The Collar

  Jeff portrayed. Such a mystery he was.

  “Thanks. I had it built a few years ago.” There was a touch of pride in his voice. “I wanted something different, but homey and comfortable.”

  “You found it.”

  “Come on into the kitchen with me. I was just getting ready to pull the fish out of the oven.”

  He led her to the kitchen, and as they drew near, the mouth-watering smell of citrus and teriyaki greeted her. “Something smells good.”

  “It’s a marinade my grandma taught me. Really easy.”

  “I’ll take your word for it. I don’t cook.”

  But she certainly enjoyed watching him in the kitchen. The way his shirt stretched over his muscles, the power in his thighs when he knelt down to find a pan in a low cabinet.

  He stood up and faced her once he’d taken the fish out. “Do you have a safety call?”

  “No.” Her heart started pounding. He wouldn’t have asked if he didn’t have something planned after dinner, would he? “I trust you.”

  “Thank you,” he said, then turned his attention back to getting everything ready for dinner.

  He didn’t bring up anything remotely connected to play while they ate. Instead they chatted about simpler matters. He asked what her favorite movie was and when she said Gone With the Wind, they debated whether the book or the movie was better.

  “I’m so glad you see things my way,” Dena joked. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a movie I thought was better than the book.” She took her last bite of fish and smiled.

  He didn’t reply, and silence fell across the table. Her heart started to beat in her throat as she met his piercing stare, and all thoughts of movies and books fled her mind. All that remained was Jeff.

  “You have a decision to make,” he finally said. “We can go outside and walk and then maybe watch a movie, or we can pick up where we left off at the party. The decision’s yours alone, but you should know that if you pick the latter, it’ll be more than my fingers fucking you.”

  Finally, he was going to give her what she wanted. He sat across the table from her, leaning back casually in his chair, his fingers playing with his wineglass as he waited for her answer.

  “Will you show me where your bathroom is, Sir?” she asked.

  A momentary look of confusion crossed his face, but he nodded and pushed back from the table. He led her down a short hallway, past what looked to be a makeshift playroom and, across from that, a bedroom. The bathroom was at the far end of the hall.

  “I’ll be in the kitchen cleaning up,” he said.

  Once inside, she closed the door and looked at herself in the mirror. She checked her makeup and finger combed her hair. Then she slowly undressed completely, placing her discarded clothing in a neat pile on the countertop.

  When she stepped out of the bathroom, she made her way directly to the kitchen. Jeff stood at the sink with his back to her. Moving as quietly as she could, she went to the middle of the room, knelt down, and dropped her gaze to the wooden floor.

  In her mind, she tried to picture what Jeff was doing by listening as he finished up the dishes. The water was running, so he was rinsing them. Then that turned off and the soft clinking indicated he was probably putting them in a drying rack.

  He’s turned around now, she thought, and held her breath.

  “Dena,” he whispered in a low, rough voice.

  “I picked the second option, Sir.”

  He walked three steps forward, and his feet came into view. “Look at me.”

  She lifted her head and met his dark eyes. They were veiled, and she couldn’t make out what he was thinking. The urge to jump to her feet threatened to overwhelm her, but she forced her body to remain still.

  “You’re sure this is what you want?” he asked.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Just to be clear, for the rest of our time together tonight, until I say otherwise, your body is mine.” His voice still had the gravelly undertone to it.

  “Yes, Sir. That’s what I want.”

  He nodded once. “I’ll meet you in the bedroom in five minutes. Second door on the left. On your back in the middle of the bed.”

  So he wasn’t taking her to the playroom. She rose to her feet silently. He hadn’t given her permission to speak, and until he did or asked her a direct question, she would remain quiet. Without a word, she walked to the bedroom, conscious the entire time of the heat of his eyes as he watched her go.

  He entered the room only seconds after she got into position in the middle of the bed. Though he knew she was naked, he still had all his clothes on.

  He climbed onto the bed to her left, his eyes sweeping over her body in an appreciative manner. Ever so slowly his lips curved into a sultry smile. “Damn, you’re beautiful. Makes me so hard seeing you on my bed like this. Offering your body to me, knowing I’ll make it good for you.”

  It was a promise he gave her. A promise of pleasure. Her belly tightened just thinking about it.

  “What’s your safe word, Dena?”

  Her mouth was dry when she answered. “Red, Sir.”

  “I want to be inside you too badly to do anything too intense, but use your safe word if you feel the need.”

  She nodded. Fuck, yes. She wanted him inside her, too.

  “Lift your hands above your head and hold on to the bars on the headboard.”

