Taking Chances (9 page)

“Ah, my power team.
How
are you two doing?” Keller asked.

Jake cleared his throat. “We’re doing fine. Here’s the
project task list and milestone chart. You’ll see we have—”

“Jake, I don’t want to hear from you.” Keller’s sights
remained trained on Lydia.

Her eyebrows rose, but her shoulders stayed relaxed.
She looked comfortable. “We’ve identified which policies we need and started
several. Most likely we’ll need the whole week to finish.”

“You’re not having a problem working with Jake?”

“What? No, no problem. We actually work quite well
together.”

“Interesting.”
Finally,
he stopped looking at Lydia, but now his gaze centered on Jake with a satisfied
smile. “That’s all I needed. Get back to work. Oh, Lydia, make sure Jake tells
you about the club we visit on Fridays, I think you’ll be ready for a release
by then.”

Jake wanted to let Keller know what he thought of his
idea, but he had no intention of bringing it any more attention. He would find
a way to rectify what Keller tried to set in motion. Keller didn’t know Lydia.
Heck, he didn’t either, but he was certain, even after last night, she was not
ready for the club.

It was possible she would be ready for the club one
day. Not today and not this Friday either. This Friday, shit, he and Simon were
to be assigned new trainees at the club. His eyebrows drew together. His first
instinct was to cancel. Twenty-four hours with one woman was no reason to
cancel his plans. Who knew where they would be tomorrow? He ignored the ache that
told him he’d only want her more.

He followed Lydia to their room, and the view of her
back-side took over his swirling thoughts. His fingers came instinctively to
his nose. Her scent inflamed his senses and engorged his cock. The passionate
woman was going to be his undoing.

He had to admit not worrying about his rules was
incredibly refreshing. She had breathed new life into his body and soul. There were
still potential land mines ahead. Last night he’d broken his no touching rule and
risked the no scaring rule. He wouldn’t break his
no
commitment rule. It was highly likely he’d scare her away when she understood
his needs and what he’d expect from her. Many things could send her running back
to her vanilla corner.

He wouldn’t lie to himself. He wanted her to embrace
the life. Awakening Lydia’s submissive instincts would be exceedingly enjoyable.
If she would let him in.

One slow step at a time.

No time like the present to get things started. They
entered their room. Jake closed the door behind him. He waited patiently for
her to turn and find him at the door.
One
Mississippi, two Mississippi.

“Jake, may I ask you a couple questions?”

He took his time walking towards her. “Ask me
anything you want, sweetheart.”

She studied her hands for a second. “Do you live the
BDSM lifestyle? What does that mean? Do you have a
girlfr
—I
mean
,
do you have a submissive of your own?” Her hands
claimed her attention again, and he guessed she had more to get out. “How do
you learn to be a submissive?”

He wanted to leap with the excitement running
through his body.
“Lots of questions.”
He remained
silent while his mind replayed her questions, and he walked towards her,
stopping mere inches from her.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…”

“Don’t apologize unless you’ve done something wrong.
Lesson number one.”
His finger lifted her chin. “I’ve
lived the lifestyle for several years. I don’t have a girlfriend or a
submissive I dominate regularly. And for the rest, I would enjoy educating
you.”

“You would?” Her face lit like a child’s on
Christmas morning.

“You don’t believe me? Be careful with your words
here.”

“You probably have your choice of girls who already
know what they’re doing.”

“Just because a woman has similar appetites doesn’t make
her a match.”

“Oh.” A shiver shook her body. “Sorry, I was just so
nervous. I’m surprised I got it all out.”

“That will be a problem.”

“What?”

“We must be honest with each other. Lesson number
two. I promise to listen and watch for what your body needs, but you must be
honest with me, or this will never work. Holding back will get you punished.”

“Punished?”

“Yes, Lydia, I’m looking forward to punishing you.”

“Is it okay if I don’t ask about punishments? My
head is full right now, and I still haven’t figured out why I liked you
spanking me.”

“You can put off the conversation, which is fine
because we do have a lot to do today, but you are only delaying the inevitable.”

“You probably know why that makes me excited, but
I’m pretty clueless. Oh! I forgot some notes I made this morning. I’ll be right
back.”

“Lydia …
stop
.”

She stopped in her tracks, but didn’t turn around.

“Before you run off through the office, remove your
panties and hand them to me, please.”

She stood like a statue, just like she had done last
night when he’d made his first request. However, this time it didn’t take her
as long to make a decision. She reached under her skirt hem and pulled her
panties down.
Black lace.

She turned and looked nothing like the scared kitten
he remembered. She walked to him with purpose. One of the most beautiful things
he’d ever seen. Taking the panties from her, he tucked them in his pants pocket
like a treasure.

“Thank you. Hurry back. Like I said, we have a lot
to do today.”

****

Walking through the office without any underwear on
should have made her feel perverse, but it didn’t. She wondered if she was
changing or awakening.

Certainly it seemed strange to go about your
business and be aware of your bare
mons
the entire time.
She smiled at her desk and was thankful for its side panels. There would be no
flashing today.

The notes were probably still in her purse. She sat,
reaching in the bottom drawer and dug into the bottomless bag.

“How are things going with Jake? Are you still
seeing him outside the office?”

