The Naughty One: A Doctor’s Christmas Romance (Season of Desire Book 2) by Michelle Love (14)

The nurse nodded then pulled the baby out of the confines of the incubator. “Then you should try to feed her. Even though she isn’t crying yet, you still need to get her to eat some. It’s important to feed her every four hours, whether she’s crying or not.”

Clara nodded and took a seat in a large rocking chair. The nurse draped a blanket over her shoulder and helped her get the baby situated to eat. Aulora took Weston’s hand and whispered, “We should leave them alone to do this.”

“You should watch and learn,” he whispered back.

She shook her head and tugged at him to go with her. He followed along but wasn’t happy with how Aulora was acting. She was shutting down.

They went to the cafeteria and picked up a couple of coffees then took a seat in a booth. Aulora finally spoke, “Weston, would it be a deal breaker if I never had kids?”

He leveled his eyes on her. Would it?

“Aulora, this is the wrong time to be thinking about having kids. I can see how this is affecting you. Let’s not talk about things like that right now.” He sipped his steaming hot coffee as he looked away.

She could see it written all over his face. It would be a deal breaker if she didn’t want to have kids. And she was more than sure, she didn’t want to ever be put in the position her father and stepmother were in. She really didn’t want to put herself in the position Weston had been in when his baby was killed in that car wreck.

She knew what she had to do. Weston deserved someone who would give him children. He wanted them badly, and Aulora wasn’t about to do that to herself.

“I should go to the bathroom,” she found herself saying.

“I’ll walk with you,” Weston said as he got up too.

She sighed then got up. “You stay here. I’ll be right back. It might take a while.”

He nodded and sat back down. “I’ll be right here, peach. Take your time.”

She nodded and left. At the door, she turned back and looked at him for what she thought might be the last time. Aulora couldn’t take it anymore. She was done pretending she could be what he needed.

Her feet were heavy, but she made them move. Aulora had to keep it in her head, she was doing what was best for Weston. As she walked out the sliding glass door of the hospital, she felt a chilly breeze hit her face.

A few taxicabs were parked near the exit, and she got into one of them. “Fifth Avenue in New York, please.”

The driver took off with her, taking her to her penthouse where she had things to do. Her heart was heavy. Things were getting desperate, and much like her father had, years ago, Aulora was leaving the tough times behind her.

Chapter 3

When half an hour had passed, Weston went to find Aulora but couldn’t. He called her cell but got no answer. He didn’t want to burden her father and stepmother with anything else, so he went up to see them and made up a story about taking Aulora home to freshen up.

He was happy to find out, Hope was doing much better. They wanted to keep her overnight just to be safe, though. Weston headed out to find Aulora, pretty sure she was freaking out and doing something stupid.

Once he’d slipped into a taxi, he texted her

-Call me. I know you’re thinking about doing something that will hurt us all.-

He had the cab take him back to her father’s mansion first. The staff told him she hadn’t gone there, so he got back into the cab and took it to New York. To her penthouse.

The ride was long, and he still couldn’t believe she hadn’t answered him. Then he got a bright idea and called her mother. “Hi, this is Weston, Evelyn. Have you seen Aulora, by chance?”

“No,” she said. “But I haven’t been out of the house today. I’m feeling a bit under the weather.”

“Sorry to hear that. I know this is asking a lot but can you go down to her penthouse and see if she’s there? She took off from the hospital earlier, and I’m afraid she might be trying to run off.”

“Why would she do that?” Evelyn asked in confusion. “And why were you at the hospital?”

“The new baby had to be taken to it. She was having trouble breathing. I think Aulora’s freaking out about the things that go along with being a parent and is planning on booking it out of here.”

“Oh no! Is the baby okay now?” she asked.

“She seems to be. They’re keeping her overnight just to be safe. So, can you run over and see if your daughter’s home? If she is, do you think you could let me know and keep her there until I get there?”

“I will. Did she say anything to make you think she’d try to run away?” she asked him.

“It’s more how she acted. She shut down. Her sign for what’s to come. Her running away. If it was only me she was running from, I’d let her go for a while. But she’d be running from her father and stepmother and baby sister too. I can’t let her make such a huge mistake.”

“You are good for her. I’ll go check and let you know soon, Weston. Thank you for being so good to my daughter. She’s lucky to have you and I’m going to make sure she knows that.”

“Thank you. I’m fortunate to have her too.” He ended the call and rubbed his temples. A headache had sprung up, and he had no idea if it would go away if he couldn’t stop her from making the mistake she was surely thinking about making.

Chapter 4

Aulora made it into her penthouse and headed to her bedroom to pack a bag. She wasn’t planning on taking much. Just enough to get her by until she could go shopping.

“What’re you doing home, Aulora?” her head chef, Laura asked her as she headed down the hallway.

Aulora froze in her tracks. She didn’t know what she should say. “Um, just getting some things. I need some more clothes to take to my Dad’s.”

“Oh, how’s the new baby?” Laura asked as she stepped up to walk with her.

Aulora stopped and turned to face the older woman. “She’s not doing very well. She’s had some gas issues, and now she has some breathing problems. To be honest, it’s hard to watch.”

Laura stepped past her and opened the door to Aulora’s bedroom. “How sad. I bet it is hard to watch. Let me help you.” She walked into the bedroom and went to the closet. “How are the new parents doing with her?”

“Good, I guess,” Aulora said then went to grab a suitcase out of another closet off the bathroom. “I don’t know how they’re handling it all. I don’t think I could.”

“Sure you could,” Laura said as she pulled out a couple of T-shirts. “I suppose you want some casual clothes you don’t mind getting spit up on.”

Aulora shook her head. “I need some nice things.” She was planning on going to Italy. She’d been wanting to go see the sights that hopefully would help her with her painting that was getting derailed by all the other activity that had sprung up in her life.

Things were taking over. Filling her time with baby things and Weston things. Clara and her father things. She felt like she was losing who she was and what she was about.

She was an artist. Not a wife. Not a mother.

Laura’s expression changed to one of confusion as she asked, “Why do you need nice things?”

Aulora jumped when her cell rang in her jeans pocket. She pulled it out and saw it was her friend, Brittany. “I’ll call her back later.” She swiped the screen, sending the call to voicemail. “And about the nice things, can you keep a secret?”

Laura nodded and stopped looking through the closet and went to her, taking her hand and pulling her to sit on the bed with her. “I can. Tell me what’s up, Aulora.”

“Promise not to judge me?” she asked her cook.

Laura nodded. “I promise. I’m not here to judge anyone.”

“Well, I need to leave for a while. You see, I’m not going to be able to marry Weston. He deserves better than me. I don’t want to have kids. I’ve seen the heartache and fear and want no part of it.” She bit her lower lip as she ran her hand through her hair in a nervous fashion. “Does that make me a bad person, Laura?”

Laura shook her head. “No, it doesn’t. You’re truthful. Have you told Weston?” When Aulora shook her head, Laura sighed. “You’re engaged, Aulora. You need to talk to him. It’s not fair to him for you to run off without telling him why you’re doing it.”

“He’ll try to stop me,” she said. “Let’s face it, he will stop me. And I don’t want to be stopped. I want to get the hell away from it all. The worry, the fear, the not knowing what’ll happen.”

“That’s life, though. You can’t get through life without those things occurring. Sorry, that’s a fact,” Laura said.

“Not everyone has kids, Laura. Not everyone gets married. I don’t have to do those things. Not when I know that one day I’ll lose the people I love. It’ll hurt too much.” Aulora stood up and began to pace around her large room. “I just want to paint. I want to have those feelings. No sorrow, unless it lends itself to my work. I don’t expect you or anyone else to understand. I just can’t do it. I’m a loner. I always have been.”

Right on cue, Bruce ran out from under her bed and began to trip her up as he moved his fat body between her moving legs. Laura laughed as Aulora nearly fell. “He’s missed you. I’ve been wondering where he’d hidden. He’s managed to come out and eat his food and get some water when no one was around, but I haven’t seen him since you left to go to your father’s.”

Aulora stopped and sat on the floor. Bruce had slipped her mind. How could she go off and leave him?

“Kitty, what am I going to do about you?” she asked him.

Laura used the cat to try to get into Aulora’s head. “How long do you plan on being gone? Bruce does miss you, you know?”

“I’m not sure. Do you think the hotels in Italy are cat-friendly?” Aulora asked.

“It’s doubtful,” Laura said as she went to sit on the floor with her and petted to the cat. “And that plane ride is long. It would be brutal on him. Locked away in a pet carrier in the cargo area of the plane. He’d hate it. Don’t you think?”

Aulora looked at her cat and then her cell rang again. This time it was her mother. “I should answer this one,” she said as she swiped the screen. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hey, baby girl. Where are you?” her mother asked with a lilt to her voice.

“Home,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason. So, home in your penthouse?”

“Yes, that’s my home, Mom,” Aulora said then laughed. “You sound weird.”

“I don’t feel well. I’ve had a cold for a few days. How’s the new baby?”

Aulora looked off at nothing. She was tired of feeling pain over the baby. She was tired of feeling things, period. “She’ll be all right, I guess. She’s in the hospital. Call Dad if you want to know more. I really don’t want to know anything else.”

“Why in the world not?” her mother asked her as her voice went high and more than a bit agitated. “That sounds very selfish, Aulora!”

“I guess that’s what I am. All these people being in my life has me forgetting who I am and what I’m about. I’m an artist who prefers to be alone. When did it become everyone’s primary agenda to include me in something I was never looking to be a part of?”

“Aulora, I don’t like hearing you talk like this,” her mother reprimanded her. “Why so glum and anti-social?”

With a choked sob, Aulora found the sadness had overtaken her. She threw the phone down, then got up and ran to lock herself away in the bathroom. Laura picked the cell up.

“Hi, Miss Greene. You should stop by. Your daughter’s having a little bit of a breakdown.”

“For Heaven’s sake! I’ll be right over,” Evelyn said then ended the call.

Laura sat where she was, still stroking the cat’s soft fur. “What has your mommy got in her head?”

She got up and left the bedroom, Aulora needed some time, she guessed. But could she be talked out of running off? Laura wasn’t sure about that.

Artists could be closed off, she knew that from the one man she dated back in college. He could have been a true love, but he kept himself so guarded and aloof that she never got the chance to really love him. And she saw that in Aulora too. The only thing was, Laura wasn’t about to let Aulora do to herself what she watched the man she loved do to himself.

Chapter 5

Tears flowed as Aulora looked at herself in the mirror. What the hell was wrong with her? And why the hell couldn’t people just leave her alone?

She was going to get trapped, she knew it. No one was going to let her go. No one was going to let her put them all behind her. When a light tap came to the bathroom door, she shook her head. “Go away!”

“I can’t do that, peach,” came Weston’s voice. “Let me in.”

“Go away! I want to be alone!” she screeched through the door at him.

“No,” he said with a stern voice. “Now, you can let me in, or I can break the door to get to you. You decide.”

She leaned up against the door and whined, “Weston, you have no idea how I feel. I’m so torn apart. Just let me go. I’m no good for you.” She slipped the engagement ring off her finger and slide it under the door. “Take that. Give it to a woman who can give you what you want.”

“You’re the only woman for me, peach,” he said. “You come out and let’s talk. I have to put this ring back on your finger. Everything’s going to be alright. The baby’s doing fine. Everything will be all right.”

Aulora opened the door and fell into his arms as she cried, “Weston, how can you take this? It’s all too hard! I’m so damn afraid for her. It’s not even making any sense to me how much I care about her. How can I handle this all?”

