Chapter 2
Beatrice
Opening the door to the opulent bedroom suite, the charming and sprightly pink-haired maid, Maisey, gave me a brilliant smile as she ushered me inside.
Her pink cat ears bobbed as she said, “As you can see, Mistress La Pearl, we have everything set up to your expectations. This is a two-bedroom suite, your butler Master Alfie’s bedroom is across the living room area from your room. We’ve unpacked everything you had shipped ahead of your arrival and have set up the dressing room and bathroom to your exact specifications. If you wish, I can draw a bath for you or bring you anything you want to eat. Our room service is available twenty-four hours and you can also call down to the front desk for whatever you need. We have a general store onsite that carries a variety of things. I am sure you must be exhausted after all of your traveling, so if there is anything I can do to help you relax, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m a certified massage therapist and I also do acupuncture and reiki healing.”
Giving the young woman with her brilliant pink pigtails what I hoped was a charming smile, I said gently, “Thank you so much, Maisey, but I believe I am ready to retire for the night. You are correct, I am exhausted and I would just like to take a bath and relax.”
“Oh.” Seemingly momentarily flustered, she fiddled with the lacy apron tied around the waist of her black skirt. “I can draw the bath if you like.”
“No, thank you, my butler Alfie will tend to that for me.”
“Oh,” she said again, worry creasing her forehead. “Is there anything I can do for you to make your stay more comfortable before I go?”
Recognizing a service submissive’s eagerness to please, I nodded. “If you could have a light meal of soup and sandwiches sent up, I would appreciate it. Also, I enjoy waking up to fresh flowers. If you could have a small arrangement placed on the living room table that would be lovely.”
Her blue eyes brightened and her easy smile came back. “Of course, Mistress La Pearl. We have a large wildflower garden that is in full bloom right now, but we also have a florist on staff who can order whatever you wish.”
Looking over her shoulder at the dark grounds visible through my second story window, I resisted the urge to yawn and said instead, “The wildflowers would be lovely, but please wait until tomorrow before you go out picking any.”
Alfie bustled into the room, the defined muscles of his tattooed and hairy forearms flexing as he carried my purple leather briefcase in one hand and my large duffel bag in the other. “Where would you like this?”
I glanced around the elegant room, taking in the pale blue and silver tones that brought to mind a sophisticated French chateau before gesturing to the elaborate dresser that dominated the wall across from the huge four poster bed. “On the dresser is fine. Alfie, if you could assist Maisey with ordering dinner for us, I’m going to freshen up.”
“Of course,” Alfie said in a low voice, his dark eyes sparkling as he took in Maisey. “If you will follow me, please.”
Maisey looked at my handsome best-friend from beneath lowered lashes, a blush staining her chest and cheeks. “Yes, Master Alfie.”
I managed not to chuckle as I watched another woman fall for Alfie’s dark good looks. In many ways he resembled a dashing 1920s actor with his pencil thin black mustache and perfectly tailored black suits. Add to that his high cheekbones, killer smile, and strong Dom vibes and you had a man submissives were drawn to like bees to honey.
He offered Maisey his well-muscled forearm and she took it with a giggle.
After they left, I let out a long breath and leaned back against one of the solid posts holding up the silvery blue silk canopy over the bed. While my dark brown traveling outfit was smart and classic, it was also not very forgiving. Slipping off my kitten heels after wearing them for the last nine hours was a pleasure, and when I unpinned the pretty feathered fascinator I wore from my hair and rubbed my scalp, it was bliss. Taking off my outfit took almost as long as putting it on, and by the time I was in my comfortable lilac sweats Alfie had returned to my room.
He leaned against the door frame and gave an enormous yawn then stretched out. Alfie was a handsome man by anyone’s standards, refined and always under control. He never lacked for female company but was as picky as I was when it came to a partner. We were both old enough, and had been in the scene long enough, that we knew what we wanted and wouldn’t settle for anything less.
“Feel better?” he asked as he began to unpack my duffle bag, putting the items away with practiced ease into the large dresser.
