Surreal (Divine Trilogy #3) (10 page)

A few days after they’d gotten back from Corpus Christi, Natalie had ended up revealing to Erin that she had an older sister. It turned out that Nina had been away at college when things had gone sour between Natalie and her parents, which had led to her being kicked out. It took Jayden and Erin several days to convince Natalie that she needed to reach out to her sister. Nina had been beside herself to hear from her baby sister at last, explaining that by the time she’d found out what their parents had done, Natalie was nowhere to be found. Nina was now married and living in Denver.

Natalie’s withdrawn behavior over the holiday had continued to disturb Jayden, so when he’d learned of Nina, he’d insisted on buying a plane ticket for Natalie as a belated Christmas gift. He hoped a few days free from worrying about the reality of her situation would be good for her. Who knew? Maybe Nina would be in a position to help Natalie. The girl needed family. Dr. Ellison also encouraged the excursion before she got much farther into the pregnancy and it became risky for health reasons—in addition to going before Natty’s increasing size made travel miserable. So, for the first time in what seemed like months, Jayden and Erin had the house to themselves.

Surprise over how fast Natalie’s body was changing had Jayden’s thoughts wandering more frequently to having that talk with Erin about whether they should pursue having children of their own someday. There were so many factors to be considered. First and foremost, he needed to ascertain his jewel’s readiness to take on the topic.
Should he get her hopes up? What if she wanted to be a mom with all of her heart and it couldn’t happen? Was he too old to be a dad? If she was able to give him children, would they be able to maintain both sides of their Lifestyle?

Upon their return from their Christmas vacation, the dental office Erin had been temping for hired her full-time. No longer able to have her swing by the office for a quickie, he wasn’t seeing her as often.

A baby would just add to that distance, wouldn’t it?

He would’ve preferred that she go back to school and finish her degree rather than work, but Jayden couldn’t deny she was happy. That’s what mattered. She had agreed to enroll in one online course per term so that some progress toward her diploma would be made, since Spencer had prevented her from getting it the first time around.

Again, how would a baby fit into her, their, burgeoning plans?

Her main concession to him had been allowing Micah to drive her to and from work, not that he’d given her much choice. Caveman-like, Jayden had played the Dom card by reminding her of his responsibility for her comfort and safety. To him, that safety meant knowing she wasn’t using public transportation alone since she didn’t want to get her driver’s license. Because they rode together, there was a small bonus of a few precious extra minutes on the morning commute. However, his workday ended later than hers, so he was always the last one home.

Home.

He had never considered the surrounding brick and mortar as anything more than just that—building materials. Erin’s permanent presence had changed his outlook. Her arrival had breathed life and hopeful expectations for the future into the place. Even Natalie was beginning to make her mark.

Arriving at the Villa, weary after a long day at work, Jayden parked the Wraith. Due to a late meeting, he’d driven himself that morning. At least it’d been a successful day. He’d finalized the details for Erin’s birthday surprise next month while handling some overseas business. Now all he wanted to do was get some food in his stomach and his girl in his arms.

Entering the foyer, he paused at the absolute quiet of the house. There was no music from the sound system, accompanied by absent-minded singing in the kitchen while dinner was prepared. No sounds came from upstairs to indicate she might’ve opted for a quick shower, either. Concern bubbled in his chest, tightening it.

Why wasn’t she home yet?

Jayden dropped his briefcase under the hall table, tossed his keys in the collection plate, and strode toward the garage while digging his cell phone out. If the Towne Car wasn’t there, he was calling her, but it was, so Micah had to have brought her home. Spinning around, he retraced his steps back to the kitchen.

Everything was neat and tidy, and the dishwasher running.
So where was Erin?
Pivoting, he noticed a piece of paper on the refrigerator and moved closer to read it. Jayden grinned at what he saw—Erin’s pretty handwriting inviting him to join her in the hot tub.

The woman was amazing, never failing to know just what he needed. Wanting to show her what she meant to him, he rushed upstairs to get out of his suit.

Jayden found her in the hot tub, naked, just like he’d hoped. Her head was against the edge, red tresses a deep scarlet where the tips had caught in the whirlpool of the tub, and eyes closed while she rocked her head to the music playing in her ears. Her pierced nipples floated on the water with the buoyancy of her breasts. Exquisite, and so delicious looking.

He’d been able to get in the water and to halfway close the distance between them before he bumped her foot and her eyes flew open. Bright emeralds flashed at him while her lips turned up in a pleased smile.

“Jayden,” she crooned, yanking the buds from her ears and lifting herself out of the water to get to him faster. The water sluiced down her tits, and he licked his lips, bringing a delightful giggle from her. “Did you have a hard day, baby?”

