Ashley Katie -Subordination_Chronicles_of_a_Domme_1

FBI Anti-Piracy Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Advertencia Antipirateria del FBI: La reproducción o distribución no autorizada de una obra protegida por derechos de autor es ilegal. La infracción criminal de los derechos de autor, incluyendo la infracción sin lucro monetario, es investigada por el FBI y es castigable con pena de hasta cinco años en prisión federal y una multa de $250,000. Katie Ashley Copyright 2015 by Katie Ashley All Rights Reserved All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever including internet usage, without the written permission of the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Cover Model: Matt Zumwalt Photography: Eric Battershell Cover: Lettia Hasser at RBA Designs Cover graphics and eBook formatting:

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To Tiffany Reisz, Cherise Sinclair, and Joey Hill for writing BDSM before it was cool and for paving the way for writers like me! Thanks for having the integrity to adequately portray BDSM relationships that are truly safe, sane, and consensual. And to Cris Soriega and Kim Bias: the dual wind beneath my wings. I couldn’t make it in this business without you guys. Your love, your friendship, and your support sustains me in the good times and bad. I know I can count on you both no matter what. Thanks for having the best interest of my books at heart and for keeping me somewhat sane!

CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 EPILOGUE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With my arms crossed over my chest, I absentmindedly tapped my foot on the dungeon bathroom’s floor. I threw a glance at the digital clock that hung on the far wall. Pursing my painted red lips, I considered whether enough time had passed. Anticipation always heightened a scene. There was something about making a sub wait for his punishment, and in turn his pleasure, that drove them wild. I didn’t have to look outside the bathroom door to know exactly what was going on in the dungeon. After ordering my sub to disrobe and assume the Display position, I knew the middle-aged man, or silver fox as some would refer to his handsome appearance, would be kneeling naked on the floor with his hands behind his back and his head bent. His body would be trembling ever so slightly as he waited for his Mistress to deliver what he so desperately needed. When five minutes had passed, I knew it was time to make my entrance. I leaned into the light to give my appearance a final glance in the mirror. Decked in white from head to toe, I was quite the angelic vision but in leather. My corset dress hit mid-thigh, leaving just a small gap to where the stiletto-heeled white boots came. The front of the dress crisscrossed over my breasts, showing an ample amount of my C-cup cleavage. The dark chestnut-colored hair that usually flowed freely down my back was wrapped in a tight French braid with white ribbon interwoven into it. Within the confines of the leather, I left my former self behind and transformed into Mistress Juliette. To some¸ white seemed like an odd choice for a dominatrix. Most people envisioned Dommes in the essential black or at least red. But from the first day I’d walked through the doors of Club 1740, I knew I needed a niche—something to make me stand out from the other ten women who worked there. After all, I was there to make money, not get off. As an English major, I thought it only fitting to choose white—the color of innocence and purity. It made the perfect paradox for what I was there to do, which was certainly devoid of any innocence or purity. My job was to deliver pain and domination while also giving pleasure. Therefore, I was at times both an angel and a demon. I couldn’t help grinning at how my appearance had undergone quite the conversion in the past twenty-four hours. Last night in a flowing black robe, I’d marched into the packed convocation center of Kennesaw State University to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance. It was the furthest fucking thing from a Domme you could imagine, unless you were role-playing a professor/student scene. “Sophie Marie Jameson.” When my name echoed off the speakers, the moment overwhelmed me, causing me to falter in my subdued black heels. I wasn’t usually a sappy, oversentimental person, but I found myself getting swept up in emotion. But then I’d pulled myself together and made my way across the stage. I extended my hand to shake the hand of the university’s president. “Congratulations,” she said with a smile.

My trembling fingers clutched the diploma, and I finally managed to squeak a, “Thank you.” I was too overcome to say much else. While it might’ve been cliché, there had been a whole lot of sacrifice along with blood, sweat, and tears that had gone into getting my education. I was the first one in my family to get a college degree, let alone a masters. When I got to the stage’s stairs, I dared to look out at the crowd where I knew my dad and brother were. Although his neurologist had advised him against it, my father had insisted on attending. “Nothing could stop me from seeing my daughter get not just a college degree, but a graduate degree,” he had said, immense pride reflected on his face. Being wheelchair bound with Muscular Dystrophy had afforded him prime seating close to the stage. Of course, he had no idea where the money to buy his new power wheelchair had come from me. Considering he thought I waited tables, he would have questioned how the hell I could afford it. So I led him to believe it had been donated. He would never know that the money had been earned by checking my inhibitions about edge play at the door of a sprawling estate just two blocks from the Governor’s Mansion. I’d never participated in anything as extreme as fire play before, but when a club member offered me two thousand dollars for a night, I couldn’t say no. I’d spent hours out in the backwoods on my dad’s property learning how to wield both a flaming flogger and whip without catching myself on fire. In the end, I’d left the sub with second-degree burns over his body and a hugely satisfied smile on his face. I’d been rewarded with an extra thousand because he’d said I had a true gift when it came to using a whip. He had no idea that growing up on a horse farm, I’d used a whip practically before I had a pencil. When I caught my father’s eye, that same expression of overwhelming pride was there again, but this time there were tears as well. Although I’d never been an open crier, I didn’t try fighting the moisture that pooled in my eyes. Instead, I let it overflow and stream onto my cheeks. My vision had been blurry as I made my way down the stairs and back to my seat. Now in the dungeon bathroom, I found myself once again fighting tears. Rolling my eyes with frustration, I muttered, “Get a fucking grip, Soph.” Throwing open the door, I found my sub just as I expected. The only sound in the room was the rise and fall of the sub’s breathing, and the distant bass from the dance floor upstairs. At the echo of my boot heels clicking across the tile, the sub’s posture became slightly straighter. I walked around to stand in front of him. He kept his gaze respectfully on the floor. Reaching out, I ran one of my blood red fingernails under his chin and tipped his head for him to look at me. “Good boy, Owen. Now go get in the chair.” “Yes, Mistress Juliette.”

Most people upon hearing my Domme name thought I’d chosen it from my love of Shakespeare. Instead, I figured if I was working in a club named after the birth year of Marquis de Sade, I should go with the name of one of his literary heroine’s—or I guess I should say antiheroines considering Juliette’s depravity. Owen eased down onto the leather-padded seat of the CBT chair, which was short for Cock and Balls Torture. To the average onlooker, the chair resembled a weight lifting bench. Upon closer inspection, you would notice there was a hole for the cock and balls. Since it was a torture chair, the cock and balls weren’t just left swinging in the breeze. They were locked into place by a sliding, wooden guillotine. The chair took a hell of a lot of discipline considering any movement meant having your family jewels and prized possession painfully squeezed. Of course, that was also the allure. Once Owen placed his chin onto the chair’s rung, I leaned over and locked the guillotine. Then I went to gather the remaining tools I needed for the session. Opening the cabinet drawer, I pulled out the coiled bundle of black and purple hemp rope. Every Domme had their favorite means of bondage. Some liked electrical ties, some liked tape, and some liked chains. For me, it was rope. As the daughter of a champion roper, it was the one area of my personal life that bled into my job. I lay the rope down on the counter and picked up the roll of electrical tape. Since Owen enjoyed intense and rapid flogging, I wrapped the tape around my palm to protect it from blisters. After my hand was taped, I then took out my purple and black leather rope flogger. Within its extensions were tiny knots that inflicted more pain than one would imagine. Since Owen didn’t derive any pleasure from the act of being tied up, I kept things simple by using the Quick Cuffs tie, which was basically a version of rope handcuffs. After tying his hands behind his back, I dropped down onto my knees to tie his ankles. Once I felt the knot was yielding, yet secure, I rose on my feet. Going back to the table, I turned the music on. Metallica’s Enter Sandman came blaring out of the overhead speakers. It was one of Owen’s personal favorites to be flogged to. He was a big fan of ‘90s grunge metal. I picked up the flogger and went back over to Owen. When I cracked the flogger’s ends against my boots, Owen shuddered. But it wasn’t fear that had his body trembling—it was anticipation and desire. He was a textbook masochist who only got off from pain. His skin glistened with a sheen of both sweat and Icy Hot. The ointment wasn’t for any previous aches he might have. Instead, it heightened the sting and the burn on the flesh whenever the flogger made contact. He had even coated his cock and balls with it. As I raised the flogger over my head, I slipped further into Domme space. I cleared my mind of

thought and focused only on the flogger’s contact against his skin. Had I been a lifestyle Domme, delivering the blows would have gotten me aroused, but as a professional Domme, it was just a job to me. After leaving Owen’s back reddened with welts, I moved over his shoulders onto his chest. When I smacked his thick erection, Owen flinched before groaning with pleasure. “Thank you, Mistress.” While most men would have cringed at having their dick squeezed, least of all flogged, it was what caused Owen’s eyes to roll back in his head like he was receiving the best blow job of his life. “Harder, Mistress, please.” I stilled my movements. “Hmm, I’m not sure you deserve it.” “But I do. Please,” he begged. Grabbing him by the hair, I jerked his head back to where he had to look me in the eye. “Have you been a bad boy this week?” His pupils dilated further with desire. “Yes, Mistress. Very bad.” “Then I suppose I need to punish you.” An appreciative smile curved on Owen’s lips. “Yes, Mistress.” Releasing his hair, I shoved his head back in place. Over and over I drilled his cock and balls with the flogger. Owen’s toes curled from the pleasure and from trying to hold back his orgasm. He knew he was only allowed to come when I told him. Sweat broke out along his forehead while the muscles grew tense and taut in his arms and thighs. Dropping the flogger to the ground, I tightened the guillotine. “Come. Now,” I commanded before sliding it back to release his cock. The unmistakable groan of pent-up release came from Owen as he threw his head back while his hips pumped furiously against the end of the CBT chair. Spent, he lay his cheek against the chair rung and sighed. “Thank you, Mistress.” I walked around to the front of the chair and began to untie his wrists. Although my usual aftercare included massaging the skin to help ease the sting of the blood flow returning, Owen always refused. He jokingly called it his cigarette to bring him down after coming. Once his hands were untied, I walked behind him to get his ankles. As soon as he was freed, Owen slid off the seat and immediately went to his knees. Placing his palms flat on the floor, he bent over to bestow tender kisses on the tops of my boots. He kissed his way up my legs to where the boots stopped at the top of my thighs. He would have gone farther to my pussy had I given him permission, but I never received pleasure from subs. He lifted his head to give me an adoring smile. “You always give me just what I need,

Mistress.” “You’re such a flatterer, Owen,” I mused. I playfully smacked his cheek, signaling the end to the scene. He then winked. “How do you think I became president of Atlanta’s top law firm?” “By licking boots?” I teased. With a chuckle, he replied, “Well, I sure as hell didn’t get it just by my good looks.” Turning around, I tossed him a wet towel. “Just don’t think your previous flattery is going to get you out of cleaning up after yourself.” “No, Mistress, I wouldn’t dream of it.” “Your usual?” I asked. He nodded as he bent over to clean-up the cum-splattered floor. My boot heels clicked across the dungeon floor as I made my way over to the mini fridge in the corner. I grabbed a bottle of cranberry juice for him and a water for me. Hydration was key after a scene and H2O was usually the preferred means, but just like with kink, each sub brought his or her own likes and dislikes into the dungeon. Ever the obedient sub, Owen had gotten the antibacterial cleaner to ensure that the chair was disinfected for the next client. When he was finished, I handed him his juice. After unscrewing the bottle cap, Owen froze before bringing the drink to his lips. At his forlorn expression, I held up my water-free hand. “Oh no, not you, too?” Over the course of the last week, each one of my clients had become emotional on me. The worst was my six-foot-five professional wrestler who wept inconsolably as he almost smothered me in a bear hug. At the end of the day, the sentiment was pretty touching. Owen shook his head as he took a long swig of his juice. “I can’t help it. I think it finally hit me that this is our last session.” “You’re going to be fine. You have test sessions lined up with Mistress Venus and Mistress Rain, right?” “Yes.” “I’m sure you’re going to find someone to take care of you.” “They won’t be you.” I smiled. “No. But I’m sure they’ll torture you just as well I do.” “We’ll see,” Owen replied skeptically. Swatting him on the ass, I commanded. “Go get your shower.” He bowed his head obediently. “Yes, Mistress,” he said, before disappearing into the bathroom. He needed to put his appearance back together before he went home to his third trophy wife.

Owen was a good representation of the majority of my clients. They were professional men who had wives or girlfriends who weren’t into BDSM. They either gave permission for their men to take care of their needs, or they pretended not to know. Some men chose to keep their significant others truly in the dark. Most of my clients needed to be able to play during the week because they had to be free on weekends to be with their families. It worked out best for me as well because I needed my weekends free to go home to be with my dad. With Owen occupying the bathroom, I used the dungeon mirror to touch up my makeup. It was truly ironic that without school, I would have never become a Domme, and without being a Domme, I would have never been able to afford to finish college, least of all go to graduate school. Everything changed for me five years ago in my second year English class. My professor, who must’ve been a closeted member of the BDSM scene, had us read an excerpt from Marquis De Sade. The discussion got quite animated when debating whether Marquis was a literary genius or basically a sick fuck. “I’m not sure why anyone who was truly into BDSM would embrace his work,” I said. My professor’s bushy brows raised questioningly. “And why is that?” “Because it supports the stereotype that there has to be something emotionally wrong with you to want pleasure from pain. Not to mention that his characters get off from depravity like rape and extreme torture.” “Well, I think you do have to be sick to wanna get off by getting tied up and beaten,” a prissy girl in the front row stated. “Everyone has different likes and desires. What you are alluding to is consensual where as in Sade’s stories it wasn’t. We won’t even talk about how it wasn’t safe or sane.” A guy two rows ahead of me turned around and waggled his brows. “You can spank me any day, baby,” “Dream on, douche bag,” I had replied, which caused laughter to echo through the room. When class had ended, a tall, lanky girl came up to me as I was packing away my laptop. “I really liked what you had to say.” “Calling that dickhead a douchebag or about Sade?” She laughed. “I guess both.” “Well, you’re welcome.” After glancing around, she asked, “Are you in the scene?” “BDSM?” When she nodded, I replied, “Oh no. I’m not.” “Hmm, I could have sworn you were.” “Because I knew about safe, sane, and consensual? That was referenced in the literary criticism

essay after the excerpt.” Her blonde brows rose in surprise. “You actually read that when it wasn’t assigned?” I laughed. “Yep. As a future English teacher, I kind of get off on that nerdy criticism stuff.” She grinned. “I see. Some get off on words, others BDSM.” “Totally.” “If you don’t have a class right now, you wanna get some coffee?” Since I hadn’t made a lot of friends at school, I decided to take her up on the offer. “Sure.” “I’m Lindsay, by the way” “Sophie.” Two cups of shitty student center coffee later and Lindsay revealed she was both a professional and lifestyle Domme. While I found the conversation enlightening considering you didn’t find too many sexually-liberated people around our backwoods community college, I had no idea where it was about to lead. “Have you ever thought about getting into the scene as a Domme?” Waving my hands in front of me, I replied, “Oh no, it’s not for me. Don’t get me wrong. I like to give a good spanking and pull some hair, but I could never be into that full time.” “What about for a job?” “Seriously?” “The club where I work is always looking for professional Dommes—ones who aren’t likely to let their emotions get in the way by being romantically involved with a sub. I think you’d be perfect.” My eyes narrowed suspiciously. “And just how would you know that from an hour-long conversation?” “Because you didn’t blink an eye when it came to putting a man twice your size in his place.” “Yeah, well, I hardly see how a verbal comeback qualifies me to beat the hell out of someone.” “As a Domme, you learn quickly how to read people. I can read you.” “And just what do you see besides an opinionated smart-ass?” “You have way much more depth.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I said, “Do tell.” “I know you’re a strong, independent woman who thrives on control in all facets of her life. You’re most likely not in a relationship right now because men are always intimidated by your strength.” I stared at her in surprise. How the hell was it possible for her to know that? “You’re starting to freak me out a little.” Lindsay laughed. “I told you I could read people.” Her expression grew serious. “I also know

you could really use the money.” “Have you been stalking me or something?” “Besides the fact that you own a terribly outdated laptop, one of the folders you put in your bag was from Financial Aide.” At what must’ve been my creeped out expression, she held up her hand. “I know because I have the same folder. I’m here on the same grants that you are. Pretty soon they’re going to run out. When they do, the money I make from being a Domme will enable me to finish school without having to take out a bunch of loans.” I eased back in my seat, weighted down by the intensity of the conversation. I was facing the same dilemma as Lindsay, except mine was direr. My father’s MS had begun to worsen. While he’d been able to get around the farm on a cane, he’d declined so rapidly in the past few weeks that now he needed a walker. It wouldn’t be long before he needed a wheelchair. The farm had long since been paid for, but taxes on fifty acres was enormous. The overseer we’d hired to help run the farm was also a drain. Even after all the cattle and some of the horses were sold, we would still come up short. I was a modern day Scarlett O’Hara facing the loss of my father’s beloved Tara. “It’s true. I need the money, but I can’t prostitute myself.” Lindsay surprised me by laughing. “Dommes don’t have sex with their clients.” “They don’t?” “No. Most scenes don’t even call for you to touch a sub intimately to get them off. They’ll do that all on their own…when you let them.” “How much could I make a session?” “Depends on what you’re willing to do. Edge play Dommes always make more.” “Like the medical shit?” “Yes. Also fire, blood, and breath play.” I shook my head furiously from side to side. “Hell no. I can’t do any of that.” “Even if you stick with the basic stuff, you can make two to three hundred a session.” The last sip of coffee I’d taken spewed out onto the table. “For one session?” Lindsay nodded. “With your looks and personality, it could easily become five hundred to a thousand.” “Damn.” “That’s pretty much what I thought when I first started.” “But I’m clueless when it comes to all this shit. The only thing I really know how to do with rope is hogtie a steer or corral a horse.” Lindsay’s blue eyes widened. “You know about tying rope?” “Yeah, I grew up on a cattle farm. I can tie just about every knot imaginable.”

I had no idea admitting that fact would be such a plus, but Lindsay was practically bouncing in her seat. “If you know about rope, then you already have a leg up. Some men would cream their pants just at the thought of you hog-tying them.” Once again, all I could say was, “Damn.” Reaching in her purse, Lindsay pulled out a card. “Listen, I have another class coming up. Think about it, and if you decide it’s something you want to do, give me a call. If not, I won’t mention it again.” I took the card. “Mistress Layla?” She grinned. “That’s me.” “Okay, I’ll think about it.” “I’m glad to hear it.” “No matter what, thanks for the opportunity.” “You’re welcome.” She slid her messenger bag, which was surely designer, onto her shoulder before leaving me at the table with my jangled thoughts. I don’t know how long I sat there, turning her card over and over between my fingers. After glancing at my phone, I realized two hours had passed by. I was going to have to haul ass to make it to my waitressing job. As I hurried to the parking garage, my mind continued to whirl with thoughts. When I got to my car, I groaned and threw my hands up. My front right tire was completely flat. I’d already moved the back tires to the front because I couldn’t afford new ones. I was so fucked. The first call I made wasn’t to the local service station. It was to Lindsay. A thumping bass filled my ears as she said, “This is Mistress Layla.” “Hey, it’s Sophie.” I hesitated a moment before saying, “When can I start?”

Owen reappeared in his suit and tie, looking handsome and distinguished and every bit the hardened lawyer. In his hands, he held a wrapped jewelry box. “I have something for you.” Tilting my head, I wagged a finger at him. “You didn’t need to do that.” He winked at me. “Of course I did. Besides, I don’t remember any club bylaws that state a sub can’t give his Domme a gift.” I didn’t bother arguing anymore. With the same excitement as a kid on Christmas morning, I tore into the package. When I cracked open the box, I sucked in a breath. “Owen, this is breathtaking.” It was a gold bracelet heavy-laden with charms. The charms themselves were a mixture of the pictures of my favorite authors like Shakespeare, Poe, and Harper Lee. Then there were book-themed charms like quills, a raven, and a mockingbird, each decorated with Swarovski crystals. “Wherever did you find it?” “I had a jeweler friend of mine make it.” It took me a few moments to find my voice. “I don’t know what to say.” “The expression on your face is thanks enough.” I smiled. “This is one of the most thoughtful gifts anyone has ever given me.” “You’re welcome.” With my free hand, I placed it on his cheek before leaning in to bestow a kiss on his lips. There was no spark or electricity at the touch—it was out of love but certainly not the romantic kind. People outside of the BDSM community never realized the true depth of emotions that went into a scene or the deep affection that a Domme felt for her sub and vice versa. When I pulled away, Owen sighed with frustration. “No tongue?” I laughed while silently thanking him for lightening the moment. “Behave yourself.” “Ah, but I do so like the threat of punishment,” he countered with a mischievous glint in his eye. “I’ll be sure to let Mistress Venus and Rain know to deprive you of harsh beatings.” He frowned. “Now that’s just cruel.” “Then be a good boy.” “I will. For you.” He smiled as he motioned to the bracelet. “When you wear that, try to think of me from time to time.” “Of course I will. How could I not think of the person who gave me such a beautiful, thoughtful gift?” Owen gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before heading to the dungeon door. I tried ignoring the tightening in my chest at his retreating form. I’d never meant to get attached to my clients. But it was almost impossible when you spent so much intimate time with them.

I probably should have gone home to finish packing. I would be leaving the bright city lights and moving back to my farm on Monday. I’d taken a teaching job at the same high school where I’d graduated, and we started preplanning on Tuesday. It was overwhelming to think that in just ten short days I would be standing in front of my first group of students. But as I gazed around the dungeon, I realized I wasn’t quite ready to leave 1740. Being an overly sentimental person, I felt the need to savor my last night a little longer. I wanted to head upstairs to the main floor and hang out with some of the staff. Considering how rigid my client schedule was during the week, I rarely had time to just sit and talk. I grabbed my purse and hurried out the door. I started down the long, mazelike hallway to the elevators. While 1740 was only two floors, the dungeon held ten private rooms that were outfitted for different types of play. A whiff of rubbing alcohol hit my nose as I passed the room dedicated to needle and blood play while the sound of a whirring machine could be heard from the medical room. Whatever kink you were interested in, you could most likely find it at 1740. After a quick ride, the elevator doors opened to the main floor. Since I had come up the staff elevator, I bypassed the reception area where membership cards were scanned. Because of the exclusive clientele, 1740 went to the extremes of security to protect its clients’ identities. I waved to one of the bouncers as I walked into what I liked to call “the club.” With a bar and massive dance floor, it resembled the inside of a regular club. There were also tables and couches where people could sit and talk, presumably about what they wanted to do downstairs in one of the private rooms. Beyond “the club” was where public scenes were enacted. Anyone could hang out and watch a flogging or rope suspension. I started making my way through the packed Friday night crowd. People were in all types of attire from fetish wear to jeans. Some gyrated on the dance floor while others stood around talking. My steps faltered as I did a double take at the sight of what appeared to be a shirtless and shoeless Henry Cavill standing before me. The idea wasn’t entirely far-fetched since we’d had a few celebrities in the club. But as one of the strobe lights flickered to illuminate more of his face, I realized he was just a look-alike. His hair was lighter while his eyes were dark brown, rather than blue. He was impossibly tall, and I couldn’t help staring at his muscular chest with its dusting of dark hair that led to an oh-so-happy trail that ended at the low hanging waistband of his jeans. He had an aura of importance about him, and I couldn’t help wondering who he was in real life. He held my gaze for a moment before averting his eyes to the ground. “Good evening, Mistress.” A submissive? I would have never imagined it in a million years. Even though I knew from my

own clients that submissive men weren’t simpering pussies, there was something about this man that screamed dominant. Of course, the fact he was shoeless should have given his sub status away, but he wasn’t wearing a collar. A prime piece of submissive man like this usually belonged to someone. And if he didn’t, he would normally be snatched up by a Domme practically before he got through the door, least of all across the dance floor. I couldn’t help wondering what his story was. More than anything, I wondered what it might be like to have a session with him. I so rarely took anyone on outside my usual clients. But it might be something fun for my last night in the club. To test his true submissiveness, I commanded, “Look at me.” He jerked his gaze from my boots to meet mine. “Are you looking to play tonight?” “Yes, I am. And if it pleases you, Mistress, I would be honored if you chose me.” His voice. Sweet Jesus, it was panty-melting. It totally went with his body—strong, firm, and deep. Although he had answered my question well, I still had my doubts. With all the strength I had, I reached out to firmly slap his cheek. The resounding smack echoed around us. A man playing at being a sub would have a distinct reaction. His eyes would darken with the rage seething within him at being treated so disrespectfully. Oh, but not him. His face remained impassive. Yet at the same time, he shuddered, and his dark eyes flashed with a combustive mix of lust and desire. His reaction caused moisture to pool between my thighs. He reminded me of our horses back on the farm. He was a spirited stallion who needed a firm hand to break him, and damn me to hell if I didn’t want to be the one to do it. Wanting to build the anticipation, I patted his cheek where I had previously slapped him. “I’ll think about it.” “Yes, Mistress.” He bowed his head before backing up. Damn, someone had truly trained him well. I stepped past him to head to the bar. My mouth had run dry, and I desperately needed a drink. “Hey there, sugar tits,” Lyle, the bartender, said with a grin. “If you were my sub, I’d spank your ass for speaking to me like that,” I mused as I slid onto one of the stools. He winked. “The night shift bartender is about to come in. You can take me downstairs and show me what you’re all about. You know, like a parting gift for you.” I laughed. “You sub for the other team.” Lyle shrugged. “It might be interesting to see the difference between a Domme and a dom.” “Considering I don’t have a dick, I think you’d be pretty disappointed.” When he opened his mouth to argue, I shook my head. “And don’t suggest a strap-on because I don’t do that. I draw the line at butt plugs.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Mistress Venus said as she joined us. She closed her blue eyes in exaggerated bliss. “I love making a sub my bitch, and nothing does that quite like fucking with a strap-on.” She opened her eyes and huffed out a frustrated breath. “But why do I bother explaining it to you since you’re only a professional Domme? You leave all the excitement here and go home to your vanilla world.” She grinned. “Hell, you probably do it missionary style through a sheet.” “Very funny. I’ll have you know I’ve never been and never will be a totally vanilla girl. I like some good kink.” Venus rolled her eyes. “The mainstream kink—some handcuffs, whipped cream, maybe some spanking. Let me tell you what. Until you’ve drilled a two hundred and fifty pound professional football player with a nine-inch strap-on, you’re vanilla.” Lyle snickered at what must’ve been the appalled look on my face. “I’m pretty sure sugar tits doesn’t even take it up the ass herself.” “Once again, a butt plug is as far as I’m giving or taking.” I waved a finger at them. “And that doesn’t make me a prude.” “Speaking of spanking ass, that’s a fine piece you had your eye on earlier,” Lyle said. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know that the sub’s eyes were on me. The heat of his stare singed the exposed skin on my back. “I thought about doing a scene with him—kind of a ‘one for the road’ kinda thing. But I’m not so sure. Regardless of the pretty package, there must be something wrong with him, or he would have already been snatched up.” “You don’t know who that is?” Venus inquired. I shook my head as I took another sip of cranberry juice. “He must be a weekend-only guy.” “Oh, girl, that’s William. He’s been a member for about a year. At first, he played with a few different Mistresses, but then he and Calla got together.” I wrinkled my nose with disgust. “Such good looks but obviously no taste in Mistresses.” Lyle laughed. “After all these years is she still giving you attitude?” “I’d call it more catitude since she’s a catty bitch.” While I hadn’t gone into the club looking to make friends, I’d found most of the Dommes to be welcoming and friendly. All but Calla. She was still relatively new when I’d started, and after I began to be sought after by weekly clients, she began to go out of her way to give me shit. Normally, I would have told her off, but she was a friend of the owner, so I had to bite my tongue. Thankfully, she worked the weekends and a few odd nights during the week, so I didn’t have to see her. Venus tapped her metallic black nails on the counter. “I feel sorry for William. Calla’s put the word out to leave him off-limits.”

“Why would she do that?” I questioned. “Apparently she wanted a D/s relationship with him outside the club, and he wasn’t interested. So she’s trying to drive him away by not having anyone for him to play with.” “Man, she’s a cunt,” I muttered. “You can say that again. Considering how tight she is with Robert, no one on staff is going to give him the time of day. His only hope is finding a lifestyle Domme willing to play tonight.” Glancing over my shoulder, I eyed William again. A foreign feeling coiled tight in my lower belly—one I hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Lust. I’d never once wanted to voluntarily play with a sub. It had always been about the job…about the money. But he’d already piqued my interest five minutes ago. Now after hearing his plight, I really wanted to play with him. In some ways, I felt like I needed to sow some wild oats before I left 1740 and went into the world of education. Lyle’s eyes widened. “Oh, girl, you get that idea out of your head right now.” “What?” I innocently asked. “You’re thinking about playing with him, aren’t you?” “Maybe.” “You’re wanting to go out with a bang, huh?” Lyle questioned. “After tonight, I’m done with 1740. In turn, that means I’m done with Robert. I mean, it’s not like I could ever ask him to fill out a reference for me.” I once again threw William a glance. “Why not have a little fun before I go?” “Calla comes in an hour.” I cocked my brows at Lyle. “So?” He shook his head. “I’m just glad my ass will be outta here before the fur starts to fly.” “I’ll make sure to lock the dungeon door.” Venus sighed. “Come on, Lyle. Look at how pitiful he is with no one to play with. It’s really like a mercy fuck.” He snorted. “Don’t encourage her.” “Like I could stop her if I tried,” Venus argued. “Good point,” I replied. I downed the rest of my cranberry juice. Then I hopped down off my stool. “See you guys later.” “Have fun. I want all the details,” Venus said. “Oh, I’ll be sure to fill you in.” Lyle shook his head. “She can probably catch it on the eleven o’clock news after all hell breaks

loose.” I merely laughed at Lyle’s statement. With a bounce in my step, I made my way over to where William was standing. “Hey, subbie.” He lowered his gaze. “Hello again, Mistress.” “I’ve given it some thought, and I think I would like to play with you tonight.” Before he could think better of it, he yanked his head up. “You do?” “You act so surprised.” “I’m getting the impression that I’m suddenly persona non grata around here.” “You’re right. Your former Mistress has put the word out, and she has a lot of pull within the club.” William’s dark eyes widened. “Then why would you want to play with me?” “Because I like a challenge. And I like to piss people off.” The corners of his lips turned up in a half smile. “I see.” “I’m Mistress Juliette.” “William.” Motioning to the bar, he asked, “Shall I get you something to drink?” “My, my, so formal. Did your last cunt of a Mistress expect that from you?” William once again fought a smile. “No, ma’am. You can blame it on my upbringing.” “No need to blame anyone. I happen to like it. An educated-sounding man turns me on.” What the hell? Did I actually just say that? “I’m glad I please you.” William’s dark eyes penetrated into mine. They were so brown they were almost black. On another man, they might have been considered soulless because of their darkness. But on him, they pooled with a variety of emotion—pleasure, kindness, desire, empathy, and affection. They were the kind of eyes you could lose yourself in. I gave a quick shake of my head. “Now, about that drink.” “Yes, Mistress.” Both staff and members were only allowed one alcoholic beverage. It was hard to be safe, sane, and consensual if you were blitzed. I handed him my staff card to scan the drink. “I’ll take a vodka and cranberry. And you’re welcome to get what you want as well.” “I’ll be right back.” I eased down on the plush cushions of the sofa to await William’s return. I tapped my foot on the floor as anticipation pricked along my skin. Was this what lifestyle Dommes felt like when interacting with a new sub? It was all the anxiousness of a casual date coupled with a hyper sexual awareness. William returned with my drink and a beer for himself. “Interesting choice,” I mused.

“Why do you say that?” “I would’ve imagined you with something…classier. Like white wine or a fine liquor.” A chuckle rumbled from William’s broad chest. “Do forgive me, Mistress, but I think if I ordered that I’d be a pretentious prick.” “There’s nothing pretentious about you.” Feeling extremely bold and uninhibited, my hand dropped to his lap. At my squeeze, he inhaled a sharp breath. “I’ve always thought the word ‘prick’ rendered itself to small, and you certainly don’t have a prick.” “What do I have, Mistress?” “A cock.” “That’s good to know.” I took my hand away, noting William’s frustrated sigh. “What do you like when you play?” “I like being controlled.” I smiled. “That’s good because I like to tell men what to do.” “I also like pain.” “I didn’t ask you that, but thanks for volunteering that information.” “My apologies, Mistress. I seem to be speaking more freely around you than I should.” “And I’m allowing you to more than I should.” Tapping my toe on the floor, I said, “Hmm, so I have another masochist. I just worked one over an hour ago.” “I don’t always have to have pain to get off. It just heightens everything for me. It’s like the difference in jerking off compared to coming inside a tight pussy.” His analogy had my mouth once again running dry. After taking a long gulp of my drink, I asked, “Is CBT your thing, too?” William grimaced slightly. “Not exactly.” “What exactly don’t you like about it?” “Well, to be frank, I happen to like my dick, so I don’t like it being tortured.” Although I normally wouldn’t have allowed so much chatter with a sub, I was so intrigued by everything William had to say that I allowed it. “Interesting. I would assume you liked that fine body of yours, yet you don’t mind it being beaten.” Amusement lit up William’s eyes. “Bruises and cuts can heal, but I’m not sure about a broken dick.” I laughed heartily at his remark. “You men are all the same. If it came down to having to choose to live without your dick or die, I think ninety-nine percent would choose death.” “I plead the fifth on that one.” He took a swig of beer. “As for my balls, I would like to have children one day, and I’m not sure how plausible that would be once you’ve had them repeatedly tied

up.” “That’s a very valid point. So for you, it’s just being bossed around with some pain.” “Yes, Mistress.” “Any hard limits?” “Anal play and humiliation.” “For some reason that doesn’t surprise me.” “Why is that, Mistress?” “When I first saw you, I thought you were a dominant playing at being a sub. We get some of those here. They like to come in and screw around by trying to top from the bottom. It’s a waste of everyone’s time. It’s one thing to be a switch when the scene has been agreed on.” I sighed. “But it was a stupid assumption—one that after all my years and experiences in the scene, I should never have made.” “You thought that because of the way I look?” “No, it wasn’t just about the fact you’re built like a brick shithouse. It was also about the way you carried yourself.” He grimaced. “The last few weeks have been crazy at work. I just received a transfer, so there’s all this new shit to learn. I guess I hadn’t completely left my work side behind and got into the sub zone.” I bit back a smile at the way he liked to ramble. I could tell he was the kind of personable guy who never met a stranger and was open and honest with every facet in his life. It was endearing. “Before we go downstairs, what’s your safe word?” “Heisman.” “After the trophy?” William’s brows popped in surprise. “Are you a football fan?” “No, but my little brother is. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say ‘little’ brother since he’s seventeen and six three. He’s the quarterback at his high school.” “That was my position back in the day.” I pursed my lips at him. “Ah, I should have pegged you for a former football player.” He winked. “Pegging is a hard limit.” “A sub who likes to tease. I’m pretty sure that’s a Domme’s job.” “I look forward to your teasing.” “And I look forward to putting you in your place.” Oh yes, I was really looking forward to putting him in his place. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had such a cute, intelligent, and funny sub to play with. This was really going to be fun.

After rising off the couch, I crooked my finger at William. “Let’s go.”

When the elevator’s doors opened, I led William down the dungeon’s long hallway. “Where did you and your former Mistress play?” I was glad to see that the door he pointed to was occupied. I didn’t want any past memories with Calla polluting his subspace during our session. I chose a different room from the one Owen and I had used. It was smaller, more intimate. It only housed a St. Andrew’s Cross, a spanking bench, and a suspension holder for chain and rope rigging. After closing and locking the door, I turned around to find William in the Attention position. His heels were together with his toes pointing on the line painted on the floor. His arms hung straight at his sides, and he stared straight ahead. Having a sub in the Attention position always made me feel a little like a drill sergeant inspecting a recruit. Taking my time, I made my way over to him. His breathing became more rapid with every step I took. Standing next to him, I pressed one of my fingernails into the base of his neck and then drew it slowly down his spine, which caused his body to vibrate. “What do you want me to do to you, William?” “Whatever pleases you, Mistress.” Tsking at him, I said, “You know that’s not entirely true because we already talked about your hard limits.” “I still want to please you, Mistress.” “We’ll see about that.” I jerked my chin up. “Take your pants off.” William’s hands immediately went to the button on his jeans. After he undid it, he slid the zipper down. I waited with bated breath as he pushed the denim over his hips and down his thighs. I wasn’t disappointed in the fact he wasn’t wearing any underwear. After he stepped out of his jeans, he started to bend down to pick them up and fold them like a sub was always instructed, but I shook my head. “Leave them. I want to look at you first.” He stood stock-still affording me the perfect view of his erection. Being a Domme, I’d seen a lot of dicks in my time with only a few being impressive. William’s certainly made an impression. With his looks, it almost wasn’t fair that he’d been blessed with a nice cock as well. Some guys just had everything. “Very nice,” I murmured, as I walked around him to get an eyeful of his ass. Just like his cock, it was perfection. Two fleshy round globes with indentations at the top that you wanted to press your fingers and your tongue into. “What’s your favorite type of restraint, William?” “The St. Andrew’s Cross, Mistress.”

“Why is that?” “I like that it exposes my back and legs to be whipped.” “What else?” “I like having the leather cuffs so tight they bite into my wrists and ankles, leaving marks.” “I see.” I walked around to face him. “But I bet you feel vulnerable having your ass exposed?” He frowned. “I suppose so.” With a wink, I said, “Lucky for you, I’m not a huge fan of the cross or leather cuffs. My choice of restraint is rope.” “I’ve never been tied up with rope before.” I smiled. “A rope virgin? Lucky me.” “I’m sure it’s me who is lucky.” “We’ll see, pretty boy,” I mused as I went over to the supply cabinet. I took out the bundle of measured rope before walking over to the suspension bar. “Come here.” When William was standing before me, I instructed, “Put your hands out in front of me. Palms facing each other.” After William did as he was told, I began to slide the rope teasingly up his arm. “How does that feel?” “Fine, Mistress.” “Just fine? Describe to me how it feels?” “It’s pretty smooth. Not as scratchy as I thought it would be.” “Good. That’s how it’ll feel rubbing against your skin when you’re tied up.” When I began to wrap the rope around his wrists, I commanded, “Keep your eyes on me.” William’s gaze immediately snapped from watching what I was doing to my eyes. Once I had his full attention, I explained, “This is called a Wrap and Double Cinch Column, my little rope virgin.” “I would beg to differ on the ‘little’ part.” “Aren’t we cocky?” “Just confident.” “With a cock like yours, you should be.” He grinned. “Thank you, Mistress.” “Of course, I should punish you for speaking so openly with me.” He lowered his eyes. “My apologies, Mistress.” “I’m being far too forgiving with you. But I also like your honesty and openness. It’s rather refreshing after being old only yes and no.” A small exhale of relief came from William. “I’m glad to hear I’m pleasing to you, Mistress.

It’s nice you’re trying to get to know me.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing since he continued to be a wide-open talker. I couldn’t help wondering how his last mistresses handled his mouth. I would have preferred shoving my pussy in his face to keep him quiet, but that wasn’t my style. After wrapping the rope four times around his wrists, I stopped. “You could make this into a Triple Column by wrapping it six times, but I think for you we’ll stop at two rings around your wrists.” “Did you do training to be able to do this?” Tsking at him, I said, “There you go running your mouth again.” “I’m sorry, Mistress.” “Are you naturally curious, or are you worried about your safety?” “No. Just why you chose to do this. It seems like a lot of effort to just tie someone up.” “This is nothing. You should see an elbow harness. It’s two sets of knotting down the back, bringing the elbows almost together. It comes underneath the chest and down the neck as well. We won’t even talk about doing hog tying or Kadara or rope dress.” “Sounds like it takes a lot of time.” “But that’s part of the fun for the sub.” I stared him in the eye. “The anticipation of what’s to come.” “I see,” he answered knowingly. “So why the interest in rope?” “I tied my first knot before I could tie my shoelaces.” At William’s shocked look, I laughed. “No, I wasn’t some child dominatrix. I grew up on a horse and cattle farm.” “That’s interesting. I wouldn’t have pictured you as a rural type of woman.” “I enjoy the city, but my heart is at the farm.” “Do you wear cowboy boots?” Giving him a strange look, I replied, “Yes. On my off time. It’s not like you see a lot of Domme’s in shitkickers.” Cocking my brows, I asked, “Why?” A lustful gleam burned his eyes. “I love cowboy boots on a woman.” I jerked the rope against his skin. “Aren’t you a naughty boy?” “Yes, Mistress.” I cinched the end of the tie. “There. All done.” William inspected my work. “With the leftover rope, it looks like a big bow.” I grinned. “I suppose it does.” I stuck two of my fingers between the tied rope to make sure there was enough room enough to avoid cutting off circulation. When I removed my fingers, I asked, “How does it feel?”

“Good, Mistress.” “No tingling or numbness?” “It’s fine, Mistress. You did a good job.” “Thank you.” I knotted an end around the leftover rope, and then raised up to put it on one of the hooks of the overhead suspension bar. “Ready?” “Yes, Mistress.” Twisting the crank, the suspension bar rose, forcing William’s arms over his head. The position didn’t look or feel comfortable, but that was the point. “How does that feel?” “It’s good, Mistress.” Now that William was in place, it was time to get down to business. When it came to choosing an instrument for whipping, I seemed to be drawn to ones I was used to in real life. Like with rope, I enjoyed the familiarity of riding crops. While the leather end could deliver good stings and smacks against the flesh, you could also use the shaft like a cane for even more intense blows. I also took it one step further by using a riding bat, rather than a crop. A bat looked exactly the same as a crop except it was slightly shorter in length while the leather at the end was thicker. While the club had several crops hanging up on the rack to choose from, I knew I wanted to use my personal bat on William. Since you were never supposed to leave someone suspended without supervision, I pressed the button for a dungeon master to come to the room. “I’ll be right back.” When I got to the door, I called, “You just hang out while I’m gone.” “Yes, Mistress,” William replied, his tone slightly amused. When the dungeon master opened the door, I stepped onto into the hallway. I walked down the lighted floor to the staff locker room. Since members didn’t get past the elevators without a staff member, there was no reason to lock the door. Members had their own locker room upstairs where they could keep the items they needed to play without having to take them home. Feeling like I was back in high school, I entered the combination on my locker. When the door popped open, I first took off the bracelet Owen had given me and deposited it into my purse. I then reached past my purse to grab the purple and white bat hanging in the back. My fingers wrapped around the braided leather handle. One of my father’s friends who worked in leather had made it for me. He had no clue what I planned to actually use it for. Considering he’d known me since I was five, he would have probably had a stroke. When I came back into the room, I excused the dungeon master. William kept his eyes on the floor. “Did you miss me?” I couldn’t help teasing. “Yes, Mistress, I did.” “Are you ready to get started?”