He shushed her and cradled her in his strong arms. His breath moved her hair as he said, “I do believe this is the first time you’ve ever had someone in the world that you feel a kinship to. And that’s a strong thing to have. Hope is the first fragile life you’ve been a part of. It does make you hurt and worry.”

She pulled her head off his chest to look at him.

“How did you live through it, Weston? How could you have lived through the death of your son? I don’t think I could live through it. I can’t handle Hope being in the hospital. What if you and I have a child and something happens to it?”

Searching her eyes, praying to help her to understand things, he answered her, “Aulora, life’s hard. All the money in the world can’t make bad things not happen. It did nearly kill me when the accident took my son’s life. That’s the God’s honest truth. I was a shell of a human for over a year. But then, little by little, things got better. I could think about my son and not burst into tears. I could remember his sweet little face and the way his cries sounded.”

“I don’t see how you could ever want to possibly put yourself through that again,” she said then wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “I can’t even contemplate the pain you felt when that happened. All I know is, I don’t ever want to feel that.”

Weston pulled her with him to the bathroom, getting her some tissue and helping her blow her nose and wipe some more tears away. “As much as it hurt, peach, I wouldn’t have changed the fact that I helped bring that boy into the world. I got to hold him, touch him, feel him. I got a glimpse at what real love is. He gave that to me in a matter of two months.”

“Then that all was taken away, West. How can you ever want to take that chance again? I didn’t even live through that, and I don’t want to take the risk.” She looked at him for his answer as she had no idea why he’d do such a thing to himself.

“We’re not here to go through life with no pain, no worry, no fear, no regret. Life is all about feeling things. Love isn’t the only thing there is to feel. You’ll be a miserable person if you try to keep those things out of your life. I can’t stand by and watch you be an unhappy person, peach.”

“Why can’t you?” she asked him as she had no idea why he put so much time and energy into her.

“Because I love you. You’re my life. Can’t you see that?” He ran his hand through her dark hair then kissed her with a tender kiss.

She cradled his face in her hands as they kissed. Then he ended the kiss, and she asked, “How can you love me? I’m such a mess. I can’t handle the simplest emotions without trying to get away from what’s causing them.”

“Love isn’t always easy,” he said then picked her up and carried her to the bed, sitting on it and holding her on his lap. “Now, you’re going to pull yourself together. Want to know why?”

She nodded. “I think you’re going to say that I need to be there for my sister.”

“Yes, you do. It’s time to put on the big sister pants and leave that only child in the past. You’re a big sister. As a big brother, I can tell you, the job never ends. You’ll be there for Hope through this trial, and more will follow. Her first heartbreak, she’ll come to you and want to know why her heart hurts so badly.”

“And I’ll tell her because boys are mean and should be avoided at all costs,” Aulora said then sniffled.

“No, you will not tell her any such thing,” Weston told her then kissed the tip of her nose. “You’ll tell her that heartbreak comes to us all and it should never stop her from trying love again and again until she finds the right one for her. Just like you gave me a chance that you were afraid to give me. I love you so completely that I’ll never let you hurt yourself again.”

“So, I’m not going to be going off to Italy to turn into a hermit?” she asked him. “Because that was my plan.”

“No, you will not be turning into a hermit anywhere. I’d find you. I love you far too much to allow you to hurt yourself that way. You’re wonderful. It would be a crime to hide from all of those who love you.”

She had no idea why he loved her. Aulora only knew she was one of the luckiest people on the planet. “I suppose you’re my backbone, West.”

“I can be whatever you need me to be. Now, promise me that you’ll never run off again and make me chase you down.” He kissed her damp and warm cheek then pushed her hair away from her face.

“Seriously?” she asked him as she wasn’t sure she could make that promise. “I can tell you now that my mind takes me over sometimes and it sends my feet moving.”

He slipped the engagement ring back on her finger. “Your mind needs to stop doing that to you.” He laid her back on the bed and ran his fingertip along the side of her long, slender throat. “You have a place in my life that no one can ever fill. You have places in the lives of many people, Aulora. Try very hard not to forget that. You would be more than missed, you would be mourned.” His lips found hers, taking her away from her worries and selfish ideas.

Aulora was needed by people. For the first time in her life, she was an important piece of a family puzzle. She wasn’t sure she was up for it, but it seemed she had no real choice in the matter.

Weston was dead set on her. She had a baby sister who would need her around. Running was no longer an option. How in the world would she learn to control that part of her brain that had the fleeing instinct so deeply embedded in it?

Chapter 6

A month down the road, Aulora and Weston went to Sunday dinner at her father’s house. When the butler answered the door, they saw Clara walking into the entrance room, holding Hope.

“There you are, big sis. She’s missed you,” Clara said then placed Hope in Aulora’s arms.

“Hey, pretty baby,” Aulora cooed at her sister. “How are you doing today?”

The three moved off toward the dining room. “She’s doing so much better,” Clara said. “You were so right about giving breastfeeding a shot, Aulora. Hope’s made great strides since I started doing that. You seem to have a natural knack with babies.”

Weston ran his arm around Aulora and kissed the side of her head. “I have to agree with Mum about that. You do have a certain knack.”

Aulora kissed Hope on the forehead. “Well, she and I have this great connection. I know what she’s thinking is all.”

Weston was more than pleased with how well Aulora was dealing with things after her breakdown. He’d been a bit afraid of having to fight her to come back around. When he didn’t, he was pleasantly pleased. But he’d have done it if necessary. There was no backup plan. She was his future, no matter what.

Taking their places at a lovely table filled with gorgeous white flowers as the centerpiece, they found Charles waiting on them all. “There they are. I got a phone call from the Four Seasons, they can get you in for the reception party on the date you wanted. The wedding is on!”

“Really?” Aulora asked as she held her baby sister up. “You should be walking by then, Hope. Do you want to be my flower girl?”

“That’s a year from now,” Clara said. “I’m sure she’ll be over the moon to walk down the aisle, tossing flowers around.”

“Do you think they could make her a replica of my wedding gown?” Aulora asked. “Wouldn’t that be so cute?”

“I bet we can make that happen,” Weston told her then kissed her cheek. “So, one year and three weeks from now, you will finally be my wife. It’s about time we have a date set for that.”

“Pity, you couldn’t get a date sooner than that,” Clara said. “Wedding venues in New York are nearly impossible to get on short notice.”

“Nice ones, anyway,” Weston said. “But that’s okay. It’s better anyway. Hope will get to be a bigger part in it. I know Aulora wants that more than anything else.”

Aulora smiled at him and caressed his cheek. “You know me better than I know myself, West.”

“I do, peach.” He kissed her lips with a light kiss, making Clara sigh.

“You two are so cute!” She clapped her hands and laughed. “I cannot wait for you two to make me a grandmother!”

Aulora laughed. “How silly you are. If you didn’t look so young, people would swear you were fifty. The way you talk and think is off the charts.”

“Sorry for loving my family,” Clara said with a smile. “So, the bachelorette party, the wedding shower, the honeymoon, we’ve got a lot to do, don’t we, Aulora?”

“I guess we do. All of those plans and reservations need to be made too,” she agreed.

“And the invitations have to be sent out. My family in England will need plenty of time to get their affairs in order, to make the trip. We’ll have to get the reservations for the hotel rooms,” Weston added.

Aulora went tense with the realization about how much work needed to be done for the big wedding. “Perhaps we should scrap the whole thing and run off to Vegas.”

Clara’s jaw dropped. “No way! You can’t do that to yourself. You should have a huge wedding. You deserve one, honey!”

“You do,” Weston agreed. “You’ve never had anything big. You wouldn’t let me give you a big graduation party. Your last birthday you also wouldn’t let me give you a big party. I want to give you a wedding to remember. The sky’s the limit.”

Aulora wasn’t used to being the center of attention. The fact was, she was nervous about the whole thing. But she did have a little secret, she did want the grand gesture of a gorgeous wedding. She did want pictures of her and her family all made up sweet and beautiful.

“Okay, I’ll shut up and go along with this thing,” she said as if she was conceding to them. But she was actually conceding to herself. She’d always fought herself about stuff like that. It was time to turn over a new leaf and let her light shine.

She had money, and so did Weston. She had a family who wanted to be a part of her life now. The poor and lonely days were fading into the past, rapidly. The future was anything but poor or lonely.

Aulora was on a path she’d never even dreamt of, all because of Weston’s persistence. She beamed at him as she thought herself lucky. “I’m glad you found me, baby.”

“Me too,” he agreed then kissed her again. “Now to eat and then we can get to making some plans, peach!”

Chapter 7

Toddling down the long aisle with Clara following close behind her, Hope tossed out white rose petals as she smiled at everyone. Decked out in a small white wedding dress that matched Aulora’s, the little girl was on cloud nine as she shared her big sister’s special day.

Clara picked her up as they got to the end of the aisle and took her to sit down on the front row. “Look, Hope, Daddy’s about to bring out, sissy,” she whispered to her little girl.

Hope smiled and pointed as her father and sister stepped up to the back of the large church, and the music changed to that of the bridal march. She clapped as they came down the wide path, she’d sprinkled the flowers on.

Aulora couldn’t help but smile at her baby sister. She’d woken up to a gorgeous day. Everything about the day was glorious. Birds were chirping, and the sun was shining in warm rays that streaked the morning sky. At the end of the path was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

When Aulora’s father handed her off to the man she’d spend the rest of her life with, she felt a chill run through her. Weston took her hand in his, and they turned to look at the preacher who was about to make them man and wife.

A shrill scream came from behind them. The next thing they knew, they’d been upstaged by the little one-year-old who was bound and determined to be a bigger part of their union than they’d planned.

Weston had to pick Hope up as she tried to climb up him. Safe in his arms, she ran her small hand over Aulora’s face as the preacher continued to ask them to repeat the things he said.

Aulora’s eyes were brimming with tears. It was the happiest day of her life, and she was pleased to share the center of attention with the little girl she grew to love more with each passing day.

No longer did she fear becoming a mother. Thanks to the birth of Hope, she felt pretty confident that she did have what it takes to be a mom after all. And she knew Weston had what it would take to be a dad.

Before she knew it, the wedding bands had been slipped onto their fingers, and they were kissing while everyone clapped, and Hope added her kiss to theirs. A wet sloppy one that left spittle shining on their cheeks.

“Sweet girl,” Weston said with a chuckle.

“Think she’ll let us go on our honeymoon alone, West?” Aulora asked him as Hope clung tightly to her new brother-in-law.

Clara came to them and pried her little girl off him. ‘Come on, baby girl. They have things to attend to.”

Hope looked a little mad at her mother but soon was okay when Aulora pulled a grape sucker out of her bouquet and gave it to her, easing her anger at being pulled out of the spotlight.

Off the newly married couple went to have a party at the Four Seasons then off to Italy, they’d go for a month-long honeymoon. A time in which they hoped to become pregnant, starting their own family.

Somewhere deep inside Aulora, fear still trickled through her, making her wonder if she was a fool for taking such risks. She’d gone with Weston to Los Angeles on the anniversary of his son’s death a few months earlier.

Standing at the foot of a grave that should never have to be made so small, was sobering. For two months, the baby had been there. Filling the lives of Weston and Hayley. Their dreams were all about him. Their thoughts were all about him. In an instant, he was no longer there.

Aulora didn’t know how Weston could take it. How it didn’t kill him too. But she knew it had given him a strength most never know. Weston’s love was complete. No matter what she threw at him, he caught it and made it into something beautiful.

With him in her life, her artwork had flourished. He constantly told her how he couldn’t wait for her to become a mother. He wanted to see how feeling that particular love affected her art. Weston was sure it would become even better.

