23
Sitting at a secluded table in a downtown pizza place, Brandon realized he had never taken this long to lose an erection.
Orgasm denial was definitely the culprit.
The dull ache settling into his groin was impossible to ignore, but the intoxicating pleasure woven into it eclipsed the discomfort entirely.
They had wrapped up shopping once Isabella announced she was starving. He’d suggested this spot, and she had readily agreed. Their pie had arrived a few minutes ago, and conversation flowed easily between bites.
“Thank you, darling.” She dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “That was so much more fun than I expected.”
He smiled. Finished with his slice, he reached across the table to take her hand.
“It was perfect. I mean, that finale was pure torture, but other than that? Absolutely perfect.”
Isabella beamed, pressing a soft kiss to the back of the hand caressing hers.
“Just wait until Amanda finds out I was the first to take you out.”
“Uh-oh… She’s going to take that out on me, isn't she?”
“I’ll protect you.”
Her sweet, sultry tone stirred something far deeper than raw lust inside Brandon, sending a delicious shiver down his spine. He stacked their plates, slid the glasses to the corner of the table, and cleared the space between them.
“Did you two really talk about Monica?”
Amanda had brought up the situation with Isabella when she decided to discipline Brandon in the locker room after Isa’s workout. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that the matter deserved to be handled with a bit more care.
“Our little blackmailer?” Isabella unlocked her phone, pulling up her chat history with Amanda.
“Yeah, she said she gave you the green light to handle her. With a few ground rules, obviously. Honestly, that was another reason I wanted to see you tonight—to spend time with you, but also to talk through that.”
“Makes sense.”
“Just put that little pest in her place.”
The wicked gleam in Isabella’s eyes was an uncanny echo of Amanda. It was thrilling in a way that set his imagination racing.
“Are you really okay with that? I mean, Amanda seemed totally fine, but I don’t want to get into anything that makes either of you uncomfortable. Just say the word, and I’ll handle it another way.”
“Don’t be silly, boy.” Isabella rose, gathering her purse and nodding toward the door. “To be completely honest…”
She paused, waiting for another couple to file past them at the front entrance.
“I get wet just picturing you fucking her.”
Well, if that wasn’t a green light, nothing was.
“I’m not going to… I mean, I’m not allowed to go that far.”
“I know, but who knows? Maybe someday. I’d love to watch.”
The mere thought of it brought a helpless smile to his lips.
They got into the car, where Brandon still felt completely out of his league.
Isabella tossed her purse onto the back seat, which was already buried under shopping bags.
She turned the key and maneuvered out of the lot.
They’d already discussed the logistics: he had asked her to drop him off back at the club so he could pick up his own car and drive it to work the next morning.
As they pulled onto the road, another question crossed his mind.
“You and Amanda…”
“Yes, darling?”
“Have you two ever done this before? What you're doing with me, I mean. Sharing someone like this.”
“No! Nothing like this.” Isabella let out a soft laugh. “I won’t lie, we used to fool around back in the day, mostly after having a few drinks. Hooked up once. But then she ended up dating someone for a while, and so did I. Once those relationships ended, we reconnected a few months ago.”
She slowed at the highway on-ramp, waiting for a break in the flow of traffic.
“We always talked about domination, power dynamics, that sort of thing. I don’t even know when we figured out we shared the exact same taste for it. But it was just talk, really. Then she spotted you at the club one day, and we started talking about you.”
Merging onto a clearer stretch of asphalt, she rested her hand high on Brandon’s thigh, giving it an affectionate squeeze before winking at him.
“Then came that day in the hot tub. The drinks definitely helped spark that click between us. You were right there, waiting on us hand and foot... You know how it is. The imagination takes over.”
“Well, guess I should thank whoever mixed those drinks.”
“If memory serves, I was the one who whispered in her ear to grab you in the water. You should be thanking me.”
“Fair point.”
“Go on, then. I want to hear it.”
There it was again—that mischievous, wicked glint.
“Say thank you?”
“Exactly. Come on, put some heart into it.”
Brandon felt heat creep up his neck and cheeks. He had grown comfortable calling them Mistress and submitting to their demands, but certain words still brought a sharp pang of shy embarrassment when spoken aloud.