“Very much,” I sighed as I flopped back onto the bed. “God, I’m so tired. Do you plan on getting comfortable?”
He nodded, his attention on his task. “I will, after I get you situated.”
“At least take your binder off,” I said as I rubbed my feet, relieving the ache in my arch that came from wearing my heels for too long. “We aren’t going anywhere else tonight.”
Alfie, who’d been born a female but identified as a male for as long as I’d known him, nodded then removed his button-down shirt, revealing his tightly bound chest. He debated having surgery to get his already small breasts removed, but since they weren’t large and Alfie wasn’t a fan of doctors, he’d put it off so far. The hormones he’d been on for years had changed him enough that he had facial hair and more masculine features, along with a brawny physique and that was good enough for him. Once he’d unwrapped the tan bindings from around his tank top covered chest, he let out a long sigh.
“Much better.” Placing my journal atop the dresser, he turned and leaned back, his muscular arms flexing as he crossed them over his chest. “How are you holding up?”
“Okay,” I lied, not looking at him as I pushed up the fabric of my sweat pants so I could rub my tight calf muscles.
Crossing the room, he sat beside me on my bed and gave me the knowing look that only a best friend can give. “Come on, Bee,” he said, calling me by my nickname, “you don’t have to pretend with me.” I began to unpin my french twist, and he brushed my hands away, turning me so he could take them out for me. “Dan’s in jail now and the trial is long over, but I know that little fucker’s betrayal hit you hard.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I growled out, my nails digging into my palms as I clenched them into fists.
He grunted, his skilled hands making quick work dismantling my hairstyle before he began to rub my scalp. “You never want to talk about it. You asked me to give you time, to let you focus on our Asian tour and I did, but the tour is over now. No more avoiding me. None of what happened was your fault. Dan played you, he manipulated you, and he is the asshole who shit all over your trust. Hell, he betrayed all of us, but it’s not your fault.”
“If I hadn’t brought him in, if I hadn’t started dating him, if I hadn’t told everyone they could trust him none of you would have fallen for his crypto currency scam,” I said in protest. “It is my fault.”
The bed shifted beneath me as Alfie climbed off and knelt before me, taking my hands in his. “Bee, he scammed a lot of people before he met you. A lot. Dan knew exactly how to manipulate you because he’s a soulless human being with no morals. You trusted him because you are a good person, who assumes everyone is as good and honorable as you are. We all fell for his bullshit, because he’s a sociopath who doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.”
My lower lip trembled and I hated how tears filled my eyes as I whispered, “I’m so sorry.”
“Stop,” Alfie gave my hands a squeeze. “Don’t you take on one moment of shame or guilt for that little shit. You turned him into the FBI as soon as you found out what he was up to. And you reimbursed everyone he’d stolen from. That was a great deal of money, and it almost wiped out your savings, but you did it anyway because that’s the kind of person you are. Yeah, I know, the lawyers are trying to get that money back, but until they do, you are going without and working your ass off so the people you love are still okay. Dan’s betrayal is not your fault. He knew how to pretend to be the perfect man, he studied you like he studied all of his victims, but in your case he made a grave mistake. He didn’t realize that he couldn’t blackmail you. That his threats of releasing videos of you having kinky sex with him wouldn’t stop you from doing the right thing. You’re his first victim who actually reported him to the police. Think of all the poor women he’d seduced and destroyed before he came into our lives. Smart, successful, kind women he took advantage of. Because of you he will never be able to do that to someone again.”
“I feel”—I pulled my hands away from Alfie’s, flopping back on the bed as tears coursed down the sides of my face—“I feel so stupid. And used, and dirty.” I took in a deep breath, my voice coming out shaky as I said, “It’s so humiliating having sex tapes featuring me floating around the Internet. I know, I know, our tech guys take them down as soon as they find them, but they’re never really gone. And I know it sounds silly that I stress about strangers watching me have sex considering I’m a burlesque dancer and a kink educator, but I did not consent to them being shared. Those were my private BDSM scenes with my boyfriend who I loved with all my heart, not a performance. And when my mom found out, I feel like she was so disappointed in me.”
