Secrets Shared (11 page)

“Let’s go.” David pushed his chair back and stood up to help her do the same thing. He held her elbow and escorted her out of the dining room, with just a short stop to thank Leon, and say they weren’t hungry. By the swiftly masked look on Leon’s face, Jess had the idea he’d mentally added ‘
well, not for food
’ onto David’s statement.

Jess hardly registered the walk back to David’s apartment. She’d been over aware of his hand resting on her butt, just above the cleft of her buttock, and could feel the heat, even through her jeans. Every nerve ending was on high alert, and she shuddered in the best possible way when one finger rubbed the skin under the hem of her top. That tiny touch had her clenching her pussy muscles to stop herself coming as she walked. That was something she would have said impossible until that moment.

“When I get you into my playroom, Jess, will you play? Or will you safe word out before we start? It’s not a room for the fainthearted, and although I promise not to go further than I think you can take, it won’t be a few taps and over session. I’ll push you and make you think—or not think as the case may be. You may hate me, never speak to me again, and God forbid, even try to pull the plug on the club.”

How dare he? She may not be at ease with everything he was telling her, but she wouldn’t be vindictive. “I wouldn’t do that,” Jess said, hurt more than she’d believed possible by his throwaway remark. “I might not be happy with what happens, but I won’t know until I try now, will I? Hell, you might not be happy either, who knows? But I wouldn’t spit my dummy out, or cry, ‘it’s a nasty place, shut it down’. Horses for courses, and all that. It’s just I don’t know what my course is yet.”

“I’m sorry,” David said, in a sincere voice. “That comment was crass and uncalled for. You see, Jess”—he keyed the security code into his door and they walked inside—“I’m unsure as well. What if I’m not the Dom for you? That would shatter me. I might have only known you for what, oh, a few hours, and never ever believed in that instant recognition stuff before, but I do now. And so, believe me, I’m scared, worried, shaking even, that I won’t be able to give you what you need. I’m certain you’re the one for me, but what if I’m not the one for you?”

I never thought of that.
On an impulse Jess stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead. Why there, she had no idea except it seemed symbolic. There again she had no idea what symbol.
Argh, I’m losing the plot here. Can we not just get on with it?
She realized David was waiting for her answer.

“Well, unless we try we’ll never know, will we…?” she said, and paused. “Sir.”

The long, level look he gave her made Jess squirm. It was one of deliberation and consideration, and it scared and excited her in equal measures.

He walked passed her to a door almost hidden in the wood paneling and busied himself with a keypad hidden under a flap of wood. Jess followed him with her eyes. For some reason she felt glued to the spot. He hadn’t told her not to move, so why did she feel it would be wrong to do so?

Jess wouldn’t have been surprised to see her blood pumping through her veins. Her heart was thumping so hard, she felt like a whole regatta was using her body as a training ground and their oars were working overtime to get them round the course. She knew this room was here, even if it had been no more than another storeroom in her childhood, but fear of the unknown changed everything. How would it have changed? Was it still one large, high-ceilinged, impersonal box? It was only then that Jess realized how she’d magnified her childhood terrors. Fear that came through a fire that had destroyed most of her home and had made an impressionable young girl wonder what magic powers certain areas held to be spared. Now she could see the silly games her imagination had played, but still, it was a giant step.

“Go inside. Take your clothes off and wait for me. If you need a robe until we start, there should be one in the closet. That’s in the anteroom before you go right inside. The playroom is where I’d like you to wait. I’ll be a few minutes. And Jess?”

She looked up at him and swallowed. One hundred percent Dom. The sight took her breath away and dried her mouth. He hadn’t changed his clothes, it was still David. However, somehow she knew his mindset was different, and he was focused in a way he hadn’t been earlier. It was no game. This was for real.

“Yes, Sir?”
Damn I’m sounding like a stuck record now.

“I’m proud of you.”

Jess knew it was make her mind up time.
I’ve got this far, I am
not
chickening out now.
She dipped her head in a silent thank you, walked past him and heard the door swing shut behind her. The old phrase, walk into my parlor said the spider to the fly, popped into her mind, and she stifled a nervous giggle. This was her choice, although the way she’d changed in the last few hours astounded her. What amazed her more was the way she wasn’t fazed by her choices. Maybe she had moved on more than she’d realized.
Or, maybe those books Kath kept sending to my Kindle worked their magic on me like she said they would.