If she hadn’t been a wealthy woman before, she’d have been one anyway. Her art was selling as soon as she got another painting out on the wall. No longer did she have two walls to fill at the gallery. They never stayed on them long enough to make it necessary for two of them. Instead, she had space behind the front desk. It was large enough to house three paintings at on time. And she was always asked if she’d be getting right back to work, as it was certain there would be an empty spot within the month.

Aulora had changed. She was no longer the quiet, little, cynical young woman who thought darkness and drudgery were all that life held for her. She’d blossomed under Weston’s love, into a butterfly who knew there was a hell of a lot more to life than she’d allowed herself to ever believe before Weston had come into her life.

After the reception, they spent the night in the hotel, sleeping instead of making love as they were way too exhausted to do anything but sleep what was left of the night away.

But early the next morning found them not quite so tired and more than ready to get to the baby-making.

Aulora’s dark hair had been done up in a fancy updo. It was a rat’s nest of tangles, and her makeup that had once been perfect was a mess of black around her eyes and red smudged lips.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Weston said as he pulled her up to his chest.

He too had seen better mornings. The gel that was used in his hair to keep it in place was holding it straight up on one side and plastered to his face on the other. His eyes were swollen from drinking too much and too long. They had to laugh as they looked at one another.

“Lord, Weston. What have we become?” she asked as she pushed his hair back and found it standing at attention as the gel held it up.

“I think the shower is where we need to start this marriage thing.” He climbed out of bed and picked her up, carrying her bridal style to the bathroom.

In the shower, the warm water ran over their bodies as they ran soapy washcloths over the other’s body. Washing the tons of product out of their hair, they began to resemble the handsome couple they’d been before the long day of wedding festivities. “Remind me that I only want to ever get married once,” Aulora said. “That was too much work. I never want to go through that again.”

“Don’t you worry,” he told her as he scooped her now clean and fresh body up in his arms. “I will never allow you to marry again.”

Pressing her against the warm shower tiles, she wrapped her legs around him as he buried himself inside her. She moaned, her nails ran over his back, and she found he fit her better than he ever had.

“I love you, West,” she purred as he stroked deftly. “I want all of you.”

“You have all of me,” he told her as he looked into her eyes.

“I want you inside me,” she said with another moan.

“I am inside you, peach,” he told her then kissed up one side of her neck.

Trailing soft kisses over his shoulder, she whispered, “I want to feel your baby moving inside of me.”

He growled with her words. She hadn’t been very vocal about having a baby. She’d agreed to it, but he wasn’t sure if she was doing it all for him or not. Her admission to wanting to have his baby inside of her was new, and he loved hearing it.

It invigorated him, making him take her with more force. With the slightest twinge of her body as she began to climax, he held back his orgasm until she was nearly through. Then he let his go, filling her up with his love.

Their mouths come together as they exchanged their love. Then he left the shower, taking her to the bed. Laying her back on it, he moved back in for more.

She spread her legs, inviting him in and hissed, “Do it again, baby. Damn, it’s good to be your wife.”

“Not nearly as good as it is to be your husband,” he said then thrust into her hard and swift.

She cried out with pleasure as he pounded her body with his. Faster and harder he went until they were quivering again and he spilled more of himself into her. “Oh, this month is going to be so much fun,” she said as she tried to catch her breath.

“You can say that again!”

It was their first morning as a married couple, and they were set on doing it right!

Chapter 8

“Grab him, he’s getting away!” Weston called out to his wife as their three-year-old son streaked through the main living area.

Aulora put down their one-year-old daughter to go after their little nudist. “Come here, Brady!”

With a squeal of laughter, the boy zipped past her and headed out of the room, apparently seeing fit to give the staff a looksy at his goods. “You can’t catch me!”

“I’ll take Bree over,” Weston shouted. “You go chase him down. The kid is super speedy!”

Aulora chased their son down the hallway as he laughed like a maniac. Suddenly, he stopped when a door opened. “And what do we have here?” Laura asked as she scooped up the naked bundle.

“Yes! Great teamwork, Laura,” Aulora said as she stopped running and walked up to get her son.

“Aw, man,” Brady whined. “I don’t wanna wear clothes. They get in my way.”

“Your way of doing what?” Laura asked him as she handed him over to his mother.

“In my way of being free,” he told her. “I like to feel fresh.”

“Well, I like to see my son wearing clothes, like a normal human boy, instead of a wild animal,” Aulora scolded him.

“Maybe he was a monkey in his past life,” Laura teased then messed up the dark mop of hair on his head.

“Maybe I was,” he agreed. “Come on, Mom. Let me be a wild monkey again! Please!”

“Shouting the word, ‘please,’ is no way to get what you want, Brady. Now, come on. Back to being a boy and wearing clothes.” Aulora took him back into the living area where he’d ditched his shorts and T-shirt.

Finding Weston reading to their daughter, had her heart fluttering. “I got him, Dad.”

“I see that,” Weston said as he put the book down. “Why is it that you want to be naked, son?”

“Apparently, I was a monkey one time. That’s what Miss Laura thinks. And I believe she’s right!” Brady struggled with his mother as she put his clothes back on.

“Well, you’re no longer a monkey. If you keep your clothes on, I might take you to the zoo later. That way you can see how monkeys actually live. It’s not nearly as nice as you have it,” Weston said, earning him a smile from his wife.

“Clever, West.” She gave him a wink.

He gave her one back. “Brady, what do you think monkeys eat, anyway?”

“I know they eat bananas. I saw it in a book. I like bananas too.” He climbed up on the sofa next to his father.

“The also eat bugs,” Weston informed him. “How would you like to have to eat bugs to stay alive?”

The face the boy made had both his parents laughing. “Yuk!”

“And monkeys live in cages,” Aulora added. “How’d you like to live in a cage?”

Brady shook his head. “No thank you. But can we still go to the zoo? I wanna show Bree the animals too. I’m her big brother, and it’s my job to make sure she has fun every single day of her life.”

“Let’s go. And we can stop by and pick up your Aunt Hope too,” Weston said. “Uncle Jimmy might want to come too.”

“He’s only a baby, Dad. Don’t be silly,” Brady said about his six-month-old uncle.

Aulora smiled as Weston got up and put his arm around her. They herded their two kids out of the room to get them to their rooms to get ready to go to the zoo. She felt it every time they touched. That spark that had started it all and continued to keep their fires going.

Becoming a mother was the best thing to happen to her. If it hadn’t been for Weston, she’d never know what love really was. She’d loved her mother and father. And she even loved Clara. But she would’ve never known what it really felt like to love someone you’re a part of.

As they went up the stairs, Bree tripped and hurt her knee. Weston snatched her up and kissed her boo-boo. “Daddy’ll make it better, sweetheart.”

As if the kiss was magic, Bree stopped crying and giggled. The pain all gone, it seemed. Aulora was always surprised by how easy it was to make the kids happy. A kiss on a boo-boo, a piece of candy, a nighttime story, all were easy to give, and all made their children happy.

Aulora realized that being a parent was scary. Fear was always an underlying thing when you have a kid. But fear was already there, anyway. She was afraid something would happen to Weston, her father, her mother, Clara, Hope all before she ever became a mother. It was life, Weston was right about that.

She’d learned that there could be a constant concern for people, but it was overshadowed by this sense of joy that was also constant. A continuous river of joy flowed through her. It hadn’t before. Aulora wondered how she had ever lived without it.

That stream of joy was what made her world turn. Without it, she didn’t know what life would be like. But she had reasons to believe, once you found that little piece of wonderful, it never went away. Hence, Weston’s always upbeat idea of life, even though he’d lost his first precious child.

Aulora respected her husband more than she’d ever admired anyone. He was the best husband and father she’d ever known or knew of. His support was unwavering.

They had their disagreements like anyone else did, but Weston never let them go to bed angry. If they had to argue a little bit longer to work it out, then they did that. If he had to kiss her into seeing things his way, they did that too. He was always there, never giving up.

Aulora wondered what she’d done to deserve such a man. She had to admit to herself that she could be a real downer at times. There was her penchant for seeing the worst in things. None of it stopped Weston from loving her.

On the other side of that coin, Weston wondered at times what his remarkable wife saw in him. She was a brilliant artist. Her work was coveted my many in the art world. And she saw fit to be with him.

He didn’t have an artistic bone in his body. When imagination was needed, he had to confer with Aulora as he couldn’t seem to come up with a thing.

One of his favorite things to do was to sit and listen to his wife as she made up stories she told their children when she was getting them to go to sleep. Stories about fairies and kingdoms that she made up filled their children’s ears and sparked their vivid imaginations.

Weston couldn’t even imagine coming up with the stories she did, nor the ideas for her intricate paintings. She was a genius in his eyes, with both their kids and her imagination and ability to bring it to life.

Aulora had been so worried about becoming a mother. Weston found that hilarious as she was a complete natural at it. Hardly anything bumfuzzled her. She was like the kid-whisperer. She knew why Brady would get cranky or Bree was having a hard time sleeping.

Aulora had a sixth sense, Weston didn’t. She was fantastic in his eyes, yet she didn’t see herself in that light. No matter how many times she was right about the kids or him, she never saw it as a gift. She’d say any mom knows these things, but she was wrong. Weston knew she was a gift to him and their kids and he treated her as such. The couple had finally found their happily ever after and they were going to keep it that way.

The End

* * *

* * *

Part 1

Blyss

BDSM stands for Bondage, Discipline, Domination/Submission, and Sadism/Masochism. They were a bunch of frightening words, that was for sure. And it just so happened that I was planning to write my master’s thesis on that taboo topic. As a psychology major and a virgin, I was in for a drastic change in my sheltered world. I knew that going into my summer project; If I had parents to answer to, then perhaps I wouldn’t have chosen this subject to explore thoroughly. But I didn’t have a family at all.

My story was one of those sad ones. I was dropped at a fire station as a newborn and sent to an orphanage. I wasn’t as lucky as most babies. I was born addicted to all kinds of drugs and alcohol. My mother must’ve had a genuine love for all things that were bad. I was her complete opposite. Most likely, the violent withdrawals as a tiny baby had become part of my permanent makeup and had been stored in my cell-memory bank. Liquor didn’t appeal to me and I’d had not so much as an aspirin all the way up to my early twenties.

Then I decided that my life needed to be shaken up a bit. There’d been no one who had sheltered me. I’d done that to myself, burying myself in books since I had learned to read at the tender age of five. I’d found companionship in stories and knowledge in textbooks. I loved to read so much so that I hardly ever stopped reading. As they say, too much of anything, even a good thing, is bad for you. I was more than an avid reader. I was an addicted reader, which kept me from experiencing many things, including friendships. I’d never made one friend in all my years of growing up.

There was no need to make friends. Books were my world and these characters were my only friends, until I began college. My roommates weren’t about to leave me alone with my books. Finally, I learned how to let people in while not letting them take me over. I liked it. I liked opening up to people and listening to their ideas, life stories, and daily drama.

I had no drama in my life. It was as sterile as the environment I lived in. I kept everything in perfect order. White was my favorite color and everything I owned was that color, or lack thereof. My wardrobe consisted of lab coats, which I wore on a daily basis. I had slacks that matched them, and even my undergarments were as plain as I could find.

The dark world of BDSM was ancient. The basics of the lifestyle seemed to be bred into us all. Man ruled over his women, which whittled down to one woman in many societies. He used anything he had to keep her in line. Brutality was necessary back in those caveman days. Males had to be brutal to maintain their mates. Not only did they have to fight off other males who tried to rob them of their women, but they also had to fight their women on occasion.