Shaking his head, Alfie crossed his arms over his chest. “That is not true and you know it. Your mom loves you and she doesn’t give a shit what you do in your bedroom. True, she probably doesn’t want to know the details, but she was more upset about dickhead’s betrayal than your sex life.”
“Yeah, but I know people were giving her a hard time about it. She lives in a small town, and people love to gossip. I hate the idea of people being mean to her. I’m so stupid, I never should have trusted Dan when he said he would delete the video after I caught him recording us. He tried to make it sound like it was just something he thought would be a fun thing to do, something safe and harmless because I could trust him like he trusted me to be his Mistress. Obviously it wasn’t fun or harmless.”
Alfie grabbed my hands and pulled me back up into a sitting position, his dark eyes filled with kindness as he said in a low voice, “You are not stupid. Don’t let that little fucker make you think you are. You thought you could trust him, hell, we all thought we could, because he’s a manipulative asshole. He knew exactly what to say, how to play you to make you believe him.”
“I really thought he loved me,” I whispered.
“Bee,” Alfie stood up, pulling my face against his stomach as he hugged me, “you are so easy to love, and you give your heart so freely. He took that gift and abused it. You need to forgive yourself. You need to move on. I hate seeing you like this.”
“I’m trying,” I cried as I hugged his waist. “I really am. And I hate being like this, I hate not being able to enjoy myself like I used to, I hate not being able to have a boyfriend because I can’t trust anyone. That’s one of the things I loved about being a Mistress, the deep trust I would have in my sub, and he’d have in me. I just can’t do it without that trust, but how can I ever trust a man again? I’m always worried some new videos of me will appear on the Internet and I’ll have to go through all of that again. Even now I kind of want to check the room for cameras, even though I know Derek would never do that to me.”
“This Ranch has been in existence since before cameras were invented,” Alfie said in a serious tone, holding my gaze. “In all that time, there has never been an occasion where the private activities of the Ranch have been made public. You signed the same NDA as I did, you know Derek and his team of lawyers would sue the hell out of anyone who was stupid enough to try to sneak photos. And you know Derek has the grounds regularly swept for any type of recording devices. You’re probably safer here than anywhere in the world.”
“Logically I know that”—I tapped my chest—“but in here I’m still scared. My therapist says I need to give myself time to heal, but it’s been almost two years. I’d like to be healed any day now, you know what I mean? I wish I could just go back in time to my ignorant bliss that no one would ever try to hurt me like that, let alone someone I loved.”
“Bee, you are so brave,” Alfie said as he placed a soothing kiss on the back of my hand. “I know how hard it was for you to even leave the house after those tapes were released. I understand how challenging it was for you to dance again, to even go out in public, but you did it. And fuck those judgy media assholes who got rich off of gossiping about you. Fuck those selfish pricks who reveled in seeing you hurt. Don’t give them any space in your head. Forget them and focus on all those people who love you, all those people who’ve been in a situation similar to yours. How many letters and emails did you get from victims of revenge porn? Hundreds? Thousands?”
“So many it breaks my heart.”
“Mine too, but they found strength in watching you go through your own trials. They found strength in watching you stand up for yourself, for refusing to be shamed.”
I sighed, my nose stuffy from crying as I said, “At least in public. In private I was a wreck.”
He hugged me tight. “But you didn’t let it destroy you. You managed to get dressed and show up every day of the trial. You managed to gracefully deal with the press who tried to get a reaction out of you during interviews, and you managed to get back on the stage and bring people joy with your dancing. I was and am so proud of you, Bee. God knows if it happened to me I don’t think I’d be strong enough to handle it as well as you have.”
Grabbing some tissue from a box near the bed, I dabbed at my face as I forced a laugh out. “I may look like I have it together on the outside, but inside I’m a mess. I used to love having sex, but now I get paranoid that my partner is going to blab to the media or try to make some money off of selling photos or videos of me. I know it’s not true; I’ve carefully vetted anyone I’ve had sex with recently, but it’s really hard for me to let go unless I’m in complete control of the situation.”
