Julie swirled her coffee, trying to ignore the ache in her heart. She didn’t want to be his just in the playroom. She wanted to be his everywhere and all the time.
“He’ll push you,” Dena continued. “That’s what a good Dom does, but he’ll never take you too far. And, Julie, trust me on this: if you let him, Daniel could be the one to give you your wings.”
Friday night Julie drove to Daniel’s house, her heart racing the entire way. She’d thought about calling and letting him know she was coming, but only entertained that thought briefly. It would be better if she surprised him. She couldn’t even think about what she would do if he wasn’t at home. It was doubtful she’d be able to work up the courage to come again.
She stood on his front porch, her heart pounding so hard, it echoed in her head. Her hand trembled when she rang the doorbell. It seemed to take forever for the door to open, but surely it was mere seconds.
Daniel’s face was a combination of shock and surprise when he opened the door and saw her.
“Julie?”
The nerves that made her hand shake took over her entire body. Even her toes trembled. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.” He stepped out of the way to let her in, but she only cleared the threshold. He closed the door. “Is everything okay? You look—”
He stopped talking when she knelt in front of him.
“Julie?”
She kept her eyes on the floor. “I’ve made my choice, sir.”
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. Her head throbbed with one unwelcome thought.
What if he didn’t want her anymore?
TEN
Daniel stood dumbfounded at the sight of Julie on her knees at his feet. It was more than he’d thought possible, but first . . .
“Stand up, Julie.” His voice sounded rougher than he intended.
Slowly, she came to her feet and when she met his gaze, he saw uncertainty. It pained something inside to see her look at him that way. He wanted to erase her unease and get to the bottom of why she’d said and done what she had.
“Come sit down and talk,” he said, taking her hand and leading her inside to a couch. Once they were seated, he kept her hand in his. Clasped his other around it. “Tell me what happened.”
“I can’t do it anymore.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “I can’t be something other than what I am. You opened a door inside me and it won’t close. I need it and I want you to be the one to give it to me.”
He squeezed her hand, struggling to control the emotions she stirred within him. “You’re sure? You’ve thought about this?”
She nodded. “Dena’s helped a lot. I watched a scene with her and Master Parks, and it showed me so much.” She shivered. “I can’t imagine not experiencing submitting to you again. I need it. I need you.”
He was only slightly shocked Dena talked her into watching. What shocked him more was her use of Jeff’s title. After Sasha’s accident, Julie had referred to the other Dominants by their first names. He trailed a finger down her cheek, rested his hand on her shoulder so his fingers gently encircled her throat. “You want to be my submissive? To be mine to control while in my bed and in my playroom?”
Her lips curved into a wicked smile. “And occasionally in your car.”
She wanted to be his! His laugh came easily. “Oh, yes. And occasionally in my car.”
They shared a smile of anticipation at the things to come. A joint understanding that though they had different needs, those needs were only satisfied in the other.
He thought of the times they’d spent together and how empty everything seemed without her. She needed to understand his expectations.
“I don’t do short-term, Julie. If I take you again, I won’t easily let you go.”
“I’m not running anymore.” Her voice was low, seductive, and whispered a promise of shared pleasure.
Their lips brushed lightly. He pulled back and gazed into her eyes before slipping his arms around her and capturing her lips in a kiss that left them both panting and anxious for more.
He couldn’t wait to give it to her.
The soft chime of the shop door opening sounded ten minutes before closing. Julie frowned. She’d hoped no one would show up. Sasha had left earlier than normal, claiming she had a headache and needed to lie down. In the last few weeks since Julie had gotten back together with Daniel, Sasha had been distant. Julie was worried about her.
But now she had a customer. She took a deep breath, walked into the main room, and stopped short.
Daniel stood at the door, facing away from her. He flipped the sign in the window to CLOSED and locked the door.
“Am I closing early?” she asked.
His eyes were dark and sultry when he turned to face her. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
She moved toward him and kissed him softly, her hands locking around his neck. “Is that a promise?”
“Should I make it a threat?”
“You can make it anything you want.”
He growled. “I’ll take you up on that.”
Her heart raced just at the thought of it.
“As soon as I buy some flowers.”
Her hands dropped from his shoulders. “You came here to buy flowers?”
“It is a floral shop.” He nibbled her earlobe. “And I told you I’d make it worth your while.”
“What flowers are you looking for? Anything specific?”
“Very specific. Close the blinds.”
He’d been nuzzling her neck. She almost didn’t hear him. “What?”
“Close the blinds. I don’t think you want an audience for what I have planned. But if you’d like to put on a show?” He shrugged. “You can leave them open.”
Her head spun. Here? In her shop? “Are we going to . . . ?”
He placed a finger over her lips. “Do you trust me, kitten? Nod if you do.”
She looked into his eyes, so confident and sure, filled with both desire and need. The warmth from his finger heated her entire body and traveled to that secret part of her she’d kept buried for so long. She nodded.
“Thank you.” He moved his finger. “Now, do we entertain your neighbors?”
“No, sir.”
He tilted his head and she quickly closed the blinds. She couldn’t believe she was going to have sex in her shop. It sounded so wanton, so wicked, so wild. She loved it.
Since the shop only had a few windows, it didn’t take her long to ensure they were adequately covered. When she turned around to Daniel, she noted he’d taken off both his winter coat and his suit coat. He watched her walk toward him, rolling up his shirtsleeves as she came closer.
“Very nice, kitten,” he said when she stood before him. “Tell me what you say if you need me to stop.”
“Red, sir.”
He palmed her cheek. “Good girl. And if I need to slow down?”
“Yellow, sir.”
He drew her close and whispered against her lips, “It makes me so hard when you call me ‘sir.’”
Being with him like she was, in her shop, knowing there were people walking by outside, made her feel more playful than normal. She slipped her hand between their bodies and cupped his erection. “Is that right, sir?”
He captured her wrist, immobilizing it. “Someone’s being naughty tonight. Does my kitten need a spanking?”
Would he spank her in her shop? So people walking by could hear? She found herself surprised by how much the idea turned her on and decided to push him.
“Maybe, sir.”
“Maybe?” He took her wrist and pushed it behind her back. “Where I come from, ‘maybe’ is what people say when they want to say ‘yes,’ but something’s keeping them from saying so. I think you deserve a spanking for the wandering hand and the wishy-washy response to my question.”