by Anna Stone
Vanessa slid her leg between Mel’s thighs, and they ground and rocked against each other. Mel’s loud gasps were matched by Vanessa’s soft ones. It didn’t take long for Mel to come apart in Vanessa’s arms.
But Mel wanted more. Of Vanessa. Of them. And Mel wanted Vanessa to feel what she felt.
She ran a questing hand down Vanessa’s stomach. The way Vanessa’s body quivered at her touch was all the encouragement Mel needed. She slid her fingers down to where Vanessa’s thighs met, her light strokes eliciting short, sharp sighs from the other woman. The sound was so sweet to Mel’s ears. At the same time, Vanessa’s own fingers found their way between Mel’s legs. It took all of Mel’s will to keep her own hand moving.
Mel closed her eyes. It was refreshing to be freed from their roles, if just for a moment. It wasn’t that their roles were an act. They were an innate part of both women’s being. But this way, they both got to give and take and everything in between. This way, they both got to let go.
Vanessa began to tremble. Then she arched into Mel, her lips parted in a silent scream. Mel soon followed, descending into an orgasm so heavenly that Mel felt like she left her body.
But they didn’t stop. They used every part of themselves to bring each other pleasure. Their mouths, their hands, their skin. Mel lost track of how many times they came. Sometimes separately, sometimes together. The walls between them came tumbling down until Mel didn’t know where she ended and where Vanessa began. The entire time, neither of them spoke a single word.
Hours later, Mel and Vanessa lay in bed, wrapped in the soft sheets. The sun was coming up. They hadn’t slept all night. They had spent hours making love, which was the only way to describe what they’d done. Then they lay in silence, basking in each other’s presence.
Mel brought her hand up to her neck. She was still wearing the necklace Vanessa had given her. A gentle smile spread across her face.
“Melanie? What are you thinking about?” Vanessa asked.
“Just how lucky I am,” Mel said.
Vanessa trailed her finger over the curve of Mel’s hip. “And here I was thinking the same thing.”
Mel couldn’t keep her doubt from showing in her eyes.
“You really don’t see it, do you?” Vanessa reached out and stroked Mel’s hair. “I’ve been under your spell since that night I took you into my room at The Lounge. When you sat down on my couch, indignant that I’d helped you. I was telling the truth when I said I believed you could have handled it yourself. But I wanted to rescue you. I barely knew you, but I wanted to be the one to save you from hurt.”
Mel’s heart fluttered.
“All these things I do, all the lengths I go to. It’s all to please you.” She pushed Mel’s hair behind her ear. Her hand lingered on Mel’s cheek. “You have far more power over me than you know. I’m yours as much as you are mine.”
Mel’s breath caught in her chest. Vanessa looked like she wanted to say more.
But the moment passed in silence.
“I’m going to take a bath.” Vanessa climbed out from underneath the covers. “Join me?”
“In a minute. I need a glass of water.”
“Okay. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” Vanessa hopped out of the bed and walked off to the bathroom.
Mel lay there for a moment, face down on the bed. Unlike Vanessa’s bed above The Lounge, this one was soft and inviting. And the sheets, and the pillows—they all smelled like her. Mel pulled the covers in closer to her. It was just like being in Vanessa’s arms.
Mel sighed. Vanessa was waiting for her. She got up out of bed and walked out into the open living area.
Once again, Mel was in awe. It had been dark when she’d arrived last night, and she had been preoccupied. Now, she saw that the enormous apartment was even more impressive in the daylight. It was decorated similarly to Vanessa’s room above The Lounge. Here, however, there were touches of warmth. The floorboards were covered in soft rugs. A recliner sat in the corner, a blanket thrown over one of its arms. A well-read paperback sat on the table next to it.
Mel headed to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. She decided to take a look around as she drank. She couldn’t help herself. This was Vanessa’s sanctuary. Mel wanted to find out what it revealed about the woman who for so long had been a mystery to her.
