She gritted her teeth and smacked her fists against her thighs. “Because this is all new to me. I’m afraid I won’t do things right. What if I do things all wrong? What if all I’m worthy of is punishment?”
My heart softened. If I wanted things to go the way I hoped, I needed to go easier on her. Shame on me for not taking her inexperience into consideration. “Pet, there’s no right or wrong. If it feels good, do it. If it doesn’t, don’t. You have a safe word for a reason. I’ll guide you every step of the way.”
Her fists relaxed, and her shoulders lowered. “If we do this, and I haven’t said yes yet, we need to remain professional at work. I don’t want anything to get in the way of getting a promotion in the New Year. Does anyone there know about you? Your lifestyle?”
“Everything that happens is between us. People at work know I’m a control freak, but that’s all.”
“Are all the parties sex parties? Will I have to crawl across the floor naked and kiss your feet?”
I laughed softly. “At a few parties, I’ll expect certain things, but everyone is discreet. There will be no crawling on the floor naked and no kissing my feet. Most of the parties will be boring and filled with people networking.”
She gnawed her lips, then licked them. “We should see how the rest of this weekend goes before we decide. Kind of like a trial period.”Chapter Nine - PearlWho was I kidding? I already knew I would agree to be his plus one and his pet, but I didn’t want to seem too eager.
My heart raced like I’d hiked the Appalachian Trail in my bare feet. To stop stripping naked and begging him to begin my training this second, I made a cup of instant coffee and microwaved frozen pancakes, doing my best to appear calm and in control when I was anything but.
To give myself room to think, because being close to him left my brain mushy, I pulled on my Uggs and trudged outside to the deck to get some fresh air and take in the view. As always, the landscape took my breath away.
The lake had frozen over, and early morning skaters were already zipping around.
I took a sip of coffee and leaned against the railing. Already this weekend, I’d learned lots about myself. I didn’t think I was into pain, like at all, but when he’d smacked my ass, it more than turned me on.
If I was alone, I would’ve happy danced. The thought of being someone’s submissive sent shivers up my spine. What kind of Christmas parties would we go to? He said they wouldn’t all be sex parties, but those were the ones that excited me the most.
I still couldn’t believe I’d shared my fantasy about being bound and helpless. It was my go-to fantasy when I needed to get off in a hurry. I wasn’t expecting it to ever come true.
Sighing, I took another sip of coffee. Everything in my life was going in the right direction, and I felt good about myself.
“It’s beautiful here,” he said from behind me.
“It’s more than beautiful,” I replied. “It’s spectacular. A slice of heaven on earth. I miss coming here and escaping the real world.”
“I can see why.”
I cleared my throat. There was something I’d wanted to ask him. Something I wasn’t clear about. “I don’t have to call you sir all the time, do I?”
He chuckled. “Pearl, when we’re not in the middle of a scene or when we’re not at a private party or at a club, you can call me James, and I’ll call you Pearl. To be safe, at work, call me Mr. Matthews, and I’ll call you Ms. Holmes. Other than that, address me as sir, and I’ll address you as pet. I’ll also sometimes use the word pet affectionately.”
“Got it.”
“I’m not in the lifestyle twenty-four-seven. Besides, expecting someone as independent as you to become a full-time submissive is asking too much—for now. I don’t think I would like that. I enjoy sparring with you.”
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my frozen ears. It was the type of gesture that people in a relationship did. Something intimate and loving.
I nervously flicked the tip of my tongue over my lips to wet them. I ached for him to kiss me again. To take control like he did last night.
“So, about today. You want to ice skate or something?”
“How about or something?” His wicked grin curled my toes. “I don’t want to ice skate. I don’t want to snowshoe. I don’t want to hike. What I do want to do is go inside and watch your mother’s collection of Tom Cruise movies.”
I laughed so hard my coffee spilled over the rim of my mug. “Seriously?”