Mark pulled to the curb in front of Kellie’s home and checked his watch. Five to five, so he had a few minutes to check things out. At his request, Steve had done a rudimentary background check on her this morning, finding nothing worth worrying over. No arrests, no tickets, and her credit score wasn’t bad for a college student. She lived in a two bedroom condo on the south side of Arlington, an older but well-kept area. Steve, being the most detail oriented man he knew, had even located information about her previous roommate, a young woman who moved out of state two months ago.
The sidewalk was nicely maintained and the building looked respectable, but the lack of security cameras irritated his recent unprovoked urge to protect her. He took care of the people in his life, and in his mind Miss Windsor was already part of that group. He rang the bell and waited, wondering if she’d be on time.
He preferred women who were punctual.
The door opened and she waved him in, her ear to the phone.
“Yes, Susan, I promise.” Kellie covered the phone and whispered an ‘I’m sorry’ then walked away.
Mark took the opportunity to explore her boundaries. He closed the door behind him and followed her into the living room. It was a decent sized space with real furniture instead of the typical college décor of lawn chairs and folding tables. Or maybe that was reserved for college boys.
There were plenty of signs that she’d moved from her teens into adulthood and a more mature lifestyle even though she was still in college. He poked his head into the neat kitchen.
She was still on the phone and hadn’t stopped his inspection of her place. Either she had no boundaries or she was easily distracted. More structure in her life would be helpful, something he could teach her beyond the pleasure he offered. He went back to the living room where he stood with his arms crossed to wait.
Kellie disappeared into another room and he heard muffled conversation and drawers opening. When she finally returned, the phone was missing and she carried a slim purse.
“Sorry. Susan, my ex roommate, called while I was getting ready and I couldn’t cut her off. She’s having issues with her new apartment and needed to vent.”
“I don’t like to wait, but I’ll give you a pass today.”
“Well, thank you for the courtesy.”
The sarcasm wasn’t lost, and he backpedaled a bit. “I like to make the rules and have them followed. It’s who I am.”
“Is this part of the club? I thought I was in my own home. And I did apologize.”
Well, fuck a duck. Foiled by a smart mouth. He took a deep breath and said his least favorite words. “I was wrong. I’m sorry. Can we start over?”
“Yes.” She actually smiled and the change in her face had him fighting an unexpected boner. Not a good time or place to get aroused.
“Good. Are you ready to go? Do you have your questions?”
“Yes and yes.”
Mark followed her to the door and held it open. “You need a sturdier lock for this door.”
Kellie rolled her eyes. “It’s new and it’s just fine.” She pulled the door shut behind her and gave him a hard look when she turned the key.
He’d planned on a quiet dinner at the club’s dining room, but instead decided to take her to a little restaurant he frequented near his home.
“It’s going to take us about twenty minutes to get to the restaurant, so why don’t you start on your list of questions.”
“What is it that makes a man want to beat a woman?”
The car in front of him slowed and Mark slammed on the brakes instead of slowing.
“Maybe we’ll wait and do the questions at the restaurant,” he said. Where in the fuck did she get these questions? She’d been in his club once and he’d made sure she didn’t see much. Certainly not anything rough. The only other club in town was known to be a little tougher than his, but from what Dena said, Kellie hadn’t been anywhere else.
Curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask. “Kellie, where did you get these questions?”
“I’ve done some research and I’m looking for answers that I couldn’t find on the Internet.”
“Please tell me you did more than an Internet search. Most of the information about BDSM online is pure crap.”
“Oh, no. I have other sources.”
“Have you been to any other clubs?”
“No. I know there’s one in Dallas, but when I mentioned it to Dena, she—well, that’s when she told me about her membership at Private Delights.”
Kellie’s eyes were on the road and she hadn’t glanced at him since they got in the car. The little lady wanted to ask tough questions but wasn’t willing to give much information in return. Shrewd negotiator or randomly fishing for information? Time would tell.
“Well, when we get to the restaurant, I’m going to clear a few things up about your research. You have many things to learn.”
Traffic eased as they left the city, and once they got to his neighborhood, they made good time. The family-owned eatery was his favorite hideout. Mama Rose’s eclectic menu made it easy to vary his meals—a mandate from the owner—and the family atmosphere relaxed him like nothing else could.
He parked in the small lot and walked around to help her out of his low-slung Mustang, keeping her hand in his until they got to his table.
To her credit, she acted the independent woman and tried to pull her hand free. He shut her down with a shush and kept moving. If she wanted to play in his world, she’d need to live in it a little. And that meant she’d allow his hands on her whenever he wanted and not pull away from him.
Mark liked to sit in the back at a small corner table with a little privacy. The family kept the spot free whenever they could on the off chance he’d show up. And he usually did.
The perks of being his own boss were legend in his circle of friends and if he kept Kellie around for long enough, she’d get used to his ways.
Or he’d move on to the next pretty submissive.
“Do you have any preferences or particular foods you don’t eat?” he asked Kellie.
“I don’t eat meat.”
No hesitation at all, but something in her voice was different. He rolled with the comment and let her have her say.
“Vegetarian or vegan?”