  Her hands slipped up and wrapped around the vertical bars on the wooden headboard. The position lifted her chest to him.

  “Fucking gorgeous,” he said, leaning over her. With one hand, he cupped her face and then brushed his lips against hers. “Keep your hands there and I’ll fuck you and let you come. Move them once and all you get is my release on your belly.”

  She gulped. He meant every word. Her grip on the bars tightened.

  He trailed kisses down her body, his hands following behind. Though he wasn’t rough, he wasn’t gentle either. And just like she’d thought months ago, he could do wonderful things with his mouth. Within a matter of seconds, need, desire, and lust pounded throughout her body, and she lifted her hips, craving his touch there.

  “Not yet,” he said, thumbs flicking her nipples and giving them the occasional pinch.

  She moaned, but dropped her butt back onto the bed.

  “Know what I’m doing?” he asked.

  “Yes, Sir. You’re trying to drive me fucking insane with the need to have you inside me.”

  He laughed, obviously not expecting her answer. “Yes, well, other than that.”

  “No. That’s all I have.”

  A fingertip ran down her arm, swirling in the crook of her elbow and then traveling down to sweep across her wrist. “I’m learning your body because one night with you isn’t going to be enough. I want to know all I can about you. What places are ticklish? Where do you like it rough? And where can I touch you that will drive you fucking insane with the need to have me inside you?”

  His repetition of her words made her whimper. Now, she wanted to say. Take me now.

  But he was thorough in his exploration of her body and took his time. He caressed her all over and kissed most of her body. Between his fingers, his mouth, and his tongue, she was a quivering ball of unrequited lust by the time he shifted off her and started removing his clothes.

  “What did I tell you in the kitchen would happen if you went with option two?” he asked, slipping out of his shirt and tossing it to the floor.

  “That you would fuck me with more than your fingers.”

  Please. Please. Please.

  He unbuckled his jeans and pushed them down. “You had me in your mouth a few nights ago, and as good as it felt to be there, tonight I’m going to fill another part of you.” He slipped a finger between her legs. “Part your knees and show me how much you want it.”

  She didn’t even hesitate before she let her knees fall to either side.

  “Damn, you’re beautiful,” he said, looking over her offered body.

  He wa
s beautiful, too. She’d yet to see him naked, and as he stood at the edge of the bed, removing the last of his clothes, she allowed her gaze to travel across his body.

  He was exquisitely made, all hewed and lean muscle. She tightened her fingers around the headboard so she wouldn’t be tempted to reach out and touch him. Her gaze drifted lower, and she couldn’t hold back a gasp of appreciation when she spied his erection.

  He gave her a sultry half smile that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking and lowered himself onto the bed. He stroked her knee and placed a gentle kiss on it. Dena shivered.

  “One day soon I’m going to spend hours doing nothing but kissing every inch of you.” He nipped the skin on the side of her kneecap, and she yelped. “But not today. Today I want you too damn bad.”

  She sucked in a breath as his finger made a path from her knee up across her thigh and inched closer and closer to that empty, aching spot.

  “Look at this,” he said, skimming her entrance. “How wet you are.” He brought his finger to her mouth. “Clean it.”

  She parted her lips and took his finger inside, tasting herself, and she bit the tip of it just because it was there and she could.

  “Like it rough?” he asked.

  “Is there any other way, Sir?”

  He chuckled before lowering his head to hers and taking her lips in a kiss. She’d had her share of first kisses. Most of them were tentative and awkward. Not so with Jeff. The way his mouth claimed hers while his hands explored her body left no doubt he was not giving anything. He was taking.

  For a second she despaired that he’d told her to keep her hands still. She’d love to run her fingers through his hair and down his back. But she wanted even more to please him and knew there’d be time for her to learn his body soon enough. So she relaxed into his touch and simply let herself feel.

  Jeff seemed to pick up on her surrender because he ended the kiss and rose to his knees to put on a condom. She kept her eyes on his as he stroked the insides of her thighs.

  Was he hesitating? Surely not. Please, she almost begged. Instead, she arched her back, thrilled when the movement appeared to break whatever spell he was under. He shifted his hips forward, and her eyes fluttered closed as he pressed inside her.

  With a groan, he thrust once and filled her completely, damn near making her eyes roll to the back of her head in pleasure.

  “Fuck. Yes,” she said, and then sucked in a breath as he started pumping in and out of her.

  “Feels so good,” he panted, flicking first her right nipple and then her left.

  “Yes,” she hissed in reply, because everything about him felt good, from his hands on her to the way he moved inside her.