“More than anything, Mistress.” “Good,” I replied, as I came to stand in front of him. I studied his face—the tension in his jaw, the need burning in his eyes. “Once again, what’s your safe word?” “Heisman.” “Don’t hesitate to use it.” I ran the bat slowly from his Adam’s apple down to his sternum. When I got to his chest, I used the tip to circle one of his nipples. After it hardened under the teasing touch, I smacked it. William’s nostrils flared at the sting. I moved the bat over to tease his other nipple. When he expected me to smack the nipple like I had the other, I surprised him by cracking the shaft of the bat against his abdomen. “First lesson with me, subbie. Never anticipate my next move.” William sucked in a breath as a red line streaked his stomach. I used the bat to teasingly encircle his belly button. His abs involuntarily tightened at the contact, and his arms pulled against the rope. When his erection bucked against the bat, I flicked the head, causing William to hiss. “Down, boy,” I said. Raising my arm back, I began to alternate hitting his chest with the bat and then the shaft. William’s jaw clenched and unclenched with each strike. The chains on the suspension bar clinked overhead as he jerked against the rope binds. He was right about liking pain because his erection swelled and grew slick with pre-cum the more I hit him. I knew if I kept it up, he was going to come —that is if I allowed him to. With the skin on William’s stomach and back streaked with red, I stilled the bat before going over to the crank and lowering him down. Taking the end of the rope, I yanked him to me. His erection brushed against my exposed thigh, causing us both to suck in a surprised breath at the contact. Using the end of the rope like a leash, I pulled him over to the spanking bench. Instead of being flat, the bench dipped down slightly, so there was easier access to the sub’s ass. Once William was lying down on his stomach, I wound the end of the rope around the end of the bench, not allowing his arms any slack. “How is that?” “Fine, Mistress,” he groaned. I walked back over to the supply cabinet. While William thought I was getting a paddle or flogger, I was about to play with him on one of his hard limits. I took a smooth, silver vibrator out of one of the drawers. With the bat in one hand and the vibrator in the other, I went back over to William. After placing the bat at the top of the bench, I turned the vibrator on. At the buzzing of the vibrator, his body tensed, and he yanked his head back to look at me. “Eyes on the floor!” I barked.

He quickly turned back around. For a moment, I stood there just letting the hum mess with him. Then I pressed the tip of the vibrator into the skin at the nape of his neck. The moment the toy touched him, William jumped on the bench. “Easy there,” I cautioned. As I started sliding the vibrator down his spine, William’s breathing quickened. When I reached the top of his ass, the muscles in his buttocks clenched as he held his breath in anticipation of what I might do. I let the vibrator’s tip skim along his crack before I bent down. William exhaled a sigh of relief when I started at his calf and slid the vibrator up his leg. When I got to the curve of his buttock, I stopped and went to the other side. After reaching the top again, I said, “Spread your legs farther apart for me.” When he remained still, I took the riding bat in my free hand and brought it between his legs to smack his balls. He groaned as he dug his elbows into the bench’s cushion. Just as I pulled back the crop to hit him again, he slid his feet apart, widening his legs. “Good boy.” Dipping my hand between his legs, I pressed the vibrator against his perineum. This time when he groaned, it was with pleasure, not pain. As I increased the pressure on the sensitive skin between his balls and anus, his hips gyrated against the bench. “That’s not so bad, is it?” “No, Mistress.” “Say it again,” I commanded when his response was barely a murmur. “It’s not bad, Mistress,” William replied clearly this time. I began to rub the vibrator back and forth, speeding it up and then slowing it down. When I pressed against his anus, his buttocks clenched. “Easy now. I wouldn’t dare try to do anything without lube.” When he began to relax, I rolled the vibrator against his balls. With one hand I held the vibrator in place while I used the other to smack his back with the riding bat. His hips began to buck harder against the bench. His legs began trembling as he grew closer to the edge. Ready to give him relief, I stilled the bat. Leaning over, I pressed my lips against his ear. “Come for me, William,” I commanded. As his movements quickened, his thighs slapped against the leather bench. He threw his head back with a loud groan, his eyes pinched shut in ecstasy. The tendons in his neck strained as the muscles in his arms bulged as he pulled against the restraint. His body shuddered as his release spilled onto the floor. He was so beautiful when he came—the look of absolute bliss and abandon. The way he experienced his release throughout his entire body. There was a slight power trip in the fact that I had helped him achieve it.

When he was finished, I untied him from the bench and then the wrists. “Stand up.” He slid his chest off the bench, putting all his weight on his feet. Taking his right arm in my hand, I massaged my fingers deep into his muscles. “Feeling coming back?” “Yes. Thank you, Mistress.” After working on his other arm, he dropped down to his knees to reverently kiss the tops of my boots. Unlike Owen, he didn’t work his way up my legs. Keeping his head bowed, he asked, “Mistress, will you give me the honor of pleasuring you?” “No.” “But why?” I swept my hands to my hips. “Are you being insubordinate with me?” “No, Mistress. I just wish you would consider my offer.” “And why is that?” “Because I want to please you. I want to make you come as hard as you made me.” “Sorry. The answer is still no,” I replied as I took the rope over to the sink to be disinfected. When I turned around, surprised filled me at the sight of William on his feet again. His gaze still remained averted from mine. “Look at me,” I ordered. He raised his eyes to stare at me full on as I walked back over to him. Although he was trying to mask it, I could tell he was hurt by my refusal. “I want you to understand that it’s not you—that you did something that displeased me. I don’t receive pleasure from any of my subs.” “You should,” he insisted. Cocking my head at him, I said, “You should remember how to talk to your Mistress.” Instead of appearing apologetic, he took a step forward. “May I at least kiss you?” As I gazed at his earnest expression, I didn’t see what it could hurt. “Fine. A kiss and then you go on your merry little way.” I poked a finger into his breastbone. “And you tip me well.” William smiled. “Yes, Mistress.” I stood toe to toe with William and tilted my chin. “Kiss me,” I instructed. He dipped his head, and he closed his eyes. At the slight brush of his lips against mine, a shiver of anticipation shot down my spine. I felt like I was thirteen again with a boulder of anxiety in my stomach as the boy I liked kissed me behind our barn. When he deepened the kiss, he brought his arms around me, molding me to him. The kiss was everything—passionate, intimate, and affectionate. It felt like rediscovering a lost emotion—a lost part of me. Needing more, I sucked his tongue inside my mouth. The moment I gave him the green light, a switch flipped inside William. The reverent way his mouth had worshipped mine was replaced with a desperate conquering. His tongue battled along with mine, sucking, licking, devouring. An ache

began to build between my thighs, and I pressed my hips against William’s. His hand left the small of my back to wrap around my braid. He tugged on it, pulling me back to look at him. No sub had ever touched me without permission, least of all do something so forceful. “Please, Mistress. I want to taste every part you, not just your mouth.” Breathless from our exertions, it took me a moment to find my voice. “I told you I don’t do that.” “Why should you deny yourself?” Staring into his handsome face, I wondered the same thing. All these years, I’d never taken any pleasure for myself. There had been subs I’d been attracted to like Owen. Not all of them were interested in reciprocating pleasure, but many were. And I told them all no. As I stood molded against William’s warm, overpowering body like a second flesh, I didn’t want to argue anymore. I wanted to let go. I was a twenty-four-year-woman who had pretty much sacrificed her life for work, school, and her family. I couldn’t remember the last time an orgasm hadn’t come from a vibrating device. Dipping his head, William’s breath was warm against my ear. “Please let me make you come.” At the thought of what his mouth could do to my pussy, I whispered, “Yes.” He pulled back to stare at me. “Yes?” I drew my shoulders back and this time gave a firm, “Yes.” A genuine smile lit up his face. “Thank you.” He glanced around the dungeon. “Where?” “Right here.” William’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable on a queening stool?” “Right here,” I repeated, jabbing my finger at the ground for emphasis. “Yes, Mistress.” He knelt before me. Placing his hands on my calves, his fingers slid slowly up my boots and onto my thighs. I sucked in a breath at the feel of his warm palms on my exposed skin. They ventured farther underneath my dress. His fingertips pressed into my hips as he gripped the material of my thong. He eased the lace slowly down my thighs and boots. When the thong reached the floor, I carefully stepped out of it. When he rose off his knees, I stared at him in surprise. Before I could protest, he swept me up in his arms. “I said here.” “Trust me.” “You’re disobeying me. I should make you stop right now,” I growled. “But it’s for your pleasure.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Being disobeyed doesn’t get me off, subbie.” He eased me down onto my feet in front of the St. Andrew’s Cross. “You don’t seriously expect to tie me up?” “Of course not. I just wanted you to have something to lean back against to steady yourself.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I smirked at him. “You think pretty highly of your talents.” He didn’t appear the least bit apologetic. In fact, he held a gleam of self-assurance. “You can let me know if I did well afterward.” “I’ll remember that.” “Tell what to do, Mistress. This is all about you.” I could have him go straight to the main course by having him go down on me, but I wanted more. I needed to feel his hands on me. “Touch my breasts.” He quickly obliged by delving into my corset and cupping my breasts in his large hands. He weighed them in his palms, tenderly and reverently before squeezing them. At my intake of breath, he looked at me to gage what I was thinking. “Harder.” He fingers pressed into the flesh, causing my nipples to pebble. Without being told, he rolled them between his fingers, making them grow harder. “Put your mouth on them,” I ordered. Keeping his eyes on mine, William removed his hands from my breasts and untied the ribbon holding the front of my dress together. He tugged the ribbon through the holes, sending the dress gaping open and freeing my breasts. With a moan, he dipped his head and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth. As his lips tugged and pulled against the hardened point, wetness began to pool between my legs. I spread my fingers through the mop of hair at the top of his head. I yanked the strands, causing my nipple to pop free of his mouth. I then dragged his head over to my other breast for him to give it the same attention. This time he grazed my nipple with his teeth, causing me to moan. Although I could have prolonged his attention at my breasts, I brought my hands to his shoulders and eased him down. He began to roll the skirt of my dress up inch by inch sending much needed cool air to my inflamed core. I stared down at him, my naked breasts bouncing slightly with my heaving breaths. I fought the urge to grab him by the hair and shove his face between my legs. I didn’t know whether he was consciously or subconsciously paying me back for the anticipation I’d put him through. When my skirt finally reached above my hips, William sat back. “So beautiful,” he murmured, before leaning in to place a tender kiss at the top of my pussy. He continued his assault of butterfly kisses over to the crease of my thigh and then he worked his way back again. With sweat breaking out on my brow, I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. I widened my

legs. “Fuck me with your tongue. Now,” I demanded. “Yes, Mistress.” Grabbing my leg by the calf, he lifted it up and placed it on his shoulder. Dipping his head, he licked one long swipe from my clit to my ass. I shuddered. He then proceeded to lick along my lips, nibbling them with his teeth. He rubbed his tongue back and forth over my clit. I thrust my hips against him, desperate for friction. Opening his lips, he sucked my clit deep inside his mouth. Just like with my nipples, he pulled and tugged at my clit. “Oh, God,” I muttered. As my head fell back against the base of the cross, I was glad William had the forthright to bring me over here. Obeying my command not to use his fingers, his tongue probed at my opening before thrusting inside. He began to pump it in and out like he would have fucked me with his dick. My hips began to rise and fall with his thrusts. William took my other leg and threw it over his shoulder. I grabbed the cuffs of the cross for support while William’s hands gripped my buttocks to hold me in place. I was now impaled on his face and tongue. His nose rubbed against my clit as he swirled his tongue deep inside me. I didn’t know how it was possible that he could still breathe, but at the same time, I didn’t care as long as he kept fucking me with his tongue. I crossed my feet between his shoulder blades, drawing him even closer. My breath came in harsh pants. My legs trembled from the intense sensations shooting through me. At times, I wanted to push him away because it felt so overwhelming. But then I just kept rubbing myself shamelessly against his face as I murmured incoherently. When the first tremors of the orgasm started, I began to scream. It ripped through me with such a force that for a moment I almost blacked out. I’d heard of multiple orgasms before, but I’d never had them. I panted harshly as I rode out the continuing spasms. My grip released on the cuffs, and I started to fall forward. William’s arms came around me, and I slid down his body. Blinking a few times, I tried to clear my head at what had just happened. The best fucking orgasm or orgasms of your life is what just happened. I glanced up at William. Although he had every reason to give me an “I told ya so” smirk, he gave me a pleased smile. “Thank you, Mistress.” “You’re thanking me? I’m the one who should be bowing down at your feet and thanking you.” I ran my hands over my face, wiping away some of the sweat. “No wonder Calla didn’t want to give you up,” I mused. He chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” “It sure as hell is one.” “Do you need anything?”

“Another one of those?” William licked his lips and started to ease me onto my feet. “No, no. I was only teasing.” “I would make you come all night if you wanted to.” “I know you would. But we can’t…I can’t.” He nodded before rising off the floor. He held out his hand and helped me up. “Would you like me to clean you up?” I laughed. “I think if I let you do that, we’d be right back where we started.” With a sly grin, he said, “That wouldn’t be so bad.” “I’m fine. I’ll shower when I get home.” “You aren’t going to play anymore tonight?” he asked. “No. I think you did me in.” Although he ducked his head, I could see the flush of pride across his cheeks. When I started to reach for my thong, he stopped me. “Let me do it.” Picking up the lace, he slid it back on for me. Once it was in place, he tugged my skirt back down. After finding the discarded ribbon, he tied up the front of my dress. Considering I was always the one taking care of everyone else, it was nice having someone put me back together for once. “Thank you, William. Thank you for everything.” “Maybe we can play together again next weekend?” he asked, hope rising in his eyes. I was too much of a chicken shit to tell him I wouldn’t be here next weekend. That he would never see me again. Part of me wondered why I couldn’t come back on the weekends to play. It couldn’t hurt to make a little extra money. But I realized that in my new world, there was no place for 1740. I had to leave that all behind. Up until now, or I guess I should say up until William, that thought really hadn’t bothered me. I would miss the men like Own, but they’d never really been mine. They were just there to play. I didn’t worry about them transitioning to a new Domme. But then there was William. And I had to leave him behind. “Maybe,” I lied. Hopefully another Domme would be strong enough to take him on while also being tender. He. Was. Incredible. “Great. May I walk you out?” “Just upstairs. I’ll be going out the staff exit.” “Oh, okay.” “Don’t you want to shower?” He shook his head. “I want to keep your scent on me as long as I can.” “Good, lord,” I muttered, as I fought to keep from tackling him to the ground.

“Will you wait for me to clean up the room, Mistress?” “Okay.” He made quick work of jumping back into his jeans. After I told him where to find the supplies, he cleaned up his mess on the floor and then wiped down the bench and cross. Once he was finished, he opened the door for me. As we stepped into the hallway, we ran into a familiar face. Calla was about to go into a room across the hall. Her dark eyes narrowed to fury-filled slits at the sight of us. “Hello, Mistress Calla,” William said politely. “Hello, William.” She then turned her attention to me. “Juliette, I didn’t think you played outside your client circle.” “I don’t. But after seeing a hot morsel of a sub like William, I couldn’t resist myself,” I replied, a sugary sweetness coating my tone. “I see,” Calla said. She threw a longing glance at William. “Excuse me. I have a client.” She then slipped inside the room and closed the door. “That wasn’t awkward at all,” I mused. William laughed. “Totally awkward.” “I’m pretty sure she would take you back in a heartbeat if you said the word.” “It wouldn’t work because I can’t give her what she wants…what she needs.” His words echoed through me, affecting more than I could have imagined. We walked on down the hall to the elevators. When we got inside, I reached up and kissed William’s cheek. “Thank you for a very memorable night.” “You’re welcome, Mistress Juliette.” The elevator doors opened, and I motioned for William to go. With a somewhat forlorn expression, he walked out onto the main floor. As the doors closed back, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. After getting back downstairs, I went to my locker. As if my emotions weren’t already on overload, tears pricked my eyelids as I cleaned out all my things. It really felt like the end of an era. Since my Domme attire wasn’t practical outside the club, I quickly undressed and threw on a Tshirt and a pair of yoga pants. After donning my running shoes, I hustled out of the locker room and out staff exist. As I powerwalked to my car, I needed to put as much distance between William and myself as possible. If I didn’t, I might be tempted to want more with him than I could ever have.

The smell of freshly oiled leather filled my nose as my naked skin slid over the cool, studded material of the chaise lounge. I peered around the room, unsure of what I was doing here. There was no client in the CBT Chair or on the spanking horse. The St. Andrews Cross remained empty. The usual session music wasn’t piping in through the speakers. My gaze swept over my naked body. Doing a double take, I saw a man kneeling at the end of the chaise, his head bowed. “What are you doing?” “Waiting to please you.” That voice. It was his voice—the one that had made me lose my mind. “William?” He raised his head dutifully at my question. “Yes, Mistress.” “Why are we here?” “To fuck.” Just hearing him say that word caused me to both shiver and flush. Scissoring my legs, I tried fending off the rising ache between my thighs. William’s nostrils flared as if he smelled my growing arousal. “Let me take care of that.” Without protesting, I watched as William slid a condom down his length. In my mind, I could hear myself arguing that I didn’t fuck clients or subs, and I didn’t have sex as a Domme. But the sight of William standing before me with his broad chest rising and falling from his own desire caused me to tune out all the unwelcome voices of doubt. “Come here, sub.” William practically lunged forward. He placed one knee on the chaise and then the other. As he loomed above me, he asked, “Tell me how you like it, Mistress.” I widened my legs for him. “Hard and fast.” Once he settled between my thighs, he took his erection in his hand. At the feel of his blunt head against my opening, I licked my lips in anticipation. William didn’t try to ease in gradually. Instead, he followed my instructions by plunging deep into me with one brutal thrust. Throwing my head back, I cried out in both pain and pleasure. “Are you all right?” William asked, his warm breath scorching against my ear. “Oh yes,” I murmured. I brought my legs to wrap around his hips as my arms encircled his neck. My fingers gripped the strands of his hair. With a harsh tug, I commanded, “Fuck me until I can barely walk.” “Yes, Mistress.” He slowly eased his cock out of me before slamming back inside. His hips began to pump relentlessly. He slid his arms under my knees, widening my legs almost to the point of pain. His

muscled thighs slapped against mine, causing a delicious burn on my skin. I brought my hands to clutch his thick biceps. My fingers gripped his skin so hard that I knew he would have bruises the next day. I wanted to leave my mark on him—his Mistress’s brand. The one who owned his body and commanded him to use it for her pleasure. “Mmm, I’m so close. Make me come.” The languid strokes of a warm tongue brushing across my cheek brought me slowly back to consciousness. I groaned in both disappointment and frustration at my missed orgasm and my slobbercovered cheek. I swatted my hand at the furry face assaulting me. “Stop it, Oakley.” With a grunt, I pulled the covers over my head. At the wetness dampening my panties, I rolled my eyes. A fucking sex dream. Had I reverted back to a horny teenage girl? Ugh, how absolutely ridiculous. It was even more infuriating that it had been William starring in the fantasy. “I make one mistake, and now it’s going to haunt me forever,” I muttered. A hearty yip came in my ear. Popping my head out of the covers, I peered at the clock on the nightstand, which read eight thirty. “It’s too early. We sleep in on the weekends, remember?” The brown, short-haired dachshund wagged her tail at me before again treating me to another tongue assault. I brought my hand out from under the covers to scratch her tiny head. “You know, for such a small dog, you’re a major pain in the ass.” A barking fit commenced at the petting I was giving her. I knew she wasn’t going to stop until I fed her. Giving an exasperated sigh, I flung back the covers. “Fine, fine. You win.” I padded across the floor through a maze of boxes to the kitchen of my basement apartment. It had been home for me since I left for Atlanta after transferring from the community college to Georgia State. The house belonged to the elderly mother of one of my dad’s old roping buddies. I’d been offered it rent and utility free in exchange for keeping an eye on his mother and helping her with things around the house. In the last four years, Lola had become like a grandmother to me, and I was really going to miss her. After pouring Oakley’s food into her black bowl with sparkly skulls and crossbones painted on the sides, I headed back to the bedroom. While the bed was taunting me to climb back in, I ignored the temptation and went over to the closet. Since it was my last weekend before moving, I wanted to go running one last time at my favorite park, and the earlier I got there, the less crowded it would be. So I pulled on my sports bra, threw on a spandex tank top, and then my jogging pants. After I slid into my favorite pair of Nikes, I gave Oakley a good-bye scratch behind the ears before heading out the door. Kennesaw Battlefield Park was a fifteen-minute drive north from my house, but I didn’t care. I loved everything about the wood-lined trails, not to mention the sense of history that enveloped you. If

you closed your eyes and concentrated hard enough, you could almost hear the artillery fire and cannon blasts that echoed through the forest during the Civil War. Today more than anything, I wanted to make it to the top of the mountain and look out over Atlanta’s skyline hovering on the horizon before my world once again became rolling hills and mountains. After a quick Starbucks stop and making my way through Saturday morning traffic, I pulled into a parking space at the Visitor’s Center. I grabbed my phone and headphones out of the passenger seat and threw open the car door. A few warm-up stretches later and I broke into a run up the trail. As Awol Nation’s Sail began playing in my ears, I almost tripped over my feet at the irony. Images like from a reel of film assaulted my mind. William’s teeth grazing over my skin…my clit. His hands cupping my breasts, rolling my nipples between his fingers. His tongue plunging in and out of me. His eyes never leaving mine as he brought me to the brink. My breath began to quicken not from the exertion of running but from the illicit flashbacks torturing me. But then the desire I felt became replaced with disgust. I shook my head as I pushed myself harder up the path. What the hell had I been thinking letting him get me off? I just had to go and cross the line my last night of work. Yeah, he was the hottest sub I’d ever had, but did that mean I had to lose my mind like some sex- crazed maniac? In the distance, a figure crested the hill on his way down from the mountain. Something about the man appeared familiar. Over the years of running at the park, I was used to seeing fellow running acquaintances. But as the incredibly built man grew nearer, my stomach lurched. Oh no, no, NO! This wasn’t possible. I couldn’t literally be running into someone I’d been in a scene with the night before. In the five years I’d worked at 1740, I had never, ever run into a client. We were within a few feet of each other when he gave a complimentary nod of hello. Then he literally skidded to a stop, sending bits of gravel flying around us. Just as I started to pass him, acknowledgement of who I truly was flashed on his face. FUUUUUCK! With everything I had in me, I raced ahead. “Mistress Juliette?” he called. Those two little words from his mouth sent me tripping over a limb. FUUUUUCK! As I sprawled onto the ground, my knees bumped along the uneven terrain. Once I came to a stop, pain raged all through my body, although it was excruciatingly centralized in my right ankle. I rolled into a sitting position and brought my hand to my tennis shoe. “Fuck,” I muttered again. It was to address both the pain and the fact that a shadow had crossed over me. A bulky shadow belonging to the only sub I had ever let myself go with. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Mistress.” My gaze spun wildly around the clearing. “Stop calling me that!” I hissed.

“I’m sorry. Are you all right?” Damn, that voice of his. Momentarily forgetting my ankle, I could feel myself growing wet just from the deep timbre, not to mention how sexy his concern was. “No, actually, I’m not.” I jerked my gaze from my foot up to his handsome face. “My ankle is throbbing like a motherfucker, not to mention I’m mortified as hell I just busted my ass right in front of you.” The corners of his lips fluttered, and I could tell he was fighting the urge not to laugh at me. Without a word, he knelt down beside me. “Let me take a look.” I jerked my foot away from his overeager hands, which caused me to wince from the pain. “I think you’ve done enough already.” Cocking his dark brows at me, he said, “My Mistress’s health and well-being is always my utmost concern.” I fought the urge to smack him and not so he could get off on it. “Here’s a newsflash for you. We are not in 1740 anymore, Toto, so this whole sub taking care of his Mistress bullshit isn’t going to fly.” “I’m not into dog play,” he countered, with a wink. “Yeah, well, last time I checked, you’re not sporting my collar, so I’m not your Mistress.” “Ouch, you really bring out the claws when you’re hurting, don’t you?” When I opened my mouth to lay into him again, he brought a finger over my lips. Instead of being angry at the touch, I couldn’t help remembering what those fingers had felt like on my body last night. I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts. After taking his finger away, William said, “Like you said, we’re not in 1740. Quit your bitching, and let me check out your ankle, okay?” “Are you a doctor or paramedic in real life?” He smiled, causing those delicious dimples of his to pop out. “No, not quite.” “Then how do I know you’re actually qualified to look at my ankle and not just wanting to cop a feel of my foot?” With a chuckle, he replied, “Don’t have a foot fetish either.” He slid my tennis shoe off, causing me to hiss. “Answer the question.” “Easy now,” he murmured. “What qualifies you to look at my ankle?” I demanded. “I used to be a football coach.” “Professional?” He laughed. “No, high school.” “Oh,” I murmured.

“Yeah, you bandage at least one sprained ankle at every game.” He glanced up at me. “Yours doesn’t feel sprained, but it’s definitely swollen. I have a first aid kit in my truck. I can bandage it for you.” I eyed him suspiciously. As a submissive, I knew he truly subscribed to the code of conduct that his Mistress always came first. But we weren’t in the club, and although club management did background checks that rivaled the FBI, he was still a stranger to me. Well, a stranger who I’d seen naked and bent over a spanking horse. Knowing that I didn’t really have a choice, I huffed out a frustrated breath. “Okay, fine. I’ll let you take care of my ankle.” “Try not to sound so excited about it, okay?” It was hard to be mad at him when he looked so cute with his teasing expression. He rose off the ground. “First thing we have to do is get you off the mountain.” “You’re not seriously going to try to carry me?” “Of course not. I might be built, but I’m not that strong.” “Excuse me?” I huffed. William chuckled. “I’m only teasing you.” He dug his phone out of the pocket of his running shorts. “I’m calling in the rangers.” After looking up the number for the park ranger station, he dialed it. “Yes, I have a runner down with a potential sprained ankle. I need some assistance to get her to her car.” He paused. “Yes, thank you.” When he hung up, he smiled. “Someone’s in the area, so it won’t be long.” “That’s good.” Amusement sparkled in William’s eyes. “Man, I must be pretty horrible if you’re so ready to be out of my presence.” “That’s not it, and you know it.” “I’m glad to hear it, Juliette.” I shook my head at him using my name from 1740. Although I probably shouldn’t have, I decided to give him my real name. “Actually, it’s Sophie.” “Sophie. You know, I like that much better.” “Don’t I look like a Juliette?” He smiled. “You do. But I like Sophie better. It’s a very sweet and feminine name.” “Sweet and feminine, huh? I’m not sure how very well suited that is for me, least of all for a Domme. I guess it was a good thing that most Dommes use aliases or initials.” “Why go with Juliette and not Mistress S?” “Well, Mistress S is just a pain in the ass to enunciate, so I thought since I was at Club 1740, I

might as well go with something Marquis themed.” William eyed me curiously. “And you chose to go with one of his most depraved heroines?” “You’ve read Juliette?” “No. But I do know about the Marquis’s works.” “Because of the club.” “Because I was once a history teacher.” Now it was my turn to eye him curiously. “You were?” “You act so surprised.” “It’s just I never imagined you were a teacher.” “I told you earlier I coached football. Aren’t football coaches notorious for teaching history?” I laughed. “Yeah, I suppose they are.” Shaking my head, I countered, “You just don’t seem like the teacher/coach type.” “Just what type do you see me as?” “White collar—” “But teachers are white collar,” he argued. “You didn’t let me finish.” William held up his hands. “By all means.” “I was going to say white collar but extremely white bread. You have the air of a trust fund baby.” A bark of a laugh came from William. “If I’m a trust fund baby, then I obliviously have a useless look to me.” “You and I both know there’s not a useless bone in your body.” “Is that so?” “Considering you’re built like a brick shithouse, that’s right.” William grinned and shook his head at me. “You’re really something.” “I could say the same thing about you.” The roar of a jeep interrupted us. A wiry ranger with salt-and-pepper hair hopped out and came bounding over to us. “How’s it going?” “It was going pretty well until I busted my ass,” I answered honestly. At the ranger’s surprised look, William laughed. “We’re okay. How are you?” “Fine, thanks.” He eyed me on the ground. “Want me to get one arm and you get the other?” “Thanks, but that won’t be necessary.” William then proceeded to bend over. After sliding one arm around my back and the other underneath my knees, he hoisted me up. I squeaked in surprise as I flung my arms around his neck. “Easy there. I got you.”

Staring into his handsome face, my heart actually fluttered. Oh yeah, he had me all right. He had me feeling like an utter and complete fool. William effortlessly carried me over to the jeep. He somehow managed to still hold me while opening the door. He sat me gently down on the seat. When I eased my arms from around his neck, his cheek brushed against mine. The feel of the stubble made me think about what it had felt like against my thighs. “Okay?” Although I was far from it, I replied, “Yes. Thank you.” William nodded before climbing into the back of the jeep. Once we were inside, the ranger cranked up, and we started down the road. “Sure is a good thing you two were running together. I always tell people not to run alone in case of an accident. People don’t realize that most places on the mountain have really bad cell reception.” “We aren’t together,” I blurted before I could stop myself. With a grin, the ranger glanced over to me. “Well, then, a story of a Good Samaritan, huh?” “Yeah,” I murmured. “Who knows, it could be a story to tell your grandchildren of how you two met.” When I glared at him, he waggled his eyebrows at me, which caused William to snicker in the backseat. “How do you know I’m even attracted to men?” “By the way you were looking at him when he carried you.” “And just how was I looking at him?” “Like he was your hero.” I snorted. “Just because I appreciate him being nice doesn’t mean I want to marry him.” “I think the woman does protest too much,” William teased. I whirled around in my seat. “The quote is actually ‘the lady doth protest too much’.” William merely grinned at my correction, which under Domme circumstances would have earned him a hefty punishment. “Are you sure?” “Of course I’m sure. I would be a pretty shitty English teacher if I didn’t know my Shakespeare, especially Hamlet.” A curious expression came over William’s face. “You’re a teacher?” “Not yet. I mean, I will be when school starts.” “I see.” I knew he wanted to ask more, especially about my new job and 1740, but instead, he pressed his lips together and eased back in his seat. We reached the Visitor’s Center. “Where are you parked?” the ranger asked. “At the end of this row.”

He nodded and drove us down the line of cars. He slid the jeep into park. “Well, here’s where we part company.” “Thank you for the ride,” I said. The ranger smiled. “You just take care of your ankle, and be careful when you come back.” “I’ll try.” William hopped out of the back of the jeep and opened my door. Once again, he swept me into his arms. This time I was careful not to look at him for fear of giving off any alleged lovesick vibes. “Thanks again,” William said. “No problem. Have a good one.” The jeep drove off, leaving behind a foul-smelling cloud of exhaust behind. “Listen, I’m going to need to put you down to let down the gate.” “Okay.” He eased me down onto my feet but was careful not to let me go until he was sure I could stand alone. After digging in his pockets, he produced a key fob. The lights and horn beeped on a black truck so shiny you could see yourself in the reflection. “That’s your car?” “It’s a truck, but yes, it’s mine.” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion at him. “Just exactly how does an educator afford Escalade pickup?” “They’re not as expensive as an Escalade SUV.” “You didn’t answer my question. And now that I think about it, how do you afford membership at 1740?” William continued to evade me by laying down the gate of the truck. “Let’s get you up here, so I can wrap your ankle better.” “Not until you answer me.” He met my inquisitive gaze for a brief moment before placing his hands on my waist. With barely any effort, he hoisted me up to sit down. “You need off that foot.” “Would you answer me if I had a flogger in my hand?” I demanded. “No because I’d want you to hit me,” he replied with an impish grin. “You’re infuriating.” And sexy as hell. Let’s forget about my ankle and have a quickie in the back of your truck. He didn’t answer me. Instead, he reached into the silver toolbox on the truck’s bed and pulled out the first aid kit. When he came back, he set down the kit and then looked me straight in the eye. “A good Mistress always reads her sub well, and you certainly hit the mark with me. I am a trust fund

baby.” “But you said—” “I know what I said because it’s the truth. I do work in education, but I also happen to have a father who is a lawyer and a mother who came from a very wealthy family.” “I see,” I murmured. William untied my shoe and then eased it gently off my foot. “My father would tell you I refused to become a lawyer like him as a way to punish him for leaving my mother.” “The divorce was bad, huh?” William’s hand stilled in unrolling the Ace bandage. “Yeah, it was hard for me. But it was worse on my mother.” He glanced up. “She took a bottle of sleeping pills when I was six.” I gasped as my heart instantly went out to him. “Oh, William.” “She loved the bastard way more than she should have.” Reaching out, I placed my hand on his cheek. “I’m so sorry.” “Thank you.” “Knowing all that, I don’t blame you for telling your father to fuck off.” A smile played at the corner of his lips. “I didn’t actually tell him that in so many words.” “You should have.” “I just more or less told him I would rather be a janitor scrubbing shit stains off toilets than work for him and his cronies.” “Good for you.” “Then when he refused to pay for my college, my mom’s parents stepped in. They pretty much raised me after she died. She was an only child like me, so I became their world.” “And I guess it’s safe to say that’s where you got the trust fund.” He nodded. “I might’ve been born wealthy, but I never wanted to sit around on my ass. I wanted to do something noble with my life.” I had to smile considering he’d chosen to go into teaching for the same reasons I had. “You’re a sub with a heart of gold and some fat change in the bank,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. William chuckled. “Whatever.” He clipped the bandage in place on my ankle. “There. All done.” Eyeing his handiwork, I said, “Thank you.” “I have some Ibuprofen you should take for the pain and inflammation.” “Okay.” He went around the truck again and this time brought back some Advil and a bottle of water. After placing two on my tongue, I washed it down with the water. “Once again, thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome.” He jerked his chin at my foot. “You need to put some ice on that.” “Yes, Dr. William, I’ll do that when I get home.” “Actually, you need to do it sooner than that.” “You don’t know where I live, so how do you know how quick it will be?” He grinned. “That was actually a lead in for me to ask you to breakfast.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why would you want to do that?” “Um, I don’t know. Maybe because you need to ice your ankle, and we both could use some food after our run.” “Look, William, I really appreciate your help, but I don’t think breakfast is a good idea.” “Food is always a good idea.” “Call me crazy, but I’m not used to accepting dates from men I don’t know.” William leaned in closer to me. “I would think the fact you’ve seen me naked and made me come means you know me in the biblical sense.” “I think the biblical sense involves penetration,” I countered. “If memory serves me correctly, there was penetration…with my tongue.” His words, coupled with the naughty imagery they provoked, sent heat straight between my legs. “I suppose you do have a point there.” “There’s also the fact the club does a pretty extensive background check, so the odds that I’m a serial killer or rapist are pretty slim.” I couldn’t help laughing at the fact he was bringing up all the points I had earlier about letting him take me down the mountain. “You know, you’re being awfully pushy for a submissive.” “But as you pointed out, we’re not in the club and you’re not my Mistress.” Damn if he didn’t have me there too. When my stomach growled, my resolve faded slightly, and I began to imagine what it might be like to actually take him up on his offer. As if he sensed I was starting to relent, he said, “It’s just breakfast, Sophie. I can pretty much assure you that there’s nothing illicit about some pancakes and eggs.” “You must not be into food play, huh?” I countered with a smile. He laughed. “Considering I like bondage and pain, I don’t find a piece of sausage very threatening.” With a smirk, I replied, “It might be if it was shoved up your ass.” William winced. “Anal play is one of my hard limits, remember?” “Yeah. I remember.” I winked at him. “But you enjoyed the vibrator, didn’t you?” “Externally, yes.” “I still can’t help but think about how nice your ass would look with a vibrating butt plug.”

After hesitating a moment, William appeared slightly intrigued. “For you, I might test my limits.” “My, my, aren’t you full of surprises?” “With the right Mistress, a sub likes to test his boundaries.” “And with the right sub, a Mistress likes to test her boundaries.” William’s eyes flared, and I knew he was remembering how I relented to let him go down on me. The air around us became charged with electricity. Jesus, what was it about this man that enabled him to push all my buttons? After exhaling a deep sigh, I said, “Okay, okay, you’ve worn me down. I’ll have breakfast with you.” “Wow, you only made that sound slightly horrible. I’ll try to pretend it’s the pain talking and not you.” I laughed. “I’m sorry. I really, really want to have breakfast with you.” “Better. But there’s still just a hint of sarcasm.” “Whatever.” When I started to slide myself off the truck bed, William reached forward to help me. “I’ve got it,” I snapped a little too forcefully. Holding up his hands, he took a step back. When I put pressure on my foot, I winced. “Hurts pretty bad, huh?” “It doesn’t feel great.” “It’ll feel a lot better once that Ibuprofen takes effect and you ice it.” “I sure hope you’re right. I start my new job on Tuesday, and the last thing I need is to be limping around, especially when the students arrive. Considering they can smell fear, they would immediately see my foot as a weakness.” William laughed. “That’s a pretty good summation of teenagers. But don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be fine by then.” I furrowed my brow at him. “How did you know I was going to be teaching teenagers?” “It was a lucky guess considering you were quoting Shakespeare.” “I see. So where are dragging me to for breakfast?” “There’s a little French café that has the best crepes and croissants.” I knew exactly the place he was talking about. Although I’d passed it several times, I’d never stopped. “That sounds great. I love crepes. My grandmother used to make them all the time from her family’s recipe.” I smiled at the memory of being in her kitchen and helping her. “From one Sophie to another,” she would say in her thick French accent. I’d even been named after her. “When did she come over?” William asked.

“She met my grandfather during WWII when his unit was liberating France. He married her over there and then brought her back home with him.” “That sounds awfully romantic.” I couldn’t help smiling when I thought of the way my grandparents used to look at each other when they told the story of how they met. “Yeah, she was singing in a nightclub that the GI’s liked to hang out at. It was love at first sight.” “So they met in a club like us.” With a snort, I replied, “I hardly think you can make any similarities between the two.” “You never know. Like the ranger said, we could be telling our grandchildren about how we met.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m pretty sure the actual story would send them straight to therapy.” “We could save some details for ourselves. Every family has a few skeletons in their closet.” “Whatever. I’m beginning to think you and the ranger were getting a little too much fresh air. You’re talking out of your head.” “Better than out of my ass,” William quipped. “I’m leaving now.” “Wait. Let me drive you.” When I gave him a skeptical look, he grinned. “Can’t you give up control for the ten minutes it’ll take to drive down the road to the restaurant?” Rolling my eyes, I replied, “Yes. But it’s more about the fact that my foot needs the rest.” “Whatever it takes.” William opened the passenger side door for me. When I had a little trouble getting up into the cab, he took me by the waist and hoisted me onto the seat. “Thanks.” “No problem.” As he walked around the front of the truck, I closed my eyes and inhaled. The cab smelled of a delicious mixture of fresh leather and William. “What are you doing?” “Enjoying the smell of the leather.” “A typical Mistress.” “Actually, it’s more about the fact that I’ve never had a new car.” “Never?” “Nope.” “Why is that exactly? I mean, you have to make pretty good money at the club.” I gave a nonchalant shrug. I sure as hell wasn’t about to tell Mr. Trust Fund Baby about how everything I earned went toward tuition and helping out my dad. Even though he had a real world job,

he still wouldn’t have a clue what it was like to desperately need every dime. “Honda’s are good cars, so I really don’t need a new one,” I finally replied. “That’s true.” With a smirk, I asked, “Driven many Hondas, have you?” William grinned as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “No. Actually I haven’t.” He cut his eyes over to mine. “I’m guessing you want to hear something like my maid drives one.” I laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised.” “You know not all wealthy people are pretentious, unfeeling assholes.” “I never said that.” “You alluded to it.” “I guess I’m being unfair by stereotyping.” “Yes, you are.” “Then I’m sorry.” William flashed me a smile. “Wow, admitting you’re wrong and an apology. This is a momentous occasion.” “Ass.”

We pulled into the packed parking lot of Café Lumiere. Glancing down at my clothes, I asked, “Are you sure we’re dressed for this place?” “Saturday mornings are pretty casual.” Before I could get my door open, William was already around the front of the truck to get me out. “Are you always this way, or is it just because you’re buttering me up in hopes I’ll spank you again?” William chuckled as he eased me down out of the truck and onto my feet. “I’m always this way, but normally my Dommes don’t have a problem with it.” Inwardly, I bristled at the mention of his other Dommes. Although I had no right to feel possessive, I didn’t like the thoughts of him with Calla or any other women for that matter. “I’m not your Domme.” He ignored my comment and offered me the crook of his arm. “You can lean on me.” Since my foot was hurting and I was tired of arguing with him, I slipped my arm through his. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.’ The wait stand was outside at the front door. “Would you prefer inside or outside?” the hostess inquired. William raised his brows at me. “Outside.” She led us to a somewhat secluded table. “Enjoy,” she said as she handed us two menus. Ever the gentlemanly sub, William pulled the chair out for me. I bit my tongue to keep from arguing that this wasn’t 1950, and I wasn’t his Domme. Instead, I picked up my menu and starting perusing the contents. Our waiter appeared with two glasses of water. When he got a good look at William, his eyes practically bugged out of his head. “How are we today?” “Fine,” I answered, even though he didn’t give two shits about what I had to say. “Actually, could I bother you for a bag of ice for a hurt ankle?” William asked. The waiter batted his eyelashes at William. “Of course. I’ll be right back.” When he scurried off, I snorted. “I guess you get that all the time.” “Get what?” “Fawned over by both women and men.” He grinned. “Like you don’t have the same problem.” Leaning forward in his chair, William said, “I bet you have a horde of men and women wanting to submit to you at the club.” “The club is one thing while real life is another.”

William gave me an odd look. “Aren’t they the same?” “Not for me.” The waiter returned with an ice pack intricately wrapped in a linen napkin. William graciously thanked him and then handed it to me. The waiter’s expression instantly soured when he realized it wasn’t for William. With a sigh, he took out his leather envelope. “What can I get you guys this morning?” “I’ll have a mimosa and the strawberry crepes,” I said. William met my eyes. “I’ll have the same. But I’d also like two eggs scrambled.” The waiter nodded. “I’ll be back with your drinks.” “Now that we’re alone, there’s a question I’m dying to ask.” “Okay.” “What made a football-playing, trust fund baby like you get into the scene?” William chuckled after taking a sip of water. “I guess at the basic level, it started with control. After my mom died, I seemed to always have to be in control of myself and my emotions. The older I got, the more responsibility I seemed to have. There was something within me that wanted to be able to let all that go—even if it was for a short time.” “Mmm, you’re the classic case of the overachieving professional who needs to give up control and be bossed around.” “You sound disappointed.” I laughed. “I guess I hoped for a more illicit story like you got off on your nanny spanking you.” William grimaced. “My nanny was sixty-years-old.” “Maybe a granny fetish?” “Hell no.” “When was your first experience with BDSM?” “I was nineteen, and I started dating a girl who had Domme tendencies—she liked to tie me up and spank me and tell me what to do to her. I started to really get off on it—like I realized something had been missing before. We went to a club just as a joke, but it ended up opening both of our eyes to the world that was out there. We dated for a few years before breaking up. After that, clubs have always been the way I met my girlfriends.” “Girlfriends? You sound like quite the player.” William snorted with amusement. “No, Sophie, I’m not a player. I can still count on one hand the women and Dommes I’ve been with.” “Just five, huh?” “You can call me Mr. Monogamy.”