At his nod, she moved into his arms and pressed her hot body against his cool one. Unlike her, he hadn’t been simmering in the steaming water. Their lips found each other, seeking out a re-acquaintance like they hadn’t been entwined just nine hours earlier.

It didn’t take long for their hands to join in, moving and sliding across each other’s flesh. The moment Jayden confirmed that she was slick and ready for him, he lifted her up, then lowered her body onto his cock. Moaning at the sensation, their mouths ripped apart for air, and he began to move deep within her.

Together they rocked, working toward the common goal of their release, yet not caring if they achieved it. To be locked together that way was more than enough for the couple. As one, they reconnected, and their love strengthened. Their final moment of blissful release came after changing positions. Jayden sat on the wraparound bench while Erin mounted him, reverse cowgirl style.
So what if the surrounding deck was soaked from all the water they’d splashed out?

Sated and drowsy, Erin leaned back against his chest while the bubbles frothed and popped around them. His softening cock was still buried inside her, and he was content to let it stay while they recovered from their impromptu ravaging of each other.

“We should probably think about getting out, Erin. You’re going to get all pruney.” His finger sought her side and poked her, making her squeal and wiggle so that his cock slipped out of her.

With a groan, she rolled off his lap, sloshing more water out of the tub. Turning, she darted in to peck his lips, then climbed out with Jayden right behind her. She started shivering. The water had been hot, but the early January temperature outside, not so much.

Laughing and scrambling to dry off, the lovers rushed back inside. Upstairs, they elected to pull on some comfy pajamas and have a movie night on the couch.

Jayden put in a call to Micah to see if he’d run up the road to the deli café and pick up some dinner for them, but the phone went unanswered. Then he remembered it was now Micah’s official day off, along with weekends. Sharing his personal assistant with Shawn was taking some getting used to.

“It’s Tuesday, Jayden,” Erin scolded, catching on to what he was trying to do when she came into the room. “Let the poor boy have some space to get acquainted with his Dom.” She laughed, the sound warming his insides.

“But I’m hungry and we just got our PJs on—”

“So,” she cut him off, “doesn’t change the day. You go get the movie going, and I’ll whip up something for us to eat.” After a kiss on his pouty lips, she disappeared into the other room, and Jayden began looking over the selection of Blu-rays.

Erin didn’t have to think too hard to come up with a meal plan. She’d taken on the task of the shopping and cooking, and therefore knew what was in her cupboards.
My cupboards
, she thought. The idea was still new enough that she felt giddy anytime she let herself dwell on it.

Happiness saturated her whole being while she moved about the kitchen, throwing together some chicken quesadillas and a mixture of salsa, sour cream, and cheese for a dip. When the food was ready, she loaded it, along with some sodas, onto a carrying tray and went to the den.

“What are we watching?” She set the tray on the coffee table.

Jayden held up the case for
Zombieland
. “That smells fantastic, whatever it is.”

She let out a playful groan. “Again? Don’t you have it memorized yet?”

Jayden gave her a smile, and it went all the way up to his deep brown eyes. “I have, yes, but you haven’t,” he teased then pressed play.

They dug into the cheesy-chicken goodness, Jayden first complimenting the way she’d gotten the tortillas to crisp to a golden brown color, then giving porn stars a run for their money with the sounds he made after tasting it slathered in dip. Taking turns, they recited the movie lines, cuddled and shared sweet kisses, and laughed about rules and Twinkies. All around, it was a fun evening.

It wasn’t until later, while rinsing up the few dishes she’d dirtied making their dinner that something dawned on Erin. While she’d learned a fair bit about her fiancé since first meeting him, even a lot about his childhood thanks to chats with Jillian, Erin didn’t know how he’d gotten into the Lifestyle.
How could she not know such a vital piece of who he was, when she would be taking such a major step as marriage with him?

Erin and Jayden made their way through the house in silence, checking locks, setting the alarm, and turning off the lights. With no awkwardness, they shared the large bathroom while they got ready for bed. The whole time, Erin’s brain was working to figure out a way to ask him about his past. In the end, she waited to broach the subject until they’d crawled into bed and were shrouded in darkness with her firmly tucked against Jayden’s side.

“
A rúnsearc
?” she began in a low voice, her accent flaring when her mouth shaped around the endearment.

“Yes, sweet girl, what is it?”

She could hear the exhaustion in his voice and almost let it go. Would have, if he hadn’t chosen that moment to seek out her hand and thread his fingers through hers.

“I was curious . . .”

