Fierce Encounters Book 1

Emma Carmichael stretched languorously on the patio’s chaise lounge. The warmth of the early June sun felt good against her long legs. She stretched again, and then picked up her book. She was in the midst of reading a collection of mystery short stories, her idea of a fun summer read. One of the women at work had suggested 50 Shades of Gray, but honestly, the writing had turned her off long before anything else could turn her on.

She’d only read a page before she realized the moving van two doors down from her. She frowned, wondering about the older couple who had lived there. Had they been sick? Had something happened? She frowned again and turned her attention back to the book.

She timed her minutes in the sun, not wanting to burn. Her blonde hair was natural and she had the fair skin to match it. She didn’t want to get too red. She was hosting a small party in a few weeks and wanted to be golden, not crimson.

Emma caught her breath as one of the movers hoisted what appeared to be a large trunk. He settled it on one shoulder and carried it to the door. Emma followed his every move until he disappeared from sight. She chastised herself. She normally wasn’t one to ogle a good-looking man just because he was dark and muscular. She looked for brains and an ability to commit.

She looked down at her book for a moment, but decided instead to see if he returned for another trip. As if he’d known her thoughts, he reappeared at that moment and dove back into the van for another box. This one was odd shaped, and he handled it with care. Emma wondered what might be so precious. She was impressed with the delicacy he used to maneuver the awkward box into the house. She would definitely use these movers. Normally, boxes were lucky to stay in one piece by the time the movers were done.

She stood up, stretching once again like a contented cat. It was time to go inside and finish her book there. She took her time, moving to the back door. She tried to excuse it as being tired from the time in the sun, but she knew that she was hoping for another glance of the moving man.

She put her hand on the doorknob just as he came outside again. This time, he caught her eye and gave her a wink. Emma hurried inside and tried to concentrate on her book to little avail. Something had come over her. She never acted this way.

She put the thoughts of the moving man out of her mind as she decided to shower and pick up a few things for her next get together.

Two days later, Emma had gotten up the nerve to visit the new neighbor. She hadn’t seen any activity at the house for the past two days, but a newer sports car sat in the driveway today. She’d finished the short story collection, so she’d run out of excuses to not stop by. She picked up the plate of cookies that she’d bought and walked to the house.

She could already see the stamp of the new owners on the house. The garage was open and gone were the years of accumulated memories that the Yungbluths had stored there. The space was now filled with more odd shaped boxes and the trunk she’d seen the day the new people had moved in. What she didn’t see was any signs of the neighbors. She sighed, steeling herself for the pleasantries and rang the bell.

She was taken aback when the moving man opened the door. Her breath caught as she stood this close to him. He was slightly taller than her own 5’10”. Today he was clothed, wearing a pair of shorts that showed off hairy legs with thick muscular calves. He wore a button-down shirt that was casually left un-tucked. He looked like he could be going boating or out to a casual party.

He smiled at her, apparently remembering how she’d watched him before. “Hello, welcoming committee?”

“Something like that,” Emma said, shoving the plate of cookies towards him. “These are for you –uh, and your wife.”

“Not married,” he said casually. He gave her another smile. “Just me – and the cat.” He pointed to an orange tabby that sat on the floor of the entryway.

Emma wondered if he would invite her in, but at the moment, he was standing in the doorway, blocking any attempt at entrance. She wondered if he wasn’t alone. Maybe he had another woman in the kitchen – or perhaps the bedroom. “So, are you enjoying it here?”

“So far, so good. You’re the first neighbor that I’ve met.”

“Most of the people here are easy to get along with. No drama, everyone pretty much keeps to themselves.”

He nodded. “Good to know. I like it that way.”

She nodded too. She just bet he did. For some reason, Emma was suspicious of the man. His lack of manners in inviting her in and his reticence seemed part of an act. She found herself wondering what was behind that mask. With a start, she realized she’d just been standing there. “Well, I’ll be going. I just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” The man watched her as she walked back towards her house, not closing his door until she was out of sight. It made Emma slightly uncomfortable to know that he was so obviously checking her out.

She was unnerved by the time she returned home. Emma realized that he hadn’t even offered his name to her. How odd. Emma felt like one of the heroines in the romantic suspense novels. There wasn’t any romance here, but something was up with this man. She was going to do some sleuthing to get to the bottom of this.