“Oh, I see.” I couldn’t help feeling slightly relieved that he was in monogamy and relationships. “Would I be number six?” William’s expression became sheepish. “My number is defined by actual sex.” “Ah, that pesky penetration thing again, huh?” He grinned. “Exactly. Now it’s your turn. How did you get into the lifestyle?” “I didn’t.” At his furrowing brow, I said, “I mean, I’m not in the lifestyle. Being a Domme is just my job, not who I am.” “You don’t ever participate in BDSM outside of 1740?” I shook my head. “Nope.” Both confusion and disappointment flashed in William’s eyes. “You’re just a professional Domme?” “For the last five years. But yesterday was my last day at 1740.” William frowned. “I can’t believe it. I guess I should have known when you said you didn’t receive pleasure from subs. I just assumed you were like…” “Calla?” When he nodded, I asked, “Don’t tell me you’re feeling slighted that you spent time with someone who wasn’t a lifestyle Domme?” “No. It’s not that.” “Then what?” The waiter returned with our drinks. William took such a hearty gulp of his mimosa that he almost drained it. When I continued to stare expectantly at him, he sighed. “Since I got involved in the lifestyle thirteen years ago, I haven’t had a non D/s relationship. I’m not sure what a regular relationship looks like anymore.” When I realized what he was alluding to, I stared down at my lap. The way I felt about him was such a jumbled mess that I didn’t know how to respond. “Oh.” “Hmm, have my unwanted overtures made the usually mouthy Domme speechless?” I tore my gaze away from my hands to look at him. “I’m sorry, but you did take me a little off guard. This entire day has taken me off guard…more than anything, you take me off guard.” “I do?” “Of course you do. I’ve never let myself go with a sub before. Even though what you did to me physically was the greatest sexual experience of my life, I could have easily walked away from you. But emotionally…” “So you’re feeling it too?” “Yes and no. Maybe.” I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t know what I feel, except confused as hell. In the last couple of years, I haven’t had any relationships, period, least of all one in the scene.”

William crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I find it hard to believe that a woman as beautiful and sexy as you are hasn’t been serious with anyone in years.” “Aren’t you the flatterer?” I teased. In a low voice, William replied, “A good sub always compliments his Mistress.” “And you’re an extreme rule-follower when it serves your purpose. Tell me, were you a Boy Scout growing up?” William gave a bark of a laugh. “No, smart-ass, I wasn’t. And I wasn’t giving you false compliments. I meant every word I said.” Our crepes arrived then, and I happily dug in to avoid any further relationship talk. Unfortunately, William wasn’t letting it go. “Just out of curiosity, how long are we talking time wise when it comes to your last relationship?” My knife pierced a plump strawberry. I didn’t have to stop to calculate the time in my head. The date was pretty emblazoned on my mind. “Three years, five months, and ten days ago.” William’s lips crinkled in an amused smile. “Hmm, you must’ve gotten burned pretty badly if you can remember the exact date.” I traced the rim of my champagne flute with my finger. “Some things you just don’t forget.” Pinching my eyes closed, I tried to shut out the voice echoing through my mind. “Jesus, Sophie, all you do is give and give to your father. One day soon he’s going to die, and then where will you be? All by yourself.” “I’m sorry if I brought up something painful, Sophie.” I opened my eyes to see William’s remorseful face. The sincerity of his words and tone were like the final fissure that split my emotional armor. There were many things I could have done in that moment. I could have made a joke and changed the subject. I could have fabricated a story of a cheating ex. But the dangerous mixture of compassion and concern pooling in William’s dark eyes thawed my firm resolve. There was also the fact he understood grief, the fractures that resulted from loss. It made him…real “Three years, five months, and ten days ago, my father became wheelchair bound with Myotonic Dystrophy, a form of Muscular Dystrophy. The guy, or I guess I should say bastard, I was dating then claimed I didn’t make enough time for him and broke up with me. I vowed then that my father was the most important man in my life, and I didn’t have time for any selfish assholes.” “I’m so very sorry about your father.” “Thank you,” I whispered as I fought to keep hold of my emotions. There was no way in hell I was going to lose it in a café full of people, least of all come off vulnerable in front of William. “May I hold your hand?” At what must’ve been my bewildered expression, William gave me an

apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to leave the lifestyle behind after being with you as my Mistress, so I had to ask your permission to hold your hand.” “That’s okay.” Instead of reaching his arm across the table to take my hand, he stood up. He slid his chair around where he could sit beside me. He took my hands in his. His fingertips tenderly slid over my skin. Everything about the way he touched me was gentle and kind. It was such a paradox from the harsh treatment he desired. “You know when I first saw you, I thought you had battle-worn eyes.” “You did?” “That’s why I first stared at you in the club when I shouldn’t have looked you in the eye. It’s why I wanted you to choose me. I could tell you’d experienced sorrow in life like I had. Some people would think it was wrong to want to connect with someone who has as much baggage as you. But I think there’s something to be said for shared pain.” “Yes, there is,” I agreed. “Tell me about your dad.” Surprise filled me at his request. “Seriously?” William nodded. “But only if you want to. I don’t want to upset you any further.” Suddenly, I didn’t like the way he was making me feel—like I truly had a man outside my family who cared about me. One who was genuinely interested in what I had to say without any real ulterior motive. “Listen, you really don’t have to do this. I don’t need your pity.” “Don’t do that,” he said softly. “Do what?” “Close yourself off.” “I’m not.” “Yes, you are.” I yanked my hand out of his. “What the hell is up with the whiplash emotions? One minute you’re saying you don’t want to upset me and then you’re getting pissy because I don’t want to talk?” “They’re two separate things. I genuinely wanted to know about your father, and you don’t want to tell me, not because of the pain you might feel about him, but because of what talking about him with me might mean.” “You’re infuriating.” “But I’m right.” At my frustrated huff, he added, “Aren’t I?” “Okay, fine. You’re right. Are you happy?” “No. But something tells me I should be because you don’t admit you’re wrong very often.”

I laughed in spite of my anger. “I would so love to beat your ass right now.” William winked. “I would like that very much, too.” “Are you sure you didn’t major in psychology, rather than teaching? I mean, you sound like a walking shrink decoding my emotions.” “When you spend as much time in therapy as I have, you pick up some things.” “You don’t strike me as the therapy type.” “I started when my mother died. It’s why I first started playing football. My therapist suggested it as a means to release my repressed anger.” “I’d wondered what a rich boy was doing playing football. I thought you all played golf or lacrosse.” William laughed. “The very reason why my grandfather is wealthy is because he got a football scholarship to college. Without his engineering degree, coupled with growing up on a chicken farm, he would have never developed the patent for the chicken coop heater that made him millions.” “You’re kidding?” “No. I’m not.” “It seems therapy has worked really well for you in life. I mean, besides the benefits of getting into football, you seem to have your shit together.” He laughed. “It’s a cleverly constructed façade.” “I doubt that.” “You learn soon enough that we’re all a little mad here.” The English major in me nerded out at him using the quote from Lewis Carroll. “I was pretty much certain of that one even before I started working at 1740.” “How about a little free therapy?” “Okay. Why not.” William stared intently into my eyes. It was almost as if he was trying to make me obey his will. “Tell me about your father, Sophie.” It wasn’t a request. It was a command. While it felt strange being on the receiving end of a command, there was something comforting in it as well. “My father—my daddy—is my world—my universe. The sun rises and sets with him.” “A true Daddy’s girl.” I nodded. “My grandmother told me that my mother used to say that when I was a baby, I could be throwing the biggest tantrum in the world, but as soon as my father walked in, I would become calm. He didn’t even have to pick me up. It was like as soon as I could sense his presence, I was okay.”

Ever perceptive, William said, “That’s the first time I’ve heard you mention your mother.” “I guess that’s because I don’t remember much about her. She was killed in a car accident when I was three.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay. I would say you knew how I felt, but it had to be harder for you having your mother longer.” “I think losing your mother is hard no matter how young or how old you are.” “Like you, my grandparents stepped in to help. But my dad still did almost everything for me. He was devoted to every aspect of raising me from feeding to bathing. I don’t know how he had the energy to take care of me, run the farm during the week, and do roping competitions on the weekends. But somehow he did it.” As I thought of who my father once had been, I gritted my teeth in anger. “Once upon a time, he was the epitome of a rugged cowboy. And then fucking MD robbed him of all that. First, he couldn’t rope anymore because he didn’t have the strength in his hands. Then he couldn’t ride anymore.” I clenched my fists as I thought about the agonized expression on my father’s face the day he couldn’t get up into the saddle. Too proud to take help, he stopped riding then. “Then he couldn’t walk.” “He’s wheelchair bound now?” “Yes.” “I could once again say I was sorry, but that seems so insignificant with all he has been through. It has to be so hard for him, but it’s also hard for you. To have your superhero become mortal, and that mortality become frail and fragile.” “Yes,” I whispered. “Yet somehow you’ve soldiered on. Now the cared for has become the caregiver.” He eyed me curiously. “That’s why you became a professional Domme. To help care for your father financially.” “And for my brother. He’s just seventeen,” I reminded him. This time he didn’t ask to touch me when he brought his hand to tenderly touch my cheek. “Do you have any idea how amazing you are?” I shied away from his touch and his compliment. “Whatever.” He shook his head. “I’m serious, Sophie. Few people in the world have the capacity for love and kindness like you do. Not to mention your selflessness.” With his admiration overwhelming me, I waved my hand flippantly. “I got a job partially prostituting myself so my family could keep our farm, and I could go to college. I hardly see that as heroic.”

“You did what you had to do to see that those you loved had what they needed. Not everyone would do what you did for their family. They would have focused on themselves and let their father and brother fend for themselves.” “Then they would be selfish assholes.” “Yes. They would. Sadly, that is predominantly what the world is made up with.” He smiled at me. “And that is why you’re amazing.” When I opened my mouth to argue with him, he placed a finger on my lips. “Don’t argue with me, Sophie. Just take the compliment, but more than anything, try to appreciate the sentiment.” “Once again, I’d like to beat your ass.” “I’m glad to hear it.” Our conversation flowed as freely as the mimosas we continued to order. We talked through the breakfast diners thinning out and being replaced by the lunch crowd. I’d never found someone outside of my father who I could talk to as easily as I could to William. He was genuinely interested in everything I had to say. He never glanced at his phone or zoned out like most guys I knew. Of course, most guys I dated were my age, and as we chatted, I learned William was thirty-two. Almost a decade older than me. I was just as interested in hearing about him. I learned that although he had grown up in the Atlanta area, he had gotten a football scholarship to the University of Tennessee. He blew out his knee his sophomore year, ending his football career. But he had managed to parlay his love of the sport into coaching. I was envious of all the traveling he’d done in his life. Using his summers off, he’d backpacked all over Europe and explored caves in Australia and New Zealand. With the café beginning to set up for the dinner crowd, our waiter appeared at our table with a look of impatience. I couldn’t blame him since we’d been at the table for hours. At least William had slipped him a fifty to make up for the tips he might be losing from us staying. “Are you ready for the check now, sir?” As undeniable electricity popped and cracked around us, William’s dark eyes bore into mine, seeking and searching. The moment wasn’t just about casually ending a breakfast date. It was about severing a connection—one that neither one of us could have anticipated. We both knew the finality of when we said good-bye. I would go home and start teaching, and William would go back to 1740 and find a new Mistress. Since I knew he was waiting for my response, I replied, “Yes. We are.” “I’ll be right back.” After the waiter left us alone, William gave me a small smile. “I suppose that’s the only time in our dynamic when I would ever get to be called ‘sir.’”

I laughed. “Yes. It is.” He surprised me by shoving his chair up against mine. After placing one of his hands on the table, he put the other on the top rung of the chair and leaned in. At the feel of his warm breath on my cheek, I fought the urge to jerk away. But a Domme and a strong woman always held her ground. “Give me one night.” My heartbeat broke into a wild gallop at his request. “You can’t be serious.” “But I am.” I shook my head. “What’s one night going to do?” “It gives me the chance to be inside you.” I inhaled sharply at his words. Regardless of all the reasons why I shouldn’t, I wanted the same thing he did. After seeing and feeling him last night, I couldn’t help wondering with his size and girth what he would feel like as he pumped inside me. Fuck, I had been dreaming about exactly that this morning. In spite of his words and my illicit thoughts, I argued in a low voice, “You had your tongue inside me last night. Wasn’t that enough?” “No. It was just a tease.” A wicked look flashed in his eyes. “Just a taste, no pun intended.” A laugh bubbled from my lips, slightly easing the tension that hung around us. “You want to go to 1740?” William shook his head. “No. I want to be somewhere alone with you without all the distractions and complications.” Cocking a brow at him, I said, “I’m assuming Mistress Calla would be part of your reasoning?” “That’s part of it.” “Is it true she wanted a relationship with you?” “Yes. But more than anything, she wanted to collar me.” I couldn’t hide my disgust. “Sorry, but I’ve never understood collaring. The whole idea of an outward symbol to show that you’re owned and possessed by someone else is bizarre to me.” “One could argue that a wedding band is also a symbol of ownership.” “I guess you have a point.” I hesitated before posing my next question. “Were you afraid of the commitment?” “I’m thirty-two—I’m ready for commitment.” “Then what was the problem?” “She wasn’t the one.” “Oh,” I murmured. “To bind yourself completely to someone else, you have to be in love with them. I realized that although I cared for Calla, or Brook in real life, I didn’t love her.”

“So you ended up breaking her heart, and when you break someone like Calla’s heart, she becomes a vengeful bitch.” “Yeah, unfortunately so. It was never my intention to hurt her.” I couldn’t help smiling. “I believe that. I don’t think you could ever intentionally hurt anyone. You’re like a big, sweet teddy bear.” “That makes me sound like a pussy.” “No, William. You’re all man from your head to your incredibly large dick.” He laughed. “Thank you.” Since we needed a subject change, I said, “Since 1740 is out, just where do you presume we go? I mean, I might live in a basement apartment, but it’s certainly not a dungeon.” “We could go back to my hotel room.” I didn’t question him on why he wasn’t asking me back to his house. A lot of the clients at 1740 were out-of-towners who came into the city to play. Thus, the need for hotel rooms. I smirked at him. “Hmm, no penthouse in the city with a playroom? You disappoint me, rich boy.” “For your information, there is a penthouse. But considering my grandfather has access to it, there’s no way I can throw a St. Andrew’s Cross into the guest room. He and my grandmother are there this weekend, or I wouldn’t be staying at a hotel.” “What a pity.” William smiled. “Yes. It is.” “Then I guess we’re going back to your hotel room. Of course, we’re going to have to improvise when it comes to playing.” “I have some rope in the truck.” “What a prepared sub you are. You just never know when you’re going to need to be tied up.” He nudged my leg playfully with his. “I used it for rappelling when some buddies and I went rock climbing. I told you before I was a rope virgin.” “That’s right. Did you like it?” “Yeah, I did. I’d like to try some of the more intricate ones.” “I’d like to see you in them,” I said, in an almost wistful tone. I don’t know why I thought that, least of all said it. Even though we were going to be together again, it was only for one night. There wouldn’t be any more opportunities to see him tied up. It wasn’t something I had ever really desired when it came to sex, but I could see myself enjoying it with William. The waiter returned with our check. When I started to reach for my purse, William shook his head. “My treat.”

“I don’t need your charity.” “Consider it a tip for last night.” “But you didn’t pay me. We were just playing.” “I can still tip, can’t I?” I pursed my lips at him. “I suppose so.” “Just kills you to give up some control, doesn’t it?” he asked with a smile. “As a matter of fact it does.” William’s smile broadened as he placed another fifty in the envelope. “Ready?” I nodded. “First, you’ll need to take me back to my car.” “You don’t want to just ride with me to the hotel?” “No. I want to be able to come and go as I please.” “Such a Domme,” he muttered as he rose out of his chair. I pursed my lips at him. “Are you afraid I’ll just drive off and not show up?” He waited a moment before answering. “Maybe.” “I can assure you I’m a woman of my word.” He tilted his head to the side, then his gorgeous, dimpled smile made an appearance. Oh shit. The dimples are a serious weakness. “I believe you, Sophie.” “Good.” When I stood up, I found it easier to put weight on my ankle. I still limped a little, but it wasn’t as bad as before. Of course, William hovered around me, ready to swoop in and save me in case I fell. The parking lot of the park had thinned out by the time we got back. William eased his truck in beside my car. “You want to follow me?” I laughed. “I think you’re trying to top from the bottom by trying to control this hookup.” Taking his hands off the steering wheel, he held them up. “I was just trying to be helpful, I swear.” “Just ease up on it, okay?” “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to let someone help you from time to time.” While I wanted to tell him where he could shove his helpfulness, his earnest expression made me think otherwise. “I’ll work on it.” “Good. I’ll see you at the Ritz downtown.” I snorted. “I would have been so disappointed if you had said anywhere else.” He winked. “I’m glad to please you, Mistress.” When I opened the door, I was surprised to find William wasn’t racing around to help me. After glancing back at him, he smiled. “Just doing as you said and easing up on being helpful.”

“Nice job.” “You’re welcome. I’ll see you at the hotel.” “See you there.”

Fighting mortification, I eased my decrepit Honda Accord up to the valet stand at the Ritz. I momentarily kicked myself that I had to be such a control freak and hadn’t ridden with William. His Escalade fit right in with the upscale clientele while my Honda stuck out like a hooker in church. After handing over my keys to the attendant, I pulled my shoulders back and tried to hold my head as high as I could considering I was wearing spandex running clothes. William met me at the door with a beaming smile. “See. I’m a woman of my word,” I said. “I never doubted you.” “Uh-huh.” “Okay. Maybe a little.” We stepped through the revolving doors and into the elaborately decorated lobby. “This place is so beautiful,” I remarked, as I eyed the crystal chandeliers overhead. “It’s my favorite place to stay when I come into the city.” I bit my tongue to keep from asking where he lived. Although we had shared an extreme amount of personal information, some things we had held back. William guided me over to the elevators. Once we stepped inside, he pressed the button for the fourteenth floor. At my sigh of relief, he gave me an odd look. “What?” Shaking my head, I replied, “It’s stupid.” “What’s stupid?” “The stupid, superstitious fear I have.” At his puzzled expression, I rolled my eyes. “I thought for a minute that you were going to press the thirteenth floor, and I have this fear of threes.” Instead of busting out laughing at my ridiculousness, William’s expression remained serious. “What happened to make you fear them?” The elevator doors opened, and we stepped out onto the plush carpeting. “My mother was killed on March 3, 1993 at three in the afternoon when I was three.” “That’s horrible.” I nodded. “It’s not just that one time either. When I was thirteen on June 23rd, my horse fell during a jump, and she had to be put down. It was 6:33 at night. My dad’s MD diagnosis came on the 30th. It seems like everything bad that has happened in my life has happened with a three in the a date.” “I can see why you would want to avoid them.” “You don’t think I’m crazy to be superstitious?” William shook his head. “No. My great-grandmother was from Ireland. She passed on all her superstitions to my grandmother. I heard everything from handing a knife to someone is bad luck, so

put it on the table, to your chair falling over gives you bad luck.” He smiled. “And those were the least extreme ones. The Irish Catholic in her would say your superstition about numbers was warranted because of the importance of the biblical number thirteen influencing the Friday the 13th legend.” “Your grandmother sounds like a very interesting woman.” An expression of pure love came over William’s face. “She really is. She goes to mass every morning and then she goes to play Bingo. Don’t even try to tell her that Bingo is gambling.” I laughed. “She sounds a lot like my late Grand-Maman.” “They would have probably gotten along very well.” “Probably so.” William stopped in front of one of the rooms. He pointed at the number hanging on the door. 1422. “No threes.” “I’m pretty sure we would have had to get another room if there had been some.” “And I would have been happy to get another one.” “Anything to make your temporary Mistress happy, right? Even if she’s a little off her rocker?” William chuckled. “Of course. Even if you weren’t my mistress, I’d want you to be happy and secure.” “Thank you.” He slid the card into the lock and then opened the door. I stepped inside. While I would have expected some grand suite, the room was more functional. There was a king-sized bed, a table and two chairs, and an antique-looking desk. Across the room was the door leading to the bathroom. As I apprised the room, I started mentally taking inventory about what we could use to play with. When I saw William’s suitcase sitting open on the luggage rack, I began to rifle through his it. “What are you doing?” William demanded. “I already explained to you that playing outside of 1740 meant improvising when it came to tools.” “Yeah, but—” I jabbed a finger at him. “You’re not starting off very well by questioning your Mistress. If you keep this up, I’m not going to play with you. I’m going to order in room service and watch bad reality TV.” Although he wanted to argue, his will to obey was stronger. “I’m sorry, Mistress. I need to get myself into sub space.” “Yes. You do. Now strip.” William stepped out of his running shoes before peeling his shirt over his head. He once again

didn’t disappoint me when he jerked his running shorts down to reveal he was going commando. “Just out of curiosity, do you own underwear?” He laughed softly. “Yes, but I only wear it to work, not to play.” “Or to run?” “That, too.” “I see.” “It doesn’t bother you, does it?” “Of course not. I like having quick access to your dick.” I jerked my chin toward the bathroom. “Now go take a shower. I’m sure you stink from running, and swamp dick is not my thing.” “Will you join me?” “No. I need to get things ready for the scene.” He nodded and then went into the bathroom and closed the door. I took out a turquoise silk tie that had been folded neatly in his suitcase. While I could have called down to the front desk to ask for a sleep mask, I liked the idea of this instead. At the sight of the dress pants and button- down shirt, I couldn’t help wondering why he had such business type attire with him. It was the end of the summer, so he wasn’t teaching. Maybe he was planning to visit his grandparents and wanted to dress up for them. I was glad to see there was not one, but two belts to choose from. I had worried that I might have to resort to using a cable cord for spanking. After choosing the wider of the two belts, I dug a little deeper. At the bottom of the suitcase, I struck pain-inflicting gold at the sight of a Tens unit. I picked up the base and started unraveling the four leads. Before she left 1740 for the corporate world, my buddy, Lindsay, had imparted her knowledge of electrical play on me. While the ultraviolet wand was what most people thought of when it came to using electrostimulation, the Tens unit actually provided a wider use of play. When the electrode pads were placed directly on the cock and balls or clit, the soft pulse gave off the similar stimulation as a vibrator while turning up the dial could give a higher jolt that was painful. Overall, the orgasms were pretty intense as I could personally attest to since I’d given it a whirl myself. I’d tried to tell myself I was doing it to be able to speak knowledgeably about my product the same way someone selling cosmetics would. But the truth was more about the fact I was horny and feeling adventurous. You just had to be careful that the bits were shaved because the leads could hurt like a bitch when they pulled hair off. I had learned that the hard way after not weeding my lady garden before usage. Although I hadn’t gotten too up close and personal with William’s balls last night, they looked fairly clean-shaven. Most subs usually were. After closing and zipping back William’s suitcase, I took the materials over to the ornate desk

across from the bed. After adding the rope to the mix, I stood back to evaluate if I was ready for playing. I would need some ice, but after that, I would be good to go. Nodding, I murmured, “Not bad.” I was a little proud of myself with my improvisation skills. The educator in me went so far as to propose teaching a class at 1740 about BDSM toys around the house. The bathroom door opened, and William appeared in the doorway in all his naked glory. I dug my toes into the carpet to keep from running over and tackling him. His mop of dark hair was still wet, sending droplets of water running down his broad chest and onto his washboard abs. I wanted nothing more than to run my tongue all over his body, lapping up the excess moisture on him. “You’re not dry,” I said lamely. Instantly, I felt as stupid at Baby in Dirty Dancing when she said she carried a watermelon. I had meant to convey the thought that he wasn’t presenting himself well as a sub. “I apologize, Mistress, but I thought I should come out to offer you the bathroom.” Of course, he was thinking of me. “Thank you. I do need it now.” But I remained rooted to the floor, watching him rub the towel furiously through his hair. I wanted nothing more than to do it for him. Good Lord, what was coming over me? I was starting to feel like a lovesick teenager with my first crush. This was not about starting a relationship—this was about one night of fantasy sex. Nothing more and nothing less. Putting on my best Domme face, I picked up my purse and walked over to him. I yanked the towel from his hands. “I’m going to shower now. Stand at attention until I get back, and don’t get hard.” He immediately stepped into position. I smacked his ass before heading into the oversized bathroom with its marble floor and shower stall. As I picked up the hotel body wash off the counter, I noticed William’s bathroom bag. At the sight of the cartridge of dental floss, another trick of the trade hit me, and I grinned. I showered quickly, not bothering to wash my hair because it would take too long to dry. Considering I didn’t have a change of clothes with me, I had to put on the hotel’s plush terrycloth robe. It was hardly intimidating Domme wear, but it would have to do. Taking my hair down, I brushed it until it shone. After digging my makeup bag out of my purse, I put on a very light sheen of powder along with blush, eyeshadow, and liner. Once I rolled on some lipstick, I was set to go. I pocketed the dental floss and then opened the bathroom door. I went over to stand in front of William. “Look at me.” When William raised his head, his eyes widened in surprise. “What?” I questioned. “I’ve never seen you with your hair down.” “I usually only wear it up for work and running.”

“I like it down. It softens you.” I smiled. “That’s why I don’t wear it down at work. I don’t want to look like a softie who is going to go easy on a sub.” “You’re beautiful both ways, but I like it down the best,” he said sincerely. “Thank you.” His compliment momentarily made me gooey inside. For me, there was nothing quite like hearing a man tell you how beautiful or sexy you were. The icing on the cake was when it said with true emotion, not just as an afterthought. From the way he said it, I knew William genuinely thought I was beautiful. Of course, his integrity as a sub wouldn’t have allowed for him to be dishonest to his mistress. Once again, I had to suit up my Domme mental armor again. I jerked my chin at the bed. “Now bend over.” William obediently went to the bed. After spreading his feet apart, he placed his palms flat on the mattress. I slid the belt through my hands before doubling it over. When I cracked the ends together, William’s body shook ever so slightly. I placed my left hand on his lower back to both steady him and to protect his vulnerable kidney area from the blows. Raising my right arm, I brought the belt down across his right butt cheek as hard as I could. His flesh reddened immediately. I hit the left buttock with the same force. I repeated the process but even harder. Air hissed between William’s lips as he drew in a breath. His fingers gripped the sheets as his hips began to thrust in time with my blows. I let my hand snake around his hip to take his erection in my hand. “Yes, Mistress,” he groaned when I began to pump my hand up his shaft in between striking him. When my hand grew wet from the precum coating his dick, I pulled my hand away and stopped the spanking. William’s head dropped down, and he buried his face into the mattress, groaning in frustration. “Lie down on your back,” I instructed. The mattress dipped as he placed one knee on it and then the other. When he reached the center, he flipped onto his back. Taking his hands, I tied them together with the rope from his car. I kept things simple this time with the basic handcuffs knot. After pulling his arms over his head, I tied them to the headboard. “Blindfolds. Hard or soft limit?” “Soft.” “Good.” I took the tie off the table and returned to William. “You’re using my tie?”

“It’s a better choice than your T-shirt or worst of all your shorts.” William smiled. “I’ll take the tie, Mistress.” I placed it around William’s eyes before knotting it behind his head. “How does that feel?” “Fine.” “Can you see anything?” “No, Mistress.” Now that he was tied up and blindfolded, I needed the dental floss, ice, and Tens unit. Since this was a five-star hotel, there was already ice waiting for me in the fancy bucket. I brought everything over to the nightstand. I took a piece of ice and popped it into my mouth. I then leaned over and brought my mouth to William’s. After kissing him gently, I used the ice cube to outline his lips before dipping it over his chin. I slid it down over his Adam’s apple and then down his throat. It left a trail of moisture behind that glistened on his skin. When I reached his right pec, I circled his nipple with the ice cube, causing it to pebble. I continued to swirl the cube around until I was sure the nub was as hard as it could be. I sucked the ice cube back into my mouth. As I munched on it, I pulled out a piece of dental floss and tied a knot around the hardened nipple. Since I knew William was curious but being respectful and not asking, I said, “Dental floss works like fishing line in the same vein as a nipple clamp.” “I like it. I mean, I’ve had the regular ones on before, but this is interesting.” When I tugged on the strand, William sucked in a breath. “Are you sure about that.” “Yes, Mistress.” “Good. One down, one more to go.” After taking another piece of ice, I repeated the process on his other nipple. I let the lengthy strand of dental floss trail down his stomach to where his erection lay. Wrapping it around his cock, I looped it together in a knot with the part of the floss on his lower abdomen to make it easier to tug on when the time came. “You said CBT was a hard limit. What if it was cock and ball teasing, rather than torture?” William appeared thoughtful. “I guess it would be okay.” “I promise you’ll like it. But if you don’t, just use your safe word, and we’ll stop. Okay?” “Yes, Mistress.” Taking the Tens unit, I placed one of the electrode pads on the underside of William’s cock as well as under his balls. He stiffened slightly at the contact. As the seconds ticked by, he held his breath. I turned on the unit to the lowest pulse. “How’s that?”

“Good.” Keeping the controller in my hand, I stood up and got the belt again. I turned the dial up a few notches before bringing the belt down hard across William’s chest. “Would you like another?” “Yes, Mistress.” When I smacked him again, his head fell back, and he groaned. I laid the tens unit on the mattress. As I brought the belt across his lower abdomen, I yanked the knot on the dental floss. William shouted with pain-filled pleasure as he writhed on the bed. I continued alternating between hitting him and jerking the string as the Tens unit continued to tease his most sensitive areas. “Are you close to coming?” His answer came in a throaty groan. “Yes, Mistress…Very close.” I dropped the belt and turned off the tens unit. As I pulled off the electrodes, I said, “You only come inside me.” “Condoms are in my wallet,” he panted, jutting his chin at the nightstand. After digging out three foil wrapped packages, I went back to the bed. I climbed onto William’s lap and straddled him. We both hissed when my pussy covered his crotch. I then began to rub my aching core against his cock. Five long years of inflicting pain for the masochists who needed and desired it. Apart from a few times when I was simply horny, I’d never wanted one of their cocks inside me. Until William. His dick was so hard. So perfect. Everything about him was so fucking erotic. As I teased him, my juices began to coat his cock. He couldn’t see my arousal, but I could. But I was sure he could smell it. Feel the wetness of it. Desire it. His arms jerked against the ropes, wanting to be free. Leaning over him, my left breast fell teasingly against his cheek. He quickly turned his head. With his mouth open, he sought out my nipple. When he found it, he pulled it between his lips. I moaned with pleasure at the feel of his sucking while I rubbed myself against his hard length. He released my breast. Instead of going for the other one, he said, “Please, Mistress. Take me inside you.” Although I could have let him beg even longer, I decided to put both him and myself out of our misery. I picked up one of the condom lying beside us. After tearing open the wrapper, I rolled the condom down over his erection and then guided it between my legs. Slowly, I began to slide down his length. I had to take it slow since it had been so long since I had been with anyone. I bit down on my lower lip at the burn of his cock stretching me. But it was a good burn—the kind that hurt so very good. “Oh God, you feel amazing,” William murmured.

Once he was buried deep inside me, I rolled my hips back and forth to get used to him. My head fell back, and I couldn’t help moaning with satisfaction. It felt so good to have a man inside me again —it felt so good to have William inside me. I began to rise up on my knees and let him almost fall free of me. Leaning forward, I gripped his shoulders as I began to bounce up and down like I was riding at a full gallop. William began to thrust his hips up in time with my movements. Moans and cries of pleasure began to echo around the room. Sweat broke out at the base of my neck and began to trickle down my back. Although it was visually and mentally stimulating having William tied up, I missed his hands. I wanted them squeezing my breasts and pinching my nipples. I wanted this thumb rubbing against my clit as I rode him. Instead, I ground myself harder against him as I bounced on and off. “I’m so close, Mistress,” he croaked. “You don’t get to come until I do,” I panted. “Untie me, and I’ll get you there.” “That’s not part of the scene.” “My apologies, Mistress, but a scene is whatever a Domme makes it—you know that.” Fuck me, he had a point. I pitched forward and grabbed at the bindings. I untied him from the headboard, but I didn’t untie his hands. Although he could still use his fingers, it wouldn’t be easy. He stretched his arms down his chest. When he cupped me with both hands, I cried out. I began to ride him hard again while he rubbed me with his clasped hands. The friction was just what I needed. Within minutes, I was teetering on the edge. Closing my eyes, I slammed down onto him one last time, and then shouted with release. After my walls stopped clenching around William, I was amazed to find he still hadn’t come. The strain of his effort was evident by the sheen of sweat coating his face and chest. “Come, William,” I ordered. He came with a guttural grown, his body tensing beneath me. I fell forward onto his chest, burying my face into his neck. William brought his tied hands over my head, drawing me closer to him. Completely spent, we lay there trying to catch our breath. In that moment of post-coital euphoria, I wondered how I was ever going to tell William good-bye.

“That was…amazing,” I finally said. “It was.” Raising my head, I stared into his eyes. “Was it really?” “Are you doubting your abilities?” I shrugged. “Maybe. I mean, I’ve never Dommed outside the club, especially not with sex. I just wondered if I measured up to the others.” He grinned and dipped his head to kiss me. “I never imagined you’d ever doubt yourself.” “In the club, I don’t. This is different…you’re different.” “I can assure you that you’re just as mind-blowing outside of the club as you are in it.” Mind-blowing? Not once had a guy ever been that complimentary with me when it came to sex. Most of the guys I’d been with had only been concerned with their pleasure. They might have gone down on me long enough to give me an orgasm, but it was nothing like what William did. Perhaps being a domme was a good thing. I mean, who wouldn’t want a man completely fixated on ensuring mind-blowing sex? Of course, maybe it wouldn’t always be that way. Maybe it was more about William. “Really?” William nodded. “You had me seeing stars with that Tens thing. I’ll never be able to put it on my knee without thinking about what you did with it.” I laughed. “I guess you like the cock and ball teasing.” “It was a little torturous when you crank it up and then tried to pull my nipples off.” “But it was a good torture.” “A very good torture.” He kissed me again. This time his tongue danced along mine. When he pulled away, he smiled. “Thank you for giving me tonight.” “I should say the same to you. It had been a really long time, as I’m sure you could tell.” “I was afraid I was hurting you. Are you okay?” When I shifted my hips, an ache rippled between my legs. “I’m sore. But it’s a good kind of sore.” “You barely had any foreplay. You should have let me go down on you, so you would have been better able to take me.” “It was fine. I promise.” Oh, it was a hell of a lot better than just fine. Life-altering, coreshaking, and mind-bending.” “I wouldn’t want to hurt you for anything in the world.” “I know that. Strangely enough, I kinda liked the pain. Maybe you’re making a masochist out of

me. Think I could be a switch?” William threw his head back and laughed. “If you’re going to be my Domme, then you need to be a sadist, not a masochist.” “While I might get slightly turned on by tying you up and spanking you, I could never get off on truly giving you pain.” “Although I’d love to stay like this, I need to go to the bathroom. Can you untie me?” “You don’t think you could pee like that?” While the look in his eyes screamed, “Hell no!”, he said, “If you want me to, Mistress.” “And that right there is exactly why I don’t get fulltime D/s relationships or slaves. Why would anyone want to force you to pee with your hands tied together?” “Different people get off on different things. Completely controlling every facet of someone’s life is a turn-on to some people.” I rolled my eyes as I eased out from under his arms. “It reminds me of that scene in Coming to America when Eddie Murphy finds it ridiculous when his submissive bride to be would bark like a dog and hop on one leg if he told her to.” William laughed. “You like Eddie Murphy?” “Love him,” I replied, as I untied his hands. “Me too. Coming to America is one of my favorites.” I grinned. “Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate.” “I love Arsenio Hall as Reverend Brown.” “Oh yeah, he was amazing.” I rubbed William’s wrist, trying to ease the blood flow back in. “Thank you, Mistress.” “You’re welcome.” After everything we had been through, I would have never pegged William to be modest. But when he got out of bed, he bent down to pick up his shorts. Something about him putting them on seemed final—like our time was over. I know he had said to give him the night, but I worried that now that he’d been inside of me, our time was over. And I didn’t want that to happen. “No,” I suddenly said. William jerked his gaze from his shorts to me. “No what?” “Don’t put them on. I want you to stay naked.” “But I—” “Are you questioning your Mistress?” Pleasure and lust flashed in his eyes. “No.” “Good.”

William folded the shorts and put them on the nightstand before going to the bathroom. When he returned, he didn’t look like he was in any rush for me to leave. “What does my Mistress wish for me to do now?” I collapsed back against the fluffy pillows. “Find her something deliciously sinful to eat.” “And just how does one define ‘deliciously sinful’?” Tapping my finger on my cheek, I replied, “One that’s high in calories and full of carbs.” William grinned. “I think I can do that.” He strode over to the desk and grabbed the room service menu before joining me back in bed. He flipped the menu open so we both could look at it. “Hmm, do I want a cheeseburger?” “What about the steak with the creamed potatoes and steamed vegetables?” I yanked the menu out of his hand and popped him on the thigh with it. “Why are you suggesting something healthy when I specifically asked for something sinful?” With a laugh, William replied, “I thought you might need the protein to keep up your strength for our future exertions.” “That’s very thoughtful of you, but I promise I can keep up.” He dipped his head to where our lips almost touched. For a moment, our breaths echoed each other—a dance of give and take. “You have no idea the stamina I have.” “And you only get to use that stamina when and if I say so.” I inched closer to him. As his eyes closed in anticipation of my kiss, I drew his full bottom lip between my teeth and bit down. Hard. His moan of pain-derived pleasure echoed through me, sending a shiver of need across my body. If we kept it up, I wasn’t going to be able to walk on Sunday, and it wasn’t going to be because of my ankle. “Cheeseburger and fries for me.” When William reached for the phone, I added, “And the cheesecake for dessert.” “Yes, ma’am.” After he placed the order, he crawled into bed beside me. Before an awkward silence could prevail, William picked up the remote and turned on the television. When he stopped on ESPN, I groaned and covered my eyes with my hand. “Seriously?” “I take it you’re not a sports fan?” “No. I’m not. I’ve been forced to endure watching football for the love of my brother.” Without another word, William flipped the channel. Removing my hands, I peered curiously at him. “What, no argument?” “You said you didn’t like it, so I’m switching it.” I sat up straighter in the bed. “What if I said I wanted to watch Lifetime?”

“Then we’d watch it.” “Because of the D/s thing.” “Yes.” “Wow. I could learn to like this.” “I wish you would,” William said, his tone serious. A loud knock came at the door followed by a muffled, “Room service.” William rose out of bed and once again reached for his shorts. “What are you doing?” He threw a puzzled glance at me over his shoulder. “Um, putting on my shorts.” “But I told you to stay naked.” Whirling around to face me, William stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “You seriously want me to answer the door with my dick hanging out?” “Yes.” “That’s humiliation and a hard limit,” he countered. I shrugged. “It’s also your Mistress’s command. So you either obey it, or you safe word out, we stop playing, and have a nice dinner.” His internal struggle was evident by the physical discomfort on his face. Another knock came at the door. Crossing my arms over my sheet-covered breasts, I said, “Your choice.” He pulled his broad shoulders back and marched to the door. I had a fantastic view of his ass as he went. After unbolting the lock, his hand momentarily faltered on the door handle. But then he yanked the door open. To both of our surprise, it wasn’t a man doing the delivery—it was a young woman. Her eyes widened at the sight of William. She drank him in from head to toe while lingering on his dick for a considerably longer moment, which I couldn’t blame her for. She then gave a gentle shake of her head like she had finally come back to herself. “R-room s-service,” she stuttered. “Come in,” William said as he stepped aside. After blinking a few times, she gave the rolling cart a shove only to have it ram against the doorframe. I had to bite my tongue from laughing at how William’s naked form had her so flustered. After another attempt, she managed to get the cart inside the room. It rattled to a stop in front of the bed. At the sight of me, a flush dotted her cheeks. “Um, would you like it here?” I flashed her my best smile. “Yes. That’s fine.” She quickly turned her back to me and started setting up the table. “You don’t have to do that.” When she glanced questioningly at me over her shoulder, I said, “He’s going to feed me in bed.” I cut my eyes over to William. “Aren’t you, slave?” He ducked his head. “Yes, Mistress.”

“Good. I’d hate to have to have to spank you again.” At William’s and my exchange, the girl stood frozen with a serving lid in her hand. She appeared to be debating whether to bolt from the room. “Slave, bring me the bill, so I can sign it and leave a nice tip for this young lady.” With a nod, William crossed the room. He took the black, leather envelope off the table. When he handed it over to me, I opened it up. “Pen?” I questioned. “Huh?” the girl replied. “I need a pen to sign the bill.” “Oh, yeah, right.” She fumbled on the table and thrust out a pen. After I finished signing it and left her a fifty-dollar tip on William’s tab, I handed it to William. When he handed it to the girl, she promptly dropped it considering how her hands were shaking. After picking it up, she mumbled, “Have a nice day,” before making a beeline to the door. “You too,” I called, but the door had already slammed behind her.

“Did you have to scare the poor girl to death?” William asked with a smile. I laughed. “If she’s going to work in a hotel, she’s going to have to learn sometime. I figured I might as well give her a baptism by fire.” “Oh, you certainly did that. She’s probably going to be shell-shocked for the rest of the day.” Tilting my head, I smiled. “Shell-shocked is a good word for how I felt my first day in 1740.” “Were you as green as she was?” “With sex, no, but with BDSM, yes.” William pushed the table closer to the bed, and we proceeded to have a makeshift picnic. “I had to do an apprenticeship for a month. Although my friend, Lindsay, recruited me, I was put with a forty-year-old Domme who didn’t have any hard limits with what she would do with a sub.” William paused in cutting his steak. “That had to have been hard. Like throwing someone who couldn’t swim into the deep end.” “Oh yeah, it was like the deep, dark end where you’re desperately trying not to drown. The first day alone I saw a golden shower, baby play, and sissification. Lindsay got me drunk that night and promised me it wasn’t all that bad.” I dipped a French fry into the ketchup. “Needless to say, I knew then what my hard limits were as to what I could do as a Domme.” “Did you ever test your limits with a sub?” “I did fire play once when the price was right.” “Seriously?” With a nod, I then related to him the story without sparing him any of the gory details. “Weren’t you scared?” he asked. “A little. Probably more for the sub than I was for me. But in the end, I was more scared of not having the money for my dad.” “Jesus,” William muttered. His expression had turned from curious to sorrowful. It was the kind of look that I hated to see on people’s faces. “Don’t do that.” “Do what?” I jerked my napkin through my hands. “Pity me. I despise when people do that.” “I’m not pitying you.” “Yes, you are. It’s written all over your face.” “I don’t pity you, Sophie. Trust me, I don’t like that sentiment any more than you do. ‘Poor William whose mother cared more about herself by swallowing a bottle of pills than she did him.’ I’ve gotten it all my life, so I understand how you feel. Do you want to know what I was thinking?”

“Yes.” “I was thinking that I hate how hard life has been for you—that you were faced with making choices like you had to. I hate that your dad has had to endure what he has. More than anything, I wished there was a way I could make things easier for you.” I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “You make it better just by understanding.” William smiled. “I feel the same way about you. It’s so fucking rare to find someone who truly understands. Nothing makes me angrier than when someone who doesn’t have a clue says they understand. It’s almost insulting and belittling of your pain.” “I know exactly what you mean. Most people are just clueless.” “I agree.” Realizing we needed a subject change, William asked, “How’s your cheeseburger?” “Deliciously sinful, just like I asked for. What about your steak?” “Very good. Would you like a bite?” “Sure.” William brought the fork to my mouth, and I let the tines slip between my lips to take the bite. “That’s really good.” “Do you want some more?” “Another bite would be nice.” “Then it’s yours.” Tilting my head at him, I asked, “If I wanted the rest of your food, you’d give it to me, wouldn’t you?” “Yes. But I would do that even if you weren’t my mistress. It’s just who I am.” And I knew that to be true. His kindness and selflessness shone through. “You really are something, you know that?” He gave me another bite of juicy steak. “Thank you for the compliment, Mistress.” “At least take one of my fries,” I insisted. “Okay. If it’ll make you happy.” “It will.” With a smile, he took a fat fry and popped it in his mouth. “Now I remember why I stopped eating shit like that. Too addicting.” I laughed. “No one can eat just one fry.” “Or potato chip. I gave those up, too.” “Every time I think about eating healthy, I eat something deep-fried and greasy. Then I go run or work out. I figure it balances things out.”