“You need to remember how fun dating can be,” Alfie said bluntly. “Yeah, you’ve done scenes and you’ve gotten laid, but there is a difference between sex and making love, between physical release and true intimacy.”
Running my fingers through my hair to loosen any knots, I avoided looking at Alfie as I said, “I know, I know. And I want to. I just… it’s like the part of me that wants to fall in love again is overruled by the part of me that’s afraid of my heart being broken.”
“It’s been a long time since you’ve been on a real date. You need to get back on the proverbial horse,” Alfie said with a smile, his mustache twitching as he took my hand again. “Do you need Daddy Alfie to play matchmaker for you?”
“No.” I drew my legs beneath me and gave Alfie a scowl that kept trying to turn into a smile. “I’m a big girl, I can find my own men, thank you very much. Besides, I think Derek is trying to play matchmaker with me. He set me up with one of the Ranch submissives as my liaison, as he put it. But I recognized that gleam in his eyes, he’s matchmaking.”
“Ohhh”—Alfie gave me a big grin—“nice. Derek is rather renowned for his ability to pair people up. Who is this guy? Have you met him yet? What’s he look like?”
I couldn’t help but return his grin. “I don’t know anything about him, other than he works on the Ranch and is a high-powered submissive.”
“High-powered you say?” Alfie ran his fingers through his dark hair, his expression distant. “Hmmm, that will be interesting. You tend to pick rather… docile men. It will be nice to see you working with someone who’s a bit of a challenge.”
“I do not pick docile men,” I protested as he rolled his eyes. “I don’t!”
“I’m not saying that like it’s a bad thing, and I’m not judging you. It’s just that your past submissives have been very well behaved. They don’t really push you out of your comfort zone or challenge you. After a while, that has to get kind of boring. Having a high-powered sub may be just what you need to get out of your funk.” Alfie took my hands in his own and held them tight. “You know I love you to the moon and back, I just want you to be happy. You deserve it.”
“Thank you, honey.” After taking a deep breath, I gave his hand a squeeze before tossing my hair over my shoulder and giving myself a mental and physical shake. “Okay, enough huggy-feely stuff, we need to go over my lesson plan. We don’t have much time before my weeklong course begins, and I have some modifications I’d like to make to the fan dance section. Derek is an old friend, and my personal crap aside, I really want to do a good job. My classes are booked to capacity, and Derek said there is a waiting list a mile long. He wants me to consider taking on a permanent teaching position here.”
Alfie’s carefully groomed dark eyebrows flew up as he moved away from the bed and toward the dresser. “Really? Well, that’s an interesting proposition. Weren’t you just saying the other day that you were getting tired of the nomadic life? That you were wanting to settle down a bit, get away from the fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t pay as well as my touring so Gary is totally against it.”
“Screw Gary,” Alfie replied with a sneer curving his thin lips. “I know he’s your manager and you feel some absurd loyalty to him, but he only cares about himself and deep down you know it. What did he say when he told you about the problems you’ve been having with your hip.”
Not wanting to get into yet another argument about Gary, I waved the question away. “He wants me to go see a doctor he knows, but that really doesn’t matter. What I want to know is how would you feel about leaving LA for a couple years and living here? You know that whatever I do, and wherever I go, you will always have a place at my side. Do you think you could be happy here? You’re more than my best friend, you’re my brother from another mother and I selfishly can’t imagine living anywhere without you.”
Alfie grinned at me, “And you’re my sister from another mister. I wouldn’t mind planting down some roots for a while. We’ve had a great time these past ten years, touring the world and building the La Pearl empire, but I’ll be honest with you, I’m tired. That eastern Asia tour took a lot out of me. Don’t get me wrong, it was an amazing experience, but after being on the road for so long, I need a break. That said, I don’t know how I feel about living in the middle of nowhere. Now back to your hip, what exactly did Gary say?”
My stomach clenched up a bit at the mention of my agent’s dismissive reaction to my problems. “Just that he knows a great doctor who could get me fixed up and on the road in no time.”