On occasion, females tried to run off. Others didn’t want to give up their sexual favors to the males who’d taken them from their father’s cave. Males resorted to the only thing that was hardwired into them; hold her down and do it anyway. Procreation had to occur, whether females understood that or not. Time moved on and we all evolved. That caveman mentality became unacceptable, and that was for the good of all. Things progressed and polite society looked down on rough sexual activity. But some of the naughtier individuals still played rough behind closed doors and in dark places where others wouldn’t see them.

It was that darkness that lured me in. I wasn’t vanilla. I was far worse than that. I was an untouched specimen. I needed an experienced Dom to take over me. My mind was set; I would hand myself over to him with no qualms. Everything we did, how I felt about it all, and how I felt about the man who’d done those things to me were to be noted. Then I’d make charts and sub-charts about the whole thing and write my thesis once summer was over.

I could’ve researched different men. I could’ve asked around to find things out. But I wanted a clean slate when I began my research. I wanted to go into an auction and to allow the right man to find me. The thing that made it all okay in my mind was the fact that my emotions were left out of everything. That was the stipulation of many Dom/Sub contracts. Once it was over, the two people would walk away from one another with no hard feelings. Love wasn’t a thing that was supposed to occur.

I was happy about that. I wasn’t looking for love. I was looking for an experience that I could write about and learn from—and that would make an excellent how I lost my virginity story.

Not many women would have the story I’d have.

Only a couple of weeks stood in my way. I’d done no research on anything that had to do with actual BDSM kinks. That way, I’d be able to accept whatever the man who bought me would want. Whatever he wanted to do to me, I wanted him to do. I was a blank slate and more than ready to be changed. My body had never experienced anything sexual. I’d never masturbated. No orgasm had ever filled me. I had no idea what that would feel like or if I’d even experience one.

The men I knew jokingly called me a robot. I was fine with that. Not all women climax, from what I’d read about human sexuality. I did realize that I wasn’t normal. One doesn’t go through life, living in another world that’s alongside the real one and not see that she’s different. The truth was, I was tired of being different. I wanted to be normal, but knew I had no clue how to become that. So I could be something else other than normal. I could be a Submissive. I could belong to someone. I’d never belonged to anyone in my entire life. It was time I let that happen.

I’d do it for the summer, and if I found I liked it, then I’d sign up for another auction and give myself to more and more Doms, until the right one bought me and wanted to keep me. No one had ever wanted to keep me. Not ever. Putting myself up for sale was risky. But so was living my life the way I had. I had deprived myself of so many things. All that was about to change. I was about to let loose and let go of all the things I’d clung to so desperately.

Once upon a time, my mother put me outside of a fire station. From what I was told, I had on no clothes, nor was I wrapped in a blanket. I was placed in a box and a storm was raging. No one was sure just how long I’d been outside. It was a miracle I hadn’t drowned or died from exposure. In my mind, if my newborn body could handle all that, my adult body was capable of even more. I was about to test limits I knew nothing about and hoped the Dom who’d buy me, would.

Troy

The sun was setting behind me as I drove my Jeep out of NAS Point Loma in San Diego, California. I was currently a master drill sergeant career Navy man. I had the summer months free and a much-needed extended vacation was calling my name, as was the Dungeon of Decorum in Portland, Oregon. I’d been a member of the BDSM club for the last three years. The lifestyle worked wonders for me. I could take on a Sub, who I’d win in an auction, for any length of time I wanted. Since it was summer, I had three months off and planned to make up a contract for the entire time.

Being a Dom was something I was good at. I knew how to think about what would work for entire groups of people. My experience working hands on with other people had given me more knowledge than most started out with. Not only was I acutely aware of what the human body could take and perform, I knew the inner workings of the human mind. It was capable of handling things most thought impossible.

As a SEAL, I’d done things and seen things others might’ve gone insane over. I was tough, built like a tank, and mentally capable of doing anything I set my mind to. And I do mean anything. What others saw as insurmountable challenges, I saw as opportunities to push myself to the max. And I enjoyed teaching women, my Subs, how to do that too.

At the end of our time together, my Subs left a hell of a lot safer than when I got them. They could take pain and morph it in their minds into things that not only didn’t hurt them, but could also be transformed into pleasure. I’d seen amazing transformations in the last three years with the women I’d taken on, and I was looking forward to getting my hands on a new recruit.

The club had a website where I could get a gander at the women who’d be in the summer auction that year. I didn’t want to look them over. I wanted to pick one out based on instant attraction. I was looking to work from the ground up with someone. I preferred a BDSM virgin.

I’d had women who’d been in that lifestyle and they were great. But I wanted a newbie—a fresh woman who knew next to nothing about BDSM. Showing someone things they could never imagine was what I was looking for. Watching her face as she found out just how high I could take her, using only some ropes, a paddle, and my cock was a thing that had my thighs tingling.

I had to make a stop at my family’s estate in Napa Valley, then I’d be on my way. My grandfather had started a winery when he was young and it had taken off. My mother had inherited it, as she was his only child. Her mother had died early on, so it was just mom and her father to grow the budding company. Time and patience had Succulent Winery blossoming into a giant company that my father and brothers loved. I wasn’t like them. I thought wine was okay. I preferred beer and whiskey. And I also preferred to work a bit harder than any of them did.

As heir to the fortune the winery gave us, I didn’t have to work a day in my life if I didn’t want to. But I hated to be idle. Both in mind and body, I liked to stay active. The cool thing about being a billionaire in the armed forces was that I could take the money I earned in the Navy and give every bit of it to various charities. I was also known to hand over large amounts of money as gifts for people who I found in need. I did those things anonymously, though. I didn’t want any recognition for anything like that. It was money. I had a lot of it and they didn’t. End of story.

Life could’ve been easy for me, but I preferred to make it at least a little hard. I liked to work hard for what I had. Having something to show for all that hard work was what I lived for. While some might’ve seen taking on a Sub as a selfish thing to do, I saw it as an opportunity to help a fellow human being grow into something that they never thought possible before they had met me.

I didn’t leave my subs with just an education of the mind and body, I also left them with enormous chunks of money to let them live the rest of their lives any way they wanted to. Along with their newfound freedom to explore their minds and bodies in ways others condemned, the financial freedom I gave them allowed them to live life on their own terms. So far, every Sub I’d bought was happy with what she’d received from me.

We’d end our contract with smiles, handshakes, quick hugs, and maybe a kiss if the chemistry was there. The truth was, I hadn’t found intense chemistry with any of the subs I’d had. I’d found nothing to hang on to in the dating department, either. But I wasn’t freaking out over that just yet. I was still young, at only thirty years old. I had time to meet a woman, marry her, have a family, and all that jazz.

I wanted those things someday. I had faith the right woman and I would cross paths and both know we were meant to be together. I never told a soul about my secret thoughts. I didn’t like to be made fun of, and if I spouted off that crap, I’d be ridiculed, there was no doubt in my mind. Until that time, though, I would take my vacations in Portland, making memories that would last me a lifetime. I wasn’t sure I’d ever tell the woman I eventually fell for about my little secret. How many wives want to hear that their husbands were Doms, once upon a time? How many kids want to think that way about their daddies? Not many, I thought. When I found Mrs. Right, my Dom days would be over. I was all right with that. I could put that all behind me. I could be normal.

Until then, I’d be the savage who could take a woman, bend her until she thought she’d break, then reform her into a superwoman, able to take care of herself and feed her desires. I had been thanked by all the women I’d taken on. I had to be doing something right!

Blyss

Nerves were never something I’d dealt with. But that night at the BDSM club I’d found online, The Dungeon of Decorum, I was shaking uncontrollably. After filling out lots of online paperwork and going to a doctor to get not only a clean bill of health, but a certificate of virginity, I was in Portland, Oregon.

The lady from the club, Isabel, was happy as a clam when I told her I was a virgin. She asked me if I was a virgin to BDSM or an actual virgin. When I told her I was an actual virgin, she was ecstatic and told me I’d end the summer a wealthy woman. It never occurred to me that I’d get so much money that it’d make a difference to me. But she assured me that if I brought a certificate of virginity with me from the doctor, then I’d probably have more money than I’d ever dreamed of. On top of that, I’d be fought over at the auction.

The idea of money was novel to me. I had a job as a tutor at Stanford that didn’t pay a whole lot. My apartment was one of those studios with sparse furnishings. My car was ancient and I barely used it, as walking could be faster at times than trying to drive the backfiring rust bucket anywhere.

When I’d left my apartment in Stanford, California to head to Portland, I’d told the manager of the complex I’d lived in for five years to sell what was in it. And I’d given her the rust bucket that was parked under the covered parking area designated to me. Leaving her the signed title to the car, I’d gotten into a cab and headed out to the airport to start my new life as a Submissive partner to a complete stranger. I was leaving it all behind. Every bit of it. When I returned to go to school in the fall, I’d have enough money to get myself a new car and a nice place to live.

That knowledge had kept my chin up as I waited for summer to come. Bonus news just kept coming from the BDSM club. I was to bring only what I absolutely needed—my birth control if I took oral pills, which I did, and any other personal things like glasses or contacts. The Dom who won me would put me up in a place to live. It might be with him or it might not. And he’d cover all the bills and keep me fed and clothed. Now the clothing would be his choice, mind you, but I was down with that. My usual attire of lab coat and slacks would never do as a sexy Sub anyway. My new man could dress me any way he pleased. Or not dress me at all. I was cool with nudity.

I’d worked on sculpting my body once I’d made the decision to become a sub. I wanted everything about my appearance to please men. My hair had been down to my ass. I rarely cut it as I put it into a tight bun each day. I’d gone to a beauty salon to have it shaped up, and I loved the loose, layered waves that hung from being freshly cut. And they’d fixed up my eyebrows and waxed up my body, telling me that was what women did all the time. They’d even taught me how to put on makeup and sent me home with an entire bag full of it. It had all cost me a small fortune of about five hundred dollars, but I was a new woman when I’d left there.

Having no luggage to check on the flight was great. I had so few things that everything fit into a large purse. I was given a gorgeous white dress to put on when I got to the club that night. My hair and makeup were done by the club’s stylists, and I was sent to walk around a large room with other women who had high hopes of becoming subs to the many Doms. The men who were doing the bidding were supposed to be sitting in an area behind a large, two-way mirror.

Isabel was hurrying here and there, helping us. There were twenty of us in all. It didn’t go unnoticed by me that the other women were being subjected to all sorts of things I wasn’t. And boy, I was thankful for that. The trainers were all huge men with sculpted muscles, and they did all kinds of things to the other women, including showing off the want-to-be subs’ genitals to the mirrored wall. I hadn’t been aware of all the things that would have been done to me if I wasn’t a virgin in both ways.

No one expected me to take any kind of punishment, as I’d not been trained at all. Whoever got me had to do all my training. I thought that might be something Doms wouldn’t want, but Isabel and the other women who were on the auction block with me assured me the men would be putting their homes up for third mortgages to get me.

It was still hard to believe that to be true. Without being able to see the guys at all, it was like the whole thing was make believe. We were paraded around so much, it seemed ridiculous. I wanted to take a break and write down all the feelings I’d had through the whole process, but there seemed to be no time for that. Time went on, women got called and left to meet their Doms, and I was getting left behind. Isabel came to tell me there was a bidding war going on for me as the only other woman who was left with me was taken away.

Isabel took me with her to a small room. It was lavishly furnished and there was a bottle of wine on a small table. “Take a seat, Blyss. We’re out of sight in here.” She poured a couple of glasses of red wine, and I looked at my white dress.