“Keep up what you’re doing because you have an amazing body.” “Thank you,” I replied, as I took a fry and brought it to his mouth. He groaned, but leaned in to take it. After swallowing the last bite of my burger, I brought my hand to my abdomen. “Man, I’m so stuffed,” I moaned. I wiped my mouth with the linen napkin before tossing it onto the tray. Pursing my lips, I looked at William. “What now?” He took a sip of his wine. “What do you mean?” “You’ve fed me, and we’ve fucked. That’s usually where a date ends.” Shaking his head, he chuckled. “You have such a mouth on you.” I gave him a cheeky wink. “Thanks for the compliment considering you haven’t had the pleasure of my oral skills yet.” “I live in hope,” he mused. “As for your previous statement, this wasn’t a date; it was for a night of playing.” “Although I’m pretty creative, I’m not sure I can come up with any more scenes for us to do with our lack of props.” “I have an idea, if you’ll allow it.” “As long as it doesn’t involve anything strenuous. I’m too full for that.” “Give me two minutes.” William rose out of the bed and went into the bathroom. A few moments passed before I heard the sound of the water being turned on in the tub. Oh, damn, the man was drawing me a bath. No man had ever done anything like that for me. The best I’d ever gotten was sharing a postcoital shower where the guy couldn’t be bothered to wash me. William appeared in the doorway of the bathroom. “The bath is ready if you are.” I shook my head slowly from side to side. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.” “You don’t want a bath? “Yes. Of course, I do. It’s just no man has ever done something this…” I was going to say romantic, but I thought better of it. “Thoughtful.” “You must’ve really dated some losers in your day.” I snorted. “My small hometown doesn’t breed a lot of romantics, and then frat guys are the definition of douchebags.” William leaned back against the doorframe. “Did your boyfriends ever know about you being a Domme?” “No. I only worked at 1740 for five years, and three of those I was single. The two guys I dated during the other two years just knew I worked at a club.” “They didn’t ever want to come with you to check it out?”

With a grin, I replied, “I told them it was a lesbian club.” William chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that kept them away. Unless they were interested in a threeway.” “Haha, exactly.” Throwing back the sheet, I padded barefoot across the carpet to join him. I must’ve been limping slightly because William asked, “How’s your ankle?” “I’ll live.” A fragrant flowery smell permeated the bathroom. When I looked at the marble tub, it was brimming with bubbles. “That looks amazing.” “Go ahead and get in.” I tentatively dipped my good foot in, testing the temperature. When I gaged it wasn’t too hot, I put the entire foot in and then the one with the swollen ankle, and then sank down into the suds. Once I was submerged, I closed my eyes in bliss. “Mmm,” was all I could utter. “That good, huh?” “Yes.” Popping one eye open, I appraised William still standing in the doorway. “Aren’t you going to join me?” “Would you like for me to?” “Of course. Why not?” “I just thought you might want to enjoy it alone. It’s about making you happy.” “Although that’s tempting, I would rather you be in here with me.” Holding up a finger, William said, “One minute.” After I replied, “Okay,” he disappeared. I reached over to turn on the jets. At the feel of the water pulsing against my skin, I moaned. “Are you all right?” he called. “Oh, I’m more than all right.” When William reappeared, he held two champagne glasses in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. “I thought you might like a little refreshment.” “I would, thank you.” After popping the cork, William poured a glass and then brought it to me. I took it in my sudsy hand before bringing it to my lips. “Wow, that’s good.” William poured himself a glass before coming to the edge of the bath. “Lean up.” “I thought I was the one giving commands,” I replied, under my breath, as I scooted forward. After setting his glass down on the side of the tub, William stepped in behind me. He opened his legs before taking me by the shoulders and bringing me to lie with my back against his chest. I started to say how nice it felt when he brought both hands to my shoulders and began to knead my

muscles. “Oh God,” I muttered. “Is that enough pressure, or would you like more?” “More.” His fingers dug into my skin. “Do you moonlight as a masseur?” I teasingly joked. William’s chuckle rumbled through me. “No. My massage skills come from playing and coaching football.” “Did you often do the massaging naked in a tub?” William took me by surprise by dipping his head to capture my lips with his. When he pulled away, he nibbled on my bottom lip. “Such a sassy mouth.” I momentarily forgot what we were talking about. I was in serious trouble when a man could make me lose my train of thought just with a simple kiss. Of course, there was nothing hotter to me than a love bite like William had just done. “So this,” I motioned to the bath, “is all part of D/s relationships outside the club?” “Yes and no. Taking care of your Mistress is part of it, but if she doesn’t care for baths or cuddling, then you wouldn’t do it. Anything that is done is done to please your Mistress.” “It just feels like somehow a sub is taken advantage of.” “It’s a two-way street, Sophie. The sub gets as much as the Domme, I assure you.” He kissed a trail down my neck and onto my shoulder. “Just like I get so much out of seeing you receive my pleasure.” “You really do?” “Mmm, hmm,” he murmured against my skin. “Can I give you some more?” “Yes.” William slid us around in the tub to where we were leaning against the back side. I started to protest when he pushed me forward, but then I realized what he was doing. One of the large jets on the tub was in front of me. If I widened my legs, it would spray directly onto my clit. When the first pulses hit me, I gasped and raised my hips. William’s hands came around to cup my breasts. He rolled my nipples between his thumb and fingers, pinching the hardening nubs. Wanting more friction, I scooted my bottom even closer to the jet. I threw my legs over the side of the tub, sending soapy water cascading onto the floor. William’s hardened length pushed against my buttocks. As I started climbing into an orgasm, I gripped William’s thighs, using them for leverage to move my hips harder and faster. The bath water rose and fell like waves on the ocean with my movement. I came with a cry, throwing my head back against William’s firm chest. When the spasms stopped, I looked back at him. “Take me to bed,” I commanded.

William responded by rising up out of the tub. After he helped me out, he lifted me into his arms and carried me to the bed. I didn’t want to dry off. I wanted to be slick. After William slid on a condom, he climbed onto the mattress and hovered over me. “Tell me how you want it.” A sense of Déjà vu washed over me as William’s words were the same as the dream I’d had that morning. But unlike in the dream, I didn’t want it hard and fast. I wanted it slow and sweet. “Show me that you know the difference between fucking and making love.” Surprise flashed in his eyes at my request. “Yes, Mistress.” I widened my legs to let him ease between them. He guided his erection to my core before slowly pressing his way in inch by inch. He kept his eyes on mine the whole time. The intensity in them caused me to shudder. Within the depths of his dark eyes were all the emotions a lover would want to see reflected at them. Although, I wouldn’t be fooled. Anything that is done is done to please your Mistress. William began to move his hips, his cock gliding in and out of me. He dipped his head to bring his lips to mine. After kissing my lips, he feathered tender kisses across my cheekbone over to my ear. His whisperings soon became my undoing. “You’re so beautiful, Sophie. Your lips, your eyes, your smart mouth. I could stay inside your tight walls all night long, giving you orgasm after orgasm.” As if he could sense that I was questioning his sincerity, he pulled back to where I could see his eyes again. The truth shining in them told me everything I needed to know. He wasn’t just shooting me a bunch of bullshit to try to obey my command of making love. He truly meant every word. When he suddenly slipped out of me, I whimpered at the loss. He rose up to sit on his knees. Then he lifted me up to wrap my legs around him. His hands came to rest underneath my buttocks while I brought mine around his neck. He gently worked me on and off of him while he kissed me deeply. We came almost at the same time, and long after we finished, William held me tight against him. I didn’t bother trying to move away. It felt too good. After I almost dozed off, William asked, “Sleepy?” “Yes. You’ve worn me out.” “I feel the same way.” After easing me off of him, he laid me back down on the mattress. He then laid beside me. He wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me up against him, causing me to turn on my side. “Is this okay?” “Yeah, it’s fine.” The truth was it was more than fine. I felt completely safe and secure. I drifted

off to sleep feeling happier than I had in a long, longtime.

I woke up to the feeling of something warm and hairy against my chest. Thinking it was Oakley, I pushed her away. “Too early,” I muttered, as I turned over. It was when I felt something hard poking into my leg that I realized it wasn’t Oakley brushing against me. It was a man. My eyelids flew open as I flipped back over in bed to find William snoring softly. It had been his head lying against my breasts. For a moment all I could do was stare at him. Surely the last forty-eight hours had been a dream. Had I really met and slept with the man of my dreams? Well, the man of my dreams who was a submissive. Covering my eyes with my arm, I groaned. Why did everything have to be so fucking complicated? Removing my arm, I gazed at William again. He looked so peaceful sleeping. Eyeing his fiveo’-clock shadow coming in where he hadn’t shaved, I couldn’t help thinking how good those whiskers would feel brushing against thighs. I rolled my eyes at my perverted thoughts. I’d been thoroughly fucked just hours before. I’d lost count of the amount of orgasms the man had given me. A shock of hair fell across William’s forehead almost covering one of his eyes. Unable to resist the urge, I reached over to curl it between one of my fingers. He stirred at my touch. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” I murmured. His dark eyes opened and stared into mine. At the sight of me, a smile curved on his full lips. “Good morning,” he said, his voice rough and hoarse. “Good morning to you, too.” I then dropped my gaze to where the sheet was tenting. “And you.” A boyish flush entered William’s cheeks, making him absolutely adorable. He might’ve been eight-years-older than me, but he had such a boyish charm about him. He gave me a sheepish grin. “Sorry. It has a mind of its own.” Propping his head up on his hand, he said, “And when it senses the presence of a beautiful, sexy woman, it has to stand at attention and show her respect.” I laughed. “What an elaborate lie about the usual morning wood.” Motioning to his crotch, William teased, “There’s nothing ‘usual’ about this cock.” “That’s very true. You need to take care of it because it’s very distracting.” His brows popped up in surprise. “I do?” “Yes, you do.” I slid the sheet down to his knees. His erection lay back against his stomach, stretching almost to his navel. William’s gaze came to mine as he awaited my instruction. “Lick your hand,” I instructed. William brought his right hand to his mouth. Instead of licking, he spat twice. Reaching between his legs, I took his sac in my hand. When I squeezed his balls between my fingers, William sucked in

a harsh breath. “You didn’t do as I told you, did you?” His eyes flared. “No, Mistress.” When I released his balls, a small sigh of relief came from his lips. “Now lick your hand like I told you to.” William flattened his tongue against his palm. Never taking his eyes off mine, he made long sweeps up to his fingers. It mirrored the way he licked me and caused me to clench my thighs. “Stroke yourself slowly.” He slid his hand up and down over his cock from root to tip. “Does that feel good?” “Yes, Mistress.” “Would you like it to be faster?” “Yes, Mistress.” “Then do it harder.” Closing his eyes, he quickened his pace along with his breathing. His eyes closed as he bit down on his lip. His chest rose and fell in harsh pants as his hips began to buck, pumping his dick through his hand. I grew impossibly wet just watching him pleasure himself. Suddenly he stopped, and he started to reach for one of the condoms on the nightstand. I gave his backside a stinging swat. “Did I tell you to stop?” “No. It’s just I wanted to be able to finish in you—to give you pleasure as well.” “You’ll finish when I tell you to.” I knew it was just an honest mistake of his and not him being defiant. Considering how I kept taking him in and out of subspace, it was bound to happen. The truth was I had no idea how to Domme with sex. I could Domme all day long when it was just about the client’s release. But now it was about me partnering with someone, and that fucked with my head. Although I wasn’t hearing any complaints from William, I did need to work on disciplining myself. “Go ahead and put on the condom.” After William sheathed his erection, I widened my thighs and brought my hand between them. I began to stroke myself as I watched William. At the sight of me touching myself, he groaned. In a strained voice, he uttered, “You’re killing me, Mistress.” “You wish this was your hand touching me?” “Yes. I do.” “Then touch me.” With a growl, William’s hand once again abandoned his cock. He flipped over onto his side before bringing his hand between my legs. He immediately thrust two fingers deep inside me, causing me to gasp. As he began to pump his fingers in and out of me, he brought his lips to mine. His tongue

began to mimic his fingers. It wasn’t long before I began to go over the edge. My walls clenched around his fingers as I cried out and gripped his shoulders. William removed his fingers. When he started to climb on top of me, I stopped him. “So eager,” I mused. “I want you to take me from behind.” “Yes, Mistress.” Shifting in the bed, I got on all fours. I swayed my ass provocatively at William. “Get inside me. Now.” He didn’t respond to me vocally. Instead, he slammed into me, his thighs smacking against mine. “Pull my hair,” I commanded hoarsely. He grabbed a handful of strands and wrapped them around his fingers. He then jerked my head back as hard as his cock drilled me. I was already a little sore from last night, but I knew after this, I would be remembering William the rest of the day. Hell, the rest of the week. I gripped the sheets between my fingers, pushing my hips back against his. We both grunted like animals as we sought release. William reached between us to squeeze my clit, and it was my undoing. I buried my face in the mattress and screamed through my orgasm. William followed shortly after me, collapsing onto my back. “I’m sorry I came without permission,” he murmured against my skin. “It’s okay. I didn’t tell you had to wait. I’m sure all of this is confusing as hell to you when you’re used to a D/s relationship.” He kissed along my spine. “I’m enjoying it, Mistress.” “Me, too.” Glancing at him over my shoulder, I said, “I think we both could use a shower, don’t you think?” “I agree.” When William eased out of me, I winced. “Are you okay, Mistress?” he asked. “It’s all your giant cock’s fault.” He laughed. “I’m sorry.” Facing him, I smiled. “Nothing to apologize for. You ravaged your Mistress’s pussy just like she wanted.” After rising out of the bed, William reached out for my hand. The sweetness of the gesture shot straight to my heart. Having someone always putting you and your needs first was the only thing very appealing to me about a D/s relationship. It was the average behavior of a gentleman, but they were so hard to come by these days. After testing the water, William motioned for me to get in. I moaned when the hot spray

scorched against my skin. “Too hot?” William asked as he got in behind me. “Just right.” “Good.” He grabbed the bottle of his body wash and squirted some onto his fingers. “If you don’t mind smelling like a man, I can wash you.” I laughed. “I like the way you smell.” After switching places with me, William began to lather me up, starting with my breasts. He massaged them in his hands while his thumbs flicked over my hardening nipples. Once he felt like they were clean enough, he began to wash my abdomen. My breath hitched when a soapy hand went between my thighs. “Are you trying to start something up?” “Maybe.” He dipped his head to kiss me. “Want me to finish it by finishing you?” Never one to say no to an orgasm, I replied, “Yes.” William’s masterful fingers began to work their magic on my pussy. I leaned back against the shower stall and widened my legs. My thrust in time with his plunging fingers. Closing my eyes, I gripped his shoulders as I started to go over the edge. “William!” I cried. “I love hearing my name on your lips when you come,” he murmured into my ear. Trying to avoid the sentimentality of the moment, I slid down the shower stall and onto my knees. I took his half-mast cock into my hands. A few pumps through my slick hands brought it to life. I swirled my tongue around the head before sucking him deep into my mouth. And I thrust him in and out, alternating between fast and slow strokes for a few minutes. “I’m going to come, Mistress,” he panted. Ignoring his warning, I kept on bobbing my head up and down on his cock. I didn’t care if he came in my mouth—I knew the club had strict rules about STD testing. Members had to undergo on site testing every three months to ensure they were safe for play. “Mistress?” he questioned, giving me one last chance to pull away. “Come,” I murmured around the head of his shaft. With a grunt of pleasure, he came hard, his warmth spurting onto my tongue and filling my mouth. When he was finished, I rose off my knees. Wrapping his hands on both sides of my neck, he kissed me deeply. He pulled away and smiled. “Thank you, Mistress.” I knew in sub world I had done something pretty special by allowing him to come in my mouth. I had no regrets. “You’re welcome. Now let’s get out of here before we both turn into prunes.” William laughed as he opened the shower door. He grabbed one of the large towels and began to dry me. Once again, I found myself enjoying the whole being cared for and being put first aspect of a D/s relationship. Or maybe it was just because it was William. He suddenly stilled in drying me off. His expression became so serious it was almost forlorn.

“What happens now?” he questioned. “Well, we get dressed and get out of here before check-out time.” He pinched my ass. “That’s not what I meant.” “And that’s not proper sub behavior.” “Then promise to punish me. Next time.” I shook my head. “You know I’m not working at the club anymore.” “You don’t have to punish me at the club. You can punish me at any hotel chain you prefer. And if my grandparents aren’t in town, you can spank me all over the penthouse.” When I opened my mouth to protest about Atlanta being too far away, he pressed his finger against my lips. “I’ll come to you—regardless the distance.” He rubbed his thumb tenderly across my cheekbone. “I don’t want just to be with you sexually again, Sophie. I want to see where this could go long term.” “Are we really having a relationship conversation when we’re buck naked?” “Considering the way we met, it makes sense,” William replied, with a small smile. “This is impossible—we’re impossible. You want a D/s relationship, and I don’t. I think that it’s pretty evident we’re at an impasse. The whole Robert Frost ‘two roads diverged in a wood’ thing except I have to go one way, and you the other.” “And why?” “Because I’m not a Domme.” “You were pretty fucking good last night and this morning.” “While I might’ve liked playing at being your Domme, I know I could never do it full-time—in or out of the bedroom. When I’m in the club, I can stay in the persona, but I slip too much when I’m with you. I know it’s just not who I am.” When he started to protest, I shook my head. I placed my hand on his cheek. “Even in the short time we’ve had together, I’ve come to care for you. Because of that, I want what is best for you and what will make you happy. You deserve someone whose heart and soul goes into being a Mistress.” “Relationships are always about give and take. Why can’t we try that in the bedroom?” “What about all the other D/s stuff?” “You really have an aversion to me putting your needs above mine?” “It’s nice how thoughtful you are, but I could never bear to think you were doing something you hated just because I told you to do it.” He paused for a moment, surveying my words. “Sometimes that’s what love is—doing something you don’t necessarily want to do to make the person you love happy. It’s that whole give and take thing again. It’s going to the ballet when you hate it or enduring family dinners when you can’t stand the people there.”

I knew what William was saying was true. He was also using the word ‘love’ to try and provoke a reaction out of me. And although I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with one good reason to say no to at least trying things out with him. Holding my hands up in defeat, I said, “Okay, okay, I guess we can meet up again next weekend.” William’s eyes flashed with pleasure. “Really?” “Yes, really.” He crushed his lips to mine. When he pulled away, he grinned. “Let me show you how very happy you make me.” “What about checkout time?” I asked, as William led me into the bedroom. “Fuck checkout time. I want to fuck you.” “Mmm, how very forceful of you,” I mused. “I have caveman moments just like any other guy.” “Is that right?” The next thing I knew, he’d bent over and thrown me over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” “Taking you to my bed.” “That’s the Ritz’s bed.” William’s chuckle rumbled through me. “I think you’re trying to sabotage me playing the alpha man, Mistress.” “I am not. I was just making a statement.” When he tossed me unceremoniously onto the mattress, I growled. “I think I’m going to have to punish you for that.” He grinned. “I look forward to that, Mistress.” “But first. I want your mouth here.” I widened my legs and pointed to my pussy. “I expect you to make me come at least twice before I will even think about doing anything for you.” A devilish look flashed in William’s eyes as the mattress dipped under his weight. “Yes, Mistress.”

After I got home from being with William, I went straight to bed and crashed at seven o’clock. I slept straight through the night and only woke up to my phone ringing. “H-hello?” “Dude, are you still asleep?” my brother, Ansel, demanded. Rubbing my eyes, I mumbled, “Maybe. Why?” “Because it’s almost noon, dumbass.” “What?!” I jerked the phone back to look at the time. It was just like my dear little brother to yank my chain. When I saw it was indeed noon, I groaned. “I forgot to set my alarm.” “Epic fail, sis.” I eyed Oakley who was stretched out next to me. “Oh, so today of all days you decide we can sleep in?” I mumbled. Her only response was a yawn. “How far away are you?” “Ten minutes.” Fuuuuuuuck. “I’ll be ready.” Ansel snorted. “Yeah, right.” “Shut up.” “Love ya, bitch.” I laughed. “Love you too, you little shit.” After ending the call, I flung off the covers and hurried over to the coffee pot. It was one of the only kitchen appliances I hadn’t packed. I flipped it on, and then rushed back to throw on some clothes. Ansel was bringing some of his football buddies to help me move. We were getting a late start because they had to wait until after their morning football practice. This was his last free week of summer break before Ansel started his senior year. Once I was dressed and a cup of coffee was ingested, I felt ready to face the world…and my brother. Gazing around the room, there wasn’t much left to pack. The furniture belonged to Lola, except for the rocking chair and ottoman that had been Grand-maman’s. At the banging on the door loud enough to wake the dead, I started to hurry across the room when my ankle protested loudly. “Shit,” I muttered, as I hobbled for a moment with Oakley barking behind me like she was a Doberman, not a dachshund. My six-foot-three baby brother stood before me, flanked by two of his buddies. “Hey, guys.” “Hiya, Soph,” Ansel replied with a grin. He grabbed me into a sweaty bear hug. I squealed and tried pushing out of his arms. “Ugh, you’re disgusting.” “Oh, I’m so sorry we didn’t take the time to shower. We kinda wanted to get here to get this shit done.” “How sweet of you.”

He grinned. “I know.” When he let go of me, I reached up to pinch his cheek—it was something Grand-maman had always done to us. Like me, Ansel had been given a French name in honor of Grand-maman. He was actually Michael Ansel Jameson Jr, but he had been dubbed “Ansel” so things wouldn’t get confusing with my dad. Ansel was an exact replica of my father from the sandy-blond hair to the cornflower-blue eyes. It was a blessing in disguise that he looked nothing like his mother—a slutbag who had ditched my father when Ansel was three. After a few years of coming around to see Ansel at Christmas, we hadn’t heard anything from my stepmother in ten years. She never much cared for me, and the feeling was mutual. Even at seven years old, I had been guarded and suspicious of people’s intentions. In this case, I had been right. “I’ve missed you.” He huffed and rolled his eyes exasperatedly as only teenagers can do. “Jesus, Soph, you just saw me last weekend.” This time I pinched his cheek harder. “Don’t use that word.” “You sound just like Grand-maman.” He turned to his friends with a grin. “My grandmother could cuss like a sailor, but you never, ever said Jesus Christ or God damn around her.” “If you did, she’d cross herself before smacking you,” I mused. “Must be nice. My grandmother would have another stroke if I cussed around her,” Jody, a hefty redhead with freckle-splattered skin, said. I smiled. “It’s going to be a real struggle managing not to cuss once I’m in the classroom.” “Any chance we’ll have you for Brit Lit?” Jason asked. I shook my head. “I’ve got all juniors.” His brows turned down over his caramel-colored skin. “Bummer.” “Actually, I requested not to have any seniors. I thought it was too much of a conflict of interest to be teaching Ansel’s friends.” Ansel clapped his hands together. “All right. Enough talking. We need to get this show on the road.” “Yes, slave driver,” I said, before pinching his cheek again. While the boys worked at loading Jody’s truck, I packed up the last boxes. With three strong, able-bodied young men, the process moved pretty quickly. Lola came down at one, insisting we come up for a farewell lunch. Even at eighty-five, she was an amazing cook. With our stomachs pleasantly full, we loaded the last box. I was just about to hop into my car when my phone dinged in my pocket.

Good afternoon. I wanted to wish you a good morning, but I was afraid I might look too much like a stalker. I grinned as I texted him back. Good afternoon to you, too, my little sub-the-stalker. I know I’m not supposed to argue with my Mistress, but I thought we established there is nothing “little” about me. Trust me, I remember your size each time I take a step. I’m glad you’re thinking of me. I haven’t stopped thinking of you since you left. Now that does sound stalkery. Smart-ass. Anyway, at work and need to go. Just wanted to say hello. I’m glad you did. With my car door open, I was still staring at my phone when Ansel asked, “What’s the goofy grin about?” “Nothing.” His eyes suddenly lit up. “You’re texting with a man, aren’t you?” After shoving my phone back in my pocket, I replied, “No comment.” He clapped his hands together and laughed. “Oh, it is so a man. I thought you smelled like a dude when I hugged you.” Wrinkling my nose, I said, “That’s disgusting.” He snorted. “I meant, like a dude’s cologne, you pervert. But if you’ve got a man’s smell on you, then that means you’ve been doing the dirty.” Jody and Jason stood by the truck and snickered behind us. I whirled around to shoot them a death glare. “Who is he?” Ansel asked. “Would you shut up and get in the car?” “It’s a long ride home, big sis. I’m gonna need some details.” The last thing in the world I was going to do was tell Ansel anything. Of course, even if I wanted to talk about William, I would have to fabricate most of the story. It wasn’t like I could say, Yeah, I met him at BDSM club where I tied him up and spanked him until he came. Romantic, huh? Giving Ansel a sickeningly sweet smile, I said, “Either you drop the subject or I tell your friends some really embarrassing stories about you.” “Like what?” “How about Bubby to start with?” Ansel’s blue eyes widened at the thought of me telling his besties about how he slept with his stuffed rabbit until he was fifteen. “You wouldn’t,” he hissed.

“Oh, yeah, I would.” “Fine. Keep your secret man shit to yourself.” “Thank you. I will.” The drive from Atlanta to usually took an hour, but my lead foot made it in fifty minutes. That was even counting making a stop for Oakley to pee. It was a trip I could make blindfolded since I was so used to making it on Saturday mornings. While Ansel texted madly on his phone, I worked on lesson plans in my head. We lived off the main highway down a long, winding driveway surrounded by fenced-in pastureland. My dad and mom had built the house when they got married. It was a two-story Cape Cod Farmhouse design with a wraparound front porch. The twenty-five acres had been a wedding gift from Grandpa and Grand-maman. They had divided the acres they’d owned between my dad and his brother, Mark. My uncle, who was a theater major, had no desire for country life, so he’d sold his land to my dad before he moved to New York. In the last six months, my dad’s condition had deteriorated even more, and he now needed someone to be there during the day to cook his meals and take care of the house when Ansel was at school. My dad’s cousin-in-law, Susie, had offered to take the job, and it was nice having a member of the family around, rather than a stranger. I hopped out and Ansel followed, and headed for the guys. While the guys worked at unloading the truck, I took Oakley and went on inside the house to see Daddy. I found him reading the newspaper in his Power-Lift chair in the den. “There’s my girl,” he greeted. After setting Oakley down on the floor, I hugged him tight. “Yep. I’m home for good now.” “I’m so glad to have both my children under the same roof again. Of course, it won’t be long before Ansel is leaving us.” “He won’t stay away long. He’ll need someone to cook his meals and wash his clothes.” Daddy laughed. “That’s true.” Susie came bustling into the room, a wet dishcloth in her hand. “Hey there, stranger,” she said, her smile deepening the grooves in her face. Her auburn hair was swept back in a bun with a few wisps escaping on the sides. Since she came through the week, I didn’t get to see her when I came home on the weekends. Her husband and my dad were first cousins and had grown up together. Sometimes she felt more like an aunt than a cousin-in-law. I gave her a hug. “It’s good to see you.” “Excited about tomorrow?” I nodded. “And nervous.” “You’ll do great,” Susie answered.

Daddy smiled. “Of course, she will. There’s not a thing that Sophie does that she doesn’t excel at.” Waving my hand, I teasingly said, “Oh, do go on with the compliments.” Ansel and the guys appeared in the doorway. “All the boxes and furniture are in your room.” “Thanks.” Looking at Jason and Jody, I said, “I owe you guys for helping Ansel out.” “Nah, we were happy to do it,” Jason replied. Jody grinned. “Maybe you could have our backs on late passes from time to time?” I laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.” “Score!” They waved good-bye and then headed for the door. After they were gone, Ansel came into the den, collapsing down onto the couch. “So did you tell Dad about your boyfriend?” Ansel teased, with a wicked grin. “Boyfriend?” Daddy questioned, his brows popping up in surprise. Narrowing my eyes, I mouthed, I’m going to kick your ass. Just try, he mouthed back. Ha, if he only knew, I could beat the hell out of him in more ways than one. Meeting Daddy’s expectant gaze, I said, “There’s no boyfriend. Ansel is just giving me a hard time.” “There’s a boyfriend all right. She got all goofy-faced when he sent her a text.” “Fine. There is a guy I’m talking to.” Daddy’s blue eyes sparkled with excitement. “That’s wonderful. Where did you meet him?” Fuck me. He would have to ask that one. Quickly, I concocted a story in my head. “I met him running at Kennesaw Mountain on Saturday. We just started talking, so I think it’s a little early to call him a boyfriend.” With a wink, Daddy mused, “You never know. I wanted to marry your mother the first day I saw her. She was tearing down the rodeo arena on her horse, dodging in and out of barrels. She had the most determined look on her beautiful face.” Although I had heard that story a million times, it never got old. Nor did seeing the expression of love my dad wore when he told it. “We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.” “I sure hope something good comes of it. I want you to be happy more than anything in the world.” “I’m happy,” I protested. “Happy in love.” While he was a romantic at heart and sincerely wanted me to find love, I knew my father wasn’t saying what he really meant. With his time running out, he wanted to see me married. He wanted to

have the peace of mind that there was someone to take care of me when he was gone. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” I rose off the couch. “I better go get started unpacking.” “I’m cooking your favorite for dinner—chicken and dressing,” Susie announced. I grinned. “Wow, I didn’t think I’d get that until Thanksgiving. Thank you.” She kissed my cheek. “You’re welcome.” Throwing a final look at Ansel, I added, “Sleep with one eye open tonight, little brother.” He laughed. “Bring it on.”

Tuesday morning dawned bright and beautiful with red and orange rays of sunshine streaking across the azure sky. Most mornings, I wasn’t up to see the sunrise, but today I had set my alarm for an hour earlier than needed. There was no way in hell I was going to be late on my first day. Even though the school was a twenty-minute drive from the house, I planned to give myself forty just in case. Of course, Whitfield wasn’t Atlanta, so the odds of a major traffic pileup were slim. After showering and getting ready, I went in to check on Daddy. I found him awake and watching the news. “Good morning.” He turned to look at me and smiled. “It is a good morning. My baby girl’s first day of teaching.” I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Well, the teaching doesn’t come until Monday. This week is all about boring meetings and getting my classroom ready.” “I’m sure you’ll do great. Get Ansel to help you in your classroom after football practice.” I snorted. “He’ll love the hell out of that, I’m sure.” Daddy grinned. “It’ll keep him from mucking the stables, which he hates.” “That’s true. Do you want me to get you something to eat?” “I’ll wait for Susie.” “But I have time, and I don’t mind.” He shook his head. “You just focus on you today. Okay?” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. There was little in the world that could break me quite like my father’s concern and compassion. “Okay. I’ll do that.” I rose up off the bed and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Bye, Daddy.” “Bye, sweetheart.” Even after grabbing a biscuit and some coffee from McDonald’s on the way in to school, I still arrived ridiculously early. There were just a few cars in the parking lot. Once I got inside, I went to the main office and signed in. The secretary gave me the key to my classroom. The principal, Dr. Newsome, had showed it to me the day he’d given me the job. After unlocking the door and turning on the lights, I just stood there, taking everything in. Mentally I started decorating the room, rearranging the desks and putting posters on the wall. But before I got started with any of that, I needed the boxes from my car that held my books and personal effects. I spent the next two hours making trips back and forth to my car for boxes and then unpacking them. As I carried the final box from my car and back into the building, my phone dinged in my pocket. After depositing the box on one of the desks, I dug it out. Although I hated myself for it, I couldn’t keep what Ansel would call my “goofy grin” from spreading across my face when I saw it

was William. Thinking of you. Three little words, but damn, did they pack a punch. I’d been thinking of him too. For a few seconds, I merely stood staring at my phone. It didn’t escape me that only William would be so formal as to not write “u” for “you”. I quickly texted him back. Loser, shouldn’t u b working?” Hard to focus when all I do is think of you came his quick reply. My heartbeat accelerated so fast that I almost gasped in my next few breaths. The man was truly unbelievable. Wealthy, good-looking, kind, a body like a Greek god, and a fantastic lover. Of course, he was also a submissive who needed kink to get off. I sighed at the fact there always had to be something. What r u doing? As I waited for his response, I started working on emptying the box I’d just brought in. When the chime came, I glanced down at the phone. On a break from a meeting while wishing you had me bent over the table, flogging my bare ass. The books in my hands dropped to the floor at the mental image before me. With picture perfect clarity, I recalled the firm globes of his ass—the way they reddened when they were spanked, the way the muscles clenched with pain and pleasure. A flush of desire ran from the top of my head down to my toes, causing me to shudder. When I felt my panties grow wet, I quickly shook my head. What the hell was wrong with me? I had to be a complete pervert to be standing in my classroom with moist panties from text messages. Stop being naughty I thought you liked it when I was your naughty boy to punish My breath quickened. You’re getting me wet at my new job. If I was there, I’d lick you dry only to get you drenched again. Groaning, I clenched my thighs together. I’m going to punish you for this. I sure as hell hope so. Maybe I’ll come to you before Saturday so you can come. Considering as hot as I was, four days did seem like an eternity. That or I’ll take matters into my own hands. I’d much rather it be mine. Realizing an opportunity for play, I texted NO jerking off for you. Only I get to make you come. Yes, Mistress. Got to go. Meeting is over. Bye.

A knock at my door caused me to jump and fumble with my phone. It dropped at the feet of Jane, the English department head. I dove to pick it up, but she beat me to it. “Sorry for startling you,” she said, as she handed me my phone. “No. It’s okay,” I replied. I quickly shoved it back into my pocket. “I just wanted to stop by and see if you were settling in okay?” Jane asked with a smile. I returned her smile. “I think so.” Gazing around the room, I said, “It’s probably going to take me a little while to get this place in order.” “Take your time. You’ll find that you spend a lot of time within these walls, so you’ll want to make it as comfortable as possible.” “I want to make it inviting for the students as well.” “Just let me know anything that you need, and I’ll get it for you.” “I appreciate that.” “There’s also a small stipend for new teachers to buy materials for their rooms. Sadly, with the budget cuts, it gets smaller and smaller every year.” “Ah, yes, I was warned about all those lovely cuts during student teaching.” “It’s a real bitch,” Jane replied, with a wink. I grinned as it was good to know she wasn’t going to be like the stereotypical stuffy department head. “Listen, several of us from the department are doing lunch together today, so I hope you can join us.” “I’d love to. Thank you.” She nodded. “I’ll let you go and get some more work done. Thankfully, they moved the mandatory faculty meeting until this afternoon.” She rolled her eyes. “They used to push that shit on us first thing, and then they realized no one was paying attention because they were thinking of all the things they should be doing in their classrooms.” I laughed. “I’m afraid I would have been guilty of that.” Jane started out the door, but then she stopped. “Oh, just a small heads-up that the new principal is coming around in a few minutes to meet the teachers. Some kind of one-on-one thing to boost morale.” I furrowed my brow in confusion. “New principal? What happened to Dr. Newsome?” Not only had Dr. Newsome been one of the assistant principals when I went to Milton, he also knew my dad. Jane’s green eyes widened. “Oh honey, you haven’t heard?” When I shook my head, she hustled inside my classroom and shut the door. “He got busted a week ago in a Marietta hotel room, high as a kite on Meth and with a prostitute.”

“Damn,” I muttered under my breath. At the same time, I couldn’t help picturing Dr. Newsome and thinking, “What the fuck?” “I know, right?” Jane replied. Considering my former occupation, I wasn’t one to pass any judgment. However, at the same time, I knew that once the school year started, I couldn’t set foot in 1740. Although the identities of both the staff and clients were heavily protected, I still didn’t want to risk it. I’d worked too hard for my degrees to lose everything. Dr. Newsome had to have been smoking something pretty intense to throw away his career. “New guy seems like he’s going to be easy to work with. Just between you and me, Newsome could be a real prick sometimes.” “Then I’m not sorry he’s gone.” “Most of us weren’t too sad to hear the news. Of course, it’s always hard getting used to a new boss.” She glanced at her watch. “I better get out of here and let you get to work. I’ll be back by to pick you up for lunch.” “Sounds good. Thanks.” After Jane left, I bent down to retrieve the books I’d dropped after William’s message. When I saw that two had scattered under one of the desks, I groaned. Kneeling down, I had to crawl halfway under the desk to get the books. “Hello?” a voice called from the doorway. I jerked my head up, banging it on the bottom of the desk. “Fuck!” I shouted. “Ms. Jameson? I’m Dr. Foster, the new principal.” “Yeah, sorry. One sec.” As I rubbed my aching head, mortification overcame me. I was pretty sure I had not only made an idiot out of myself in front of my new principal, but I had also cursed like a sailor in front of him. Could I get any more unprofessional? As I started scooting out from behind the desk, I heard his footsteps echoing on the tile. “May I help you?” he questioned. “No, no. I’m fine, thank you,” I reassured. Flailing my hands, I worked to push back the shroud of hair covering my face like Cousin It from the Addams Family. When I could finally see again, I forced a smile as I stepped forward to shake my new boss’s hand. The moment I looked into his face my heart stopped in my chest, and I gasped. It was like every molecule in my body exploded as my past and present collided in that moment. “W-William?”

My submissive stood before me in black dress pants, a button-down red shirt, and a red and white checked tie. His color combination was a subtle nod to our school colors. Although he was just as handsome as ever, he wasn’t the same William I’d spent the weekend with. All traces of his submissive side were gone. In its place was an air of authority and dominance. It was both attractive and unnerving. Of course, the sight of me had rattled him. He stared at me with eyes wide as dinner plates. It seemed to take him a few moments to find his voice. “This is where you’re teaching?” “Yes.” “Jesus Christ,” William muttered, running his hand over his face. “I second that.” I tossed the books I had retrieved onto one of the desks. “You didn’t tell me you were an administrator.” “You never asked.” “And you never volunteered the information, even after I told you about my new teaching job.” “At the time, it didn’t seem to matter. I never lied to you. I merely said I worked in education. We were caught up in getting to know each other and overcoming the D/s thing.” “Well, it sure as hell matters now.” Just as William opened his mouth to say something else, Ansel came bounding into the room drenched in sweat from morning football practice. “Hey sis, you still need me to help you in your room?” he asked. When William turned around, Ansel grinned and then threw out his hand. “Hey Dr. F, how’s it going?” “You two already know each other?” I asked. William smiled. No, scratch that. Dr. Foster smiled. This wasn’t William the sub. This was Dr. Foster, the boss. The man I initially saw at Club 1740. “I make it etc.” “We met last week. I make it a point to get to know all my athletes, especially the really gifted ones.” At William’s praise, Ansel puffed out his chest. “After watching me at practice, Dr. F said maybe he could try to get some of his University of Tennessee connections out to watch me in a game.” My gaze flickered between Ansel and William. “That’s great.” “So do you need me to help you?” “Yes, I could use some help hanging these posters.” I gave William a pointed look. “It was very nice of you to come by and say hello, Dr. Foster. I won’t take up anymore of your time.” William hesitated a moment before saying, “Yes, I do need to get around to the rest of the staff. I

certainly hope we’ll have more time to talk in the future, Ms. Jameson.” I gave a terse nod of my head in reply before heading over to my desk. After William had closed the door, Ansel whistled. I whirled around. “What?” He swept his hands his hips. “Dude, I was just about to tell you and Dr. F to get a room.” “What are you talking about?” “There was some serious tension between you two.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You know, like the ‘I want to bang you’ tension.” “Oh please. I think you must’ve gotten tackled too hard at practice because you’re talking out of your ass.” “He’s single.” “Thanks for letting me know.” “Is it because of that other guy you’re texting with? ‘Cause if he hasn’t made things official with you, then you can totally see other guys.” “Excuse me while I don’t take relationship advice from my seventeen-year-old brother.” Ansel hopped up to sit on the top of one of the desks. “Come on, Soph. Give me one good reason why you shouldn’t go after Dr. F.” “Um, I don’t know. Maybe the fact he’s my boss?” Ansel’s shoulders momentarily drooped. “That is a buzzkill.” “Just a tiny one.” He cocked his head at me. “What if he wasn’t your boss? Would you want to date him then?” Sure I’d want to date him. After all, I’ve fucked him. Ten minutes ago I was considering a future with him. “I don’t know. I guess so.” “You guess so? Jesus, Soph, when was the last time you’ve had a date besides meeting the guy running?” “That’s none of your business, thank you very much.” “Dad worries all the time about you not dating. That’s why he practically pissed himself with excitement yesterday when he heard about your mystery texter.” “Is that right?” Ansel nodded. “He’s worried that you’re sacrificing having a boyfriend to take care of him.” I had feared that my dad harbored those thoughts. But actually knowing he’d vocalized them to Ansel felt the same as the blade of a knife piercing my heart. I fought for a moment to catch my breath. “I don’t want him worrying about me,” I said. “He’s our dad, Soph. Just because he’s disabled doesn’t mean he’s going to stop being a parent.”

“I know that. It’s just he has enough on his plate without concerning himself with my love life.” Ansel shrugged. “Maybe it’s not so much that he’s worrying, but that he wants you married off so he can have a grandkid.” Kids. Wow, that wasn’t something I considered anytime soon. Sure, I wanted a family, but I also wanted a few years of teaching under my belt along with some travel before I thought of getting pregnant. A pang of regret entered my chest at the thought of my father not being here to see his grandchildren. “Well, he doesn’t need to be thinking about grandkids from me right now.” “He ain’t getting one from me either. I wrap my shit up.” Shaking my head, I laughed at Ansel. “That’s both completely disgusting and good to know. Make sure you keep it that way.” After I shooed him down off the desk, I said, “Come on. Let’s get busy.” The rest of the day felt like I was tripping out in a weird dream-like state. At lunch, I laughed and talked with the other English teachers, but was almost as if I was playing the part of Sophie Jameson, not really being me. I felt as if I was standing outside of myself and watching some stranger interact with people. I was that shaken. Finding out William was my new boss had been like a seismic shift on a fault line—a quake of epic proportions. It was the first time something so life altering had happened, and I hadn’t been prepared for it. Facing my dad’s deteriorating health along with the illnesses that had taken my beloved grandparents—I’d had a moment to catch my breath and put on my emotional armor. With William, it had been like being shoved off the edge of the cliff to free-fall into a great crevasse. William had gotten to me as a sub and as a man. I hadn’t let myself go with him just in the dungeon—I had gone even further with him emotionally. I’d allowed him to see parts of my life that no man had ever known. And now any hope of a future with him had been shot to hell the moment he walked into my classroom and introduced himself as my principal. When we returned from lunch, it was time to file into the auditorium for our first staff meeting. As I walked in with Jane, I felt like I was trudging through quicksand. I wanted nothing more than to run out of there. I needed time to process everything before I had to face him again. After taking a seat, I tried keeping my gaze on the paper outlining the meeting agenda. But curiosity finally got the best of me, and I peeked up at the stage. William stood flanked on both his sides by the two other assistant principals. Although we were a small county with only two high schools, it was still a surprise to see the superintendent, Dr. Levinson, walk to the podium. “Good afternoon. I wanted to take a moment to welcome you all back and to wish you a productive and positive school year.” He shifted on his feet. “The main reason why I am here is to ensure that there a smooth change in command here at Milton. It is very disheartening and regretful

what happened with Dr. Newsome. However, the school board and I have sought out the very best replacement we could for him. I’m sure it is surprising to some of you that we hired someone from outside of the district. This isn’t a slight on any of the fine assistant principals we have here. We simply wanted to start fresh. That’s why we were proud to recruit Dr. William Foster to the district.” Brief applause broke out as William joined the superintendent at the podium. “Dr. Foster is a magna cum laude graduate of The University of Tennessee. He earned his master’s and doctorate in educational administration from The University of Georgia. He taught history and coached football for eight years at Lassiter High School in Cobb County before moving on to be an assistant principal. He did his doctoral studies in helping improve test scores and graduation rates at lower socioeconomic schools, which is the reason why we had to have him here.” “Quite an impressive background,” Jane mused beside me. “It is.” “Not to mention he’s easy on the eyes.” “I suppose so.” Jane snickered. “Don’t try to hide it, honey. I can tell you’d screw him into next Tuesday if you were given the chance.” My head whirled around to stare at her. She winked at me before jerking her chin back at the stage. I looked up in time to see William taking his place in front of the podium. He was all confidence and self-assurance. Just like I took on my persona of Mistress Juliette, it was obvious he had a carefully constructed work façade. “Good afternoon. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be standing before you. I know most of you are anxious about having a new principal after Dr. Newsome’s long tenure here. I want to put you at ease and to assure you we’re all in this together. Although I’ve had experience as an assistant principal, this is my first time in the led role. I’m going to need help from each and every one of you from the veteran teachers to the first-year teachers.” William surprised the hell out of me by looking in my direction. “You all have something to give and contribute to me to make me a better leader. My door is always open for whatever you need. I hope this will be one of the best years Milton has seen.” When he finished speaking, applause broke out in the auditorium. William batted his hand. “Now that the speech is over, let’s get down to business—the wonderfully exciting PowerPoint of school and district procedures that you all look forward to seeing again every year.” At the teasing groans, William only smiled. As the lights dimmed, I tried not to think about another time I’d been with William in a darkly lit room. At my groan of frustration, Jane asked, “Are you all right?”

