Desired and Dominated (18 page)

She is a vision of beauty in the center of the bed, but she’s restless and unsettled.

I’m reluctant to wake her in case it makes the nightmare she is obviously having, any worse. Instead, I make my way over and slowly sit on the edge of the bed beside her. I can’t make out what she’s saying, it’s too jumbled and frantic, so I gently reach out and stroke her hair, hoping that it will calm her down. She reacts to my touch almost immediately. Within minutes and without waking, her body relaxes, her rambling stops, and her breathing evens out. It’s only then that I realize I was holding my breath. I take a moment to relax, rolling my shoulders to relieve the tension, before kicking off my shoes and lying down beside her. For someone so small, she manages to take up a lot of space in a king size bed! I find myself balancing on the edge, certain that I’m going to fall on my ass at some point during the night, but I don’t want to leave her here alone. I can’t.

I lie on my side, staring at her for the longest time, wondering what terrorizes her in her sleep. I think about how much pain she must be in both physically and emotionally right now with her injury; the crutches by the side of the bed, a devastating sight. My mind is racing with thoughts of our time together, and the last time I saw her. I still don’t know how she found out about me, or exactly what she knows. Her texts hinted that she runs in the same circles as me, but if that was the case…I just can’t believe that she is a Dominatrix or even a submissive, and I’ve never seen her in the clubs. I would have figured it out.

Then it hits me – what if she’s a Dominatrix? Surely not. She is so submissive with me, but she is strong and assertive. She was the one that pushed in Verona. Maybe she was giving me what she thought I wanted. If she is, then we are even more incompatible than I thought. I need to believe that isn’t the case. I told her we can never be together, but the moment she said those words, when she called me Master, I let a small part of myself hope.

I have talked myself out of being with her for so many reasons, so many times. She’s Simon’s sister, and it’s taken me a long time to regain his trust after last year. He’s never going to accept me as the guy for her. I still believe that she is too sweet and innocent to be open to what I have to offer. I know that what I do isn’t wrong, but I know that I’m not good enough for her. I can’t be everything that she needs, but ever since the airport, I keep coming back to the same thought, over and over again, until it drives me crazy.

I crave her with every fiber of my being, and if there is even a chance that she is a submissive, then I
will
make her mine at any cost.

Consequences be damned.

The thought of her with any man makes my blood boil, but with another Dom, that makes me feel downright homicidal. I feel so conflicted that it’s a physical pain in my body. I throw my hand up over my face, lying flat on my back as I struggle with the images that plague my mind. I must have disturbed Sofia, because she moves towards me, her arm sliding across my abs as her head finds that spot between my chest and my arm where she fits perfectly, as if she was made for me; the missing piece. I slide my arm around her, pulling her closer. If I were exercising complete control, like I told myself I should, I would extricate myself and go to the guest bedroom, but it feels so fucking good to have her in my arms. I’m selfish and greedy for anything and everything I can get when it comes to her.

I don’t know if she’s awake or sleeping, but she murmurs my name as her body settles against mine and I love the way it sounds. I let all the shit that’s going around and around in my head just fade away. I savor this moment, this girl that I am lying next to, and I let myself drift into a deep and contented sleep with her nestled at my side.

“Nate…Nate…” I can hear Sofia’s voice whispering in my ear as I wake, and without opening my eyes I know it’s morning. The sun is streaming in through the curtains as I open my eyes and find her staring back at me. “Hey, stalker. What do you think you’re playing at creeping into my bedroom and sleeping with me? I thought you were all about the distance.” She has the cutest smirk on her face as she says it. Playful and sexy in one look. I don’t know how she pulls it off, but I love it.

“I was...I am. You confuse me. I can’t think straight when I’m around you. I only came in to check on you last night and, well, you can see that it didn’t quite work out that way.” I’m painfully aware of the morning situation going on in my pants, as is Sofia. I quickly adjust myself and put some distance between us. The smile on her face fades, and I desperately want to fix it. “How about I make us some breakfast? What’s your favorite?” That distracts her.

“Mmmmm. Pancakes with fresh cream and blueberries on top, but I rarely have them. Too many calories to burn off.”

“There isn’t an ounce of fat anywhere on your body. I think we can make an exception this one time, don’t you?”

“Well…I shouldn’t. I won’t be able to dance it off later. Or any time soon.” The pain that I see flash in her eyes is soul destroying. “Fuck it! Let’s go to IHOP.” She attempts to get out of bed, but I can tell she’s in agony.

“Get back in bed. You’re not going anywhere. I’m going to
make
you pancakes, and they are going to be much better than anything you’d get at IHOP. Trust me!”

“I do.” Those two words, and the sultry tone of her voice, slays me.

“I’m going to go to the store and get what I need. Is there anything else you would like while I’m out?” She shakes her head, reaching for the tablets and water on her nightstand. “How often do you need to take those?”

“Every six hours, at least for a few days and then I can take them less often I hope. I hate taking tablets. They make me gag.” I can’t help the small grin that is on my lips. “Why are you smiling? You like that I’m in pain?”

“No. God no. I
hate
that you’re in pain. I was just making a mental note that you have an active gag reflex!”

She sprays water all over the bed as she laughs. “What the hell, Nate? You can’t just say stuff like that! I don’t know where I am with you from one minute to the next.”

