Licorice Whips (31 page)

“Not fair.” Nikla actually liked that she and Sweet differed on topics. It gave them a lot to talk about, especially after sex.

She loved that they would argue about politics and current events. No man had challenged her like Sweet had. So why couldn’t he fully give himself to her? Why couldn’t she show him out in public how she felt about him?

Deana interjected into Nikla’s thoughts. “You know he’s probably doing other women on the side. No man as fine as that is alone, not for long.”

That idea haunted Nikla. She’d thought the same thing each time he seemed distant after playing. The man did invite her into his home whenever he could, so if he had someone else on the side, the other woman could only be getting a good five minutes of Sweet’s time.

“And you know about his special hobby.” Deana finished off her steak.

“Yeah. I know.” Nikla tried to hide her smile but it came through. So did the kick that Deana administered under the table. “Ouch! What was that for?”

“Please, please, please tell me that you did not let that man spank your ass.” This time Deana spoke in a whisper.

Nikla rubbed the sore spot on her shin. “And what if I did? It’s not like you haven’t had some guy spank you during sex. Same thing.”

Deana shook her head. “It’s not. You know that.”

Nikla did. She just hoped Deana didn’t know, didn’t understand about the Lifestyle.

“Those BDSM people are freaks. They’re like a cult. They will force you to drink the Kool-Aid and lock you up in a basement for ten years like that dude in Ohio.”

Nikla sighed. “It’s not like that.”

Deana held up her hand. “And you don’t have to tell me anything about it. Just know this. When your business is up and running, are you going to have time to cater to him like he wants? I’m sure that man wants a naked-twenty-four-seven type of sex slave.”

“Submissive,” Nikla whispered.

“And I’m sure you working all the time will be a problem for him. He’ll force you to choose. If you don’t choose him, it’ll be bye-bye Nikla.”

Nikla shook her head. “You have no idea what’s going on between me and Sweet. You can’t generalize what we have based on the little bit you know. Sweet likes that I work.”

“And yet he doesn’t want you to have that unit downtown.”

Nikla got quiet.

Deana continued. “Just don’t hang your hat on this one guy. Sounds like he may be a lot of fun and someone you can check off your bucket list. At the end of the day, he’s not boyfriend material. Hell, he’s not even husband material. Sure he’s good looking and has his own business. But he’s a Dominant. Read into that that he’s selfish. He wants what he wants when he wants it. Didn’t you get enough of living under someone’s thumb from growing up with your dad?”

Nikla shook her head. “Jesus H. Christ, Deana. Can’t you for once ever be in my corner? You see me looking happy and you just want to dump all over that.”

“No, I just–”

“I know what you just want to do. You want me to remain the predictable, stable one while you get to do whatever the hell you want with whoever you want. You talk about going out with women and expect me to be fine with it. I talk about a guy who’s a Dominant and you think I’m ruining my life.”

“Two separate things.”

“No. The same thing. We’re both stepping outside of our comfort zones. At least, I did. You’re just all talk.”

“Easy, Nikla. I’m your friend. You don’t want to lose me. With what you have going on at work and this shaky thing you have going on with this guy, I have a feeling you’re going to need all the friends you can get.”

Nikla covered her eyes and tried to suppress her laughter. “Wow. First Big Tom and now you. The threats just keep on coming. You know the only person who hasn’t threatened me? Sweet.”

Nikla called for her check.

“I didn’t mean to piss you off.” Deana fluffed out her big hair. “I’m trying to be your friend.”

Nikla handed the waitress money before she could even set down her bill. “You want to be my friend? Stay out of my private life.”

She stood and left the table. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Nikla needed an outlet. She hopped in her car and drove away from the parking lot, not wanting to confront Deana again about the ways to be a good friend.

She drove down to the empty suites. Nikla parked her car directly in front of the empty storefronts. Bobbi, being true to her word, had removed the “For Lease” signs in front of the two units.

Nikla pulled out her phone and dialed Sweet. She’d never called him. He’d always called her or they would make arrangements during their meetings, their dates, their fuck fest sessions.

