David took Gina’s hand and placed the letter in it. “It’s from our father. He asked me to give it to you the first time we met.” He leant down and kissed Gina on the cheek. “Will you come to dinner on Wednesday? We’d all like it if you did, even my precocious sister.”
Gina managed a small laugh and nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Guy and Gina walked David to the door and watched him pull away in his truck. When they walked back into the house, Gina immediately grabbed her bag. “Will you take me back to the inn please, Sir?”
Guy nodded, and within fifteen minutes, they were sitting in Guy’s car, outside the inn.
“Are you going to read it, sweetheart?” he asked.
She glanced at him, sitting beside her so strong and capable. She had never felt so safe around a man before. He gave the impression that he could cope with anything, no matter how big, and she wished that she could be that strong.
She held the letter out to him. “Would you read it to me, Sir? I can’t seem to bring myself to open the envelope.”
“Come on, we’ll go inside and read it in your room.”
Guy took her hand as they walked across the parking lot, and when they reached the privacy of her room, he sat on the large bed and pulled her down on his lap.
He read the letter in a deep, soft voice, and as she heard the words, everything she hadn’t known about her natural father fell into place. It was a wonderful, honest letter, sharing his true thoughts and feelings about what had happened all those years ago, and going on to tell her about himself and the things he hoped would happen for Gina in her life.
When Guy read the last few paragraphs, Gina felt the tears come, and they ran, unchecked, down her face.
I know I’ll never get the chance to hug you, share your dreams, or do any of the things a father should be able to do for his daughter, but I want you to know that you are never far from my thoughts, and I love you very much.
Always go after what you want and fight hard until you get it. If you are anything like your mother, and I don’t doubt that you are, then I know you will succeed in everything that you do in life. I also know that you will do so with her grace and beauty.
When he had finished reading, Guy placed the letter on the bed and held Gina tight against him. No words needed to be said; he knew that the only way for her to feel better was to have her cry and then move on, and he would be here to help her do that.
After a while, her cries turned to hiccups, and eventually, she just sat there quietly. Guy got up, lifted Gina into the bed and tucked her up. He sat on the edge and stroked her cheek, keeping a close eye on her, and then got a bottle of water from the small fridge that the inn provided in each of its rooms.
After she had drunk some water, Guy pulled the curtains across and turned out the bedroom light. “I want you to sleep for a while, and then, when you’re ready, come downstairs to the bar and I’ll buy you a drink. It’s Sunday evening, so it won’t be too crowded. I know you probably don’t want to be around a lot of people right now, but you shouldn’t be alone either. I’ll see you later.”
Guy kissed her on the mouth, his warm, firm lips pressing down on hers, letting her know she was his and he was taking care of her.
When the door had shut behind him, Gina lay in the peaceful semi-darkness of her room. It had been one hell of a day so far. Meeting her brother had come as a wonderful surprise, and she would always be grateful to Guy for organizing that.
The letter had been emotional, but strangely, now she had an insight into her father’s life, she felt more at peace—like a section of her life that had been empty was now filled in and she could move on.
The bed was warm and comfortable, and it wasn’t long before Gina’s eyes became heavy. She turned on her side, buried herself in the thick red and gold covers, and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Nine
Guy leaned up against the bar with a pint of Guinness and relayed the events of the afternoon to Andy. When he had finished, he sighed, drank the last of his pint, and wondered how long his little sub would be asleep.
After asking Becky to check on Gina for him, Guy had gone home, changed, and had a long think about the situation he now found himself in.
The long and short of it was, he wasn’t prepared to just give her up at the end of the following week. They had a connection, one that had definitely grown a lot deeper today, and he wanted to see where it went.
Guy was used to working with deadlines in his business, not in his private life, but he had to accept the definite possibility that his new submissive would be getting on that plane and flying across the Atlantic back to her life in the US.
His thoughts had been interrupted by his cell, and after taking the call, he had driven back to the inn to talk to Andy.
