Bondage Included (17 page)

He caught it in mid-air, further sparking her temper. She used the wall to support her as she pushed to her feet.

André rushed to help. “What are you trying to prove, Adriana?” He pulled her against his chest.

Adriana felt fresh tears burning her eyes. She put a hand between them. The knot clogging her throat made speaking impossible. She needed to get a handle on her emotions and that seemed harder to do these days. It felt like she cried all the time. The waterworks started whether she was happy or sad.

He picked her up and carried her to the bed.

She took a deep breath. “I need to brush my teeth and wash my face.”

“No, you need to tell me what’s going on.” André sat beside her on the bed.

Adriana snorted. “You’re a fine one to talk. You spent the evening hiding in your office. If you don’t want me here, say the word and I’m gone.”

“Why would you say such a thing? Of course, I want you here. I love you.” He looked at her as if he was stating something that should be obvious.

“What?”

He tipped his head and glared at her. “You know I do.”

“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d admit it.” She glared at him right back.

André laughed and arranged pillows for her leg. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“Why were you avoiding me like I was one of your trolls?” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked out of the window.

He took her chin in his hand and nudged until she looked at him. “Is that how you really felt or are you just mad and lashing out?”

She didn’t even know anymore. Adriana twisted out of his grasp. “A little of both maybe.”

“Adriana, look at me.” He waited until she turned her head toward him. “Meeting your parents was a shock.” He sent her a crooked grin. “Meeting your entire family was another.” He paused as if searching for the right words. “Finding out they were in the lifestyle blew my mind. It changes everything. I wasn’t hiding so much as I was thinking and processing what this means for us. Doors have opened and dreams I never dared dream about seem possible now. I’m still trying to work it all out in my head.”

Wow!
That was a huge admission for André. “I thought you were mad.”

“No, bebe. I was disappointed you didn’t tell me, but what you said in the car was true. I never gave you the opportunity. As soon as you started talking about family, I shut you down cold. I was wrong.” He gave her a chagrinned smile. “I don’t know that I deserved the total immersion that I received today, but I survived it.”

“I’m sorry my brothers were such assholes.” She smiled for the first time since they’d been home.

André tsked. “Such language. One would think you were asking for a spanking.” He looked at her speculatively.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Maybe I am.” Something unfurled in her tummy and this time it wasn’t food related.

“I’ll be happy to oblige, after you talk to me. I’m not laying a hand on you until I know what’s going on inside your head.” He tugged on her arm until she fell into his lap. He ran his fingers through her hair. “You’ve been crying a lot and giving me bullshit answers.”

“How come you can curse and I can’t?” She didn’t want to talk about the waterworks. It confused her as much as it did André.

“You asked me to help you stop, remember?”

Looking up at his face she felt tears burning her eyes again. He was so handsome. Sometimes, she was overwhelmed by it. She nodded and took a deep, steadying breath.

He fisted her hair. “No more of this, bebe, you’re killing me. Are you hurting? Do you need a painkiller?”

“No, my leg is fine. I don’t know why I can’t stop crying.” She was tired all the time too. “Maybe I have a bug biting on me.”

“You’re going to the doctor tomorrow and don’t argue with me. We can’t take a chance on an infection.”

Adriana loved the feel of his hand in her hair. She rubbed her cheek across the bulge in his pants. “Okay.” Chances were she just needed more sleep, but if it made him happy, she’d go.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling ill? You know that stuff could and would have waited.”

Does he sound hurt? Confession time.
Oh well, now he’d probably spank her for sure. “Actually, I was brushing my teeth when the urge hit. I might have gagged myself. I don’t know. My stomach has been queasy a lot lately. It can’t be that big of a deal because food actually helps.”

“Didn’t I tell you to stay put?”
Master
André asked.

She squirmed a little. He knew exactly what buttons to push to get her aroused. “Yes.”

“And you chose to disobey me.” He made it a statement. “Why?”

Adriana turned into him and nuzzled his crotch until he tightened his grip on her hair, holding her away from him.

