Fire After Dark (35 page)

I gasp. ‘Dominic? But it can’t be – he’s left. He’s gone to Russia.’

‘Not yet,’ James says. ‘I believe he’s going this evening. A private jet is flying him there. From what he and Mark discussed, he’s going to be away some time.’

My heart is pounding and my breathing quickens. ‘I thought he’d left. That’s what Vanessa said.’

‘I wondered if you knew. I got the feeling from the general atmosphere of black misery that surrounded him this morning that you might not.’ James smiles at me. ‘Beth, I thought long and hard before I told you about this. You know I’ve got reservations about whether Dominic is playing by the BDSM rules. But I also know that you don’t need me making decisions about what you should or shouldn’t know. You love him, I can see that, and I had to tell you what I found out and give you the choice about what to do. I still want you to be careful though. Do you understand?’

‘Of course I do, and thank you for telling me. I appreciate your concern so much. But didn’t he see you?’

James shakes his head. ‘I don’t think so. I have a feeling that he wasn’t aware that there was anyone in the next room, and anyway, a giant Chinese vase stood rather conveniently in his eye line. At least, I made sure it did.’

I pull in a long breath, my eyes wide. ‘But, James, what am I going to do?’

‘Do you want to see him before he leaves?’

I nod, my eyes filling with tears. The idea that I might have a chance to see Dominic, to tell him how I feel and that I made a mistake leaving him the other night, makes my heart swell, and adrenalin surges through me.

James leans forward. ‘I don’t know if it helps, but he happened to mention that he’s returning to his flat at three o’clock today. He’s being collected from there by his driver to take him to the airport.’

Excitement explodes in my chest. ‘Thank you, James! Thank you so much.’

‘You’re welcome. I wanted to see your face when I told you the news. Now, go and see if you can make that naughty leopard change his spots.’

Chapter Twenty-Two

I hurry back to Randolph Gardens, stopping at a stationery shop on the way back to buy some cream card and an envelope. I don’t have a great deal of time to put my plan into action.

The rain doesn’t seem so bleak and depressing any more. Instead, I splash joyously through the puddles, not caring that I’m getting soaked because I haven’t bothered to put up the umbrella. No matter what happens, I’ve got the chance to see Dominic again, to steal a few moments with him and tell him what I so desperately need him to hear.

I knock on the door of Dominic’s apartment but no one answers, to my relief. Vanessa must have gone.

I wonder why she felt she had to lie to me, and why she so obviously wants me off the scent,but I don’t have time to dwell on that now. Instead, I hurry upstairs to the boudoir. It feels strange to be unlocking it, knowing that there is no one inside. I switch on the light. The hall looks the same as it did before, plain and bare. I walk across to the bedroom and put that light on too. The room is different. The leather seat has gone, and the cabinet is locked. In the wardrobe, the bondage gear is gone, but the lacy lingerie and the negligee remain. He has removed anything that might shed a light on the more unusual activities we got up to in here, but he’s left the things he supposes I might still like.

Hmmm. Well, there are still things that can be done . . . After all, exquisite custom-made bondage gear isn’t the only option . . .

Before I do anything, I write my note to Dominic. It says simply:

Come to the boudoir at once. It is
urgent
.

B

That should be enough, I think, and take it downstairs. I slide it under the door, and then return to the boudoir to start getting ready.

At three o’clock, I’m a mass of nerves, pacing around the boudoir. I’ve had a chance to look around now, and it’s a plainly furnished but very serviceable flat, smaller than the ones on the lower floors but plenty big enough for one. Is this really mine to use as I want?

I’ll try and remember to ask Dominic, but I’m too shivery with anticipation to keep my mind on any one thing. I’m wearing some of the beautiful black underwear from the wardrobe, the pair of stilettos from my second night here, and the trench coat, which I borrowed to wear to meet James. I’ve put my hair up and done my best to enhance my face considering I’ve only got a lip gloss and a compact in my pocket.

In the bathroom mirror, I look all right, considering. My eyes are bright and excited and my cheeks have little spots of pink – nature’s blusher. I stare at my reflection and then say, ‘Good luck.’

At ten minutes past three, I hear a loud rap on the front door. I jump wildly and gasp. So he’s come. He’s here. It’s my last chance. Whatever happens, I must get this right.

