Playing Dom (6 page)

“
Yes,
thanks to you.”

“
You
should let me do aftercare for you.”

“
Aftercare?”
It sounded like sex to me, and I definitely couldn't handle sex.
Maybe a blow job? The guy deserved my thanks, but I was in no real
state to satisfy him. Hopefully, he'd understand.

“
You
don't know what aftercare is?” Micah arched an eyebrow at me.

“
No.”
I shook my head, feeling stupid.

“
I
can't just leave you like this.”

“
I'm
fine. I'll be fine.”

“
No.
Come on. He beat you pretty badly. You need aftercare.” He
killed the engine and got out of his truck.

In confusion, I
followed him, a new fear coming over me that he wasn't the guy I had
hoped he was. With a sigh, I led the way to my apartment, shoving the
key in the lock and opening the door while worrying all the while if
I was making yet another mistake. I had not been having good luck
with men lately, and these lifestyle guys were the worst, from what I
could tell. Pushy, arrogant assholes. All of them.

Micah proved to be
no different, brushing past me and going into the bathroom like he
owned the place. I tried to keep a scowl from my face as I
protectively wrapped my arms around myself and stood awkwardly in my
living room, waiting for him to come out so that I could thank him
and send him on his way. This aftercare stuff wasn't going to happen.
Not tonight, at least.

When Micah emerged
from the bathroom though, he completely ignored me, making a beeline
to the kitchen. Was that a towel in his hand? I heard my refrigerator
door open. What in the hell was he doing?

Frustrated, I came
around the corner to see. My face contorted into a look of confusion
as I watched him pull out several bags of frozen vegetables along
with my ice cube tray. Did the guy plan to cook for me?

“
What
are you doing?” I asked, trying not to sound angry as I watched
him go through my kitchen drawers.

“
I'm
looking for plastic bags,” he replied absentmindedly, finding
them only seconds later.

“
Why?”

“
To
put the ice in.”

“
Do
you need ice?”

“
It's
for your aftercare.”

“
I
don't need aftercare,” I grumbled.

“
Just
let me do this. Okay?”

Stress was apparent
in his voice, and I was too tired to argue. I wasn't sure exactly
what he was doing, but I decided to leave him to it, returning to the
living room to sit on my sofa while he finished up in the kitchen.
Every movement was nearly excruciating. Walking. Sitting. Shifting my
weight. My back ached like seven hells, and I knew I would be
incapacitated the next day. How could I let things get this bad?

Another wave of
emotion swept over me, feeling like I had been more stupid than
prideful for staying with Chet for so long. All of that time I had
been convinced that Chet would never be able to break me, that I was
stronger than that. But he had chipped away at me slowly, and while I
had never submitted to him fully, I definitely felt broken. That
thought depressed me. Thankfully, I didn't have long to dwell on it
before Micah came around the corner, his arms full of baggies of ice,
frozen vegetables, the bath towel, and several kitchen towels. I gave
him a quizzical look as he set it all down on my coffee table,
wondering what kinky stuff he had planned. This was definitely going
to be creative.

“
Take
your shirt off,” he told me, his voice all business.

“
Aren't
you going to buy me dinner first?” I teased with a smirk,
though my hands quickly moved to obey.

“
That
can wait for another time.”

My smile faded from
the seriousness of his tone. This guy was no fun at all. I had just
been trying to lighten the mood. The last thing I needed was another
asshole in my life, especially after what had happened.

“
Lay
down on the sofa,” Micah instructed once my shirt was off.

“
I'm
not sure I can handle laying on my back.”

“
I
don't want you to lay on your back. That would defeat the purpose. On
your stomach.”

I tried not to
grumble as I did as I was told, feeling stupid all over again. What a
demanding prick. The only thing he had going for him was looks.
Otherwise, he was probably just Chet in a different package. The
thought made my skin crawl. Once I paid this debt, it would be over,
and I'd never have to see him again. I'd never have to see either one
of them again. I was done with the lifestyle. They could keep their
bullshit attitudes and abuse.

I felt like a broken
doll laying on the sofa, staring out into space. Micah leaned forward
and gently unclasped my bra. Then he bent over me, and I felt the
fluttery sensation of his lips touching my back. Though his kiss was
extremely gentle, my entire body tensed in confusion. What was he
doing? I thought about asking, but I wasn't in the mood for a
smart-aleck remark, so I just laid there silently while he placed a
line of gentle kisses over my bruised skin.

After a few moments,
it actually began to feel soothing, and I found myself relaxing,
closing my eyes and focusing on all the sensations surrounding me:
the softness of his breathing, the warmth of his breath, the soft
touch of his lips. He was being oh so careful not to hurt me. I
melted, feeling all the negativity I had been clinging to for the
past few hours slowly dripping away, as if he was siphoning it out of
me with his kisses. While there was nothing erotic about what he was
doing, I couldn't help but feel stimulated on a deeper level. It had
been a long time since a man touched me with kindness. Not since
before Chet.

The kissing
treatment went on for a good fifteen minutes. I was amazed at how
thorough he was, making sure not an inch of bruised flesh was left
untouched. There was a strange feeling of healing from his actions,
though I was sure that it was all in my head. I was just happy to be
lying there, not having to do anything.