Mel wandered through the apartment, peeking through doorways and marveling at the rooms. An office with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books. Another bathroom that was even bigger than the master bath. Several more bedrooms. Most of the doors were thrown open, inviting Mel in to discover their secrets. Mel learned that Vanessa enjoyed classic literature and that she had a large collection of abstract art.
Finally, Mel came to one last door. Unlike the others, it was closed. It had a heavy deadbolt above the door handle. Mel stared at it. What could be in that room that Vanessa wanted to keep hidden away? She reached out to test the doorknob.
No. Mel pulled her hand back. She shouldn’t have been snooping in the first place. She wasn’t about to try to get into a room that practically screamed ‘keep out.’ Especially considering that Vanessa was apprehensive about bringing anyone back to her home. Some doors were better left unopened.
Mel made her way to the bathroom. Vanessa was waiting for her in a tub full of fragrant, foamy water. Her damp hair clung to her head, and her skin was glistening wet.
Vanessa beckoned Mel in with a finger. She slipped into the bath in front of Vanessa and leaned back against her. Mel closed her eyes as Vanessa’s arms enveloped her.
Chapter Nineteen
“Hey, Mel. Coming to drinks tonight?” James asked as he passed her.
“Sure.” Mel had earned a night off. And it would be her last chance with final exams on the way. Then she’d have to really buckle down.
“Great. By the way, has Ben come in yet?”
“Yep, he’s out back.”
“Thanks. Do you mind watching the bar for a couple of minutes?”
Mel smiled. “No problem.”
James and Ben were now officially a couple, and it was clear from watching them that they were madly in love. They tried their hardest to act professionally at work. But they couldn’t help but show their affection for each other. Stolen glances, gentle touches, whispered words. And they lit up in each other’s presence.
Did Mel want something like that with Vanessa? The night of the fundraiser had been so perfect. During the week that followed, they’d spent every other night together. What had happened that first night at Vanessa’s apartment never happened again. They had gone back to their regular dynamic. But now, everything seemed so much more intimate. So much sweeter.
Mel fingered the choker around her neck. Vanessa was away for business. And Mel was surprised by how much she missed her. They talked almost every day. And at the end of every phone call, there was a silence filled with words unspoken.
Mel sighed. She hadn’t intended for this to happen. And she still wasn’t ready to admit what ‘this’ was. Her old doubts still played in her mind.
“Hi there.” A short, curvy brunette leaned down over the bar, her crossed arms framing her generous chest. “I’ll have a margarita.”
“Coming right up.” Mel set about making the drink.
“So.” The woman twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. “Does your Master ever let you come out and play?”
Heat rose up Mel’s face. This wasn’t the first time someone had recognized her necklace for what it was. It didn’t surprise her, considering what Vanessa had said about the clientele at The Lounge and Lilith’s overlapping. The sly smiles, and subtle nods. They weren’t suggestive in any way. They were more a respectful acknowledgment that they both belonged to the same secret club.
But this woman clearly had other motives.
“I don’t ‘play’ with anyone.” Mel handed the woman her drink. “And I don’t have a Master.”
“A Mistress then?” The woman asked.
“Wait. Don’t tell me. You’re one of Vanessa’s?”
Mel froze. “Uh, yeah.” How did she know? And what did she mean by ‘one of?’
“Typical. She always liked recruiting subs at the places she owns.”
Mel blinked, then continued wiping down the bar in front of her. She didn’t know who this woman was, and she didn’t care.
“What, did you think you were special? You’re just the latest on a long list of names. I bet Vanessa doesn’t even remember half of them. She just uses girls like you until she gets bored and moves on to the next one.”
Mel stopped. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”
“I’m Rose. Vanessa and I? We have a long history.”
This was Rose? She wasn’t what Mel expected. She was older than Vanessa. And Mel couldn’t imagine her as a submissive. Everything about her seemed predatory.
But none of that mattered. She was banned from the club.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Mel said.
“Oh? So you have heard of me? Did Vanessa tell you what happened between us?”
Mel didn’t respond. But she didn’t call security either.