The robe was hanging where David had said it would be, in the anteroom. Jess stared at it for a while and forced herself not to bite her lip. She looked at her surroundings. The tiny area must have been carved from the original room. Clean and impersonal apart from a canvas of muted greys and golds that struck a chord. To Jess it was a picture of hope. With a mental shrug, she unzipped her jeans and stepped out of them, before she hung them on a hanger in the closet. The robe mocked her as she pulled off David’s shirt and folded it onto a shelf, and added her shoes next to it. Did she need to hide?

Damn it, no. Just go for it
. She added her bra and sodden knickers, shut the closet door and walked briskly with a confidence she wasn’t entirely sure she had toward the other door in the room. She took a deep breath and rubbed her fingers across each other. Before she had time to change her mind and go back for the robe, Jess grabbed the door handle and turned it. Why had David asked her to go in alone?
So if I run screaming, he won’t see me freaking out? Oh for fuck’s sake, what’s with the graveyard humor? Whatever I see isn’t going to suddenly come to life and shout boo at me.
At least,
she hoped not.

She opened the door. Her pulse skittered as she walked in and let the door shut behind her. Dare she look around?
Come on, I’ve got this far. Looking doesn’t cost anything.
She took her time to glance around the room. Her clit clenched. Everything she saw was the stuff nightmares was made of—or dreams and satisfaction.

Was she going to stay?

Chapter Fourteen

David made sure that he had everything he needed and ticked five minutes off to allow Jess time to get ready for him.
Or have left.
He could only hope it wasn’t the latter scenario. With a wry smile, he went into his bedroom, and carefully stripped his jeans off. He didn’t want any accidents. Before his rock hard cock could give thanks for its release from confinement, he pulled a pair of soft as butter black leather trousers on. It might be stereotypical, but he reckoned he needed to set the scene, even if they did very little. David was prepared to take as much time as Jess needed as long as in the end, she was happy, contented and his sub. He picked up the two bottles of mineral water he’d taken from the fridge, grabbed a couple of towels and made his way into his playroom.

He almost dropped the water. Jess had knelt facing away from the door, on the soft mat next to the bed, and bent her head in the perfect position. Her back was straight and she rested on her legs in an elegant pose of submission. But it was her buttocks and lower back that held his attention. The perfection of her pearly skin was crisscrossed with a pattern of tiny scars. David felt his blood boil, and could only be glad her attacker was dead, or he himself would be getting ready to face a murder charge. It was up to him to erase the bad memories and replace them with good ones.

“Good girl.” Could she hear the emotion bubbling up? She didn’t want his pity. She wanted his dominance—maybe. His heartbeat increased and he squashed the excitement that could so easily be released. He needed to be in control.

“Thank you, Sir.” Her voice was soft. Not hesitant, not scared, but yes, he could almost believe it—submissive.

David put the water on a side table and dropped the towels next to them. He walked over to Jess and hunkered down behind her. She swallowed, but didn’t speak. He ran his hand down her spine and her soft skin rippled under his touch.

“Color, love?”

“Green, Sir.”

He’d hoped to hear that, else there was little point in carrying on. He let his hand scribe soft circles over her back for a few seconds, and deliberately covered the scar pattern in a series of tiny strokes, before he gently tugged on her hair. “How many spanks do I owe you?”

“Eh? Oh, um, five?” Her voice was almost slurred.

“At least, but that will do for a start. So as this is your first time with me, and the beginning of our relationship, I’m to go easy, eh?”

“Oh.” She sounded startled. “Yes, Sir.”

David held on to the handful of hair he’d snagged. “Upsadaisy.” The silly expression made her giggle as she stood. “Okay, love, I’m so proud. No don’t turn round. I’m trusting you. I won’t use the cross this time, or blindfold you, but I’m going to stretch you over the bench and swat you. It’ll be an exercise in restraint for both of us. Do you trust me to do what I think is best for you?”

