The teacher laughed. “How many disasters start with that very phrase?”
Brad grinned. “True enough, but in this case, she’s not the problem. I am.”
Mr. Gallant pulled out a seat for Brad and sat down on the seat next to it.
“I really should get back, Gallant.”
“Will you be able to properly focus on the students?” he asked.
Brad chuckled, knowing he could not, and sat down next to Mr. Gallant. “It’s like this. I believe I’ve met the woman I’m meant to grow old with. Only catch—my new position. You see, this girl is pretty traditional and although she appreciates kink, she can’t handle the idea of her man scening with other women, even if they are his students.”
“I see,” Mr. Gallant replied. “It seems like a reasonable request on her part. Your fidelity for hers.”
Brad snorted. “Reasonable if I wasn’t the Headmaster of The Submissive Training Center.”
Mr. Gallant smiled kindly at Brad as he shared, “I’ve been here since the school opened more than twenty-five years ago.”
“Wow, I had no idea.”
“The point is, when I applied for the position of their main teacher, I was told that it was expected I would scene with students just as the trainers do.”
Brad leaned in closer. “I never knew that.”
“I wanted the job, but I had made a solemn vow to my beloved wife and would not compromise my marriage for this prestigious school. Therefore, I explained to the headmaster that I could not have any physical relations with the students, although I would dedicate my life to helping my pupils succeed.”
“And you got the job,” Brad stated in admiration.
“I did, without compromising myself or the relationship with my wife.”
Brad leaned back. “It’s a great story, Gallant, but that was more than twenty-five years ago. As headmaster, I have a set of rules I must follow and uphold. Personal engagement with the students is one of them.”
Gallant smiled at him as if he were waiting for Brad to catch up with his line of thinking.
“What is it, Gallant? What am I missing?”
“All that is needed is a change in the requirements of your position.”
“Are you suggesting I change the responsibilities of the headmaster?” Brad snorted in amusement, stating in an official tone, “From now on, the Headmaster is not allowed to have physical relations with students.” He shook his head. “Right…no one would agree to that.”
“The idea is not unfounded. It was actually suggested a few years ago when a certain headmaster ‘compromised’ one of the students at The Center.”
“What? Did Master Coen suggest the change because of Thane?” Brad asked in surprise.
“No, it was Marquis Gray in fact. I believe if you were to make that suggestion now it would be well received and have the support of most of those on staff.”
Brad shook his head in disbelief, a smile creeping across his face. “A headmaster who refuses to have intercourse with the students…who’d have thought?”
“Not any crazier than a teacher at The Center who doesn’t, now is it?”
Brad laughed, looking down at his palms. “The power was always in my hands, I just didn’t see it.”
“Like Dorothy in the World of Oz,” Mr. Gallant agreed.
Brad forced himself to his feet and leaned against one crutch so he could shake hands with the respected teacher. “I think you may have just changed the course of my life, Mr. Gallant.”
The small man smiled with a slight nod. “I would hate to lose a qualified Headmaster over something so trivial and easily fixed.”
Brad invited Shey out for lunch the next day, taking her to a small French restaurant that was a five-minute hobble on crutches from his home—a little place Baron had introduced him to.
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting to taste a piece of France in LA,” Shey exclaimed, sitting in the chair he offered her.
The tiny restaurant was filled with authentic décor. The waitstaff, along with most of the customers, were chattering away in French.
“Wait until you taste the food, Shey. You’ll think you have died and gone to heaven.”
“What’s the special occasion?” she asked.
“I have some news, Shey. I’ve made a decision about my job that may make you smile.”
Instead of smiling, Shey looked horrified. “Please don’t say you quit. I could never handle it if you lost your job because of me.”
Brad looked at her warmly, touched that that was her first response. “No, I’ve worked too hard to walk away now.”
She looked confused and asked, “What did you decide then?”
His grin widened when he told her, “After receiving some sage advice from a well-respected colleague, I am changing the role of the Headmaster.”
Shey’s eyes lit up. “Go on…”
“The Headmaster will not be allowed to engage in intercourse with any of the students. The other trainers on the panel will be responsible for that physical aspect of the job.”
“Can you do that?”
“I can, and I have.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t believe you did that for me.”
Brad took her hand. “I did it for us, Shey.”
Her bottom lip trembled as the waiter served the wine and their first appetizer at the table.
Brad picked up one of the shells on the plate. “Have you ever had escargot?”
She shook her head, looking a little daunted.
“I think you will find them surprisingly tasty and tender.” He speared the flesh dripping with sauce and put it to her lips.
Shey looked up at him with complete trust as she opened her mouth.
“Enjoy,” he told her in a low, seductive growl.
Shey slowly chewed the bite. As she did so, Brad was pleased to see the surprise on her face.
“You like?”
After Shey had swallowed, she nodded. “I like it very much, but even more so because of the sexy way you fed it to me.”
