Shades of Pleasure: Five Stories of Domination and Submission (11 page)

Was this a dream?

Elena did some last minute fine tuning of her hair and
makeup, brushed her teeth, swished some mouthwash in her mouth until her tongue
was burning, and then slipped her feet into the shoes. They were a little
higher than she was used to. At least that was the excuse she told herself as
she wobbled down the hall and answered the door.

Kyler stood on her front porch, holding a bouquet of roses.
And oh my God, did he look hot in that crisp black suit. He beamed the instant
their gazes connected.

This was like a scene out of a movie or something. So
unbelievably romantic, over the top.

“You look amazing.” He took her hand as he stepped through
the front door.

She was blushing like crazy. Her cheeks were about to melt.
Or at least, her makeup was going to melt and slide off her face. Wouldn’t that
be attractive? “You do too.”

“Ready for a great adventure?” He handed her the flowers.

They were the most beautiful, aromatic roses she’d ever
seen. She inhaled their scent. “Adventure?” A little zip-zappy thrill charged through
her body as she wobbled back to the kitchen for a vase. “Sure.”

This was way too good to be true. When was she going to wake
up?

As she filled the cut crystal vase and arranged the flowers,
Kyler wandered from the kitchen. She found him standing next to the door,
holding yet another large gift box. “Another present? Oh God, Kyler. I don’t
know if I can accept it.”

Okay, so maybe it was over-compensation on his part—the
dress, jewelry, shoes, flowers, and now yet another gift—but she would be lying
if she said she wasn’t appreciating the effort he was making. No man had ever
treated her this way.

“This is vintage. I hope you like it.” He lifted the box’s
lid, pulling out a full-length white fur coat. It was gorgeous. Soft.
Luxurious. Real.

“Oh my God. Kyler?” she said as he helped her into it.

“I didn’t want you to be cold.” He led her outside to a
waiting limo. The vehicle’s inside was dark and cozy. She sat down and Kyler
sat next to her. He stretched an arm out, resting it behind her shoulders, and
she found herself leaning toward him, wanting to be closer. During the ride,
they talked about insignificant things, typical first date stuff. Their
education, hobbies, friends.

About a half-hour later, the car stopped in front of a
gorgeous old building of some kind. Elena leaned forward to read the sign as
the driver opened the door. Maplewood Country Club. Looked very elegant and
exclusive.

They were led through a gorgeous lobby to a cozy room that
housed a few tables, a fireplace, and nobody but them. The table in front of
the fireplace was set for two. Kyler helped Elena into a chair and then sat
next to her.

“Pinch me, will you?” she asked, lifting a glass of water.
“This is unbelievable.”

Kyler’s eyes glittered as he looked around. “You like? I’ve
been a member here since I was old enough to crawl. Never reserved a room like
this before. This place has a very nice dining room for the members, but I
wanted tonight to be special. Just you and me.”

“Again, just pinch me.”

“I might. Later.” His smile turned wicked.

“Is that a promise?” With him like this, so charming and
attentive and romantic, it was easy to forget about all the crap he’d done to
her. Ninety-nine percent of her believed this was the real Kyler—the genuinely
nice man with eyes that twinkled with laughter and a smile that made her heart
skip beats. But there was that one percent that wouldn’t allow her to believe
this was real, that he honest-to-God liked her, wanted to get closer.

They enjoyed some easy conversation during the meal, and
lots of glances across the table. By dessert, she was not only totally stuffed
but also much more at ease.

His expression turned just a little serious as he pushed the
empty dessert plate away and stretched his arms. “Now that we’ve eaten, I want
to talk to you about some serious issues.”

Oh boy, was this the end of the fantasy? She tried to look
cheerful, but her stomach took a dive. So did her mood. And yet, a small part
of her was relieved. Hopefully, they’d finally talk about that day at his
house. Finally, she’d have some answers. “Sure.”

“First, about that day, why I snapped…”

“Hey, we were both confused and stressed. You apologized
already. And I see you’re trying to make up for it.”

His expression darkened. “Nothing will make up for the way I
treated you. There’s no excuse. But I want to at least tell you what happened.”