“My foot is asleep,” I lied with a smile. “Oh.” I turned my attention back to the PowerPoint. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t focus on anything that was on it. Instead, all I could think about was Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken and all that two roads diverged in a woods bullshit. Because I’d chosen to spend a little extra time at 1740, my whole world had been turned on its axis. Everything was fucked up, and I only had myself, my libido, and if I was truly honest with myself, my heart to blame.

The instant the clock above my whiteboard read four I bolted from my classroom and out the back door. I knew I was supposed to sign out before I left, but I didn’t want to risk a chance of seeing William again. I would just feign new teacher ignorance if they called me on it. I sprinted to my car. I probably left blackened tire marks when I squealed out of my parking space. I didn’t feel like myself again until I walked through the garage door into the kitchen at home. After dropping my purse on the floor, I went straight to the fridge and took out a beer. At the sound of a voice behind me, I jumped, sending beer sloshing onto the floor. “Dammit!” “Rough first day?” Susie asked with a smile. “You have no idea.” I took another long gulp before I sat the can down to clean up my mess. “I hear the new principal is a real looker.” Her statement caused me to fumble with the paper towels before knocking the roll off the counter. “Fuck,” I muttered. “You really are having a hard time today,” Susie mused. I bent over to mop up the beer. “It really wasn’t that bad. There’s just this jackass in my department who is trying to intimidate me because I’m new,” I lied. “That’s a shame. You just keep your head up and hold your ground.” “I will.” Susie leaned back against the counter. “So what about the new principal?” Jesus, she would have to keep on with that one. “He seems nice.” “I heard he looks like that Superman guy.” “Henry Cavill.” She snapped her fingers. “That’s the one.” “Maybe a little.” Well, it obviously wasn’t just me who saw that. He was that gorgeous “Shoot. If there had been some good-looking guy like that when I was in school, I would have been in the principal’s office every day.” She winked. “They could paddle back then.” I choked on my beer. “Susie, you kinky thing,” I teased. “I do like a good spanking.” For a moment, I tried envisioning Susie down at 1740, but it was too traumatizing. “Thanks for that tidbit.” Ansel came into the kitchen. “What are you guys talking about?” Holding up my hands, I replied, “Trust me. You don’t want to know.” Susie giggled. “I was asking about the new principal.” A grin spread across Ansel’s face. “You mean Dr. Hottie? That’s what the cheerleaders are

calling him. That’s all they can talk about while they’re practice on the track close to our practice field.” I rolled my eyes as I thought of some of the underage slutbags wanting a piece of William. “Oh please,” I muttered. Ansel threw an arm over my shoulder. “I think they’re all going to be heartbroken when he and Soph start dating.” “You are so full of shit.” Susie glanced from Ansel to me. “What’s he talking about?” “Ignore him. He’s being delusional.” Ansel snorted. “I know what I saw.” “And what was that?” Susie inquired. “An interlude.” Sweeping my hands to my hips, I demanded, “Since when do you use the word ‘interlude’?” “Since I started using that lame ass SAT word of the day program you gave me.” “I would say I’m proud of you, but not when you’re using your word knowledge against me.” Susie laughed. “What’s wrong with having an interlude with an attractive man?” I growled with frustration. “What is wrong with everyone? He’s my boss. Having an interlude or relationship or whatever isn’t professional. After enduring six years in college, I’d kinda like to keep my job.” “I seriously doubt they’d fire you over dating the boss.” “Yeah, well, I don’t want to find out what they would do.” “Well, I better head out,” Susie said. Her gaze flickered between Ansel and me. “You two try not to kill each other while I’m gone, okay?” “I’ll try hard,” I replied, with a smile. “By the way, what’s for dinner later?” “I had fixed some chicken and rice, but Ansel insisted it was pizza night and called the delivery place.” I glared at Ansel. “Delivery? They’ll charge us twice as much to come all the way out here.” He held up his hand. “Easy, cheap-shit. I have it taken care of.” “Do you now?” “Mindy Davis is their delivery girl, and since she has the hots for me, I’m taking her out after the game Friday night.” “So you’re pimping yourself out for pizza?” I asked with a grin. “Yes and no. I drew the line at going down on her for cinnamon bread.” I snorted. “I’m glad you managed to keep some of your integrity.”

He pinched his forefinger and thumb together. “Just a little.” “You’re a mess.” I ruffled Ansel’s hair, which earned me a playful smack from him. “See you both tomorrow,” Susie said, as she headed out the garage door. “Bye,” Ansel and I called after her. “Let me know when the pizza gets here. I’m going to go see Daddy.” “He was asleep in the den when I got home,” Ansel replied. I nodded and headed out of the kitchen. I knew Daddy would want to hear all about my day. Of course, just like Susie, he would be getting the edited version. Before I reached the den, the doorbell rang. “Pizza’s here, Ansel,” I called. I opened the front door and gasped. William stood before me. “What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded. “We need to talk.” Narrowing my eyes at him, I asked, “Did you follow me home?” “You’re my employee. I have access to all your information.” “That’s not stalkerish at all,” I snapped. “It was necessary.” I shook my head. “Look, now isn’t a good time.” “Make time.” “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be giving the orders?” “Sophie, I’m serious.” “Is that Mindy, Soph?” Ansel asked from the hallway. Closing my eyes, I silently willed the floor to open up and devour me. This day just kept getting worse and worse. This was like pouring kerosene on Ansel’s fire about there being something between William and me. Ansel joined me in the doorway. At the sight of William, he snickered. “Dr. F, good to see you again.” “Same to you, Ansel.” Nudging my shoulder, Ansel said, “Are you already in trouble, sis?” “No, smart-ass, I’m not.” “Then what’s your boss doing here?” I opened my mouth but drew a blank on what I could possibly say. “Actually, I’m here to see your horses,” William said. “You are?” Ansel and I said at the same time. William nodded. “After hearing about the farm, your sister offered to show me around. You see,

I’m a city guy, and I’ve never been on a real farm before.” “Trust me, you haven’t missed anything,” Ansel replied. William laughed. “I’ll have to see everything first to be the judge of that.” “Yeah, well, you two have fun,” Ansel said, a teasing lilt in his voice. After he disappeared down the hall, William and I stood awkwardly in the doorway. “So are you going to show me the barn?” “You’re serious?” “Why wouldn’t I be?” “I thought that was just your cover for Ansel.” “I told you when we were back in Atlanta that I wanted to see your farm.” Damn, that three-hour-long breakfast at Café Lumiere. “Oh. That’s right.” He backed up as I stepped out onto the porch. After we walked down the stairs, I started leading him down the hill to the barn. We walked in silence; the sound of our shoes crunching on the gravel filled the air. I don’t know why we weren’t talking. It wasn’t like we didn’t have a hell of a lot to talk about. I didn’t know if William was waiting for me to take the lead. When he did speak, it wasn’t what I was expecting. “You have a truly beautiful place here.” “Thank you.” “Back in Atlanta, it was hard to imagine you living somewhere like this. But now that I’m here, I see how much you’re a part of it.” I turned to stare at him. “Are you done with the bullshit small talk?” A smile played at the corner of his lips. “You’re always so direct.” “I’m serious, William. Or should I say ‘Dr. Foster’?” “William is fine.” “You came here because you said we needed to talk. So talk.” He exhaled a ragged breath. “Now that I’m here, I don’t know what to say.” “Wonderful.” We arrived at the barn then. Grabbing the handle, I slid open the door. There were ten horse paddocks, five on each side. At the back was the area where my dad had once had his office, which now the overseer used. “This is the barn,” I said sarcastically. William chose to ignore my remark. Instead, he walked inside and started looking around. “Where are the horses?” “They’re down in the pasture with the cattle. We don’t put them up until nightfall.” “Who does all the work here now that your father can’t?” “We have an overseer who comes out for a few hours a day. He feeds the cattle and takes care

of what needs to be done on the machinery. Most of what is done for the horses is Ansel’s and my job.” A blinding light from the back of the barn caught William’s eye. He walked past the empty horse paddocks to investigate. With the afternoon sun streaming in through the loft windows, the wall was illuminated with shimmering gold from the hanging buckles. “What are all those from?” “Those are the buckles my dad won in roping championships.” “He was really good,” William remarked. “Yeah, he was. He started competing when he was just a kid. He keeps the nicest ones in a shadow box in his bedroom.” Nodding, William continued looking at the wall. His gaze dropped from the buckles to the family pictures above my father’s desk. William pointed to a picture of a young woman barrel racing. “Is that you?” “No. It’s my mom.” Leaning closer to the picture, William shook his head. “Wow, you look just like her.” It wasn’t the first time I’d heard someone say that sentiment. Considering how beautiful my mother was, it was compliment. “Thank you. She was a champion barrel racer. That’s how she and my dad met. They were both in the rodeo circuit.” William turned around to face me. “You were three when she died, right?” “Yeah.” When he appeared to be doing math in his head, I laughed. “Ansel and I are half brother and sister. My dad remarried four years after my mom passed away.” At what must have been my apparent disgust, William asked, “Hmm, a true wicked stepmother?” “Pretty much. She was this rodeo groupie who saw my dad and this farm as a meal ticket. Even though he was still grieving my mom, he was a man with needs, and here was a twenty-year-old throwing herself at him.” “Let me guess. She got pregnant and trapped him?” “Pretty much. Not that my dad didn’t want more kids. He just wanted them with a woman who wanted to be a mother. Wendy didn’t.” “How long did she stick around?” “Until my dad got his official MD diagnosis and was no longer able to compete.” “How old was Ansel?” “Just three.”

“Another one of your bad ‘threes’, huh?” I sucked in a breath at the fact he had remembered that. William read my surprise. “No. I didn’t forget. It also hasn’t escaped me what today is.” “August 3rd,” I murmured. “Yes, it is.” William turned back to look at one of the pictures of me sitting on a horse with a toddler Ansel on my lap. “You’ve pretty much been a mother to him, haven’t you?” “Yes. My grandmother helped out a lot.” William leaned back against the stall door. “That’s interesting.” “How do you mean?” “One would think because of the life you’ve led—and continue to lead—that you would want to give up the control for a while and be a submissive. Yet you continue to remain controlled through domination.” “That’s because I’m not a true dominant. Being a Domme was a job.” “Deep down, you know you’re a true Domme.” “Only with you. I’ve never felt anything with it but with you.” William reached for me, but I stepped back. “I can’t—we can’t.” “We could yesterday.” “Yesterday you weren’t my boss. Everything has changed.” “Nothing has changed about the way I feel about you,” William countered. I yanked my fingers through my hair in frustration. “There are some lines you cannot cross, and this is one of them. If someone found out, it could ruin our reputations. The one thing I had drilled into my head in my teaching classes was how important your reputation was when it came to a job. I’ve worked too hard for this to lose it.” “What do we do now? Just pretend like nothing ever happened between us?” “Yes.” “I don’t know if I can do that.” “You’re going to have to.” When William started to protest, I shook my head. “Deep down, you know that we can’t pursue this. You’ve sat through enough professional education classes to know how dangerous it would be.” “Yes, I do. But I came out here hoping that no matter how I felt about it, you would want to give it a chance—give us a chance.” “There is no us.” William flinched. “You don’t honestly believe that, do you?” “A weekend hook-up hardly constitutes something meaningful.”

With a shake of his head, William countered, “Both you and I know it was more than just a hook-up.” I shrugged. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe even if you weren’t my boss, we would have discovered after a few weeks that what we had was just physical.” An expression of disgust mingled with sadness came over William’s face. “If that’s what you want to believe, I can’t change your mind.” He started for the barn door before pausing. “You don’t have to worry about me saying anything else or things being weird at work. You deserve the best first year of teaching, and I won’t do anything to interfere with that.” “Thank you,” I murmured. “Good-bye, Sophie.” “Good-bye, William.” As I watched him walk out the barn door, pain shot through my chest, crippling my lungs. I fought hard to breathe. Although there was no other choice but to tell him good-bye, it sure hurt like hell.

The next few weeks of school rolled along. Each day I was in the classroom, the more it began to feel like second nature. As I stood before each group of students, I couldn’t help feeling like I had truly found what I was supposed to be doing in life. Being a Domme had certainly given me the training I needed to stand before a class with confidence and assurance, and it didn’t take but a few days for the students to realize that regardless of me being young and new, I would not be shaken. Of course, there was one person who rattled my confidence. And that was William. It took a will of iron to maintain my control whenever I saw him. After the day he came to my house, we had diligently worked to maintain our distance from each other. Even though he had promised things wouldn’t be weird, they were. For me, there was something about seeing him outside the club that still jarred me. It wasn’t just about him being a constant reminder of my former life—the one I wanted to leave behind. More than anything, I felt a physical reaction each and every time I saw him. I remembered in aching detail what it felt like to have his lips and tongue on my breasts and between my legs, and the way he filled and stretched me with his cock. It’s not so easy to forget the man who gave you the best sex you’ve ever had, least of all the one who somehow managed to chisel away the finely constructed wall you had built around you. So far, we were giving the best professional performance of our lives. If I ran into him in the office or in the hallways, he always gave me a polite smile and hello—the same he did to anyone else. But I could see past his carefully constructed façade. He was struggling just as much as I was. A gentle stream of rain drizzled against the window beside my desk. The only sound echoing through the room was the scratch of my pen against paper as I worked my way through grading a mound of narrative essays. The last class had left around ten minutes ago, and now I found myself in my mid-morning planning period. The beep of the intercom over my head caused me to jump in my chair. “Ms. Jameson?” a female voice questioned. “Yes?” I called, as I rubbed my chest to still my racing heart. “Dr. Foster needs to see you in his office immediately.” A jolt of anxiety rippled through me. “I’ll be right there.” The click and clack of my heels echoed along the hallway tile. As I pushed through the glass door of the office, I forced myself to take a few calming breaths. Absentmindedly, I spoke to a few people on my way to the back. When I got to William’s secretary’s door, I rapped lightly. Mrs. Cleary glanced up from whatever she was doing on the computer. I must not have been hiding my anxiousness because she gave me a reassuring smile. “It’s all right, honey. It’s not about

your teaching. It’s your brother.” My moment of relief was fleeting as anxiety and worry once again pricked itself over my body. I automatically thought the worst and blurted, “Did he get hurt?” With a sheepish grin, she said, “Actually, he’s in trouble.” The panic pulsing through my body slowly evaporated to be replaced by anger. “I see.” I motioned my hand down the hall. “May I go in?” Mrs. Cleary nodded. When I started down the hall, her words momentarily froze me. “Go easy on him, honey. He’s dealing with a lot…just like you.” The reference to my dad caused my anger to momentarily dissipate. The familiar ache of sadness filled my chest, causing me to fight for breath. Unable to look at Mrs. Cleary, I merely nodded in acknowledgement at her comment. Once I had regulated my breathing, I made my way to William’s office. When I opened the door, my gaze spun around the room. William sat behind his desk with Ansel in a chair in front of him. At the sight of me, William stood up. “Ms. Jameson, thank you for coming. Please have a seat.” He motioned for me to take the chair next to Ansel. Ignoring him, I marched across the room to stand in front of Ansel. “What have you done?” I demanded. He snorted. “Way to have my back, sis.” “Excuse me for jumping to conclusions, but in my experience, one doesn’t go to the principal’s office for good news.” When he opened his mouth to protest, I held up my hand. “Don’t try arguing that you could’ve been here about a scholarship. Mrs. Cleary told me you were in trouble.” Ansel then turned to look at me. The left side of his face was a mess of cuts and scratches. I gasped. “What happened?” William cleared his throat. “Have a seat—” “Don’t tell me what to do. You need to tell me exactly how my brother got hurt!” I snapped. William’s dark eyes flashed with both surprise and something darker—something that momentarily made me forget my anger and my concern for Ansel. I had somehow forgotten my position in the dynamic I now found myself in, and instead, I was playing the Domme and barking out orders. “Jesus, Soph, calm down,” Ansel said. I swallowed hard. “I’m so very sorry, Dr. Foster. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,” I said meekly. This time a flicker of amusement appeared in William’s eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly like he was fighting not to smile. He knew how hard it was for me to apologize and

to suppress my ball-busting nature. “This one time it is understandable, Ms.Jameson. However, in the future, I do hope you will remember that I am your boss and should be afforded the correct respect.” “Yes, sir.” I then dutifully took the seat he had previously offered. Oh. The. Irony. William had thought being called sir at the café would be a one-time thing, yet here we were. “Your brother was involved in an altercation between class changes.” “An altercation? I’m assuming that’s a nice way of saying he got into a fight?” “Yes. It is.” I turned to Ansel. “Three weeks into the school year and you’re already in trouble. How do you think this is going to look on your record? You think scholarship committees want to give money to a hothead?” Ansel refused to respond or look at me. Instead, he gripped the arms of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white. “Since your brother was the first one to throw a punch, we have no choice but to suspend him.” “Suspend him?” I gasped at the same time Ansel growled, “Suspend me?” William nodded. “It’s the school policy to suspend the student from school who started the fight while giving the others in-school suspension.” Popping out of his chair, Ansel protested, “But you don’t know what he said.” “Sit down,” I ordered. “But—” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter what he said. You shouldn’t have hit him.” “He was saying shit about you, Soph.” I rolled my eyes. “We talked about this. I told you some kids weren’t going to like me and would trash-talk me. And no matter what you heard, you had to just ignore it.” “It wasn’t like that.” “Then just what was it like?” Ansel glanced from me to William. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Ansel?” I prompted. “Fine. He was talking about how he jerks off to you every night. Like in detail. He has these pictures of you that he’s taken in class. Not just normal pictures, but like pictures of your ass when you’re bent over and or when you leaned in to answer another student’s question and he could see down your shirt.” Ansel smacked his hands on the chair’s arms. “He was flashing around a picture of your tits!” A strangled cry erupted from my lips at his outburst. Fiery mortification seared along my skin, and I quickly dropped my gaze from Ansel down to my lap. I couldn’t bear to look at him, least of all

William. The embarrassment was quickly replaced by a feeling of violation. I’d been warned with my age and my looks that I would have students, male and female, who might crush on me. Because of that factor, I had been extremely careful when selecting my wardrobe to teach in. William broke the painfully awkward silence in the room. “I’m very sorry, Ms. Jameson. I know this has to be very upsetting.” “Yes, it is,” I whispered. At the feel of a hand on my shoulder, I slowly lifted my chin to see Ansel staring down at me. “Now do you understand why I had to do it?” I reached up to cup my sweet, yet misguided brother’s cheek—the one that wasn’t marred. “While I’m never going to condone you fighting, I do appreciate the fact you were protecting my honor.” “You’re welcome.” “But I want you to promise me that regardless of what is said…or shown about me, you won’t get yourself in trouble by fighting.” Ansel’s jaw clenched in frustration, but finally, he nodded his head. “Okay, whatever.” “Good.” I then looked to William. Leaning forward in his chair, he said, “In light of this information, I feel it is only fair to reconsider Ansel’s punishment.” “So I’m not suspended?” Ansel questioned. “Not from school. But you will serve a week’s worth of in-school suspension.” When Ansel started to protest, I jerked the sleeve of his shirt to silence him. “I think that sounds very fair.” Giving Ansel a pointed look, I said, “Thank Dr. Foster for his consideration and kindness.” The expression Ansel wore said he would rather eat some of the horseshit he had to muck from the stables. But he plastered a smile on his face and said, “Thank you, Dr. Foster. I appreciate you hearing me out and understanding why I did what I did.” “You’re welcome,” William replied. He picked up one of the notepads on his desk and scribbled something. When he was finished, he ripped the paper off the pad and rose out of his chair. After he came around the side of the desk, he held the piece of paper out to Ansel. “You can take this back to class and then get your things to report to ISS.” Ansel took the paper without argument. He bent down to give me a quick hug before William escorted him to the door. After the door closed behind him, I rose out of my chair. “I need you to ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly.” William’s brows rose in question. “Okay.”

“Did you have an ulterior motive in reducing Ansel’s punishment?” Crossing his arms over his chest, William asked, “You mean in regards to you?” “Yes.” “Sexual harassment will not be tolerated toward anyone. Students or staff. And in this case, I want to set a precedent to where all students know that sexual harassment of a teacher will not be tolerated. Teaching is hard enough, and no one should have to feel violated in his or her classroom.” His eyes bore into mine. “Especially you.” “Why me out of all the other teachers?” Instead of answering me, William reached behind him. The clicking sound of the lock echoed through the room, causing my heartbeat to break into a mad dash. “We can’t ignore this anymore.” “Ignore what?” I flippantly asked. William growled low in his chest, the deep sound causing my panties to dampen. “Don’t play coy with me, dammit. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” I huffed out an exasperated breath. “Which is why I’m wondering why you’re even bringing it up. We’ve already been over this, William. Have you already forgotten how you promised this wouldn’t be weird for us?” “I was a fucking fool to promise that. The last three weeks have been torture and not in a good way. And don’t try to say that it’s all just me because I can see the strain in you.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He lowered his voice, yet his tone was still rough and filled with heat. “Just like a domme knows how to read a sub, a sub can read their mistress. When she’s happy or sad…when she’s fighting her emotions.” William pulled me to him, molding me against his body. His warmth burned through the fabric of my dress to singe my skin. “Shouldn’t you ask to touch me?” I probed. “I’m tired of this shit. Desperate times call for desperate measures.” His hand slid down my spine to rest at the curve of my buttocks. As my breasts rubbed against his chest, my nipples hardened at the friction, the hard points jutting out and becoming painful. William’s breath scorched against the sensitive skin of my earlobe. “There is a deep connection between us.” “Once again, we had one weekend together with some amazing sex. I’d hardly call that anything more than a physical connection,” I argued. “It was more than physical, and you know it.” Reaching between us, I firmly gripped his hardening cock through his slacks, causing him to

moan and thrust his hips forward. “Right now all I feel is the physical.” “Because that’s what being this close to you does to me. When I see you in the hallway, I want to kneel at your feet. I want to take you into the nearest room where I can worship every inch of your body. When I lie in bed at night, I can still taste you on my tongue. And when I’m stroking my cock, it is your hands and tongue I want on it instead.” His words. His closeness. His emotion. They all overwhelmed me. It felt as if the ground shifted beneath my feet, and the room began to spin. “Please, Sophie.” Dammit to hell did I want him, especially when he begged. In that moment, it didn’t matter that we were in his office, or that his secretary was in the next room. If I was honest with myself, that fact stoked the flames of lust burning within me. And what happened next was instinctual. Unexpected, but…oh, so right. I needed this. He needed this. Placing my hands on my chest, I shoved William back. Just as he opened his mouth to protest, I grabbed his tie and began leading him behind his desk, pulling him with me like he was on a leash. “Is that what you really want to call me?” “No.” I shoved him down in his chair. “Say it.” “Please…Mistress.” Placing my hands on his chest, I shoved William back. Just as he opened his mouth to protest, I grabbed his tie and began leading him behind his desk, pulling him with me like he was on a leash. “Is that what you really want to call me?” “No.” I shoved him down in his chair. “Say it.” “Please…Mistress.” My hands jerked his tie loose and yanked it from his shirt. “Put your hands behind your back,” I commanded. William didn’t argue with me. He leaned forward in the chair, so he could get his hands behind him. Taking the tie, I bent over him and quickly tied his wrists together. I didn’t bother with any fancy knots. After making sure it wasn’t going to cut off his circulation, I stood back up. As I slowly slid the hem of my skirt up my thighs, William’s intent stare burned into me. I climbed up onto his lap and straddled him. I then rolled my hips until I found the perfect spot for friction against the ridge of the erection in his pants. After digging my fingers into his shoulders, I slowly began to move against him. “Oh, fuck, Mistress,” William groaned. I brought my mouth to his. “Shh,” I breathed against his lips. Then I covered his warm mouth

with mine, licking at the seam of his lips. “Open for me.” What first started as tender and sweet kisses quickly switched over to desperate and demanding. Our tongues tangled together in between the low pants and moans escaping from our lips. The movement of my hips began to grow more frantic as I ground my wet center against his pants-covered dick. I used my grip on his shoulders to propel me harder and harder. I felt alive again, even if I was humping a guy through our clothes. Although I wanted to cry out when I started to come, I bit down on my lip and whimpered through the shudders. When I finished, I met William’s gaze. “Do you want to come?” “Yes, Mistress.” “In your pants like you’re a teenager?” William grunted as he thrust his hips up. “Yes. Please, Mistress.” Running my fingers through his hair, I pressed my cheek against his. My breath warmed against his ear, causing him to shudder. “Sorry. But I can’t.” “What?” William demanded. Pulling away, I smiled sweetly at him. “It’s almost time for the bell to ring, and I need to clean myself up before I go back. After all, I can’t be late for my students.” He sucked in breath after breath. William’s chest heaved as I reached behind him and undid his tie. After I rose up, I tossed the tie onto his lap. His tented lap that smelled like me. “Thanks for the happy ending. If you do go in the bathroom and jerk off, think of me.” William’s nostrils flared and he stared at me like I’d grown two heads. “You’re really going to leave me like this?” Cocking my head at him, I said, “You sound just like Romeo. ‘O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?’ Sorry but you and Romeo are both out of luck.” I quickly popped into the bathroom within his office. After readjusting my skirt and cleaning up my smeared lipstick, I came back out to find William still sitting in his chair, his fingers gripping the armrests. “Have a good day,” I said in a sickeningly sweet tone.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Once the euphoria of the moment had passed, I could not believe what I had done in William’s office. I didn’t know what was worse—that I had blatantly participated in a sexual act with my boss on school grounds, or the fact that I had left him high and dry. Sure, orgasm denial was a huge part of a D/s relationship, but that was only after both parties agreed. William had never consented to have orgasms withheld from him. Of course, I had never agreed to a D/s relationship, so I guess it all canceled out. At the same time, what I had done in William’s office had been such a rush. As soon as the last bell of the day rang, I grabbed my things and headed out the backdoor. Once again, I didn’t dare go through the front office because I didn’t want to see William. It was pretty ridiculous to feel that way considering I was going to have to see him every day for the rest of the school year. I guess I just hoped it would help to give him some time to cool down. When I got home, I joined Daddy in the den. I hadn’t been sitting with him long before the doorbell rang. Daddy looked at me in surprise. “Who could that be?” Fucking hell. I had a pretty good idea who it was. “A Jehovah’s witness?” I suggested as I rose out of the chair. I grudgingly went to the door. When I answered it, William stood before me. “Seriously?” “We need to talk.” “Haven’t you ever heard of a phone?” William took me off guard by pushing past me into the foyer. “No more games, Sophie. Like it or not, you and I are sitting down and having a serious conversation about us.” My fists clenched at my sides. “I could slap the shit out of you right now, but I won’t because I know you’d enjoy it too much,” I growled in a low voice. “Honey, who is it?” Daddy asked. “Thanks a whole fucking lot. Now I have to find some way to explain what you’re doing here.” “Let me,” William replied. Before I could grab his arm, he’d started into the den. Daddy glanced from William to me. “We have company?” “I apologize for not calling first, Mr. Jameson. I’m William Foster, Sophie’s principal.” When William extended his hand, I cringed. But Daddy only smiled. “I’m not being rude, Mr. Foster. I just can’t reach out my hand that far.” From the flush on William’s cheeks, I could tell he was mortified. “I’m sorry.” He stepped closer and gently took my dad’s hand in his. After shaking it, he eased it back down on Daddy’s lap. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. We didn’t get to meet the other day when you were here.” Both William and I looked at Daddy in surprise. He gave us a knowing smile. “Ansel told me you came to see the farm.”

“Yes, I did.” “Are you back to see it again?” Daddy asked, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Actually, he came to ride the horses.” “I did?” William questioned. At my pointed look, he quickly added, “Yes, I did. After seeing the farm, I really wanted a chance to get in the saddle.” Eyeing William curiously, Daddy asked, “Are you an avid horseback rider?” A sheepish expression came over William’s face. “Actually, I’ve never ridden before.” “You haven’t?” both Daddy and I said at the same time. “No. I haven’t. Which is the reason why I simply had to come out here and try it.” “I’m glad you did. Sophie is a very accomplished horsewoman, and will be a great teacher.” William smiled at my father. “I’m sure she will.” Glancing down at my dress, I sighed. “Let me go change.” “I probably should too,” William said. At my skeptical look, he added, “I have some jeans in the truck.” “Always prepared for anything, aren’t you?” I muttered under my breath as I started for the stairs. After throwing on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I went back downstairs. William was nowhere in sight. “He’s in the bathroom,” Daddy replied to what must’ve been my questioning look. I took the hair tie off my wrist and swept my hair into a ponytail. “I’m glad William came back to visit.” “Uh-huh,” I muttered, as I checked my reflection in the hall mirror. “It’s nice that he has such an interest in…horses.” I poked my head back into the den. “Don’t think you’re fooling me. I know exactly what you’re alluding to.” “What’s wrong with him being interested?” I stepped back into the den. “I’m not having this conversation right now.” Daddy only smiled in response. William appeared then. He’d kept on his button-down, black shirt while trading his dress pants for jeans. He’d rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, which for some ridiculous reason I found so sexy. “Ready?” I asked. “I sure am.” “We’ll be back in a little while, Daddy. I’ll have my phone on me if you need me.” “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Ansel should be home soon.” William held the front door open for me. As we started off the porch steps, I couldn’t help

questioning, “You’ve really never ridden a horse?” “No. I haven’t.” When I opened my mouth, William shook his head. “And I don’t need any commentary on how shocking that is considering I’m a rich boy.” I held up my hands. “I wasn’t going to say anything.” With a smirk, William added, “Sure you weren’t.” “Okay. Maybe a short statement.” “I knew it. Your smart mouth couldn’t resist it.” As we reached the pasture fence, I motioned to one of the stallions nibbling on the high grass. “You’re in luck that Sampson is up in the pasture. He’s a great horse for a first-time rider.” “Does that mean he won’t go crazy and buck me off?” “Exactly.” I opened the fence and walked over to Sampson. At the sound of my approach, he raised his head and flicked his ears. “Hey sweet boy, feel like having a rider today?” I scratched along his muzzle. After I took him by the bridle, I walked him back to where he was close enough for William to touch but still in the fence. “You two get to know each other while I get a saddle.” William frowned slightly. “Shouldn’t I have a carrot or something to give him?” I laughed. “Trying to get on his good side by bribing him with food?” “Maybe.” “I’ll bring some sugar cubes with me when I come back.” William grinned. “Thanks.” As I started up the hillside to the barn, I couldn’t help grinning when I heard William say, “Sampson, I’m William. How are you doing today?” After grabbing a saddle and sliding some sugar cubes into the side pocket, I headed back to William and Sampson. Things seemed to be going well as William was scratching Sampson between his ears. “It looks like you two are making friends,” I mused as I headed inside the fence. “Yeah. We are. I have the feeling the sugar cubes will help seal the deal.” I laughed. After placing the saddle on Sampson’s back, I took the cubes out of the bag and handed them to William. While I tightened the flank cinch, Sampson’s loud crunching rang in my ears. “What kind of horse is he?” William asked. “He’s a Bay Arabian.” Since William looked like I was speaking Greek, I explained, “Bay just means his reddish-brown body color with a black mane, tail, and lower legs. Arabian is the breed.”

William gave Sampson the last sugar cube. “Interesting.” Once the saddle was ready, I motioned to William. “Ready?” “As I’ll ever be.” “Okay, so first you’re going to put your left hand on Sampson’s mane while at the same time holding the front of the saddle.” After William followed my instructions, I added, “Now put your left foot into the stirrup and swing your right leg over.” As William started to pull himself up, I said, “Careful. Don’t kick him.” “I’ll try remembering that as I’m trying not to bust my ass.” I laughed. “You’re doing great.” Once William was seated in the saddle, he placed both his feet in the stirrups. “How do you feel?” I asked. He nodded. “Good…and like I’m going to fall off.” “You’ll get used to the feeling. “Now take the reins in your hand. I’m going to walk you around the ring first to let you get your bearings.” “Okay.” I pulled on Sampson’s bridle, urging him to walk. At the sudden lurch forward, William muttered, “Fuck.” Glancing back at him, I grinned. “You’re not going anywhere, Cowboy.” “I want to believe you.” “Trust me. And that’s a command.” He gave me a small smile. “Okay…Mistress.” “I can’t believe you just called me that.” “Well, if you think about it, what you were just doing was a lot like safety checks during a scene, not to mention you’re testing one of my hard limits.” “Riding a horse is a hard limit?” His expression became sheepish. “It’s more like this little thing I have with heights.” I abruptly stopped. “You have a fear of heights?” William rolled his eyes. “Thanks for making me feel like a pussy.” I smiled. “I’m sorry. It’s just you don’t seem afraid of anything. Not to mention, the day I after I met you, you were coming down off Kennesaw Mountain.” “It’s more like the fact I don’t like feeling vulnerable with heights. I might run up to the top of the mountain, but I don’t stand out looking down at everything below me. When you’re on a horse, it’s very evident what is below you.” “Are you sure that’s it?” I pressed as I started leading Sampson again.

“What do you mean?” “I just can’t help wondering if deep down, you’re just a little bit scared of horses and not heights.” “That’s ridiculous. Why would anyone be scared of a horse?” “I was for a little while.” “Seriously?” I nodded. “When I was ten, I fell off my horse, Belle, and broke my arm. After that, it took me a long time to get back into the saddle.” William appeared to be processing my words. “Okay, okay. It’s true I’m afraid of horses.” “Ha, I knew it!” “But like you, it was a fall that caused the fear.” “How old were you?” William sighed. “Five. It was my birthday, and my mom had hired this guy to do pony rides. I was so excited because living in the city, we didn’t see many horses. Before all the other kids got there, I had to get to ride first.” “Brat,” I teased. With a grin, he said, “A complete and total brat. I’m not sure how my mother stood me.” “Because underneath all that brattiness, I’m sure you were very sweet.” “I guess so.” “So what happened with the horse?” “Anyway, the man puts me up on the pony, and I make it once around the ring. Then I want to go faster. Even though my mom and the man say no, I squeeze the hell out of the pony’s sides and smack his ass. Needless to say, the pony didn’t appreciate my little tantrum. He decided to do this crazy mixture of breaking into a run and then bucking me off.” “I would call you a brat again, but I’m thinking you got enough punishment for your defiance.” “Oh yeah. While all the other kids were enjoying my party, I was in the ER getting a cast on my arm and foot.” I furrowed my brow in confusion. “You had to have both?” “After he threw me off, his back leg came back down on my foot. It almost completely crushed the bone.” I couldn’t help wincing at the thought. “You poor thing. No wonder you have an aversion to riding horses.” “It’s taken twenty-seven years for me to get back in the saddle.” “You didn’t have to do it today. We could have lied to my dad and said you rode.”

William shook his head. “I wanted to face my fears, and I trusted you would help me face them.” “It means a lot you have that much faith in my abilities not to get you hurt.” “I know you think I don’t know you that well, but I do know that you would do everything within your power to ensure I wouldn’t get hurt.” I smiled. “That’s true. I would. But you’re doing great.” “You think so?” “I really do.” With a cheeky grin, he said, “It doesn’t take too much skill to do well when you have someone leading you around.” “Well, I was just about to say that I thought you were doing well enough to try it on your own.” His smile turned into a frown. “You were?” “Yeah. Why not?” He shrugged. “I guess I don’t have a reason not to.” “I probably don’t need to tell you to gently squeeze Sampson’s sides when you’re ready to go forward.” William laughed. “Trust me. I’ve got that one down.” “Good.” When William continued to look uncertain, I asked, “You want me to ride along with you?” His brows shot up in surprise. “Really?” “Sure. Until you can get the hang of things.” “Do you want to sit in front of me or in back?” “Front.” With a wicked grin, I added, “I always top.” “Touche,” William replied, with a laugh. Grabbing hold of the horn, I hoisted myself up into the saddle. “Okay, wrap your arms around me,” I instructed.” Just like always, William followed instructions by sliding his arms around me. I put the reins into his hands. “Even though we’re on a Western saddle, I’m going to have you keep both the reins in your hands like you’re riding Eastern.” “What do you do with the reins when you’re riding Western?” “You let one hang down, but I thought you would feel more comfortable having the two in your hands.” “Good call.” “Now urge Sampson on.”

William gently squeezed his thighs against Sampson’s flank, causing the horse to begin walking. We started making our way around the ring. “This is nice,” William remarked. “Do you really mean that, or are you just saying that?” When William chuckled, it rumbled through me considering how closely pressed together we were. “I really mean it.” “I’m glad to hear it.” “I think next time I could even ride by myself.” At his insinuation, I tensed slightly, which he immediately picked up on. “Ah, by your reaction, I think it’s safe to say there won’t be a next time.” “I didn’t say that.” “You didn’t have to.” I sighed. “You, me, my life, our jobs…it’s complicated.” “It’s doesn’t have to be.” “I think the uncomplicated ship sailed the moment you walked into my classroom and introduced yourself as the new principal.” “Do you know how many times in the past three weeks I’ve kicked myself for taking this job?” “But it was a promotion for you. A chance to be a principal, rather than just an assistant.” His tone was full of regret. “I should have stayed in Roswell.” “Who knows how long it would have taken you to get a school there. That district is so competitive for the good schools. The best you could have probably hoped for was some Title One school in the inner-city.” “Rather than a Title One school in the backwoods?” he countered. “Yes, it’s true that Milton probably isn’t the most attractive prospect, but it sure as hell beats having to go through metal detectors and risk being shot. The last time anyone brought a gun to school it was by accident after they’d been hunting all weekend.” “I could have dealt with the worst educational situation possible if it meant things would be easier for us.” I was just about to argue that there wasn’t an “us” when, George, my dad’s old hound dog, along with my Oakley came bounding at us, barking and yipping in hello. The noise slightly jarred the shy Sampson, causing him to rare back. An experienced rider like me didn’t have an issue, but for someone like William, it took him by surprise and caused him to lose his balance and his grip on me. With his arms flailing, he slid off the back of Sampson and plopped into a river of mud that had been made by the overseer mucking the paddocks. After easing Sampson away from the giant puddle, I quickly dismounted and ran over to him. “Oh my God. Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, I’m peachy,” he muttered. When I glanced back at him, I snorted. Both his face and body were drenched in mud. “Here,” I extended my hand to him. With a furious shake of his head, he swatted my hand away. “I think I’ve already been emasculated by you enough for today.” His obvious embarrassment only made me laugh harder. “It’s not funny.” “Actually, it is.” “So you think it’s funny being covered in mud?” “I’m pretty sure there’s horse shit in there, too,” I added. He cocked his head at me. “Excuse me then. You think it’s funny being covered in mud and horse shit?” “Yeah, I actually do.” Before I realized what was happening, William grabbed my still outstretched hand and jerked me to him. I shrieked as I started to fall. William’s body cushioned me, but then he rolled over, sending me sliding into the muddy pit. “You asshole!” I screeched as I smacked him. He chuckled. “Guess it’s not so funny anymore, huh?” I splashed him in the face. “You will so pay for this.” A gleam of lust burned in his eyes. “Bring it on.” “I think the appropriate punishment for you would be no playing.” William leaned over to where our faces were almost touching. “You can be such a cruel Mistress.” He then crushed his lips to mine. One of his hands went to tangle in the mud drenched strands of my hair while the other went to my breast. I gasped with pleasure as his tongue darted into my mouth. As his tongue stroked mine, his hand kneaded my breast. Lost in the sensations of William’s hands and tongue, I didn’t give a shit if Ansel or the overseer caught us. It was simply awe inspiring what the man could do with his tongue. I fought the urge to rip off my jeans and demand for him to do to my pussy what he was doing to my mouth. William was just about to climb on top of me when the sound of a car door slamming caused him to jerk away. “Is that Ansel coming home?” I nodded. “This is usually when he gets in from football practice.” I rose onto my feet. “Come on. We need to get cleaned up.” “I can’t go in your house like this. I’ll make a huge mess.” “That’s why we have a stable shower.” “Ah, I see.” After taking tentative steps out of the mud pile, I led William into the back door of the barn. To

the side of where my dad’s office was, there was what looked like a closet door. Instead, it led into a small room with a cement floor and drain. It had dual shower heads because Daddy liked to be able to clean himself off and his dogs. Turning on the water, I slipped my hand under to test it. Considering how old the pipes were, it sometimes took a while to warm up. When it felt hot enough, I turned back to William. “It’s ready.” “Okay.” As he started getting undressed, I lifted my shirt over my head. Taking my jeans off was a little harder. I grunted from the exertion of jerking the wet denim down my thighs. “Let me run these out to the dryer.” “Okay.” I’d barely got back through the door when William lunged at me. After backing me up against the shower wall, he pinned me in place with his thick thighs. He stared at me with a look of smoldering lust. “What do you think you’re doing?” “You owe me.” “Excuse me?” “You know exactly what I mean.” “Oh, you’re talking about when I left you with tented pants?” “Yes, I am.” “I’m sorry. I was under the impression you liked to play, and as your Domme, I called the shots.” “You’re not my Domme, and we weren’t playing.” Leaning in, his teeth grazed my earlobe, causing me to shudder. “But I want to play now.” “Hmm, you do? I guess I could find some rope out there tie you up.” “No. I don’t want you to play with me. I want to play with you.” The gleam in his eyes along with his words caused wetness to streak down my thighs that didn’t come from the shower. “Just what did you have in mind?” “Put your hands on the shower head.” I widened my eyes in shock. “You’re really serious?” A wicked grin slunk across his face. “Fuck yeah. I’m going to play at being your master.” “You think you’re a switch?” “Maybe.” “Even if you’re a switch, there’s no submissive in me.” “Mmm, I love a challenge.” He jerked his chin up. “Now put your hands on the shower head.” “And if I don’t?”