Emma began jogging. She hadn’t done much physical exercise over the winter. She’d much rather stayed inside and read a book, so she had. It wasn’t as if she needed the exercise. She maintained her figure without much work to the chagrin of her friends. However, she had no more excuses to visit the mystery man, so jogging past his house might at least give her a chance for an accidental meeting. She knew from her books that this wasn’t how detectives learned about someone, but she felt it was all she had.

Several days went by with no sightings at all. The front door was closed and uninviting. The garage doors were shut, hiding the odd shaped boxes she’d seen. For all of her investigations, he could easily have closed up the house and not even been around. Emma knew she’d be annoyed if she did all this work for nothing.

To keep her mind off of the mystery man and his odd effect on her, she busied herself with getting ready for her next social gathering. She’d opted for a tropical theme, and she’d rented a few plastic palm trees for the occasion. They would go well with the sangria and the drinks in the plastic coconut cups she’d picked up at the party store.

The night of the party was perfect. The moon was full and shone brightly over the festivities. Several of her friends from work and some of the women she’d gone to college with all attended along with their husbands, boyfriends and partners. For the few single women, she’d invited some of the young men from work, who seemed to be having fun.

The party rollicked on until near 2 am. Just before escorting the last few guests out the door, Emma had noticed the lights on at the house two doors down. As she picked up some of the coconut cups from the patio, she saw the mystery man come outside and look over at her house. He certainly can’t be annoyed by the noise level. Her friends had talked at a loud whisper after 11pm, still thinking that the Yungbluths lived nearby and would complain about the conversations.

She did wonder what was up with him. He was unmarried and apparently if he was home at this time on a Saturday, not dating. Why would a man who looked like that be single? She definitely couldn’t figure that one out. Any of the single women at the party would have killed to meet him. So why was he single?

She thought of her own circumstances. People said that about her all the time, but Emma was picky. She wasn’t a prude by any means, but she wanted to date someone with whom a future was possible. She found no pleasure in one night stands, which seemed to be what most men wanted. She shrugged, reminding herself that she was happy with her current circumstances.

Emma was a bit tipsy, though nowhere near drunk. She smiled in his direction and waved at the man. She knew it was bolder than her normal behavior, but frankly at the moment, she didn’t care. It wasn’t like they’d get to know each other and become friends. He’d been almost rude in not inviting her inside and his lack of conversation that day.

She smiled to herself now, thinking that perhaps she’d evened the score. He was alone and she was the one with friends. She hummed a tune as she cleaned up.

After the festivities the night before, Emma was in no form to go jogging the following day. She curled up with some hot tea, which she adored even when it was warm, and her latest book. She planned on staying home and enjoying some quiet time.

She’d nearly made it to the half-way point in her book when the doorbell rang. She was hesitant at first to answer it, thinking it would be a salesperson or a religious person trying to tell you their Gospel. She stood up, walked to the door and looked through the peephole. It was the mystery man. He just stood there, looking around at her front porch. She shrugged and opened the door.

“Hi,” she said, standing in the doorway. She thought she would keep him outside, just as he’d done her. However, it was warm and pleasant with a soft breeze that she could feel through the screen door. “What can I do for you?”

The man held up a pair of women’s panties. “I think one of your guests left me a present last night.”

Emma had the good graces to blush. “Wow, uh, I don’t t know what to say.” Emma took them from him, holding them at arm’s length. She tried to remember who had left together of her single friends. Her memory was a bit hazy from the drinking. She blushed a little when she remembered giving the mystery man a wave of the hand before going inside for the evening. Not her finest moment for sure.

“I hope they had a good time. Usually getting naked is the first step to having some fun.” He turned a bright smile on her and laughed at his own joke. When he stopped laughing, he held out his hand. “I’m Daniel, by the way. I don’t know where my manners were the other day. Probably just too much moving.”

Emma smiled. It would be hard to not call him “mystery man” after the past few weeks of intrigue. She took a deep breath. “Nice to meet you. I’m Emma.”

“Well, nice to meet you too, Emma. I was beginning to think that I was just going to have to call you the good looking woman next door.” He smiled with one side of his mouth, looking as if it might be a smirk.

Emma turned bright pink. She’d never thought of herself as good looking. “Um, thanks. I hope the party didn’t keep you up last night. They were all pretty quiet. The people who had the house before you were sticklers for lights out at 11pm.”