“Answer me.”

“I don’t want to be another responsibility for you. I can be doing more.” She felt her face heat with embarrassment.

“The doctor wants you to limit your activity. You asked about a walking cast and he said no, not yet. What is this really about?” He was watching her intently. “Why do you keep comparing yourself to my past trainees? You’re nothing like them.”

She turned into him again disregarding the pull on her scalp. “I know.”
Damn it!
The tears spilled down her cheeks again.

André instantly let go. “Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head no.

He took her by the arms. “Sit up. I want to see your face.”

As soon as she was leaned back against the headboard, André went and grabbed the box of tissues from the vanity.

“This isn’t the first time this has come up, Adriana. Every time I say something about it, you spout bullshit and change the subject. We’re through with that. I want to know what’s causing this.”

She knew that look. There wouldn’t be any skirting the issue. “I worry I won’t be enough for you.”

He sat back as if he’d been slapped. “Why?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t have a lot of experience and there’s just one of me.”

“I’m glad you don’t have a lot of experience. Thrilled actually. And as far as there only being one of you goes… I’m glad about that too. I’m not into ménage.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Do you know how many women I’ve pursued since opening the club?”

“I doubt I can count that high,” she muttered not wanting to think about a number.

He shot her an annoyed look. “One.” He raised his index finger.

“But you had three subs when I met you. And according to Eva, you always have a revolving door of trainees.” Eva had also alluded to the fact that the women approached him, but he mustn’t be too adverse to the idea. It takes two to tango.

“I own the club. I’m a Dom in Residence and I think it’s important to provide training to anyone who is truly interested in it. Those girls wanted to explore their kink in a safe environment and I’ll admit for the most part I was happy to oblige.” He gave her his mischievous grin. “I’m a healthy, red-blooded man, bebe. But most importantly, I was also unattached. That’s not the case anymore.”

“You still own the club and you’re still a healthy, red-blooded man. Your appetite hasn’t changed. I’ve just made you curb it.” She looked down at her hands.

He tipped her chin upward. “You haven’t made me do anything. You asked me to be monogamous and I agreed. Believe me, bebe, it’s no hardship.” He adjusted the pillows and sat beside her with his back against the headboard. “This is my fault. I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression so I didn’t share everything that I was thinking.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re like a breath of fresh air. As soon as I saw you at the munch, I knew there was something different about you. We just clicked from the moment we met. I know you felt it too. I wanted you then, but as I got to know you, as we sat on that damn couch at the club and chatted night after night, I learned what kind of girl you were.”

“What’s wrong with the kind of girl I am?” He couldn’t rip the rug out from under her. Not again.

“Nothing. You’re the perfect kind of girl. As I’ve told you before, you’re the take home to Momma, put a ring on your finger type of girl. I never thought I’d have that. The club is all I’ve ever known. It’s been my life’s work and closing it and leaving it behind wouldn’t remove the stigma of having once owned it. If I closed all the clubs today, my family wouldn’t care.” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I couldn’t come between you and your family. I would never cause you that kind of pain.”

“But now you understand, don’t you, that isn’t an issue?” She knew they were at a pivotal point and she fervently hoped he’d see reason.

“Yes, but you neglected to fill me in on those key pieces of information.” He gave her a stern look.

She blushed. “I thought I had a valid reason.”

He shook his head. “Anyway, I didn’t want to give you false hope. So, I didn’t tell you how much you mean to me, how much you’ve changed my life. I bought you that collar because I honestly can’t imagine life without you. I assumed I couldn’t be a part of your family life, but I knew you were everything I ever wanted in a submissive. I figured you’d eventually want someone who could give you the whole package and you’d move on, but I was selfish enough to want as much of you as you were willing to give me.”

Chapter Nine

She was still looking at him dubiously.

“I’m going to let you in on a closely guarded secret. Before you showed up at the munch, I had lost my way. The rush I used to experience through Dominance was gone. I had turned most of the hands-on work at the club over to Ted and focused primarily behind scenes.” He didn’t know how to explain that bleak period of his life.