Klutziness was my middle name. “I better not. I’ll most likely spill it all over this dress and that wouldn’t be good.”

“Nonsense.” Isabel pushed the long-stemmed glass toward me as I sat up, preparing to lean over the table as I took a drink of it.

She walked away and came back with a small tray of fruit and cheese. “That looks good. I haven’t eaten since early this morning.”

“Eat up, Blyss.” She sat down and joined me as she took some yellow cheese and a chunk of apple. “I’ve never seen anything like what’s going on upstairs.”

I was more than a bit surprised. “How long have you worked here?”

“Since it first opened. I was one of the owner’s first subs. He and I tested the waters as the men made up their long list of rules.” She sipped her wine, and I tried to follow the way she did it, without making a mess.

Holding the wide bottom, I lifted it and put only a small amount in my mouth. I was successful and placed the glass back on the table as I held the liquid in my mouth for a moment to taste the first bit of alcohol I’d ever had. It wasn’t as unpleasant as I’d thought it would be. It was actually quite good. “That is a long list. That’s the only thing I read about this whole thing. I had to read the rules and sign off on them, or I wouldn’t be here, would I?”

“No, you would not.” Isabel’s cell went off and she looked at it. “Oh, good. My assistant sent me a message. You’ve been won, Blyss Danner. Are you ready to go meet the man who’ll teach you things you never dreamed of?”

My heart was pounding, my knees were knocking, and I had the sudden urge to run like hell.

Troy

I had decided to drive to Portland, instead of flying. I wanted to have my Jeep, so my new Sub and I could do a little backcountry traveling. With camping gear ready to go, I was planning on having some fun in the deep woods. I’d always been more at home in the outdoors. My parents called me Tarzan because of it. My brief visit with them—I’d only spent two nights—wasn’t enough to make them happy. And they never understood my vacationing in Portland. I told them I liked the forests of Oregon.

It wasn’t a complete lie. I like the forests too.

My drive was supposed to take around ten hours, but due to some gnarly thunderstorms, I was three hours behind schedule. I had to head straight into the club, borrowing a tuxedo from the rentals they had available. The Dungeon of Decorum had a strict dress code, which I found kind of funny, as they also allow various states of undress by the subs and prevalent sexual behavior, rendering body parts exposed.

The auction had already begun as I entered the bidding room. A bevy of beauties were walking in a figure-eight pattern on the stage floor below us. The women were paraded around different areas to allow us to see portions of them at different heights, and allowing us to eventually see all of them. With them on the lowest stage, we could see their posture, the tops of their heads, how narrow or wide their shoulders were, and their gait. Not that any of that shit mattered to me. But it was what the men who founded the BDSM club came up with, so it had remained the same throughout the years.

Slipping into the dimly-lit room, I found it was nearly full. One of the owners caught my eye and I took a seat next to him. “Finally going to grab you up a Sub for the summer, Grant?”

“Me?” He looked at me with a grin on his face. “Not me. I’m here to catch a glimpse of the virgin all the men are talking about.”

“A BDSM virgin?”

He nodded. “But also an intact virgin. She hasn’t even had an orgasm before, from what her report says. And she’s absolutely gorgeous.”

I keened my head a bit to find the woman. “She’ll be in white, right?”

“There are two of them down there. One is blonde. That’s her, Blyss Danner. The other is a brunette—Caity Cavanaugh. The brunette is a virgin, but she’s had a lot of oral sexual experience with women. Blyss is untouched in any way. She claims to have never masturbated.”

“How can anyone know if that’s true or not?” I had to stand up to find the elusive woman who moved around with the others in a way that left her looking ghostly.

“I suppose one can’t be certain. That is what she put on her information sheet, though. And to add to the glory that is Miss Danner, she also refused to mark even one thing on the list as a hard limit. She’s up for anything and everything.”

“And who trained her?” I caught a glimpse of her and found her hair was long and braided in one long, ropey length that hung down her back. The light caught the strands of pure gold that ran through her light blonde hair, making it sparkle and shine, captivating me.

“She hasn’t been trained. That’ll be left up to her Dom. She’s a blank slate. And the men are salivating over her like wolves who are starving to taste the little lamb.” Grant licked his lips as he looked around the room of men who belonged to his club. “I expect to see a stellar auction tonight.”

The news about the pure woman had my blood beginning to heat up. She would be perfect for what I wanted. A fresh body to work with. I was hooked already. “Looks like I should elbow my way to the front so I can get a better look at the woman who will soon be mine.”

Grant laughed as I got up to ease my way through the men. There were over fifty bidders and only twenty women to win. I saw a few faces in the crowd and knew I’d be up against some high bidders, as they were as wealthy as I was. But one of the men was married and he had a limit, I was sure. He always hid his purchases. His wife would miss an obscene amount of money. I was sure of that.

By the hushed words I was hearing, around thirty members were hot for my girl. The rest didn’t think they had the time or desire to train a Sub from the ground up. I was in for a fight, but I was ready for it. The night went on and I watched men who were in competition with me give up and bid on other women, winning them and leaving our midst. The ladies were finally brought up to the stage that was right in front of us, and I got a real view of my would-be princess.

I sat behind a two-way mirror, knowing she couldn’t see me. But she looked directly at me for a few moments. I could see into her baby blue eyes. The innocence that resided in them stirred my soul. The young woman was gorgeous. Her skin was creamy and her golden hair accented it perfectly. Pink, plump lips that had never been kissed, I supposed, had mine tingling with desire.

The trainer made her move and I watched her luscious body as it moved underneath the gossamer fabric of the flowing white dress. She looked like an angel—one who wanted to visit the dark world I was a part of. I had to wonder why she’d want such a thing. Did she have no idea of the caliber of men who made this world their domain? With no hard limits, was she aware of the things that could happen to her at the hands of the man who would win her?

She was innocent, that was certain, and she needed a Dom who would do right by her. Not use or abuse her, but care for her like the angel she was.

I had to have her.

The night moved on more slowly than usual. It came down to four of us who were left, and Miss Danner was the only woman to be bid on. The others had been won. Isabel had taken her away as we made our bids and I prayed mine was the highest. Our envelopes were in the hands of the man who’d be telling us who won. His eyes roamed over us all, then stopped on one man in particular—John G., the married man who was looking for a Sub to hide from his wife for a few months.

My heart stopped as his name was said and the rest of us groaned with our loss. My head dropped like an anvil and felt just as heavy. I’d lost her. And what was worse, I’d lost her to a man I knew wouldn’t even appreciate what he had in her. The sound of a cell phone had me looking up and I watched the man who had won my girl answer the call. He stammered and his face flushed. It was his wife, and she was on to him.

We all sat and watched the man as his life was ransacked by his behavior and his wife’s revenge was on the verge of ruining him. He ended the call, telling her that he’d see her soon and that he had to deal with something first. “I can’t take her. Take my bid out.” He got up and left us as elation spread through me.

I still had a chance!

The envelopes were picked back up, and the next highest bid was picked out. My eyes were looked into the reader’s as my name was said.

I’d won her!

Blyss

Isabel showed me how to kneel correctly as I waited for my owner to come and take me away with him. I wasn’t to look up until he directed me to. My stomach was a mess. It felt as if a thousand butterflies were in a tornado and a fist was clenching my gut at the same time. If I made it through everything without throwing up, I’d count it as a win.

“I’ll take her from here. Thank you, Isabel.”

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his deep, velvety voice. I could tell he was tall before I even looked at him, and I was sure he was handsome. His voice told me that. But I was still a bit worried about what I would find when I got to see him. It had occurred to me that a man I didn’t find attractive might win me. But I was willing to accept that. I was willing to accept whatever was thrown at me.

A strong hand touched my shoulder, sending chills through me. “You can stand up, Blyss.” He took my hand and helped me up. Then a silver collar clamped around my neck and a white leash snapped to it. I gulped at how permanent it felt. Shock went through me, as I had no idea that would be happening. My eyes traveled from his shiny, black dress shoes, up his long, lean legs, to his wide chest, and then stopped on his extremely handsome face. “Hi.”

His lips curved into a smile. “Hi.”

His eyes were green mixed with brown—a hazel color I found comforting. He was about 6’3” and his dark blonde hair was short, cut in a military-looking style. Although he had on a tux, I could tell that he had a muscular build. “What should I call you?”

“Master?”

“You sounded like you asked me that.”

He licked his lips as he looked at mine. “I might’ve asked. To be honest with you, you’re the first woman who has ever made me nervous. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“No.” I couldn’t believe this god of a man was nervous, and it ignited something in me. “I’ll call you master if you want me to. So now what do we do?”

“I’m going to take you out and show you off. You’re the most exquisite Sub I’ve ever had. We’ll go through the main area, then we will go into a private room where I’ll show you some of the tools of the trade.”

“Okay, then. I’m ready when you are.” I dropped my head the way I thought would be appropriate and felt his hand touch my chin.

He drew it back up. “I’m going to do things differently with you, Blyss. Hold your head up high. I don’t think you need to be broken. You don’t seem to have anything that needs correcting, in my opinion. You only need to be taught.”

“Thank you, master.” I was happy to hear he thought a lot about me already.

“You will walk just a step behind me.” He turned away from me and led me out of the room I’d been waiting in for him.

It was an odd feeling, being led on a leash like an animal. No one was around us at that time to look at me, but I felt the slightest bit of shame. I was a smart and accomplished woman, who was nearly at the end of her education and on the verge of becoming a psychologist. I was all these things and now I belonged to a man. I was a submissive woman and I was on a leash.

I could hear the sounds of people talking and glasses clinking and it frightened me. Was I about to be put on display again? I hadn’t liked that feeling at all. I’d dealt with it. I hadn’t let it take me over, but I didn’t like it. That was the one thing I wasn’t going to do again, especially seeing how the other women had to be treated in ways I wasn’t. If I sought another Dom, if this man didn’t wish to keep me after the three-month contract was up, then I might find one without being put up for auction.

I was fairly certain, at that point, that I would seek to stay some Dom’s sub. The truth was that belonging to someone had already made a pleasant feeling pulse within me.

My owner stopped and turned to me. “I want you to know that I’m extremely proud to have you, Blyss. Hold your head high and be proud to be mine. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts.”

“I’m proud to belong to you, master.” It wasn’t a lie. I was elated to find the man to be so appealing to me. Not only physically, but I admired the way he talked to me too.

He nodded, then opened the door and walked into the crowded room. I was astonished by the odd-looking people who had converged there. Many men were there, clad in black tuxedos much like the one my owner wore. And the women wore skimpy little leather straps that barely covered anything. I saw a few of the women I’d been in the auction with. A couple of them wore blue dresses, telling people they were BDSM virgins. The other actual virgin, Caity, was there with her Dom. She looked pale and visibly ill.

She and I had talked a little while we were put on display. She needed money very badly. Her home had burned down to the ground and she didn’t have any insurance. She’d inherited a small, wood-frame home from her grandmother. It was all she had.

I felt sorry for her as she saw this as the only opportunity she had to get back on her feet—feet she’d never really been on. The fact was, she liked women, not men. I’d asked her if she’d thought about putting herself in the lesbian auction, but she thought men would pay more for her than women since she couldn’t call herself a virgin in that respect.

The man who’d won her was good looking and any woman would love to have him between their legs. But Caity didn’t want a man. It was sad that she thought she only had that way to make money. After my initial experience, I’d most likely write about other subs. Delving into the psyche of others was what I did, after all. And I was searching the faces of those we walked past, wishing I was a mind reader. Some of the women were in their element, their faces seductive and sultry. Others looked frightened and embarrassed. I figured I looked somewhat aloof, as I often did according to the people I knew at school.