“Nothing like that for me. I just don’t know anyone in the area, so I’ve mostly been getting the house set-up and keeping to myself. It’s easier that way.”

Before she thought through her words, Emma said, “Why don’t you come to my next party? It will be in two weeks, and you can meet some people who live in the area. You might make some friends.”

Daniel gave her a grin. “I wasn’t trolling for an invite, but thanks a lot. I appreciate it.”

Emma shuffled her feet, realizing now what she’d done. Up until a few minutes ago, she hadn’t known his name and had professed dislike of his manners. Now he was going to be attending her next party, which had a pirate theme of all things.

Daniel dropped his head and then looked into her eyes. “I’d better get going. I still have a lot to do to the house. Thanks for the invite. I look forward to it.”

“No problem. I’ll stop by and give you the details when I know them.”

Daniel walked away, and Emma thought it was fair play to watch him as he went. She remembered the feeling of embarrassment when he’d done that to her. Now she was turning the tables on him.

She tried to return to her book, but she kept drifting back to the conversation. She still kicked herself for inviting him to the party, but there was nothing she could do now. She’d never even thought to invite others from the neighborhood to these events, but now he was going to be there. Daniel. She said the name several times that afternoon, trying to get used to the sound of it.

Daniel came over one evening to visit before the party. She’d forgotten all about her promise to stop by and give him the information about the party. She blushed a little at the realization that she’d been so enthralled with talking to him that she’d totally forgotten her promise to him. She felt a bit off. She was so efficient about her parties, and now she’d blown an invite.

She gave him a quick tour of her home and showed him around the pool area. She loved the seclusion of the patio and pool, where she spent most of her hours reading and relaxing. Daniel eyed her as she talked dreamily about the setting and some of the book she’d been reading. He didn’t speak much outside, but seemed much more lively inside. Emma wondered about Daniel’s interests and hobbies. He didn’t seem to talk much about himself.

The night of the pirate party came quickly. Emma had duly invited several couples to the event as usual and had against her better judgment, she’d invited several of her single women friends as well. She’d tossed in a couple of the usual single guys, just to even things out, but she worried that some of her friends would be overly interested in Daniel. She tried not to examine her feelings too much. It was only a party and she just wanted her guests to have a good time. Not more was happening. Even so, she thought that she’d done a good job with the gypsy skirt that made her look like a pirate’s maiden.

Emma downed her third margarita on essentially an empty stomach. She’d been too busy with the finger food to give herself a proper meal this afternoon. Now her head was swimming slightly from the alcohol and lack of food. She decided to take a minute to herself. She made her way outside and sat down on the chaise. She saw the paper parrots perched on the railing. No pirate party was complete without parrots.

The cool night air cleared her head somewhat as she looked out on the sparkling dots that seemed to float across the pool. She felt serenely happy here.

A voice came from behind her. “I wondered where you’d gone off to.”

Emma looked up, sure she recognized the voice. “Daniel. Yes, I just had to get away for a few minutes to clear my head. It’s a lovely night. Are you having a good time?”

Her breathe caught as she saw him. He was wearing white pants rolled up at the cuff and an open shirt, tied at the bottom in a meager attempt at piratedom. His smooth chest was firm and muscled. She wondered when he found the time to work-out. He smiled at her. “Very much so. Your friends are a lot of fun. They’re telling stories on you.”

Emma moaned. “Don’t listen to them. Only about half of them are true.”

Daniel laughed. “That could be fun, depending on which half those are.”

Emma smiled. “I can only hope for their discretion. A girl doesn’t want to give away all her secrets.”

“You have secrets, too, eh?”

Emma was intrigued by the word “too.” What did he mean by that? What type of secrets was Daniel hiding? Perhaps a crazy wife in the attic? “I’ll never tell. You’ll have to find out for yourself.”

Daniel grinned, a smile that lit up his eyes even in the half-light of the patio. “That’s a challenge that I’d enjoy taking.”

Emma felt for a second like he might be leaning in to kiss her, when Lynnette stuck her head out the door. “Sweetie, you’re out of tequila. That just won’t do.”

Emma flushed, realizing that they were looking in the wrong place for it. “You’ll have to excuse me for now. We can talk more in a bit.”

