Submission Under the Mistletoe (13 page)

She became lost in memory of the last few weeks.

“
What happened on the night we
met?” Brad asked, his voice low and comforting.

“
He told me to enter the knife
play room. That was a hard limit for me. Not to mention there was
something in his eyes, like he was physically before me but gone
inside. It scared me. Really scared me. I refused to go and when he
grabbed my cuffs to pull me in, I activated the release buttons and
ran. You were like an oasis when I spotted you at the door under
the mistletoe; looking as if you didn’t know if you should stay or
go.”

He chuckled. “Oh, no…I’d firmly decided it was time
to go then.”

She smiled to herself, glad he hadn’t left.

His hands stilled. “Would you ever consider moving
away?”

“
If the right thing ever came
along. But I don’t foresee that happening anytime soon.” That was
the reality of her life at the moment. No matter what her heart
wanted she could no longer live her life straddling a fence. Every
time she slipped the landing hurt too much.

Unsure how long they sat there in the silence, soon
she felt Brad patting her shoulder.

“
Okay, off to bed for you. I’ll
take up residence on your couch for the night.”

She sat up. “You’re staying?”

“
I said I was.” Standing, he
pulled her up and gave her a light shove in the direction of her
room.

The only bedroom in her house. She admitted to
herself she felt a little dejected. After revealing more to him
than she’d ever shared with anyone else, she wasn’t sure what she
expected. Certainly not being sent to her room like a child.

“
The couch is a pull out. The
sheets are clean. There’s a spare blanket in the bathroom linen
closet.”

“
I’ll find it. Thanks.” He toed
out of his shoes.

She allowed her gaze to roam from his sexy bald
head, over the perfectly trimmed goatee, his broad shoulders and
wide chest. Taking in his hips and muscular thighs encased in
slacks she committed his body to memory.

When her eyes met his again, she noticed he had been
doing the same thing to her. Seeing more since she was only dressed
in her pants.

Ignoring her tight nipples and throbbing sex, she
said, “Good night.”

“
Nite.”

In the dark, she removed the rest of her clothing
and crawled into bed nude. She needed the coolness of her sheets
tonight to calm her heated flesh.

As she drifted off to sleep, she could hear him
talking on his cell phone. He’d used his sister’s name as he
apologized that he would be keeping her car all night.

She was happy that he didn’t give details of what
had went down at her apartment, just letting them know everyone was
safe and he’d see her in the morning.

~YH~

Awakening with a jolt, Gabriella could feel her
heart racing and still see the nightmare as it faded away. Her body
was throbbing in all the places she’d been bruised by Reel’s
actions. She tried to lie back down and forget the anger in the
man’s voice, or the violent way he had touched her. However, she
couldn’t shake the experience from her mind.

With concentrated effort she focused on the man that
had been there for her, Brad. She wasn’t sure if she would have
been able to fight Reel off, no matter how hard she would have
tried. The uncertainty of what could have possibly been a different
ending to the situation made her shiver.

As she lay there huddled under her blankets, she
recalled that her victor was still with her. Still under her
roof.

To the victor belong the
spoils
. William Learned Marcy had said and
she believed there was truth in that statement.

Brad, had come to her aid, but he’d gotten no reward
for his efforts.

In the past, she never considered giving sex to a
man in compensation before. However, this was really about her. She
needed him. Sexually. But it was more than that. She had deep
feelings for this man, her hero of the night. Like a deer after
water, her body thirsted for him. Her heart yearned for him.

Getting out of bed, she padded silent on the
carpeted floor to the living room. She saw his clothes neatly
folded in the chair to the side of couch.

Standing beside him, she stared down at his sleeping
form. His chest was bare and she hopped that meant he had needed to
sleep nude like she had.

She recalled how deeply he had slept the night
they’d had sex. He hadn’t even stirred when the phone went off. She
wondered how far she could get before he awakened.

Lifting the edge of the covers she got in beside
him, aligning her body with his. She started kissing his chest and
felt him wake with a start.

“
Shh. It’s me.” She placed a
calming hand on the center of his chest and guided his body back
down to the mattress.

“
Gabriella?” His voice was rough
with sleep.

“
You expected another?” She
whispered, jesting.

“
Are you okay?” He brushed her
hair away from her face and peered down at her in the low light
coming from over her stove in the kitchen.

Leave it to him, she thought, to be concerned about
her when she had designs on his body.

“
Just tonight let me love you.”
She pleaded as she dragged his underwear over his hips enough to
free his growing erection.

Taking his warm flesh in hand, she stroked it,
feeling him become harder in her hand. She tongued his tip and
heard him groan.

Drawing him deep into her mouth, she enjoyed the
silk covered steel texture of his cock extending longer in her
mouth. It expanded as more blood flowed into it, widened her lips
along with it. She suckled and licked him, loving the taste and
texture of him. His spicy scent was a balm to her emotions.

Once his shaft had thickened and grew to the point
she needed her hands and mouth to pleasure him, she rose.
Straddling his hips, she caressed her slit with his broad crown.
Whimpering with pleasure as the hot tip caressed her wet sex,
setting her clit on fire with a simple touch.

Guiding him into her body, she almost came at the
feel of him sliding along her walls. Shaping her pussy to his
specs, he made her his.

When she was seated fully on him, Brad sat up and
wrapped his arms around her hips; he pressed her down further. She
cried out as he connected them completely.

Holding her close, he allowed her the lead. Let her
ride him. However, he didn’t permit her to break eye contact.

Folding her legs around his hips, she gave her body
to him. Gyrating her body, she shared her heart. Meeting each of
his thrust, she gifted him with her soul.

I love you
. She screamed silently as her body climaxed around
him.

