Holiday Romance Collection - 6 Books Bundle (Erotic Romance - Holiday Romance) (5 page)

      “You can’t wear what you’ve go on.” Evan said with an insulting sneer.  “It makes you look like a tramp, and not even an attractive one.  Looks like I’d better order you something with a few less calories tonight at dinner.”

     “Actually, I’d like to order my own food tonight.” Andie had dared to say.  “I’d like to make my choices from now on.”

      “I always order for you.  Don’t worry; I know what you like.” Evan said dismissively.  “Now hurry up and change.”

       “No.  I told you, I like this dress.  I’m going to wear it, and I’m going to order my own food.  I don’t need you controlling my life Evan.  I can make my own choices.”

     He’d exploded with rage then, yelling awful things at her, putting her down in every conceivable way.  She’d thrown him out of her apartment then, and he vowed never to take her back as he slammed the door behind him.  Now, it was two weeks until Christmas Day, and Andie was left wondering if she’d done the right thing.  She had.  She knew she had.  She just wished she didn’t have to see him tonight at this party.  What if he came up to her and wanted her back?  Even worse, what if he didn’t want her back at all, and she was alone? 

     Taking a deep breath for courage, Andie grabbed her coat and her matching handbag and walked out the door of her apartment. 

     The party was everything Andie had dreaded it would be and more.  She felt like the only person there without date, drowning in a sea of happy couples.  No sooner had she escaped from one excruciating conversation before she got dragged into another, as she desperately tried to cross the room to the bar.

      “Please excuse me, I need to refresh my drink” she said, to Walter Fender and his new bride when they asked her what her plans were for the holidays.  Up until three days ago, her plans had been to spend Christmas with Evan at his parent’s house.  It was so humiliating to have to tell people that she suddenly had no plans for the holidays at all.

      “Can I get a shot of Patron, please?” Andie desperately asked the bartender, once she finally made it through the crowd without being trapped into conversing with another happy couple. 

     The bartender served her the drink and she swallowed it in one quick gulp, and then asked for another.  She drank the second one just as quickly and finally felt the nerves in stomach start to unclench as a warm feeling of relaxation filled her. 

      She turned back to look at the crowd.  Everyone looked so joyful, laughing and talking and dancing.  Suddenly, she spied Evan.  He looked more handsome than ever in his black tuxedo.  To her horror, he saw her too, and began to cross the room towards her.

   Andie felt waves of panic rip through her.  She wasn’t ready to be face to face with him!  She wasn’t ready to have to talk to him and let him rub all her faults in her face.  Desperate, Andie turned towards the guy innocently standing next to her, grabbed him by the head, and kissed him on the lips. 

     Startled, the handsome stranger tried to pull away for a second, and then relaxed into her embrace.  He parted his lips for her and their tongues intertwined passionately.  She felt his arms encircle her to pull her closer to him and she ran her fingers through his hair.  When they finally broke apart from one other, Evan was standing there, with a shocked and angry look on his face.

      “Oh, Evan.  Hi.” Andie said with fake surprise.   She turned to the stranger beside her and said to him, “This is that guy I’ve told you about; my ex-boyfriend Evan.”

      “Glad to meet you; I’m Ryan Miller.  I’ve heard a lot about you” the stranger said, extending his hand to Evan, and putting an affectionate arm around Andie.  Evan’s face flooded with color and his nostrils began to flare.

       “Pleased to meet you, too.  Have you and Andie been dating long?” Evan asked with a tone of jealousy, or perhaps accusation.

      “Long enough.” Ryan said firmly. 

      Evan grabbed Andie roughly by the hand and said “This is ridiculous.  Come with me.  I want to have a word with you alone.”

     Andie clung to Ryan with her other hand, desperately trying to resist being dragged away by Evan.  To her immense relief, Ryan maintained a strong grip around her waist, and used his other hand to clamp down upon Evan’s shoulder, forcing him to release his hold on her.