“Okay.” Her insides felt like they were being stretched uber
tight. It was hard to breathe, and her head felt a little swimmy, but she
concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths and listened.

“You know Stacy Beautfort? From work?”

“Sure.” She knew Stacy, although not very well. Stacy was
secretary to the company’s CFO, while Elena was the office manager for the
sales department. They worked in the same five-story building but on different
floors.

“She was the one who called me that day and told me about
you and Becker. Some of what she said was true, and some wasn’t.”

“You believed her?”

“Sure. She is—correction, was—an old friend of mine, and I
didn’t think she had any reason to lie to me.” He sighed, dragged his fingers
through his hair. “I kept wanting to believe you. But she was calling, telling
me something so different. It didn’t help that you weren’t willing to tell me
the truth, although I completely understand why you couldn’t. Keeping your
mouth closed only made you look guiltier.”

“Sure, I can see that.” At least now she understood why his
respect for her seemed to yo-yo up and down. And she was willing to admit if an
old friend of hers had told her those kinds of things, she’d be reacting first,
checking the facts second. “But you said ‘was’. Does that mean you’re not
friends with Stacy anymore?”

“I don’t know yet if she lied to me or if she was just
passing on false information unintentionally. Until I do know, I’m keeping my
distance. It’s just better that way.”

“Then I’m sorry that you’ve maybe lost a friend over this.
It’s all very sad, and I never felt it was worth it.”

“So we’re clear on that now, right?”

“Yes. I’d say you acted as any human being would. Emotions
were running high. You were confused and angry, maybe trusting someone who was
trying to manipulate you.”

“You’re being so understanding about it all.”

“I still have my job, and my insurance, thanks to you. Maybe
it’s a little easier being understanding because of that.” She hesitated. “Will
you tell me now what happened after I left that day? Between you and Matt?”

“We had a little talk. I guarantee he’s not going to whisper
a word about your situation.”

“Okay. That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

“Yeah.”

“Fine. What about you? We’ve spent all this time together tonight
and you haven’t said a word about a new job. Did you find one?”

“I’m fine.” He looked fine. In fact, he looked better than
fine, but that didn’t stop the sudden pang of regret from stabbing her in the
gut and making her feel a little sick. He’d given up a great job for her. Even
if he told her he’d found something ten times better, she’d still feel somewhat
guilty. “I didn’t have to go back to working for my father’s company.”

“You don’t like working for your father?”

“It’s not bad work. It’s just that, since graduating from
grad school, I told myself I wasn’t going to ask for his help anymore. And I
haven’t, for years. I’m my own man. Make my own decisions and pay the prices
for my own mistakes.”

“I understand.” She studied his face for a moment. That
adorable chin and emotion-riddled eyes. The thick wave of hair that always
tumbled over his brow. For just the briefest of moments, she could see the
vulnerable young man Kyler had once been, the one who had set out to prove to
his father that he had finally grown up and was ready to stand on his own two
feet. “That means a lot to you.”

“Yeah,” he said casually. She knew better than to buy the
easygoing tone of his voice. The truth was in his eyes.

There was this long moment of silence. Finally, she broke
it. “I wish I could say I’m sorry for what Becker did, but I hate to admit this—don’t
take it the wrong way—I’m kind of grateful. In a very small way.”

His eyes widened with surprise. “What do you mean?”

“If he hadn’t tried to blackmail me, would you ever have
taken the chance with me?” When he opened his mouth to speak, she added,
“Honestly?”

His jaw snapped shut. He stared at her for one, two, three
excruciatingly long seconds. Then he shook his head. “Probably not.”

“Can I ask why not? Does that question make me sound as
pathetic and desperate as I think it does?”

“Sure you can, and no it doesn’t. There were several reasons
why, but mainly I wouldn’t because you worked for me.”

“And I don’t work for you anymore.”

“Exactly.” His smile wasn’t exactly beaming, but at least
his expression brightened slightly. “Which brings me to the second thing I
wanted to talk to you about—the dungeon.”