“I look forward to it,” Daniel said with a gallant nod of the head.

Emma sighed deeply and went in search of the tequila. Sure enough, it was under the counter next to the drain cleaner. Why no one could remember her storage system was beyond her. She’d seen Daniel come back inside after she left with Lynnette, but a crowd of people encouraged her to do a shot. She could hardly refuse since she was in no need of a ride home. She’d only need to walk the few paces to her room after the last guest left.

The night went on as a blur. People were laughing and telling stories and Emma enjoyed the way that the snacks for the party were gone quickly. She’d made a cute watermelon cut-out that looked like a ship and had made buckeyes into “cannonballs.”

Near the end of the party, Emma went looking for an aspirin for a coworker, who would definitely be needing it. She came to the door of the guest bathroom, which was closed. She knocked and no one answered. She knocked again just to be on the safe side. Still no answer. She opened the door, and saw Daniel in the candlelight of the bathroom. He was washing his hands quietly as if no one had knocked.

“Sorry,” Emma said quickly with a blush.

“Don’t be,” he smiled. “I was just washing my hands. Too many of the cannonballs stuck to my fingers. He held his hands out in front of him to show her.

Emma looked at him a moment and put her hand out to touch his. The heat coming from just his palms made her feel warm all over. She pressed her palm against his and smiled.

Daniel closed his fingers between hers and let his arm drop. They stepped closer and before Emma could think of something to say, she was pressed against him. They were fully clothed, but she could feel his arousal and she wanted him now, without hesitation. She knew it was probably a bad idea, since they lived so close, but she didn’t care. They’d been playing a dance ever since they’d met and the song was over now. She moaned as she pressed herself against him.

Emma felt his lips brush against hers. They kissed gently at first, but soon his tongue was pressed against her mouth, wanting entrance. She greeted his tongue with her own and they wrestled in her mouth as his hands caressed her back. They stood in silence for a few minutes, just kissing, as the party played out in the rooms beyond this.

Emma let her hands wander. His shirt was open, and she wanted to feel the hard tone of his abs and chest. She traced the ridges in his abdomen, allowing her fingers to trail off into his pants before coming back up to his chest. She found his nipple and tweaked on it. The action provoked a moan from the man, a sound that Emma knew she could grow to like.

With such easy access, she slid the shirt down over his shoulders. His nipples had hardened into hard nickels against his flat chest. Her mouth found one nipple and teased it, running her tongue around the outer edge of the nipple until it reacted. She enjoyed the easy way in which his body responded to her. She wondered what reaction she could get if they had the time and the place to explore this more thoroughly.

“We don’t have a lot of time. Jenna will be wondering where I’ve gone to,” Emma said, trying to catch her breath for a second.

“That’s too bad. I had plans for you.” His mouth hovered near her ear. When he spoke, she could feel the brush of his lips against her earlobe. It made her quiver with desire.

“We’ll have to make do then,” Emma said. This time, she pulled him into a long kiss. As their tongues brushed against each other, she pressed against his abdomen, feeling his erection again. He was ready for her.

With a final long kiss, Emma slowly got to her knees. She unbuttoned the front of his pants and slowly let down the zipper. Daniel hissed as the zipper slid down and his hard member fell forward a little in its release. The front of his black boxer briefs was already wet with anticipation. Emma smiled, glad to know that she wasn’t the only one who wanted this.

She was surprised at how bold she was being. Normally, she would have required three real dates before any sexual play, but Daniel was different. The mystery, the sexiness, the muscles. All of this made her want him on a physical level. She tried not to think of it being anything more, since she knew what would happen after this.

Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she mouthed the front of his briefs. Daniel moaned softly, but the sound encouraged Emma. She ran her tongue up and down the fabric, tasting his desire through the fabric.

Daniel moaned again. With a single thrust, he shoved down his pants and shorts, leaving him exposed. Emma gasped. He was bigger than she was used to. She’d gone down on a few guys before, usually after she’d known them a while. None of them had been outside of the norm in length or girth. Daniel was long, probably eight inches and somewhat thick. She could easily fit her mouth around it, but she worried about choking on it.

She started slow, teasing the head of his dick with her tongue. He oozed from the slit. She smiled at the thought of how aroused he was. She was nearly as turned on herself. She licked down the length of his member, letting her tongue go down to the balls and then back up again to the head. She did it again, faster this time and ending with her mouth over the head of his dick. She left it there a moment, willing herself not to choke.

