Licorice Whips (20 page)

She almost wondered if the owner had her mind made up already, and she needed Nikla to convince her otherwise.

“I think because he’s already a business owner that he’s used to getting his way.” Nikla pressed her phone to her ear using her shoulder as she put away the rolled mats into a supply closet. “Rest assured, Mrs. Zuberi, I want this more than you know.”

Nikla didn’t mean to sound so heavy handed with the pressure for Bobbi to side with her. She wanted the woman to know what acquiring this space meant for her.

“Message received.” The lightness in Bobbi’s voice came through on the phone. “I am still considering your proposal. I hope I haven’t worried you about that.”

Nikla blew out her breath.

“So did he keep his word?” Bobbi asked. “Did he teach you how to make candy?”

“Caramel.”

“What?”

“We made caramel.” Nikla strolled to the door. With another class about to start there soon, she would have to leave the space.

“Good. I’m proud of you. Most competitors wouldn’t bother checking out one another’s businesses. I’m assuming he showed up for the yoga class, right?”

Nikla smiled as she leaned on the wall next to the door. Remembering Sweet in a warrior pose had her nipples hardening harder than he’d gotten them last night. “Yes, he did a yoga class with me last night.”

“It’s a shame he’s not willing to work with you so that you can have one spot and he get the other. I think the two of you together would be great. The two businesses I mean.” Bobbi made an audible tsking sound over the phone. “I’m sure you are wonderful at what you do. I have no doubt that you can run a profitable business and have it for years and years and years.”

“Does that mean you’re letting me have the spot?” Nikla didn’t want to sound too excited even though her heart pounded hard in her chest and she felt sweat rolling down between her shoulder blades.

“I still have to check out what Mr. Hawkes has to offer. I want to be fair. Like I mentioned in the call last night, you don’t have to wait for me. There are other spots out there if you want to keep shopping around.” Bobbi chuckled. “I have a feeling, though, that you’ll wait. You’re very compliant that way.”

“You mean stubborn. Headstrong.”

“Nope. I meant what I said. Goodbye, dear.” Bobbi disconnected the call.

Although Nikla could have taken Bobbi’s advice and checked out other spots, the woman knew she wouldn’t. Why? What did she mean by being compliant? Had Sweet said something to her after they talked last night?

Nikla would find out soon enough tonight.

Chapter Fourteen

Sweet knocked on Nikla’s apartment door for the second time. If he had to do it again, he would be pounding on it with his fist.

What the hell was he doing? He’d never gone after a woman—a submissive—like this. Then again, he hadn’t thought about another woman the way Nikla consumed his thoughts. Early that morning, he had to masturbate to relieve his sexual tensions. He hadn’t done that since his teenage years.

Sweet raised his balled fist to pound on Nikla’s door when it opened. Nikla stood on the other side wearing jeans, ankle boots, an oversized stripped sweater, and the harshest scowl he’d ever seen on her.

What the hell did she have to be so upset about? She had left him waiting.

Sweet stormed into her apartment.

“What are you doing? I’m ready to go.” Nikla stood by the door like she thought Sweet would turn around and march right back through it.

“You’re not dressed.” Sweet headed directly to her bedroom.

When he hit the hallway, he heard her close the front door and curse. He opened her closet door and found it exactly how he imagined it. Neat, clean, organized. Hell, Nikla had even arranged her clothes by color.

“What are you doing?” Nikla stood at her bedroom doorway as though afraid to take a step inside with him.

Her instincts may have been right. With her so close to a bed, he would have stripped her out of every stitch of clothing and had his way with her again. Damn, it had been less than twenty-four hours and he missed her body, missed her smell.

“Are you serious about training as a submissive?” Sweet went through her clothing as he awaited her answer. When she didn’t say anything, he glanced at her. “Do you want to be trained?”

“I’m dressed. Why can’t we go?” Nikla crossed her arms over her chest, which in the bulky sweater, hid her delicious curves.

“Answer my question.”

“Oh, is this Master Sweet talking to me now, or is it the guy going after my suite and will do anything to undermine me.”

Sweet felt his blood boiling. “Take off your clothes.”

“No.” She shook her head.