“Nikla?” Sweet answered the phone with a questioning lilt in his voice. “What’s going on? Are you not able to make it tonight?”

“No, I’ll be there.” She chewed her lower lip. “I just needed to talk to someone, to you. I needed to hear your voice.”

“Are you okay?”

Beyond her control, Nikla grunted and kicked her foot against the wall. Like the first time Sweet had met her at this location, she wanted to scream out her frustrations.

Sweet must have heard her.

“Where are you?” Sweet asked with panic in his tone.

“Our spot. The suites.” Nikla disconnected the call.

Her day started off so wonderful, so full of promise. Then her dear friend filled her head with doubt. Nikla couldn’t blame her distress all on Deana. Deana voiced what Nikla had been feeling for a while.

Why couldn’t Nikla be one of those women who could do what Deana said, hit it and quit it? She and Sweet had talked about the dynamics of their relationship. Until a decision had been made on the units, they would play and have sex and that’s it. Once a decision had been rendered, they would go their separate ways. Nikla started wondering if she wanted her leash to be released.

Nikla heard the rumbling of Sweet’s truck before she saw it. He pulled into the spot next to her and got out of the truck. He came around to the driver’s side of her car and opened the door.

“What’s going on?” Sweet stroked his thumb over her cheek.

Before she knew it, he had her out of the car and into his arms, hugging her. Nikla gripped him like she needed him. He smelled like his store, sugary sweet and fruity. Right now, those scents calmed her down more than a field full of lavender.

“Bad day at work?” he asked as he held her.

Nikla shook her head. “Bad lunch.”

Sweet pulled back from her and stared into her eyes.

To calm his fears, she told him about the argument with Deana. “No one seems happy for me.”

“Why do you need anyone’s approval?” Sweet framed her face in his hands. “My brother does the same thing to me. He’s my rain cloud, although he’ll tell you that he’s my conscience. Don’t hate your friend.”

Nikla shook her head. “I don’t hate her. I just hate that she gets to be reckless but I’m not allowed. I’m always supposed to be good.”

“You are good. If you weren’t you wouldn’t have gotten so upset.” He stared at her for a moment.

Nikla swallowed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You were pissed and you called me.”

“Do you find that strange?”

Sweet removed his hands from her face. “Strange?”

“Considering our arrangement. We’re not a couple.”

“There’s one thing you need to do.” Sweet leaned forward and whispered in Nikla’s ear. “Stop defining us based on the norm. There’s nothing normal about us.”

Sweet had been right about that.

Nikla took a deep cleansing breath. “I’m sorry for pulling you from work. I feel silly.”

“Don’t. You needed someone. I’m just glad I could be here for you.”

“I won’t hold you up.” Nikla turned to her car.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Sweet asked.

She returned her attention to him. “What?”

He glared at her long enough that she understood his unspoken message.

“Here?” She peered out at the traffic zooming by the building. “People will see. People who won’t understand.”

“You’re telling me you know everyone driving by?” Sweet pointed to the speeding cars. “You don’t know them. They don’t know you or me. It’s just us.”

Nikla stepped closer to him. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed one cheek. She moved over to the other one and pressed her lips against it. When it came to his lips, she had no problems covering his mouth with hers. She slipped her hand behind his head to hold him there. She’d hoped the sensual expression would let him forget about her lowering herself to her knees.

When Sweet pulled back first, Nikla knew he wouldn’t let her get away with not doing the last step of the introduction.

Nikla hesitated. She looked around the area to see if she could find anyone looking at them.

“I’ll pick you up tonight around six.” Sweet went to the driver’s side of his truck.

The disappointed look on his face stopped Nikla’s heart. “Wait. I didn’t bow.”

“And you weren’t going to do it, either. Be ready when I get there.” Sweet pulled away without looking back.

Damn. Nikla seemed to be pushing all kinds of people away from her today. She sat down on the curb and rested her head in her hands. Dinner tonight with Sweet’s brother would be interesting.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sweet sat in the convenience store parking lot near Nikla’s apartment complex, thinking about how the evening would go. He didn’t want to carry the disappointment he felt over Nikla not doing the full introduction earlier into dinner.