“Of course he does,” Alfie said with a roll of his eyes. “He doesn’t give a shit how much pain you’re in as long as he gets paid.”
“He stood by me through all that crap with Dan, did his best to protect me from the fallout. He cares, and he’s gotten a lot better since he quit using cocaine.”
“You honestly think he really stopped?” Waving his hand at me, Alfie looked away with a frown. “Whatever, I don’t want to get into another fight about Gary right now. I’m too tired to argue.”
“Me too.” A chime rang from somewhere down the hallway outside of my room. “Can you get that? It must be our food.”
A sudden grin lit up Alfie’s handsome face. “I hope it’s that delicious Little treat, Maisy, bringing it to us. She’s adorable. Wonder if she’s looking for a Daddy.”
Alfie was a Dom who had a taste for feminine women and pink-pigtailed Maisey certainly fit that bill. “She might be. Why don’t you go find out?”
The chime rang again as Alfie quickly bound his chest, then slipped on his white dress shirt, buttoning it as he left the room, “I just might.”
Moving from the bed, I began to pull out some of my coursework from my carryon and arrange it on the dresser. Voices came from the open doorway, but I didn’t pay much attention as I looked for a particular book I thought I’d packed. I knew I’d put it in my bag, but it seemed to have vanished as I pulled out my binders, folders, and stacks of journals that I’d kept over the years. While most people journaled their thoughts and feelings, I wrote down information for my ever-expanding classes on human sexuality, the sociology of BDSM, and various types of high protocol etiquette along with whatever kink or lifestyle that had caught my interest in the past.
Before I became a professional educator specializing in human sexuality, I’d received my hard-earned PhD in Sociology and still had the study habits that came with my education. Everything I learned about different cultures and societies all went into my journals, and they’d help me publish several well received books in both the self-help and educational fields. Some people were surprised by how seriously I took my job, I guess they thought I just kind of winged it, but I put my heart and soul into my work. I helped people change their lives, and I took that responsibility very seriously.
A knock sounded on the doorframe before Alfie said in his professional, public voice, “Mistress La Pearl, your meal has arrived. This is Tristan, and if you approve, he will be your liaison for your stay at the Ranch.”
Startled, I almost dropped the folder I was looking at as an exceptionally broad-shouldered man entered the room. He wasn’t very tall, maybe a couple inches taller than I was, but he had a masculine energy about him that was undeniable. Tan, with both his head and face shaved smooth, he had lovely, amber-flecked brown eyes set in a rugged face. Broad cheekbones, thick eyebrows, heavy jaw, and lips that were thin but well formed. My gaze traveled down his corded neck, passing over a hint of a gold necklace showing between the open buttons of his red flannel shirt. There was a smattering of dark chest hair that caught my attention before I became distracted by his arms. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, exposing his well-muscled forearms with a hint of the kind of veins that men got when they were buff.
“Good evening, Mistress La Pearl, where would you like me to put this?” he said in a deep, low voice that sent flutters through my belly.
“Uh”–my voice came out in an unbecoming squeak as my heart raced—“on the table is fine,” I managed to reply as he walked past me.
Alfie raised an eyebrow at me, but I ignored him, focusing on the man moving across the room. He smelled good, really good, and his ass in those worn-in jeans was perfect. A nice, round bubble butt, the kind I loved to smack and bite. Warmth flooded through me at the sight of those jeans stretching tight as he bent over and placed the black lacquered serving tray with its covered dishes onto the table near the french doors leading to the balcony. He didn’t say anything else as I ogled him from behind, instead carefully arranging my meal onto the table before turning to face me.
I found myself frozen in place as we simply stared at each other. Electricity seemed to zap up my spine and down to the sweet heat blooming between my legs. His intense gaze nearly knocked me on my ass, and my heart began to pound. I was by no means a blushing virgin, but the chemistry between us was like nothing I’d ever experienced. I couldn’t stop myself from drinking in the sight of him, and I swallowed hard at what I was pretty sure was a rather large erection pressing against his jeans. He wore a thick leather belt with a silver buckle shaped like a bull’s head on it, and my mind made a silly joke about him being hung like one.