     “I’m afraid she doesn’t have time to talk with you.” Ryan said with an edge to his voice that made Andie’s heart leap.  “She and I were just leaving.  Isn’t that right?”

       “Yes, we were.”  Andie said.  “Sorry Evan, but I believe you said everything that needs to be said when you left me.”

        “That doesn’t mean this is over.” Evan said, coldly.  He stepped aside, however, and watched as Andie left arm and arm with the mysterious stranger.

        “Thank you so much for that!” Andie said, as they rode the elevator down to the lobby.  “I’m Andie by the way; Andie Nichols.”

      “Glad to meet you.” Ryan shook her hand.  He was a few years older than her, with wavy dark hair, warm hazel eyes, and a friendly smile.  “I’m always happy to help a beautiful woman who kisses me in a party.”

      “Does that kind of thing happen to you often?”   Andie laughed, embarrassed to realize that she had attacked a complete stranger and then run off with him.

       “No, you’re the first.  Why don’t we go out for pizza somewhere and you can tell me all about that jerk back there.  It’s the least you can do, since I had to leave the party early and didn’t get to sample the food yet.” 

      “Okay.” Andie agreed, as her own stomach rumbled with hunger.  They went to a little pizzeria a few blocks down the street, where they were both obviously overdressed, but neither one of them cared.  They shared a large pepperoni pizza and a pitcher of beer; talking and laughing for what must have been hours. 

       He told her all about himself.  He worked as a chef at a nearby restaurant, was single, and liked all the same things she did; dogs, going to museums, and just cuddling in front of the television on rainy weekends. 

     She told him all about herself, her job at an accounting firm, and her disastrous relationship with Evan. 

     “At first he had seemed so charming, but over time he became obsessively controlling.  I couldn’t make any decisions on my own; everything had to be his way all the time.  Now, I don’t even know what I like anymore.  I’ve completely lost who I am and what I want” Andie said.  It was painful and sad to actually acknowledge those feelings aloud, and tears sprang to her eyes as she said it.      

     Ryan just held her hand and listened, without offering her condescending advice or pity.  He just let her get all her feelings out, which was the one thing she really needed.

      “So, do you think he wanted you back tonight?” Ryan asked, voicing the same concern Andie had felt.

       “He might” she said with a worried frown, but then her eyes lit up with a fire she hadn’t felt in years, “but if he does, he’s going to be disappointed.  I’m never going to let him control my life like that ever again.  My choices are my own!  I deserve to have things my way for a change!”

      “I like that in a woman.” Ryan complimented.  His warm eyes stared into hers, and she suddenly became aware of how close they were sitting to each other.

      “You do?” Andie said, a little surprised at happy it made her feel to hear him say that. 

       “Some men like a woman who is confident and in control” he said.  “A woman who isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants and even demand it.  I felt that kind of power inside you when you kissed me at the party.  You had complete control over me.  It was very sexy.”

     He offered to take her home after that.  He pulled up in front of her apartment building, but suddenly Andie didn’t want to be alone.

      “Do you want to come up for coffee?” she asked him.  He hesitated for a moment, but her eyes pleaded with him, so he agreed.

     They talked about safe and silly topics for a while, sitting on her living room couch, but there was something he had said earlier that intrigued her, and Andie really wanted to ask him more about it.

      “So, what did mean earlier when you were saying that some men like a woman who is in control?”

      She thought she detected a faint blush of embarrassment color Ryan’s cheeks, but it may have just been a trick of the light. 

    “Have you ever heard anything about BDSM games?” He asked her.  She shook her head no, so he explained.  “It stands for bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism.  It’s a type of sex game, where one partner exerts control over the other.”

      “You mean like those kinky slave and master games?” Andie asked.  Now it was her turn to flush with embarrassment.

      “Exactly” Ryan said.  “One partner plays the part of the Dominant, and is in control during the game.  The other partner plays the role of the Submissive, and must obey all commands given by the Dominant.”