I take a deep breath, do my best to quell the nervous riot in my stomach, and walk to the front door. I open it and Dominic is standing there, looking heart-breaking in a beautiful black suit, his dark hair ruffled and his eyes anxious.

‘Beth? Are you all right? I got your note.’ I can hear the worry in his voice.

‘Come in,’ I say, my voice firm but neutral.

He steps inside, frowning. ‘What’s this about? Just tell me you’re okay . . .’

I push the door shut behind him and lean against it in the darkness. ‘There is something wrong,’ I say, my voice low.

‘What? What is it?’

I speak again, putting a steel edge into my voice. ‘I’m very . . .
very . . .
angry with you.’

‘What?’ He’s puzzled, I can tell. ‘But . . . Beth, I—’

‘Be quiet,’ I rap out. ‘Don’t say another word. I’m furious with you because you were planning to leave without telling me. I know exactly what you’re about to do. You’re going to be collected in a short while, taken to the airport and from there you’ll travel by private jet to Russia.’

‘How on earth do you know that?’ Now he’s surprised. I’m wrong footing him at every step.

‘Don’t ask questions. The point is, you are running away without permission and that makes me very, very cross.’ I lean forward and I can see that realisation is dawning in his eyes. ‘And now I’m going to make sure you remember that you must never
never
do such a thing again. Do you understand?’

He stares at me for a moment and then says in a low voice, ‘Yes, I understand.’

‘Good. Now follow me.’ I walk ahead of him into the bedroom where the blinds are drawn and the lamp is set low. Then I turn, and slowly slip the trench coat from my shoulders, revealing my underwear. He draws in a breath as his eyes travel down from my full breasts encased in black silk down my hips and over my belly to the silken knickers. ‘Do you like it, Dominic?’

He nods slowly, looking me straight in the eye.

‘Excellent. Now. Take your clothes off.’

‘Beth . . .’

‘You heard me. Do it.’

He looks as though he is going to protest but then he stops, pauses for a moment and obeys me. He takes off his jacket and trousers and everything underneath until he is standing in just his boxers. I can see that his penis is already pushing at the cotton as his erection begins to swell.

‘Oh dear. Didn’t I tell you to take your clothes off? Are your boxer shorts not part of that?’

He nods.

‘Then take them off
now
.’

He slides them down and takes them off. Now he’s revealed to me in all his glory, the broad chest, flat belly and long, muscular legs. His erection is now hard and strong as his hot gaze rakes me.

‘And now, you’ll have to understand what it means when your mistress is cross with you. Go to the bed.’

He turns away from me and I nearly gasp out loud. His back is a mass of red stripes that have only just begun to heal. I want to run to him and kiss his wounds, the ones that I inflicted, smooth them with cool cream and make them better. But that isn’t my plan, not right now. I want to show him that I can inflict a different kind of torment.

‘Lie on your back,’ I order, hoping he will tell me if that’s too painful. But he says nothing and doesn’t appear to be in pain as he lies down. I come to the bed with the silken belt from the negligee, take his wrists and wrap them together, then tie the belt to the bars of the bedstead.

He watches, his gaze becoming more intense as he feels his power being surrendered.

I lie down beside him on the bed and touch him gently, running my fingers over his chest, circling his nipples and down his belly. I can smell him now, that musky sweet scent with the citrus tang. Oh, it’s beautiful. It’s making liquid desire pour through my core, hot and delicious.

‘I want to punish you with my own kind of torture,’ I whisper, ‘so that you think twice before leaving me again.’

Then I devote myself to his body, kissing every inch of it, working my way down to his feet, where I suck and nibble his toes, and back up, leaving the swelling erection entirely alone as I stroke and caress the rest of his body, gently tickling where he is most sensitive, licking and tugging on his nipples as his breathing grows heavier. When he is ready for a little more, I raise myself and straddle his stomach, then slowly I unclasp my bra, let it fall away and lower my breasts for the attention of his mouth. He is eager for them, pulling each nipple into his mouth and sucking hard, grazing them with his teeth until they are stiff and rosy. Then I spend long, lazy minutes kissing his neck and jaw, biting on his earlobes and tantalising him with my mouth until he is desperate for my kiss, which eventually I let him have, so that he can slake his thirst for me at last.