Adriana snorted. “If giving nightly demonstrations is your idea of working behind the scenes, I’m glad I wasn’t around when you were active.”

“Think back. When you first started coming to the club, I was only doing one or so a week. Meri changed all that. Right from the beginning she wanted an exclusive relationship with Ted and I had to step up again. But my drive and passion weren’t there. Hell, I was beginning to think I had ED. Then we met and those worries went out the window. Every night we’d sit and talk, my dick would spring to life, begging for relief.” He rubbed his shoulder against hers playfully. “Your smile and the sparkle in your eyes get me every time. Adriana, when I’m with you I’m happy whether we’re scening, talking, eating, sleeping, working, even arguing. God, I’ve never met anyone who likes to argue as much as you do, but even that’s fun…in an odd sort of way.”

When she giggled and looked up at him, his heart lurched.

“I do enjoy arguing with you. Someone needs to pull your chain every now and then. You’re way too serious. You spend so much time making sure you meet all your responsibilities, you forget how to have fun.”

“You may be right about that. Everything felt like a chore and I was just going through the motions.” He brought her hand to his mouth and placed a kiss in the center of her palm.

“So…spanking the trolls had become a chore?” She glanced at him shyly.

“Most definitely.” He decided to wait and see where she was headed.

“Is that why you keep threatening to spank me, but never do?” She seemed to be struggling not to smile.

“No, I’ve been waiting until you wore my collar and the right was truly mine.” He shrugged. “And until your leg was healed enough to turn you over my knee.” He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “Are we good, bebe?”

She nodded. “My leg is fine.”

“No, it’s not, and that isn’t what I meant.”

“Yes, we’re fine… Except, I want you to spank me, Master.” Her eyes twinkled in mischief.

He tried to read her body language. Normally, she was an open book, but tonight something was different. There was an undercurrent of tension running through her. Most likely it was the stress of the afternoon and his knuckleheaded behavior. “I think if we take certain precautions and you tell me if it hurts, we can do this.”

Her eyes clouded with tears. “Thank you.”

André wished she wasn’t so insistent about this. He wasn’t comfortable spanking her when her emotions were all over the place. “Bebe, I’m willing to do this, but you have to talk to me.”

“Yes, Master.” She ran her hand over his cock. “So this only works for me?”

André liked hearing the shy and playful tone in her voice. He’d been wrong to keep quiet about his true feelings for her. “I love you, Adriana. You own my body.”

“You seem to be excited about this.” She giggled.

His cock grew larger and harder with each passing moment. She’d misread what he was excited about, but he didn’t feel the need to correct her.

Thoughts of the future were no longer bleak. With Adriana, he could have a life beyond his dreams. He was still trying to wrap his head around it. “Why do you want me to spank you?”

He pulled her dress over her head and unhooked her bra.

“I’m curious.” She met his gaze and blushed.

“And?” He wondered if there was something behind her insistence.

Adriana shrugged.

“Do you think you deserve a spanking?” If he could just ask the right question, maybe he’d get an insight into her thoughts.

“Yes.” Her smile widened.

“Why?”

She tipped her head to the side as if she was considering her answer. “I may oops on occasion, but I’m a very good girl and I deserve a reward.”

Oh, God, she was sexy as hell. His cock throbbed and strained for relief. “And a spanking is the reward you want?”

“Yes, it’s part of it.”

He motioned for her to keep talking.

“After you spank me, if it’s as arousing as I believe it will be, I want you to fuck me until we’re both sated and exhausted.”

His heart stumbled as he looked at her in wonder. The inches between them were too much. He kissed her over and over knowing he’d never get enough of her. “And you worry you won’t be enough.” He shook his head and leaned back against the headboard patting his thighs.

She sat forward then crawled across his lap. He positioned two pillows under her brace. “Is that comfortable? Is there any stress on your leg?”

“It feels fine, André. No discomfort at all.”