“Ahem,” Alfie said as he loudly cleared his throat. “Mistress La Pearl, I’d like you to meet Tristan McDaniels.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Mistress,” Tristan said in that lovely growly voice of his as he gave a small bow.
It took me a second to shake off the sexual spell he had me under and reply, “A pleasure to meet you as well, Tristan.”
He smiled, revealing white teeth that gleamed against his dark tanned skin. “I must say, you’re even prettier in person than you are in your pictures.”
I’d heard that line a hundred times, but somehow when he said it, I found myself blushing. “Thank you.”
“Mistress La Pearl,” Alfie said in an amused voice that had me giving him a little glare, “Tristan will be our go-to person for anything we need this week.”
“Will he?” I asked in a faint voice before I gave myself a mental pinch. “Well, that will be wonderful.”
“I look forward to working with you, Mistress,” Tristan all but purred, and my hormones once again went wild.
As I tried to form a coherent thought beyond all the kinky fantasies that were suddenly playing out in my mind, Alfie said, “Thank you for bringing dinner by and introducing yourself, Tristan. I’m sure the Mistress and you have much to talk about. I’ll leave you two alone unless you need me for something, Beatrice?”
I pretended to not notice Tristan whispering my name as I turned my full attention to Alfie, “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”
His lips twitched in amusement as he shook his head, laughter creasing his eyes as he replied, “No, I’m exhausted from all of our traveling. I’m hitting the proverbial hay. Goodnight.”
He left, closing the door behind him as I turned back to the dresser, placing the folder I’d been holding down with shaky hands. Trying to buy myself time to get myself together, something I rarely had to do, I grabbed some of my teaching materials and leafed through them even though I knew the information within by heart. I hadn’t been this flustered around a man in forever, and I didn’t really like how deeply Tristan affected me with his mere presence. It made me feel out of control, almost giddy and very confused.
What was it about him that sent me into a tailspin of lust and fascination?
Stealing a glance in the mirror, I found him watching me closely. He was in the same place he’d been before, but somehow he seemed to loom over me. It wasn’t just that he was built like a professional wrestler, there was just something about the man that seemed to fill the air around him. Almost like a dominant vibe, but different. Like a chained lion, my mind suddenly supplied. Or, like the emblem on his belt, like a massive bull. Yes, that fit with his thick neck and broad shoulders. A massive bull that could trample me to death if I wasn’t careful. One held in place only by my willpower.
What a deliciously arousing thought.
Maybe Alfie was right, maybe I did need a high-powered submissive in my life.
My nipples were hard and pressed against my shirt as I held the stack of papers to my chest and made myself cross the room to where my food waited. I had to get it together. This was not the kind of first impression I usually made on my submissives. Each place I’d taught at during my Asian tour had provided me with a male submissive to assist me. All of them delicious in their own way, all of them no doubt very skilled in the bedroom arts, but none of them had brought forth this visceral reaction in me. I had to force myself not to reach out and touch Tristan as I passed.
I was acutely aware of the fact that I was looking less than one hundred percent as I took a seat in one of the two cream wing-backed chairs placed around the small table. I set the papers on the floor next to my feet, then briefly closed my eyes and inhaled the delicious aromas. The scent of roasted chicken and herbs coming from the neatly cut sandwich on my plate filled me as I leaned forward, picked up the crystal glass of ice water and took a long drink. It helped clear my head a little and I gathered myself enough to smile at him.
“Please, have a seat,” I said as I gestured to the other chair.
He barely fit in it and I pretend not to notice as he discreetly arranged his hard dick in his worn jeans.
“Thank you, Mistress La Pearl.”
Usually, I kept things very formal between myself and whatever submissive was assisting me, but I found myself saying, “Please, call me Bee.”
He smiled a boyish grin that took a few years off his rugged face. “Bee it is.”
