Mind: (Book Three)
From the very first pages of Master of My Mind, Jenna Jacob had me emotionally riveted, pulled into a story so intriguing, so enthralling, so spellbinding, that I tuned out the rest of the universe in order to fully immerse myself in Leagh and Tony’s story.
Sizzling Hot Books
THE DOMS OF HER LIFE
(Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob & Isabella LaPearl)
One Dom To Love: (Book One)
Buckle your seatbelts for the start of a yummy new BDSM series, The Doms of Her Life, in One Dom to Love. Shayla Black weaves her storytelling magic yet again this time with the help of co-authors Jenna Jacob and Isabella LaPearl, writing a story which will only have you panting for more in this saga.
Two Lips Reviews
The Young And The Submissive: (Book Two)
I found myself lost in the story ignoring everything that was happening around me. I was transported to a front-row seat in the drama. Liam, Macen and Raine are such well-developed characters that it really felt like I was reading about real people.
Sizzling Hot Books
COMING SOON
SEDUCED BY MY DOMS – The fifth book in Jenna’s BDSM Erotic Romance Series: The Doms of Genesis. Coming late 2014/early 2015.
EXCERPT
“Is there a full moon tonight or what? This is beyond crazy,” I mumbled sidling up next to Cindy my supervisor and best friend at the nurse’s station where she stood scanning over patient charts. The Emergency Room of Cook County Hospital where we worked, had been filled to capacity since our shifts began. We’d been kept hopping with patients suffering minor ailments, to trauma bays filled from a six-car pile up on the Interstate. Cindy and I barely had time to utter more than a few words to one another. The waiting room was still full with no end in sight.
Cindy let out a soft sarcastic snort as I waited for the printer to spit out discharge papers for my patient in room twelve. “It’s balls to the wall, that’s for sure. Oh, and Dr. Reynolds just informed me, EMS is in route again, E.T.A.... six minutes.”
“Somebody needs to take away the baton from whoever is leading this parade.” I smirked.
“They will, in two more hours when it’s time for shift change.” Cindy laughed then quickly sobered. “Listen, if you’ll keep an eye on my patients in two, six, seven and fourteen, I’ll take the guy that’s coming in.”
Cindy’s offer seemed benign but I knew something was up—she never passed off her patients. Coupled with the look of concern on her face, my suspicions blossomed. She was trying to keep something from me.
“Who are they bringing in, the Pope?” I joked, hoping she’d come clean with me.
“No, a bunch of drunk frat boys decided to beat the shit out of some guy.”
“Piece of cake. Let me drop these discharge papers off to the patient in twelve, and I’ll get the trauma room ready. My guy in three is being admitted, and the woman in eight is getting x-rays. They’re so swamped down there, she won’t be back for another hour or so.”
“I said I’d take care of the new one.” Floored by Cindy’s snippy tone, I arched my brows, flashing her a look that screamed: ‘bitch please’. “Look, just cover my patients for a little bit. I’ll take them back just as soon as I can.”
“What is it that you think I’m not qualified to handle, Cindy?” My bitter tone drew a scowl from my Bestie. “An hour ago I was sopping up blood from the dude who nearly cut his leg off with a chain saw. I’m more than qualified to assist a guy that’s been beaten up. I don’t know what’s caused your sudden lack of confidence in me, but it’s insulting.”
“It’s not that you can’t handle it, Liz. It’s that I don’t want you to.”
“Why not?” I countered.
Cindy wrapped a gentle hand around my forearm. Her dark eyes swam in a pool of apology and compassion. “Liz, you’re an amazing trauma nurse. Not once have I ever questioned your skills... they’re impeccable. This isn’t about the job. It’s about you. I love you, and I don’t want you dealing with what’s coming through that door. Can’t we just leave it at that?”
“No, we can’t. What is it you’re trying to protect me from?” I demanded.
Cindy exhaled a heavy sigh as a loo
k of resignation settle over her face. “The guy they’re bringing in is gay. At least that’s the excuse the homophobic assholes that beat him up are giving the cops. He’s in pretty bad shape.”
My heart lurched to my throat and I swallowed tightly, trying to detach my personal emotions from my professional duties. Sucking in a deep breath, I squared my shoulders. “I appreciate your concern, but don’t coddle me. Let me do my job, okay?”
As I turned on my heel, she gripped my arm tighter. “Liz, you’ve been through hell and back, after Dayne...” She closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Killed himself? Yes, I know.”
Simply saying the words brought a rush of anguish so bitter and hot, I clenched my jaw to keep from howling.
“Take my patients. Please. Let me deal with the beating victim.”
I shook my head. “No. I need to do it. I have to... for Dayne’s sake as well as mine.”
Cindy frowned. “Okay, but if starts getting too real, come get me. I’ll take over for you. Got it?”
With a weak smile, I nodded. “Got it.”
The double doors swung wide as the paramedics wheeled in a blonde man covered in blood.
“Trauma room one,” Cindy called out as we both raced down the hall to join the rest of the team scurrying into the room.
After moving the patient onto the exam table, Dr. Reynolds and I began assessing the man’s injuries as another nurse began cutting off his clothes. Cindy scribbled down information one of the paramedics read from the run sheet while I focused on my duties. I tried not to notice the man’s blonde hair—or rather the clumps that weren’t caked in blood—was the same color of sun-bleached wheat as Dayne’s. So were his vivid blue eyes.
Don’t go there. Not now. Keep it together, you can mourn later.
Running an IV, I smiled at the young man. His face was swollen and bloodied. There was a large contusion on his forehead and a deep laceration over his right eyebrow. Blood oozed from his nose and lips.