24. Arabella
24
Arabella
I can’t believe that just happened, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more. I wanted him to take things further. To pull off the sheet that covered me and take full control of the situation. When he denied my orgasm, I thought I was going to combust. Then he ordered me to come and then my core exploded until weightlessness washed over me from the intense pleasure.
The look on his face could only be described as a mix between arousal and fury. And I didn't miss the obvious bulge he was sporting. That has to be for me, right? The sheer magnitude of said bulge proves he's not lacking in the size department, so even if it wasn’t, I'm adding that image to my diddle drawer.
Unfortunately, as I came down from the high he eventually allowed me, it was painfully obvious his walls were going back up–again. His expression went flat and he walked out, ordering me to follow him so we could talk . He’s right, we do need to talk, because I can’t keep doing this back and forth with him. It’s giving me whiplash and I’m starting to feel things I shouldn’t.
I pull on his hoodie along with a pair of shorts and make my way to the living area, where I find him sitting at one end of the couch. Curling my legs underneath my ass at the opposite end, I can already feel his eyes on me, like lasers threatening to burn straight through me. My cheeks involuntarily heat at the attention.
“What did you wanna talk about?” I ask. “I also have something I’d like to discuss.”
I glance over and we catch each other's eyes. I always thought he was attractive, but the man is a literal perfect specimen. Not even these confusing feelings I’m having have curbed my desire to lick him head to toe, just for the sake of saying I did it. Jesus, I don’t think I’ve ever been so obsessed with wanting to put my tongue on another human before. Okay. Reel it back in Arabella . Focus.
“We’ll start with the night I took you to check on your mother,” he pauses and I offer him a tight nod. “You said, and I quote, ‘but It’s probably my own fault,’ in reference to being drugged. Tell me what you meant by that.”
I suck my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing uncomfortably as my heart rate spikes. “Do I have to?” I whine.
“Need I remind you that you agreed to communicate openly, when we started this?”
Plopping my face into my palms, I groan. “Fine. I didn’t let Brad come upstairs with me after that first date we had at Gravity.” I don’t miss the flare of his nostrils and I’m not sure if it’s the mention of Brad or the date itself that has him ready to set the room ablaze. “I probably should have just let him come upstairs with me that night. Maybe then, he wouldn’t have taken extra steps on our second date, to ensure things went his way.”
“Arabella,” Ryker gasps. “What in the ever loving fuck would lead you to believe that you owed him anything . You do realize you can tell someone you’ll fuck them, or even start to fuck them for that matter, and still revoke your consent at any point , right?”
“Theoretically,” I answer with a shrug of my shoulders. I want to tell him so badly, that my own mother has spent years telling me the exact opposite, but it feels like a door I’m not ready to open with him.
“There is no theoretically here, sweet girl. What happened with Brad was not your fault. The blame lies solely with him. Tell me you understand?” Why does him calling me that, do something I can’t explain?
“I–understand.”
“Good girl.” His praise feels like a balm to my soul, I didn’t know I needed. “Speaking of the predator, I got the call this morning that they found him. The dumbass was hiding out, actually trying to run. Between the large amount of Rohypnol they found in his home and the video surveillance of him dosing your wine, he won’t be a problem for you or anyone else for a long time.”
I can feel my eyes welling up with tears as I cover my mouth with both hands.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he orders while swiping a runaway tear with his thumb.
“I just can’t believe it’s over. You’re sure we don’t have to worry about him anymore?”
“Yes, I’m sure, but for good measure, I’ve had the memberships of him and his friend revoked at Gravity,” he reassures me.
Placing my hands in my lap, I sit up taller, like this news is giving me a renewed sense of confidence.
“Thank you, Ryker.”
“You’re welcome, Arabella.” Things suddenly feel too formal again, but before I can get more words out, he continues. “I want to give you the floor to discuss your things as well, but there is something else I’d like to talk about first. Why didn’t you tell me sooner, that you’d been fired?”
Okay. I did not expect this to U-turn into a conversation about work or getting fired, but alright. “I’m not sure why I didn’t tell you. I guess I was ashamed that my life is such a mess that I can’t manage to hold onto a simple waitressing job,” I admit with a wince.
“I see. But you said those call offs were because of your Mom and her appointments, correct?”
I nod. “Yes, until this last time.”
His eyes burn through me as he holds my stare, like he’s both processing information and contemplating what comes next. “Do you have a plan to secure new employment?”
“Not yet. No.” I’m embarrassed to tell him I have no clue what happens next. I usually work so well under pressure, but I’m so overwhelmed, I feel frozen in place and that makes me scared. It’s a vicious cycle that I don’t know how to break.
