A Real Page Turner (3 page)

“Shop?”

“I own a used book store.” She cleared her throat. “And you?”

“I don’t,” he responded with a wicked smile. April couldn’t help but laugh.

“Then what do you do?” April’s gaze darted to the door as it opened. A sub dressed in a corset and nothing else came in with a tray. There were two drinks on it. April took her soda after Titan had been served his.

The woman left without saying a word. When she was gone, Titan said, “I spank women. I do other things to make a living, of course, but my main passion is reddening a woman’s ass, a woman that likes it. And you like it, April.”

“Yes,” she confirmed. April had long since come to terms with her need for spanking. She didn’t care if people thought she was weird. She didn’t shout it from the rooftops, or announce it at family reunions, but she didn’t deny it, either.

“And you and Tom have never had sex.” She watched Titan take a pull from his drink.

“No.” She followed his lead and took a drink from her glass.

“Not even a blowjob after a particularly rousing ass whipping?”

“No.” She took another sip.

“That’s surprising.”  Titan stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. “Has he even spanked your pussy?”

“No.” She took yet another drink. “We kept things…”

“Ass spanking only?” he finished with a chuckle.

“Yes.” April kept her gaze on the door. She didn’t want him to see that the thought of him spanking her pussy was very tantalizing.

“Pity.” He got up, his drink in one hand, the crop, that had been resting on the floor, in the other. For a minute, April tensed. She breathed a little sigh of relief when he walked to the cabinet where the toys were kept. He pulled it open with the hand that held the crop.

After he put the implement away, he crossed back to the couch and sat down. “Something tells me you’d enjoy it.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” she shot back.

“Oh, but I do.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I know you’re the type of woman that needs to be dominated, sexually, but you’re afraid to let go totally, so you give in to one urge, but you have to control where it goes. You have to set the time, and the place, and when someone tries to take it further, you turn them down.”

April didn’t say anything, because Titan was right. She’d never thought about it that way because nobody had ever called her on it. Tom had been content to just let her set up appointments and turn him down in other areas.

Was that why Titan was here now? Had Tom realized, after six months, that she wasn’t going to respond to what he wanted, and decided to call in a pinch hitter, so to speak?

“Do you guys tag-team often?” she asked before she could think about it.

Titan’s laugh was genuine. “No, we don’t. Although we do discuss some of the subs that come in here, and whether or not we think one or the other of us might be better suited for a given situation.”

“Nicely put.” April actually relaxed against the back of the sofa.

“Believe it or not, April, Tom did have something come up that he couldn’t get away from. I think he was going to enjoy spanking your ass. I repeat my offer for you to call Misty. She might be able to make you feel better about things.”

“No.” April twirled her drink in her hands. “If I let you spank me, will the same rules apply that do when Tom takes me over his knee?”

“No.”

April wanted to express her outrage, but somehow she’d been expecting that answer. “Why not?”

“Because, taking a woman over my knee makes me hard. The first few times I might take a hand job from you. After that, I’ll want a blowjob, or more.”

“At least you’re honest.”

There was that sexy grin again. “Honesty is the best. It goes hand in hand with communication, April. If you don’t talk about what the two of you want, then you won’t know what you can do for each other. Doms have needs, just likes subs. You like to have your ass spanked. I like to spank a woman. But I also like to see her on her knees, begging to suck my dick.”

A shiver ran though April, and there was no mistaking it; his words didn’t piss her off, they excited her.

He was more dominant than Tom, who had accepted her rule of no sex without much of a fight. Tom had never affected her like Titan was doing right now.

“Are you wet, April? And be honest with me.”

“Yes.” She squirmed just a little.

“How long has it been since you’ve been screwed by anything that didn’t require batteries?”

“A long time,” she said softly. What the hell was happening? Why was she still sitting here?

Because you want it, a voice in her head replied. You don’t have to have sex with him tonight. Just let him spank you!

“Would you like to come over my knee now?” His voice was soft, the offer gentle.

“Yes.” Instead of doing that, she got up and started to pace. Quit being a baby, her inner voice said. He had the video from Tom, and you trust Tom.

She turned to Titan. “Fine. Spank me.”

“Excellent,” he pronounced. “Come over my knee.”

“Not so fast.”

The grin was gone from Titan’s face. “I don’t like to have my commands ignored.” He was glaring at her now.

“What are you going to spank me with? You put the crop up.”

“Shall we get it back out?”

“No,” she said quickly. “It’s too soon for that.”

“Don’t try to control the situation, April. You need to come over my knee and let me decide what happens from there.”