She felt the shaft fill her mouth as she continued to push more of him into her mouth. He nearly touched the back of her throat. Emma focused on the pleasure and began moving her mouth back and forth along his length. She kept one hand near his balls, and she played with them with her hand as she continued to lick him. Daniel moaned again, a long desperate sound that she couldn’t begin to interpret. He’d need to keep it down or the others would hear him.

Emma’s other hand crept up his abs again, running her fingers across the hard muscled flesh. She could feel the tension in them and the harder she worked on his member, the more tense the muscles became. It was if she’d discovered a way to measure how far along he was. If the tightness of his abs was any indication, he didn’t have much more control over the situation.

She started moving faster, knowing that their time was limited. She moved her mouth quickly up and down the shaft, tasting him as her mouth rose again to the head. She knew that he had to be getting close. He didn’t speak. His head was titled back. His eyes were nearly closed and his mouth panted.

“I’m getting close,” he said a few moments later.

Emma gave him another long lick and then brought her mouth off of him. He began to spurt and his juice came in long streams across the bathroom counter. His hips thrust and Emma watched him as he grew spent. He looked down at her and smiled. He offered her a hand up, and he kissed her a long and dreamy kiss, before he pulled up his pants.

“I’ll clean this up. You’d better find that aspirin for your friend,” he said, looking around for a cloth.

Emma handed him a hand towel and smiled. “Always the gentleman. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

“Indeed you will,” Daniel promised.

Emma rushed back to her friends, feeling slightly torn. She played polite hostess while fantasizing about what had actually just happened in the bathroom. Even Jenna, who had swallowed the aspirins with a shot of tequila, noticed that Emma was distracted. She queried to find out what was wrong, but Emma just gave an excuse that it had been a long night with a lot of drinking.

Some of the others took that as a sign to leave. They packed up, located their designated drivers and trundled out into the breezy summer evening. Emma expected Daniel to follow along with the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen. Emma could have kicked herself, knowing that he’d probably snuck out the back way, having gotten all that he could have wanted tonight. So much for being direct.

Emma didn’t bother to undress. She just threw herself into bed and fell into fitful sleep.

She awoke the next morning to the sound of knocks on the door. She groaned, rolling herself out of bed. She took a quick look in the mirror, took a brush to her blonde hair as she headed to the door. She set the brush down on the coffee table and looked out the peep hole. It was Daniel, standing there with a smile and coffee. What the hell? He’d left without a word last night and now had the nerve to show up first thing in the morning with coffee.

Emma checked the clock. It was almost eleven. Okay, maybe not first thing, but still early. She thought about going back to bed, but Daniel knocked on the door again. Emma relented and answered the door.

“Hi,” she said as she leaned against the door. It was very bright out and she squinted to see him.

“How are you feeling this morning?” He proffered a coffee and another smile. “You were a little under the weather when I left last night.”

“About that…” Emma queried.

“What?” Daniel asked, taking a small sip of his coffee. He was clear-eyed, dressed in a more proper polo shirt and jeans. He still looked great, but Emma kept remembering him in that costume from last night.

“What happened to you? I went to look for you and you’d vanished. Pulled up sail and cast off.” Emma wondered if her metaphor had gone too far.

“I wasn’t sure how to say good-bye. Anything that was suitable for you might have surprised your friends, given that both of us mentioned that we’d met recently. A long good-night kiss would have been suspicious.”

“And what about a hearty handshake?” Emma asked. She cringed inside, wondering if she’d really used the word “hearty” in a sentence just now. Ugh. She needed to work on her confrontational skills.

“After what happened in the bathroom, I didn’t feel right about a quick handshake or a polite hug. That would have been hard for me to pull off without showing I was interested. I decided to skip out, and then we could talk more one-on-one today.” Daniel smiled and toasted her with the coffee.

Emma felt odd. She knew that she should protest in some manner, but at the same time, logically his reasoning made perfect sense. Did she just want to start a fight for the sake of arguing or could she better articulate what was going through her head? Could she even clear out her head enough to figure it out for herself?