Her lips rolled in like she was holding in words or a secret, the sparkle in her eyes a second tell. She liked to play games. Not a problem. He played mind games with women all the time. But he didn’t know her well enough to know the truth.
He gave he a quick, flirtatious smile, just enough to catch her interest, and started over.
“Let me rephrase. Are you allergic to anything?”
She let out a quick breath and answered in the negative.
“Don’t play games with me right now, Miss Windsor. I expect the truth from you when I ask a direct question.”
“I’m not a vegetarian.”
“Acknowledged. I’ll order for you.” When she started to object he interrupted. “If you truly want to learn about my lifestyle, you’ll give me a chance to show you what it’s like. Let me make the decisions tonight. If you disagree about anything, tell me and we’ll talk about it.”
He could see the apprehension in her eyes, but she relented and when the waiter arrived, he ordered for both of them.
”Now, about those questions. Why do you think men like to beat women?”
Her full attention was now his, those amazing greyish blue eyes he’d glimpsed a few times the other night reminding him of the ocean outside his beach house. She’d left her hair down and it fell past her shoulders in thick waves of gold and brown. “No one I know beats women.”
“Isn’t it common practice to discipline submissives with paddles, canes and whips?” she asked, those innocent eyes at cross purpose to her words.
The dichotomy enchanted him.
Nothing quite as exciting as a lady in public and a hellcat in bed.
“Ah, I see where you’re mistaken. Beating and discipline are two very different things in my world. A sub is disciplined by his or her Dom when she needs to learn a lesson, much as you would train a child to follow the rules or teach a puppy not to chew on the furniture. It’s a tool to modify behavior. Beating anyone is cruelty and isn’t allowed in respectable BDSM organizations.”
“They’re one and the same.”
Now defensive, she’d stop listening altogether if he let her, so Mark modified his tone. Far from a first time Dom, he reached into his persuasion arsenal and let his tone drop.
“No. Discipline is teaching. Would you deny that a small child needs to be taught not to touch a hot stove? Parents use negative reinforcement—a slap on the hand—to remind the child of the danger.”
“Grown women don’t need to be spanked to learn lessons.”
“I can assure you that women in my club are not harmed. If they are disciplined by their Dom, it’s consensual.”
Their food arrived and she stopped arguing while she tasted what he’d ordered.
“This is delicious, thank you,” she said, still sounding cool and aloof.
Mark lifted a lock of hair away from Kellie’s face and positioned it behind her ear, then stroked her cheek, her eyes on his from the minute he touched her. “I’m glad you like it.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes and he watched her eyes move and her mouth purse and chew while she considered his caress. He hadn’t planned to move so fast, but he couldn’t seem to stop wanting her. She was a petite enigma, with too many questions and too many hidden agendas, and he needed to know everything about her.
What’s more, he had the strangest desire to feed her, to take care of her every need. It was an urge he hadn’t felt in years.
“Do you have more questions on your list, or was that the only one?” he asked.
“Why would a woman choose to participate in your lifestyle?”
A question he could answer, but chose not to. “A very good question and I have a great answer. Actually, I have a suggestion.”
Kellie’s hand lay on the table, one finger rubbing back and forth as it traced the arc of her water goblet’s base. A picture formed in his mind, a scene with Kellie using that lovely digit to caress his body while he mapped hers with his palms. He jerked his head back into the here and now before she succeeded in driving him crazy.
Instead, he’d push her over the edge of desperation with pleasure.
All in good time.
For now, he reached out and covered her hand with his. “Come to the club tomorrow and talk to some of the subs. They’ll share their stories with you.”
“You don’t want to tell me yourself?” she asked.
“No. I’ll discuss it with you after you’ve had a chance to talk to some of the other members, but if I tell you what I think, you won’t believe me tonight.”
Her hand slid out from under his. “You’re going to tell them what to say, aren’t you?”
“There’s no need for me to coach them and I wouldn’t do so, Kellie.” His fingers bounced around on the tabletop. A bad habit, but better than cigarettes or booze. “You have your phone?”
Kellie pulled it out of her tiny bag and set it on the table next to her plate.
“Do you have Dena’s number? Call her right now and ask her.”
“How well do you know Dena?” she asked while scrolling through her contacts.
Definitely more than Kellie needed to know about his working knowledge of her friend, and Mark refused to shock the little lady so early in their little game.
“She’s dating my best friend. Call her.”
Her eyes bored into him, and while he appreciated the view, he easily figured out what she thought about his suggestion. “I had no prior knowledge of your questions, so I had no way of prompting her answer. Call her.”
While he ate, she dialed. She asked her question and turned several shades of red while she listened to the answer. “Thank you, Dena. I never knew you were so deeply involved. No, I don’t need to—um, hello. Yes, I will. Yes, thank you. Bye.”
“Well?”
“I suppose I should have asked Dena when I found out she was a member.” Kellie picked up her fork. “This is a delicious meal. Thank you so much for everything.”
“What did she tell you?” He refused to let her hide from him.
“Pretty much what I’d expect you to say. And Steve asked me to relay a message.”
He raised a brow and waited as her face went pink.
“He said to tell you to play nice.”