She picked up one of the snail shells and used the tiny fork to dig out the creature. Leaning over the small table, she put it to his lips. Brad slowly opened his mouth, looking at Shey the entire time. He groaned softly when he tasted the bite.
Shey’s eyes were luminous as she watched his lips while he chewed. There was a reason escargot was considered an aphrodisiac.
When they were done teasing each other with the appetizer, he took a sip of his wine and explained, “Now, I will still be scening with these students. My expertise is the reason I was offered this position. I remember you mentioned that was also an issue for you.”
Shey took his left hand in both of hers. “What you did makes me reconsider what I said before. I think if I were able to observe you working with your students, I would have a better understanding. However, I can say this without reservation—I trust you.”
He leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips, mindful of where they were and the fact others were watching. However, had he been alone with Shey, he would have thrust his tongue between her lips and claimed that luscious mouth.
Throughout the meal, Brad noticed the way she kept sneaking glances at him as she ate, the subtle lick of her lips, the unconscious twirl of her hair. She wanted him, and he definitely wanted her.
As they walked back to his home after the meal, Brad broached the subject. “I know you said you are a traditional girl and you wanted to take it slow.”
“Yes,” she answered, looking up at him with a flirtatious smile.
“You can certainly set me straight if I am being too forward here,” he stated, as he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Leaning against one crutch, he freed a hand so he could cradle her chin as he gazed deep into her ocean-blue eyes. “Shey Allen, I want to make love to you.”
Brad shrugged after his declaration. “There, I said it.” Grabbing onto his crutches, he continued hobbling down the street.
Th
e two walked in silence for several minutes.
“Brad, I hear what you’re saying. When I told you I wanted to take it slowly I was being serious…” Shey began.
He nodded, knowing she was trying to let him down gently.
“But the fact is, I’m desperate for you.” She smiled more boldly. “If you weren’t on crutches, I’d race you to your bedroom.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Hot damn, you’re my kind of lady.”
Shey went on to explain, “There are some aspects of our courtship I would like to keep traditional. Things like not moving in together until the time is right. Of course, my parents would prefer we wait to cohabitate until marriage, but it seems a little silly to me when we already,” she cleared her throat and grinned, “know each other biblically.”
Brad chuckled. “Yes, we certainly do.”
“But I would still like to go on dates so we can get to know each other like most couples do. There’s no reason to rush this.”
“I agree it would be healthy to treat our relationship as if we were just starting out.” He lifted her hand to kiss it. “We did only have one night together.”
“One incredible night,” she purred.
“If things go well between us, Shey, I would like to eventually meet your parents and for you to meet mine. I haven’t brought a girl home to them since high school. I know it weighs heavily on their hearts—the fact that I haven’t found a partner yet.”
“My parents have been similarly concerned about me.”
“They sound a lot alike. Bet they would get along famously.”
“Since we’re being open, Brad, as far as my future goes, I have really simple desires. I’d just like to settle down in one place and have a bunch of kids. Seriously, I can’t wait to be a mother.”
Brad stopped abruptly but quickly regained his composure and kept hobbling.
Shey smiled up at him and teased, “What? Don’t you want children?”
“I hadn’t really considered it,” he lied.
“I can just imagine you as a father. You’d be strict but funny. The kids would absolutely adore you.”
Shey was talking as if she could already see the children walking beside them. It gave him the creeps and he shuddered.
Changing the subject, Brad told Shey, “With this bum leg, I’m not going to be able to make love to you the way I want. We’ll have to improvise.”
She raised her eyebrows at his suggestion. “And I look forward to seeing what that looks like.”
Brad tightened his grip on the crutches, moving along at a much faster rate. “Race ya, darlin’.”
This Moment
Once they were in his house, Shey told him to head to the couch. She then took his crutches from him and laid them on the coffee table, ordering him to take off his shirt and lie face down on the sofa.
“I thought we were headed to the bedroom,” he protested.
“We are, but first we relax those muscles you just strained racing me to the house.”
Brad chuckled, impressed by her astuteness, as he had strained his muscles in the race, although he would never admit it.
He removed his shirt and lay down on the couch, his casted leg dangling off it awkwardly. Shey helped adjust it and lay a pillow underneath to provide more support. “Comfy?”
“Comfortable enough.”
“Good.” Shey searched through her purse, pulling out a small container of oil. “I always carry some with me because you never know when a little hand action might be needed.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
She giggled. “I wasn’t talking about that kind of hand action, Brad.”
He chuckled, enjoying the sound of Shey’s laughter.
“Now I want you to close your eyes and relax while I work on those muscles.” Shey straddled him, being careful not to disturb his leg.
“You know, it still feels as if a gust of wind could blow you away,” he commented, noting how light she was. “Have you been eating?”
Shey cleared her throat. “Actually, I didn’t have much of an appetite after you left.”
“Aww…you missed me that much?”
“No comment,” she murmured, pouring the oil all over his back.
He let out a long sigh as her hands began their work, but he couldn’t help being intensely aware that her pussy was pressed against his backside as she moved.
