Fuck. He was going to come. He gripped the tile with his fingertips and curled his toes under. As his balls drew up tight and his brain went blank. He sucked in a sharp breath at the last second and held it while his cock emptied into the back of her throat. The moaning that filled the shower sounded nothing like him. He didn’t care.
His legs were shaking as he regained his vision. Elizabeth rose in front of him and kissed his beating chest. He didn’t dare remove his hands from the wall yet, leaving her trapped between his forearms, a place he found he enjoyed having her.
When he tipped his head down to meet her gaze, he found her smiling. “I assume I did that okay?”
He chuckled, a deep rough noise that was as foreign as the moaning he’d just finished. He finally righted himself, shoving off the wall and wrapping her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head. “I’m never going to let you go,” he murmured.
She stiffened for a moment, just long enough for him to notice, and then she shoved out of his grip and patted his chest. “I’m starving. Feed me.”
Chapter 17
Two hours later, Elizabeth leaned back against the couch cushions in Flynn’s living room and groaned. “I ate too much.”
“No kidding.” Flynn sat in the armchair adjacent to the couch, his hand on his belly. When he’d chosen that seat, giving her some space, she’d wanted to kiss him. Her mind was a jumbled mess after making the monumental decision to have sex with this man. The entire arrangement was probably going to backfire on her.
She closed her eyes and considered everything that had happened today. Jesus. She’d not only slept with Flynn, but she’d insisted on working with him too. She needed a straitjacket.
After several minutes of silence, Flynn spoke. “I can practically see your mind replaying the day from here. I wish I had the confidence of knowing you would give me another day like this, but I’m going to have to fight you on it, aren’t I?”
She gave a wan smile as she lowered her gaze to meet his, finding him staring at her intently. “How about we switch? You submit to me next time.”
She thought he might smile or laugh, but instead his face was totally sober as he leaned forward, set his elbows on his knees, and held her gaze. “That’s never going to be who we are together, E. You know that in your heart. You proved to me this afternoon that we have a connection. A solid one. And that dynamic is you submitting to me. I know you’ve been dominating people for a long time, and I will never deny you have a gift. You do. It’s hot as hell to watch. But that’s not who you are with me.”
She lowered her gaze and fiddled with the hem of her tank top. Shit. “I need to process this.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
“I’m not making any promises.”
He nodded.
She blew out a breath and lifted her hands over her head, clasping them behind her neck. “What the hell am I talking about? We can’t do that again. It’s not who I am.”
Flynn didn’t get upset or argue with her. He didn’t even move. He remained right where he was, his gaze boring into her. “It’s a side of you. A side you pushed into a closet when someone hurt you. I get it. But I bet if you think hard and dig back, you’ll remember there’s another woman inside you, one who wants to turn all that frustration and power over to a trustworthy Dom who will not betray your trust.”
She closed her eyes, not ready to hear this.
“E, I know this is hard for you. I get it. It’s been a long damn time since you let yourself feel one tenth of what we just experienced. Please don’t shut me out. I know you’re scared. Hell, I’m scared. Without knowing your entire story, I get that I cannot fuck this up. The responsibility is enormous.
“Even if we don’t end up together in the long run, I still want to be the Dom who guides you back toward what you crave deep inside. That place you went to where you were able to release so much of that pressure that weighs you down. Even though you’re conflicted, you can’t deny you also feel lighter right now than you have in years.”
He wasn’t asking her to confirm or deny. He was simply stating what he believed was a fact, and he was probably right. But could she give that kind of power over to someone over and over again?
No. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t sure she would ever be ready.
What she knew was that she couldn’t face any decisions right now. Not today. She sighed, lowering her hands to her thighs. “I need time. To think. I can’t promise we will do this again. I’d ask that you not mention it to anyone.”
Finally, his face tightened. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes slowly, taking several seconds to inhale and release a breath before meeting her eyes again. “Elizabeth, I would never speak of anything we do together without your express permission. Don’t insult me.”
She lowered her gaze. “You’re right. Sorry.”
“I’m not going to pressure you. Take all the time you want. When we’re both at the club, please feel free to carry on as you normally would. I would never ask you to submit to me in public, not now. You’re not ready.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“I’m going to drive you home now. Do you still want to help with this catering job? No obligation.”
She jerked upright. “Absolutely. We’re professionals. We can keep our private life separate. Your mom is counting on me.” She smiled. “Can I meet you at the restaurant Monday morning to go over the details?”
Finally, he smiled in return. “Perfect. I usually get there about nine.” He stood and reached for her hand to pull her up.
“I was beginning to wonder if you even worked anywhere,” she joked. “You’ve been with me at odd hours.”
He winked. “I work around what’s most important to me. It’s been a weird week. I have a manager and staff I trust at the restaurant. Not that I don’t put in a lot of hours, but often earlier in the day. Taking a night off from time to time isn’t too hard. I’m usually able to be at Zodiac most nights when it’s open. I don’t usually arrive until after the restaurant closes anyway.”