Jayden’s chuckle jarred his torso where her head rested. “When aren’t you curious, Erin?” he teased, then brushed his lips against her forehead.

With a light slap to his abdomen, she settled back against him and began running her fingertip in figure eights over his bare chest. “How did you know?”

“Know what?” His voice had deepened, and his nipple hardened when she traced it.

“That this life was for you. How does a guy who was raised on a ranch, in the middle of nowhere, learn about BDSM, let alone decide to pursue it?” The words rushed out, and she held her breath, waiting for his answer.

Jayden had been on his back, an arm around Erin’s shoulders and crossing over her body to lock fingers with her. His other hand, which had been behind his head, he now brought down to cradle her face. “You want my story, huh?”

Erin nodded, letting out a little of the breath she was holding. He seemed calm enough—that was good.

“It’s nothing sordid or macabre, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Her shoulders moved up and down with a shrug at his joking response. She didn’t have any preconceived notions about his answer, considering the question was more of an afterthought than anything else.

He went on. “I didn’t have a sexy nanny who was into spanking—”

Erin’s braying laughter cut him off. Her head filling with the image of a young Jayden in a suit and a full grown woman offering her ass to him for a paddling was too much. It didn’t help when he ignored her antics, adding more fuel to the fire instead.

“Nor was there some illicit relationship in my college years.” His hand had moved from her face, down her side, and now he tickled her waist until she was breathless and begging him to stop between gasps of air. When he let up and she’d regained her composure, she turned on him.

“Hey, now! Nothing inappropriate ever happened with Andrew while I was a student. He was very adamant those lines never be crossed. You know that, you bully.” She stuck her tongue out and got a bright smile from her lover. Calming down, she crawled back into his arms. He’d moved into a sitting position, so she nestled her naked back against his warm chest and hummed in contentment when he hugged her.

“You know, I think it’d be nice to meet this Andrew guy someday. He seems like a good fellow,” Jayden mused, his fingertips trailing along her neck and shoulder, then down her arm.

With a small snort, she suggested they invite Mr. Brenner to the wedding, which, to her surprise, Jayden got rather enthusiastic about.

“I’ll see what I can do about finding his address, if you’re serious.”

His chin bounced on the top of her head while he nodded. “I am.”

“Fine. Enough about Andrew, though. I want to hear about you.”

*~*~*

The moment she’d surprised him with the question about his past, Jayden’s mind had begun scrambling.
How much should he tell her?
Erin knew he and Landon had a Lifestyle past, but would she be okay if she learned how the pieces had come together?

Distracting her with light-hearted teasing bought him a few minutes. She was just being inquisitive, and he couldn’t fault her for that. It was silly of him to be hesitant about this. After the personal history she’d shared with him and the experiences they’d actualized together thus far, there was no fear of Erin running from this information. Besides, she was going to be learning it first hand in a few months, once he and his friend sorted out the logistics for the weekend they were planning.

Suck it up man, and spill for the lady.

“It starts with Landon . . . and the Marquis de Sade.” He stopped there to gauge her reaction.

She shifted after a minute, swiveling her neck to look back and up at him. “Interesting. Go on, then.”

Jayden exhaled roughly, and Erin chuckled in his arms. Of course she was going to be okay with this. He started talking.

“I met Landon at Rice. He was in the graduate program, zeroing in on his PhD in psychology, while I was working on my Masters through the Jones School of Business.”

“Wait, but that means Landon is
older
than you?” The disbelief in her voice amused him.

“Yes, by a couple of years.”

“But Paige is so young looking . . .”

“Our age gap isn’t exactly insignificant either, Erin. Does the idea bother you?”

He thought he could see her nose crinkling before she settled back against him with a harrumph. “Not when you put it like that.”

Long hair spread over his chest and ribs, and the scent of her cherry-bamboo shampoo wafted up his nose. When he breathed in, his body reacted to the sweet odor.

“Oh, no, mister. We’re not fooling around right now. I’m tired, and you’re talking.” She clapped her hands. “Chop, chop.”

The playful response drew more laughter from him, and he opted to taunt her further while pressing his hips up into her. “Yes, Madame, as you wish.” Her body went rigid then ever so slowly relaxed while he resumed stroking his fingers up and down her arms.

“Anyway, we ended up in the same English class, a Humanities course focused on the grotesque in literature. While it was a degree requirement for Landon, I was there for fun. I’d chosen it as an elective to shake up the monotony of my math and business courses.” 

Erin wriggled from his grasp and turned her body so that she could straddle his thighs. “Sounds reasonable. Out of curiosity, now that you mention your courses, how did you end up in the metalworking business?”

