The Sweetest Taboo: An Unconventional Romance (5 page)

i sat on my loveseat and stared at the business card in my hand. Full disclosure: i was scared shitless.

He wanted to know me.

He wanted to know
me
.

her Master

A little over two fucking weeks and micah still hadn’t called. It was maddening. I gave her My business card sixteen days ago and still no call. Sixteen days! Normally, I have no problem being patient, but this shit was ridiculous. I could easily get in touch with her but I left the ball in her court.

she was already skittish about My offer, so I didn’t want to spook her by being more forward than I’d already been. I had to move at her pace. micah needed to feel comfortable enough with Me to let her guard down.

I got the feeling she didn’t let many people in, so she needed to trust Me before inviting Me into her world. Without trust, there would be no foundation for us to build upon.

The courting process was My favorite part of a relationship. I dug a good pursuit. Women love to be wooed, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Knight in Shining Armor role when she was worth My time. For the right woman, courting would never end.

I hadn’t taken on a new submissive in about five years, so I was going to thoroughly enjoy the chase, but micah had to give a little. I could wait her out. she’d call—I could feel it.

My cell phone rang a little after nine just as I was settling down with a beer. It had been a long fucking day; I thought I was done with the hospital for the night. The number was unfamiliar, probably one of My residents with some minor issue that couldn’t wait until I was back on duty, so I answered instead of letting it go to voicemail.

“Hello?”

“Uh … uh … um hi, Doctor Thomas, it’s micah foster,” the soft voice mumbled in My ear.

My dick jerked in My sweatpants. Well I’ll be damned. I guess it’s true what they say: if You speak it into existence it manifests. Showtime. I’d been waiting for this and it felt good to finally hear her voice.

“Hi micah. Please call Me Rick. It’s great to hear from you,” I replied. “I was beginning to think you lost My card.”

“Um, no i didn’t lose Your card. Is this a good time for You, Rick? i can call back tomorrow if that’s better.”

“No. Right now is perfect. I’m just winding down for the evening. How are you? How are you feeling?”

Shit. Way to go into Doctor mode
. I hoped she realized that I was concerned about her overall well-being and didn’t take My comment as her treating Physician following up. I didn’t want that reminder constantly overshadowing what I was trying to get off the ground. While I wanted her to view Me as her Provider, Medical Provider wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

I could hear a smile in her voice. “i’m well, thank You for asking. i followed up with my primary care physician yesterday and i’m feeling a lot better.”

“Good, I’m happy to hear it,” I replied, then took a swig of beer.

“That’s actually part of the reason why it took me so long to get in touch. i’m swamped at work with a bunch of projects. i had to fly to Italy for a few days and then find the time to fit in a doctor’s visit to check on my asthma once i returned. i’m sorry about not calling sooner. i’m normally not this slow to get in touch.”

Although I knew what she did for a living, I wanted her to fill Me in on the details. Honestly, I just wanted to hear her voice. I’d been waiting long enough for her to call.

“Understood, and apology accepted. I know what it’s like having to deal with a hectic work schedule. So what exactly do you do that has you both swamped and traveling to Italy?”

“i’m an assistant registrar at the Whitney Museum,” she replied.

“And that would mean what, exactly?”

she laughed. “Well, as of late, it means i’m the exhibition manager’s bitch.”

I raised a brow at her statement. Oh, she had a way with words. This conversation was going to be interesting indeed.

“I’m going to need some clarification, because My mind is conjuring up an image I’m fairly certain isn’t something you’d do in your place of employment, micah.”

she cleared her throat.

Hey, if you open the door, I’m going to walk through it
. micah would soon learn that about Me.
Don’t start what you aren’t ready to finish.

“Well, i usually work independently, but we have a new Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit coming in so i’ve been the primary contact for a private collector in Italy.”

her tone perked up once she began talking about her job. “i’ve been assisting the exhibition manager with variety of things. i tend to deal with the crating, packing, shipping, and transportation gripes in addition to the insurance aspects.”

I could hear a bit of excitement in her voice as her confidence rose. I found it to be an attractive trait. Life is too short to spend time doing things you loathe, especially when it comes to earning a living.