  He slowed down, and she nearly whined until he started nibbling on her neck and hit one of her favorite spots. She bucked against him. “More.”

  “Mmm, like that spot?” he asked, scraping the area gently with his teeth and sending shock waves of pleasure throughout her body.

  “Oh, God. Yes, Sir.”

  “I’m going to learn all your spots,” he promised, moving his hips faster. “And I’m going to be very thorough.”

  She had no doubt of that. “I want to learn your spots, too, Sir.” Or that’s what she meant to say, but he began stroking hard and deep inside her and it came out sounding like, “Want … spot … fuck!”

  His only reply was a grunt, and there weren’t any further words as he drove them both to climax. She fisted the headboard as hard as she could, trying to hold off her orgasm until she knew it was inevitable.

  “Please. Sir.”

  He didn’t slow down but simply said, “Yes,” and dropped a hand between them to circle her clit.

  With his permission granted, she threw her head back and focused on the feelings he created within her. He thrust deeply and kept moving as she climaxed around him. He slipped his hands up to cover hers, and their fingers entwined while he held still, reaching his own release.

  They lay there for a time, holding hands, wrapped up in each other. Jeff kissed her again, but this time it was soft and reverent. She sighed in contentment when he whispered, “Touch me.”

  Chapter Five

  Present day

  Two hours later, a much more content Dena sat at Daniel’s kitchen table, drinking another glass of juice. Jeff had wanted to give her chocolate milk, but Daniel didn’t have any. She’d loved chocolate milk when she lived with him. When she wore his collar, almost every night before they went to bed, he’d pour her a glass and bring it to her. A simple thing to anyone else, but one that never failed to put a smile on her face. Even after her outlandish behavior at the demo, he still wanted to care for her. He hadn’t realized until tonight how much he missed not being able to do things for her.

  The party was over. For an hour, Jeff had watched Dena while she slept and thought about the note she’d received. In his opinion, there was only one thing to do. He wondered how she’d take his suggestion.

  Because she’d worn party clothes under her coat, he’d needed to find her something to wear. Though he loved seeing her in the corset she’d worn to the party, he needed her in something more practical for the upcoming discussion. Anything of Julie’s was out of the question since she was a petite five feet three. Dena stood close to five eight. Fortunately, he carried extra clothes in his bag.

  So while she sat drinking juice at Daniel’s table, talking to Abby and Nathaniel, she was wearing one of his T-shirts. It was still impossibly large, but his heart clenched at the sight. Seeing her dressed in his shirt brought back the memory of the many mornings she’d sat at his table wearing one.

  “Nice shirt,” Daniel said, walking into the kitchen.

  Dena glanced down at the large garment. “Thanks. He not only carries arnica cream, but he packs an extra outfit.”

  He laughed at the look she shot him. “And a good thing, too. You’d be sitting there in a corset if I didn’t.”

  She wrinkled her nose and turned her attention to Daniel. “How’s Julie?”

  “She kept down the broth I took her. Maybe she’ll get some sleep tonight.”

  Dena yawned. “I know I’m still tired.”

  “No one will have to rock me to sleep tonight,” Abby said, stifling her own yawn. Nathaniel bent down and whispered something in her ear that made her giggle.

  Daniel stood with his arms crossed. “I trust your judgment, Jeff, but what exactly happened after Nathaniel and I left?”

  Jeff glanced at Dena before answering. “I’m sure she’s never been anything other than a perfect submissive with you, but I believe her exact words to me tonight were, ‘Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck. You.’”

  Abby stared at Dena in disbelief. “You said that?”

  Dena nodded and waved in Jeff’s direction. “Yes, but he forgot the, ‘Fuck you, Sir,’ I said first.”

  “Right, ‘Fuck you, Sir.’ That’s what earned you ten strokes, wasn’t it?” Her ass would still be sore. She really didn’t need the reminder, but Jeff needed her to understand he wasn’t ready to joke about it just yet.

  Dena’s back straightened. “Yes, Sir.”

  “That’s not like you. What’s going on?” Daniel asked.

  She glanced at him, but Jeff shook his head. “Since you remember everything word for word,” he said, “you tell him. Besides, I’m interested in whether or not he thinks you need another reminder about being honest.”

  He wouldn’t let Daniel touch her, of course, not tonight. She’d had enough for one day. But the fact was her behavior was unacceptable for someone who’d been a submissive for as long as her. He felt certain he’d made that point clear, but he wanted her to know how serious he took her misbehavior.

  She pushed the empty juice glass away. “I had a threatening note slipped under my door last night.”

  “You did? Shit,” Daniel said.

  “And she’s had harassing phone calls before then, including one