Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Deep inside her, nerves and anticipation collided, merged, then arrowed up her spine.
When he’d accepted her invitation to her gathering, she’d hoped he would remain overnight.
Making it through the afternoon and evening had been difficult because of her fantasies, all of them focused on him.
Still, now that the moment was here, she recognized it was a monumental step. Not for him, she was certain, but most definitely for her.
Master Niles was a self-assured, rich, powerful Dom whose resources allowed him to have a different woman every day of the week if he wanted.
She’d thought she could have him over, have a scene and be casual the next morning, but it turned out it wasn’t that easy for her.
Master Niles was more complex than she’d believed him to be from their meetings at the Den.
If she were honest, she would admit that part of her had been surprised when he had shown up prepared to grill.
His barbecue skills were only a few steps above dismal. He seemed to give people two choices in how they liked their burgers cooked—burned or charred beyond recognition.
Still, he’d shocked her by seeming at ease.
He’d sipped a couple of beers, and when she’d checked on him through the windows, he’d been engaged in conversation.
Like the fearless dragon he professed to be, at the end of the evening, he’d even shaken John’s hand.
She appreciated that her temporary Dominant didn’t scare easily.
But wanting to work together after her guests had left…that represented something new and a little uncomfortable to her.
If he’d stay within the lines of her preconceived boundaries, things would be easier.
At times, Brandy wore submission like a comfortable blanket. It kept her warm and safe. But taking it off revealed the real, vulnerable person beneath.
After Reyes, she’d vowed to keep that person hidden and protected.
Master Niles continued to say nothing, and he eased away from her, giving her space. He picked up his beer, took the last drink, then slid the empty bottle onto the countertop.
His words still hung between them, ripe with expectation.
Why the hell had he gone and complicated things?
He didn’t rush her, and she appreciated that he would respect anything she decided.
With the emotional state she was now in, asking him to stay really was flirting with danger.
Despite that, she wanted to be back in his arms. If he left, the loneliness would be worse than the potential risk. “I’d like you to stay.”
He captured her hand and raised it to his lips with old-world elegance. “The pleasure will be mine, beautiful Brandy.”
His touch skittered awareness across her nerve endings.
Oh yes.She’d made the right decision.
Her imagination provided half a dozen scenarios for what they might do later, and each image was more evocative than the previous one.
“Now, about your refusal of my help with the dishes…” He released her and grabbed a hand towel.
With focused intent, he made small circles with his wrist, wrapping the towel round and round.
“Oh no you don’t!” She danced away from him.
As always, she didn’t know what to expect from him, from playful and teasing to thoughtful and kind and back again. “That’s for high school boys in a locker room.”
“It’s also for subs who argue with their Doms.”
“No, no!” Her gaze was riveted on his hand.
Part of her wanted him to smack her with the whirling towel. It would sting like the blazes, and that sounded wickedly delicious.
And most of all, she wanted this light moment to continue and chase away her fears. “Master Niles!” she protested over her laughter. “All I wanted was to be a good sub.” She couldn’t drag her gaze away from his deliberate motion. “I thought you might want to relax. After all, you worked so very hard, standing outside, cooking all of that food. You deserve to rest, maybe have another beer or finish the wine.”
“Uh-huh.” He took a deliberate step toward her. “Keep talking, beautiful Brandy.”
“That’s going to hurt.”
“I’m sure it will.”
“But…”
“We’re going to settle this once and for all.”
She backed up and ran into a cabinet, meaning she couldn’t retreat any farther. “Sir!”
“Even though I’m a Dom, I have no need or desire to be waited on.”
“Service is part of submission.”
“In some relationships, certainly.”
Relationships.
The word bounced around in her mind and her heart. What was happening right this moment was far more important than the teasing they shared.
“I enjoyed the day, and the food. There’s no way I’d expect you to clean this up by yourself.”
“You’re a guest.”
“And right now, your Dom.” His eyes were dark, with purpose and intent. “Along with your punisher.”
“No!”
“Oh, yes. On your bare ass.”
In mock terror, she squealed.
The dogs skittered around and barked as he drew back his hand while continuing to swirl the fabric.
“Present your rear, sub.”