That made sense. “Speaking of which…” She narrowed her gaze. “You’re not going to interfere every moment of the day in my decisions, right?”
“Nope. You’re beyond qualified and competent. The job is yours.” He grinned. “Besides, this way, if you fuck it up, my mom can be mad at you instead of me.”
She swatted at him playfully, relieved that they had this rapport. She felt kind of excited to do this job. She’d been in town two weeks without working. It would feel good to get back out there and take a temporary assignment while she kept her eye out for her forever job.
Chapter 18
When Flynn arrived at Club Zodiac Wednesday night, he drove around the parking lot several times, his gaze scanning for the black truck that had followed Elizabeth Friday night. There were several black trucks, but none that matched the one he remembered.
He finally parked and went inside, filled with apprehension. It had been four full days since he’d dominated Elizabeth and had the best sex of his life at the same time. He hadn’t touched her intimately nor suggested touching her since then. And it hadn’t been easy because she arrived at the restaurant Monday morning ready to take the world on by storm.
True to his word, he kept his involvement in her task to a bare minimum. He introduced her to his manager, the head chef, and various other key staff members. He gave her the files on the previous events they had planned. He provided her with menus and a long list of local venues. And then he backed off.
She didn’t need him. She set up camp in the corner of his office, buried herself in her laptop for most of the morning. She spent the afternoon away from the restaurant, meeting first with his mother and then her friend Lavern.
Tuesday and Wednesday were similar. Elizabeth came to his office in the morning to make appointments and do some research. She spent the afternoons visiting local venues.
Flynn didn’t interfere a single time. He knew from the g
et-go she was leery about his promise to stay out of her way, so he was extra careful to ensure he didn’t piss her off. Except for the times she asked him a question, he said nothing.
There were a few instances when they exchanged some nonverbal communication that made his cock hard and his mouth dry. Each time it was her fault. He would catch her smirking at him as if she knew how hard it was for him to relinquish control and perhaps also knew he was going out of his way to please her so he could get in her pants again.
She wasn’t wrong. He wanted her more every day. He didn’t say a word or even flirt with her, but he wanted to, and he often caught himself pretending to stare at his computer screen when really his mind was back in his house with her naked body beneath him.
They hadn’t come to the club together tonight, but he’d known she would be there, and he immediately looked around to see where she might be. The moment he set his gaze on her dominating a man at a spanking bench in the main room, he drew in a long breath.
He had mixed emotions. On the one hand, he enjoyed being in the same room with her no matter the circumstances. On the other hand, the fact that all her attention was focused on another man got under his skin. It shouldn’t. He didn’t own her. Not by any stretch of the imagination. There was a good chance he would never own her. But God, he wanted his hands on her.
She was like a drug, a drug he’d only had one hit of so far, and he was already addicted. The taste of her skin beneath his tongue. The way she moaned when she came. The arch of her back when she couldn’t control her reaction to his touch…
He wanted all of that again, and he had no idea when or if she’d grant him another taste.
Flynn inched closer, finding a spot among those watching the scene unfold where he would remain out of her line of sight. He didn’t want to be a distraction. That would infuriate her.
She was wearing a blue denim skirt tonight. Short but still tasteful enough that she could wear it outside if she wanted. With it, she had on a white bustier that made her look somehow innocent. The lacing up the back was very feminine with tiny white flowers sewn into the material. She had on heels, as she had every night he’d seen her at Zodiac, this time white. Her legs went on forever, and her calves were a wet dream.
Damn, she was spectacular. Everything about her. Every move was practiced and precise. Every stroke of her fingers or the flogger she held was intentional. The man on his hands and knees wore nothing but a thong, and he was squirming. The red, heated skin on his butt cheeks and thighs told Flynn Elizabeth had been at this for a while.
When she leaned close to the man’s ear to speak, Flynn pursed his lips. He hated that it bothered him. He hated that she was giving someone else her attention. Not that he would ever submit to her. Just that he wanted her attention on him instead of anyone else.
He was going to have to rein in his jealousy fast if he thought he would ever have another chance with her. She was skittish to say the least. Traumatized from a past experience. The fact that she’d let her guard down and permitted Flynn to not only dominate her but have sex with her was huge. He didn’t need to know the details to recognize the significance. The twelve-year cold spell spoke for itself.
The man on the bench nodded several times at whatever Elizabeth said to him. When she finally righted herself and rounded to his backside to continue flogging him, Flynn held his breath.
Yeah, so many emotions.
“She’s amazing, isn’t she?” The voice to Flynn’s left made him turn his head to find Lincoln standing next to him.
“Yes.” You have no idea.
“Have you two buried the hatchet? Seemed like you were in a pretty deep conversation Saturday morning after the demo class.”
“We’re working things out.”
Lincoln lifted a brow, keeping his voice low. “Interesting.”
Flynn smirked and returned his gaze to the scene. No way was he going to tell Lincoln the details. They were close. Flynn had known him for three years now, but Flynn would never break a confidentiality.
“I’ll let you get back to watching. See ya later.” Lincoln wandered away.