She was still thinking of last night. In some ways it was so unlike her to be so forward with a man she barely knew, but at the same time, it had felt like she’d known him for ages and that the moment had just been right. There was something to say for spontaneity, even though she rarely practiced it.

Emma realized that she’d been lost in her own thoughts as Daniel had sat and watched her. “I guess it’s okay. I was just disappointed that you’d left so early. It made me feel cheap, I guess.” She looked down as she said the words. She couldn’t bear to see his reaction to her words.

He took his hand and put it on her chin. Her eyes looked up to his. “I didn’t mean for you to feel that way. I would have stayed. Honest. It was just awkward. I thought we’d have more time to talk today and find out what’s next.”

She raised an eyebrow. “There’s a next?”

“There is if you’d like one. Last night wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t interested in something more. There’s something about you that I find – interesting.”

Emma felt her skin flush as he spoke. She’d thought of herself as nondescript, not someone who would catch the eye of Daniel. “Thank you. Of course, it’s the same for me.”

Daniel cleared his throat. “I’m glad to hear you say that. There’s something that I’d like to talk to you about. Just clear the air if we’re going to start dating?”

Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes. Here it was. He was going to trot out that he was married or engaged or gay or still living with his mother. Some game changer that she couldn’t have possibly foreseen in their short time together. “I’m glad you feel comfortable in sharing with me,” she replied. She congratulated herself on the calm demeanor she presented as she winced internally.

“It’s nothing terrible, but I like to put it out there fairly early. I don’t want to spook anyone that I date.”

Here it comes, Emma thought. The wife and kids speech.

“I’m very much into BDSM, and I prefer to date women who are as well. I don’t require it all the time with the person I’m involved with, but for me, it enhances the relationship significantly to engage in dominance.”

Emma couldn’t find the words to speak, she wasn’t sure what to say. She’d never done anything kinkier than doing it in the bathroom at a party. Now he was wanting her to be a part of some sex scene that she had no idea about.

Daniel looked at her. “Too soon to bring this up? Not interested?”

Emma forced a smile at him. “Not really sure what it’s all about. I mean, I’ve heard about it. I just don’t know anything more than a few things I’ve heard.”

“It’s fairly simple, actually. There are two roles in dominance. There’s the dominant role, which would be me. It’s not a guy or girl thing. It’s just the role I prefer. I’ve always preferred to be the one in charge of a situation, whether it’s work or sex.”

“So then I’d be the submissive person?” Emma thought her own voice sounded weak and raspy as she spoke. She wouldn’t be intimidated by this. Just because it was something that she didn’t understand was no reason to reject it. She at least owed herself the chance to learn more about it before deciding.

“Yes, the submissive, who is usually just called a ‘sub’, is the person who submits to the wishes of the other person.” Daniel practically glowed as he spoke, talking about this. Emma could see it on his cheeks and in his eyes. He was turned on by just the mere discussion of this.

“So it’s just a sex thing?” Emma said, still not taking in the full range of what he was talking about or why he was so turned on.

“It can be, but I’d prefer it not to be. It’s a matter of a mutually agreed upon power exchange, where you trust me to do what’s best for you and to make the decisions for you in the bedroom – and sometimes out of the bedroom.”

Emma pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure how that would work. She liked being in charge of her own life. What would it be like to give control over to someone else? “So I’d give in to all you wanted?”

Daniel’s face turned serious. “It’s not like that. I’m not going to keep you trapped in a basement somewhere. You’d still go out, see friends, do the things that you enjoy. I’d just want you to wear a little reminder that you belong to me.”

Emma stood up without thinking. “Not a dog collar or something. No way. My friends would freak out if they saw that.”

Daniel stood up too and took her hand in his. “Not like that at all. In a relationship I had a long time ago, the sub wore a leather cuff around her wrist. It looked like a friendship type bracelet to most people, but to us it meant more.”

Emma yawned against her will. She was still tired from last night and this conversation was pretty intense for one cup of coffee. “This is a lot to take in all at once. I was thinking you were going to tell me that you were married or something – and instead I get a lecture on BDSM. Wow.”

Daniel smiled. “Why don’t you take a few days to think about it? We don’t have to rush anything. We could start slow and work our way into more. It’s not fair for me to expect you to be at the same place I am. I’ve done this for years, and it’s what I prefer in a relationship.”

Emma looked at him. “Relationship?”