He groaned and gasped as if her orgasm had been
his.

They continued, in the same fashion, slowly and
steady; connected on so many plains she lost track.

She’d heard people speaking of tantric sex. Rumors
of a spiritual, erotic connection between two people; where they
reached multiple gratifications without excessive stimulation;
solely by their bond.

Now, she understood.

By the time she had her fourth and final climax and
Brad joined her with his second. She was both renewed and
exhausted.

He kissed her deeply, sliding his tongue into her
mouth and sharing his pleasure with her.

When they parted, she curled along his side and
rested her head on his chest and listened to the strength of his
heart beat. Soon she found herself in a dreamless sleep.

chapter nine

Stretching, she awakened to the smell of coffee.
Yawning, she rubbed her eyes and attempted to get her bearings. She
realized she was asleep alone on her couch bed. Immediately,
recalling Brad should have been beside her, she looked toward her
bathroom. But, the door was open with no light coming from it. She
turned to the chair and noticed his clothes were gone.

Remembering the coffee scent, she got up, scooping
his shirt, now hers, from the floor, she put it on as she walked to
the kitchen. Hoping to find him there.

Moving through the alcove that led into the small
but spacious area, she could easily see he wasn’t there. Dejected,
she glanced over to the coffee pot as it finished its percolation
cycle. He must have set the timer.

Glancing at the clock on her microwave, she saw it
was nine thirty. She was grateful she worked the afternoon shift
today and still had two hours before she had to leave.

A small piece of paper under a coffee cup, from her
to-do list tablet that was magnetized to the refrigerator, caught
her eye. Crossing the cold tiled floor to the counter where it lay.
She slipped the paper from under the empty cup.

Gabriella,

I know you’ll probably get all that you can drink at
work. However, I wanted just for once you would have the experience
of someone serving you. You deserve more than you’ve had in the
past. Get the restraining order, today. I don’t see this as the end
for us. My number is below. Use it.

Yours always,

Brad Crenshaw

Her eyes weld up with tears and instantly they
spilled over. She felt the weight of his words and heard the
command in his voice in her heart. She would obey one of his
wishes. However, Brad had left his number, but she knew she
wouldn’t call him. This was truly it for them. The knowledge
shattered her inside and made her ache.

She’d never cried over a man before. There was just
something about Brad that made her do a lot of things she’d never
done before. Wiping the tears from her face, she poured herself a
cup of coffee.

Last night, had been a beautiful experience. Her
body even now was throbbing and tender from their lovemaking. And
it didn’t escape her mind that they hadn’t worn a condom. There was
no pregnancy concern for her. She’d been on birth control for
years. However, the memory of feeling his bare shaft inside would
stay with her for a long time.

Adding creamer to her coffee, she drank. She allowed
the heat to warm her from the inside out, hoping it would keep away
the chill of loss. Not to forget the night, but to fortify herself
for the coming days, weeks…lifetime without him.

There wasn’t time to wallow in the grief. She had to
move on. First thing on her plate after she showered and dressed
was to go to the police station to fill out the report and get a
restraining order. She’d never lived a life where she constantly
looked over her shoulder and she wasn’t going to start now. Reel
may have lost his wife, and his mind, but she wasn’t going to allow
him to take his grief out on her. Maybe through this a judge would
force him to get counseling.

After two more sips, she picked up the note and went
to her room.

She wouldn’t call him, but she’d still hold his
shirt and note dear. Using them to fortify herself as she set out
on a new path, find a Dom. This time she wouldn’t cheat herself and
settle for anything less then what she envisioned having with Brad.
Someone she could submit to full.

~YH~

After stopping at his hotel for a shower and change,
Brad went to see his twin. He’d learned something from Gabriella
last night. As he’d been running away from his feelings and
emotions for her, attempting to deny himself what he wanted out of
fear, he took a page from her book and shared with his family. Even
as he wasn’t fully sure what he was getting himself into, he knew
he had to take a leap. Brian was first.

When Brian opened the door, partially dressed in
jeans and his undershirt, his brother said, “Well if it isn’t the
invisible man.”

Brad knew his twin had been right. In the couple
weeks they had been there, he’d taken off and didn’t answer his
phone when Brian called him leaving multiple messages. “I need to
speak with you.”

“
Come on in.” Brain stepped away
from the door.

As his brother sat in the plush chair, Brad took up
the one at the desk.

“
What’s up?”

Unsure of how to begin, Brad gazed out the window
for a moment, taking in the view of the city. He wasn’t looking at
Brian when he began. “I don’t have much time, but I wanted to be
honest with you.” He glanced over at his twin. “I’m in love with
Gabriella. I’m not sure if you member the woman—”

“
You took home last night. Small,
petite with a hot body. Vaguely.” Brian smiled.

“
Yea, that’s the one.”

“
Congrats. I’m happy you found
love.”

Lowering his gaze to his hands, Brad shook his head.
“It’s not that simple.”

“
Why not? Whatever you have to do,
don’t mess it up.” Brian’s voice held a strange tone.

Brad raised his head and stared at his brother. Like
himself, he could not really recall the last time Brian was in a
long term relationship. They were both professional men that
enjoyed dating a variety of women. Brad was surprised they didn’t
own stock in condoms by now.

That thought brought his mind to last night and the
fact there hadn’t been a condom involved in their lovemaking. The
thought had not even crossed his mind once he’d awaken to her
sensual kisses. He’d only wanted to be with her, connected to her
on the deepest possibly level. He wasn’t concerned about STD’s, as
a provider he religiously kept himself up to date. However, he
didn’t know if Gabriella was on birth control. Amazingly, the
thought of her pregnant with his child made his heart swell with
pride and joy.