“But…”

‘There are no buts,” he said forcefully. “Do as I say.”

The arousal she’d felt earlier gained steam. If Tom had talked to her like this at first, she was pretty sure they’d be in a relationship right now. Instead he’d let her rule things, and turn things down.

April crossed the room, she stopped in front of him, her heart racing.

“What are you waiting for?”

“I don’t know.” That answer was truthful. She took a deep breath, gathered her skirt in her hands and lifted it up above her hips. “May I leave my panties on?”

“For now.” His eyes narrowed a little and it made him seem more dangerous, and sexier. “But if you make me wait much longer, you will be naked.”

April lowered herself onto his lap. His thighs were muscular, and pressed against her. She braced her hands against the sofa.

Titan lifted the skirt even more, exposing her bottom. He rubbed his hand against her satin-clad ass, and April shivered. “Tom tells me you get very wet when you get spanked. That’s why I’m surprised you never had sex with him.”

He pinched her ass, and April jumped. She also moaned, and he chuckled just a little. “Tom has neglected you. He should have pushed you, April. From what I’ve seen, you desperately need someone to do that.”

Titan smacked his hand against her ass, and April moaned again. Then she said, “That’s one.”

“Are you complaining about the low number?”

“Tom always wanted me to count.”

“I’m not Tom,” he responded as he slapped her ass a second time. “I don’t define spankings by the number of swats you get.  When I think your ass is red enough, I’ll stop.”

A third swat. April felt her toes curl in pleasure. A fourth one made her wiggle her ass. A fifth one made her gasp. It was so good; she wanted to scream, ‘More, give me more.’

Despite his telling her not to count, April did so. Titan had smacked her ass fifteen times before April realized that he’d stopped. She had enjoyed the way his large hand had firmly landed on her ass, and she was shocked when he didn’t continue.

“Tell me, April, are you disappointed that you gave in to me? That you let me redden your ass?”

“No, Sir.” She swallowed. “I’m disappointed that you stopped, though.”

He chuckled. “Someone wants a very sore bottom, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, Sir.” April wiggled her ass. “Please, Sir?”

“Tom didn’t tell me you were such a naughty little girl. He did tell me that, of all the women he’s spanked in his life, he thinks you enjoyed it the most.” Titan rubbed his hand over her ass.

“Oh, yes,” she said. “Please, Sir, spank me some more.”

“It’s amazing how quickly you went from walking out the door to please, spank me more. Are you sure you want more, April?”

“Yes, Titan, I want more.” She swallowed, hoping she didn’t sound too needy when she continued, “Spank my ass until I can’t sit down in the morning.”

This time he didn’t chuckle. He just said, “So be it.”

There was a slight pause, and then Titan started slapping her ass again.  Soon, April’s ass was on fire… and she loved it. Was it her imagination, or was there more oomph behind Titan’s slaps than Tom’s? Or was it just the thrill of doing something new? No, that couldn’t be, because April didn’t like new things.

She was so into the incredible sensations spreading through her belly that she’d forgotten to count. Where were they at now? Twenty? Thirty? How many had come during the warm up?

Did it really matter? Tom had always been focused on how many swats he delivered. Titan seemed to care more about the intensity, the force behind the slaps, from ones that were very light, to ones that made her jump and cry out, “Ouch!”

She counted six ouches before Titan delivered a slap on her right thigh, which changed the ouch to, “Oh crap!” She tried to stand up, but he held her in place, and laid down another slap in the exact same spot. Little bolts of lightning shot up her thigh, straight to her clit. April groaned, holding back the need to ask him for another, and another.

No spanking she’d ever received had felt this good. If she was aroused when Tom spanked her, what would she call what was happening inside her now? Whatever it was, April didn’t want it to stop. She wanted to feel this way for the rest of her life.

She tried once again to stand.

“Did I say you could get up?” His deep voice added to the need she felt.

“No, Sir.”

“You need to learn to submit,” he said harshly. “You can’t be in control and expect to be spanked soundly.”

“I’m not into—”

Her objection flew out the window as he interrupted her with a sharp, “Stand up!”

April hurried off his lap. Her skirt fell down around her thighs. Her hands were shaking and her knees were like jelly. He pushed himself up and pointed to the place he’d just vacated.

“Kneel.”

April’s stomach summersaulted. She loved this position. She put her knees on the edge of the couch and grasped the wooden back. A small moan escaped her lips as she felt the material of her dress lift over her ass one more time. Titan caressed her panty-clad bottom.