“So you’ll be in London ‘til Wednesday then, mate,” Andy confirmed. “Well, don’t worry about that submissive of yours upstairs. Becky and I will take care of her, you know that. Anyway, she won’t have time to pine away for you while you’re gone; she’ll be too busy organizing this collaring ceremony.”
Andy scowled as he took some empty glasses off the counter. “You think you’ve got problems. You do realize that if Becky had her way, this ceremony would be rivaling a Royal Wedding?”
“Andy!”
Andy hunched his shoulders and slowly turned around to find his sub standing there, hands on hips and looking fit to kill.
“Well, let’s just forget the whole thing then,” she hissed, “I wouldn’t want you thinking it was anything special after all.”
With that she flounced off through the doors into the kitchen, slamming them behind her.
Guy regarded his friend and raised his eyebrows. “Would you like me to watch the bar for a few minutes?”
“I think that might be a good idea, thanks,” Andy replied, putting down the glasses carefully and turning toward the kitchen with a sigh.
Guy smiled. Those two had more spats than anyone he knew, but the love they shared won out every time. Right now, he would be apologizing and reassuring her that he wanted just the same kind of celebration as she did, then he’d spank her lush, pert ass for sassing him.
He’d give the two of them fifteen minutes, and they’d be back out here, Andy with that huge grin of his and Becky all pink and flustered.
Turning his attention back to the bar, Guy served a couple of customers and then glanced up as the doors to the upstairs opened. Gina appeared. When she caught sight of him, she smiled and worked her way through the tables and chairs until she reached the bar.
“Hi,” she said, settling on one of the bar stools. “I didn’t know you had an evening job as well.”
Guy grinned. “Let’s just say I’m filling in while Andy attends to a slight problem in the kitchen area. What can I get you?” he asked, placing a glass in front of his sub.
“Um, well, seeing as I’m in a new country, what would you recommend I try?”
Guy thought for a second and then poured her a Malibu and coke. “Try this and tell me what you think.”
Gina sniffed the glass and then took a sip. “Wow, coconut. It’s really good, thank you, um…”
“Guy,” he finished for her. We’re in a public place, sweetheart; you know the rules,” he said in a low voice.
Nodding, she picked up her glass and took another sip.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, running a finger slowly down her cheek.
“Much better, thanks.” Gina glanced up at her Dom. “Thank you for taking care of me today. I don’t know if I could have done it without you.”
“You’re much stronger than you think, but you’re welcome anyway,” he replied, reaching across the bar and kissing her gently on the lips, causing a few heads to turn as he did so.
“Oh well, the cat’s out of the bag now,” he stated, catching the eye of an older woman sitting at a nearby table. “That’s Ivy,” he whispered to Gina, leaning in close to her. “She runs the village shop, and now that she’s seen me kiss you, by tomorrow morning, the entire village will be expecting an invitation to our forthcoming wedding.”
“Really, the gossip’s that bad, huh?” Gina whispered back. “What do you think would happen if she knew that you’d tied me to a bed and ravaged my body just a few hours ago?”
“I guess I’d have to ask Andy where he kept the smelling salts,” Guy said much louder, and Ivy jumped, obviously trying to overhear what they were saying.
Guy and Gina turned, trying not to laugh, as the kitchen doors opened and Andy and Becky returned to the bar.
Andy swatted Becky lightly on her bottom, and she flinched, her ass obviously feeling a little tender as she turned to collect the glasses he had left on the counter.
“Crisis averted?” Guy asked in a mock-serious tone.
“Absolutely,” Andy replied, and the two men exchanged knowing smiles.
Guy turned his attention back to his sub. “Gina, I got a call while you were sleeping. It looks like I’m going to have to spend the next few days in London. I have a colleague there who is having some problems and he’s asked for my help.”
Gina tried not to let her disappointment show, but it was obviously difficult. “Oh, okay. Maybe I can spend some time with Becky and help her work on…” Gina glanced around at Ivy, who was almost falling out of her chair, trying to catch every word. “On the special occasion she’s planning,” Gina finished in such a low voice that Ivy actually tutted in frustration.