Lydia raised her head to explain they weren’t seeing
each other.
Yet.
Her heart soared with her excitement,
and then plummeted when she realized the question was not directed at her.

“Absolutely, we’re going as strong as ever. Just
last Friday he met me at the club. He has pretty wicked fingers.” Gina wiggled
her fingers in the air.

Chapter
Seven

She ripped her purse out of the drawer, pushed items
around with too much force for the defenseless
ChapStick
and brush in her way. Finally, she found the note she’d come for. She stared at
her handwritten questions and wondered how she’d gotten so off course. She
needed to stop her downward spiral, needed to pull her emotions back in line. She
slipped the note into the shredder, and escaped the room.

In a bee-line, she made it to the upstairs bathroom.
She threw herself into the chair and wanted to bury herself in her hands, but that
would be weak. Lydia refused to let in the eager emotion. A breakdown was not necessary.

Last Friday was last week and long before yesterday.
Jake hadn’t claimed he was celibate, but was he dating Gina? It certainly would
explain the attention Gina had been paying her the last couple of days. Last
night, she had given her body and she was tempted to give him more, but how could
she now? She had no desire to enter a sex triangle. Tears filled her lower eye
lids and threatened to overflow.

Gina.
Why did it have to be Gina?

If Jake couldn’t see past Gina’s veneer, there was
no way he would value what Lydia could offer. She forced her chin to stay high
as a tear rolled down her check.

The door creaked open. “Lydia?”

“Leave me alone, Jake. I’ll be out in a minute.” She
angled her face away from the door, and their stare caught in the mirror.

He stormed into the bathroom.

He knelt at her side. “Honey, please talk to me.
Tell me what happened.” His thumb wiped away the next tear ready to fall.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Gina?”

“What? I’m not. Who put that idea in your head?”

“Gina.”

He lowered his head. He was caught. Lydia had to
smile. Jake was no different. Men were scum. She could take comfort in their
consistency.

His hands took hers. He rubbed his thumbs over the backs
of her hands. She instinctively squeezed back, trying to take the last minutes back.
She still wanted the possibility of a future with him, and the realization
caused the ache to deepen.

His gaze found hers.

“Gina is an unattached submissive, and she frequents
the club, as do I. I may not be in a relationship, but I do seek to fulfill my
needs and needs of other unattached subs. Gina knows full well the extent of
our scenes. I have never seen her outside of the club.”

“What does that mean? You touch her, but you don’t
care about her?”

“You could look at it that way—”

She removed herself from his touch and found solace
on the other side of the small room.

“That’s … I don’t know. I don’t understand.” Her sight
focused on the floor as she tried to reconcile the man she thought she knew to
the one she saw now.

“Lydia,
ask
me questions,
or let me explain. Don’t make assumptions.”

“Assumptions!”
She
turned abruptly to face him. A big breath allowed her to calm her voice. “I’m
not assuming anything. You just told me. At the club you touch other woman
regularly. No wonder you don’t want me there. I’d probably put a crimp in your style.”

“Lydia, I don’t—”

“You don’t want a relationship,” she said and walked
toward him. “We never made any promises to each other. No plans were made. It’s
okay, really.” Her chest ached, but she wouldn’t let him see. She stood tall,
shoulders back, and her hands gripped into her thighs like a lifeline.

The room was quiet as they stared at each other.
Quietly he stepped around her and walked to the door. He was walking out,
predictable.

He stopped at the door, locked it, and returned to
her.

“We may not have voiced our promises, Lydia, but I don’t
always make my motives known. I haven’t yet mentioned the club because we simply
haven’t had time to discuss it, and to be honest, I’m not sure you’re ready.”

“Ready?”

“Do you know what would happen if I were to take you
to the club?” He slipped around her and sat in the chair. His hand snaked
around her hips.

“No.” Sweat broke out on her forehead, and nerves
danced in her chest.

He pulled, and she landed across his lap. One hand
held her upper body down, and the other fought to gain access between her
thighs.

“Open.
Now.”

His deep command had no problem cutting through her
crumbling resolve.

His fingers found her bare and now wet pussy. “I’m
not going anywhere, and you, my sweet, gullible Lydia, will be receiving your
first real punishment.”

“You—”

“I advise you to be quiet now.”

****

Her voice and her squirms stopped, and he pulled at
the tatters of his control. He would certainly threaten the tiny bit of trust
he’d been building if he let loose. He craved domination not only over his
submissives
, but over himself as well. He wouldn’t let
himself think about all she was willing to walk away from for one of Gina’s
lies. His hand would help her to remember communication was their only way.
They would survive only by trusting each other.

Even now, he could sense her conflict. Her pussy
wept with pleasure, but her heart hammered against his thigh. The unease would
stop her from truly enjoying what he could offer. In this moment, she should
let go and let him dominate. He pushed his finger deep into her passage.

“Do you think coming to this bathroom and hiding
from me was a good decision?” A second finger followed the first.

“Ah … no, Sir.”

“Next time, you will come directly to me.” He
stroked the inside of her hot channel.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Excellent. I need to punish you for not
communicating.” He removed his fingers from her and rubbed her right butt
cheek. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You have the power to end this all here and now. All
you have to say is red and we won’t speak of this again, or say yellow if you
want to talk it through. Do you understand?”