“If you don’t want to do this, then don’t waste my time. You keep me waiting at your door, and then when you answer it, you give me attitude. I thought we were straight on what’s going on between us.” Sweet put his fist to his hip.

As much as he wanted to be mad at Nikla, the longer he stared into her eyes, the more he wanted her. Until he could get beyond her attitude right now, nothing would happen.

“Yeah, I thought we were straight, too. I thought I could trust you. Then I talked to Bobbi today.” Nikla paced in her bedroom. “Compliant.”

Sweet blinked. “What?”

“She called me compliant.” Then Nikla stormed up to Sweet. “What did you say to her? You think what I did with you was something I would do with anyone? How could you betray my trust and tell her something like that?”

Sweet held up his hand. “Whoa. You think I told Bobbi what we did and the training? You think I would do that to you after–” Sweet stopped himself. “I would never do that to you or any submissive I’m training.”

“Despite the sex, you and I barely know each other. How do you expect me to trust you? Other than the fact that you co-own Decadent Treats, and you’re a wizard of some sort.”

“Master.”

“Whatever. I don’t know you. When Bobbi said that about me, I felt embarrassed and…and–”

“Vulnerable.”

Nikla remained quiet, but Sweet could see the frustration etched in her face. In that moment, he wanted to draw her into his arms and hold her, reassure her, let her know everything would be just fine.

He approached her. It took all of his will not to frame her small face in his hands. He so desperately wanted to touch her.

“I didn’t tell Bobbi anything about you or what we did.”

Nikla strolled to her bed and sat on it. With her head hung low, she looked defeated. “How do you do it?”

“Do what? Run a business? Expand that business?” Not touch her in the entire time he’d been in her bedroom with her?

“Be okay doing what you do, being who you are? Don’t you get angry at how people judge you?”

Sweet crouched down in front of Nikla. Despite the running argument in his head not to lay a finger on her, he held her hands. That first connection sent a lightning bolt of fire to his heart. He had to take in a deep breath before he spoke.

“When I was a kid, I worried about what people said about me all the time. If I heard someone laughing behind my back, I internalized it and wouldn’t say anything. If it wasn’t for my brother Masaun and for the Lifestyle, I don’t know if I could survive the looks and the chitchat. Now I know who I am and I know what I am and what I have to offer.” Sweet released her hands, reached down, and grabbed one foot. He removed her boot without any resistance from her. “My lifestyle got put out there because of circumstances surrounding my brother’s fiancée. I’m not ashamed of what I am or that people know. You, however, don’t have to say to the world that you’re a submissive.” Even though deep down Sweet wanted her to do just that.

She looked up at him.

“That’s if you’re still interested in training as one.” He removed her other shoe, then her thick purple socks.

Until he had her socks off, he never noticed the beauty of her delicate feet. She’d painted each toenail a bright red color. Her feet would look so good as she dangled from an overhead bar.

“I was angry when I thought you had told Bobbi that we had had sex and that you used the candy on me,” Nikla said in a low voice.

“Disciplined you,” Sweet corrected.

Nikla snickered. “Because I’m so bad?”

“You did leave me waiting a long time at your front door. And you accused me of something I didn’t do.”

Nikla took a deep breath before she smoothed a strand of his hair from his face. “If you discipline me here, we’ll have sex.”

She said it in a matter-of-fact way that left little doubt what she had in mind. When she licked her lips, Sweet’s heart pounded. He slid his hands up her thighs to her sweater. When he removed her sweater, he saw she had on a red lace bra.

Her dark areolas peeked through the thin lace. Sweet’s mouth watered, wanting to lick her nipple through the fabric.

Sweet started undoing her jeans. When he got them unzipped, Nikla leaned back on the bed and helped wriggle out of her jeans as he pulled them down. Underneath hid a whisper thin set of red thong panties. The heart-shaped fabric in front did little to dissuade him from ripping them from her body.

So that he wouldn’t be tempted, Sweet stood. Too bad Nikla didn’t sit up or stand along with him. She stayed reclined on her bed. He watched her chest rise and fall with each harried breath.

It would be so easy. He could kick her feet apart, drop his pants and boxers, have that spider web of fabric ripped off her pussy, and be inside of her faster than either of them could blink.

