The Denim Dom (Siren Publishing Sensations) (40 page)

“I didn’t want you to think I was clingy.”

His thumb traced her chin and along her jawline. “I told you last night, I don’t think that about you, pet. I’m sorry I put you through that much distress. No more second-guessing. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Had she ever felt this happy? She couldn’t remember it if she had. “I love you, too, Sir.”

“I’m going to have a crazy day at work today,” he warned. “I’ve been gone two weeks, and there’s a bunch of stuff I have to take care of. I probably won’t get out of there until late. So how about I just leave my bags here? I’ll come straight here after work and we’ll eat snuggled on the couch before we go to bed.”

“You haven’t even been home yet?”

“No. I knew I had to see you. I couldn’t let this go any longer.” He kissed her, taking her breath away. When he broke their kiss he touched his forehead to hers and cupped his hand firmly around the nape of her neck. “But, from now on, unless you’re on a plane or something, you
never
turn your phone off unless you ask me first and I give you permission. Understand?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. The freedom of knowing he was once again in control flooded her soul. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl.”

How had she got here? Where those two simple words from him could make her heart stand up and sing?

“So we’re good for that plan?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

He stroked her cheek. “And yes, this is also a wedding proposal, pet. Although we can take our time planning that. Whatever you want to do.”

She felt heat in her cheeks. “It won’t be much. I can’t afford an expensive wedding.”

He made her look at him again. “
I
can. So what’s your answer?”

It felt good to be blinking back happy tears. “Yes!” she whispered.

She’d have to give that smile a name. His killer smile. His nuclear smile. Something, because it totally disarmed her.

“This weekend,” he said, “we’re going to the club and making the first part of it official. I will formally collar you in front of all our friends. Then I’m going to lay you across a bench and put my marks on you the way I’ve been wanting to. There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind who you belong to.” As his lips traced hers she let out a soft whimper. She wished tonight was already here.

When he broke their kiss, she gasped for breath. “Any special request for dinner, Sir?”

He grinned as he gently chucked her under the chin. “No, I don’t care what we eat. All I care about is that you answer the door naked except for your collar.”

* * * *

He left a few minutes before she did. She felt like she couldn’t focus, couldn’t think beyond what she wanted to make for dinner.
Maybe spaghetti. That’s fast and easy. No, maybe I should make pork chops. Argh!

It was a problem she didn’t mind having.

When Shayla got to work, she quickly ran through her accumulated texts and voice mails. James had called twice, and she deleted them as soon as she recognized his voice, before he said more than two words. Leah, Loren, and Tilly had all called to check on her. She saw where Tony had called once over the weekend, but hung up without leaving a voice mail.

She grinned, a little thrill running through her at the memory of the feel of his hands on her that morning, the way he’d pinned her wrists to the bed.

Owned her.

Her hand constantly fingered the amulet. She found herself unable to stop smiling.

Dreams do come true.

During the Monday editorial meeting, Bill Melling finally stopped what he was doing and looked at Shayla. “Is there something you want to share with the rest of the class?” he teased.

“Huh?”

Kimberly laughed next to her and gently nudged her with her elbow. “You look disgustingly happy compared to how sad you’ve been the past two weeks. Did you get engaged or something?”

The barking laugh burped out of her so suddenly that she clapped a hand to her mouth as she looked around the table. Everyone let out a laugh.

“Well?” Bill said.

Shayla nodded as she pushed her glasses up on her nose. “He got back into town late last night and he proposed this morning.”

A round of cheers and congratulations went up throughout the room. Bill grinned. “Our congratulations to the bride-to-be.” He grabbed a dry-erase marker and wrote
Exotic Wedding Ideas
on the whiteboard. “Hey,” he said with a smile, “I’m not above using your good news to give us story ideas.”

Only after the meeting ended did Shayla text Loren.
Guess what?

A few minutes later, she received a reply.
What?

Tony’s home.

She giggled at Loren’s reply.
Do I need to call Tilly to help us hold him down?

Noooo. :)

Loren called her seconds later. “What’s going on?”

“Tony’s officially collaring me. And he proposed.”

“Shut. Your. Mouth. You better not be lying to me.”

“No! He really did!”

Loren let out a squeal of laughter. “Congratulations! What happened?”

“He showed up at my front door in the middle of the night after getting in from Denver. He didn’t even go home first. And he said Leah was right, that he was an asshat.”

She heard Loren sigh. “That’s one of the great things about him. He’s not afraid to admit he made a mistake. So give me details!”

“I don’t have a lot of details to give. We talked and cleared the air, he collared me, and he proposed this morning. I just wanted to let you know.”

“Can I spread the word?”

Shayla smiled. “Feel free. And I’ve been told we’ll be there on Saturday. That’s when he’s collaring me in front of everyone. I need to get back to work.” Shayla ended the call and knew within the next few minutes Loren would have their friends updated.

Sure enough, she was inundated with text messages in the next ten minutes from Leah, Tilly, and Clarisse.

After lunch, Tony called to check on her. “How’s my pet?”

She giggled, unable to help herself. “Good, Sir.”

“Just wanted to let you know I should be at your place by nine. If I’ll be any later, I’ll call. So plan accordingly. If you want to go ahead and eat and heat mine up when I get there, that’s fine. I don’t want to make you wait.”