Flynn didn’t acknowledge him because his attention was once again focused on Elizabeth. Her hands were on the submissive’s skin, the flogger tucked under her arm. She was whispering soothingly, making Flynn think she was winding down.
As she continued to stroke the man’s skin, Flynn grew uncomfortable. He found himself wondering if she was going to bring the man to orgasm or not. Faced with the possibility, Flynn realized something. He could watch her dominate people. She was good at it and breathtaking to watch. But he would draw the line at her being intimate with anyone else.
Unable to watch, Flynn turned around and made his way to the break room. He needed some air. He needed to think. He did not need to watch Elizabeth take that submissive’s cock in her hand.
Luckily, only a few people were in the break room. Flynn grabbed a bottle of water and dropped himself onto one end of a couch. He took a long drink and then tipped his head back, closed his eyes, and tried to make sense of his emotions.
You don’t own her, he reminded himself. It didn’t help though. He wanted to own her. Crazy. When did things stop being casual?
He tossed a hand over his eyes. He knew the answer. This relationship stopped being casual when he set his lips on hers Friday night. For him anyway. It further solidified in his mind when she’d clasped her hands behind her back and dropped her gaze in his home.
Oddly, his feelings didn’t have much to do with the mind-blowing sex. Nothing about that afternoon changed his opinion. He’d already known.
And now he had a problem.
He didn’t realize how long he’d been sitting there, but he was surprised when he heard Elizabeth’s voice close to his ear. “Flynn? You okay?”
He dropped his arm and met her gaze as she lowered onto the sofa next to him, close but not touching. He ran a hand down his face. “Fine.”
“Why aren’t you out there with a line of submissives waiting for you to give them a turn?” She gave his shoulder a slight shove with hers as if they were old pals. Buds. Friends.
They were not.
At least not in his mind.
He shrugged. “Not really feeling it tonight.”
“Okaaay,” she drawled. “I assume you watched my scene? I saw you at one point.”
“Most of it.” He turned his body to more fully face her, setting his arm on the back of the couch.
She glanced around and then narrowed her gaze at him, her voice low enough for no one to hear; besides, no one was standing very close. “You look a little pissed, and if it’s aimed at me, I don’t like it.”
He held her gaze. “I’m not pissed.”
She glared harder. “You’re sure?”
He blew out a breath, needing to be honest. “I left before your scene ended. Did you…”
“Did I what?” Now a brow went up high.
“Get him off?” A possessive instinct bubbled up inside him, unstoppable, unwelcome.
Now her head cocked to one side. For a few seconds she didn’t answer, and then she leaned close to growl at him. “Look, I know we did a thing. It was nice. I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t mind doing it again in the future, perhaps, but not if you’re going to interfere in my life. I’m still a Domme. I’ll dominate whoever I want, however I want. Got it?”
Now he was pissed. Her tone wasn’t something he would permit. Not from her submissive side. And he wasn’t sure how to separate the two. “Nope. I don’t got it. I’ll admit you’re an incredible Domme. No one can deny that.” He closed the last few inches so that his lips were an inch from her ear. “But I haven’t forgotten the fact that my cock was inside you four days ago. Mine.”
She winced and then shoved to standing. “Can you even hear yourself? You sound like a dick.”
Oh, yeah, he’d heard himself, and she was right. He ran a hand down his face and blew out a breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. T
hat didn’t come out right.”
“Ya think?”
“Listen, can we talk about this? Maybe get coffee after the club closes?”
She stared at him. “Not tonight. I’m too frustrated with you. I’ll talk to you in the morning at the restaurant.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
She spun around and walked away.
Flynn watched her, kicking himself. But it was more than that. Yes, his approach had sucked; and yes, he could see where Elizabeth wouldn’t be happy. However, he realized he wasn’t going to be able to tolerate her being intimate with other people, and he needed to say something. If not, this thing with her would be ruined before it got off the ground.
He needed to shake himself out of this headspace.
He needed to go dominate someone. That would help him focus on something else.
Flynn shoved to standing and headed for the main room. It wouldn’t be hard to find a willing submissive. His dance card never remained empty for an entire evening.
Chapter 19
An hour later, Elizabeth hovered in the corner of the main room, watching Flynn as he dominated, of all people, Belinda. Having dominated Belinda herself, Elizabeth was familiar with the younger woman’s body, her mannerisms, and her reactions. Belinda appeared relaxed and comfortable, but unlike the time the blonde had submitted to Elizabeth, she wasn’t fidgeting with arousal.
Elizabeth had discussed this interesting twist with Flynn. She would never push Belinda to open up to her, but she couldn’t help wondering if Belinda preferred women or if something had happened in her past to make it difficult to let herself relax fully with a Dom.
Perhaps the average person wouldn’t ponder the situation so deeply, but Elizabeth was far from the average person.
Belinda was facing a cross. She was wearing a matching black bra and panty set that looked stunning against her pale skin and hair. She had a firm grip on two pegs above her head and her feet were spread apart, but not so far that they were attached to the cross.
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