Unable to look away from his compelling gaze, she said, “I promise to make you work like a hired hand next time you’re here, Sir. I’ll even let you put away all the leftovers by yourself. You can scrub the floors if you want. With a toothbrush. I’ll sit and watch television while you do it. Promise.”
“A little late for that, Ms. Hess.”
She gulped.
“Turn around and lift your skirt.”
“Fine. Take your best shot.”
“Bend over the counter.”
With a saucy grin, she turned her backside to him and flicked her hair over her shoulder, fully intending to scamper out of his reach by the time he let the towel fly.
But he outsmarted her.
While her skirt was still down, he flicked his wrist, catching her with a searing strike. Breath whooshed out of her. “Yowzer!”
“We’ll continue until you give in and agree to let me help you.”
Even though she knew he was serious, and that smack hurt like hell, accepting what he said was so far outside of her experience that she didn’t know what to do with it. “You’re a guest, Master Niles.”
With his hand on her back, he forced her down over the counter and yanked up her skirt to tuck the hem in the waistband.
The next one would burn even more.
“Now can we clean the kitchen, or would you like to argue some more?”
As she glanced back at him, meeting his gaze, she rubbed away the sting. “Damn, Sir, you don’t show any mercy.”
“Do you want me to?”
Do I?
“In that case, we’ll continue.”
When he pulled down her tights, she tightened her buttocks.
“Last chance, Brandy.”
Would it be so terrible to have help? To allow him to set some of the rules?With a sigh, she gave in. “Fine.”
“Fine?” he repeated against her ear, his breath warm, sending tingles through her. “What does that mean?”
She’d much rather receive an erotic spanking than this. “Thank you, Sir. I’ll accept the help.”
“That’s a good girl.”
He tossed the towel toward the counter, but Dana snatched it in mid-air and scampered toward her crate.
MW’s nails scrabbled on the tiled floor as he struggled to keep up so he could nip the larger dog’s heels.
“You were correct,” he said as he righted her clothing and helped her to stand. “She is fast. Sorry about that.”
“I’ll get it later. If I try to get it now, she’ll think we are playing tug-of-war.”
When they ignored the animals, they settled down.
“Now let’s get to work so we can enjoy the rest of the evening.”
A delicious shiver traced through her.
Bending, ass stinging and unable to imagine what it would have felt like on bare skin, she grabbed the dish soap from beneath the sink.
Fifteen minutes later, he closed the last cupboard door. Every surface had been washed and dried. Even the floor had been swept.
“Thank you for the help, Sir.” Appreciatively, she turned to face him. “That was fast.”
“And neither of us will need to worry about it later tonight or tomorrow.”
“Which is a blessing.”
“Now…” he said, reaching for her and drawing her near like he had earlier.
Brandy wound her hands around his neck.
For this moment, it was as if they were new lovers as well as submissive and Dominant.
His hard cock pressed against her, and her insides melted in immediate response.
When he narrowed his eyes, putting all his focus solely on her, she dug her fingers into his hair. “I want you, Sir,” she murmured.
Brandy had thought she was prepared…
Until he claimed her mouth with deliberation mixed with longing.
His tongue brushed hers in a gentle tease rather than the intensity she’d expected.
He tasted of beer with a faint undertone of chocolate. She hadn’t known he had a sweet tooth.
With slow, measured precision, he deepened the kiss, and her body blossomed, coming to life.
As she responded, he demanded deeper access, splaying a hand across her buttocks to bring her in even closer.
Because she yearned for his possession, she met him with fire rather than submissive inevitability.
He was muscle and sinew and relentless male energy. He moved his other hand to her upper back and applied enough pressure to flatten her breasts again his chest.
Every breath she took was stamped by his masculine essence.
After ending the kiss, he deftly maneuvered them so that he could grab the hem of her sweater and pull it over her head.
His gaze stoked with passion, he looked at her bared torso.
Her breasts felt heavy, and her nipples ached for his attention.
“Making you go braless was a bad decision.”
Her skin heated beneath his smoldering approval. “Was it, Sir?”
“Torture,” he added.
“For me, too.”
“Oh?”
“You pinched my nipples earlier, and all night, my sweater rubbed me, keeping them hard. Then when I saw you looking at me…”
“I wanted to have you up against the back of the house when you came outside the first time, all avenging angel to protect me from John. An angel with the nipples of a siren.” Fire banked in his eyes. “I should punish you for making me have a hard-on all night.”