I hang my head in shame, knowing that she’s right. I’ve given her so many mixed signals it’s ridiculous. “I need to go and make you something to eat if you have those tablets in your stomach. We’ll talk properly later. Do NOT get up, or try to do anything while I’m gone. Understand?”

“Yes, Sir.” She gives me a mocking salute as I leave the room. How does she do that? She can be so real and raw and vulnerable in one moment, and then making fun of me and joking the next. And she says I make
her
head spin!

I go to the closest store I can find, grab what I need, and while I’m at the counter waiting to pay, I remember that she loves Milk Duds, so I throw three boxes in the basket, hoping they’ll make her smile.

When I get back to the apartment it doesn’t take me long to whip up a batch of pancakes and get everything else ready, just the way she wants it. I head to her room to tell her that breakfast is ready when I hear cursing in the bathroom.

“Shit! Vafanculo!!” [
What the fuck!!
]

“Are you okay in there?”

“No I’m NOT okay!! I can’t even get in the damn shower.”

“Open the door.” I hear the small click and her face appears with tears in her eyes.

“I hate this. I hate not being able to do things. I…”

I pull her into my arms and hold her tight as she breaks down. “It’s okay. It’s only been a few days. I’m here to help now, and soon you won’t need me for anything and you’ll be back training in no time. But for now, can I get you fed and then we’ll worry about getting you clean?”

“Okay.” It’s barely a whisper.

I scoop her up into my arms, careful not to hurt her ankle in the process, and carry her through onto the sofa in the living room. “I’ll bring it over.”

“I can sit at the table.”

“Humor me. I want you as comfortable as possible, and you need to keep your ankle elevated.”

“God! You’re as bad as Simon. If I wanted to be fussed over, I would have called my family.”

“If you wanted to be left alone, you wouldn’t have told me, so just get over it and let me help you.”

We eat in companionable silence, but as soon as she finishes her last bite, she’s questioning me.

“Thank you for that. They were yummy, and you were right, they were better than IHOP. I’d love to find out where you learned to cook like that, but I’m too impatient, and I want to know why you’re here.”

“You need help.”

“Ok Professor Obvious, but you could have called Simon or my mom and told them what’s going on. Why are
you
here?”

I scrub my hand over my face, two days of stubble scratching at my palms as I try to come up with an answer. “You asked me not to tell them, and I wasn’t going to let you stay here alone, so here I am. You’re my best friend’s sister, and I’ve known you forever. If something happened to you and I could have prevented it, I would never forgive myself.”

“Wow! You’re really playing the ‘best friend’s little sister’ card right now?”

“It’s not a card. It’s a fact.”

“One of which I’m painfully aware.” She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, unable to get up and walk away from me. “Well, you’ve done your duty, I’m not going to starve to death. You can go. I’m not a charity case, and I don’t need your pity.”

I grab her face in my hands. “This isn’t goddamn charity, or pity. You already know the answer, so spare me the dramatics.”

“Do I? I don’t know which way is up with you. I’m a friend, I’m your friend’s sister, and then I’m sprawled on a table with your cock in my mouth. You want me, you don’t want me. You love me, but you want to stay away from me. You kiss me in the airport and then you freak out when you realize I know about you. Now you’re here, apparently against your will, but I woke up with you in my bed this morning. What the hell is going on, Nate?”

Hearing it coming from her, I sound like even more of an asshole than I already feel. I let her go and slump back on the couch.

“I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t want your apologies. I want an explanation. It’s driving me nuts.”

“Okay, okay. First, you wanted to have a shower. How about I run you a bath so you don’t have to put any weight on your ankle, and then we can continue this conversation?”

She throws her head back and covers her face with her arm. “This is exactly what I’m talking about! Are you going to run me a bath, help me, completely naked, into the bath, and then act like there is nothing between us? I don't generally go around letting guys see me naked, and letting them get me off, when we’re ‘just friends’.”

“Stop. I told you we will continue this, after. Don’t make me repeat myself.” My tone leaves no room for question, or a smartass reply. I lift her into my arms and stride down the hallway and into the bathroom, where I set her down on the countertop. She pouts as I start the water running and pour some bubble bath into the stream, but when I turn around, she’s not playing fair.

I watch, mesmerized, as she pulls her t-shirt over her head, and discards it. Next she tugs at her pajama bottoms, shimmying her butt on the counter until she gets them loose and lets them drop to the floor. She is completely naked, except for the bandage around her ankle, and I’m fighting every urge in my body right now, but I can’t ignore the tight, uncomfortable feeling in my pants as my dick strains against the denim. She looks incredible; every inch of her body is perfection. You can tell she’s a dancer, a vessel that moves with effortless grace as the music flows through her.

I don’t say a word. I simply walk over to her, lift her foot and place it gently against my chest, caressing her slender calves as I slowly and carefully remove the bandage. Her skin is bruised and swollen, and I can see that even this small movement is painful for her. Holding her foot for a moment, I’m aware that she can feel how fast my heart is beating under her toes.

I carry her over to the tub, her arms holding tight around my neck as I try not to react to the exquisite feel of her naked body under my fingertips. She scents me as I lower her into the water, our eyes locking as we acknowledge the current passing between us; flowing from her skin, to mine. I place a chaste kiss on her forehead before I let her go, sitting with my back against the tub, my arms resting on my knees and my head resting on edge of the bath.