“Easy. The horses.” It was clear that didn’t answer her question by the ‘what the fuck’ look on her face, and he laughed. “I always found it fascinating to go down to the stables and watch the smiths and farriers work on the horseshoes. Seeing the metal heat up, become red hot, and then get bent and shaped under the smith’s hand . . .”

She’d started shaking her head while laughter bubbled out of her. “Sounds kinky.”

He squeezed her bottom, and she shrieked.

“I still can’t believe he’s older than you.”

“You’re cute.” She sighed when he kissed her nose. Reaching out to the side, Jayden switched on the table lamp so he could gauge her emotions while the conversation progressed. Her emerald eyes shone with curiosity, nothing more. “We were polite to each other in passing for the first half of the class term. Then came the ‘Defend or Refute’ team project. The professor went through the roster and divided the class into two groups for pro and con representatives. From there, we were allowed to find a partner and select a book.”

“So let me guess.” Erin shifted on his lap, and he groaned at the increased pressure. “You dragged your feet and got stuck with de Sade?”

Shaking his head with amusement, he went on explaining. “Not quite. Landon approached me right after the professor finished outlining the assignment and had released us to pair up. From what I’d seen of him, he seemed like a decent guy, and I didn’t know anyone else in the class, so I said sure. He rushed us down to the book selection so fast, I didn’t really know what was happening.” A small chuckle escaped Jayden when he recalled that afternoon.

“Somehow Landon guided me toward
120 Days of Sodom
and let me think I was choosing it. I know better now, of course.”

Fine wrinkles appeared on Erin’s brow, a sure indicator she was working something out in her head.

“You have a question, sweet girl?”

Some of her silky red hair slipped down over her bare shoulder when she shook her head. “I’ve heard of de Sade, but haven’t ever read his works, so I’m not familiar with the specifics of his titles.”

This surprised Jayden. “Oh, really? A pain slut such as yourself . . .” he snaked his hands up to her tits and grabbed them roughly, drawing an elongated sigh from her, “. . . hasn’t read the infamous Marquis? The horror!” Releasing her, Jayden brought a hand to cover his open mouth in feigned shock.

At her pout, he pulled her in for a kiss then promised to task her with reading assignments in the future. It would be perfect for the next time he had to be gone on business. With Erin gainfully employed, he couldn’t take her away with him at the drop of a hat. Though for her to accept the job, Jayden had stipulated she was granted the last two weeks of February off. They had plans that started in Harlingen for Paige and Landon’s wedding but ended in another country for his girl’s birthday.

“If it would please you,” she purred against his lips, “but until then, how about the Cliff Notes version?” With a giggle, she bounced back on his lap, forcing a mangled grunt from him.

“Well, some feel that it is de Sade’s most depraved work, and it crosses extreme limits. Rather controversial, you can imagine.
Sodom
relays the story of a group of rich men who think themselves above the rest of society. Out of boredom, they bring in both willing whores and not-so-willing captives, then proceed to act out any and all fantasies they can conjure in their perverted minds. The scenes quickly move from morbid curiosity to darker themes, and eventually to snuff levels. All stages of the book include some degree of torture to them.”

“Oh.” The word slipped from her lips on a hushed murmur.

“Yeah. My task was to find the redeeming quality in the book and use that to defend it. You’ve met my parents, Erin. ‘Wholesome’ best describes my upbringing. I was taught to be respectful to all, people and animals alike. Above all, Mom and Dad drilled it into me to respect women and to never take for granted what a miraculous creation they are.”

His jewel’s arms slithered around him, and she laid her head upon his chest. “Your heart is racing just talking about it,” she whispered.

“Yeah, so anyway, Landon told me he’d heard it was a great book and said we should definitely do it. That the piece would be ‘challenging.’ I agreed, and by the third night of reading it, I was realizing just how challenging it was going to be.” Jayden paused to pull in a breath.

It was truth time.

“In reading it, I started having physical reactions, and all kinds of conflicting thoughts began cropping up in my head.”

“Oh?” She tilted her head to the side.

He hugged her, soaking in the warmth of her body on his. “Suppose I should clarify that at that point in my life, I’d had sex a grand total of three times.”

“No way.” Erin sat up in surprise.

“All with the same girl, and in the most vanilla fashion you can imagine, too.” He chuckled.

“Wow. Okay, then. Go on.”

“That’s the gist of it, really . . .”

“I don’t think so, mister. All you’ve told me is that reading about some whippings got your cock hard. Knowing you now, that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. I wanna know how the leap was made to go from
that
to getting you into a playroom with the whip in your hand.”