Sub for a Week (8 page)

"Allow me," he said, leaning over to draw the stockings down to my knees.

I was half expecting him to take off my heels, but they were ignored. His eyes gave me the usual up-down I was used to seeing from most other guys, but it was the first time I’d seen Daniel do it to me, let alone anyone else.

He stood back up and kissed along the side of my neck.
Light.
Barely there.
Holding—begging for my undivided attention. So when his fingertips brushed my clit through the fabric of my purple underwear, it caught me off guard.

He leaned in to kiss me again, muffling a short cry when he moved my panties out of the way—just enough for me to feel the pad of a finger against my clit.

"You’ve done well tonight," Daniel spoke against my lips. Icy panic swept through me when I realized he was fixing my underwear and pulling the stockings back on. "But that’s enough for now."

Blinking, I looked up at him. "That … that’s it?"

He cocked his head to the side. "I told you we were going to go slow. Now that you’ve shown me you can take commands in person, we’ll continue your training tomorrow."

I sucked on my bottom lip, aching for just one more taste of his skin. "But…"

"No buts. Until I say otherwise, we’ll be going at my pace. Besides, we both have to work in the morning, and I’d rather not abuse you to the point of you not being able to sit down."

You can do that?
 
I whimpered and crossed my legs. I didn’t try to hide my disappointment when Daniel handed me my skirt, bra and blouse.

He kissed my forehead. "I promise, tomorrow I’ll do a lot more than watch you undress in front of me." His eyes shot down to his cock, which strained against his slacks. "You aren’t the only one who’s going home all fired up. But, to make things interesting, I have a proposition for you. Keep in mind that if you accept, you must adhere to it."

I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, but the playful smile I saw in his eyes drew the question right out of me. "What is it?"

"On your way home tonight, you’re going to be thinking of what happened here. Knowing this, you’ll more than likely want to release some of this energy." His eyes narrowed. "Don’t."

"You mean I can’t…"

"You can play with yourself, sure. What you aren’t allowed to do is come. Until I see you tomorrow night, you aren’t to come or achieve an orgasm in any way. Is that clear?"

I snapped my bra into place and pulled on my blouse, tucking it under my skirt after I’d put that on as well. "Yes, Master."

What he doesn’t know won’t kill you.
As it was now, I wouldn’t get any sleep.
And my clients tomorrow morning?
I’d be lucky if I could focus on half of them given how frazzled I was from Daniel’s little act.

"So, what did you think?" Daniel asked, relaxing his shoulders as he transitioned from full-on-Dom to just another guy I knew.

"It was … interesting."
More like infuriating.

"I’m sure it was." He unlocked the door and stepped aside. "Come on. I’ll walk you to your car."

Chapter Five

Daniel's place was just a few blocks from the dungeon, so it wasn't hard to find. Remembering everything that had happened last night, I gripped the steering wheel. It was a Friday night. Neither one of us had to work tomorrow. That meant at least for tonight, there was no telling what would happen. No clients. No curfew.

And while he'd left me in the dungeon begging for more, I understood where he was coming from. Just from the little he did do, I had a hard time focusing on the few clients I had sessions with earlier in the day. I'd hate to think how messed up I would've been if Daniel hadn't cut me loose when he did.

Surprisingly enough, I wasn't as anxious as I thought I'd be. If anything, the large brick apartment building didn't intimidate me at all.
Of course it wouldn't. You're comparing it to a dungeon.

Playing with the hem on my skirt when I got out of the car, I took one last look in the side view mirror. He’d probably never admit it, but I could tell he appreciated the last outfit I'd worn for him. So, when I picked out my clothes this evening, I went for a similar look. Only this time the skirt was grey, and hidden under my blue blouse was a matching corset.

It took a month and a day to get the damned thing on, and I had a feeling it would burst open as soon as Daniel undid any of the strings in the back. In the end, none of this mattered. So long as I got a reaction from him, I'd write it off as a victory.
You've already done it once. Let's see if you can impress him again.

Pulling a jacket around my arms to fend off the cold, I winced any time my heels clicked against the pavement.
Good thing you aren't going for stealth.
No doubt he was staring out the window.
Or he would be, if he didn't live on the eleventh floor.

I glanced up at the building, squinting at where I imagined Daniel's floor to be. A tremor danced across my spine, and I hugged the jacket a little more. It didn't help as much as I would've liked, and even as I stepped inside, the fabric couldn't hold back my chills.

I suddenly became hyperaware of everything around me. The lights were too bright. The bell of an elevator sounded too strong. All in all, the front lobby was open.
Deserted.
And after I got a good look at the lobby, the only person I did see was another guest leaving the same way I'd just come in.

Stepping off to one side, I opened my purse and pulled out my cell to make sure I'd gotten the right address. But when I checked for the room number, all it said was 10. No letter beside it.

Looks like you're on your own.
I swallowed and chewed at my bottom lip. Daniel was expecting me. This much I knew, but where? Was I supposed to wait in the lobby, or go up to his room?