My master stopped as a man with salt and pepper hair acknowledged him. “Might I kiss the hand of the fairest Sub I’ve ever seen?”

My master turned to me. “Extend your hand, Sub. Allow one of the club’s founders to meet you.”

It struck me odd that a founder of the club would call me the fairest Sub he’d ever seen. After all, he’d seen many of them. I extended my hand and he took it in his. His lips pressed against the top of my hand as he looked into my eyes. His eyes were a deep blue and there was a fair amount of sorrow in them.

I gave the man a smile and he returned one to me. “You are a true beauty, Miss Danner. You’re in good hands with this man. I look forward to seeing you at the end of your contract. You’re pure as snow right now, but you won’t be when we next meet. I think I’ll find it interesting to see if you blossom or wilt as you discover our world.”

“I like the way your mind works, sir. I’d love the chance to discuss what I’ve learned and how I feel about this world once my contract is over.” I bowed, as I felt it was the thing to do.

The man sighed and let my hand go. “Treat her right, Mr. M. She is precious.”

“I’m well aware of that. Thank you.” My owner gave me a brief smile, then led me on.

In all my twenty-two years, I’d never been looked at so much. And most of the people in that room looked at me with awed expressions, especially the men who looked at me. More than a few women turned down their noses at me.

It was obvious to me they thought I was a liar. Never having masturbated was something I couldn’t prove. Even some of the women I was in the auction with had made comments about that.

There wasn’t a thing I could do about what anyone thought. I didn’t waste any time on trying to get any of them to believe me. What did it matter in the scheme of things anyway? When the crowd began to thin, I found a black door that my owner was heading to. The door to the private rooms, I guessed. The strangest combination of hot and cold ran through me as we came to the door.

Was he going to just go for it, tie me up, and begin hitting me with things? Was he going to take my virginity with great speed and get that out of the way? What was he going to do to me? He opened the door and led me into a long, dark hallway. It was only lit by red and green lights that were up high. The walls were black and it was other-worldly in the corridor. I heard noises that definitely reminded me of what one might hear if they found themselves in a dungeon.

“This place is aptly named,” I commented.

I got no response from the man who led me to a door with a green light above it. He opened it and a dim yellow light highlighted a few ghastly sights the room held.

He took me inside, closing and locking the door behind us. “Your first thoughts, Blyss?”

“The room inspires fear. Is that one of the basic emotions BDSM is based on?” I looked him in the eyes and saw his sparkle.

“Yes. In life, there are many things people fear. Some have valid reasons, like rattlesnakes, blazing infernos, and things that can actually kill you.”

I gestured to the shackles that hung on the wall. “If a body is secured, unable to retreat, and physical harm is inflicted, one can die.”

“That’s true. The truth is, there are things in this room that can cause serious injury and even death. Even if I allowed you to fight me, I could easily string you up and beat you until you’re dead. As my sub, the first thing we have to establish is trust. You should never allow anyone to bind you in any way if you don’t have complete trust in them.”

With a nod, I said, “That said, master, I haven’t known you long enough to form an opinion about how trustworthy you are. While you seem like a man people trust, I don’t know that for sure. Will you be attempting to tie me up tonight?”

He pulled my leash, making my face come close to his. “And if I did, what would you do about it?”

I had to think about that one. What would I do?

My eyes wandered around the room and I found one of the several cameras that were there. “I’d look into one of the cameras and ask for security to be sent in.”

“You could do that.” His lips grazed my cheek, then trailed over my neck before they landed on the shell of my ear. His breath was warm and my knees went weak. Luckily for me, his arms moved to enclose me in them, holding me up. “Or you could judge me based on what your body and brain tell you. Do I give you a sense of dread, Blyss?”

“No, sir.” I wasn’t feeling dread at all.

His body went flush with mine and I could feel his cock becoming erect as it pushed against my mound. “Do I give you a sense of adventure?”

“Yes,” came my breathless reply.

He kissed his way down my neck, then turned me in his arms and faced me to the wall. “Put your hands on the wall.”

I did as he’d said and found him moving his hands over my shoulders, then down my body. He left streams of heat on my skin as he made his way over every part of me with a gentle touch.

“Can you tell me why you held onto your virginity, only to give it to a stranger?”

“I didn’t plan it, exactly. It just so happened that no man ever wanted it.”

His arms ran around my waist and he pulled me back to him. I sank into his body as he breathed into my ear, “That’s impossible to believe. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

“I guess you’re the only one who thinks that, master.”

I stopped breathing as one of his hands moved down my stomach, resting on my pussy. “I’m not the only one, I assure you. But I am the only man who will be touching you, holding you, and treasuring you and what you’re giving me. I don’t take lightly the gift that is you.”

“The way you speak is intoxicating. Not that I’ve ever been intoxicated, but this must be how it feels. My head is light, my body feels like electricity is moving through it, and I’d do anything you want.”

“You’ve formed that trust in me that I was talking about. See, it’s easy, isn’t it?”

“With you, it is,” I agreed. “Do you want to tie me up, master? I’m ready to do anything you want.”

The growl that came from deep inside of him made his entire body rumble. “That’s good to hear. I won’t be doing anything like that to you yet.” He turned me in his arms and rested his forehead against mine. “Tonight, we’ll get to know one another. I want this to be special for you.”

“That’s sweet of you. You’re quite the opposite from how you look.”

“Like how?”

“You’re big and all muscles.” I ran both hands over his bulging biceps. “Kind of beastly, you know. But inside you seem to have a softness that’s rare, I bet.”

“I can be brutal too, Blyss. You’ll find that out later. Much later, after I’ve gained all of your trust. You think you have trust in me now, but it’s not anywhere deep enough for what I have planned for you. For that, you’ll have to trust me with your life, something you can’t possibly do yet.”

The way he held me had me wanting to undress and get right to it. Our bodies were hot and I was about to break into a sweat. I envisioned us together on a bed, sliding together as we coupled like a couple of squids, all slippery and entangled.

His hand moved to the back of my neck, cupping the base of my skull in his large hand. “I’m going to kiss you now. I want you to tell me the truth. Always tell me the truth about things, even if you’re embarrassed by it.”

“Okay.”

“Have you ever been kissed?” His eyes searched mine for the truth.

“Never.” I felt my lips pulsing as I got ready for my first kiss.

“Never,” he exhaled the word. “How fortunate for me. I get to give you your first kiss.”

My fingers curled around his arms as he moved closer to my mouth. I parted them only a bit, and when his touched mine, I went wet. His tongue barely touched my lips, then he eased it through them. He tasted like cinnamon and I wondered if I tasted good or terrible to him. When he moaned and pressed his mouth harder against mine, I knew he liked what he tasted. His tongue stroked mine as mine laid limply in my mouth. He coaxed it to move with his, and I did what he wanted, loving how it felt.

Why touching lips and tongues felt so good made no sense. Food had moved over my tongue before. I’d licked lollipops and ice cream cones, but nothing had ever made that sensation inside of my mouth before. I was flying, without wings, without drugs, without alcohol. The man who’d bought me was taking me on a ride I’d remember for the rest of my life. And it was only our first kiss.

Troy

Blyss lived up to her moniker. Kissing her was pure bliss in every sense of the word. I’d kissed many girls, but that young lady took my breath away. Our chemistry was explosive. The way she clung to me as I kissed her spoke to my heart. I knew, without a doubt in my mind, that she was going to be a Sub I’d always remember.

When I ended our first kiss, we both were breathing hard. I could’ve dropped her on the floor and fucked her right then. My cock was begging me to do that, but my brain wouldn’t allow it. She wasn’t like the other subs I’d had. She was more innocent than anyone I’d ever been with. We had three months to do all I wanted. I could wait. I could make it an experience she wouldn’t only remember, but would think about as the best thing that had ever happened to her.

I took her hand, instead of the leash that was attached to the collar I’d put on her. “I’m taking you to a nice hotel, where we’ll have separate rooms. We can have a late dinner, then I’ll walk you to your room and leave you for the night.”

She hung onto me as if she wanted more. I didn’t care if she did want more. I was going to give it to her the way I wanted to. The way I knew would be best for her.

When she nodded, instead of argued, I was happy. “Okay, master.”

I felt I needed to make sure she knew a few things before we left the safety of the club and entered the judgmental world of reality. “My name is Troy Masterson. You’ll call me Troy when we’re not here or in private.”

“Yes, master.” She smiled at me and blushed. “I like your name.”

I kissed her lips for the briefest of moments, as I just couldn’t get enough of them. “I’m glad you do. I like your name too. Now, let’s get going. I’m sure you’re tired after such a long day and we have a lot to do tomorrow. There’s shopping to do before we head out in the morning.”

I picked up the leash and led her to the door as she asked, “And where are we going?”

“Camping, after one night in a nice hotel, sleeping on soft beds. Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping on a blow-up mattress while gazing at the stars. How does that sound to you?”

“Good. Anything you want sounds good to me.”

I knew she was being agreeable more so now than she would be later on. The new was still controlling her. In no time at all, that would wear off, and we’d get on real terms with one another. That’s what I was looking forward to. Getting to know the real woman that was Blyss Danner. Perfection is only good for a small amount of time. No one can be expected to live up to that all the time. While Blyss was on point in every way imaginable, I would never hold her to staying that way. I didn’t even want her to stay that way.

I wanted to see her screaming with desire, sweating bullets as I took her body to an unbelievable max. I wanted to see her with her hair in a tangled mess and her creamy skin blotched red from my hands and whatever else I used to torment that perfect skin of hers. She thought I was a softie, and to a certain extent, I was. But the biggest part of me was a warrior who wanted to make more people into what I was. A person with more strength than weakness.

We walked through the roomful of people again, and I reveled in how the men looked at my woman. Blyss held her head high as I’d instructed her to. Not an ounce of training in her and she was naturally exhibiting traits of the most prized subs in the club.

As we waited outside at the valet’s entrance for my Jeep to be brought around, I took off the collar and kissed her cheek. “I’m Troy now.”

“Hi, Troy.” She kissed my cheek too and slipped her hand into mine. “This is fun.”

“What kinds of things do you do for fun?”

Shrugging, she said, “I don’t. I mean, I read. I guess you can say I have fun vicariously through the characters I read about.” Her eyes clouded. “Do you think that’s sad?”

“Why would I think that’s sad?” I opened the passenger door as my car was pulled up to the curb.

“Everyone I know thinks it’s sad.” She took a seat in my car, and I closed the door as my brow furrowed. She was in a prestigious college, full of above-average students. Why would they all think she’s sad for reading?

I got in behind the steering wheel and took off. “I don’t know who all you know, Blyss, but I don’t see anything wrong with being an avid reader.”

“When it’s about all you do, then it seems to be a problem.” Her hands knotted in her lap.

“Well, that’s all about to change. I’m going to fill this summer with things you’ve never done. All kinds of things. The place I have in mind for camping has a lake. We’ll swim and maybe rent a boat.”

“I never learned how to swim.”

“What?” I stopped myself from sounding as if that was so unbelievable. “I mean …no prob, I’ll teach you.”

“I also don’t know how to ride a bike. I’ve never been to the movie theater. I’ve never been to the zoo or the beach. I’ve been on a bus that went past the beach once, but I’ve never felt the sand between my toes.”

I gulped, as she seemed like she must’ve lived in a plastic bubble. “Where did you grow up, Blyss?”