“It’s my job to ensure pieces arrive at their destinations safely and return to us intact if we’re providing a loan. Everyone is on edge because the curator is a bit of a nut job. i try not to take it out on my staff but some days are tougher than others.”

“I see. It sounds stressful. Do you enjoy your job?”

“It’s stressful at times, but yes, i absolutely enjoy my job. i adore art, and my occupation not only provides opportunity for me to travel, but it allows my creativity to flow. It’s high pressure and high stakes but i’m made for it. i take care of business, but . . .” her pause almost had Me question if she was still on the line until I heard her long sigh. “But it can be a burden sometimes . . . because people expect so much from me.”

Interesting. she was used to being everything for everyone, but who took care of her? Who was there for her when she simply wanted to let go?

“Is that why you’re a submissive, micah? Because people expect so much from you? Is being a sub your way of relinquishing control?”

Contrary to popular opinion, submissives do indeed possess a great deal of power. I might be the Dominant one, but a submissive sets the tone for our dynamic. In My eyes, it takes a strong woman to let go and trust her Man will make the best decisions regarding her well-being.

Before I could even think of taking a woman under My wing, I had to know she was secure in herself, that My girl could hold her own. micah seemed strong-willed, which was what attracted Me to her in the first place. There’d been a softness about her, but a flame burned bright underneath the surface. she didn’t strike Me as one to let just anyone take the reins—He had to meet her standards.

I knew I had what it took to keep her attention; I wasn’t the least bit worried.

she didn’t answer My question. Actually, there was an awkward silence that I didn’t like one bit. I’d have to revisit that question later on.

“micah?”

“Y-y-yes,” she stammered.

“you still with Me, sweetheart?” I asked.

“Yes,” she responded softly.

“micah, are you nervous?”

she sighed before answering, “Yes.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m nervous too.” I didn’t lie. We hadn’t had any of the traditional small talk. I just opened My mouth and blurted out questions that she didn’t trust Me enough yet to answer.

her muffled scoff was a good sign. At least she hadn’t hung up on Me.

“Well, before we get into anything too deep, how about we start with the basics?”

she giggled. “Like what? my favorite color? What’s my favorite meal kind of thing?”

her sass was cute and had Me lusting after her.

“I was thinking more along the lines of, are you single?”

“Oh.” she was giving Me a hard-on in the worst way.

“Oh? That’s it?”

“Yes. i’m single, Rick. i haven’t been in a relationship in some time. A string of bad dates, but nothing worthwhile.”

Fuck yeah! That’s what I wanted to hear.

“One man’s failure is My reward,” I replied.

“The failure of many men is Your reward.” she chuckled. “And what about You, are You single?”

Wait, many men? Say what? “I’m sorry, could you clarify what you meant by ‘many men,’ micah?”

she let out a small giggle in response to My question. I’m glad she found it amusing, but I wasn’t laughing. I wanted clarity. What the fuck did that mean?

“i just meant that i’ve dated a lot and sadly, many failed when it came to holding my attention. i just never seem to find my match and there haven’t been many second dates. That’s all.”

“I see. Well, thank you for the clarification. To answer your question, yes, I’m single. No wife. No girlfriend. No kids. No subs.”

“subs?” she asked.

“sub,” I corrected. “I only need and want one. I misspoke.”

“If i may ask, Rick, how old are You?”

“I’m thirty-seven, sweetheart.”

she simply replied with, “Oh.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Oh? What the hell did that mean? “Oh” seemed to be her go-to word.

“Don’t tell Me I’m too old for you,” I said, My tone laced with sarcasm.

“No, not at all. It’s just that i would not have guessed thirty-seven. You look much younger,” she replied.

“Why thank you. They say exercise slows down the aging process.”

“It certainly looks that way. i’m definitely surprised to hear You say thirty-seven.”

she was babbling, and I had so many questions to ask but didn’t know where to begin. So I asked what had been on My mind since I learned her name.

“micah?”

“Yes, Rick?”

I loved how she said My name.