When he finally
straightened himself, and I felt his breath leave my back, I sighed
contently, showing my appreciation. Whether he noticed or not, I
couldn't tell. He twisted around to face the table, taking the
baggies of ice and wrapping them up in kitchen towels before gently
laying them across my back. My body stiffened from the cold
sensation, completely removing the calm I had felt before.

“
What
are you doing?” I asked.

“
This
should help it feel better and heal faster, though I should have done
it as soon as we got here,” his voice had softened, and I
stared up at his face in admiration. He was . . . caring for me . . .
taking care of me? I didn't really understand.

When he finished
placing the ice baggies on my back, he used the towel to wrap the
bags of frozen vegetables, then covered up the rest of the injured
area. The coldness wasn't the most pleasant feeling, not like the
kisses, but I figured he knew what he was doing. Maybe he was a nurse
or something. Again, I was reminded of how little I knew about this
guy, though the thought didn't bother me as much as it had before.

Micah stood up and
looked down at me. There was a distinct bulge in his jeans. Had
kissing my back actually given him a hard-on? My mouth threatened to
twist into a smirk, but I didn't want to embarrass myself by making
it obvious that I was checking out his package.

“
I
know you're tired, so I'm going to show myself out,” he said.
“Leave that ice on your back for fifteen minutes and then take
some ibuprofen. In twenty-four hours, you can start applying heat
instead of ice. Eat foods rich in vitamin C, like pineapple and bell
pepper. All of that will help the bruising heal faster.”

“
Are
you a doctor?” I quirked an eyebrow at him.

“
No.
I'm a health insurance salesman.”

Well that's a bit
disappointing.
Good looking and a doctor would have been too much
to ask for.

“
Thanks,”
I replied quietly, “for everything.”

“
No
problem. I couldn't just stand there and let him keep beating you.

“
Chet
said it was over, but I'm sure he'll try to reach out to you again.
Be smart and don't fall for it. He'll make all sorts of promises, but
know that if you cave in, you'll just be setting yourself up for more
of the same treatment. This is a game guys like him play. Catch and
release. Don't be prey.”

“
I
won't.”

And with that, he
left. My mind was reeling from what had just happened. He hadn't
asked me for sex or anything else in return for saving me. The
aftercare wasn't kinky at all. Guilt flooded my mind for ever
thinking so critically about him. Then again, he was a guy, and one I
didn't know well. What else was I supposed to expect, especially
after he asked me to take off my shirt and unclasped my bra. It had
been going in that direction, hadn't it? He had an erection, so I
know he was thinking about sex at some point.

Despite
my exhaustion and pain, there was a small part of me that was a bit
sad he hadn't hit on me more. Micah was sexy and dominant and sweet.
Dominant.
No,
Talia. No more guys like him. They're just bad news. No more being a
submissive.

CHAPTER FOUR

Another deposit for
my spank bank. Soft tan skin, oh so kissable. I licked my lips as I
drove home from Talia's apartment, feeling proud of myself for being
so restrained. The whole time I had been kneeling there giving her
aftercare, impurities were raging through my mind. I wanted to hold
her and tell her that everything would be alright, woo her into
sleeping with me. It probably would have worked, but I wasn't enough
of a dick to fuck her when she was obviously in pain. That wouldn't
have felt good for her, and she deserved to feel good, especially
after what that asshole had put her through.

There was a sense of
relief in knowing they had split up, though it was probably
unmerited. She was a sweet girl, but I doubted she'd learned her
lesson. They never did. Give it a few days, and she'd be back with
Chet. I just hoped I wouldn't have to see it.

One thing was clear
to me, he had poisoned the area lifestyle completely. There was
nowhere I could go that he wouldn't be. That was enough to keep me
out of it permanently. All I would have to think about next time I
got the itch to dip my toe back into the BDSM world would be his ugly
face waiting for me. We'd likely attack each other on sight from now
on, like rabid dogs driven by pure mad instinct. Just thinking about
the guy pissed me off. That was done and over with though. If I could
avoid the lifestyle, then I could avoid him. It should be that easy.

I went home and took
a shower, washing away the stench of sweat and blood. When I felt
sufficiently clean, I lathered up my cock and went to work draining
out the rest of the night's tension. It was hard to focus when my
mind kept drifting back to the bruises on Talia's back. Even while I
kissed her skin, it changed colors. She'd be lucky if she could walk
the next day. A few ice bags weren't going to do the trick, but
hopefully they would help some. I just wished I could have done more
for her. If she was mine, I would have stayed there and tended to her
every need. If she was mine, she never would have had those bruises
to begin with.

After the shower, I
stood in front of the mirror to examine my own injuries. There was a
cut inside my mouth where my cheek had made contact with my teeth
when Chet punched me, and I had a dark contusion forming on my
shoulder blade, though it was minor in comparison to the ones that he
had put on Talia. Just thinking about it made me angry, but I had
done my part to save her. It was up to her to save herself now.

***

A new week began,
and I felt fairly content with myself. The draw to the lifestyle had
decreased tremendously now that I knew the drama awaiting me.
Besides, I really didn't think I could stand to see Chet and Talia
together. Even the thought of it sent anger rushing through me that I
knew I didn't want to see amplified. They were out of sight and out
of mind, and my life was better for it.