“I was born in Texas. I wasn’t there long. I was moved to New York. They had better places for me there. I didn’t go to school in New York. I was sent to Michigan to live in an orphanage and went to school until the third grade. Then I was moved again. This time, I was sent to Colorado. There was a new program where the orphanage taught kids. Homeschool is what it was called. I stayed there and did that with a group of about eighteen kids. But when I was to go to high school, I was moved again.”

“Jesus, Blyss!” I felt terrible for her and had to try hard not to make her feel bad by pitying her. I knew people hated being pitied.

She looked out the window, and I reached over, taking her hand to give her some comfort. She looked at it, then me as a weak smile took over her sweet lips. “I know my childhood is daunting, to say the least. You’ll be happy to know I went to all four years of high school in the same place—West Virginia, a school for highly intelligent teens. And from there, I was accepted into Stanford, and I’ve been in California for the last five years. That is where I finally interacted with people and found my voice.”

“Glad you found yourself.” I squeezed her hand lightly.

“Only a small fraction of myself, Troy. I came here to find more. I want to make myself into something more while I do research on this lifestyle. I’m going to do my thesis on BDSM.”

I let out a loud guffaw, then hated that I’d done that. “Sorry. You’re serious, huh?”

“I am.” She nodded. “I’m going to be a psychologist. I think making a thesis on that subject might even get me published before I begin my practice.”

“Intelligent and gorgeous. Man, I lucked out.” I pulled her hand up and kissed it. “I can’t wait to get to know all about you.”

“I’ve talked too much already. Tell me about yourself, please.”

Talking about myself wasn’t my usual practice when I took on a sub. But Blyss was different and I wanted to give her more than I’d ever given anyone else. I felt like she needed more from me. She seemed to be missing that human connection and needed so much more than most.

“I graduated from a high school in Napa Valley. That’s where I was born and raised. My family still lives there. Technically, so do I. I mean, my bedroom suite is still filled with my things. I also live on the Naval Base in San Diego. I’m a master drill sergeant and a career Navy man. And I’m on a special team.”

“A special team?” She looked intrigued.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of SEAL teams.”

“A little. I’m not into military knowledge. But I’ve seen stuff on the news about that. You live a dangerous life, then, don’t you?”

“Sometimes things can get pretty hairy.”

“Have you ever been close to meeting your end?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at me as if she was looking at a ghost.

“More than once. I think that’s why I like to practice BDSM. I want to know all I can about the human body and mind.”

“That’s interesting, Troy. I’m excellent with research. If you want anything looked up, I’m your girl.”

I kissed her hand again as I winked at her. “You are my girl, Blyss. Mind, body, and soul, for three months, anyway.”

I felt a shiver run through her, then she looked away again. “I’ve never belonged to anyone, Troy.” Her eyes cut back to me. “I like belonging to you.”

My heart stumbled, as I knew I had my work cut out for me with her. She was perfect on the outside, but on the inside, there was much that needed to be done. Kind of like a classic cherry car that’s never been wrecked and the outside is impeccable, but once you open the hood, you find mice have chewed up the wiring. The job’s a lot bigger than you thought it would be.

Lucky for my girl, I was a man who looked at what others would deem insurmountable and figured out how to overcome it. “There’s no other who is more suited to care for you, Blyss. I’ll help you find yourself. I’m great at it.”

“Good. I’d like to be a lot more rounded before I start seeing patients.”

“So one day you’ll be Doctor Blyss Danner?”

“In a few more years, if everything goes as planned, yes, I’ll be a doctor.”

I took the exit to downtown. There were brightly illuminated buildings that lit up the night. I watched her eyes go wide with excitement. “Pick out the hotel you’d like to stay at tonight.”

“Me?”

“You.”

She looked like a kid in a candy store as her head moved back and forth. “I like the lights and the inviting fountain of that one. Do you like it?” She looked at me with a wide smile.

“I love it.” Turning in, I drove up and stopped the car as the valet came out.

He opened her door for her as I got out and came around. “Are your bags in the trunk, sir?”

“They are.” I scooped Blyss up, dropping my arm around her shoulders.

A porter hurried to get my things out of the trunk as we headed inside. The lobby was lavishly furnished and Blyss seemed to be in awe of everything. “This is the nicest place I’ve ever been in.”

“So far,” I said, then kissed the side of her head.

Going to the reception desk, I found a nice-looking older woman smiling at us. “Welcome. How long will you two be staying with us?”

“One night. And I need two rooms. Next to each other is preferable.” I had to let Blyss go so I could pull out my wallet. “Is there any restaurant in the hotel that you recommend for a late dinner?”

“That one right through those doors.” She took my credit card. “Mr. Masterson.” She looked around me at the one bag that was brought in. “And we have a few shops that are open twenty-four hours, for our guest’s convenience.”

“Good to know.” I signed the receipt, then took the keycards to our rooms.

“The rooms are right next to each other on the third floor,” the receptionist told me. “Your bag will be taken up right away.”

“Thank you.” I put my arm back around Blyss and headed to the restaurant. I was starving and knew she had to be as well. A little dinner, some more conversation, then bed. Tomorrow, we’d head out to start camping and working on bringing Blyss into my world, a place she might never want to leave.

Blyss

“Pizza and salad, mostly,” was my reply to Troy when he asked me what I ate most of the time. I had difficulty picking out something from the menu of the hotel restaurant he chose.

“I’ll order for both of us. Don’t worry, I won’t make it anything too weird.” He gave me a smile, and I put the menu away as he looked at our waiter. “Two steaks, medium rare, baked potatoes, broccoli, and your best Merlot.”

“I will get that ordered for you and Svetlana will bring your appetizers shortly.” The waiter left us, and I was left wondering how an entire glass of wine would affect me.

“I’ve never had any alcohol. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve had one medium-sized sip of red wine. Nothing more than that.”

The way his hand moved over mine was comforting, as was the soft gaze he gave me. “You have nothing to worry about. There’s not a lot of alcohol in wine and you won’t be drinking that much. It’s time for you to venture into the world of adulthood.”

“Thank you, Troy. I was afraid whoever won me would laugh at all I haven’t done.”

“You’re welcome, and go easy on the part about how I won you. We don’t want to give anyone a reason to put their two-cents into our business.”

I nodded, knowing he was right. I mentioned BDSM to one of the girls I had classes with and boy did she have a lot to say about it. None of it good. So far, I didn’t have enough evidence, either way, to argue points with her. Not that I was into arguing. The meal was served and finished before I knew it and the wine tasted grapey. It was enjoyable and didn’t seem to have much of an effect on me. Internally, I bandied about telling Troy how I’d been addicted to all sorts of things when I was born, alcohol being one of them. In the end, I decided not to worry about it.

Hanging out with him brought out more in me than hanging out with anyone else ever had. He was cool, kind of classy, and the way he took charge was sexy. I could see myself having no qualms about doing anything he asked or told me to do. After dinner, we went up to our rooms. His hand held mine the whole way, and then we were at our doors. He looked at me for what seemed like an eternity before asking, “Wanna come into my room for a little while?”

My heart raced, my body flushed, and I stammered, “Huh? I mean, yes.”

He opened the door and led me into the room. There was a little sitting area with a television. I was surprised to see no bed. “Are you going to have to sleep on that little sofa? Is that how my room is too?”

With a chuckle, he led me to one of the doors that were at the back of that room. When he pushed it open, I saw what I suspected was a king-sized bed. I’d never seen anything so big before. “Wow, that’s big. A whole family could sleep on that thing.”

He sighed. “For tonight, it’ll just be me. Yours is that big too. Don’t get lost in it.”

Pulling me with him, he sat on the edge of the bed, then pulled me onto his lap. His large hands caressed my face. I had no idea what to do with my hands and he noticed that. He took them and placed them around his neck. I was glad to see he’d help me and not make fun of me for not knowing how to do these simple little things.

“You’re so handsome. Um, since we’re in private, am I supposed to call you, master?”

He stared at me for a moment. “What do you want to call me?”

“Whatever you want me to.”

The way his eyes moved back and forth so rapidly had me wondering if something was the matter. “Blyss, I think it’s important that you make some of your own decisions. This is an easy one. At this point, right now, while we’re getting to know each other, what do you want to call me? For instance, I want to call you Blyss, not Sub.”

“Then I’ll call you Troy.”

“That was pretty easy, huh?”

“It was. Troy, I don’t want you to think I’m not a strong woman. I’ve overcome adversity and am working on making something out of myself. I’ve spent all of my life thinking for myself.” I paused and looked down, as I felt like I was talking too much about things that didn’t matter. “That might sound kind of stupid.”

He pulled out the rubber band that held my braid together and ran his hand through my hair. “I get it. You want my opinion on things. I can do that. In the end, I want you to make your own choices. And I never want you to go past any of your pain limits. When you begin to feel overwhelmed, you let me know right away. I never want to hurt you.”

“Isn’t that what this is all about? Hurting me, then kissing me to make it better?”

“No.” He kissed my neck, making my nails push into his back. “Ow.” He pulled his head back to look at me. “Less nail, baby.”

Moving my hands, I blushed. “Sorry. You just made my toes curl, and my fingers went right along too.”

“One little nibble to your neck and all that happened. Boy, are you going to like what I do to you.” He bit his lower lip and cupped the back of my head, holding me still as he kissed me.

I tried not to curl my fingers as I put my hands on his shoulders. I thought about everything I was doing. I moved my tongue with his, which kind of sharply had him ending the kiss. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m pushing you. I’ll stop.”

“No!” I looked down then looked back at him. “I like when you kiss me and I want to get better at it.”

He picked me up and laid me on the bed, moving to one side of me. He stroked my cheek, then kissed me again, moving my arms around his neck where I let them lie in a relaxed state.

The position made me comfortable, and I felt more at ease somehow. It was cool to me how he instinctively knew how to get me comfy and open to him. He ran one hand up my leg and I moaned. It was my first sexy moan, and it must’ve been a good one because he pulled his mouth away and looked at me with a lusty gaze. “Damn, we’re going to have fun, you and I, Miss Danner.”

“That’s good to know.” I pulled him back to me and kissed him. It was the first kiss I’d taken charge of and I found things were coming quite naturally. As we kissed, he moved his hands all over me, stroking my stomach, then massaging my breast. It was exhilarating and not at all what I thought it would feel like.

When he took my hand, my stomach went tight as he moved it to his groin. He made me touch his rock-hard dick and pulled his mouth away to look at me. “Look what you did to me, princess.”

I gulped as he moved my hand up and down it. “Can I feel it for real?”

His lips curved into a smile and he opened his pants, then slipped my hand under his boxers. I felt the soft skin of his dick that covered the hardness of his shaft. He wrapped my hand around it, moving it up and down. All the while, my vagina was on fire, and it ached. It actually ached.

I had no idea why it felt that way from just feeling a penis in my hand, but it did, and it moistened too. I felt so wet that I was pretty sure there was going to be a wet spot on my panties.

Troy gazed at me as he moved my hand, then he blinked and asked, “Would you like to see it?”

“I should look at it, shouldn’t I?”

He nodded and moved away from me, getting onto his knees and pushing the pants and underwear down. His cock stood straight up, and I gasped, then closed my eyes.

The laugh he made was hearty and deep. “Now how about you let me take a look at yours?”

My eyes sprang open as I nodded, but couldn’t utter a single word. He pushed my dress up and pulled my panties down in the front and whistled. I was already blushing with a ferocity liked I’d never known and wondering if mine was any better looking than all the others he’d seen.

“Does it look okay to you?”

“Okay?” he asked, then shook his head. “It’s a hell of a lot better than just okay, Blyss. It’s beautiful. Can I kiss it?”

I threw my hands out to the sides of me and shouted, “Oh, hell!”

