Saved by Submission (17 page)

Once in the bedroom, Megan spent a couple of minutes putting on some makeup and fixing her hair. It occurred to her how happy she was. In just a couple of days, her whole life had been turned around, and all the worry and anxiety of trying to get by, week by week, had disappeared.

If she was honest, she couldn’t remember a time when she had been happy, really happy. But now, every time she thought about the man waiting for her downstairs, who could turn her over his knee, or make her strip and touch herself, or cuff and restrain her body while he fucked her senseless, all she could do was smile.

She grabbed her purse, and checked her appearance in the gilt framed mirror in the bedroom. She wanted BDSM in her life. She knew now that she couldn’t go back to how it had been before. Jacob had wakened something inside her, and a vanilla lifestyle just wouldn’t be enough anymore.

What she didn’t know was how she was going to deal with her feelings for Jacob. She hadn’t meant to fall for him, but there was no use pretending. She had never been one for denying her feelings about something, but how could she tell him that? They’d only known each other just over a week.

Well, she couldn’t, not yet, anyway, that was obvious. She’d have to play her cards close to her chest and see what happened. The thought of him not reciprocating was too horrible to think about, so she’d just concentrate on her new job instead.

She pulled a face at herself, in the mirror.

“For God’s sake, anytime you want to stop acting like a love-sick teenager, would be really great, you stupid idiot,”
she told herself.

Then she went back downstairs to find Jacob.

He was in the sitting room at the back of the house, looking out of a pair of French doors that led on to a large, wooden deck.

The room had the same high, ten-foot ceilings, and a mammoth fireplace that a couple of adults could stand up in. It was a cozy room, though, with large, brown leather sofas, and colorful rugs covering most of the hardwood floor.

She walked over to him and took in the view. “I don’t know why people only talk about New England, in the fall. It can’t look much better than this,” she commented.

She hadn’t realized how high up the house was. The road they’d driven on to get there, had had a gradual incline, and now, all around her were hills, covered, as far as the eye could see, with trees, their leaves turned bright gold and red.

“I’m glad you like it, sweetheart. Maybe we’ll take a trip up into those hills, one day, so I can show a city girl what getting back to nature really means.”

Megan’s face fell. “You mean sleeping on the hard ground and freezing to death in front of log fires and getting bitten to pieces, and that kind of thing?” she asked.

Jacob burst out laughing. “No, Megan, none of the above. I was thinking more of a warm, log cabin, but, of course, if you wish, you could be tied up, naked and spread-eagled, in front of a roaring fire while I play my guitar and sing you boy scout songs from my childhood.”

He grabbed her hand and led her out of the house and into the garage.

“I can hardly wait,” she muttered, as she put on her seat belt, and Jacob reversed out into the driveway.

* * * *

The town was only a couple of miles away, and Megan liked what she saw while they drove to the kennels. It had a town square, and lots of small, quaint looking stores, and when he drove past a beautiful, historical looking building, Jacob told her that that was the local movie theatre.

The kennel was on the far side of town, set back off the main road. Parking was in the front, and after they got out of the car, Jacob showed her where the outdoor exercise yard was going to be.

The building seemed fairly old, but had a lot of character. Made of red brick, with shutters on the windows, it could have been mistaken for a family home.

“We wanted a place that didn’t look like an animal clinic, but more like a home away from home,” Jacob explained.

She could see that they had made a great choice. The whole place had a friendly atmosphere about it, and someone had even planted a flower garden that stretched out on either side of the front door.

He followed her gaze. “That’s Rachel’s doing,” he said. “She’s all about the gardening. It drives Mat crazy sometimes. They have an old house as well, and he can’t fit in some of the rooms for all the plants and flowers she grows.”

“So it drives my husband crazy does it?”

A tall, attractive woman walked out of the front door, and came down the steps. She had shoulder length blond hair, and dark brown eyes, and her shirt and jeans were covered in paint.