“Thank you for giving Amanda the idea, my Owner.”
“My Owner… I like the sound of that.”
Brandon only blushed harder.
Passing through the gates of Sterling Grove Club, Isabella steered into the employee lot and pulled up right beside Brandon’s car. She looked at him for a long moment, as if trying to read every nuance of his expression. He met her gaze and smiled back.
Leaning in, their goodbye kiss deepened, turning hungry and intense. His hand found the nape of her neck, and she matched the touch, threading her fingers into his hair. Brandon could feel the warmth radiating from her skin, her chest rising and falling against him in breathless gasps.
Isabella pulled back with a gentle shove against his chest.
“God! Come on, you need to get out before this gets out of hand.”
“Would that really be so terrible?”
“Don’t tease me, darling. I have no desire to get kicked out of the club for having sex in the parking lot.”
“You’re right.”
Brandon lingered for a heartbeat, just looking at her. Part of him still couldn't believe someone as breathtaking as Isabella was actually into him.
Reluctantly, he unlatched the door.
“Oh, wait! I almost forgot.” Isabella stretched between the front bucket seats to dig through the shopping bags in back, searching for a moment until she found what she wanted. A bright, eager smile lit up her face, full of anticipation. “A little surprise for tonight.”
She held out a small parcel to him. Brandon took it, startled.
“I… You really didn’t have to. Just being out with you was-”
“Nonsense! Go on, open it.” Isabella clapped her hands together giddily. “That was the other reason I couldn't wait to see you today. It was finally finished.”
“You had a gift made for me?” Brandon pulled the ribbon and lifted the lid. “This is…”
“It’s nothing crazy.” She gave his arm a light swat. “I just wanted something very specific.”
The inside of the box was lined with plush black velvet, cradling a sleek gold cuff bracelet. Tucked beneath it was a small, detached charm pendant. It was minimalist and discreet, but undeniably expensive. A delicate engraving caught the light as he tilted the band. He read it softly.
“Isabella’s Toy…?”
“Oh, yeah, baby.” Both of them laughed.
She plucked the cuff from the box, prompting him to hold out his arm so she could slip it on. Brandon noticed the clasp lacked any visible latch, and when Isabella snapped it closed, a sharp, metallic click echoed louder than he expected.
“Now, here’s the best part.” She held up the little pendant to show him. “It only unlocks with proximity. The jeweler said there’s a chip inside or something. Like tapping your phone to pay for coffee.”
Brandon inspected the clasp, realizing there was genuinely no groove or catch to pry it open. Isa brought the charm close to the band, and the bracelet popped open instantly.
“I… this must have cost a fortune.” She clicked it back around his wrist. “Sorry. I mean, of course I love it. The engraving, the lock… it’s incredible. I just… don't know how to react. No one’s ever given me anything like this.”
“Well, get used to it, darling.” Isabella cupped Brandon’s face in both hands, holding him eye-to-eye. “A good boy deserves nice things.”
Brandon swallowed the internal hesitation knotting in his throat.
He kept quiet. He didn’t feel like he deserved a gift this lavish; everything he did was for the sheer thrill of pleasing her and Amanda, not for expensive handouts.
But this wasn't an argument he wanted to have right now.
He wouldn't ruin the moment. And as much as the insecurity gnawed at him, he was genuinely touched. It was special in more ways than one.
Isabella kissed him again, her palms still warm against his cheeks.
“Now you’re locked to me until I say otherwise.”
The thought sounded far better than it had any right to. Brandon smiled, already looking forward to every second he’d get to spend with her.
“Yes, Mistress.”
“Now go on, get out before I lose my mind and jump you.”
“Guess I’ll stay, then.”
“Don’t push your luck. I might not be as cruel as Amanda, but I know how to be nasty, too.”
They shared one final kiss, and he stepped out. Isabella gave him a wave before shifting into gear and driving away.
Brandon stood beside his beat-up Ford for a second, gazing down at the gold band around his wrist. He turned it over—it rested comfortably, neither too tight nor too loose.
Calling her “my Owner” back in the car had turned out to be an accidental omen. He felt like a puppy that had just been fitted with a shiny new collar. A faint grin touched the corner of his lips as he reread the words.
Isabella’s toy.