His response was to thrust his hand between my legs. An involuntary gasp left my lips as he began to stroke along my labia and clit. Two fingers easily slid inside me, and I bucked my hips against them. “If you don’t put your hands on the shower head, I’ll do to you what you did to me today and not let you come.” To prove how serious he was, he removed his hand. I whimpered from the loss of contact. He brought his fingers to his lips. He slid his tongue slowly up and down them. “Hmm, you taste good. I think I’d like to eat your pussy, too.” He made a tsking noise. “But I can’t do that if you don’t obey me.” “Bastard,” I muttered to which he merely grinned. Although it was against everything within me, I slowly raised my hands above my head. When I gripped the showerhead with my fingers, I stared defiantly at William. “That’s my girl.” I jerked my hands back. Wagging a finger at him, I exclaimed, “Don’t you dare call me girl!” I’d barely gotten the words out of my mouth before William shoved his hand between my legs again. His thumb pressed against my clit as he pumped two fingers in me. Once again, he brought me closer and closer. “Be a good girl and put your hands on the shower head.” Knowing he would once again deny me, I grunted with dual frustration as I lifted my arms up. Once my fingers rested against the steel, William slipped a third finger into me. My hips rose and fell against hand. Just as I was about to come, he pulled his fingers out. I opened my mouth to protest when he dropped down to his knees before me. He lifted my foot and placed it on his shoulder before burying his face in my pussy. “Oh God,” I murmured. When I dropped my hand to bring it to his hair, he stopped. Gritting my teeth, I placed my hand back above me. He then went back to driving me wild. His tongue worked broad strokes over my clit, nipping and nibbling it lightly with his teeth. As I exploded around his tongue, my fingers gripped the steel showerhead for dear life. “William!” I cried. He didn’t give me any time to come down. Instead, he hoisted me up into his arms and was striding over to the pile of fresh hay bales stacked again the far wall. After putting me down on my feet, he bent me over one of the bales. Anticipation caused me to ignore the way the hay itched and pricked over my skin. Gripping my thighs, he jerked them apart. With one harsh thrust, he buried himself deep inside me. My fingers gripped the bale for dear life as he began pounding in and out of me. It felt so fucking good. I was so worked up from the sex and his domination that when he slipped his hand between us to stroke my clit, I came almost instantly. His hand trailed up my back to grip my hair. He tugged it hard, causing me to cry out with both pleasure and pain. My outburst caused William to abruptly pull out of me. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Glancing at him over my shoulder, I grinned. “Yeah. But I want it harder.” “The hair pulling?” “Everything.” “Yes, ma’am.” He placed a tender kiss on my shoulder blade before biting me. Then he jerked my hair at the same time he plunged back inside me. “William, yes,” I moaned. I could see then why some people wanted pain with sex. The air around us permeated with the smell of sex and sweat while the sounds of our skin slapping together and pants of pleasure filled the barn. We were going to need another shower to wash away all the sweat…and pieces of hay. Taking me by the shoulders, William pulled my torso up to press against his chest. The pressure of his hands on my hips was deliciously painful as he jerked me back with his thrusts. One hand snaked from my waist up to my breast. When he pinched my nipple, I moaned. I was so close, and I knew from William’s tensing body he was too. Reaching behind me, I placed my hands on the top of his buttocks and raked my fingernails into his skin. The sting was enough to send him over the edge. He came with a shout just as my walls began convulsing around him for my second orgasm. William collapsed onto his back in the hay, taking me him. We lay there, our chest heaving. “That was amazing.” “Yes. It was,” I panted. Propping up on one elbow, he peered at me. “How did you like playing the sub?” “How did you like being the dom?” He grinned. “I asked you first.” I reached up to pick a piece of hay out of his hair. “It wasn’t so bad.” “You came three times, and it wasn’t so bad?” I laughed. “Okay, okay. It was pretty damn hot.” I nudged his shoulder with mine. “What about you?” “I liked it. I mean, I don’t see myself ever being a dom all the time, but it was really sexy telling you what to do.” “Do you think you would ever want to do anything more extreme than telling me what to do and orgasm denial?” “Like would I want to tie you up?” “Yeah.” “Maybe.” He appeared thoughtful. “I don’t think I could ever use a flogger or cane on you. I’d be too afraid I’d hurt you.”

I smiled at his overprotectiveness. “I don’t think I’d want that anyway. Maybe a good spank on the ass from time to time.” His brows rose in surprise. “You’d really let me do that?” “Sure. Just as long as you don’t call me ‘girl’.” “I’ll try to remember.” “Yeah, you do that.” When William slid out of me, he muttered, “Oh fuck.” Since it didn’t sound like a pleasurable response, I asked, “What’s wrong?” “No condom.” “We’ve both been tested at the club, and I’ve got an IUD.” He exhaled in relief. “Thank God.” “Worried I might give you something?” I teasingly asked. He shook his head. “It’s more about getting you pregnant.” His response surprised me. “I thought you said before that you didn’t like CBT because of wanting kids in the future.” “I did, and I do.” Both my pride and my feelings got delivered a hell of a stinging slap at that remark. “What is it?” he asked. “You want kids in the future, just not with me.” William’s eyes widened. “That’s not what I meant.” “Right.” When I started to stand up, he pulled me to him. “Sophie, I would love to have children with you. Someday. Tomorrow. Whenever. With your capacity for love and caring, I can’t even begin to imagine what an amazing mother you would be. The reason I said what I did is I wouldn’t want to force you into marriage because of an unexpected pregnancy.” My mouth dropped open in surprise. “Really?” “Yes, really. I want you to be with me because you want to be. Not because you feel you have to for the sake of a child.” His expression grew even more serious. “Maybe this is the best time to talk about our future.” I rolled my eyes. “Why is it you always want to do the serious talks when we’re naked?” “Maybe it’s coincidence, or maybe it’s because we’re truly vulnerable when we’re naked. We can’t hide behind clothes, so we tend to speak more freely.” “That’s really deep.” “I am deep. You should know that by now.”

“I know you get pretty damn deep inside me.” William growled. “Would you stop deflecting with the sexual innuendo?” Holding up my hands, I replied, “Fine. I’m sorry.” “We could make this work.” At my skeptical look, he shook his head. “We just had some pretty amazing sex where I didn’t have to be a sub or be hit to get off.” “But you’ve said yourself you have to play.” “Before you, I thought I did. But now I see I can have good sex—great sex— without it. But if you got tired of playing the domme or it became uncomfortable for you, then I could still get it out of the system at the club. But only if you were okay with that.” “Where another woman would make you come? How does that fit anywhere into a healthy relationship?” I huffed with disgust. “Then I don’t have to go to the club. I only suggested that if you weren’t comfortable playing with me from time to time.” “Let’s just suspend disbelief for a moment and say that I agreed. Have you forgotten that you’re my boss? How is it possible for us to have any sort of relationship in this town?” William chewed thoughtfully on a piece of hay. After a few moments, he said, “We could date in secret until the end of the year. You could put in for a transfer to another school in the district. Then when we weren’t boss and employee anymore, we could make it public. Even if people wanted to speculate on when we got together, it wouldn’t have any legal ramifications.” “Why am I the one who has to leave Milton?” “Yours is just the easier position. As a principal, the school board decides where I go.” Even though he made sense, I still wanted to be stubborn and not like the idea. “I don’t know if it’s worth taking the risk until the year is over.” William’s expression became wounded. “Don’t you at least want to try?” I didn’t want to answer his question. Instead, I continued internally battling the angel and demon waging war with each other as they perched on my shoulders. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until I don’t have a breath left in me. We have a deep connection. One that surpasses Domme and sub and everything physical and goes deep emotionally… maybe even spiritually.” William placed his hand over my heart. “So why won’t you let me in here?” “Because every time I love someone, they leave me,” I whispered. “I promise I won’t do that.” I shook my head sadly. “You can’t promise that—no one can.” “Then how about this: it can be like the section of the wedding vows, ‘until death us do part’.” He cupped my face in his hands. “I won’t leave you unless I have to, or unless I’m obeying your

command.” More than anything in the world, I wanted to believe him. I wanted to have someone as wonderful as William by my side. “Okay, okay, we can give it a try.” He stared at me for a moment, looking like he wasn’t sure he heard me right. “Really?” “I’ll be your secret girlfriend, and we can sneak around like we’re having some affair.” “Don’t say that.” “Why not? It’s the truth, isn’t it?” “No, it’s not. And when you say it like that, you make it sound all cheap and seedy.” I laughed. “Heaven forbid it sound like that.” “Exactly.” He brought his lips to mine. “This is going to work, you’ll see. And in the meantime, I’m going to make you so happy that you’ll wonder why you ever had doubts.” At the earnestness of his expression, I gave him a genuine smile. “I really hope so.” At the bang on the barn door, both William and I jumped. “You guys decent?” Ansel called. “Um, well…” I replied. Ansel made a sound of disgust. “Once you’re done fornicating and are clothed, come back up to the house. Dad wants us to all have dinner together.” I rolled my eyes. “Fine. We’ll be right there.” Ansel’s laughter carried as he started away from the barn. “Fornicating, huh?” William asked. I sighed. “My grandfather is a Baptist preacher in the backwoods of Alabama. He likes to use that word when he’s cautioning Ansel and me on making good choices.” William grinned. “You of all people are a minister’s granddaughter?” “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.” “Just when I think you can’t surprise me anymore, you go and tell me something like that.” I laughed. “It’s not like we’re close or anything. My mom’s parents weren’t the touchy feeling kind like my dad’s were. We really only see them at holidays.” “Regardless, you have to admit that it makes for a pretty interesting dynamic with you being a foul-mouthed Domme.” “I have faith…I just don’t brow beat people with it like he does.” “And that’s good. We’re not supposed to be zealots with it. Just let our lights shine.” “Wow. Now we’re talking about faith while naked. I think it’s time we get dressed before lightning strikes the barn.” William chuckled. “Or Ansel comes back to harass us.” “I’m not sure which one would be worse,” I mused as I walked over to the dryer. When I opened the door, I wrinkled my nose. Even though I’d put in about fifty dryer sheets, our clothes still

reeked to high heaven. When I handed his jeans to William, his expression soured. “How in the hell can I put these on when they stink like horse shit?” I laughed. “How else do you plan on getting back to the house for your other pants?” “A towel? I’ll even wear a horse blanket if I have to.” “Yes. Please wear a towel and ruin what’s left of my reputation with my father.” “Surely he would understand about not wanting to put on shitty clothes.” I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess you can ask him.” With a grunt of frustration, William grudgingly put his jeans back on. “I might be putting on the pants, but I’m not doing the shirt.” “Fine. I’ll grab one from Ansel’s closet when we get back to the house.” After I threw on my shitty smelling clothes, we headed back to the house. When we tried sneaking in the back door and up the staircase in the kitchen, our plans were thwarted by Daddy and Ansel sitting at the kitchen table. The moment we entered the room, their expressions soured. “Damn, you two reek. Were you guys screwing in the horse shit?” “Ansel!” I exclaimed. “I fell off of Sampson and took Sophie with me into a giant mud puddle,” William explained. “Actually, he fell off, and when I laughed hysterically at him, he pulled me into the mud with him.” William scowled at me. I guess he didn’t want to come off as an asshole in front of my dad. Of course, Daddy found the story hysterical, and he laughed until he got one of his coughing episodes that left him gasping and wheezing for breath. While Ansel and I were used to it, William began to pace around and wring his hands, desperate to do something to aid my father. “It’s okay. He’ll be fine. Just give him a few minutes,” I replied in a low voice. Although he nodded, I could tell William was still unnerved that he couldn’t help. “I’m sorry about that.” “Please don’t apologize. I was just worried and wanted to help.” “When you think of muscular dystrophy you think of the atrophy of the muscles of the legs and arms. What you forget or don’t think about is the diaphragm is a muscle. Our lungs don’t compress on their own. Once the diaphragm is weakened, like in my case, you face all kinds of fun stuff like coughing fits, being extra susceptible to pneumonia and lung infections, and worst of all, suffocating in your own carbon dioxide because your diaphragm can’t push it out of your lungs.” William shook his head. “That’s a hell of a raw deal, sir.”

Daddy smiled. “Yeah. It is. But enough with the depressing shit. While you two go get changed and cleaned up, Ansel’s going to help me eat. But then I want you to stay and have dinner.” Cutting his eyes over to mine, William looked to see how I felt. After I nodded, he said, “That sounds wonderful. I appreciate the invitation.” “Great.” Daddy turned his attention to me. “Sophie, get William a clean shirt from my closet or Ansel’s.” “I’d already planned on it.” Ansel started cutting up the lasagna Susie had made. “Never thought I’d be sharing clothes with my principal.” We all laughed at his remark. William and I started up the back staircase. When we got to the top, I could tell there was something William wanted to ask, but he was hesitating. “What is it?” “Your dad said Ansel was going to help him eat. Can he not feed himself anymore?” “As you noticed before, his arms don’t move very well. It’s like they’re almost fused at the elbow. In a few months, he’ll almost be like a quadriplegic. But for now, he can feed himself, but he needs help cutting food. That’s not even things like steak. He wouldn’t have the strength to cut the noodles of the lasagna that we’re having tonight.” “That has to be agony for a man who was once as active as he was.” “It is. But he does his best to hide the pain or depression he has from us. William gave me a sad smile. “Now I see where you get your amazing strength from.” A totally uncharacteristic flush filled my cheeks at his words. “I don’t know about that.” “I do.” “All I know is he has every reason in the world to be bitter and angry, but instead, he’s always smiling and happy. But he’s always been that way, so I suppose he wasn’t going to let the MD win.” “That shows great courage and conviction of character.” I led William into Ansel’s room, which surprisingly didn’t look like your stereotypical teenage guy’s room. “Who would have thought Ansel was a neat freak?” William remarked as I handed him a plain white button-down shirt. “He’s totally OCD. He catches so much hell from his friends about it.” William laughed. “I can imagine.” “You can freshen up in his bathroom.” “Thank you.” “My room is just across the hall. You can either go on back downstairs or wait for me.” “Okay.” I leaned in and gave him a kiss before hurrying out of the room. After taking a quick PTA bath,

or Pussy, Tits, and Ass, I hopped into a pair of yoga pants and threw on a Milton High T-shirt. When I opened my bathroom door, William wasn’t in my room. He wasn’t out in the hallway or Ansel’s room either. “Oh fuck,” I muttered. When I had suggested that he go on downstairs without me, I hadn’t stopped to think about how Daddy would probably end up telling William some mortifying stories from my childhood. Hell, he might even have Ansel break out the photo albums. I pounded down the stairs to find them sitting around the table, eating lasagna and drinking wine. They all looked curiously up at me considering the commotion I’d just made. “Sorry,” I muttered, as I went over to the table. “Afraid I was spilling some of your secrets?” Daddy asked with a grin. “That hadn’t even crossed my mind,” I lied. “Sure it didn’t,” Ansel mused. Daddy laughed. “You’ll be glad to know that the conversation was all focused on me and this horrible disease of mine.” “Nice. Couldn’t you have found a less depressing dinner conversation?” I asked. William poured me a glass of wine. “It’s my fault. I was interested in knowing about the disease. My only real frame of reference comes from all the Labor Day telethons with Jerry Lewis.” “Yeah, Daddy is hardly a ‘Jerry’s Kid’.” “Those poor kids.” After bowing his head, Daddy took a large sip of wine through a straw. Once he swallowed, he said, “If there is something to be grateful for, it is that I got to live a full and active life. I didn’t even have any symptoms until I was in my late twenties. Then my hands started cramping up when I was working with the rope. After I took a few tumbles, I went to see a neurologist.” “And that’s when you were diagnosed.” “Yep. Since I already had Sophie and Ansel, I was worried to death that I might’ve passed something on to them. But thank the good Lord that genetic testing proved that they didn’t have the disease and aren’t carriers of the gene.” He smiled good-naturedly. “It’s just me. I get to be the lucky one who needs help wiping his ass.” William spewed out the wine he had just sipped. “Excuse me?” Daddy laughed. “Have you ever read Tuesdays with Morrie?” “No, sir. I don’t believe I have.” “An amazing book. I read my copy until it became so tattered it was falling apart. Then when I couldn’t hold a book up anymore, I got the audio version. You see, Morrie has ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and with the help of one of his former students, he’s chronicling his last days of the final

progression of the disease. While MD and ALS are different, they have a lot of similarities.” Daddy smiled. “But the point to my ramble was that Morrie talks about dreading the day when it comes to someone else wiping his ass. But when the time came, he tried to embrace it because it meant he got to be a baby again.” “That’s an interesting way to look at it.” “Yes, it is.” Daddy winked at William. “Two weeks ago, I tried to remember that quote when it came time for someone else to wipe my ass.” While I shook my head in horror, William only laughed. “And did you feel like Morrie?” “No, sadly I didn’t. Actually, I hated the fact that my cousin’s wife is seeing my ass now when it’s old and wrinkly. I wished she’d been able to see it when I was in my prime.” “Honestly, Daddy,” I said. “For your information, I had a pretty nice ass back in the day.” “Thank you. If you need me, I’ll be dying of mortification under the table.” Ansel snorted. “Why are you acting lady-like all the sudden? It’s not like this isn’t our usual dinner conversations.” “Yes, but the two of you seem to forget that my boss is sitting across from me. That changes things slightly.” “Just your boss?” Daddy questioned with an impish grin. “Don’t start,” I warned. “Actually, I’m not just her boss.” William smiled at me. “We’ve decided to try for more.” “So you’re like officially her boyfriend or something?” Ansel asked. “Yes. I am.” With a groan, I put my head in my hands. “What happened to secrecy?” “I think our secret is safe with your father and brother.” Peeking through my fingers, I replied, “Don’t be so sure.” “Honestly, Sophie, who am I going to tell? I only leave the house for doctor’s appointments,” Daddy said. My hands dropped from my head to where I could pin Ansel with a hard stare. “I’m more worried about him.” Ansel’s brow shot up. “Why me?” “Because you tend to run your mouth. All it would take would be someone mentioning my name or William’s, and you’d be giving them all the juicy details.” “I would not,” Ansel argued. “Maybe we should make him take a blood oath?” William teasingly suggested.

Ansel rolled his eyes. “I swear I won’t say anything, Soph. I know you need the job…that we need you to have the job.” The sincerity in his voice caused all my doubt to evaporate. Looking at William, Ansel said, “Besides, I like Dr. F. He’s totally not a douchebag like the other administrators.” “Thanks for the high praise,” William mused with a smile. “I mean, Dr. Newsome would have totally suspended me even with my reasons.” Daddy cleared his throat. “What’s this about a suspension?” Ansel’s face paled considerably. “Um, yeah, about that…” Deciding to save my poor baby brother, I said, “Ansel got in a fight, but it was because he was defending my honor. William was nice enough to convert his sentence to in-school suspension, rather than out. I had planned to talk to you about it with him when he got in, but then I forgot all about because of our guest.” Shaking his head, Daddy said, “Ansel, how many times have we talked about fighting with your head and not your fists? Do you know how many times I could have had bloody knuckles when I was in the rodeo circuit?” Ansel stared down at his plate. “Yeah, Dad. I know. It won’t happen again. I swear.” “It better not. If you’re going to have any chance at an education, you have to get a scholarship. The competition is ruthless, and they look at everything but making offers.” “I said it won’t happen again, okay?” Ansel snapped. Instead of berating my brother for his smart ass tone, my father’s expression softened. “I know that things are harder for you, son,—it isn’t fair, and it isn’t right. But that’s the way it is. If I could take it all away, I would in an instant.” He turned to smile at me. “Just like I would for you.” I reached over to squeeze his hand. “It’s okay, Daddy. Ansel and I aren’t going to end up in rehab because we had to shoulder a little more responsibility than others.” “Everybody has their own shit they gotta deal with,” Ansel chimed in. “It’s his or her own shit, not their,” I corrected. “Huh?” “The word ‘everyone’ is singular, so you can’t use a collective pronoun like their.” Ansel rolled his eyes. “Would you lighten up on being a grammar Nazi? It’s not like I don’t get this shit enough in school.” “You’re hopeless,” I muttered. Daddy and William chuckled at our banter. When I started to clear the plates, William rose up to help me. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, with a smile. “William, why don’t you stay a little while longer? I’m pretty sure there’s some leftover pie in the fridge.” “I’m pretty sure there’s three or four,” Ansel replied. “That’s because the old church ladies can’t remember who is supposed to bring a pie that week,” I mused. “Lots of pies, huh?” William asked. “Oh yes. I’m pretty sure there’s lemon, pecan, and chocolate in there.” “That sounds delicious.” Lowering his voice, he asked, “Are you okay with me staying?” Smiling, I tossed the dishtowel at him. “Of course I am. Just as long as you’re okay with doing the dishes.” “It would be my pleasure, Mi—um, Sophie.” “I’ll be sure to reward you later.” “And I’ll be looking forward to it.

The blistering summer days of August melted into September. Then crisp and cooler air ushered in October. Considering how busy I was, the months went by in a frenzied blur. Teaching consumed my days while my nights were filled with taking care of Daddy. Friday nights were devoted to watching Ansel shine on the gridiron. And somehow between all of that, I still had time to participate in my secret relationship with William. Because my father and William got along so well, William spent most of his weeknights at our house. He was careful not to show up until Susie had left. Since Susie was a bit of a gossip, I didn’t want her accidentally spilling the beans at her weekly beauty shop appointment. During the day and night on Saturdays was our private time. We would go to Atlanta and spend time at William’s grandparents’ penthouse. It was in mid-September when William introduced me to them. He had been right about me liking them. They were so down to earth. Their love for William was very evident by the way they beamed with pride whenever he was in the room. I was so thankful when William told me that they really liked me. Of course, he slightly freaked me out when he told me they’d asked when we were getting married. Things were running pretty smooth in the bedroom. We didn’t have time to incorporate a lot of play during the week. We were just like average couples trying to catch a quickie here and there. It was our weekends where we’d break out the props. So far, William and I were both adjusting to the BDSM aspects. It wasn’t perfect, but we were making it our own. Two days ago, William had turned thirty-three. When I had asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he had been very specific. “I want to go to 1740’s Halloween party and play with you.” I widened my eyes in surprise. “You can’t be serious.” “Yeah, I am.” Shaking my head, I countered. “William, if we were found out, we could get in serious trouble, maybe even lose our jobs.” “I’ve been a member there for three years, and not a single soul in my professional or personal life knows. You should know from working there how much they pride themselves on keeping their clients’ personal information private. Besides, the Halloween party is always a masquerade, so no one will see our faces.” Deep down, I knew William was right. The security team was top notch, and I couldn’t remember a single instance while I was working there when there was a security breach. “Okay, fine. We’ll go to the Halloween party for your birthday.” He kissed me. “Thank you. That makes me very happy.” “I’m glad to hear it.”

William wrapped his arms around my waist, drawing me against him. “So you’ll play with me as Mistress Juliette?” I shook my head. “I’ll play with you, but as myself. I don’t dig the whole false persona thing.” “Hmm, I guess that means you wouldn’t ever be interested in roleplaying.” “That’s different.” “How?” Tilting my head, I tried putting into words how I felt. “Mistress Juliette was a persona I took on for work. It was who I pretended to be to get a job done. Since that day at Kennesaw Mountain, I’ve always been Sophie with you.” “I see what you mean.” He bent down and kissed me. “Now that we know we’re going, the question is what are we going to wear for costumes? Do you want to do the honors and pick them out?” I snickered. “You seriously want to do a couples costume type thing?” “Sure. Why not?” “Fine. I can pick us out something. You may regret letting me do it though.” With a grin, William said, “I trust you.” In the five years I’d worked at 1740, I’d always gone to the Halloween parties. While they were costume themed, they weren’t your average costumes. They were fetish interpretations of characters and costumes. Although I would have loved to have gone as a couple from one of the great pieces of literature, it was harder to make those into fetish pieces. I finally decided on Dominatrix Dorothy for me. I had a blue vinyl skirt and bustier. I had managed to borrow a pair of blood-red leather boots to be my ruby slippers. For William, I had teasingly decided to do a spin on the whole pet play in BDSM by making him my Toto. I poked my head out of the bathroom door to see how he was coming along getting dressed. I snorted at the sight of him lounging on the bed, remote control in one hand, longneck in the other while wearing furry pants and a studded dog collar. Once we got to the club, he would be donning a furry eye mask and putting on a headband with dog ears. He cut his eyes over to me. His lack of amusement was evident. “This was really the best costume you could come up with?” “What’s the problem with it?” I teased. “Everything.” I joined him on the bed. “Do you know how sexy you look?” “No offense, but considering you just snorted, I highly doubt my sex appeal.” “Okay, so maybe I found it comical seeing you that way at first, but you’re going to have women

and men creaming their pants tonight.” A half of a smile appeared on his lips. “Am I?” I ran my finger from his Adam’s apple down his chest to his circle his navel. “You’ll be showing off that fabulous chest of yours, not to mention how great your ass will look in those pants.” It was William’s turn to snort. “My ass is covered in fur.” “Yes, but unlike some of the other men who will be there, yours isn’t natural.” William and I both broke into hysterics then. “I don’t even want to think about the body hair you saw when you were a Domme.” “It was seriously scary. I used to suggest having a business on the side to do waxing.” I brought my lips to his. “Thank goodness, you don’t have that problem.” “Likewise,” he teased. When I playfully smacked his arm, he replied, “What’s wrong with appreciating a shaved or waxed vagina?” “Just when you think our conversations couldn’t get any weirder, here we go.” With a chuckle, William pushed me off him. “Come on. We need to get going.” When I stepped off the elevator and onto the main floor of 1740, it felt like I was at a family or high school reunion. Well, a family or high school reunion where people were either half-naked or in leather. After I saw Lyle working the bar, I dragged William over to see him. “Hey stranger,” he drawled. I leaned in over the bar to hug Lyle. “It’s so good seeing you again,” I shouted over the music. At the sight of William, Lyle’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you two are a ‘thing’.” With a grin, I replied, “Yep. We are.” Jerking on William’s leash, I teasingly added, “I’ve even collared him.” “You’ve what?” someone demanded behind us. When I whirled around to see Calla, I groaned. She was dressed appropriately as a demon complete with sparkly devil horns. She didn’t bother looking at me. Instead, she focused all her attention on William. “You let her collar you?” Before I could say no, William, answered, “Not formally. But yes, we’re committed.” Calla’s smoldering expression of hate turned into one of anguish. “You said you didn’t want to be collared.” Her voice had turned achingly sad. If she hadn’t been such a bitch to me, I might’ve felt sorry for her. “I’m sorry, Calla, but I just didn’t want to be collared to you.” All the sadness in Calla’s demeanor evaporated and was once again replaced by a fiery bitch. “How could you possible want her? She isn’t even a lifestyle Domme! She can’t give you what I can!”

“She’s giving me exactly what I need and more,” William countered. Calla gave a contemptuous snort. “You’re delusional.” William smiled. “No. I’m happy.” His words and tone appeared to crush Calla. I knew it was time to put her out of her misery. “Come on, William. We’re wasting valuable playing time.” I didn’t wait for William’s response. Instead, I began leading him away by the leash. Once we were out of earshot, I exhaled raggedly. “That wasn’t awkward at all.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay. We should have anticipated she would be here tonight.” “I’m just glad this is the only place we ever have to see her.” “I agree.” Peering through my mask, I surveyed the scenes of play around us. “What are you in the mood for?” “You and only you.” I grinned. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I booked the Versailles Room.” William’s dark eyes flared with lust. “You did?” “Hell yes. You only turn thirty-three at a BDSM club once, right?” He laughed. “Damned straight.” “Ready to play?” “Yes, Mistress.”

The Versailles room was the nicest one in the club. It was really more of a suite than a room. It boasted its own bathroom with marble on the floors and in the shower. In the middle of the room was a huge medieval looking bed with intricate carvings in the wood. The canopy was made for restraints while the black silk sheets heightened the senses. I’d probably only been in the room two other times in the entire five years I worked at 1740. The moment we entered the room William immediately went into the Attention position. “Take off your clothes,” I ordered. He quickly and obediently stripped and folded his clothes before going back to Attention. “Go over to the bed, and lie down on your back.” Once William was on the mattress, I joined him at the bed. I answered his inquisitive glance. “Spread-eagle position.” After he was ready, I smiled. “Since it’s your birthday, tonight you get cuffs.” William smiled. “Thank you, Mistress.” When I buckled him in, I made sure to make them extra tight. I remembered our first scene when William said he liked to feel the leather biting into his skin. “No blindfolds tonight. I want your eyes on mine through everything.” “Yes, Mistress.” Yeah, I wonder if you’ll still be so agreeable in a minute. My boot heels clicked across the tile floor as I went into the closet. Tonight was about pushing William on one of his hard limits. Oh yeah, I was busting out the anal play. I opened one of the drawers and peered in at the contents. Since I knew I had to do baby steps with William, I went for the smallest butt plug in the drawer. Not only was the size good, but the fact it vibrated would intensity William’s pleasure. Opening another drawer, I took out several condoms along with some lube. I sheathed the condom over the plug and then coated the condom in lube. I didn’t mind that I was getting it all over my hands because the more lube the better for William. When I came back into the room, William’s gaze was averted. “Look at me.” He immediately swept his head up to look at my face. I held the butt plug up for him to see. His eyes widened. “Are you willing to face one of your hard limits?” Chewing on his bottom lip, William hesitated for a moment. It appeared as if he was waging a war inside his head. Just when I thought I was going to have to discard the plug, he said, “Yes, Mistress.” I cocked my brows in surprise. “You are?” “Yes, Mistress.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I climbed onto the bed, sitting to his right side. “Widen your legs as far as you can in the restraints.” I reached between his legs to bring my fingertip to encircle his anus. He jumped at the touch, pulling against the cuffs. “Are you sure about this?” “Yes, Mistress.” Turning the plug on, I slid it between his sac and his rectum. His breathing began to increase, and his cock swelled larger. Even if he hated to admit it, he was becoming aroused by the idea of anal play. “Once this is inside you, it’s going to stimulate your prostate, giving you a mind blowing orgasm.” “If you’ll forgive me, mistress, you can do that without the plug.” I laughed. “Nice try.” I slid the plug’s tip at the entrance to William’s anus. “Whistle,” I instructed. If the moment hadn’t been so serious, I might’ve laughed at the expression of sheer shock and disbelief on William’s face. “I’m proud of you for not questioning me. Whistling is a little trick that helps relax you down there. It’ll make the plug go in easier.” “Yes, Mistress,” he replied. His tone told me that he thought I had lost my mind. He pursed his lips together and began to whistle. Slowly, I pushed the plug’s tip in. Although he kept whistling, William tensed slightly. “How does that feel?” “A little tight...really stretchy.” “Good. That’s how it’s supposed to feel. But you need to safe word out if it starts to hurt.” “Yes, Mistress.” I continued to ease the plug inside William. “Keep breathing, and press down like you’re going to poop.” His face wrinkled in disgust. “Seriously?” “Yes, seriously.” Even though he had doubts, William remained obedient and did as he was told. Once the plug was all the way in, I sat back. “How’s that?” “Not bad.” His chest rose and fell harshly. “Actually, it feels really good—the pressure and the stretching.” “That’s kind of how it feels having you inside me.” I took his cock in my hand and began to stroke him. “I think it’s time I gave this Birthday Boy a little attention.” “Yes, please, Mistress.” Dipping my head, I slid his cock deep inside my throat. I began to bob up and down, working him in and out. I stopped each time I came to the top to suction the head and throbbing main vein.

“Let’s enjoy this together, why don’t we?” I climbed on top of him, straddling him in the reverse cowgirl position. I then bent forward to enable us to do the classic 69 position. Sticking my ass in the air, I eased back until William’s mouth covered my core. “Oh yes,” I murmured as he began to lick my clit like it was an ice cream cone. As he sucked my clit, I sucked his cock. We each worked each other into a dripping mess of arousal. When William’s balls tightened, I suctioned him harder and deeper. After he began to fuck me with his tongue while his teeth grazed my clit, I let his dick fall free of my mouth, and I came shouting his name. “Oh, William, what you do to me,” I muttered before sliding his dick back into my mouth. I barely had to pump him in and out a few times before he spurted his hot cum into my mouth. After swallowing it down, I licked him clean. I rose up and slid around to face him. I couldn’t help feeling the boost of pride at the utterly satiated look on his face. “How was it?” “You were right. It was mind-blowing. I mean, you’re always amazing at giving head, but when you couple that with the butt plug, it’s fucking fantastic.” I laughed. “I’m glad to hear it.” “Of course, I’m still saying a strap-on is an extreme hard limit, so don’t get any ideas.” Holding up my hands, I said, “Trust me. I wasn’t going to go there.” “What did you have in mind for now?” I scratched my chin in mock thought. “What do you say I take out the plug, leave you tied up, and flog you a bit?” William grinned. “I’d say Happy Fucking Birthday to me!”

After the previous night’s exertions at Club 1740, I hit the snooze alarm five times on my phone. By the time I finally dragged myself out of bed, I had to haul serious ass to get a shower and get ready. I didn’t even have time to grab breakfast or pack my lunch. I’d have to grab something from the vending machines during planning. While that wasn’t bad, it was the thought of being forced to eat cafeteria food that was a real downer. I careened into the parking lot ten minutes after when staff members were expected to arrive. Considering how late I was, I didn’t bother going in the front door. Instead, I parked around the back of the school, so I could sneak in the side door that was close to my classroom. The moment I opened the door and stepped into the school, I knew that something was wrong. A foreboding feeling hung in the air so powerful that it sent a shiver down my spine and caused the hairs on my arms to raise. When I started to my classroom, the students already in the hallway ceased their conversations as they stared wide-eyed at me. It all felt so surreal that for a moment, I wanted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. I quickly dropped my gaze to make sure that even though I was running late, I had in fact managed to dress myself. Thankfully, nothing was unbuttoned or unzipped, and I wasn’t exposing myself. Once I knew I was put together fine, I couldn’t help wondering what the fuck their problem was. It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen me every day for the last three months. What could possibly be different about today? My boot slid on something in the floor. When I looked down, I saw it was a multicolored piece of paper. Glancing around, several pieces of paper littering the floor. There was even some taped to the front of the lockers. I bent down and snatched one off the floor. When I peered at it, the world shuddered to a stop around me. It was a picture of me from last night in 1740. I held a flogger in midair just before I was about to hit William’s back. As I stared in horror over at the lockers, I saw one of the pictures was of me and William kissing. Turning a circle in the hallway, I saw even more scenarios of William and me together. It took me a moment to process what had happened. Someone had taken video clips from the dungeon security camera and made them into pictures. Someone had come to the school and distributed them. Someone had wanted more than just to humiliate us. Someone wanted to destroy us professionally. A feeling of violation swept over me. I fought the urge to try to cover my breasts or shield myself at being so exposed in the pictures. Desperate to get away from the gawking stares, I sprinted up the hallway and burst into the staff bathroom. My lungs felt like a giant’s hands were compressing

them, squeezing out all the air. Placing my hands on the counter, I tried to still the out-of-control spinning of the room. But no matter how hard I tried, I could only hear the sneering voice chiding me in my head. Your deep, dark little secret is out. You’ve been fucking the boss. You were flogging the boss in a BDSM club. You are so fucked. My hands slipped off the counter as the world around me dimmed, and I began to freefall into the darkness. As I came into consciousness, I felt something cold and hard beneath me. What the hell had happened? The better question was where the hell was I? I struggled to open my eyes. When they would finally open, I saw William crouched over me. “She’s awake, thank God.” I frowned at his words. Who was he talking to? Craning my neck, I saw that Jane and Mrs. Cleary stood behind William, concern etched on their faces. It was then I realized I was on the bathroom floor. “What happened?” I questioned. “You passed out,” William responded. “Seriously? I’ve never passed out in my life.” “Well, you did this time.” When I pulled myself into a sitting position, I groaned at the pounding in my head. I must’ve hit it when I passed out. I was just about to ask why I fainted when I saw a pile of the pictures of William and me in Mrs. Cleary’s hand. “Oh God,” I muttered. The nausea came over me so fast I didn’t have time to make it to the toilet. Instead, I grabbed the trash can next to me and threw up. I heaved over and over again as the images of William and I played on a loop in my mind. When I finally finished, I swiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Jane and Mrs. Cleary were gone. I guess they thought we needed to be alone. I stared into William’s eyes. Regret, concern, fear, and sadness were all there. “I have a million things I want to say right now, but nothing will come out,” I said. “It’s okay. I understand.” He brought his hand to my cheek. “Do you think you feel well enough to make it to my office?” “I guess. But I need to get to my class.” At William’s forlorn expression, my stomach churned again. “I’m not going to class today, am I?” I whispered. “No.”

“I’m not going to class ever again.” “Don’t say that. We don’t know what is going to happen.” A manic laugh escaped my lips. “Who are you kidding, William? The entire school has been plastered with pictures of us fucking in a BDSM club. I’ll be lucky to keep my certificate, least of all my job.” “There weren’t any pictures of us having sex. They only show us kissing, and you hitting me.” “Like that makes any difference.” “Dr. Levinson should be here by now. We really need to get you to my office.” “I can save him the trouble and just walk out of here right now.” “Sophie, please.” “Fine. Let’s go and face the music.” After William helped me up, we started for the door. “Oh God, I can’t go out there with all the kids staring at us,” I moaned. “Don’t worry. The bell has already rung. They’re all in class.” My panic dissipated a little. William opened the door, and we started into the hallway. Thankfully it was clear of both students and the pictures of us. The usual minute walk from my hallway to his office seemed to stretch into an eternity. I kept my head down the entire time. I didn’t want to meet the judgmental looks of any teachers or students. Part of me was angry at the defeated way I was acting. The strong side of me should have drawn her shoulders back and gave everyone a hearty “what the fuck are you looking at?” But for some reason, I just didn’t have the strength to do that. When we got to the main office, William led us inside. What was usually a noisy and boisterous place this time of the morning with kids checking in late was utterly silent. Once we got into William’s office and the door closed behind us, I breathed a sigh of relief. My emotion was short lived when I saw Dr. Levinson standing with our assistant principals, Mr. Lewis and Mrs. Fieldstowe. Dr. Levinson’s expression was grave as he motioned for us to have a seat. I found it somewhat alarming when William didn’t take a seat behind his desk. Instead, he and I sat in the chairs in front of the desk. “It is very unfortunate what has happened here this morning. You two have been the victims of a very malicious smear campaign against your personal and professional lives. Although it is of no fault of your own, I’m afraid you must pay the consequences.” “And what are those consequences?” William inquired. “As of this moment, you both are on paid leave. Once this meeting has ended, you will need to

leave the building immediately, and do not come back on school grounds until you receive authorization. I have called an emergency school board meeting to discuss what is to happen to you both. Although it is not necessary for the hearing, I would suggest you both obtain legal counsel.” I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. I didn’t even want to begin to imagine how I was going to afford a lawyer. As if he could sense my thoughts, Dr. Levinson said, “I’m sure you’re a member of either PAGE or GAE. They can provide services for you.” During our education classes, we’d had it drilled into our heads to join one of the professional educator groups: Georgia Association of Educators or Professional Association of Georgia Educators. Stepping one foot in the classroom without belonging to one of these groups was the equivalent of professional suicide. You always wanted to be covered in case you were brought up on ethics charges with testing or students. They really never tried to sell you on it with the example of having your past as a dominatrix exposed while simultaneously revealing you were involved in a sexual relationship with your boss. “I would also suggest that the two of you not be seen together until after the school board meeting.” He glanced between William and me. “Any questions?” Although my mind whirled with questions, I couldn’t bring myself to voice any of them. I guess it was because I didn’t feel Dr. Levinson could answer them, or if he did, I wouldn’t like what he had to say. Finally, I shook my head. “None for you at the moment,” William replied. Dr. Levinson nodded. “I’ll see you both at the meeting tomorrow night.” William and I rose out of our chairs. When we got to the office door, we were to go our separate ways. I just wasn’t sure for how long. Instead of opening the door, William hesitated. As he turned to me, he looked like he was struggling with wanting to say something. After giving him a sad smile, I headed out the door alone. I once again kept my gaze averted as I left the main office. I went out the front entrance, rather than walking back down the hallway and risking seeing anyone else. When I got to my car, I found that my purse and messenger bag were sitting in the front seat. Either Jane or Mrs. Cleary must’ve brought it out for me. Just as I was about to slide into the seat and crank the car, I heard, “Ms. Jameson, do you have a statement regarding the charges against you?” In horror, I looked up to see several news reporters and cameramen making their way over to my car. I hurriedly cranked up and squealed out of the parking lot. As I drove along, I tapped my thumbs on the steering wheel, debating my options. There was no way in hell I could go home right now. The thought of facing Daddy and telling him about what had happened caused my stomach to

churn so violently I gagged. And then I had the answer. After I dug my cell phone out of my purse, there was only one person I could think of to call. “Hey cuz, it’s Sophie. You think you and some of your buddies could do me a favor?”