“Next time your ass will be bare.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

He chuckled, and it sounded sinister. Why did she like the sound of it so much? “You won’t be thanking me after this; or maybe you will. We’ll see.”

April heard the sound of his shoes on the hard wood floor as he moved away from her. She tightened her grip on the couch, wondering what was happening next. There was a rustling noise, as if he’d opened the door of the cabinet where the toys were kept.

Would the spanking continue? She certainly hoped so. But what was he doing? Getting the crop? She wasn’t ready for that, not by a long shot.

Or was she? She thought of Misty, who told her that it was great fun to throw caution to the wind and allow
herself to play with total strangers. April had always said she’d never do anything like that. But yet here she was, doing exactly that right now.

And she loved every second of it. She wanted to slap herself for being so rigid before, for not letting go and experiencing new things.

Titan stood in front of her now. He was maybe two feet back from the couch, and from this position she had a good view of his crotch. She would love to stick out her tongue and run it up and down the length she could see pressing against the denim he wore.

After a good perusal of that region, her gaze moved to his hand, which clasped a large wooden hairbrush.

Oh yes, she thought. It’s not over.

“You want this, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sir.” There was no sense in lying about it.

“You can’t have it. Not yet, anyway.”

“Sir?” April looked up at him. “Please?”

“No.” He tossed it over the back of the couch. It landed on the cushion next to where April knelt before it clattered to the floor. She turned to look at it, only to turn back when Titan yelled at her to keep her head turned toward him.

There was a pregnant pause. Finally, he said, “Do you want to know why?”

“Yes.”

She looked up at him. He was staring down, studying her intently. “Tell me why you think I’m not going to continue spanking you, April.”

“I honestly don’t know.” She ran a shaky hand through her hair.

“You must have some idea.”

April thought for a moment. Finally, she said, “Because you want to leave me wanting more?”

“Partly.” He put his hands on either side of hers and bent so that his face was close. “We didn’t exactly do this the way it should be done. We should have talked more, set up a safe word, gotten to know each other a little better. There is something to be said for one-time events, but this is not one of them. You won’t meet with Tom anymore. You will meet with me.”

His pronouncement should have pissed her off. Instead, it brought a smile to her face. “Yes, Sir.”

He leaned even closer. “The next time you see me will be Friday evening, this room, ten pm. You may not play with your pussy between now and then. You may not have an orgasm in any way, through any means. You may not slap a hairbrush against your ass, and before you ask, yes, I had a sub that did that when I wasn’t around. Am I clear on this?”

“Yes, Sir.” Damn, she wished she’d thought of the hairbrush thing. It would have saved her some cover charge money. But then again, she doubted a do-it-yourself spanking delivered the same sensations that getting one from a man did.

“Now, go home and think about Friday night, because I will be busting your bare ass. With any luck, you won’t be able to sit down for a week.”

April couldn’t stop the huge grin that spread across her face.

***

“OMG, are you kidding me?” April held the phone away from her ear, sure that the few customers in the store had heard Misty’s explosion after April had told her about her experience with Titan the night before. She’d called her friend after she’d returned home, but she’d had to leave a voice mail.

Leave it to Misty to call while the shop was open, and there were people inside. Her friend had perfect timing, and, as she didn’t believe in cussing, thought using text speak kept her from using words she didn’t think were appropriate.

“Misty, lower your voice,” April said. She looked around. There were four people in the store, three women and a man. The man, amazingly enough, was browsing through the romance novels. Two ladies were in the mystery section, the other one in the biographies.

“The Titan!” Misty exclaimed. “I still have dreams about the time he busted my ass. It was so sweet. But what happened to Tom?”

April explained how Titan had shown up when she’d expected Tom. “And I’m seeing him again Friday night.”

Once again, April held the phone out as her friend squealed. “Are you kidding me? OMG double! I am so jealous! Do you think if I came along he’d spank both of us?”

“No,” April said forcefully. “Find your own.”

“He’s the best, you know. I wish I could have hooked up with him when I had the chance. But he’s notorious for not wanting a commitment. He just tops women and then, according to them, leaves them the better for it.”

April wasn’t sure she liked to hear that. After coming home last night, she’d had visions of letting herself submit to Titan in more ways than just spanking, and those visions included sex.
Lots of sex.

“How was it?” Misty asked.

“Short, but incredible,” April answered. “I hadn’t even planned on doing anything. But… I… I gotta go.”

Her friend responded, “Call later,” and the phone went dead.