“She hasn’t told you? I’m not surprised, considering what she did to me.” The woman took a sip of her drink, never taking her eyes off Mel. “I was just one of her submissives at first. It was nothing serious. But then Vanessa decided that she wanted me all to herself permanently. She even gave me a pretty collar, just like yours. We were together for two years. We were happy. We were in love. At least I thought we were.”
Mel waited for Rose to continue. She seemed to have a flair for the dramatic. Which made Mel wonder if she should believe a word that she said.
“But one day, something bad happened to me. Something traumatic. And Vanessa? She couldn’t handle it. Or didn’t want to.” Rose lowered her eyes, her voice cracking. “So she ran. She disappeared. She cut me out of her life like I meant nothing to her.”
Mel felt a gnawing in her stomach. Rose’s story matched up with what James had told Mel.
“Vanessa abandoned me when I needed her the most. When I was hurting and broken.” Rose looked into Mel’s eyes. “You know what this kind of relationship does to you. Giving yourself to someone, mind, body, and heart. Trusting them with your entire being. It leaves you fragile and vulnerable. And for Vanessa to take advantage of that, to rip me open and take me apart time and time again, only to leave me to deal with the aftermath all by myself. It was heartless.”
Mel spoke up for the first time during Rose’s story. “Vanessa would never do that.”
“That’s what I thought too, until she left me. I don’t think she ever loved me, really.” Rose’s eyes were filled with pain. “She showered me with gifts and said sweet things to me so that I would be her perfect little submissive and satisfy her interminable need for control. She gave me just enough attention so that I felt like she cared about me. But she never really gave me any of herself.”
Mel’s stomach lurched. Hadn’t she had that same thought a million times before?
“She’s doing the same to you, isn’t she?”
Mel didn’t respond.
“Have you ever been to her apartment?”
Mel nodded without thinking.
“That’s further than most of the others then. How about her playroom? Has she shown it to you yet?”
Her playroom? Was that what was behind that locked door in her apartment? Mel had been back to Vanessa’s apartment a handful of times since the night of the party, and the door had always been shut. Her surprise must have shown on her face.
“Didn’t think so. Guess you’re not that special to her after all,” Rose said.
The sudden edge in Rose’s voice shook some sense into Mel. “You need to leave. Now.”
“I’ll be out of your hair in a second. I just thought that I should warn you.” Rose downed the last of her drink. “Vanessa ditched me at the first sign of trouble. And she’ll do the same to you.”
“Rose?” James’s voice rang out from behind Mel. “What the fuck?”
Rose put down her glass, shot Mel a cheeky smile, and disappeared into the crowd.
“Dammit!”
Mel watched James chase after Rose. Was everything that Rose said true? Vanessa never spoke about her exes or her past in general. Was it because she had something to hide?
Was Mel just the latest of Vanessa’s disposable subs? She thought back to her encounter with Vicki at the charity fundraiser. Vanessa had been reluctant to leave Mel alone with Vicki. Was it because she feared Vicki would expose her? Mel remembered Vicki’s words.
Vanessa has finally found a pet she wants to keep.
James returned to the bar, his fists clenched at his sides. “I don’t know how Rose got past security, but she’s gone now. Did she give you any trouble, Mel?”
“No,” Mel said. “She just ordered a drink.”
“Goddammit. This is the second time that she’s gotten in here recently. Vanessa will be pissed.”
“Is she really that touchy about Rose?” Mel asked.
“Let me put it this way. Last time Rose got in here, I had to talk Vanessa out of firing the entire security staff. Now I regret not letting her.”
Did Vanessa’s hostility toward Rose stem from guilt?
“I’m going to have to tell Vanessa about this.” James pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, do you think you could not say anything to Vanessa until I’ve talked to her? I know you two are close, but I think she should hear it from me since it happened under my watch. I’ll call her as soon as she gets back from her business trip.”
“Sure.” Mel didn’t feel good about keeping something from Vanessa. But if Mel told Vanessa that she had met Rose, Vanessa would want to know what Rose had said to her. And Mel wasn’t prepared to talk to Vanessa about that. Not until she’d had a chance to process it all.
