Bound for Christmas (10 page)

“That’s
one punishment when we get back.”

“What, why?”

“You might
not call me Master while we’re out, but I’m still the one in charge, Bernie.
Make that two. I’m the one who is taking care of you. I’ll dress and keep you
safe. This was my promise to you.” He brushed his lips against hers then closed
the door.

Bernice
wondered what punishment he had planned for her. Her nipples hardened against
the fabric of her dress. The anticipation of his hand on her ass was already
filling her with wanton need.

****

Leon
got into
his car on the driver’s side. He put his seatbelt on then turned the key in the
ignition. After putting the car into gear, he slowly eased out of his spot.
He’d thrown some gravel he kept round the back in the basement down to help
with the traction. The trees were covered in a falling of snow. He loved it.

The
Christmas spirit was alive inside him. He was engaged, which he couldn’t wait
to tell
Tyler
.
If Bernie didn’t wear his collar she’d at least wear his ring. The excitement
of his life consumed him. The dress he’d purchased for her months ago looked
good on her. Her legs were covered in the awful tights. He hated the blasted
things, but they’d keep her warm during their visit to town.

Once they
were on the main road, he turned the radio on and kept it low. The sounds of
carols filled the air. He felt Bernie’s eyes on him. He knew she wanted to
start asking him questions.

“Do you
like Christmas?” she asked.

“I love
it. This is my favourite time of the year.”

“Won’t
your family be missing you this year?”

He
chuckled. “I already warned them I’d be missing this year.”

“You have
a family?”

Leon
nodded,
taking a moment to gaze at her before returning his attention back to the road.

“Yep, I
have a big family. I have four older brothers and two younger sisters.”

“
Wow, that
is a big family.” Her hands rubbed along her legs.
He knew she wanted to ask more questions.

Leon
decided
to save her a little time. “Well, we’re a big family in the fact there are
seven kids and two parents, but there is also a set of twins and one adopted
brother among us all.”

“I bet you
never had a quiet moment.”

“Not once while I was growing up.
We were all a
nightmare at school, and my brothers and I could pack food away like it was
going out of fashion. My mother, Julie, had her work cut out for her.”

He laughed
recalling the dismay when Julie Butters had to feed so many children on her
minimal culinary skills. His mother had gone to college and taught herself how
to cook.

“Tell me
about them.”

Leon
knew
Bernie was an only child. Her parents were gone, and she was the only one left
of a small family.

“Let’s
see. The oldest is Jack. He’s forty and refuses to settle down and have kids.
My mom believes he’s a lost cause.”

“Has she given up on him?” Bernie asked.

“Not at all.
She’s
biding her time to find the right woman for her son. Then there are the twins,
Damian and George. Then you have Charlie the loner. He was adopted after my
mother saw him wandering around the street. Then I came next, followed by my
two sisters, Amanda and Tara.”

“You really do have a big family.”

“And I love them all.”

“How can you stand not going home?” she asked.

Leon
grabbed her hand,
giving it a squeeze before going back to the steering wheel. “I promised my mom
I’d bring a girl back home with me when I go home for the New Year.”

“Did you mean me?”

“There is no other girl I’d consider taking
home to mom.”

“Good. I like the thought of being your girl.”

“You are my girl,” he said.

A few minutes later he pulled into a parking
lot. It took him a good five minutes to find a space. He made sure to be
careful as there were plenty of young children running around in the snow.

“Do you think your parents would like me?”

“I like you, Bernie. They’ll love you.”

“Are all your brothers like you?”

“You mean devilishly handsome and oozing sex
appeal?” he asked, pulling the car into the parking space at the far end of the
lot.

“No, I mean do they all know about Kink?”

“None of us talk about our lifestyle, Bernie.
If they do then I don’t argue with them. They probably visit some of the clubs
closer to home.
Tyler
owns more clubs than Kink.”

He got out then went round to help her. The
flat shoes he’d given her wouldn’t keep her upright for long.
Leon
knew he’d have to keep an arm
around her at all times to stop her from slipping over.

“I’ve got you,” he said, helping her out. Out
of the whole parking lot, she managed to find the only place where there was a
patch of ice. Her feet went out from under her.
Leon
caught her before she got a
chance to land on her ass.

They were both laughing as he locked the car
up.

“You did this on purpose,” she said, turning in
his arms. Her fists were wrapped in his jacket. The gloves didn’t show the
claw-like grip she had on him. He felt it with the few tugs on his jacket.

“Did what on purpose?” he asked, trying to keep
his face looking innocent.

“You’ll have to keep your hands on me at all
times to stop me from falling over.”

“Well, I never even gave that a thought.”
Leon
wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’ll make sure you stay up.”

“You knew. You pay attention to these small,
minor details. I’ve got your number, Leon.”

“You’ll
have more than my number before we’re done,” he said.

“That
sounds like a threat.” She smiled at him. “Shall I run away now?”

“You
could, but I’ll catch you no matter where you go.”