It was Daniel’s turn to blush slightly. “Well, I was hoping after last night that, well you know…”

Emma perked up. She was in familiar territory now. “So the deal is that we would be a couple if I agreed to be your sub?”

Daniel took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to think of it as a blackmail situation. I’m not swapping me for sex. But I do like you – a lot, and I’d like to pursue something, but I know from experience that in order for a relationship to work for me that BDSM has to be a part of it. I don’t want it to sound like you have to do this or else. It’s just what works for me.”

Emma nodded. “I get that. It’s still a lot to take in all at once – on a Sunday morning.” She gave him a wan smile in hope that it was enough to buy her some time on this matter. She had some serious considerations to make.

Daniel nodded. He changed the subject to the neighborhood and the friends from the party last night. Emma tried to reintroduce him to all of them via their role in her life and what they’d been dressed in last night. At least the costumes had been colorful enough to make it easy to individualize them. He laughed at the stories she told, and before she knew it, Emma had agreed to dinner.

Fortunately, Daniel knew of a Thai restaurant with lots of privacy. Emma wanted to continue their discussion, which required some discretion. Emma spoke up after their orders had been taken. “I’m very interested in you, but I do want a normal dating life”

Daniel took a bit of his spring roll and grinned. “It’s not my every waking moment. You should know. I came to your party last night wearing a pirate’s costume of all things. However, most of the time in the bedroom, I like dominance. It’s what really turns me on. The rest is okay, but I know what I like. I can go through the motions with other types of sex, but I know what works for me.”

Emma sighed. “What about flowers and gifts? I don’t want to sound totally materialistic, but a girl likes to be wooed.”

Daniel waved his arm around the room. “We’re here. I can eat in public and have a good time out on the town. I won’t wear chaps to your friends’ weddings, I promise.”

Emma laughed at that, but a small part of her wondered how he would look in chaps. “I still need to think about this. It’s all new to me.”

“I understand. I just usually put it out front rather than wait until we’re weeks or months into a relationship and then you find out that I like this and don’t want it.”

The conversation slipped back to discussions of restaurants they’d been to. They played a game of trying to find mutual acquaintances, which passed the time but bore no fruit. Daniel escorted Emma back to her house. She stood awkwardly on the front step, wondering if he would be turned off by her pursuing a kiss. She decided to go for it and leaned in close to him.

Daniel reciprocated and gently put his arms around her. They stood there in the dim light of the front door locked in embrace. The kiss today was sweeter, less demanding than last night. He took his time before pushing his tongue against her lips. She let him in and immediately began to feel the desire of the previous evening. She’d only had a single drink at the restaurant tonight, so alcohol was not fueling her desire.

She broke off the kiss long enough to open the door and move the action inside. She grabbed his shirt and held on as his hands began to run across her. She wasted no time in getting his shirt to the floor. She began as she had last night, kissing and biting at his nipples. There were no guests to hide from tonight, and Daniel’s moan was audible in the house. He pulled her blouse over her head and held her tight for a moment before he started the lightest bites on her neck and shoulders. He would nip her skin and then use his tongue to lick over it. He fumbled with her bra for a second and then it fell to the ground as well. He began with just touching her breasts, running his fingers over the nipples lightly. She felt her areoles grow hard as he played with them.

She started moving them, half-dressed, into the bedroom. Still standing, she kicked off her shoes. Daniel did the same. She stepped backwards and pulled him along. He was being almost timid, which surprised Emma, since they’d spent the better part of dinner talking about his dominance. Emma felt the back of her legs against the mattress. Daniel’s hands were on her at once, gripping her hips hard, hard enough to leave red marks in their wake. She reached for him, getting him free from his pants and then his underwear, black boxer briefs again.

Emma looked at him now. He stood there, bare chested and aroused, waiting for her. She finished undressing quickly and fell back onto the mattress. He was on her in seconds, filling the space between her legs. He pulled himself up until they were nearly matched on the bed. Daniel kissed Emma with passion now, letting her know that he wanted her.

She rolled over enough to open a bedside table drawer and pulled out a condom. She hoped he didn’t think her a slut for being prepared, but a few too many times passion had been thwarted by a lack of latex. He nodded and left it on the bed for a moment. He kissed her for a moment more, and then let his mouth explore her body. Emma let her head fall back against the pillow as he found her sensitive spots and the places that drove her wild. Without warning, he had his tongue inside of her. She hadn’t made a move to do the same for him, since she’d done that last night. Now was all about her.