April put the handset on the cradle and smiled at the man standing at the counter. “What can I help you find?”

“Regency romance novels,” he said, blushing. He was handsome, in his thirties with dark blond hair. “They’re for my mother. She’s in a nursing home and needs some entertainment.”

“Large print?” April indicated a section to the left.

“No,” he answered quickly. “Her eyes are just fine. I had hoped for newer books, maybe things that came in during the last week or so?”

April frowned. She had two boxes of Regency romance novels that Virginia had brought in last week. April had meant to put them out, but so far she hadn’t had the time. She had shelved, and already sold, the mystery books her friend had brought in.

Thinking of Virginia reminded April that the younger woman hadn’t called her back about the trade amounts. She needed to get hold of her today, before Virginia thought April was trying to rip her off.

“I have some newer ones, on the new release shelf near the door. Do you know what authors your mother likes?”

“I didn’t ask,” he said. He grabbed one of the books on the shelf. “Are these the new ones?”

“Those just came in within the last few weeks, yes.” April watched as he gathered up all the Regency books.

“I’ll take them all.”

“Great.” She smiled. “Would you like to trade something? We can set up an account for you.”

“No, cash is fine.” They exchanged green for books, and April bagged his purchases.

“When your mom is done, bring them back and we can trade them off. I have new books coming in every day.” Well, mostly every day, she amended in her mind.

“Will do. Thank you, April.” He headed out the door and April frowned. She hadn’t remembered telling her his name.

After everyone had left, April checked the shelves to make sure things were still in order. When that was done, she pushed a few buttons on the computer and called up Virginia’s file. As she dialed her friend’s number, she wondered why Virginia hadn’t returned the first call. The phone rang four times, and the voice mail kicked in; after the beep, April left a message. “Hey Virginia, it’s April again. I wanted to talk about those books you brought in. Please give me a holler at the store. I hope everything’s okay. Call me.” She left the store number, and as an afterthought she tacked on her cell phone number.

When she was done with that, she checked the register. All in all, it had been a good day, so far anyway. The store still had a few hours left to go, and she hoped she would have a few more sales, and trades, before the end of the day.

But that didn’t happen. The next few hours were pretty dull, and when the door finally opened, at ten minutes to five, April wanted to scream for joy. Two men in dress clothes came in, and her heart sank. They didn’t look like book readers. Hopefully they weren’t stopping by the strip mall to ask for directions.

She bit back a giggle. Men never ask for directions. “May I help you gentlemen?”

“April Johnstone?”

“Yes,” she confirmed cautiously.

“I’m Det. Steve Rogers with the Denver PD, and this is my partner Det. James Threadway. We’d like to talk to you about Virginia Midland.”

April’s blood turned cold. She read enough mystery novels to know that detectives didn’t show up for minor cases. They were dispatched, mostly anyway, in cases of death.

“Yes,” she said, keeping her voice even.

“Did you know Ms. Midland?”

There it was, the past tense word that told April why Virginia hadn’t called her back. “I know Virginia, yes. She’s a customer, and a friend. Not a hang out friend, but we talk when she’s in here.”

“You called her this afternoon,” Threadway said.

“Yes. She brought in some books to trade and I haven’t seen her since then.”

“When was she in here?” Threadway asked.

“Last week. I know that because I saw her at the club the previous Tuesday night and—”

“Club?” Rogers interrupted.

“Um, no, she brought in books recently, to trade.” April cleared her throat. “What is this about?”

“Ms. Johnstone, we hate to tell you this, but Ms. Midland is dead. She was found in her house this morning after a mailman became concerned about mail piling up in her box. She’s been dead for several days. When was the last time you talked to her?”

April’s hands started to shake. She grasped the counter in an effort to steady her wobbly knees. “Um, I need… to sit.”

The two detectives moved quickly. Rogers grabbed her arm, and Threadway grabbed one of two chairs April kept behind the counter. It was as if air was making its way into her nose, but not finding its way into her lungs.

April started breathing in through her mouth, trying desperately to catch her breath. One of the men was rubbing her back, telling her to try and calm her breathing before she hyperventilated. His voice was like a buzzing noise in her head.

This couldn’t be happening. The beautiful blonde whom April had just seen at Charlie’s, who was excited about the possibility of a new Dom, was dead. She’d just been in the shop. This just couldn’t be possible.

“Are you sure you have the right person?”

“Yes,” one of them said.

April straightened and looked between the two. She couldn’t remember which was which.

“You and Ms. Midland were good friends?”

April looked at the one who spoke. “Well, detective, um…”