I’ve left his glorious length alone for long enough. I’m eager to give it my own variety of torment, with my fingers, lips and tongue. It’s waiting for me, the twitch as I bring my mouth close showing the delicious anticipation that’s making it stiffen even more. I run my tongue up and down the iron-hard shaft, letting my fingers play in the patch of hair at its base, and travel gently downwards to his balls, where I know he’s sensitive and where the touch of my fingers can make him stiffen and sigh and groan. I let my tongue play softly all around him, leaving the tip to endure its own agonising wait for the soft wet touch of my mouth. When I myself can’t wait any longer to enjoy the pleasure of wrapping my tongue over the hot smoothness, I take him into my mouth while my hand works hard on his shaft. He’s beginning to crave more force now, more pressure, to intensify the glorious sensations I’m giving him.

All this is having its effect on me too. I’m eager for some attention myself, my body, aroused and wet, needs it own adoration.

I shimmy my knickers off and lie along his body, my breasts pressed to his chest, his cock hard against my belly. He groans into my hair and says, ‘Beth, you’re so beautiful. I love you like this, so seductive, so gorgeous . . .’

‘I want you to make love to me,’ I say. ‘We’ve done lots of fucking, amazing fucking. Now, give me loving. I’m going to untie your hands, and I want you to show me how beautiful I am and what my body makes you feel.’

I reach up and pull the silk belt. It slides apart and Dominic’s hands are free. He takes my bottom in his hands and groans as he feels the soft cheeks in his palms. He rubs and squeezes them, saying, ‘This is so fantastic . . . I can never get enough of your gorgeous bottom.’

‘Do as I say,’ I whisper. ‘You know what I want.’

‘Your wish is my command,’ he replies, his gaze burning as he turns over onto his side. ‘Open to me, Beth.’

I let my legs fall open so that he can see what waits for him there. He immediately drops his head downwards so that he can kiss the swollen lips and lick at the slippery wetness, running his tongue over the sensitive bud of my clitoris and making me sigh with the delicious sensation.

‘You taste of honey,’ he murmurs. ‘Sweet . . .’

Just as I’m getting greedy for more of the gorgeous licking and nibbling, he changes his position, pulling me underneath him. Now he is strong and imposing as he uses his weight to push my thighs further apart, and get himself into position.

‘Do you want me?’ he asks, between hot kisses on my lips.

‘Yes,’ I say longingly.

‘Put your arms around me.’

I hadn’t wanted to touch his back, but now I obey, feeling the slight roughness of his wounds under my fingertips.

‘You’re making it all better,’ he whispers. Then he brings the head of his erection to the sweet place and begins to push his way in. ‘Your sweet loving is making it better.’

I can’t say anything because everything in me is focused on the blissful feeling of his thickness pushing slowly in and filling me up. I bring my hips up to meet him, urging him on deeper inside me. For long minutes we lose ourselves in the rhythm of his hip meeting mine, the back-arching moment of his cock going as far as it can into my depth, and the deep tonguing kisses.

Then, without our saying anything, our speed increases, the thrusts become longer and hard, as the desire to reach our climax begins to possess us. I wrap my legs around him so that I can push him even further within me, and make him grind against me in the way that is going to bring me the best kind of orgasm, where I am shaken both inside and out.

We don’t mean to reach our peak at the same time, but the mounting excitement building in each of us transmits to the other and drives us on to the next level. Dominic is breathing hard, his jaw is set in that particular way that means his orgasm isn’t far off.

‘Dominic,’ I say, my voice coming out like a moan. ‘Please, yes, don’t stop doing it just like that . . .’

‘I want you to come, my beautiful girl,’ he says.

That is all I need and as I stiffen around him, and my head goes back, my mouth opening in a cry of ecstasy, I know that he is coming too, releasing his hot orgasm into my centre. I convulse and shudder in wave after wave, until at last it dies away, leaving me breathless and dazed. Dominic is prone on my chest, panting hard after the strength of his climax.

As we recover, he says, ‘Oh my God, Beth, that was amazing.’ He laughs and runs kisses all over my face and neck, and for the first time in a long time, he looks truly happy. ‘Thank you.’