“Open communication is so important. This all falls under that umbrella. I can’t do my job as a Dominant, if you don’t tell me what’s going on with you.”
“I can’t promise I’ll be amazing at it, but I promise to try.”
“Good enough. And I promise, I’ll never expect perfection from you. We’re all human.” He pauses, clearly thinking, before he resumes. “We need a server at the club. The job is yours if you want it.”
“But–” I begin to protest.
“Before you say no, you need to understand you wouldn’t get preferential treatment. I would expect you to be prompt for your shifts and follow the same rules as the other employees. You’ll earn a paycheck like everyone else,” his brow furrows. “The only real difference being that you live here… with me.”
“But I don’t live with you.”
His eyebrows raise. “All the clothes and supplies I purchased for you, laid out in the bathroom and the guest room say otherwise.”
“Exactly,” I argue. “The guest room. The stuff you bought for me. There’s a big difference between staying and living somewhere. That brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about. I was thinking I should go home this weekend. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but especially now that we know it’s safe and Brad isn’t a threat, I think it’s time. Don’t you?”
I can practically see him thinking from over here. “No,” he says matter of factly.
“What do you mean, no?” This man is so fucking confusing.
“I’d like you to stay here for the duration of our arrangement. It’ll make things easier for both of us if we’re in closer proximity, which will allow you to experience and learn more. Once we’ve concluded your training, I’ll help you move back into your apartment. It will also allow you to save some money so you can get back on your feet.” He’s never referred to our arrangement as training before. Why does that make me wet?
“How long will that be, Ryker? I can’t just not pay my rent while I stay here. I won’t have an apartment to go back to.”
“Let’s say a few months at most. Then we can re-evaluate whether you want to continue or not. Do you trust me?”
I nod, because I do, and trust doesn’t exactly come easy to me these days. I can do that.
“Then trust that I’ll take care of it. I’ve got you.”
Ryker
She’s looking at me like I’m crazy. Like she can’t decide if I’m bullshitting her or not. I’d assure her I’m not, but I doubt she’s ready for that admission. I need her to trust me, but I understand her hesitance. What she doesn’t know is, as soon as James called, I reached out to Hayes and had him send me the address she put on her guest application. Then I paid her rent for the next six months, because I have no intentions on letting her go back to that shithole, but I also know she won’t give it up without a fight.
I was telling the truth about the job at Gravity, though. We do need a server that knows what they’re doing and I have no doubt she’ll do the job well. Having her there, with me, serves a dual purpose. It allows her to work and maintain some independence while also allowing me to keep a close eye on her, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s more for me or her. I don’t want her to resent me or feel like I’m holding her back. I also suspect there’s more to her work absence situation than she’s telling me, but keeping her close may help me get to the bottom of that.
“I’m just so used to handling everything on my own. It’s not easy.”
My girl has been taking care of others, mostly her mother, since she was a teenager, possibly longer than that. Certainly, at least as long as I’ve known her. All I want is to lighten the load, so she can breathe and enjoy her life a little.
“I know, beautiful. I know.” I slide over to her and place a hand on her thigh. “It’s time to let someone else help you carry the weight.”
“Fine,” she relents with a long exhale. “I’ll do it. Can we go get my car though? It would make me feel better if I had the ability to be mobile, and I’d like to go visit Wrinley soon, if that’s okay. I’ve texted with her since I ran into her at Gravity, but I miss her.
Fucking hell. I’ll give her whatever the fuck she wants as long as I have her under my roof. “You got it, sweet girl.” Her mouth parts at the pet name and I have to fight off my desire to stick my tongue in her mouth and kiss her senseless.
Glancing at her legs, I recall the image of them spread under the sheets in her room, while she brought herself to climax. It was a breathtaking sight and I wonder if she’d look the same if I was above her, driving my cock into that perfect cunt of hers. If I don’t stop this train of thought, I’ll be hard in no time, and there would be no hiding it. I need to hurry up and finish our talk before I embarrass myself.
“I know we’ve technically started this arrangement already, Arabella.” Every time I say the word arrangement, I want to kick myself in the balls. It’s like if I keep saying it, I’ll forget my raging hard-on and get back to business. “But you need to understand that staying here with me won't always be easy. I can be an overbearing asshole at times. You want to learn, I’m going to teach you, and test you but you will be doing it my way. I don’t have a Dominant side. I am a Dominant. All. The. Time. Are you still in?”
She nods while answering, “I really am, Sir.”