She scolded him. “I need you to relax more, mister.”
“I’m sorry. There’s something about a beautiful redhead straddling my body that gets my libido going.”
She giggled again. “Concentrate on my hands and you’ll be just fine.”
He found her directions amusing because he said something similar to his subs when working them over with his whip.
Brad shut his eyes and gave in to the magic of her expert caress. “I forgot just how talented those hands are.”
“Well, I never forgot how sexy your body was,” she replied lustfully, kneading the hard muscles of his upper back and shoulders.
His cock grew harder hearing those words, and he turned his head to look up at her. “I think it’s time, darlin’.”
She licked her lips, her pupils dilating at his suggestion. “I agree.”
Shey popped off him after cleaning the remaining oil off her fingers and his back. Handing the crutches to him, she smiled invitingly and quietly followed Brad to the bedroom.
He was surprised, however, when Shey suddenly seemed nervous once she entered his room.
“Nothing to be anxious about,” he said in a soothing tone. “This is just a man wanting to express in touch what he cannot say in words.”
She looked up, gazing into his eyes and smiled. “I trust you, Brad.”
He caressed her cheek, declaring, “And I will never break that trust.”
Shey visibly relaxed and nodded.
When Brad had left the redhead in Vegas, he’d felt certain she was the one he was meant to spend his life with, but he hadn’t told her that at the time.
Now he would.
Leaning his crutches against the bed, Brad sat down, patting the area beside him. When she took a seat, he cradled her face in his large hand. “I tried so hard to move on, but my mind kept coming back to you and the night we shared.”
“Me too.”
Brad leaned down, pressing his lips against hers as he parted them with his tongue to explore her luscious mouth. Breaking away, he took the plunge and confessed, “When I kissed you that last time in Vegas, it felt like I was kissing my soulmate—but you were someone I could never have.”
A blush colored her cheeks.
“Do you remember that you said my attraction to Amy was misplaced because I had confused her with the woman I was supposed to fall in love with?”
She giggled softly. “I do.”
“You were right. I love you, Shey.”
She looked at him in wonder, her eyes filling with tears.
Brad fisted her red hair, pulling Shey’s head back to kiss her again. In that moment, he released all the suppressed emotions he had been guarding for so long.
Shey melted into his embrace, stirring things within him he hadn’t felt before.
I will not let another man kiss your lips again, he thought.
Tugging at the strap of her dress, he kissed her shoulder and murmured, “Let me love you.”
Brad slowly undressed Shey, noting the sprinkling of freckles on her light skin and attempting to kiss every one as he took off her clothes. Once she was completely naked, he asked her to lie on the bed so he could stare at her.
Shey’s red hair was fanned out, framing her beautiful face. “You look like the sun itself,” he told her. Brad was aroused by the vision before him and unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it onto the nightstand. With some difficulty due to the cast, he removed his socks, pants, and briefs. His cock was already standing at attention, needing to dive into her warm depths.
He lay on the bed, whipping his caste
d leg onto it, causing the whole bed to bounce. “Can’t wait to get this damn thing off,” he muttered, shaking his fist at it.
Brad then looked at Shey and gave her a sexy smirk. “Now, where were we…” He gazed at her feminine body, entranced by the pink hue of her areolas and the darker rose color of her erect nipples.
Growling huskily, he reached out and caressed her breast.
She looked up at him with adoration, pressing herself into his hand to let him know how much she was enjoying the contact. He lowered his head and encased a tempting nipple with his lips, sucking lightly.
Shey’s moan sent a jolt through him that traveled straight to his cock.
Everything about her was sexually arousing. Her smell, her taste, her soft skin, and those delectable lips. As much as her body turned him on, it was the overwhelming feeling of love for her that moved him.
With gentle hands and lips, he explored every part of her, entranced by the fact that she loved him too. There was no reason to hold back, no reason to fear rejection anymore.
When she asked to be on top, he willingly lay down, watching with excitement as she slowly lowered herself on his large shaft. He groaned as her wet pussy encased the head of it. Even that would be enough stimulation for him to come, but Shey was a determined woman. She took her time as she rocked against him, taking more and more of his massive cock.
He watched in fascination as that petite frame took the fullness of it. Most women could not take his length no matter how much they desired to, but her body was not only willing but able.
Shey smiled at him, her eyes shining brightly when her mound finally encased the base of his shaft.
“There is nothing sexier than that, darlin’,” he stated huskily.
“Except this,” she answered as she began moving up and down on his cock.
He grabbed her waist to control her motion, throwing his head back in ecstasy as she caressed his manhood with her femininity.
“Faster,” she begged.
He opened his eyes and smirked, taking a tighter grip as he made her dance more vigorously on his cock.
“Yes, yes, oh dear God…yes!” she cried.
He could see the barest outline of his shaft as he moved inside her, and that nearly derailed his control. Slowing down the pace, he pulled her down to him and commanded, “Kiss me.”