“Where are your shoes?” he asked.

Nikla didn’t answer. She sat up and rose to her feet. Like a graceful cat, she sauntered in front of him, went to her open closet door and knelt down in front of it, showing off her rounded ass.

She reached into the closet and held up a pair of black platform stilettos. “Are these acceptable?”

Sweet kept his stare on her as he shook his head. “What else?”

Nikla returned the shoes to their spot and reached deeper into the closet, which showed more of her luscious ass. Sweet growled the longer she took to find the shoes.

She retrieved another pair and held them up. “How about these?”

The tan pair of heels looked more sensible than sexy.

“Nothing red?” Sweet asked.

Nikla shook her head. “Not a red kind of girl.”

“Except for your toenails.”

She peered down then up at him with a smile. “Thank my friend, Deana. The color was her idea.”

“Deana should have convinced you to buy more sexy shoes.”

Nikla laughed. “Losing battle. I love to be barefoot.” She glanced down at a pair of flip flops on the floor beside Sweet.

“Put on the black pumps.” Sweet crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for her to move.

Her mouth dropped open as she looked at the shoes in her closet, then back at him. “Really?”

He nodded. “I know what I want to see you wearing. I wouldn’t be a good Dom if I didn’t push you. Wear the heels.”

Nikla nodded, rose to her feet and padded over to her shoes, a pair that he could tell had to be the ones she only wore to job interviews and funerals. Once she slipped them on her feet, her whole body stiffened. Her shoulders bunched up around her ears. She stopped breathing for a bit before she finally exhaled. She hugged her arms around her body.

Nikla walked over to him with her head held high. “So what would you like for me to wear?”

Sweet almost smiled at her look of determination. He hadn’t broken her. After this night, he knew she would retreat back to her yoga classes. “Let’s look at your coats? Do you keep them out here?” Sweet walked out of her bedroom and headed to a door by her front door.

“Yes. Did you want to match my coat to my outfit?” Nikla followed him.

She managed to keep up with him in the high shoes although she grimaced once or twice in her trek. Nikla wouldn’t have to worry. Sweet wouldn’t have her on her feet for very long.

He opened the closet door and saw a small array of coats and jackets.

When he spotted a trench coat, he removed it from the hanger. “Put this on.”

Nikla furrowed her eyebrows. “Over my underwear? You don’t want me to wear clothes underneath?”

Sweet held up the coat, readying it for her to slip it on.

“High heels and a coat. You’re serious.” Nikla looked at the coat like Sweet held a straightjacket.

“And you’re making us late. Come on. Put it on, grab your keys, and let’s go.”

Without further argument, Nikla slipped on the coat and grabbed her keys. “Do I need my driver’s license?”

“Get it.”

Nikla ran off to her bedroom and, after a beat, she returned with her purse. “Ready.”

Sweet shook his head. “No. I just want your license.” He held out his hand.

Nikla opened her purse and fished out her wallet. After a couple of hard tugs, she managed to remove her license from its protective shield. “Here.”

Sweet accepted it and held it up to her. “When I hold this, I own you. You’re mine.”

Nikla swallowed and wrapped her arms around her body. “What does that mean?”

Sweet opened the door. “Come with me and find out.”

She took a deep breath and walked outside.

As soon as Nikla took one step outside, Sweet felt a tickle in his belly. This would be the true test to see if this lifestyle is really for her. Could Nikla withstand discipline in The Dollhouse?

Chapter Fifteen

Nikla’s heart thrummed the entire way to The Dollhouse. Bouncing around in Sweet’s truck didn’t help with her jittery nerves. She balled her hands into fists and kept repeating in her head that she would be okay.

For as loud as the truck had been, he kept the inside pretty pristine. The scent of lemony cleanser filled the air. It made her wonder if Sweet kept his truck clean himself or if he had some submissive on retainer. Would he expect her to do this for him?

Nikla rubbed her hands over the matching powder blue leather seats. The supple material felt smooth and soft under her hands. Would the real toys used on her feel like this? Her nipples hardened at the thought. Every time she thought of Sweet and what he had done to her and what he would do to her always accelerated her heart. That didn’t mean she felt at all comfortable about this trip, about this new experience.