“Serves you right, Sir. Once again, I was just being a good sub, and I’ll remind you I was following orders.” His swift responses when she was brazen should have already taught her to hold her tongue, but she couldn’t resist.
“I’m going to put you in a full girdle. One that hides your breasts.”
Laughing, she responded in a teasing tone. “You could just keep your magnificent libido in check.”
“Magnificent libido?”
“That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.”
“A girdle it is. Unless you want to find yourself ravished even if you have a houseful of guests.”
“Ravished, Sir?”
He shrugged. “Sounds better than being banged.”
“Either word is perfect, as long as it’s not just talk.” Even though she knew it was risky, she continued, “Back it up with some action, Sir.”
He tossed the sweater on top of a chair.
Yipping, MW leaped up.
Even though he didn’t stand much chance of grabbing it, Master Niles leveled a look at the dog.
With a soft whine, MW plopped back down.
“That was impressive.” She blinked. “How did you do that?”
“It’s about force of will,” he replied easily.
“Ah. I see.”
“It’s inevitable. Obedience is natural.” He bent to stroke the pup behind his floppy ear. Then he stood once more to look at Brandy. “No need to fight it.”
As if she would.
Master Niles dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and the intimate gesture made her feel cared for.
“Do we need to do anything with the dogs before bed?”
“Since I already took them out, they should be fine until the morning.” Then she explained the nighttime routine. “I don’t make them sleep in their crates. Most times they prefer to, but I don’t lock them in.”
“If I remember correctly, your bedroom has a door?”
“It does. No need to worry that your toes will get bitten while we’re in bed.”
He laughed. “I think it would take a lot for MW to get up on your bed.”
“True. His legs are rather stumpy.”
They laughed together.
How was it possible he’d fit into her life so easily? No one else ever had. “Would you like a shower first, Sir?”
“I’d like to fuck you, then shower, then fuck you again.” His eyes were dark, mysterious. “By then, you might be warmed up.”
Brandy gulped.
She didn’t know him well enough to know if he was joking, but she suspected he wasn’t. And he’d had plenty of stamina at the Den.
Though they’d stepped apart, sexual tension vibrated in the atmosphere, promising to reignite.
“Is everything locked up?”
“Should be, but I need to double-check the front door. Someone may have gone out that way.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“Always a protector?”
He swept his searing gaze over her. “When it comes to you, I’m taking no chances.”
The task was small, yet he cared, and that mattered a great deal to her.
She’d spent so long taking care of herself that having someone else ease part of the load seemed huge.
In a way it frightened her. If she came to count on him, she would be setting herself up for failure. But how could she do otherwise when his personality loomed so big?
In a surprise move, one that affirmed the nature of their relationship, he came back to cup her head with his palm.
The move was utterly dominant, a natural extension of his personality, making her shiver.
“Cold?”
“No, Sir,” she whispered, meeting his all-seeing gaze.
“Then you’re responding to me.”
His voice held a confident note, telling her he was making a statement, not asking a question. “Yes, Sir. I am.”
He tightened his grip, and she closed her eyes in surrendered bliss.
Her whole life, she’d craved this kind of intimacy.
She’d had plenty of relationships, some with Doms, some with men who tried to give her what she wanted, some with vanilla guys who had no interest in helping her get her kink on.
This, however, was delicious because of its naturalness.
Master Niles couldn’t help being who he was, and she was powerless to do anything other than respond to his masculine determination.
He drew her head back, and she looked at him.
His strong jaw was set in a tight line, and his hard, chiseled features were inscrutable.
Gregorio had warned her to protect her heart. His words echoed in her mind as if he were standing there.
She couldn’t allow herself to get swept up in the moment with Master Niles and allow herself to think this meant anything to him.
He’d used the word friend and dispelled her earlier fears. They were two consenting adults enjoying each other’s company, nothing more. No matter how devastatingly handsome he was, or how much he made her insides flutter.
“Shall we get on with the ravishing?” The darkness vanished from his eyes, to be replaced by simmering heat.
“Or the banging,” she added, responding in kind.