Ivy then gave up, returning to the conversation at her own table.
Guy was surprised at how pleased he felt that it seemed Gina was going to miss him but knew that Andy and Becky would make sure she was safe and cared for while he was away. Meanwhile, there was still tonight.
Knowing that his sub must be hungry by now, Guy and Gina sat together, away from the other customers, and enjoyed some more of Becky’s famous Toad in the Hole.
Gina had not believed that it was the real name for a food dish, but when Guy approached two of the patrons in the bar and asked them to identify the dish for his American friend, Gina had laughingly accepted that English people ate really weirdly named food.
After she had finished every mouthful, Gina tried the infamous Spotted Dick.
“This is actually really good,” she complimented. “It’s like a sponge cake with raisins, and the custard sauce poured over it is absolutely delicious.”
After twenty minutes or so, Becky brought some drinks over to their table, and when Guy saw the look on her face, he asked her what was wrong.
“Andy’s really pissed off now,” she replied gloomily. “The waitress we have to help out on Mondays and Tuesdays has just called in to say she’s broken her wrist ice skating. No one else can cover for her, so we’re going to be really pushed for the next couple of days.”
It took Gina just a couple of seconds to think before she glanced up at her friend and grinned. “Can I help out? I used to waitress to help pay for college, and I was pretty good, even if I say so myself.”
Guy beamed. “I think that’s a great idea. It would certainly keep you out of mischief until I get back.”
“Keep me out of mischief?” Gina repeated, not able to hide her annoyance at the patronizing comment. “You have to be kidding me. How old am I? Eight?”
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
“Is that attitude you’re giving me, sub?” he asked in a low growl.
She hesitated for a second, trying to iron out her expression. “No, Sir, of course not,” she responded, not quite managing to get rid of her visible frown quickly enough for her Dom.
“Being rude and not telling the truth, sweetheart. It looks like you have some more lessons coming your way about proper behavior in a Dom/sub relationship.”
Gina couldn’t believe she’d screwed up another time. She should have just laughed off his comment. But it was way too late for that. She knew that she was under his control now, so there was nothing for it but to take whatever would inevitably be coming her way.
Still, she felt the knot in her stomach as Becky hastily made a retreat back to the safety of the bar.
Guy wasn’t really that cross with her, but it was good to see just a little anxiety on his sub’s face. Maybe a visit to his dungeon would be in order. He hadn’t taken anyone there in a long time. In fact, Andy and Becky seemed to use it far more than he did. It was definitely time to rectify that situation.
“Go and fetch your coat and bag and meet me down here in two minutes,” he commanded.
Catching the worried look on her face, he relented and brushed her cheek with his large hand. “We’re just going back to my place, sweetheart, and in no time at all, that voice of yours is going to be too busy screaming as you come to give me any more of your attitude. Now, go get your things.”
Gina hurried away through the doors leading to the upstairs.
Guy said their goodbyes to Andy and confirmed that Gina would be happy to help out in the inn for the next couple of days and that he’d drop her off in the morning before he left for London.
It was cold and dark outside, and as Guy’s Jaguar sped down the country lanes to his house, Gina felt the dampness form between her legs just at the thought of what Guy might do to her.
She had never felt so sexual in her life, and every nerve in her body tingled with anticipation, wondering what the man sitting beside her was going to do next.
In no time at all, they were back at his house. Guy locked the car and let the two of them in, leading Gina straight to the living room. He crouched down and lit a fire in the huge brick fireplace, then stood in front of it, his eyes trained on his sub, the larger logs in the fireplace starting to crackle as they burned.
“Strip, sub,” he demanded.
With shaking hands, Gina put her bag on the floor and took off her coat. When she pulled off the sweater, the material moved over her taut nipples, which were jutting out against her lacy bra. After taking off her boots, she peeled her leggings down over her thighs, feeling the warmth of the fire against her bare legs.