Wind rippled through my hair and clothing as I tore down I-75 on the back of my cousin, Everett’s, motorcycle. Everett’s dad and my mom were brother and sister. I didn’t see a lot of him, except at the holidays. He’d grown up in the rodeo circuit, following in his dad and my footsteps of barrel racing. But when he turned eighteen, he traded a horse for a hog. He showed up that Thanksgiving wearing a leather cut, signifying he’d joined a MC club. Although he had a road name of “Rodeo”, none of us in the family called him that. I’d met up with Everett and two his buddies at their club roadhouse. After eyeing the two hulking guys, I swallowed hard. “Easy, cuz. They’re on our side, remember?” “I know.” I pulled on Everett’s sleeve. “If you guys help me out, does it that mean I’m going to owe the club a favor?” “Maybe.” “Like a sexual favor?” Everett laughed. “Do you think I’d let those two goons lay one finger on you, least of all fuck you?” “I hope not.” “Don’t worry your pretty little head about favors. While they’re happy to do it for free, you could sweeten the pot by throwing a case of beer their way.” Relief flowed through me. “That’s it?” “Yup. That’s it.” “I can totally do that. Two cases in fact. You know, one a piece.” With a grin, Everett said, “Sounds good to me.” “Then let’s go.” When I started to throw my leg over the back of his bike, Everett stopped me. “Before we do this, I just gotta ask if you’re sure about this.” “One hundred and ten percent.” At his continued look of skepticism, I sighed. “I can’t just bend over and take this up the ass without a fight.” Everett shook his head at my choice of language. “I just want you to make sure you realize the shit that could get thrown back on you.” “I’m well aware of that.” He held up his hands. “As long as you’re sure, I’m more than happy to help you.” “Good. Now let’s do this.” Everett dropped his cigarette to the ground and stubbed out the embers. “It’s on.” Now that we were a block away from Club 1740, my once firm resolve started wavering. My

stomach felt as tight as some of the rope I used to knot. I began to worry that my harebrained idea had come from me cracking under the pressure of the looming school board meeting. But then I thought about what had already been taken from me and all I could lose. That’s when courage once again pumped through my veins, and I was ready to take on my adversary. When we pulled up at 1740, I shouted to Everett over the roar of the pipes, “Go around to the back of the building. That’s where the staff entrance is.” He nodded in response. After pulling around the building, he eased the bike into a parking space. His two goon friends parked beside us. I hadn’t asked for their names. I figured the less information about them the better, and I just decided to refer to them as “the goons.” I reached into my purse and pulled out my ID card. After swiping it through the reader, the green light lit up, and the lock turned. I opened the door and ushered Everett and the goons inside. “Membership here must cost a shitload,” Everett mused as we started down the hall. “It’s not cheap.” When we got to the elevator, the four of us squeezed inside. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten as I regulated my breathing. As I focused on my rage, my fists clenched at my sides. My eyes snapped opened when one of the goon’s remarked, “Baby Girl’s getting ready to kick some ass.” “Damn straight,” I muttered as the elevator doors opened. Since it was a Thursday night, the club wasn’t packed to capacity. I maneuvered my way through the crowd with Everett and the goons behind me. There was one person I was looking for. The one person who had both a motive and access to the surveillance room. Calla. The instant Lyle spotted me from his place at the bar his eyes widened. Although I couldn’t hear him over the ear splintering bass pumping out of the speakers, I read his lips as he mouthed, “Oh fuck.” When his gaze snapped from mine and went to the person perched on a stool at the end of the bar, my fists once again clenched at my side. She never knew what was coming for her. When I reached Calla’s stool, my hand snatched a fist-full of her hair. With all the strength I had, I jerked her off her perch by the hair. A screech of pain coupled with shock came from Calla. “What the hell are you doing, you bitch!” she shrieked. Drawing my arm back, I punched her in the nose. “That’s for me.” Then I delivered a right hook to her chin, knocking her to the ground. Standing over her, I said, “And that’s for William.” The music abruptly shut off while voices began to shout around me. The next thing I knew Everett was pulling me away from Calla. When one of the bouncers tried to take me from him, one of

the goons stepped in and shoved him aside. Another bouncer helped Calla up. I noticed a crowd had encircled us. You could have heard a pin drop the silence was so deafening. “Are you fucking happy now, you conniving little cunt?” “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” I shook my head furiously. “Just because you couldn’t have him, you decided to ruin him. And because you thought I took him from you, you ruined me, too.” “You’re a crazy bitch.” Glancing around the crowd, I said, “This piece of shit standing before you sabotaged a man’s career today. She’s trying to play dumb, but it doesn’t take a fucking rocket scientist to know that it was her who plastered my school with pictures from the club.” Gasps rang out in the club while a low buzz of whispering began. “Club 1740 has strict membership and security. Your average Joe could never waltz in here and steal video footage. It had to be a member or employee that did it. It takes a lot of time and effort to take stills from video clips and make them into pictures. That’s some serious dedication on someone’s part. I would imagine that someone would have to have a fucking good reason to want to do that.” As I turned around in a circle, I eyed the people standing around. “I can’t imagine anyone else here but Calla who would have a personal vendetta against William and myself. You can’t just say me because there were pictures of both of us.” Calla’s defiance had begun to fade. She cowered back against the bouncer who had helped her up. “Tell me exactly how did you get them? I’m pretty sure you couldn’t have snuck into the security room, so you must’ve worked out a deal with one of the security guards.” I cocked my head at her. “What did you offer him? Sex or money? Hmm, maybe both?” “You’re full of shit. All I did here last night was party and play with a few clients.” “I’m not sure how much partying you did after you saw William and me. You were livid at the sight of us together. The fact that I jokingly said he was wearing a collar—my collar—totally set you off. When he told you that he hadn’t wanted to be collared by you, your broken pride had to make him pay.” “You’re delusional,” she countered meekly. “No. You’re fucking delusional. But what you didn’t think about is when you were betraying William and me, you were betraying every single person here at 1740. There are only so many BDSM clubs in this area. How long do you think it’s going to take the media to sniff out that the club in question at the heart of the Milton High sex scandal is 1740?” Once again, gasps rang out. From people’s expressions, I could tell they were feeling just as vulnerable as I had earlier in the day. For the vast majority of members, their lives could be ruined if

their secret got out. The crowd parted as Robert, the club’s owner, walked through. When he got to us, I braced myself for anything from him taking my staff card to having me arrested. After giving me a fleeting look, he turned his attention to Calla. “Gianni, I want Mistress Calla removed from the premise immediately. Escort her to her locker and make sure she takes all her personal possessions because she will not ever be setting foot back in this club again.” Calla’s face paled as her lip that I had busted trembled. “Robert, surely you don’t mean that.” “Yes, I do.” “But we’ve been friends for years. You can’t possibly turn your back on me after everything we have been through.” He gave a contemptuous laugh. “You silly cunt. I wouldn’t care if you were my own blood. You fucked over my club, so you’re dead to me.” Calla’s eyes widened in horror as she shook her head back in forth. “Robert, please.” He gave her one final look of disgust. “Get her the fuck out of here.” Before Gianni could drag Calla away, Everett stepped forward. He pointed a finger at the patch on his leather cut. “You see this?” “Y-yes,” she whimpered. “You remember what this cut looks like and what I look like. If you even think about squealing to the cops or you do anything else to my cousin or her boyfriend, I will hunt you down. And what my cousin just did will be nothing compared to what I’ll do to you. Do you understand me?” She squeaked a yes before Gianni dragged her away. Once she was gone, Robert turned his attention to the crowd. “Okay, folks, show’s over. Go back to partying. If you haven’t already had your allotted drink, it’s on the house. If you have had one, have another. I’m sure after what just went on we all could use one or two.” After motioning to the DJ, the music cranked back up. Robert then turned his attention to me. “I should have you arrested for disorderly conduct and fucking with the vibe.” “I’m not sure what section of the law “vibe fucking” falls under,” I countered. The corners of Robert’s lips fluttered before he smiled. “I always did like that smart-ass mouth of yours.” “I’m sorry I caused such a scene, but I had to confront her.” “I suppose having her called into my office was a completely ridiculous idea.” “You should know me well enough by now to know that I was never going to be able to be within three feet of her without bloodshed.” “Considering what she did and the repercussions, I can’t say I blame you.”

“I’m glad you see it my way.” “For what it’s worth, you’re always welcome here, and you always have a job here. If I can do anything else to help you and William, just let me know.” “Thanks, Robert. I appreciate that.” “You’re welcome.” With a wink, he added, “Now get the fuck out of here. Until you’re gone, no one is going to unwind and have some fun.” “No problem.” Jerking my chin at the elevators, I said, “Come on, guys, let’s go.” Everett extended his hand to Robert. “Nice meeting you.” “Same to you. If you boys should ever want to come and play, I’d be happy to give you a few guest passes.” Everett snorted. “That’s nice of you to offer, but I like to beat the shit out of people on my own time and turf.” After eyeing Everett’s cut, Robert nodded. “Have a good evening then.” “You too.” I could feel the heated stares on me as we made our way to the elevator. Once we got inside, Everett let out a low whistle. “What?” I questioned. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.’ “Oh please,” I replied. Everett shook his head. “You’re one hell of a fighter. You might could take me.” “You can’t be serious?” He winked. “Well, maybe if I was drunk.”

As I turned down the long drive to home, my stomach lurched and rolled. The last time I had been this afraid to face my father was when I was seventeen. That was the night I’d lost my virginity in a hayloft on my boyfriend’s farm. We’d fallen asleep, and our wake-up call came in the form of an old rooster. After throwing on my clothes, I had dared to look at my cell phone. The sheer number of calls from my father sent dread pulsing through me. I don’t think the drive home had ever felt so long. After turning on the gravel road, the sight of the house in the distance had caused me to fling open the door and throw up. Once I recovered, I didn’t get far before I saw my father’s figure in the distance. He stood ramrod straight at the top of the porch steps. I couldn’t help wondering if he had stood there all night waiting for me to get in. I didn’t have to tell him what I had done—he knew by taking one look at me. While I wanted him to tear into me with yelling, he merely shook his head. His disappointment cut me to the core far more than any of his anger ever could have. And that is what I feared the most this time. Nearing the house, I did a double take at the sight of what appeared to be my father once again standing on the porch. I would have given anything in the world for that to be true. But instead, Ansel stood where my dad once did, looking like his mini-me. With his arms crossed over his broad chest, he wore the same furious expression my dad had all those years ago. Before I could take the key out of the ignition, Ansel had pounded down the porch stairs. He was on me the moment I stepped out of the car. With his face only inches from mine, he demanded, “Where the fuck have you been?” “Look, I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t come home.” “Yeah, well, a phone call might’ve been nice. When you didn’t show up for dinner, Dad freaked out. He had me go into town to look for you.” I threw up my hands. “Once again, I’m sorry. There were reporters waiting for me outside the school. The last thing I wanted was for them to follow me home. As for calling, I just didn’t know what to say.” “Where did you go?” “I went to see Everett.” Thinking of my escapade in Atlanta brought a faint smile to my lips. “He let me crash at his MC’s clubhouse for the night.” Ansel narrowed his eyes at me. “Were you with him?” He said the word “him” like it was a swarm of locust. “Not that it’s any of your business, but no I wasn’t.” “Good. I’m glad to hear it. I mean, it’s bad enough you’re screwing your boss like a cheap

whore, but on top of everything, he’s a fucking pervert!” His words momentarily cut me to the core. But even though I was wounded deeply, anger seethed within me. “How dare you talk to me like that?” Shaking his head, he replied, “You make me sick.” He then stormed past me and started for the barn. “Don’t walk away from me!” “Fuck off.” “Would you at least let me explain,” I called after him. “Save it, and go talk to dad.” I jogged after him. “Last time I checked, I was your older sister, and the one who told you what to do.” Ansel spun around, his boots kicking up a cloud of dust around us. “Yeah, you get a big kick out of that, don’t you?” “Excuse me?” “Telling men what to do—you get off from it, right?” “Ansel—” “Who knew all these years you’ve been bossing me around that I should’ve been paying you for it.” “You don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.” “Don’t I? You boss men around and beat them.” He stared at me in disgust. “You’re nothing more than a whore who fucks for money.” A volatile mixture of rage and hurt burned through my veins, and I acted before I could stop myself. My hand flew out and smacked his cheek. Ansel’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. After all the years I’d helped with raising him, I’d never raised a hand to him. Just when I opened my mouth to apologize, Ansel snapped, “Thank you, Mistress.” Any remorse I felt quickly evaporated. Mustering all the strength I had within me, I shoved him hard, sending him staggering back. “You ungrateful little shit! How dare you stand there and say that to me? Have you even stopped to think for one minute why I became a Domme?” “Because you’re a pervert who gets off from hurting men?” “It’s never been more than a job to me. One I took out of necessity.” I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “I did it for you and for dad.” “Bullshit.” “Have you ever stopped to think how it’s been possible for us to keep the farm? Dad hasn’t

drawn a decent paycheck in three years. His disability barely pay the bills, least of all Susie’s salary. If I hadn’t stepped in with the money for the taxes, they could have taken the farm. We would have lost everything.” Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to stop the tears from overflowing my eyes. I shook my head. After everything Dad had been through, I would have died before I let that happen. Hell, I might’ve even become a prostitute for real.” Ansel’s expression flipped like a switch from anger to disbelief. He swayed slightly on his feet as he processed my words. “You really paid the taxes for the farm?” “Yes. I did.” He jerked a hand through his sandy hair. “So you’re not some kind of hooker?” I rolled my eyes. “BDSM and S&M relationships aren’t always about having sex. Domme’s rarely have sex with their clients, and I never did.” I had to bite my lip to keep from adding, “Until William.” “And you just spanked men at some club?” “Among other things.” His eyes widened. “You always do that kinky stuff with guys?” “Not that it’s really any of your business, the answer is no. I was only a Domme at the club.” Once again, I failed to add that was until William. “Dr. F was into that shit?” Of course, he would have to bring that up. “Yes. He was.” Ansel’s brow furrowed. “Then how were you guys together?” “It’s complicated. Let’s just leave it at that.” I could tell Ansel wanted to ask a million more questions, but he bit his tongue and kept quiet. “Are we okay now?” I tentatively asked. “Yeah, we’re okay. I’m just going to need some time to let all this sink in.” “I understand. But while you’re letting it all sink in, just remember that I’m still your sister, and I always have and always will love you.” “I know that.” He kicked a pebble on the ground. “I love you, too, Soph. None of this shit or anything else will ever change that.” Hearing him say those words meant everything to me. “I’m sorry for hitting you.” “Nah, I needed it. I was a real asshole to say what I did.” “Yeah, you were, but I still shouldn’t have hit you.” He reached out and embraced me, squeezing me tight. “You better go talk to Dad.” “Okay. I will.” I pulled out of his arms. I planted a tender kiss on the cheek where I slapped him

before heading back to the house. Before today, it had never seemed like such a long distance, but by the time I reached the front door, it felt like I’d been walking for miles. My fear and trepidation had grown to a fevered pitch. After glancing in the den, I saw that Dad wasn’t there. When I started down the hallway, it seemed to stretch out for miles before me like a scene out of The Shining. Passing my bedroom door, I wished for nothing more than to run inside, slam the door, and hide out under the covers like I had when I was younger. How I longed for those simple problems that at the time had seemed so monumental. The door to my father’s bedroom opened, and Susie stepped out. At the sight of me, she quickly closed the door. Although I know she tried to hide it, her expression told of all the emotions running through her head from disbelief to disdain to denial. “Yes.” “I’m sorry?” she questioned. Drawing my shoulders back, I replied, “Yes, it’s true. Whatever you’ve heard on the news or through the gossip mill, it’s all true.” “I see,” she murmured. I glanced past her to Dad’s room. “Does he…?” At Susie’s pained expression, my heart clenched in my chest. “It came on the television before I could change it,” she said apologetically. My hand flew to my mouth as I fought the urge to throw up. The thought of telling him had been agonizing, but now it was even worse. He had been denied hearing it first from my lips, and now I had to try to clean it all up somehow. “He doesn’t believe any of it.” I stared at Susie in surprise. “He doesn’t?” She shook her head. “You know him. He won’t until he hears it from you.” With trembling fingers, I turned the knob, sending the door creaking open on its ancient hinges. At the sound, my dad’s head turned to follow the noise, sliding slowly across the pillow. I inhaled a deep breath before stepping over the threshold. Dad’s hollow eyes tracked me as I made my way across the floor. Before I reached his side, a voice on the television froze me mid-step. “Once again, our top story tonight is a sex scandal out of Milton High involving the newly appointed principal, William Foster, and a teacher, Sophie Jameson. It appears as though the two were affiliated with an unnamed, private BDSM club in Atlanta…” Hearing the story spun so sordidly caused my stomach to lurch again. Then to my horror, one of the stolen pictures from the club flashed on the screen. Outfitted in my blue corset and boots, I held a

flogger in my hand. Humiliation flooded me that my father was hearing and seeing the part of my life I had worked so hard to keep secret. I pinched my eyes shut and tucked my head to my chest. There was no way in hell I could bear to look at him. The daughter he had such pride in was soiled and dirty. “Soph?” Dad questioned. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t speak. I knew there was a million things I needed to say…to explain, yet the once eloquently well-spoken girl remained silent. Hot tears of shame and remorse streaked down my cheeks, but I didn’t bother wiping them away. “Sophie Marie Jameson. Look. At. Me.” When I dragged my gaze to his, surprise rippled through me. Instead of the anger and disappointed I imagined, his eyes held only concern. With a shaky hand, he motioned for me to come to his side. Once again, I obeyed without hesitation. Instead of sitting in the chair beside the bed, I eased down on the mattress beside him. “You tell me. I want to—I need to—hear it from you,” he said. He then held out his hand for me to take just like he always had when I was scared or I’d had a bad day at school. The simple gesture caused the carefully constructed dam holding back my emotions to implode. Ragged sobs tore through my body. When I finally caught my breath, I moaned, “Oh Daddy.” “What have I always said?” “That’s there’s nothing I could ever do that would make you not love me.” He nodded. “Nothing, mon rayon de soleil.” He almost broke me again using the French for “my sunshine.” It was a term my Grand-maman had called him when he was a boy, and he did the same to Ansel and me when we were little. I drew in a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to be a chicken shit, or as my grandmother would say, “a merde de poulet.” “Five years ago, I met a girl at college who told me about this club,” I began. My father’s gaze never left mine, and his expression never changed. Part of me expected him to show shame or disgust as I explained how I’d taken money to beat and torture men for their pleasure. But he didn’t. The only time he showed any emotion was when I told him how Calla had bribed the security guard to get the tapes of William and me. His jaw had clenched, and his eyes had darkened. I knew he was thinking if he was his old self he would have gone to beat the shit out of the security guard. His code of ethics wouldn’t have allowed him to hit a woman. “Don’t worry about her. I put her in her place last night.” His brows popped up. “Oh?”

I grinned. “Oh yeah. She won’t be working at Club 1740 ever again, and she’s probably having trouble walking today.” Daddy chuckled, which induced one of coughing fits. They seemed more like coughing seizures the way his body would jerk and spasm as he tried to catch his breath. I bolted off the bed and went for the glass of water on the nightstand. When I tried to bring it to his lips, his shook his head. Time ticked agonizingly by as I had to watch his face redden and listen to the rattle in his throat and chest. Each time one of these fits happened, fear consumed me that it would be the last time. That his weakened lungs and diaphragm would just give out under the strain. This time I didn’t hide my tears. After all, I’d already been crying. Daddy wouldn’t assume it was about him. “I’m…okay,” he finally wheezed. He eyed the glass in my hand. “I can take some now.” With a nod, I brought it to his mouth. He began to take small sips. Finally, the normal color returned to his face. The coughing had exhausted him, and he let his head fall back against the pillow. “Proud of you.” I hiccupped. “How can you possibly say that? I’ve embarrassed you and Ansel. I’ve ruined our name in this town. I’ve been fired from the job I worked so hard to get. I may never be able to teach again.” “Do you know how my mother and father met?” I nodded. “Grand-Maman was working in the café where Grandpapan came.” Daddy smiled a secret smile before motioning for me to turn his oxygen up. After I turned the dial on the machine up, he inhaled a few breaths. “Your grandmother never worked in a café. She was dancing in a burlesque show.” “But Burlesque in Paris is basically stripping.” At Dad’s nod, I gasped. “Grand-Maman was a stripper?” “Out of necessity. Her father had been killed in the war, and they’d lost their farm. They’d been forced to move in with her aunt. As the oldest, she was expected to help feed her five brothers and sisters. Decent jobs were hard to come by, and they didn’t pay shit. One day when she was coming out of the factory she was working in, a man approached her. When she learned how much money she could make while using her love for dance, she started at the club.” “Not that it matters, but for the record, I wasn’t stripping. None of my clients ever saw me naked.” Except William. “Do you judge Grand-Maman for what she did?” “Of course not.” “Then now you can see why the only person I’m angry and disappointed with is myself.” “What do you mean?”

“If I wasn’t crippled, none of this would have happened.” I furiously shook my head. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. You didn’t ask for this to happen, and you sure as hell didn’t deserve it. You have always been a good man—fair, decent, and honest. More than that, you’ve been a good father who sacrificed so much and worked overtime to be both mother and father. The person and father you are is the reason why I did what I did. If you’d been some asshole who cared only for himself, I wouldn’t have wanted to go to the extreme to see that we kept the farm and you had what you needed.” Tears welled in Daddy’s eyes. “Thank you, Sophie. Thank you for your sweet, kind words, but most of all, thank you for sacrificing these last seven years for me and for Ansel.” “Thank you for being such a wonderful father and person.” “It’s me who should be thanking you for being such a wonderful daughter. “What do you think my mom would have thought about what I did?” Dad’s expression momentarily became pained. It was something that happened whenever my mother was mentioned. “I think she would’ve been disappointed, but she would’ve tried to understand why you did what you did.” At what must’ve been my visible pain, Daddy shook his head. “She didn’t come from a family like mine. Her parents didn’t know how to love like mine did. She used to say she never felt loved until she married me and then when she had you.” “Really?” A sad smile pulled across Dad’s lips. “She loved you so much, Sophie. She used to say that every time she looked at you, it felt like she was winning a competition.” Daddy’s image became blurry before me as tears once again filled my eyes. “I’m glad that she felt love, even if it was for a short time.” “She did. I know she did.” Daddy sighed. “What happens now with your job?” “I’m on paid leave until tomorrow night when they’ve called an emergency school board meeting to discuss what is to happen to William and me.” “And what happens between you and William?” I stared down at the quilt, my fingertip tracing over one of the diamond patterns. “We go our separate ways.” “But why?” I gave a mirthless laugh as I glanced up. “You really have to ask that?” “I do. I’ve seen the two of you together—the way you looked at each other. When you two were together, you were so happy.” “Well, that was before all this mess. It just seems like there are too many things against us. I mean, we both had baggage before, but how do you even begin to move on from something like this?”

“You work at it. Any relationship having is hard work.” I sighed. “I don’t know if I have the strength it would take to make it work.” “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say anything like that. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you give up on anything in your life.” With a rueful smile, I countered, “There’s a first time for everything.” Dad shook his head. “This is worth fighting for, Sophie. William is worth fighting for. You have strength enough within you for the both of you. Just dig deep. The faith will come to you.” Although I wanted to believe my father, I’d been through too much in my life to believe there could really be a happy ever after for William and me. But I didn’t have the heart to disappoint him anymore by telling him that. Instead, I merely nodded in agreement and tried to ignore the ache spreading through my chest at the loss of William.

Standing back from the mirror, I eyed my appearance. I’d chosen the most demure dress I owned. It was solid black with long sleeves, a high neck, and it hung past my knees. Nothing sexy or showy. I looked like death, which was appropriate on so many levels. The last time I’d worn it was six years ago to my grandmother’s funeral. Today I felt like I was attending another funeral—the one for my career as a teacher. My hand went to my neck where my grandmother’s pearls sat. As I fingered the beads, I murmured, “Donne moi de la force, Grand-Maman.” More than anything in the world, I needed strength tonight, and it only made sense to ask for it from one of the strongest women I knew. A woman who had also done something morally questionable for the good of her family. When my phone dinged on the dresser, I didn’t even bother checking to see who it was. William had been blowing up my phone with calls and texts since I’d run out of school. Just like I hadn’t known what to say to my dad or brother, I didn’t know what to say to him either. I was still too shellshocked, and my emotions to jangled. At the knock on my door, I turned around. I almost did a double take at the sight of Ansel in dress pants and a tie. I hadn’t imagined he would want to come with me to the meeting, but at breakfast this morning, he had passed me the milk and said, “I’m driving you tonight.” That had been the extent of our discussion. I had neither agreed nor disagreed with him. Now he stood before me looking just like my father had when he was eighteen. In that moment, I realized my baby brother had become a man. It had snuck up on me in the years I was away and only home on weekends and holidays. “We better get on the road,” he said. I nodded. “Look at you dressed to the nines,” I mused as I crossed the room to him. He grinned. “I have my moments.” I reached out to straighten his tie. “You’re always handsome, but even more so when you’re dressed up.” Once the tie was straight, I cupped his cheek. “You look just like dad.” “Speaking of, he’s going with us.” My hand dropped from Ansel’s face. “What? But he’s not able to do that.” Ansel stepped back into the hallway. My vision became blurry when I followed his gaze to where Dad sat in wheelchair. His best suit was considerably looser than the last time he’d worn it. Ansel had managed to conceal the buckle holding him upright in the wheelchair by running it underneath Dad’s jacket. I quickly pulled myself together and forced a smile to my face. “Aren’t I lucky to have two handsome men to escort me to the meeting tonight?”

“That’s right,” Daddy said. After grabbing my coat off the end of the bed, I joined them in the hall. “Well, let’s get this show on the road.” Daddy gave me a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be fine, Sophie. Have faith.” I exhaled noisily. “I’ll try.” After getting into the van, we made our way into town. Because our town was small, the school board held its meetings at the justice center in one of the courtrooms. The moment we pulled into the parking lot, my stomach lurched, and I almost threw up. “If you’re gonna barf, do it out the window. I just cleaned the upholstery,” Ansel warned. Instead of giving him hell for being inconsiderate, I smiled. His comment was just what I needed to get my mind off things. He knew what he was doing because when I turned to look at him, he winked. “Thanks for the tip, douche bag,” I replied. “You’re welcome, asshat.” He eased the van into one of the closest handicap spots. I stayed in my seat while he lowered the ramp to allow Daddy to get out of his wheelchair. Once Daddy was out, Ansel rapped on my window, signaling that it was time for me to get out and face the music. When we got to the door, a familiar figure stood waiting for us. I smiled as I dove into his arms. “Owen, it’s so good to see you.” “Good to see you too, Mistress.” I couldn’t help stiffening at him using that word. He must’ve notice because he said, “Sorry. I promise I won’t make that mistake when we’re inside.” “Thank you,” I replied, as I pulled away. Owen had been playing with Mistress Venus when I blew into 1740 and took out Calla. He had immediately called me and offered his legal services, which I was more than happy to take him up on. When Dad cleared his throat behind us, I smacked my forehead. “Where are my manners? This is my dad, Michael, and my brother, Ansel.” Motioning to Owen, I said, “This is my lawyer, Owen.” “It’s nice to meet you both,” Owen said. He made sure to take my father’s hand in his when he shook it. Over the years together, I’d told Owen about Daddy’s condition. “Are you going to make sure Sophie keeps her job?” Owen smiled. “I sure as hell am.” Daddy returned his smile. “Good. Then we’ll get along just fine.” Owen reached for the door and opened it. “We should get inside. They’ll be starting soon.” Although I tried to put on the emotional armor I wore as a Domme, I couldn’t still the jackrabbit beating of my heart or the trembling in my knees. Sensing my nervousness, Owen put a hand on my

lower back and eased me through the door. Ansel and Daddy followed behind us. To say that the room was packed would be an understatement. While I should have had a good inclination of the crowd from the packed parking lot, I couldn’t quite have imagined it would be standing room only. In a small town like mine, a sex scandal was considered prime entertainment. All the noisy chatter ceased when we walked up the aisle. My skin crawled under the scrutiny of all the eyes raking over me. Owen led me to a table at foot of the small stage. Next to us was another table where William and his lawyer sat. When I briefly met his eye, he gave me a tight smile. I didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, I slid into the chair that Owen pulled out for me. After a few agonizing minutes of feeling the stares boring into my back, Dr. Levinson banged his gavel, silencing the crowd. After clearing his throat, he said, “We’re here tonight to meet on whether to terminate staff members, William Foster, and Sophie Jameson based on violation of Standard Ten of the Georgia Professional Standards. Based on her lack of tenure, we’ll begin with Ms. Jameson.” He looked over his glasses at us. “Would the counsel for Ms. Jameson like to address us?” “Yes, sir.” Owen rose out of his chair and walked to the podium. “First off tonight, I want to say how very unfortunate it is that it has come to a meeting such as this. Whatever disciplinary action that needed to be taken should have been done behind closed door. Tonight is highly detrimental to the emotional wellbeing of my client, and I’m sure Dr. Foster—” “Excuse me, Mr. Sandborne, I realize you’re from Atlanta and find our ways archaic and outdated. However, our meeting tonight is within the law. Your speech has no bearing on your client’s case, so I would suggest you stick to the point.” Owen’s jaw clenched. “Yes sir. I’m sure that like myself you and the board have read in detail the Code of Conduct for educators. I’m sure that you have debated the parameters of Standard Ten, which I would like to read aloud at this time.” “Yes, that’s fine.” After clearing his throat, Owen began to read aloud. “An educator shall demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards and preserves the dignity and integrity of the education profession. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to any conduct that impairs or diminishes the certificate holder’s ability to function in his or her employment position.” Instead of looking at the board members, he turned around and stared out at the crowd. “That, ladies and gentlemen, is word for word—nothing added or taken away. That is what Ms. Jameson was aware of when she signed her contract with this district.” He then turned back to the school board. “Tonight it may seem like we are here to judge Ms. Jameson’s educational abilities, but instead, it is to question her morality. We’re here to do that

because of something that happened far outside of the classroom. Had it not been for the vindictive actions of a former girlfriend of Dr. Foster’s, no one here would have ever known. There would have not been a need to question Ms. Jameson’s character because it was known to be exemplary in this town. Let’s not forget she graduated from this high school with honors. I’m pretty sure if you pulled her permanent record, it would be blemish free as she was not a troublemaker. While she attended school here, she belonged to several civic organizations where she volunteered her time. Before this unfortunate incident, you would’ve been hard pressed to find anyone to speak ill of her conduct or character.” Owen paused for what could only be dramatic effect. “Yes, it is true that Ms. Jameson worked as a professional dominatrix for five years. While it has no real bearing on the case, it is worth noting that she did this as a job, not as a sexual preference. She took this job not only to put herself through college, but to support her brother and disabled father. Considering she was not a Domme in real life, I’m sure there were aspects of the job she found distasteful. But she soldiered on for the love of her family. That’s pretty damn admirable when you think about it.” Several of the board members looked curiously at me as they processed what Owen had said. I guess they themselves were wondering what they would be willing to do to help a loved one. “I’m sure some people might argue that Ms. Jameson’s motives were dishonest because on her job application she did not list the club as one of her places of previous employment. I would argue that the vast majority of applicants are not one hundred percent forthright about their employment history for many reasons. Perhaps they were fired or let go, or the job had no bearing on their abilities in the classroom. That small fact does not make Ms. Jameson a liar.” “Let’s get to the heart of what is at stake here: Ms. Jameson’s job as an educator. In the four months she has been teaching, Ms. Jameson has received two administrative observations—” Owen paused to look up at the board members. “I would like to note for the record that neither of these observations were done by Dr. Foster should anyone like to snidely comment that there was personal bias based on their relationship.” “So noted,” Dr. Levinson replied. “She received all satisfactory marks. There were no areas that needed improvement, nor was there any commentary about questionable morals involving Ms. Jameson or the way she interacted with her students. This is quite exemplary considering most first year teachers have areas that need improvement on their observations.” Owen waved the copies of my observations in the air. “In my hands there is written proof that Ms. Jameson’s past as a Domme certainly did not impede her ability to be a good teacher in the classroom.” He tossed the observations onto the stage at Dr. Levinson’s feet.

After coming back over to the table, Owen dug out a large pile of papers from his open briefcase. “I have in my hands letters of recommendation from Ms. Jameson’s students. They all speak of how much they learned this year with her as their teacher, as well as what a kind-hearted, caring person she is. They request that you all vote in favor of keeping her on at Milton High.” I gasped as tears stung my eyes. Owen hadn’t told me anything about the letters. I don’t know how he had possibly worked so fast to get them. The thought of the students I’d had for only four months writing me recommendation letters caused tears to stream down my cheeks. “Finally, I will speak to the issue that I’m sure has tongues wagging in town. The fact that Dr. Foster and Ms. Jameson were involved sexually. I would like to state for the record, they were involved more than just sexually—they were involved in a romantic and committed relationship. This was not some instance of a hook-up or my client using her ‘feminine wiles’ with her principal to try and somehow elevate her status within the school.” Turning away from the school board, Owen once again surveyed the crowd. “When Ms. Jameson was hired here at Milton, it was by Dr. Newsome—your now disgraced principal. Dr. Foster was hired and began work here less than a week before preplanning began. At the time, my client was living in an Atlanta suburb. She had not been home to hear any of the gossip surrounding Dr. Newsome’s dismissal and Dr. Foster’s hiring. Yes, it’s true the two met at the club in question. I’m sure Dr. Foster’s attorney will deal with how his client’s proclivities in his personal life have little to do with his professional abilities. After meeting up on a jogging trail at Kennesaw Mountain Park, the two had lunch and spent the weekend getting to know each other. It was not until Ms. Jameson showed up for work that she learned of Dr. Newsome’s departure—” He paused, and when I turned my head, I saw that his gaze was focused on someone. “Ms. Jameson’s Department Head could testify that Ms. Jameson had no idea that Dr. Foster was the new administrator.” When I looked at Jane, she nodded at Owen before giving me a small smile. Owen turned back to the board members. “My point in talking about this is to show that the two of them were in the early stages of dating when the rug was jerked out from under them by discovering that Dr. Foster was now Ms. Jameson’s boss. After this, the two tried to remain professional and distant, but it became too hard because of the feelings they had for each other. Their relationship started up again. And it was a complete lack of good judgment on their part to attend the Halloween party at the club.” With a devious smile, Owen once again turned back to the crowd. “Of course, I’m sure that everyone here can cast a stone because they are without sin, right? None of you have gone to a party or professional sporting event and thrown back a few too many, right? None of you have ever done

something in private that if brought to the light might result in losing your job, your spouse, or your standing in the community, right?” His gaze trailed over the crowd before he turned around to do the same to the board. “I think it’s safe to say that both Ms. Jameson and Dr. Foster have paid enough already for their indiscretion. Taking away their jobs would be like throwing a rock in a pond and letting it ripple. Give them the chance to continue being the fine, upstanding educators they always have been.” Owen then came back over to the table and sat down by me. “Nice job,” I whispered. “Thanks,” he replied, with a wink. If I thought I was already an anxious wreck, it became amplified as I had to sit through William’s attorney’s spiel. His was much like Owen’s—citing the wonderful person William was through his philanthropic donations and charity work. Detailing how when he was a teacher, his students excelled in the history portion of the graduation tests as well as all the contributions he had made as an assistant football coach. By the time William’s attorney sat down, I had chewed my fingernails ragged. Dr. Levinson cleared his throat before staring out into the crowd. “We will first render a decision against Ms. Jameson. After hearing the argument by Mr. Sandborne, coupled with the fact that Ms. Jameson does not have district or state tenure, I make a motion that she be released from her contract,” Dr. Levinson said. “They’re still going to fire me?” I hissed in Owen’s ear. He held up a hand to silence me while curiously peering at Dr. Levinson. “I would also add that she would receive a letter of recommendation should another school system see fit to hire her. There would be no registered blemish against her record with PSC.” One by one the school board members each voted in agreement. My heart plummeted to my knees, and I fought the bile rising in my throat. I couldn’t listen as they voted about William. Owen leaned over to whisper in my ear. “It could’ve been a lot worse. They could have revoked your certificate to where you would have never been able to teach in the state of Georgia again. This way you can get another teaching job—it’ll just be like this one didn’t exist.” “Then when they ask for previous employment, what do I say?” “You give them the recommendation letter as well as your student teaching contact information.” I took a moment to process his words. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. It could have been a lot worse. We were told horror stories of certificate revocations in my teaching classes. Those were the instances you didn’t come back from. I had the chance to come back from this unfortunate set-back. “You’re right. I don’t like it, but you’re right.”

The bang of the gavel caused me to jump. I realized that during my conversation with Owen, I hadn’t heard what happened to William. I craned my neck to get a look at him. He appeared disappointed but not devastated before he exited out one of the side doors. When I thought I might have to ask Daddy or Ansel what had happened, William’s attorney, a man named Walter Atkins, stopped at our table. After pumping Owen’s hand, he said, “That was one hell of an argument. I’m glad to see the backwoods folk got a taste of why they call you Sanborne, the killer shark.” Owen laughed. “Why thank you. I must say your argument wasn’t too shabby.” “I hope William will come to appreciate that. I don’t think he’s too happy with the transfer.” Before I could stop myself, I blurted, “What transfer?” Walter looked at me like, “Weren’t you listening five seconds ago?” Owen gave an apologetic look. “I’m afraid that Sophie and I didn’t hear the ruling because we were talking about hers.” “Oh, I see. Well, they’ve put William on administrative leave for the rest of the year. He’ll be working behind the scenes at the county office until all this blows over. Then he’ll come back next year as an assistant principal. Not sure when he’ll ever work his way back up to a principal.” “So he gets to stay?” I questioned brusquely. “In a way, yes.” Walter gave me a somewhat haughty look. “I’d hardly say that he wasn’t going to feel the sting of punishment.” “Oh no, he just gets to keep getting paid as a principal while getting to keep a job in education. Me, I’m just kicked to the curb.” I shook my head furiously. “It’s total bullshit!” Since my voice had raised considerably, a few people around us turned to stare. Owen took me by the arm. “I think it’s time we retired for the evening. Walter, nice seeing you again.” Although I was still fuming, I let Owen lead me away. The crowd parted for us like I had leprosy, and if they got too close, I might infect them. Ansel and Daddy fell in behind us. Once we were out of earshot of the others, Daddy said, “Sophie, it isn’t as bad as you think it is.” “Yeah, Owen said the same thing,” I grumbled. “Give it time. You’ll come to see that things could have been worse.” I threw up my hands in frustration. “Once again, Owen said the same thing. I know it should make me feel better, but it doesn’t. Nothing is going to make me feel better except for draining a bottle of Jack!” “Then go home and have your Jack. Throw up and pass out. Then tomorrow even though you wake up with a hangover from hell, make sure you wake up with a renewed sense of purpose in your life,” Daddy replied.

Owen smiled. “Ditto what he said.” “Fine. I will, okay?” “Okay.” I wrapped my arms around Owen and squeezed him tight. “I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.” “Although thanks aren’t necessary, you’re welcome. You just make sure to keep your chin up. The Sophie I know doesn’t let anything get her down. You won’t do yourself any good if you let those bastards win.” “I’ll try. I promise.” After Owen kissed me on the cheek, he helped me into van. Ansel had already gotten Daddy inside. When we pulled out of the parking space, I sighed and buried my head in my hands. “If you two don’t mind, can we not talk about the meeting?” “Whatever you say, Soph.” Thankfully, they honored my wishes for the ride home. After we got home, Ansel and I started helping Daddy get ready for bed. At the bang at the front door, Ansel and I exchanged a look. “Want me to handle it?” he asked. I shook my head. “No. You finish helping Daddy.” I then stalked over to the corner where Daddy’s shotgun was propped up. In the last twenty-four hours, we’d had a couple of crazies showing up at the house, wanting to talk to me. Mainly, they were men who wanted to sexually harass me. Thus, the need for the shotgun. It’s amazing how fast they’ll get the hell out of Dodge when you answer the door packing heat. After slinging the shotgun over my shoulder, I strode down the hallway. Without bothering to ask who it was, I threw open the door and shoved the muzzle of the shotgun forward. “What the fuck do you want?” I demanded. When I saw it was William standing before me, I lowered the gun. “I’m thinking I want a clean pair of pants because you just scared the shit out of me,” William replied, with a tentative smile. “I’m sorry, but this has become necessary in the last few days with all the weirdos roaming around. Maybe I should have asked Robert for Calla’s home address and then I could have sent them her way.” William’s expression darkened. “So it’s true you went to 1740 last night?” I cocked my brows at him as I propped the shotgun up against the porch railing. “How did you hear about that?” “I have my sources.” With a contemptuous snort, I said, “Don’t tell me Calla called wanting your pity?”

“No. She didn’t. You should know me well enough by now that I would never speak to her after what she did.” “Considering I gave her a pretty fat lip, she’s probably not speaking very well today.” “Aren’t you going to ask me in?” I shook my head. “Daddy isn’t asleep yet, and I don’t want him overhearing what I have to say.” A wounded look appeared in William’s eyes. “Okay. What is it you have to say?” Drawing in a deep breath, I walked past him to the end of the porch. As I gazed out at the pasture bathed in the glowing light of the full moon, I tried not to think of the time I rode Sampson with William. Thinking of happier times like that made it harder to do what I was about to do. “You and I are like a slow poison for each other. In the small amount of time we’ve been together, we’ve managed to ruin all that was good and decent in each other’s lives. A relationship forged on a rotten foundation like we’ve built can never survive. We’re simply not meant to be.” At William’s sharp intake of breath, I turned around. His anguished expression almost broke my resolve. But I had to stay strong and remain firm. Even though Daddy would have argued about Grand-Maman and Grandpa’s relationship’s foundation, I wasn’t them. I couldn’t look at William without thinking of what had happened. “I know that no matter how hard I tried, I would always resent you. I would always blame getting involved with you for not being able to live my dream of teaching.” William took a step forward. “Sophie, you will teach again. I know that.” “One day, I hope I will. And when I do, it will be a fresh start. Just like my life has to be a fresh start and not polluted with the past.” I fought the sobs rising in my throat. “I’m sorry, William. I’m sorry, but this is the way it has to be. Deep down, you have to know that to be true.” “All I know to be true is my heart is breaking. My entire life has turned to shit, but the one bright spot in it was you. Now I see that’s been snuffed out as well.” “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry that you have it in that stubborn head of yours that there is a right way and a wrong way to have a relationship. That there has to be a perfect meeting and all smooth sailing. I’m sorry, Sophie, but that’s utter bullshit. You’re much too intelligent to hold such a naïve view. Relationships are like a battlefield—they’re bloody and painful and frightening. Just as the landscape of a battlefield is altered and scarred, so are relationships. But it’s because of what happens on that battlefield that defines greatness. Considering you’re an English teacher, you should fucking know that the greatest love stories were never easy.” “Yeah, they usually all ended tragically or in death.” “I never took you for such a pessimist when it came to love.”

“I never was until I met you. Then all the anguish and agony that I had read of in my books became real to me. All the superstitions of my life manifested again with all the negative things that happened to us. “It looks like the bad luck of threes is now on me as well. After all, this is the third time we’ve had a discussion about our relationship.” “I am sorry, William. I truly am. But this is the way it has to be.” “And like a true sub, I must obey my Mistress’s wishes, right?” “I was never truly your Mistress.” “You owned my body, heart, and soul.” Pinching my eyes shut, I whispered, “William, please.” “Fine. I’ll honor your wishes.” “Thank you.” When he started off the porch, I should have felt relief. But I didn’t. Instead, it felt like one of the bullet’s from the shotgun was tearing through my chest, its pellets shattering my heart into pieces. Feeling lightheaded, I gripped the porch railing for support. At the bottom of the stairs, William stopped. He paused for a moment before turning around. “If I’d never met you at 1740, I’d still have been attracted to you when I saw you at school. When I got to know you better, I would have liked your sarcastic wit, your strength, and your kindness. I would have had to fight against my better judgment not to ask you out on a date. You’ll never be able to convince me that somehow in some way we were meant to cross paths, and we were destined to be together.” With those final words, he walked off the porch and into the night, taking a piece of my heart with him.

TWO WEEKS LATER A hard-edged Metallica sound blared overhead as I brought the slim cane down over Owen’s back. At the stinging contact, his arms jerked against the rope. When I had walked out the doors of 1740, I never thought I would ever be back. That sentiment had been magnified when I stormed in to confront Calla. Even though Robert had told me I always had a job there, I didn’t believe him. Or maybe it was that I didn’t want to believe I would ever need to be back. Yet here I was in my Domme attire of a short, white leather skirt and bustier beating the shit out of Owen in the dungeon. While I might’ve been dressed for the part, I wasn’t in Domme space. Instead, my mind festered with dark thoughts. There was worry for my dad’s rapidly deteriorating health. There was fear that the grim reaper was hanging around our house just waiting to take my father away. There was grief for the loss of my teaching job. There was anxiety about if I would ever find another teaching job. And then there was anguish and agony when I thought of William. The more the thoughts whirled like a destructive cyclone in my mind, the harder I began to bring down the cane. Sweat broke out along my body from the intensity of my movements. I began to pour all my emotions into the beating. “Judge, Mistress!” Owen shouted. My arm froze in midair. In all the years we’d been doing scenes, Owen had never had to use his safe word. The cane slipped from my fingers and clattered to the floor. At the sight of the blood pouring from Owen’s welted back, my hand flew to my mouth in horror. “Oh God, Owen, I’m so, so sorry.” “Untie me.” I didn’t bother reworking the ropes. Instead, I snatched the shears from my bag and quickly cut his hands and feet loose. “Don’t move. Let me get the first aid kit.” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “No.” “Wait-what?” “I said no.” I knelt down beside the CBT chair. “But your back is a wreck. You need aftercare immediately. I might even need to get Master Elias in here to stitch you up.” Owen shook his head. “It’s you I’m worried about.” “Me?” I asked incredulously. “This scene…it hasn’t been you.” I squeezed my fists together as I fought to keep from crying. “I’m so sorry, Owen.” I shook my

head. “It kills me that I hurt you so bad.” He laughed. “You think I safe worded because of the pain?” I nodded. “Sophie, I’m a masochist, remember?” “I know that, but everyone has a limit, especially with the cane.” “I stopped the scene because of your pain.” “But—” “You weren’t giving me what I needed—you were giving me all the hurt within you.” I could no longer hold back my tears. They flooded my eyes before spilling onto to my cheeks. After I swiped them away, I said, “I’ve fucked up everything else lately. Guess it only makes sense I would fuck up a scene.” “You didn’t fuck up the scene.” “Yes, I did.” “Well, not totally.” He gave me a sheepish grin before cutting his eyes down to the floor. “I totally came without permission.” When I realized I was almost kneeling in cum, I jumped back. “Nice way to try and make me feel better.” He laughed. “You got me off, babe. That’s a good scene to me.” I playfully smacked his cheek. “Coming without permission and calling me babe. I would leave your ass black and blue if your back wasn’t a mess.” After glancing at the blistering whelps, I winced. “Won’t you please let me clean you up now?” “Only if you promise to talk while you do it.” “What’s there to talk about? You were there at the school board meeting. You know everything.” Owen gave me a knowing look. “I want to hear about him.” My eyes pinched shut at the pain just alluding to him brought me. “So I was right?” “Yes,” I whispered. “Let’s both get cleaned up.” I nodded. “Okay.” After pulling myself off the floor, I went over to the cabinet where the first aid kit was. I washed my hands before soaping up two towels. I grabbed the alcohol and gauze. After sliding a pair of rubber gloves on my hands, I gently I eased the soapy cloth over Owen’s back. At his hiss, I grimaced. “Sorry.” “Would it make you feel better if I told you I was getting hard again?” I laughed at the absurdity of it all. “Maybe.”