My stomach gave a little rumble and I picked up my spoon, dipping it into the creamy bowl of soup next to the sandwich as I said, “So, you’re going to be assisting me this week? Tell me a little bit about yourself if you don’t mind.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied as he relaxed minutely, his broad shoulders coming within a fraction of brushing against the chair’s upholstered sides as he leaned back a little while I ate. “Well, I’m part of the security team for the Ranch, though we do more than just guard duty. Not a lot of drama out here compared to the city, so I help out wherever needed, though I do prefer working in the stables.”
“You have a bit of an accent, are you from the Chicago area?”
He gave a soft, rumbly laugh that made me tingle. “You have a good ear. Yeah, I lived in Chicago most of my life. Was a police officer out there before I… retired and came out to work at the Ranch.”
A hint of a shadow filled his amber gaze and I took a drink of my water to wash down my food before replying, “I have an aunt who lives out in Oak Lawn just south of the city. I used to visit her once a year every summer, so I’m familiar with the area.”
We chatted about Chicago, our conversation flowing smoothly. He was easy to talk to, down to earth with a dry sense of humor that appealed to me. His stories about being a police officer were mostly funny anecdotes, but I could tell there was a deep sadness to them as well. Not surprising considering some of the terrible things he must have witnessed working in one of the most dangerous cities in America. The more we talked, the more I felt like I was chatting with an old friend rather than a stranger. An old friend I was highly attracted to and desperately wanted to fuck. Crude but true. My body was practically weeping for him, and rather than fight the sensation, I allowed it to flow through me like warm caramel.
Noticing he was staring at me, I wiped at my mouth with the linen napkin, “Do I have something on my face?”
A hint of a blush darkened his broad cheekbones as he shook his head with a small half smile. “No, I’ve just never seen anyone eat like you do.”
Jerking back a bit, I said in a frosty voice, “Pardon me?”
He held up his calloused hands and shook his head quickly. “Not saying that in a bad way. You’re just so… precise and delicate. You make eating look like dancing.”
Now it was my turn to blush as I took yet another drink of water, the ice pressing against my lips before I lowered the glass. “Thank you. I like to do things a certain way. I like having manners and I believe that everything can be done with grace if one tries. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy scarfing down on a hamburger and fries now and again, but I’ve been fascinated by good etiquette my whole life. My grandmother had impeccable manners, and I always admired her. I know it’s just nostalgia talking, but it seems to me that the world made more sense when people had some decorum.”
Shifting uncomfortably, he sat up noticeably straighter and looked at a loss for what to do with his hands before he placed them on the arm rests. “Sorry, you must think I’m an uncouth meathead.”
“Not at all. Right now we’re just two people getting to know each other. We aren’t in a scene, you aren’t my fulltime submissive living a 24/7 lifestyle, and I haven’t given you any indication that we’re under high protocol or formal settings. Relax.” He still remained stiff and I placed my napkin neatly next to my plate with a soft laugh. “Honestly, Tristan, it’s okay. I understand that not everyone enjoys being formal at all times, I certainly don’t.” I gestured to my sweats. “While I adore a good corset, wearing one all the time isn’t good for my body. And while I love indulging in feminine lingerie, sometimes wearing crotchless underwear isn’t very practical. Not that I’m judging anyone who does wear a corset all day, or crotchless underwear for every occasion, but I’m human enough to admit that I also need downtime. I think it makes the occasions where I do get dressed up, where I do don my Mistress cloak so to speak, all the more special. Don’t you think?”
“Huh? What?” He cleared his throat then said, “One second, I’m still hung up on you in the crotchless panties thing.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at the slightly glazed look in his eyes, enjoying the power of being able to make him respond in such a way. “If you’re a good boy, you may just get to see me in them.”
Leaning forward with an intent look, all of his considerable focus on me, he growled out, “I would like that very, very much.”
Oh how I wanted to throw him on his back in my bed and have my wicked way with him, but I managed to restrain myself. “Tell me, Tristan, about yourself. Tell me what your desires are. Tell me why such a big, strong, dominant man as yourself likes to kneel before a powerful woman.”