      “It sounds so awful and degrading.” Andie frowned.  “Why would one partner want to be abused in that way?”

      “Domination games aren’t about abuse, or one partner being forced to do things against their will.” Ryan said, sitting up and speaking with great intensity.  “It’s about two consenting adults, who both trust and respect each other, agreeing to play roles together for their mutual enjoyment.  The role of the Submissive, or slave, in these games actually holds a lot more power than people realize.  They willingly chose to follow the dominant because it gives them pleasure, but they have the power to withdraw that consent at any time.  The Dominant, in turn, actually has a lot of responsibilities, as they must ensure the safety and enjoyment of the submissive at all times.”

      “It sounds complicated.” Andie said, exhaling her breath for emphasis.  “Why would anybody want to play these types of games?”

       “They’re really a lot of fun and incredibly erotic.” Ryan grinned mischievously.  “Would you like to see an example?”

       “I already told you, I’m never giving up my freedoms to anybody ever again!” Andie said, standing up angrily.

      “I know, and I’m not asking you to.” Ryan soothed.  “Just try this experiment for a moment.  If you hate it, I’ll stop.”  He got off the couch, and knelt on one knee on the floor in front of her.   “Please, let me see your foot for a moment.”

      Scowling, Andie lifted her foot, and rested it on his thigh.  Her curiosity outweighed her concerns, and she trusted him and knew he’d never do anything if she told him not to. 

      Ryan bent his head forward, kissing her foot as it rested on his thigh.  A charge of tingles ran through Andie as the sensation of it.  She looked down at him, as he took of her high heel shoe, and then sensuously began to massage her foot.  A sigh of contentment escaped her lips.

      “Do you want me to suckle your toes?” Ryan asked, in a low husky voice, and Andie realized that she did.  She nodded her head.  “Command me to do it, and I will gladly obey.  Tell me to suck your toes.”

       Feeling awkward and yet strangely excited, Andie said “Suck my toes.”

       True to his word, Ryan took each of her toes into his mouth, one by one and suckled them while he continued to massage the sole of her foot.  It was the most erotic thing she had ever felt.  When he was done, he set her foot gently on the ground, and sat back on the couch.

      “Was that as good for me as it was for you?” Andie joked lamely.

      “Actually, it was very good for me.” Ryan said honestly.   “I’d like to be able to pleasure you more ways, if you’d like to let me.”

         Andie had to admit, the idea had a lot of appeal and there was denying the chemistry between them.  Still, she hesitated.

      “What’s the matter?  If you don’t want to play, I understand.”  Ryan said, seeing her face darken into a frown.

      “It’s not that I didn’t like what you just did.” Andie confessed, “It’s just that I don’t see what fun it would be for you to be bossed around by me all night long.  Maybe if I could see what the appeal was for the submissive, I wouldn’t feel guilty for considering being a dominant.”

        “If you want, I could show you.” Ryan offered.  “I won’t hurt you in any way, or do anything you don’t want me to.  Just a few simple things to show you what it is about being dominated that I find so pleasurable.”   

       Andie considered carefully for a moment.  She had to admit that she was intrigued by the taboo, and found his offer more than just a little appealing.  She didn’t have Evan holding her back anymore, telling her how to live her life and what she could and couldn’t do for fun.  She wanted to play with Ryan and trusted him fully.  She decided to do it!

      “All right” she grinned mischievously.  She took Ryan by the hand and led him into her bedroom.  “Teach me how being a submissive can be pleasurable.”

      “See, you have a dominant personality already.” Ryan grinned, “But for this evening only, you must submit to my commands.  Start by laying the middle of the bed, and don’t move.”

       Andie did as she’d been told, feeling a rush of nervous excitement.  Ryan saw a scarf sitting on her dresser and picked it up.  He said “Let me put this over your eyes.  When a submissive is blindfolded, they have no idea what the dominant is about to do to them.  It enhances their anticipation and their sensitivity to touch.  Let me show you.”