She stirred, and shifted from foot to foot. David noticed her toenails were a pearly pink. “I th—” Even as he watched, Jess straightened her shoulders, and her hair rippled over her back. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl, remember your safe words, and believe me I’ll be right next to you all the time. And whether you like it or not, I’ve left Jeff a message with permission to check on us in an hour.”

“What?” her voice came out as a high-pitched squeak. “He’ll know what I’m doing.”

“He’s got a good idea anyway. I’m not noted for playing tiddlywinks. And what do you think he and Kath get up to? Mahjong?”

“Whist. See who takes the most tricks and all that.”

So she was still able to joke
. He hoped she would be in a like mind once they’d played.

“Well, love, shall we carry on? Go and stretch over the bench for me.” David made sure his tone had authority. It was difficult to judge the exact level of dominance needed in his voice, but so far, he seemed to have pitched it correctly. Jess walked gracefully to where the spanking bench was situated and leaned over it. Her hair fell forward and strands of it covered her face. David decided that for their first session it would provide a very effective blindfold.

“Spread, please.” He touched her ankles in turn with his toes to show her what he meant. Jess did as he asked, without, he hoped, any reluctance. He stroked her spine once more, and he reveled in the way it stretched in an elegant arc over the bench. Every nerve end was tingling with awareness and expectation. He hoped he did nothing to let them down.

“I’m going to explain every little thing, Jess. At all times I’ll make certain you’ll be aware of what we’re doing. First, I’ll shackle your ankles. Remember you can safe word me at any time.” He took hold of the soft Velcro ties that were fastened to the corners of the bench, and thanked his good fairy that he’d left them attached and not changed to the metal ones he also had for the bench. As Jess stretched each foot to rest against the leg of the bench he fastened them swiftly, and checked the bindings for comfort. A swift question regarding her status and the reassuring answer, gave him encouragement to move on to the next step. “And the hands. Believe me, this will be easier for you than having to keep yourself in this position without restraints.”

“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that, but I get it. I could run rather than safe word.”

David was pleased Jess understood.

“Exactly. Is that comfortable? Not too tight?”

She flexed her fingers and wriggled her toes. “I’d not use the word comfortable, I’m so not that, but nothing pinches or rubs.”

David gave into temptation and rubbed her bottom. She wriggled it, and did her best to push into his touch. “Eager, are we?”

“Yes, Sir, maybe. Oh dammit, David.” Jess burst out in a slightly irritated voice. “Just get on with it, will you. I’m doing it, aren’t I?”

She was getting bratty, and even if it was due to nerves and in private, David wasn’t going to accept that.

“Topping from the bottom, Jess? Add another ten swats.” He ignored her gasp, and walked the three steps to the chest of drawers that housed his collection of whips and floggers and chose one that he knew he could use to sting or thud.

The few experimental flicks he made with it in the air satisfied him. With each swish she flinched. The noise was perhaps more definite than the feeling she’d get, but David was well aware of the importance of psychology.

“Ready? Color?”

“Yes. Green, Sir.” Her words came out in short bursts and she breathed heavily. As he watched, she ran her fingers over her palms and gripped the wooden handles attached to the bench for that purpose. He was proud of the bench. Woodwork was a hobby and making the bench had been labor of love.

“Count. Fifteen in groups of five.” He brought the flogger down, mindful not to hit her in the middle of her scars.

“One.”

He changed to the other globe of her ass.

“Ahh, two…” she half sobbed. “Three, oh, sweet…oh, four, five.” Jess sniffed. “Oh my, oh, hell.”

“Color?” David was sure she wasn’t in pain per se, more the pain of pleasure. He rubbed her ass, where redness was already beginning to show.

“Green.” She sounded surprised he’d asked.

David didn’t wait. He brought the flogger down in a flick designed to sting. She arched into it with a scream and an “ah, yesss,” and continued to count.

“Fifteen… fift…” Her voice trailed off and she slumped over the bench. David put the flogger down on the floor and rubbed her now beautifully rosy ass.

“Ah so good, so good, love. I’m proud of you.” He undid her restraints and lifted her into his arms. It had been a very short session, but David had no intention of pushing too hard. There was so much he thought they could achieve, and he wasn’t going to rush.