“Thanks, Mel. I won’t mention to Vanessa that Rose spoke to you, I’ll leave that to you. I don’t want to get in the middle of anything. Just let me talk to her first.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks, Mel. I’m sorry for putting you in this position.” James sighed. “I’m going to go have a chat with security.”
Mel watched James disappear into the crowd, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Surely Rose’s words were just the angry rantings of a jilted ex?
But Mel couldn’t help but think about how everything that Rose said sounded all too familiar.
Chapter Twenty
It had been a month or so into Mel’s freshman year. She was at the top of the world. She’d finally left her old life behind. She’d had lots of new experiences. Living in a dorm, going to wild parties, finding friends who she actually fit in with. No one cared that she was gay here. And she wasn’t the only one. She’d had her first of many kisses. One of which led to several other firsts, most of them involving the girl in the bed next to her.
Mel turned her head to look at Kim. Her blonde locks were in disarray, and her eyes were closed. She had a satisfied smile on her face. Mel watched Kim’s chest rise and fall under the covers.
Kim was Mel’s roommate. Over the past few weeks, they had become exceptionally close. And an alcohol-fueled hookup one night had led to them falling into bed with each other over and over again. Mel was infatuated with her.
The problem? Kim was straight as an arrow. At least, that was what Kim said.
Mel sighed. “We can’t keep doing this, Kim.”
“Why not?” Kim asked, her eyes still closed. “I’m having fun. Aren’t you?”
“Well, yeah.” The last few weeks had been incredible. But it wasn’t because of the sex. It was the little things. The quiet moments that Mel had shared with Kim. Having Netflix marathons in their PJs that lasted until the early hours of the morning. Cuddling in bed and sharing secrets under the covers. Waking up to a gentle kiss from Kim.
&
nbsp; “Then what’s the problem?” Kim burrowed in close to Mel and pulled the sheet up over them both.
“What is it that we’re doing? Do you even like girls?”
Kim shrugged. “I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“It does to me,” Mel said. “I like you, Kim. A lot.”
“Look.” Kim looked up at Mel with her big, pale eyes. “I don’t know if I like girls, but I do know that I like you. Isn’t that what’s important?”
“I guess. But is this ever going to go anywhere?”
Kim kissed Mel on the lips. “We don’t have to worry about any of that right now. We’re young, Mel. This is college. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
Before Mel could respond, Kim pushed her shoulders down onto the bed and straddled her body, leaning down to kiss her again. And within moments, Mel’s complaints were forgotten.
Kim woke Mel up with a soft kiss. “Good morning, beautiful.”
“Morning,” Mel grumbled, still half asleep.
“Aww, did I wake you? Let me make it up to you.” Kim slipped her hand into the bottom of Mel’s shirt.
Mel’s eyes flew open. “No, Kim. Stop.” Mel pushed her away.
“Jeez, what’s the matter with you?”
Mel sighed. “I’ve told you, I don’t want to keep doing this.”
“That’s not what you said last night.”
“Last night was a mistake.”
Kim pouted at her.
“I’m serious, Kim. I don’t want to be your fuck buddy. I want a girlfriend.”
“Ugh, that again.” Kim rolled her eyes. “Why are you always going on about this, Mel?”
“Because it’s important to me.”
“But why? What’s wrong with the way things are now?”
“Nothing. Nothing has to change, Kim! All I want is for you to acknowledge what this is. Look at us! We’re basically a couple already.”
Kim didn’t deny it. “If you don’t want anything to change, then what’s the problem?”
Mel wanted to scream. Kim always seemed to miss the point. Or simply refused to see it. “The problem is that I’m falling in love with you, Kim!” There. She said it. “I can’t fall in love with someone when they don’t even like me enough to want to be my girlfriend! And you can’t tell me that you don’t have feelings for me too.” Mel’s confidence was feigned. She wasn’t actually sure if Kim shared her feelings. But she hoped that she was right.