“Good.” As I continued cleaning off the blood, Owen asked, “Where is William?” “I’m not sure. I haven’t spoken to him since the night of the school board meeting.” I tossed the bloodied towel to the floor and picked up a fresh one. “Things were left…badly.” “On his part or yours.” With a sigh, I answered, “Mine.” “Why?” Slowly and in painful detail, I related to Owen my last conversation with William. “Why did you shut him out?” “Why? You’re seriously asking why?” “Yeah, I am.” “What good could possibly come of us being together? At the very least, he’s a submissive, and I’m only a Domme for money. Then there’s all the school bullshit.” “Every couple has baggage. Some have more unique than others. As for the Domme and sub thing, it’s workable. Look at me. None of my wives have been interested in the scene, so I just take care of that on my own. William could get his needs met without you.” “That’s just the thing. I believe in total monogamy. I can’t just kiss William on his way out the door to get off with a Domme.” “Not even one of the girls here that you trust.” The thought of Mistress Angel or Mistress Venus putting their hands, least of all their floggers, on William made me feel a cross between being sick and violent. “No. I just can’t.” I dipped a cotton ball in alcohol and began dabbing it across Owen’s abrasions. He didn’t protest. Instead, he wiggled his lower half slightly. “Are you trying to get some friction on your dick?” I demanded. He laughed. “Once again, I’m a masochist.” “You’re impossible.” “And you’re an emotional masochist.” My fingers froze on his back. “Excuse me? Do you actually think I like feeling the way I do?” “No. I really don’t.” Owen sighed. “So maybe that isn’t the right term. What do you call someone who is so afraid of people leaving them that they would rather be miserable than take a chance?” “I’m not being afraid. I’m being a realist,” I argued. “Don’t you realize you’d have no texts with which to teach from if everyone was a realist? Every author had to take a chance at failure. Most had the odds stacked against them. But they believed enough in themselves and what they had written to take a chance.”

“Jesus, you’ve stooped to making literary analogies to try to sway me?” I teased. “You’re deflecting.” “Since when did you become a shrink?” “Any attorney worth a shit will acquaint themselves with a hell of a lot of psychology. It comes in handy for everything to divorce cases to murder.” He glanced back at me. “Besides, I’ve been in therapy for fifteen years. I know just enough to be dangerous.” “I can tell.” I finished cleaning the last abrasion. “It doesn’t look like the skin was broken as hard as I thought. I’d still like Master Elias to take a look to make sure you don’t need stitches.” “Once again, you’re deflecting.” I gave a frustrated growl as I stood up. “And just what do you think I should do? Call him? Show up where he is, profess my love to him, and fall into his arms?” “Yes. That’s exactly what I think you should do.” “And then what? I can’t leave my dad, so that means William and I will be trying to live our happily ever after in a town that vilified us.” “That’s not true. You had a hell of a lot of support at that meeting.” I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. “Did you know if I want anything from a snickers to a tampon, I either have to get it around here or drive thirty minutes to the next town so I don’t have to be whispered about?” “It’s only been a few weeks. Give it some time. The gossip will die down.” “Seven months and nine days.” “Excuse me?” “Seven months and nine days was exactly how long it was for the gossip to stop after my stepmom ran off.” “Okay, so you have to deal with maybe a year of few narrow minded assholes whispering. In the vast scheme of things, that’s not as big a deal as being miserable twenty-four seven for years. Nibbling on my bottom lip, I asked, “You think I should call him?” Owen glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “I think you’re being an emotional FloJo and running like hell away from the love of your life.” I laughed. “Nice analogy.” “You’re welcome. Call him or go to him. Do whatever you have to do to be happy. As long as you two know the truth between you, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks.” Placing my hands on his cheeks, I gave Owen a tender kiss. When I pulled back, I sighed. “I really am sorry about tonight.” “Don’t worry about it. Go home, have a drink, go to bed, and forget about it. Tomorrow’s

another day.” “If you say so, Scarlett.” “I know so.” Glancing around the dungeon, I shook my head. “If I can’t get my head on straight, I’m not sure I can keep doing this.” “You won’t need to keep doing this. You’re going to get another teaching job and be back in the classroom before the school year is out.” “You honestly believe that.” “I do.” He winked. “It doesn’t hurt that I know a few people who can pull some strings.” “Oh Owen, you’re too good to me.” “You’ve been the best Domme I’ve ever had, so it’s only fair to repay the favor.” “But you already did that by representing me.” “It was all self-serving. Do you know how many more calls my office has gotten since the school board meeting? Hundreds. I’m about to become the F. Lee Bailey of Atlanta.” I laughed. “As long as I was able to help you.” “You have more than you’ll ever know.” He tilted his head at me. “Mistress, may I have permission to kiss you on the cheek.” “Yes. You may.” Owen leaned forward and placed a tender, yet chaste, kiss on my cheek. “Thank you, Mistress.” I reached out to cup his cheeks. “No, thank you, subbie.”

After I got home from working at 1740 around two am, I somehow managed to drag myself out of bed at seven the next morning. I wanted to make sure I had my father’s breakfast fixed by the time he woke up. He used to be on a farmer’s internal clock, and rise when the sun did. But lately, he’d been sleeping later and later. Sometimes he was hard to rouse. I tried not to think about how the neurologist had warned this might happen when the diaphragm grew even weaker. Because Daddy hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, I decided to make his favorite breakfast of homemade blueberry pancakes. Susie had stopped the day before and picked up fresh fruit and vegetables for us. Although she didn’t say it, I knew she wanted to save me the humiliation of going into town to the farmer’s market. Now that I took the day shift and Ansel the night, Susie was out of a job. But she still insisted in coming over every day and helping out wherever she could. She refused to take any pay either. Ansel came shuffling into the kitchen around eight in his boxer shorts and with extreme bedhead. “What are you doing?” “Duh, I’m cooking.” “No shit, Sherlock. I wondered why you were doing it so damn early on a Sunday.” “Because unlike his two lazy children, Daddy has never been one to sleep late, and I wanted to have his breakfast ready when he woke up.” “Thanks to all racket down here, I couldn’t go back to sleep.” I snorted. “Cry me a river.” “Yeah, yeah.” “I made enough pancakes for you, too.” His expression flipped over to excitement. “You did?” “Of course. I know how much you like them.” “Aw, thanks, Soph. That makes being up at the asscrack of dawn worthwhile.” With a laugh, I replied, “Only you would think eight am is the asscrack of dawn. And don’t get too excited. I might’ve mixed the batter up, but you’re going to have to put your own on the griddle while I feed Daddy.” “Slave driver,” he muttered. After pinching Ansel’s cheek playfully, I picked up a tray laden down with food and started down the hall to Daddy’s room. I was surprised that I didn’t already hear the TV on since it was his usual morning routine. I opened the door and stepped inside the room. I found he was awake but staring out the giant picture window. “Good morning,” I said.

“Morning,” he replied, not taking his gaze from the window. “Beautiful day out there, huh?” I mused, as I sat the tray down on the hospital table we’d gotten from a medical supply store. “Oh yes.” His tone echoed a deep longing. As I tucked a napkin into his pajama top, I couldn’t remember the last time he’d been outside. Maybe the night he went to the school board meeting. While I went about cutting his pancakes, I thought of how much he had to miss his old life—the feel of a horse’s mane beneath his fingers, the smell of the leather on the saddles, the slide of the rope through his hands. His life now was primarily regulated to the four walls of his bedroom. Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. “Daddy, why don’t we go outside for a little while after breakfast?” His head slowly swiveled to look at me. I could see the question in his eyes about how that was even was possible considering he now relied on oxygen full time and had a catheter. I smiled. “We’ll make it happen.” “Yes. I’d love to go.” I held up a finger. “Just one second.” I went to the door and called for Ansel. He came bounding in the room with a spatula in his hand. “What’s up?” “Listen, after we finish breakfast, I need you to help get Daddy into his wheelchair. We’re going outside.” Ansel’s brows shot up in surprise. “We are?” “Yes. We are,” I replied with a smile. Although he didn’t look completely convinced, he replied, “Okay. Let me toss back some pancakes.” “No rush. Daddy has to eat, too.” Ansel nodded and then headed out of the bedroom. I brought a tiny bite of pancake to Daddy’s lips. He reached out and took the bite, chewing slowly and careful. After he swallowed, he said, “Blueberry pancakes. My favorite.” “That’s why I made them.” Daddy smiled. “You’re so good to me, Sophie. I couldn’t have been blessed with a sweeter or better daughter.” After giving him another bite, I mused, “Just one who didn’t get involved in a sex scandal?” “We’ve had this discussion, and you know how I feel about it.” “Yes. I do. I just had to tease you a little.” “And what about William?” At the mention of his name, my hand froze with the fork in midair. “Wow, way to bring that one

out of nowhere.” “Not really.” “I don’t know about William. I haven’t talked to him.” When Daddy refused to take the bite, I cocked my head at him. “Do you want me to do the airplane thing like you’re a toddler?” “I want to know why you were so stupid and broke up with him.” The fork fell from my hands and clattered onto the table. “How did you know we broke up?” He jerked his chin at the window on the far wall. That’s when I realized that he’d been able to hear everything that was said out on the porch. “It had to be done,” I replied, picking the fork back up. “No. It didn’t.” “We’re not having this conversation, okay? You need to eat your pancakes.” “You can’t throw away happiness with both hands and expect me not to have anything to say about it.” I shook my head. “Please. I don’t want to talk about this. Can’t we just have a nice breakfast together while thinking about how wonderful it’s going to be getting you outside?” “Keep deflecting your feelings, sweetheart, and you’ll wake up and realize you’ve missed out on a lot of living.” When I started to once again for a subject change, Daddy held up one of his fingers. “Just promise me that you’ll think long and hard about what you’ve done with William.” “Fine, Daddy. I will.” “Good.” He smiled. “Now give me some more of those delicious pancakes.” I returned his smile. “That’s more like it.” It was quite a production getting Daddy into the straight back wheelchair. We had to be careful of the oxygen tubes and catheter tubes. Daddy was quick to joke not to pull too hard on the catheter because the last thing he needed was to lose his penis. Only my father could still keep his teenaged boy sense of humor in the face of his illness. Once we finally got him settled and out the door, Ansel pushed the wheelchair along the uneven terrain down to the barn. I winced at each and every bump that jostled Daddy. He didn’t seem to mind too much. Instead, his head turned from side to side as if he was desperately trying to take everything in. Although the horses were down in the pasture, Ansel still took Daddy through the barn. I knew he would want to see his wall of belt buckles. I was right. The moment he saw them illuminated on the wall, his eyes lit up. “I think I almost forgot just how many competitions I won.” “You were the boss, Daddy,” Ansel said with pride. Daddy smiled. “I sure was, wasn’t I?” He sat just staring at all the buckles. Then his eyes raked over the pictures. “Can I have that one of Maggie?”

“Sure. One sec.” I reached up and took down the picture of my mother barrel racing. After I sat it in his lap, Daddy ran his fingers over the glass. “She sure was something. All piss and vinegar.” He glanced up at me. “Just like you.” I laughed. “I’m glad to have inherited her sassiness.” “Oh, she was a sassy one all right. She knew just how to put me in my place and make me toe the line.” With a wink, I said, “Maybe you had a bit of submissiveness in you.” Daddy grinned. “Maybe I did.” Ansel snorted with disgust. “Would you two please stop? The last thing I want to hear about is my dad’s sex life.” “One day a long time ago, I was real rounder. But Maggie chased me down and roped me just like one of her steers,” he mused. “She wasn’t the only one chasing you down. My mom did a pretty good job, too,” Ansel countered. “That’s true. She did. I didn’t have a long time with either of my wives, but they both gave me something wonderful before they left.” Ansel groaned. “Great. Now you’re getting all mushy. Can we go on out to the pasture before I totally have my man card revoked with all this Lifetime bullshit?” I knew that the emotions were getting to Ansel, and he was dealing with them in the only way he knew how to. By being a little douchebag. “Fine, fine. Let’s go.” When I started to take the picture, Daddy shook his head. “I’d like to put this one in my room.” “Okay. But are you sure you want to keep it on your lap?” I asked. “I’m positive.” Since he wasn’t a man to be argued with, I motioned for Ansel to take Daddy on outside. We rolled along over to the main fence. The first horse we came across was one of the older mares—a black American Quarter horse named Belle. Ansel got Daddy as close to the fence as he could. Always a friendly horse, Belle stuck her head through the slats to nuzzle Daddy’s legs. He brushed his hands across her muzzle. “Hey girl. How you been?” he asked. As if she knew what he was saying, Belle whinnied a response. After petting her as best he could with his gnarled hands, Daddy looked up at me. “Why don’t you ride Belle around the ring?” “Really?” He smiled. “Just because she’s old, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a good ride or two left in her.”

I returned his smile. “You’re right.” I looked into the fence at Belle. “Looks like you and I are going to take us a little ride.” I walked down to the fence opening. Belle must’ve anticipated me because she was there to meet me when I stepped into the fence. She was had been the last gift my father had ever given my mother. She had been killed two weeks after he’d surprised her with the pony. She was special because of that, and then she was the first horse I learned to ride on. “Come here, old girl,” I said, as I eased her out of the paddock. Considering her age, I wouldn’t bother her with a saddle or bridle. I could trust her to let me ride her bareback. Grabbing her mane, I hoisted myself up and onto her back. Once I was seated, I kept one hand wrapped in her mane while the other I placed on her neck. Gently, I squeezed my legs against her flank. “Let’s go.” Belle began to slowly trot along the fence line. As I rode her, I couldn’t help thinking of the last time I’d been on horseback. It had been when William needed a riding lesson. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel the warmth and firmness of his body pressed against mine. The way his arms felt as they wrapped around me to hold the reins. I didn’t want to admit it to Daddy or to myself, but I missed William. More than anything, I loved him, and that caused a constant ache to reside in my chest. When I opened my eyes, I looked at Daddy, and my chest was filled with another ache caused by love. I knew he wasn’t just seeing me riding Belle, but he was thinking of my mother. After all the years, he still loved her with every fiber of his being. Even though William and I weren’t separated by death, I couldn’t help wondering if I would love him for the rest of my life. As I made another loop, I slowed down when I got closer to Daddy and Ansel. “You’re looking great, honey, but I’m getting a little tired. I think I need to get in,” Daddy said. “Okay. That’s fine.” When I started to get off, Daddy shook his head. “You go on and ride her for a little bit. Ansel can get me back to the house.” “Are you sure?” After Daddy and Ansel both nodded, I said, “Okay. I’m going to take her to the end of the pasture and back.” Daddy smiled. “That’s sounds good. I can’t thank you enough for today, sweetheart. It sure was wonderful to get out again.” “It was my pleasure. Well, Ansel’s and my pleasure.” “See you back at the house,” Ansel said. “Bye. Love you!” I called, as I squeezed Belle’s sides, urging her forward. Considering how gorgeous the day was, it was made for riding. I took Belle along three miles of our property before turning back and heading for home. Once I got to the fence gate closest to the barn, I eased off of Belle. As I patted her flank, I said, “Thanks for the ride, sweet lady. I’ll bring some carrots out for you in a bit.”

She once again appeared to know what I was talking about because she whinnied in approval. I laughed as I opened and closed the gate. When I got to the house, I found Ansel in the den watching television. “Is Daddy asleep?” “I don’t think so. He was watching TV when I left him after we got in.” “I should go in and check on him.” “What about dinner?” “What about it?” Ansel rolled his eyes. “What are you going to cook?” “Who said anything about me cooking?” “Okay, fine. Pizza or Chinese?” “Hmm, I’m thinking Chinese. Of course, you have to be the one that goes and picks it up.” “Fine. I’ll risk going into town and having people point at me because I’m the brother of the freaky whip chick.” I groaned. “Do people seriously say that?” “Just once,” Ansel replied. I hoped that it was only once, and he wasn’t trying to spare my feelings. “Whatever. I’ll go see what Daddy wants.” I made a pit-stop in the laundry room, picking up a basket of Daddy’s clothes before I headed down the hall and into Daddy’s bedroom. “Hey Daddy, Ansel and I were thinking about Chinese for supper. What do you think?” I went over to the chest of drawers and started putting away some clothes. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw where Daddy’s head drooped to the side and was tucked to his chest. He must’ve gone to sleep watching his movie. I knew he had to be worn out from his excursion outside, and I hated to wake him. I patted his leg. “Daddy, I know you want to sleep, but you need to eat. So tell me what you want from the Chinese place?” After he still didn’t respond, I shook his leg. “Daddy?” I questioned. When he still didn’t respond, a rising panic choked me, and I fought to breathe. I raced around to the other side of the bed. Taking him by the shoulders, I shook him slightly. “Daddy, wake up!” I pressed my ear against his chest, listening for a heartbeat. When I didn’t hear anything, I grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse. “No, no, No!” I cried. I once again grabbed his shoulders. “Daddy, please wake up.” I’d known this day was coming. The signs to watch for had been spelled out to us by doctors and nurses. But until that very moment, I didn’t truly believe it would happen. An anguished scream tore from my lips. I buried my face in my father’s chest and began to sob. Ansel appeared in the doorway. “Sophie, what’s wrong?”

I couldn’t answer him. All I could do was rock and forth with my father’s frail body in my arms. “Oh God. Oh no,” Ansel murmured. I heard him fumbling for the phone. “Yes, I need an ambulance to 225 Briarwood Lane. It’s my father. He’s unresponsive.” I lifted my head and met Ansel’s panicked gaze. “We don’t need an ambulance. He’s gone.” “He just needs oxygen or shocked back.” “No, baby. He’s gone.” Ansel’s face contorted in agony. The phone slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor. I could hear the operator’s voice in the distance asking what was wrong. Tears filled Ansel’s eyes as his chest began to heave. He started over to the bed, taking slow, cautious steps like he had when he was a baby and first learning to walk. When he finally reached the bed, he sank down beside me. I pulled him to me, wrapping my free arm around him. His broad shoulders caved in and he began to cry. We stayed like that, weeping uncontrollably until the paramedics burst through the door.

A gentle rained streamed against the truck’s windshield as Ansel and I made our way into town. A storm front had moved in overnight. Since I couldn’t sleep, I’d heard the thunder rumbling in the distance before the rain began tip-tapping on the tin roof. Today the cornflower blue skies that had been so vibrant yesterday were now streaked with gray. It made sense that the world literally should be colorless since that’s how my life felt now that Daddy was gone. I was grateful he had gotten one last good day. Although I had initially feared that going outside had been lead to his death, the coroner and family friend, Jed Sims, put me at ease. Ansel and I had left the room to let him examine Daddy. After Jed cleared the funeral home to take Daddy, he pulled us both into the kitchen. I knew he wanted to talk to us, but I also knew he wanted to save us from the image of Daddy wheeled out on a stretcher, covered in a body bag. As I stared into Jed’s blue eyes, I used to think how Daddy would say, “Why he’s as round as he is tall!” In that moment, I tried not to smile. Jed pointed a stubby finger at both Ansel and me. “I don’t want either of you harboring any guilt, or beating yourselves up with the ‘what-if’s. It wouldn’t have mattered if Michael had been in a hospital or a nursing home. No one could have saved him from what the disease had done. The best case scenario would have been for him to live out the rest of his days in the hospital on a ventilator. Knowing Michael like I did, he would have hated that. You two gave him comfort and ease in his last hours.” I shook my head. “But we went outside— “Sophie, honey, a little fresh air didn’t kill him. While it looks like a failure of both the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, there is no way he was doing any exertion that could have caused his heart to stop beating.” Jed leaned forward to simulantously pat Ansel’s and my cheeks. “You two gave were the sunshine that saw him through his darkest days. You cared tirelessly and selflessly for him. So few fathers can say that of their children. He used to say that winning all those roping competitions was amazing, but nothing like the amazement he felt when he looked at the two of you.” Tears overflowed my eyes at the sweet sentiment. “Thank you.” “No, it’s me who should be doing the thanking. Michael was my friend since childhood. I’m so grateful that he had such wonderful kids to take care of him.” Sniffling, I swiped my cheeks with the backs of my hands. “In case you missed it, my halo is a little tarnished.” “Bullshit. Anyone who knows you and your dad doesn’t think that one bit. They know that you went above and beyond because of your love.” He glanced between me and Ansel. “Now promise me the two of you aren’t going to blame yourselves.”

“We’ll try,” I replied as Ansel bobbed his head. The shrieking of the wipers against the windshield brought me back into the present. One of Ansel’s hands momentarily left the steering wheel to flip on the radio. It was as silent as a tomb in the cab since neither one of us felt like talking. It had been the same last night. Around midnight, the door to my room had unceremoniously opened, and Ansel had come in. When he approached the bed, I threw back the covers, and he slipped inside. He’d done the same thing when he was a little boy, and he was scared of the dark or monsters under his bed. I’d cuddled him to me and told him everything was going to be all right. Last night, I didn’t even try to comfort him. He stayed on his side of the bed, and I stayed on mine. I didn’t bother with any hollow sentiments. There were no words I could say that make things better for him, and there was no way things were going to be all right. Even though his mother was out there somewhere, he might as well have been an orphan like I was. All we had was each other. Ansel pulled into the empty parking lot of Granger Funeral Home. It had been where Daddy wanted to be taken. It was my mother had been and Grand-Maman and Grand-papan. After Ansel turned off the ignition, we remained sitting there, staring out the windshield. He banged his hands against the steering wheel. “Fucking hell, I don’t want to do this,” he muttered. I snorted contemptuously. “Who in their right mind would?” “That’s just it. I’m in my right mind. I need some major alcohol to fuck me up,” he replied. “I guess as your guardian, this is the moment when I’m supposed to tell you that you shouldn’t be thinking about getting drunk since you’re underage, right? Not to mention that drowning your sorrows is pretty useless in the end.” “Yeah, well, you only have to be my guardian for five months. Then you can move on and have a life.” I glanced down at the folder in my lap. It held Daddy’s will and life insurance policy along with the plans he’d made for his funeral. It also had the paperwork naming me as Ansel’s guardian. He’d also written a letter to me about what he wished for me and for Ansel. “You know, I don’t need a notarized piece of paper to tell me you’re my responsibility. You’ve been my responsibility since the day your mom walked out. Even when you turn eighteen and that paper is void, I will always feel a responsibility to you. I feel that because of love, not because of obligation.” Ansel stared at me for a few seconds before shifting in his seat. Drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel, he appeared to be having trouble finding what he wanted to say. “I do love you, Sophie. I know that sometimes I don’t act like I do, and I don’t say it enough, but I do love you.” Tears pricked the back of my eyelids. “Thank you for saying that. Although I know that you love

me, sometimes it’s nice to hear you say it.” “I know what you mean.” I unbuckled my seatbelt and slid across the seat towards him. I thought he might shy away or tell me to get the fuck away from him. Instead, he met me with open arms. We both let go of the thin veil holding back our emotions. Our bodies shook from weeping uncontrollably. When we were finally through, I pulled back to wipe the tears from his cheeks. “We’re in this together, baby brother. We always have been, and we always will be.” “All for one and one for all, huh?” Ansel questioned with a smile. “Damn straight.” After we both had had a chance to catch our breath and clean up, Ansel jerked his chin at the windshield. “I think we’re being summoned.” I followed his gaze to where Mr. Granger stood in the doorway. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.” Mr. Granger gave us a sad, sympathetic smile that I’m sure he gave to every family who came through his doors. “Sophie, Ansel, I’m so very sorry,” he said. After shaking his hand, I said, “Thank you, Mr. Granger.” “Your father was an amazing man. And what a life he led. I still remember watching him break the roping record at the state championship.” “This is my brother’s and my first time arranging a funeral, so what do we need to do?” “Usually, I sit down with the family to decide what kind of funeral they want.” Patting the folder in the crook of my arm, I said, “My father already did all that.” “Wonderful. It’s always best to have the deceased’s wishes in their own words. So why don’t we get the casket out of the way first? I assume you’re doing a burial. If not, we can look at cremation urns.” “My father wanted a burial.” “Okay then. Follow me.” Mr. Granger led us down a long hall to a set of doors that said Authorized Personnel Only. He slid open the doors, revealing a room full of caskets. Ansel and I followed slowly behind Mr. Granger. “As you can see, we have several floor models, and there is also a catalogue you can order from. We get shipments from the warehouse within twenty-four hours. You weren’t planning on doing the service before Friday were you?” “No,” I replied. “Then that gives us plenty of time.” Mr. Granger began to rattle on, but I tuned him out. My attention was drawn to where Ansel was

standing in front of a solid mahogany casket. It was breathtaking—although it seemed ironic to describe a casket that way. The sheen on the wood shone so bright you could see your reflection in it. At the sides were intricately carved designs. It was a casket fit to hold a king—with the price tag to go with it. “This one,” Ansel said. When I shook my head, he demanded, “Why not? It’s the best one in here, and Dad deserves the fucking best!” While Mr. Granger bristled at Ansel’s language, I leaned closer to him. In a low voice, I said, “That casket is fifteen thousand dollars.” “But you said Dad had life insurance.” “Not enough for a casket that expensive along with everything else we need.” When Mr. Granger cleared his throat, Ansel and I glanced over our shoulders at him. “Pardon the interruption, but you don’t need to worry yourself with the cost. Your bill has been taken of.” “Excuse me?” I questioned. “This morning someone brought by a check for fifty thousand dollars. I was instructed that money was to be used for the Jameson arrangements, and that Mr. Jameson should be afforded the finest funeral money could buy. Whatever was left, I was to give to the two of you.” “Who was it?” Ansel asked. “The donor wished to remain anonymous,”Mr. Granger replied. Feeling lightheaded, I staggered back. William. There was no other plausible explanation. Our family didn’t know anyone else who had that kind of money. Even if Daddy’s roping buddies took up donations, they could never come up with kind of money. I couldn’t help wondering how in the world he had found out. I hadn’t called anyone I knew from 1740. Of course living in a small town meant word had spread overnight, but he wasn’t from here. “Soph, are you all right? Ansel questioned. “Just a little dizzy. I should have eaten something this morning.” Turning back around, I nodded at Mr. Granger. “We’ll take this one.” Once everything was picked out, Mr. Granger assured us that they would have Daddy ready in time for us to start the official viewing at six. We could have a private viewing of close family and friends at five thirty. After leaving Daddy’s best suit and his funeral plans, we headed out the door and trudged back to the truck. We had about six hours before we needed to get back to the funeral. I desperately needed sleep and wondered if I drugged myself with a little Tylenol PM would I be hung over. The last thing I wanted to do was appear drunk and give any more fuel to fan the fires of the town gossips.

After buckling his seatbelt and cranking up, Ansel questioned, "It was William, wasn't it?" Ansel questioned. Trying to play dumb, I answered, "What was William?" Ansel cut his eyes over at me. "Duh, you know exactly what I mean.” I sighed. “Yes, it was William was the one who gave the money for Dad's funeral." "Have you talked to him?" "Not since the night of the school board meeting." "Why not?" Staring down at my hands, I replied, "It's complicated." "I'm not a kid, you know." "I didn’t say you were." "Then don’t treat me like one. Talk to me about William." "It's just not meant to be, okay? There's just been too much bad shit that happened to move forward." "But you love him." "And Dad loved your mom, but what good did that get him but a broken heart?" Ansel shook his head. "He never loved my mom." "Of course he did. When she left, it broke him. He never wanted to be in love ever again." "My mom was just a distraction from the grief he felt at losing your mom. There was never anyone in the world for him but your mom." I blinked at him a few times. It had never occurred to me that what he said could be the truth. "I mean, after all this time he still wanted to be buried next to her." "There wasn’t any room in the Jameson family plot." "It's okay, Soph. It doesn’t bother me. I know Dad loved me just as much as he did you. I mean, it gives me some sort of weird comfort that he's with the woman he loved again." Tears stung my eyes at his words. "When did you get to be so thoughtful and deep, Little Brother." Ansel snorted. “I’d hardly call myself deep. Thoughtful, maybe. But deep? No.” “You have more depth at eighteen than some men have in their entire lives.” “William has depth.” I groaned. “Not him again.” “Yes, him.” Ansel cut his eyes over to me again. “I want you to be happy, Soph. He made you happy.” “I don’t know if he even feels the same way about me anymore.”

“Um, he just dropped a hell of a lot of change to make sure our dad had a nice funeral. If that doesn’t show how much he loves you, I don’t know what would.” “He didn’t do it for me—he did it for Daddy. He got to know him a lot when he was hanging around during our secret dating. They had a mutual appreciation for each other.” “I’m not doubting that he liked Dad. But what he did, he did because he still loves you. And when all this funeral shit is over, if you don’t try to make things right with him, then you’re the biggest dumbass I know.” I didn’t respond to Ansel. Instead, I stared out the windshield and tried corralling my out-ofcontrol emotions.

With the silence a deafening roar in my ears, I sat on the front bench of the funeral home’s chapel. After I’d survived the family and friends viewing, I had escaped from the crowd to be alone. I knew that I needed to be standing with Ansel beside Daddy’s casket, greeting those who had come to pay their respects. But after seeing him all laid out in his finest suit with the slightest smile on his lips, the fissure holding me together cracked even further. I had to be alone, or else I was going to start screaming at the top of my lungs. Everett had grabbed hold of my arm as I raced from the room. “Wait, cuz.” Shaking my head furiously, I replied, “I have to get out of here.” “Want me to take you somewhere on my bike?” Although the offer was tempting, the responsible side of me knew I needed to stay close by. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the double doors leading into the chapel, and I knew I had found my escape. “Will you stand guard and not let anyone but Ansel or Susie in?” “Of course.” And that was how I came to be sitting there, folding and unfolding my embroidered handkerchief in my hands. Grand-Maman had given me one like it on the day of Grandpa’s funeral. “All ladies need a handkerchief when they’re grieving,” she had said. Today I held the one she had carried to her husband’s funeral. It was white with purple Iris’s, the flower of France, embroidered on it. Shifting in my seat, I tried rubbing my back against the bench. The lacy material of my black dress was driving me crazy. Instead of getting any sleep this afternoon, I’d driven to the next down to buy dresses to wear to the viewings and then the funeral. I felt like the episode of Sex and the City when Miranda’s mother dies, and instead of Carrie bringing Miranda one of her dresses from home, she just wants to buy one that she’ll never have to wear again. That’s the mentality I’d gone shopping with. While I’d purchased beautiful and dignified looking dresses, I knew I’d throw them into the kindling pile the moment I took them off. My attention was suddenly drawn to the sound of raised voices outside the chapel. At the sound of the doors banging open behind me, I spun around in my seat. I wheezed as my heartbeat broke into a wild gallop. Everett had William’s body pressed up against one of the chapel doors, and his hands were gripping the lapels of William’s suit. Whirling off the bench, I sprinted down the aisle to them. “Everett, wait!” “Don’t you worry, Soph. I’ll take care of this wiseass.”

“No. It’s okay.” I looked into William’s dark eyes. “He’s okay.” Everett glanced from me back to William. “You sure about that?” “Yes.” Loosening his grip, Everett backed away from William. He gave him a tight smile. “Sorry about that, man. She’s my cousin, and when she says to guard the door, I’m not going to let anyone fuck with her.” William nodded as he adjusted his suit and tie. “I appreciate that.” He then stared intently at me. “I’d do anything in the world to protect Sophie.” His words and the conviction in which he spoke them sent fresh tears pooling in my eyes. After glancing between the two of us, Everett said, “Yeah, well, I’ll leave you two alone. As I swiped my handkerchief under my eyes, I replied, “Thanks, Everett.” He thumped William on the back before heading out into the hallway. The door closed shut, sending an echo through the silent chapel. For a moment, all I could do was stare at him. During the last twenty-four hours, I had wanted him more than anything. I wanted to feel the comfort of his strong arms around me, to press my ear against his chest and hear the sound of his heartbeat, to the feel the warmth of his skin against mine. I wanted him to tell me with the true conviction he possessed that everything was going to be all right. But now that he was standing in front of me, I remained rooted with my feet to the floor, unable to take that one step—that giant leap—to him. “I’m assuming that’s the guy who went with you to 1740.” With a nervous laugh, I replied, “Yes. That was Everett.” “Based on the way he looks, he could have easily taken Calla out, but from the way I hear it, you managed to do all the damage yourself.” “Yes. I did.” “Beating her up—was it all just about revenge for her ruining yours and my career?” “No. It was also about getting back at her for hurting you.” “It was?” I nodded. “Whenever you hurt someone I care about, then I have to hurt you.” In almost a whisper, I said, “I always protect those that I love.” William took a tentative step closer before he closed the gap between us. That was all it took to break down my resolve. I threw myself into his arms as the sobs overtook me. “I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry,” I murmured over and over again. “No, baby. I’m the one who is sorry. I’m sorry that I wasn’t here when you needed me most,” he said in my ear. His hand drew slow, comforting circles over my back. I sighed with contentment at the

feeling of his touch. I had missed his hands on my body. Not only could his hands light me on fire physically, but they brought soothing comfort when I was emotionally troubled. “But it’s my fault. I’m the one who drove you away.” I pulled back to look at him. “I wanted to call you so many times…I wanted to see you.” I shook my head. “I was just too stubborn and scared.” William cupped my cheeks in his hands. “I’m here for you, Sophie—through hell and back and through the good and bad. All you have to do is let me in.” “I desperately want to. I’m just…” I pinched my eyes shut. I couldn’t look at him when I admitted my weakness, “afraid.” “Sophie, look at me,” William commanded. My eyes opened immediately at the forcefulness of his tone. “You don’t have to be afraid. But even if you are, I’ll be strong enough for both of us.” I surveyed the intensity of his expression. “I know you would walk through fire for me, and not because it was the request of your Mistress. It would be because you love me.” I brought my mouth to his. After a tender kiss, I murmured, “And I love you,” against his lips. When I started to deepen the kiss, William took me by the shoulders and pushed me back. “What did you say?” I smiled at him through my tears. “I said, ‘I love you.’ And I do love you, William. More than I could ever have imagined. I was so stupid to think that everything had to be perfect for us to be together, or all the things that had gone wrong meant we weren’t meant to be together. I’ve come to embrace the fact that our relationship is perfectly flawed.” “You have?” I stared into his eyes that shone with such love for me. “Yes. I have. There is such beauty in imperfection.” “While that is true, I chose to believe what we have is perfection.” “So you’ll forgive me for being stubborn and stupid?” “Of course.” With a smile, William added, “I’m sure it won’t be the last time I need to forgive you for that.” I laughed. “No. I’m sure it won’t be.” “One day, you’ll be my stubborn, smart mouthed wife,” he said, insistently. Although I knew it wasn’t an official proposal, my heartbeat fluttered at the thought. With a smile, I said, “Yes. I will.” As William brought his lips to mine, I couldn’t help thinking how my father would be beaming with happiness that we were back together, and that in a small way, he had a hand in our reunion. In my mind, I saw him standing in front of a brilliant white light with Grand-Maman and

Grandpa. As Daddy smiled, Grand-Maman said, “Etre chérie heureux.” Daddy nodded. “That’s right. Be happy, sweetheart.” And to honor their love and their memory, I knew I would always try.

TWO YEARS LATER “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The minister paused and smiled. “You may now kiss the bride.” Tears blurred my vision as I watched Ansel tenderly place his hands on his new wife’s cheeks and kiss her gently. Shifting my bouquet into one hand, I swiped the tears away with the other. I’d never imagined my brother getting married at just twenty. Always the cynic, I had rolled my eyes when he had told me he’d fallen in love not even three weeks after he started fall semester at The University of Tennessee. My cynicism grew even further when he told me she was a cheerleader for the university. I couldn’t help picturing some blonde, sorority bimbo who wanted an elevated status by dating one of the football players. But all my doubts evaporated at Ansel’s first football game. Melanie was auburn haired, not blonde, and she was an engineering major. She was shy and reserved, and she made Ansel toe the line when it came to studying before partying. Either my brother had become pussy-whipped or he had a secret submissive side he hadn’t realized because whatever Melanie said, he did. I loved watching every minute of it. At Thanksgiving, he had proposed, and she had accepted. Although both their families had encouraged them to finish school, they weren’t having it. They pushed full steam ahead in planning a spring wedding at the farm. After clearing my eyes, I watched in amusement as Ansel deepened the kiss into one with a little more kick. Whistles and catcalls erupted around us. When Ansel pulled away, he grinned at the crowd. “Just wait until tonight.” While others gasped in horror, I only laughed at my brother’s antics. The other bridesmaids met up with their groomsman at the top of the altar and the started down the grassy aisle. I gave my groomsman, my husband, a beaming smile, before linking my arm though his. While keeping a smile plastered on his face, he asked, “How are you feeling?” “I’m fine.” “Are you sure you haven’t been on your feet too long?” “I’m sure.” “Maybe we should get you some water before we do the pictures?” I laughed. “William, I’m not the first woman to be nine months pregnant, you know.” “I know.” He grinned at me. “But you’re the first one I’ve been married to.” When we reached the end of the aisle, he bent down and kissed me. Staring into his eyes, I saw deep adoration. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured against my lips.

“And you’re so full of it. I look like an obese Smurf.” The cobalt colored dresses looked amazing on the other bridesmaids—the svelte ones that is. While they all had worn gorgeous, strappy sandals, I’d been forced into flats. “You do not. You look just as beautiful as you did on your wedding day. Maybe more because you have life within you.” Once again, tears sprung in my eyes. With the pregnancy hormones, it seemed I was always gushing, which I loathed since I hated showing emotions. William had learned to accept my new softer, weepy side. He would just smile and teasingly say, “I vowed to take you for better or worse.” William and I had gotten married a year and one day after my dad’s death. The superstitious part of me had stuck to the old saying that you shouldn’t make any major decisions until a year after a death. Since I had never been out of the country, William flew us, Ansel and Melanie, and his grandparents to Italy. Although I had initially balked at the idea of a designer dress, William’s grandmother talked me into one. So I stood in St Mark's Basilica, the Cathedral of Venice, in a Cinderella type gown with a crystal beaded bodice and a five foot train. With just the six of us, it was an intimate ceremony. Afterwards, we had dinner at a nearby restaurant. Later as we were dancing to the music of a street violinist, William said with a smile, “The first time I ever laid eyes on you, I saw you in white just like you are today.” I laughed. “I think the color is the only similar to what I was wearing then and what I’m wearing today.” With a wink, I added, “But I just might tie you up and spank you tonight.” His dark eyes flared with desire. “Thank you, Mistress Sophie.” I groaned. “We talked about you calling me that.” In the year leading up to the wedding, we had worked at devising what our relationship would look like. Although it was the place that brought us together, 1740 also harbored too many negative memories for us to ever want to play there again. We decided that whatever playing we did, it would be in the privacy of our own home. But we were going to keep things simple--we wouldn’t be remodeling the basement to make a dungeon. Instead, we ordered a new BDSM bed that to the average eye looked like a canopy bed with intricate carvings in the wood. Only William and I knew the difference. There would be no titles like “Mistress”, and playing would only be for fun—William wouldn’t be expected to cater to my every whim, and I wouldn’t boss him around…too much. William had moved in with me at the farm a few months after Daddy died. In the afternoons after he got in from school, he had the overseer start instructing him about how to run things. Soon he came to enjoy the farm almost as much as I did, and it was so nice having him shoulder a lot of the responsibility. I don’t know how I would have survived my overwhelming grief without William. He was the

towering strength I didn’t want to admit I needed. He was there to hold me when I woke up sobbing in the middle of the night. And he also gave me the space I needed when I was having days where I just needed to be alone with my thoughts and feelings. On what would have been my second year of teaching, I started instructing at the community college I had attended. With my “reputation” coupled with my lack of tenure, it had been hard getting a job in the public school system. William had fared better at keeping the assistant principal position he had gotten after being let go at Milton. But he had high hopes of starting his own charter school— one that catered to students with physical and emotional disabilities. After everything I had experienced with my dad, I was totally onboard with the idea. He hoped to open it in within a year. After we’d taken what seemed like a million pictures, William took me by the arm and led me over to the giant tent that had been erected on the lawn. Catering waiters hustled around with trays of champagne and hors devours. At the kick of a tiny foot against my ribs, I ordered, “Ooh, get me some of those mushrooms.” With a laugh, William pulled out a chair and eased me down into it. “Yes, ma’am.” As I watched him dash off to honor my request, I couldn’t help feeling immensely blessed that such an amazing man loved me. Like Daddy had said, any love worth having was fighting for. Although William had done most of the He returned with a plate laden down with mushrooms and mini quiche. “I figured you were really getting hungry.” “You mean your daughter was getting really hungry,” I mused through a mouthful of quiche. William beamed. “Michaela is already as feisty as her mother. “Yes, she is.” Before we had found out what we were having, we knew we wanted to honor my father by naming the baby after him. So once we learned it was a girl, we decided on Michaela Alexandra, which honored both my dad and William’s mother. She was due in two and a half weeks, although I had a feeling she might make an early appearance. Once the wedding party was assembled, the best man, Ansel’s high school friend, Jody, got up to make a toast. I did okay until Jody mentioned my father. “Michael was always so proud of Ansel, and I’m sure he would be busting with pride today. His greatest desire in life was that his children were happy. I know he’s smiling down from Heaven today at the sight of Ansel and Sophie so happy in love.” I didn’t hear the rest of Jody’s speech because I began to cry. William wrapped his strong arms around me. More than anything in the world, I wished my dad was here today with us. I knew once Michaela came, I would have that wish again. I hoped that she looked a little like him—maybe that she’d have his blue eyes.

More than two years might have passed since his death, but I still felt his loss each and every day. There was no expiration on grief—it was a burden you carried for the rest of your life. While there would always be a part of me missing, William and my unborn daughter were the greatest comfort I could ever imagine. “So let’s raise a glass to the bride and groom,” Jody said. I eased out of William’s arms. I didn’t want my grief to rob this moment from me. Although I was only drinking water, I took my glass and rose to my feet. “To the bride and groom,” I said. Ansel had teary eyes as well as he nodded his head at me. As the others in the tent followed suit, I took William’s hand in mine. I first brought it to my lips to kiss it tenderly. Then I brought it to my abdomen. “I love you,” I said to him. “I love you, too.” Weaving our fingers together, I smiled as our daughter kicked against our hands. We were bound together in name and by our child, but most of all, we were bound in love.

Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author. She is a hybrid author with the traditionally published series, Vicious Cycle, by Penguin as well as the popular Indie series The Proposition and Runaway Train. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter, Olivia, and her two very spoiled dogs. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo. With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in Adolescent English Education, she spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.