“That’s okay, Sir. I’d rather eat with you.”

“How’d I get so lucky?”

She closed her eyes and pictured his face. “I’m the lucky one, Sir.”

She opted to bake a modified ziti casserole that she used to make a lot when she was in Ohio and had friends over. It wouldn’t matter what time he arrived. It kept well and made great leftovers.

She wrote her grocery list while she sat at her desk and tried not to nervously tap her feet. She added
garlic bread
to the list, along with
dessert
.

Although hopefully
I’ll
be the dessert.

She giggled.

The closer the clock crawled toward 5:00 p.m. the slower time appeared to drag. She made it to her car by 5:05 and smiled all the way to the grocery store. By six she was home, showered, and naked except for her collar—all the blinds closed, of course—and had started dinner preparations. She put together a salad and stashed it in the fridge for later. She’d throw the frozen garlic bread in the oven when Tony got there.

Now ready, with the pasta casserole in the oven, she texted Tony.

I’m ready, Sir.

A few minutes later, his reply.
Good girl. I’m trying to finish, maybe there by eight if I’m lucky. I’ll text when I leave.

Her heart raced and she went to watch TV to pass the time. She couldn’t help reaching up to her collar, feeling it, reveling in it being buckled around her throat once again.

Remembering the feel of his lips on hers as he fisted her hair and kissed her when he came through the door.

Remembering the feel of his cock inside her that morning as they truly made love for the first time.

Owning her mind, body, and soul.

Finally, at seven thirty-five he texted her again.
On my way. ETA 30.

She let out a squeal, then giggled when she read his next text.
Be kneeling on the floor by the front door when I come in.

She felt her pussy throb. Her fingers trembled as she texted her reply.
Yes, Sir.

A minute later, he texted back.
Good girl.

She turned up the temperature on the oven to reheat the casserole and tried not to pace around the apartment. Twenty-five minutes later, headlights swept across her front blinds as a car pulled into the spot next to her car.

With her heart racing, she ran to the front door, made sure it was unlocked, and knelt in the foyer.

Her pulse pounded in her ears. It took every ounce of her will to slow her breathing to keep from hyperventilating from her excitement and anticipation.

She startled a little at the sound of his knock and she had to lick her lips before she could speak. “Come in,” she called out, then returned her gaze to the floor, hands on her knees.

The door opened. At first, he didn’t say anything.

The voice she heard made her let out a scream. “Um, Shay?”

She looked up, shocked to see James standing in her front door. “What are you doing here?” She jumped to her feet and grabbed the first thing her hand landed on, her rain jacket, and pulled it on.

He took a step in. “I…Jesus, Shay, is that a collar? I read your articles, but I didn’t think you wanted me to—”

“Get out!” She reached for her umbrella, but realized that wasn’t any cover at all and instead brandished it at him.

“I left you two voice mails the other day that I’d stop by—”

“Get out!”

“Look, can we please talk?”

She was aware of another car pulling up in front of her apartment, parking on the other side of hers. “No!” She thrust the umbrella at him. “Get out of here!”

“I just want to talk to you for a few minutes. Didn’t you get my voice mails? Are you naked for me?”

“No, none of your fucking business, and get the fuck out of here!”

Tony ran up behind James and pushed his way in. “What’s going on?”

She nearly sobbed with relief. “Sir, I thought he was you, I—”

“Sir?” James said, stepping closer to her. “Shay, will you please let me talk to you?”

“James, I told you, get out!”

Tony glared at the man as he stepped between him and Shayla. Tony took the umbrella from her.

“Pet, go to the bedroom.
Now
. And close the door.” His calm, even tone of voice brooked no argument.

Even though James called after her, she raced through the apartment and into the bedroom, where she closed the door behind her. She sat on her bed, the raincoat still clutched around her, as she listened to the sound of muffled voices. They grew in intensity and anger until she finally heard the front door slam shut.

Then, nothing.

She jumped when the bedroom door opened and Tony walked in. She stood and started to ask him what happened but he snapped his fingers and pointed at the floor.

Without thinking, she complied, shucking the raincoat and letting it fall to the floor as her questions died on her lips.

He stood there as she stared at his shoes and prayed she hadn’t just fucked things up.

* * * *

Tony didn’t look at Shayla as she ran for the bedroom. When the man looked like he wanted to go after her, Tony stepped in front of him. blocking his way.

“You set one more foot in this apartment,” Tony told the guy, “and you’ll leave in an ambulance. She told you to get out of here.”

“Who the fuck are you? I just want to talk to her. She’s my fiancée, dammit!”

It didn’t take Tony long to put things together. “Wrong, asshole. She
was
your fiancée until you screwed things up. She’s
my
fiancée now. And I’m not going to do something as stupid as lie and cheat and steal from her.” The man’s face fell. Tony knew he’d hit the mark and then some. “What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to talk to her. I left her messages over the weekend.” He drew himself up, still two inches shorter than Tony. “Look, she told me to come in when I knocked. She was obviously expecting me.”

It took every ounce of his being not to bust out laughing. Shayla
had
earned a spanking—for not verifying who was knocking on her door before allowing them to come in.

“She was expecting
me
. I’d just texted her that I would be here in a few minutes. Whatever you want to say to her, you say to me.”

“I have a history with her—”