“That’s alright then,” she said, reaching up to kiss Jacob on the cheek. She turned to Megan, with a smile. “I’m Rachel, and you must be Megan. I’m
so
glad you’re here. The place is a complete mess, and I could really do with another woman’s opinion. These two have absolutely no idea about style, or colors…”

“That’s enough out of you, Rach.”

A man came down the steps and wrapped one arm around her chest, and used his other hand to swat her behind.

Jacob laughed. “Megan, this is Mat, Rachel’s husband and better half.”

Megan shook the hand that had swatted Rachel, and immediately knew that she was going to like this couple a lot. Her anxiousness at meeting them disappeared while she stood there.

“That’s strange,” she commented, with a frown. “I could have sworn that Jacob told me Rachel was the better half, and the one in charge,” she added with an innocent smile.

Rachel burst out laughing, and Mat gave Jacob a look of resignation. “Well, I can see you’re going to have your hands full with that one, my friend.”

Megan risked a glance at Jacob and was relieved to see humor in his expression, but when he spoke, the relief soon changed to a gnawing anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

“Oh, I’m not too worried. I’ve been counting up the number of times my submissive has pushed her luck, especially with words, and seeing as I’m going to give her two hard swats for every time she’s done that, you should be in for a good show.”

Mat laughed as he and Rachel walked back into the building, although Rachel managed to give Megan a look of sympathy before she followed him up the steps.

Megan was horrified. Did he mean he was going to spank her, or strap her, or God only knew what, in front of them? Surely he would take it to the bedroom, seeing as it was a private party.

In the club, it was different; people were there to play, out in the open. For him to discipline her at his house, with close friends watching, was so much more humiliating, and embarrassing, and…

Jacob interrupted her thoughts. “So much worry and anxiety going through that mind of yours, little Megan. Don’t think about it anymore, at least for now. I promise you, you’ll enjoy yourself at the party. It’s my job to see that you do.

“Come on, I’ll give you a tour of your new work place.”

He took her hand, firmly in his, and the two of them went inside.

Megan pushed her worries to one side and concentrated on the plan for finishing up the renovations and decorating that Jacob was explaining.

She learned that the three of them had a slightly more upscale kenneling idea than was usual, with more amenities for the dogs, and more free time to play outside. They also planned to offer dog baths, and basic grooming if the owner was interested.

It sounded like hard work, but Megan thought the whole concept was wonderful, and she couldn’t wait to get started.

“Why don’t you two talk about plumbing, and electrics, and I’ll show Megan the rooms at the back.”

Mat and Jacob agreed, and Rachel led Megan through the main office, down a corridor, pointing out store rooms, bathing room, and grooming station, till they reached the back of the house.

Rachel took a set of keys and unlocked what looked more like a front door. Inside, Megan found herself in a tiny apartment with a kitchen/living room, bathroom and good-sized bedroom already equipped with a large bed, armchair, closet and chest of drawers.

The whole place was prettily decorated in light, airy colors, and the kitchen was filled with brand new appliances.

“What do you think?” Rachel asked. “I did the painting and all that kind of thing myself. When I ask the men, all I get is, ‘Yeah, great,’ so I’d really appreciate some feedback.”

“Oh my God, Rachel, it’s lovely. If I could describe the perfect, little apartment for myself, then this would be it. I can’t wait to move in!” She was filled with excitement. “It’ll be so handy for work. I mean, all I’ll have to do is pull on some clothes, and I can get all the feeding and cleaning done before you even get here.”

Rachel was staring at her, a puzzled expression on her face. “What? I mean I thought you’d be with Jacob, you know…at
his
house, not here. I must have got the wrong end of the stick.”

Megan stopped in her tracks, and sat down on one of the armchairs in the little sitting room. “Living with Jacob? No, I assumed I’d be here when he told me about these rooms. I never thought…I mean he didn’t say anything, and it’s too soon, anyway. Oh shit, Rachel, I guess you’re not the only one who didn’t get it.” She stood up, and made her way back to the front door. “I’d better go and talk to him. Are you sure, you know, about me living at his house?”