“Is that an oh, hell, yes, or an oh, hell, no?”

“Are you sure you wanna do that? I mean, shouldn’t I go clean it all up for you or something? I mean, I wanna be fresh for you.” I was rambling and knew it, but I was nervous.

“I think it’s fresh enough. So, may I kiss you, Blyss?”

He was asking, and I thought that was odd for a man who’d just bought me for the summer. But I was leaving him hanging and that was rude, so I nodded and closed my eyes tightly as I waited.

His hands moved over my inner thighs, sending a chill through me. I could feel his warm breath like a gentle breeze caressing my inner private areas—an area that had only been seen by a doctor who’d given me a clean bill of health for my summer adventure.

Warmth spread over me as his lips touched me. His tongue moved fluidly through my folds and I moaned. My fingers curled into the blanket and my toes did too. I was so thankful for the open-toed sandals I had on. They made the curling so much easier. I couldn’t believe how easy he was being with me. The intimate kiss was glorious, and I was going out of my mind with all the new sensations. His fingers pressed into my ass cheeks as he lifted me and kissed me harder.

Panting with harsh breaths, I felt something stir inside of me. My fists were pounding the bed as I pulled my knees up high. His hand moved over my stomach and he pushed it up. Then his mouth moved up and he tapped my clit. I screamed and he did it again. “More!”

The tapping became long licks. He did that over and over as my insides began to quiver. Then he put his lips on my clit and moved up and down on it, making something burst inside of me. Pure desire, joy, and fireworks went off as I shrieked and tried not to pass out.

His lips left mine and his tongue went into my vagina. He pushed his tongue in and out of me as he seemed to be licking my insides. The crazy sensations multiplied and I found myself needing more. “Troy, why does it feel so damn good but I want more?”

He looked up at me with a grin. “Because your body wants my cock inside of you. But I’m not about to do that yet.”

“Please,” I begged him. “Oh, please, Troy!”

He took his cock and it still looked big as he held it in his large hands. I leaned my head up to watch him push that monster inside me. He smiled as he pressed it against my vagina that was pulsing and needing him.

I felt something go inside of me and cried out, as it burned. He moved his hand, and then I realized it was only his finger that he was pumping into me. “You’re so tight, it defies my imagination, baby. We’ll have to work you to get this inside.” He pulled his finger out and pushed his cock against me again.

“Just do it, Troy. I want it. I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything. Please.” I was desperate and hated that my stupid vagina was being so small and uncooperative.

He pumped his finger some more and sighed. “I’m not about to hurt you. And it will hurt you without you being stretched at least some. I have a dildo that’s smaller than I am. I could use that.”

“I want you.” I groaned with frustration. “I want to feel your skin inside of me.”

When I opened my eyes, I found him looking at me. “That’s one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me.” He wore a half-smile and laid on his side next to me. “Wanna taste yourself on my tongue?”

It wasn’t really what I wanted, but I wanted more of him, so I nodded and he kissed me. The taste was salty, kind of musky, and not bad at all. The best part was when he took my hand, put it on his dick, and moved it back and forth as we kissed.

He kept it up until I felt him go stiff. He looked at me as warm liquid spilled all over my hand and he made a terrible groan. It was the first time I’d ever had oral sex and I liked it. But I wanted more. I wanted so much more, and I had three months of being with Troy to get all that and then some.

“I think you and I will find a lot we like about each other,” he told me, then kissed the tip of my nose. “I need a shower and so do you. But I’m not up to showering with you if I can’t fuck you. Time for you to go to your room.”

Before he could get up, I grabbed his arms. “Tomorrow, can we do it all the way?”

“We can. We’ll be in a tent, all alone, and have all the time in the world to stretch you out. I’d have done it tonight, but I know you’re tired, and I want you to be up for it all.”

He rolled off the bed and held out his hand, helping me up. I staggered a little, as my head was light. “Whoa. I wonder how my head will feel when you and I really do it.”

He laughed as he walked me to the door, then pulled my keycard out of his pants pocket and handed it to me. “I’ll watch you, to make sure you get in okay.” He kissed the top of my head, then smacked my ass.

I liked it even though I made a tiny scream. “Being yours is the best thing that will ever happen to me. I know it is.”

“I think we both will learn a lot out of this. Goodnight, Blyss. I’ll have some clothes for you to put on at around ten tomorrow morning. Be showered and ready to put them on, okay?”

“Okay.” I kissed his cheek and walked out the door. After I opened my hotel room door, I waved at him, then walked in and closed it behind me. Leaning back on it, I looked up and thanked god for Troy Masterson. He’d be the man who’d make me who I was supposed to be.

I was never as sure of anything as I was of that.

Troy

I tossed and turned the entire night after I sent Blyss to her hotel room. I wanted to tell her to come back to my bed, but I knew where that would lead and I wanted to go easy with her. There was a lot more to Blyss than I knew. I had an idea that her backstory was something I had to know before I planned out our activities in the BDSM world.

She’d said she was in orphanages, which can be rough on a child. She was moved around a lot, too, which means she must’ve been troublesome. I could see she was clearly intelligent, but lacked common social knowledge. And she was in school to become a psychologist, which meant she was more into human behavior than most, which was great for what I wanted her for.

My work was cut out for me. Blyss Danner was fragile. She was, by far, the most delicate female I’d ever known. With all that in mind, treating her with kid gloves wasn’t the answer, but it was going to be damn hard not to do so. I also had to watch out for her becoming too bonded to me. She and I would be done in a matter of three months. I didn’t want to send her home broken because she was in love with me. That could happen and I didn’t want it to.

The only idea I could come up with was being straightforward with her. I would speak to her psychologist’s mind and constantly remind her that I’m her Dom—her teacher, not her boyfriend. I’d have to leave the romance off the table or she’d fall for sure. Sleep finally found me, but only for a few hours before the sun shone through the window, waking me up. Instead of feeling rested, I felt even more tired and got out of bed to go shower. I wanted a bottle of water first and went to the living area to get one out of the mini fridge. And that’s when I found a piece of paper had been pushed under the door.

When I picked it up, I chuckled. Blyss had written me a letter. I leaned on the door as I read the words she’d written, thinking before I read them that she’d be telling me how special the night before was.

Troy,

I’m glad you won me. I think you’ll teach me a lot about life in general and BDSM thoroughly. I’m not made out of porcelain like some doll you have to be careful with. I feel as if you think I’m breakable. I am not.

There are things about me that you might think make we weak or fragile. For instance, I was left at a fire station when I was a tiny baby. I was naked, left in a box, and a storm was raging. It wasn’t known how long I’d been left outside and all thought it was a miracle that I survived.

That’s pretty bad for a baby to go through, but I had even more going against me. I was born addicted to all kinds of things. Heroine was the worst of them. Alcohol was also on that list. That was the main reason I never consumed any alcohol before the wine I had last night. I’ll never use drugs, and I’ll only consume alcohol in small amounts. I do have to be careful with that.

I wanted you to know that about me. I also think you should know that I’ve had trouble forming relationships. I’ve never bonded to anyone in my life. With that said, I hope you won’t be offended if I don’t connect with you in a normal way. I don’t know how to do that, and I don’t want you to think there’s anything wrong with you. It’s me, not you.

Being more than a bit disjointed is normal to me. I don’t expect to ever love. If a person hasn’t experienced such an emotion in the first ten years of their life, loving someone is hard to do after that point. I don’t think you’ll fall in love with me. No one ever has before. But I wanted you to be aware of my shortcomings.

With all that out in the open, I want you to know that I’m going to put my whole self into this thing. My mind, body, and I’ll attempt to get my soul invested as well. The truth is, my soul has never been something I’ve ever been conscious of. So we’ll see if I can manage that or not.

While I have your attention, I want to say the things you did to me felt better than I expected them to and I can’t wait to feel more. I’m sure you can give me the experience I want and am happy about the chemistry we seem to have.

Looking forward to a great Dom/Sub relationship,

Blyss

As I held that letter in my hand, it began to shake. My heart pounded and my eyes clouded with tears. The poor young woman had a lot behind that perfect shell she was in. I’d been right to assume there was more going on inside of her than most.

She touted that she wasn’t breakable, but I knew she was absolutely breakable. And I had to admit to myself that I was afraid I’d hurt her, mentally. I made my way to the shower and found that my heart hurt so much for her. I wasn’t usually that emotional about other people. Hell, I wasn’t that emotional, period. But her letter had told me scores about the woman I’d won.

My plan would have to be made with her special weaknesses in mind. And I’d have to put my own shit aside for her. This summer wouldn’t be about me at all. It would be all about her, but I couldn’t let her know that.

My job was cut out for me, and I had to succeed in helping her learn more about life and love than I had ever imagined doing. Somehow, I had to get her to open herself up to love, but just not fall in love with me.

That was going to be a chore!

Blyss

Troy had khaki shorts and a white T-shirt with a pair of sneakers sent to my hotel room for me to dress in. I put my hair in two braids that hung on either side of my head and left the makeup off. He did say we’d be going camping and I didn’t think makeup went into that equation.

I waited for him to come get me, watching some television as I sat on the sofa and sipped on a bottle of water. My hunger was more prevalent than I’d ever experienced. I guessed it was from the sexual activity of the night before. A craving for pancakes filled me, and I was happy when a knock came at the door.

Bouncing my way to it, I was excited to go eat, see Troy again, and get our day rolling. I opened the door open, saw his freshly shaven face, and had to smile. “Hi.”

He stepped inside and let the door close behind him as he pulled me into his arms. “Damn, baby. You look even better without makeup.” He kissed me with what started out as a sweet kiss, with only a touch of tongue. I wrapped my arms around him and found myself no longer hungry for pancakes. I wanted him!

We turned and he pushed me up against the door. I picked my legs up and wrapped them around him. A moan began deep in my throat when his bulge pressed against my mound that was beginning to pulse with the same need it had the night before. All I wanted was for him to give me another orgasm. And right then!

Instead, he eased the kiss. Our breathing was hard and raspy as he leaned his forehead against mine. “Damn, baby. Good morning.”

“Good morning,” I echoed him.

He pushed my legs back down and pecked me on the cheek. “Let’s go eat. We have shopping to do, plus we need to get food and other things for camping. There’s a lot to get done today. Go grab your purse and let’s get going.”

I went to the bedroom and got my purse. I’d been sure to take my birth control pill that morning and ensure I had three packets for the summer months. I double checked the room and bathroom, leaving nothing behind, and returned to find Troy standing by the large window. The light made him glow and I found my heart skipping a beat. We were in perfect harmony, as our clothes matched—white T-shirts and similar khakis—except for his hiking boots. Somehow he made all that look hot as sin.

“I’m ready.”

He turned to look at me and the smile he wore made my stomach tense. Taking my hand, he led me out of the room to start our day. As we stood in the empty elevator, he ran his arm around my shoulders and kissed the side of my head. “Thanks for the letter, Blyss. I’m glad you told me those things.”

Embarrassment tingled inside of me like it always did when I let anyone know my humble beginnings. “I hope you understand me a little better now. I know I’m an odd duck.”

“You’re great,” he said, then tugged my chin up to look at him. “I want that to be the first thing you let go. You are not odd. You’re Blyss, and she’s a cool chick.”

He was great and I couldn’t stop the smile from peeking out. “You’re sweet. I’ll try not to think that way about myself, but it’s been a long time that I have, and people have agreed with that.”

“I don’t care about how you’ve been perceived by idiots. I only care how you perceive yourself. You’re one hot woman and you have a hell of a brain. There’s nothing odd about that.” The elevator doors opened and we stepped off.