You aren't going to get anywhere just by standing here.
I sighed, shoved the cell in my purse and made my way over to the elevator. The silver doors opened, and once inside, I checked my options. There was the lobby, the basement and floors one to ten.

Top floor it is.
I hit the button and leaned my back against the wall. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. It caught anytime the elevator dinged. I kept expecting it to stop and for someone else to get on, but the whole way up to Daniel's floor, it just kept going.

After what felt like a lifetime, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. I frowned at the short hallway in front of me. It led to a single door.
Just one?
That was it. There was only one room on this floor, and it belonged to Daniel.

No wonder he didn’t give you a letter along with his room number.
Fighting back my anxiety, I stepped off the elevator and inched my way over to Daniel's room. Pressing a button near what appeared to be an intercom, I listened to it buzz on the other side of the door.

"Jules?"
came
Daniel's voice from the small speaker. He undid the locks,
then
said, "Come on through."

Taking a deep breath, I kept my hands in front of me and stepped inside as soon as the door opened. I froze before I could make my way over the threshold, stunned by the sheer size of what rested before me. The fact that Daniel was in the same suit he wore last night didn’t go unnoticed, but I was more concerned with his room. The small apartment I was expecting didn't exist.

"You..." I licked my lips and tried again. "You didn't tell me you lived in a penthouse."

He shut the door behind me with a shrug. "I didn't know it was important."

"I ... it isn't. It's just that, compared to my little hole in the wall—" I cut myself off and shook my head.
"How?"

"What? How can I afford it?" He held up a hand when I went to explain myself. "It's all right. I get this question a lot. Let's just say that renting this place is a lot cheaper than a house with a basement. But then, I also own property in a few states. Journeys
is
my passion." He turned away and made his way toward the kitchen.
"Drink?"

"Just water."
I was still taking in my surroundings when he offered me a water bottle. I unscrewed the cap, but it never reached my lips. "Why would you need a basement?"

He flashed me a wicked grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

I averted my eyes, looking anywhere I could aside from Daniel. His place was spotless, either because he was a neat freak or because of some clearing service, I couldn't tell. Pale carpeting, black leather sofas and glass tables trimmed with cherry wood filled most of the living room. There was also a big screen TV, which he'd left on, but the volume was turned off.

From the entryway, I also had a clear view of the kitchen with its stone tile floor and granite countertops. But what I really wanted to see was what he'd hidden down the hall to my left, past the living room.

I flinched when Daniel caressed my cheek.

"Relax," he said, taking my unused bottle of water from me. "You were kind of zoning out. You okay?"

I nodded. "I've never been in a penthouse before."

"Trust me. The luxury of it doesn't last long."

I frowned when I recognized a few of the images on his television screen. "Is that ... Journeys?"

He smiled and guided me over to the living room. "Sure is. It's how I keep tabs on things—guests, Doms, subs, employee performance—stuff like that."

"Can you do that?"

He inclined his head. "My staff knows I have cameras in place. They record everything that happens in the dungeon, outside the playrooms I mean. I have a live feed here so that if something happens, I can see it firsthand without having to go down and review the footage for that evening."

"So if an employee calls and says there's a problem, you come in here?"

"Pretty much.
This not only gives me an idea of what's going on, but it also allows me to help my staff in handling a situation before it gets out of hand. Luckily, most of my staff can pick up on a guest's tension before things have a chance to escalate, but we still need to be careful."

"You weren't kidding when you said anything that happens in the dungeon is on you."

"No, I wasn't. And like I said when it comes to my subs, I do everything in my power to keep our guests safe. Going to Journeys should never be a bad experience." He raised an eyebrow at me. "You ready for tonight?"

"Shit, I just realized I forgot to bring back the cuffs and flogger." Hell, I'd even written myself a note to put the box in my car, but when I was getting dressed, I forgot. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I have spares." He set my bottle of water on the coffee table before looking back at me. "Are you okay to continue tonight?"

"Yes."

He gestured at the hall to my left. "This way, please."

Remembering what I'd read on submissive behavior, I waited for him to take the lead before following behind him. Some subs kept a certain distance behind their Masters, but because Daniel hadn't given me an exact number of feet, I tried to keep two feet between us.

We passed two doors to either side of us, stopping at a set of double doors way at the end of the hall. I bowed my head and stared at my purse.

"Before we go inside, I must warn you. This isn't tame at all. You'll see stuff in this room that we more than likely will never use during your training. Try not to get overwhelmed." Daniel tugged on my ponytail so I'd look up at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Master."

"Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"No, Master."

"You'll tell me if this is too much, won't you?"

"Yes, Master."

He went back to the door and turned the knob. "I'll explain things once we get inside."

I nodded even though he couldn't see it, and as soon as the doors at the end of the hall opened, I followed him inside. I didn't look up. Instead, I studied to floor. Unlike the living room and hallway, the floor here was wooden, and given how loud our footsteps were, it seemed as if the room was pretty empty.