He drove his tongue in deeper, and she thrust her hips up towards him. He had her hips again and regulated the motion of her hips. She could feel the tease of his mouth on her and she wanted to orgasm now, but he wouldn’t let her.

She lay back and let him pleasure her. At some point in her enjoyment, he’d exchanged two fingers for his tongue. He’d used her own juices to loosen her up and fill her with his fingers. She rose up with her hips to meet his hand. She bucked as much as his hands would let her. He slid a third finger inside of her. Emma moaned with desire. She wanted it now.

Daniel must have read her mind, because now he pulled his fingers out. She felt the emptiness inside of her and whined, wanting to feel it again. Instead she heard the ripping of the condom’s wrapper and in a few seconds, Daniel had entered her. He was on his knees and elbows, slowly pushing his way inside of her. She’d known he was big from last night, but tonight he seemed even larger. She felt full with him, full and sated.

He rested inside of her for a moment, letting her feel all of him inside of her. Then he started a rhythm of pulling nearly all the way out and then thrusting until his balls were pressed against her. The motion spurred her desire. She matched his motion, feeling the fullness of him in her with each thrust. She moaned again, wanting it to be over and never wanting it to end at the same time. Daniel went on for several minutes like this until Emma began a thick moan that no one could misinterpret. She felt her body flush and a blinding light of pleasure run through her. Above her, she heard Daniel groan and thrust one more time before he came. He thrust a few more times and pulled out. He left Emma there on the bed as he cleaned up. Emma finally rolled off the bed and dressed enough to see him to the door. She hadn’t expected him to stay the night, after spending almost all day together. She gave him a kiss with intent and watched as he walked to his own door.

The rest of the week flew by. Emma deliberately tried not to think of the situation with Daniel. She struggled with the idea of being with someone who would tell her what to do, but on the other hand, she had felt immediately intrigued and comfortable with the man. That had to count for something, she believed.

Before she knew it, Friday had rolled around. Emma had deliberately left a few weeks between her parties. She needed the intervening weekends to read and rest, and her friends needed to rest their livers. She had made some semi-plans with Daniel, but she hadn’t followed through on firming them up. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was so busy or because she was afraid of the next steps in their relationship if she did make those plans.

She called his number from work. She got his voicemail and left a quick message telling him that she still wanted to see him that night if he was available. Her voice sounded stressed enough from her job that it was believable.

Having made that step, Emma immediately doubted herself and her resolve. This was so outside of her comfort zone. Would she be able to go through with it? She barely knew what “it” would be. She tried to not let her imagination run wild, thinking of all these beatings and whips that she’d seen on Cinemax.

Daniel showed up around 7:30pm. He was wearing a polo shirt and jeans, tight enough to show off his body, but not too tight. Emma had worn a soft pastel skirt and white blouse. They made small talk for a few minutes with Daniel asking about her work and how busy she’d been.

At an awkward pause in the conversation, Emma blurted, “I’m not sure how to go about telling you I’d like to try this.”

Daniel beamed. “You did great.”

Emma smiled back at him. “Is there an initiation of sorts?”

“There can be,” Dan explained, “but for now, let’s keep it very simple. For tonight, let’s just have you sit at my feet.”

Emma nodded. With a quick inhale, she bent down and then rested herself on the floor. It hadn’t been difficult or painful at all. It seemed quite natural, but she still knew it was early on. She didn’t know what would come later.

Daniel dropped a hand to his side and slowly stroked her hair. She felt safe here, surprising as that was. She leaned into the motion so that the strokes were long and thoughtful. She just took the moment for what it was.

Before she could ask a thing, she heard a thumping at the front door. She looked up and Daniel nodded. He offered her a hand and she got to her feet. Emma couldn’t imagine who would be stopping by tonight, after she’d specifically told people that she wanted a quiet evening.

An attractive woman stood at the door. She was dressed in a full skirt that blew lazily in the summer breeze. The cut of her blouse caressed her thin waist and ample breasts. Emma was a bit intimidated to be facing off against a woman like this. Emma waited for her to speak, but she didn’t.

“Did you want something?” Emma asked perturbed.

“I want my husband – Daniel.”