“I accept your offer, beautiful Brandy.” Keeping his hand in place, he led her to the bedroom and closed the door.
Once they were inside, her pulse thready, he placed his hands on her shoulders, encouraging her to kneel.
So, so right.Natural. Inevitable.
When he dropped his hands, she missed his touch. But with trained patience, she waited for him to speak.
“Is there anything we need to discuss, Brandy?”
They needed to get this out of the way, and she appreciated him taking time for it, even though she was anxious to feel him inside her. “If it suits you, Sir, we can use the Den’s protocols. Halt for a safe word. Safe limits, nothing that will cause permanent scarring and, of course, we’ll use condoms. There are some in the nightstand drawer.”
He nodded.
The necessities out of the way, she glanced at the floor, her technique to ground herself in a submissive mindset. “May I help you with your boots, Sir?”
“Please do.”
His instruction was firm, not a request, but an order.
The command in his tone settled her as effectively as a touch, and she drank it in as if it were the finest champagne.
He sat on the mattress, and she reached for his laces.
Surprising her, her fingers shook as she removed his boots then slid them next to a pair of her sandals beneath the bed.
“Thank you,” he said, after she’d tucked his socks away.
She approached small acts of servitude with reverence.
Making her Dom’s life somewhat easier fed her soul. Brandy enjoyed all the physical acts of BDSM tremendously, but to her, submission was an entire package that she loved.
As she’d explained to friends and family who weren’t in the lifestyle, her preferences didn’t make her a doormat. Domination and submission were symbiotic, two sides of the same coin. Things needed to be in balance for success. And after all, she appreciated him helping out and being her protector.
“Finish stripping for me. I want to see the rest of your body naked. You may stand.”
She’d been nude at the Den, so she shouldn’t have anxious butterflies in her tummy. But with him sitting on her bed, arms folded across his chest, courage failed her. More than anything, she wanted to please him.
After rising, she wriggled out of her skirt.
Right now she wished she’d worn stockings instead of tights, but he’d expressed no displeasure. Earlier, he’d used them to all but hobble her.
“Nice.”
Their gazes met. His voice held heat. He was obviously not disappointed in her choice.
Emboldened by that knowledge, she decided to do a bit of a striptease.
She toed off her sheepskin-lined boots then crouched to tuck them beneath the bed, not far from his legs.
“Brandy…”
“Sir?” It took all her concentration not to grin.
“Fuck.”
Of course she held the power in this moment, but she also recognized how fleeting it was. He could and would snatch it back in an instant.
Then, turning her back to him, she slid her fingers beneath the tight elastic band and started to shimmy the material down her legs.
“Stop.”
The sharp edge in his voice brooked no refusal. Immediately she froze.
Her temporary Dominant kept her off balance.
Like earlier, her tights were around her knees, preventing movements.
“Grab your ankles.”
How she loved the carnality of a D/s relationship. No vanilla guy had ever ordered her around like this. Not knowing what to expect thrilled her.
Once she was in position, he stood. Upside down, she remained where she was, struggling to remember to breathe.
He walked around her slowly, looking at her. After stopping behind her, he pulled down her thong. “You kept it in place.”
“I wouldn’t dare disobey you.”
“That pleases me. It was uncomfortable, no doubt? Guessing from how red you are.”
“Very much, Sir.”
“Good.” He slid a finger between the folds of her pussy, making her clit throb.
“That color looks good on you,” he murmured. “I’ll make sure you wear it more often.”
He stroked faster and faster, and she moved her hips, seeking more.
This afternoon, he’d allowed her to hump his leg, and she was all but doing the same thing to his hand now.
“I should take a picture of your pretty little pussy.”
“Anything you say, Sir.” As long as he let her get off.
“You’re getting wetter.”
“I am…”
He increased the speed of his teasing.
“Oh, Master Niles!”
“That’s it, beautiful Brandy. You can come now, or you can wait. Your choice.”
“I’m not certain I understand, Sir.” She was delirious, lost. Her hair spilled everywhere, and she closed her eyes as the first tendrils of a climax ribboned through her.
She was on the verge of satisfaction or painful denial.
“If you come now, I’ll punish you for it, and it will be the only one you get. If you wait, you’ll have as many orgasms as you want later.”
Clenching, she went still.
What kind of choice is that?