Since Nikla had done so much within the BDSM world with him, he tended to forget that she had so much more to learn before she could feel comfortable. Each time he thought about her calling him when she needed someone to talk to, to hold, his body became warm all over.

On the vanilla side, they clicked. Why couldn’t he get her on his other side? Then again, maybe the problem had nothing to do with her.

At that thought, Sweet put his truck in drive and headed over to Nikla’s apartment. He parked in front of her building and then went up to her unit. Sweet glanced at his watch. On time. Right at six on the dot.

Nikla’s door opened. Sweet clenched his jaw at what he saw.

“You’re not dressed,” he said tightly.

“No.” Nikla stepped aside to allow him into her place.

Although she had makeup on and her hair piled into a bun on top of her head, she wore a red satin robe and pink bedroom slippers.

“I was very clear when I said you needed to be ready at six o’clock.” Sweet followed Nikla to her bedroom.

“You were. But I need you to do three things.” She picked up two garments from her bed still on their hangers. “Which dress?”

The black sweater dress looked nice, like it would keep her covered from her neck to her knees. The cut of the dress looked like it would show off her hourglass shape. Judging by the footwear she had on the floor, it looked like she would be wearing black boots with it.

The red dress she held up would guarantee that Sweet would not be paying attention to any dinner conversation and would only be staring down into her cleavage. Next to the black boots sat a pair of red pumps.

“So you do have red shoes,” Sweet said and nodded toward the pair.

Nikla glanced down at them. “I just bought them.”

“Then you should break them in properly. The black dress and the red pumps.” Sweet pointed to the garment first before the shoes.

“Two birds with one stone. My second question was going to be which shoes I should wear.” Nikla disappeared into her closet with the red dress.

“And your third question?” Sweet didn’t want to play games. If he arrived late to his brother’s, he knew Masaun would never let him live it down.

Nikla reemerged from the closet with her robe opened. She wore a flesh-colored bra and panty set, only the bra had nothing covering her breasts. Sweet’s heart pounded as she moved closer to him.

“I think I deserve some punishment.” She strolled by him. After removing her robe and tossing it on her bed, she placed her hands on her dresser and bent over. “I didn’t do the greeting earlier and I wasn’t ready just now.”

Sweet remained cemented in his spot for a moment. He knew if he touched her they would never leave the apartment. That didn’t stop him from approaching her. Sweet planted his hand next to hers on the dresser. The other hand he let hover over her firm ass.

The heat from her body warmed his hand. It didn’t help that Nikla arched her back to raise her ass up higher.

She turned to him. “Should I count out the spanks, Sir?”

Sweet connected his gaze to hers. Before he could touch her, he backed away. “Get dressed. We’re going to be late.”

Nikla looked like she wanted to argue with him. Instead she righted herself and greeted him like she should have done in the parking lot earlier. She kissed his cheeks and his lips, then lowered herself down to her knees.

Sweet reached out to touch her hair but stopped himself. “Up.”

Nikla rose to her feet and slipped on her dress. Just as he imagined, the sweater dress hugged her body like a second skin. She accentuated her tiny waist with a skinny red belt. Her nipples jutted forward and could be seen through the dress. That part he did like.

“Why can’t you do that all the time?” Sweet asked. “When we’re behind closed doors, you’re fearless. When we’re at the club, you can do anything as long as you’re in a mask. Out in public, you freeze up. What gives?”

“I didn’t grow up in a family that held hands and said ‘I love you’ all the time. My father was very strict. He didn’t praise accomplishments. You were expected to excel.” She stared at him. “I’m not used to being that expressive. I’m trying.”

Sweet had to respect her honesty. He still wanted more from her.

She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her purse. “Did you tell your brother anything about me?”

“He knows some things about you but not everything.” Sweet reached for the door to open it for her.

“Like what? What tidbit did you leave out?”

Sweet opened the door then closed it. He spun Nikla around and pressed her back to the door. “He doesn’t know that your pussy tastes like honey. He doesn’t know that when you come you scream and a single tear runs out of your eye. And he doesn’t know that I want to fuck you in every way possible including up your ass.”