Rachel nodded. “Well yeah, I mean, he was talking about getting a third person who would be doing just what you were describing a minute ago.”

Walking back along the corridor, Megan thought back to when he had first told her about the job. She’d assumed he’d been referring to her when he had talked about the living quarters. But he’d never actually said as much.

The thought of moving in with him was so tempting, but what if it was too soon? In the past, every time she had jumped into something—relationships, jobs, even moving with Nicky, it had always turned out differently than how she’d envisioned; and not in a good way.

This time, she had to get it right, and that, to her, meant taking things a bit slower, finding some independence and proving she could be self-sufficient.

She wanted to be with Jacob so much, that just thinking about waking up with him every day almost made her abandon the “proving herself” idea, but she kept going until she found the two men, standing behind the counter, talking about computer systems.

She walked up to them and waited till there was a gap in the conversation. “Could we talk, Jacob…oh, sorry, should I call you, you know…”

She glanced awkwardly at Mat, and both men chuckled.

“It’s okay, Megan, I’m glad you asked,” Jacob said. “When we’re out of the house in public, or here, at work, where other people may come in, Jacob is fine. It’s only when we’re by ourselves, or in a BDSM gathering, that I expect, Sir.”

Jacob took in the concerned expression on her face and told Mat they’d be back in a couple of minutes. Then he took her hand and led her outside, into the garden area at the front of the kennels. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”

“Well, I think it’s just a miscommunication.” She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, that living with him was something she wouldn’t like. God, that couldn’t be more from the truth.

He frowned. “Just tell me, Megan.”

His voice was firm, but not unkind, and she took a deep breath. “Rachel was showing me round the little apartment, and when I said I couldn’t wait to move in, she looked all concerned, and said she had assumed that I’d be living with you. She also said that you’d talked about getting a third person in, to stay here overnight.”

“I did talk about hiring someone to live in, that’s right. So you thought I meant for you to live here?”

“Well, yes, I’d just assumed…” she replied.

“Would you rather live here than at my place, Megan?”

He took a step forward, and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, and she almost gave in to what her body wanted, which was to tell him that she’d love to stay with him for at least the next fifty years, if that was okay.

“No! For once I’m sticking to the plan.”
“It would be very easy to stay with you, Jacob; much too easy.”

“I need you to expand on that, a little,” he prompted.

“The thing is, I’ve never actually been independent, you know? I’ve never lived on my own. The closest I got was with Nicky, and you know how that turned out.”

He nodded, and she continued, “It’s really important to me that I make a success of this job, and prove, not just to you guys, but to myself, that I am capable of being, well, independent.”

“You don’t think you could feel that way at my place?” he asked.

“Would you have felt successful when you set up your business if you’d still been living with Eileen? Please, Jacob, let me do this, for my self-respect, if nothing else.”

Jacob realized she had a valid point. He had lived at the yard, in a run-down office, even though he knew he had a home with his grandmother. He couldn’t explain it; it was something he had had to do. “Would you be prepared to compromise, maybe Monday to Friday, here at the kennels, and the weekend with me?”

Megan grinned. “That sounds
perfect
. Now, all we have to do is sort out the rent.”

The smile died on his face. “Rent? No, Megan, the room comes with the job. We’re not charging you rent.”

She knew, if that was the case, then it would all be for nothing. She wouldn’t be independent at all. She’d just be living off charity, but in the work place instead. “Then I’m sorry, Jacob, the deal’s off. If you hired someone else, they’d be expected to pay something, right?”

He scowled. “It would be their home, yes, so there would be a small amount of rent to pay. Maybe.”

Her expression was defiant. “Then I would expect the same.”

She was determined, there was no denying that. Right up to this point, her courage and bravery had been something he’d respected, and even though he wanted her in his bed, every night, he could see the argument she had presented.

He sighed. “It really is that important to you, isn’t it.”

Her shoulders sagged a little. “Yes, it is. We have something between us, we both know that, and I absolutely want it to continue. But I need to do this, too, to prove I’m not a complete failure at life.”