“Why don’t you go upstairs and change while I finish putting lunch together,” he said, although lunch was ready to be served.
Emily’s eyes went to his and she froze for a moment in confusion. Slowly, she nodded as realization dawned. “Okay.” She turned and went upstairs.
He puttered about, putting out soup and sandwiches, his ears cocked for her return. When she walked in, he turned and looked her over. She was beautiful, as always. Whenever he saw her, he was impressed, but when she wore a dress and skirt with no underwear, she looked even more stunning to him. Her dress was short and rust-colored and her blouse white. He could see her nipples through it. He gave her a big smile. She smiled back and he pulled back a chair.
“Sit, please.”
She sat, tucking her skirt underneath her.
“Emily,” he reminded her, still holding the back of her chair.
“Oh!” She lifted up her skirt and sat bare-assed on the chair. He scooted her up to the table. She waited after he sat down for him to serve himself first. He nodded his approval and took a sandwich half. He passed the plate to her and she took one.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He picked up his spoon and began to eat. The soup was out of a can but it tasted quite good. Or maybe it was just the company. He glanced at her as she ate, feeling his cock harden.
“This is a low-sodium soup,” he said to start the conversation. “It’s very good for you.”
She nodded. “It’s good.”
“And the sandwiches are portabello mushrooms and a low-fat cheese.”
She took a bite. “It’s good too.”
Edward felt their conversation slipping toward inanity. He was so happy to have her back, he had forgotten how to be a Dom. He thought back to their time at the hotel and remembered how she had responded to him when he demanded more of her.
After lunch, he cleared up the dishes. She jumped in to help. When the kitchen was clean, he turned to her.
“Come, let’s go sit on the couch. I have some things to say.”
She looked at him questioningly, but obeyed without a word.
They sat, side by side. He took her hand. It felt hot to his touch.
“Emily, I want us to get back to where we were at work. Remember?”
She blushed and nodded.
“But here, while you’re living with me, it’s going to be different—at least at first. I think it’s important for you to have a place where you feel safe. And I know you feel a bit strange, living here. You’ll be seeing me 24/7. It might be a bit overwhelming. So please consider yourself my guest. I won’t demand too much of you. Anytime you feel uncomfortable, you may use a safe word. Let’s say, ‘Kansas City.’ Okay?”
She nodded, gratitude in her eyes. “T-thank you, uh, sir.”
“‘Sir’ is fine at work. You can call me Edward at home.”
“T-thanks, Edward.” The word sounded strange on her lips. She gave him a tentative smile.
“You’re free to come and go and do things you’d normally do. Please consider my house yours.”
“Just until I can afford my own place,” she put in.
He nodded. “Sure.”
Edward treated her like a roommate, not a lover. He wondered if it was the right play and wished he had Paul’s advice on the matter. But it just felt right and he went with it. Give her time to adjust. There would be plenty of time for fun and games later.
That evening, after dinner, she went upstairs to finish unpacking and get ready for bed. She hesitated on the landing and Edward thought for a moment, she wanted to be invited into his bed. He simply smiled and wished her a good night.
When he went to bed, his heart felt light, knowing she was upstairs. He could imagine her, naked under the sheets, thinking about him.
Monday morning, Emily came down for breakfast, wearing a yellow dress. He could tell at once she was naked underneath. He smiled. Pouring her a cup of coffee, he noted that she lifted her dress so she could sit on her bare bottom.
Edward told her he had a late meeting with a client, so she should drive herself to work. He gave Emily a spare key. Her eyes widened at the gesture.
“Th-thanks,” she said, dropping her eyes to the floor.
He lifted her chin. “You’re welcome.” He kissed her on the cheek.
She left first while he puttered about, cleaning up the kitchen. He couldn’t seem to wipe a silly grin off his face. He drove in, listening to classical music and imagining how the day might go. At the office, he strode in, nodding at Emily. He tipped his head and she came in. She seemed puzzled. Of course he knew she was already naked underneath.
“Welcome back,” he said.
“Thank you, sir.”
“I’d like my blowjob now.” He sat down.
She didn’t appear at all put off by his command. It was as if they had started over. She came around his desk and knelt down. As she reached for his zipper, he caught her hands. She looked up, startled. He shook his head and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh!” she said and stood. It took her just seconds to unbutton her dress and toss it across his desk. He grinned and nodded. She knelt down and unzipped him. His cock sprang out. She took it into her mouth and he leaned forward and stroked her breasts. She made small noises in her throat.
Edward had been waiting a long time for this and he came quickly. She swallowed and sat back on her haunches, waiting. He smiled and said, “I’ll take my coffee now.”
She got dressed quickly and left. Edward turned to his list of daily appointments, a big grin on his face.
Later that afternoon, he headed out, telling Emily he would be home by six. She seemed stunned for a moment, then blurted out, “Would you, um, like some dinner when you get home?”
Edward stopped and turned toward her, a smile on his face. “Why, that would be nice. Thank you. But you don’t have to cook, you know.”
She nodded and gave him a sly smile back.
The client meeting went well, but it took longer than he expected. He didn’t arrive home until six-thirty. He felt drained and tired but his attitude improved as soon as he stepped inside the door. The house smelled wonderful—she seemed to be cooking up some kind of stew.
Edward couldn’t resist. “Honey, I’m home,” he said, putting his coat in the closet and coming into the kitchen.
Emily was at the stove, wearing jeans and a tee-shirt, an apron tied around her. She turned and smiled. “Oh, hi. I thought I’d make beef stew. Is that all right?”
He came forward and kissed her on the cheek. “That’s perfect. It’s a good stew night.”
She blushed. He knew she wasn’t sure of their relationship. She probably didn’t consider herself a girlfriend and yet, she was living with him and making love to him. By most definitions, she was his girlfriend. He suspected she knew that this was just a lull in their relationship—he would begin demanding more of her. Looking into her eyes, Edward could tell she wasn’t sure what she thought of all that. She seemed nervous and a bit too eager to please. Good, he thought. That’s what he wanted.
He made no comment about her outfit, although he would’ve preferred she had kept her work clothes on or put on a more casual skirt. He liked the idea of Emily naked when he arrived home. That would come later, he knew. When she served the stew and took off her apron, he smiled when he noticed she was not wearing a bra. She blushed when it became obvious he noticed—her nipples poked at her shirt.
They sat and ate. The stew was quite tasty.
“It’s great, Emily. Where did you learn to cook?”
“Oh, my mom. She made sure I knew the basics. I just learned to follow recipes.”
“Hats off to your mom, then.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes. When Edward glanced up, Emily seemed to fidget.
“Is something wrong?”
“Un, no ... It’s just, all this,” she said, waving her hand around. “I really appreciate you letting me stay.”
“My pleasure. I really like having you here too.”