“Is that
right?” Bernie moved closer to his lips.
Leon
smiled then closed the
distance, brushing his lips over hers.

One touch
of her lips on his and he was gone. She was soft, warm, and everything good in
the world. He didn’t know where or how he’d gotten so lucky. He only knew he
wasn’t letting her go.

It was
amazing how perfect a relationship could be when it had started out as simply
as theirs. A few chance meetings in a library had turned into a revelation at
the club, and now he had her in his arms.
Perfection.

There were
a few cheers from the crowd around them.

Bernie
pulled away, her cheeks pink from the cold and embarrassment.

“Don’t
worry about them.”

“They were
watching.”

“So, they saw
two people so into each other they couldn’t keep their hands to
themselves.”
 

“I’m
hungry,” she said.

“Good, because I have the best cure.”

“Food?”

He
laughed, taking her hand. They began walking across the parking lot.
Leon
kept his hands on her at all times.

The town
was covered with snow and crowds of people. He saw them all gathering their
shopping. There were visitors, like them, along with locals. The markets
advertised food and trinkets for people to buy. The scents of Christmas were in
the air. Carol singers stood in the corner by the market statue. He took Bernie
over to listen to them sing. Their tunes had a way of filling him with warmth
over the festive season.

When they
moved away, he saw Bernie take a quick glance behind them.

“You really
like this season, don’t you?” she asked.

“I love
it. Why don’t you? I thought women were supposed to adore this season.”

“My
parents didn’t really celebrate the season. We had a tree and a few gifts. They
were older than most parents. They had me later in life. Mom and dad said I was
a blessing, but I knew they regretted having me so late.”

“How do
you know?”

“They were
always tired. I wasn’t a handful, which I think they were thankful for. I was
never allowed any sleepovers or boyfriends.”

“How old
were they when they died?”

“Sixty.
Mom gave birth to me in her forties. It was hard for them. I’d like to think
they’re happy for me.”

“I bet
they are. You didn’t celebrate Christmas when you were on your own, did you?”
he asked.

She shook
her head.
Leon
moved her closer to the baked potato stand. He loved looking over the lake
while eating a baked potato.

“The first
year I was on my own, I got a tiny tree that glowed and cooked myself a turkey
breast. It didn’t work out. I was too damned depressed. Christmas is fun if
you’re with family and friends, I guess.”

“What
about Sandra?”

“Sandra
has her own family. I never want to barge in on something like that. Christmas
should be about family.”

Leon
stopped
at the end of the queue. “You do like baked potato?”

“Yes, I
love mine with chilli or curry.”

“A woman after my own heart.”
He leaned down,
nuzzling her neck.
“Which you already own.”

The queue
went down slowly. The scent of baked potatoes and the various toppings made his
mouth water. His stomach growled with the need to eat. When they got closer he
looked over the board of toppings.

“What do
you want?” he asked.

“I’ll have
the cheese, chilli, and sour cream.”

Leon
nodded
then waited for the lady behind the counter to serve them. “Can I have two
baked potatoes with butter, cheese, chilli and sour cream, along with two
strong coffees with cream and sugar?”

The lady
rang his order up. He let Bernie go while he paid, and then they moved to the
side while the guy behind the stand did their order.

He thanked
the guy then grabbed their food. They walked down to the lake around the corner
and down the road.

“Have you
visited here often?” Bernie asked when he found a bench near the lake.

“When it’s
the festive season, I love coming here. The snow, the town, and fairs make it
so worthwhile. Most of the time, I stay here for a few days then go back home
for Christmas dinner. Mom loves doing a turkey with all the trimmings.”

“It sounds
wonderful.”

“Next
year, we’ll go together.”

“Are you
sure?”

“I’ll take
you to my folks for the New Year, and then next Christmas we’ll visit them.
You’ll love it, and I promise your excitement for Christmas will be
multiplied.”

Chapter Nine

Bernie sat
next to
Leon
while they ate their food. She looked forward to all of his plans, meeting his
folks and spending more time with him. His warmth rubbed off on her. All the
talk he’d been doing about his family made her wish for a bigger family of her
own. The lake was frozen solid, and the ice glistened in the sunlight. Everywhere
she looked had a layer of snow. She felt the chill but not as badly if she’d
not been wearing the fabric style tights he’d bought for her.

“How is
your potato?” he asked.

“Lovely.”

They
finished off their food. “Stay here,” he said. She watched him take their cases
to throw them in the trash.

When his
arms were around her, she was able to walk by his side.
Leon
walked her around the market,
pointing certain foods out for her to look at or try. His energy and love for
the season were rubbing off on her. She felt excited about everything he talked
about. He made a few purchases from a couple of stalls. They stopped to try
other foods. He’d make her close her eyes as he spooned in a taste of some sort
of fish salad.

It was
nice, and when she opened his eyes, he pointed to what she’d tasted.

“
Ew
, octopus salad.
How could
you,
Leon
?”
He began chuckling. She couldn’t spit out the bite as she had enjoyed it.