“Oh that.” She giggled nervously, the memory of him catching
her on her knees flashing through her mind. “I’m sorry for snooping. I was…um,
looking for my keys so I could go home.”

“It’s okay. I’m actually not bothered that you found out.
It’s not something I would want to broadcast to the world, but I want you to
know. If you hadn’t discovered it on your own, we’d be having this conversation
anyway.”

Was that significant? Did he sit every woman down on the
first date and tell her he had bondage gear in his house? “Okay.”

“Forgive me if I ask you some silly questions, but I need to
get a feel for what you do and don’t know. Do you understand what that room is
used for?”

“Well…” She imagined herself bound in that swing, Kyler
standing between her spread legs. Her face grew so hot, she wondered if steam
might be coming off it. “I’m guessing you participate in some kind of bondage
play.” She hoped he wasn’t into the scary, hardcore stuff. Needles, blood,
severe pain. She couldn’t imagine him doing those kinds of things, not with
what she knew of him. But she supposed anything was possible. They’d spent very
little time together.

“That’s correct. I’m a member of a very private and
exclusive group. We come together once a week.”

She nodded, glanced down to toy with the corner of her
napkin. This was a very uncomfortable conversation. Not so much because she was
shocked or horrified, but more because she was so unsure of what exactly Kyler
was getting at.

Did he want to take her to the dungeon? Do things to her in
there?

A part of her thrilled at that thought. The rest of her was
extremely nervous.

He captured the hand that was picking at her napkin. His
palm rested on the top of her hand. His fingers twined with hers. “What are you
thinking, Elena?”

She looked at his face, in his eyes. “Believe me, I’m not
judging you, Kyler. Not at all.”

“But?”

“But this thing with you has been a bizarre rollercoaster
ride, from the moment you got in my car back at the restaurant. And the
bondage, submitting…I’ll admit, I’ve been curious about domination and
submission for a long time. I’ve even considered going to a play party. But
it’s very new to me, and it’s going to take a lot of trust for me to feel
comfortable. I guess I’m not the kind to blindly trust someone, especially if
I’ve been hurt by him before.”

He nodded. His gaze delved deep into her eyes. “I know. I’m
very sorry. I guess there’s no going back and starting over, is there? As much
as I want to.”

“I want that too. But it’s a little hard to forget.”

“I understand.” This time it was Kyler who dropped his gaze
first. He stared down at their hands, hers still beneath his, his tapered
fingers splayed between hers. He rolled his wrist and fingered his watch with
his other hand. “It’s getting late. You have to work tomorrow. Do you want me
to take you home now?”

“No. Not at all.”

His gaze leapt to her face again, and she saw something
there. Something she couldn’t quite read
.
“Are you certain?”

She smiled. Nodded. “I-I want to see where this is going.
I’ve always been attracted to you. Since the first time I saw you at work.
There’s a connection, a strong one. I’m scared. You hurt me. I can’t tell you
how much. But I can’t just walk away from you.”

“The feelings were mutual, believe me.” He cupped her cheek
and brushed his thumb over her lip. “I’m…scared too. You’re the most beautiful
woman I’ve ever seen. I waited a long time, watched you. I don’t want to fuck
up again. I don’t ever want to hurt you.” And then he blinked, and
that…whatever it was…she’d seen in his eyes was gone, and a strength and sense
of purpose that commanded her attention shone in its place. “You are a very
special woman.”

His words echoed in her head. He’d called her special, and
that’s exactly how she felt. Not because he’d bought her presents or rented a
room at this country club. But because he’d let down his guard for those few precious
seconds.

Yes, a man
could
be powerful and dominant, and yet
still be vulnerable at times. He’d just shown her it was possible.

“I…um, wow. Thank you.” Her face was
going to ignite. The air between them was so superheated, she could practically
hear it crackle, like burning paper. She just hoped he’d have the patience for
her. No, she hoped it was fair asking him to be patient. Needing to change the
subject, she asked, “Has it been a long time since you’ve been involved in a
relationship?”

“A couple of years.”

“Why so long?”

“I wasn’t ready. I was in a bad place. For a long time. If
I’d let myself get involved with any woman, I would’ve hurt her.”