“your name is unusual. I can honestly say I’ve never met a woman named micah. Men yes, but never a woman. What are the origins, if you don’t mind Me inquiring?”

“No, I don’t mind, and You wouldn’t be the first to ask. Based on what my parents have told me, it’s actually a variant of Michaela.”

“That’s pretty too. Feminine.”

“Well, long story short, when my mom was little, she had a babysitter named Michaela. She said some of her best childhood memories were the times she spent baking with Michaela and her daughter, Carla.”

“That sounds nice. Are you and your mother close?”

“Yes, actually we are. Most of my family lives in California, which can be rough, but yes, my mom and i are close. Peas in a pod, as my dad would say.”

I was glad to know that she was close to her family. I came from a tight-knit home, so it was definitely something I wanted My partner to value.

“i guess Michaela had a big enough impact on my mom that she sort of named me after her. ‘micah’ was my mom’s burst of creativity while paying homage to a woman she loved to pieces.”

“That’s quite an honor to bestow,” I replied.

“i agree, but from the stories my mother shared about her childhood, Carla and her family were some of the only white people in their neighborhood who treated her and my grandparents kindly. It was a tough time growing up in the South, so any niceness and generosity was welcomed.”

Well, that was deep. I didn’t have much in the way of an appropriate response so I just let her continue.

“What’s funny is when most people meet me in person and they’ve never seen me or spoken to me over the phone, they’re shocked to find out i’m a woman. i’m fairly certain, in ninety-nine-point-nine percent of those cases, they were expecting a guy. In business settings, i usually go by my middle name, marie, so i don’t confuse people.”

“I appreciate the insight, micah, and you’re definitely all woman. I like the name—it’s sexy and unique.”

she chuckled. her laughter warmed Me all over.

“Thank You.”

I was quite inquisitive when it came to micah and asked an excessive amount of questions, the answers to which I couldn’t soak up fast enough. In My professional and personal life, I’ve come across a fair amount of women who had been all about using their feminine wiles to their advantage. I’d never been so intrigued by a woman before micah. I wanted
this
woman in the worst way.

“micah?”

“Yes, Rick?”

“Do you believe in soul mates?” I asked.

Shit, there I went again just blurting things out, but I wanted to know what she thought about the concept. I believed in a fated connection, and I was beginning to think micah was My soul mate. Our conversation just felt right. Everything about tonight felt right. Everything about
her
felt right. I hadn’t ever been this enchanted with any other woman.

I was met with a silence that lasted entirely too long for My taste, but she finally spoke up. “i’m not sure. my ‘Soul Mate’ has probably crossed my path a few times, but maybe He just doesn’t see me that way, or maybe the attraction is one-sided. i don’t know, i guess part of me wants to think there’s someone for everyone, but i just don’t know. The world is a big place. If you throw the D/s aspect into the equation, it becomes virtually impossible to think a match exists.”

Hmm, so she wasn’t a fan of Fate. I’d have to convince her.

“Even if it’s a meeting in passing, micah, your Soul Mate will find a way. If the connection is strong enough, He’ll find you. He’ll always find you. If a Man deems a woman worthy, He will make her His. He will fight for her. He will honor her. He will provide for her. He will protect her. I believe paths are meant to cross at certain points in time. People meet each when they’re supposed to. It’s what the universe wants.”

I put all My cards on the table. I’m sure the shit I laid out scared her, but she wasn’t the only one who was scared. I may be direct, but dating and messing around had long ago lost their appeal.

Shit. My biological clock was ticking too, and Fate, she was a clever girl, literally dropping My heart’s desires into My lap—I couldn’t be more grateful. I wanted to explore this, but Mine weren’t the only feelings to consider.

Once again, the silence was deafening.

In a tone that was barely audible, she asked Me a question I hadn’t anticipated. “What do You want from me, Rick?”

Well, so much for pretenses and talk of doing what the universe wanted. she asked the million-dollar question, and I wasn’t quite sure how I should respond. How do You tell a woman You want
everything
without freaking her the fuck out?

Our interaction up to that point had been limited, and we were in the early stages, but I knew what I wanted. I wanted to claim her. I wanted to fuck her. I wanted to love her.