Page 16

N aomi

When Ryker had first called me at work, I’d been annoyed that he thought he could throw his weight around, but the more I thought about it, the less it bothered me.

In fact, it was sweet in a way. I’d been working hard to finalize several projects before my departure, and I was exhausted.

Regular coffee hadn’t been enough to keep me going, so I’d had several espressos today to help myself keep going.

It had worked, somewhat, but what really got me moving was the uncertainty of what would happen should I disobey him.

Then I couldn’t stop the sordid thoughts of what we’d done together.

The way he’d touched me. The way he’d made me come.

Closing my eyes, I saw the image of his belt lying there in front of my face so vividly painted in my memory that I almost felt like I could reach out and touch it.

Unable to concentrate and squirming in my chair, I glanced at the clock and back at the endless spreadsheet on my screen, before finally calling it a night.

I saved my file and shut everything down, then took a moment to look back into my office before I walked out the door.

Tomorrow, I was going to leave my home for the first time.

My whole life was about to change. I was excited and nervous and afraid, all at the same time, but knowing Ryker was going to be by my side the whole way was comforting.

I shut the door behind me and waved to the security staff before leaving, then walked home more quickly than usual.

I didn’t want to test Ryker’s patience, not feeling entirely certain about what to make of him, or of us.

The other night had been intensely erotic, and I was certain that it was for him too.

Was he always like that? Was it real, or was it all pretend, an extravagant roleplay maybe, or a brief entertainment for him?

As tired as I was, I didn’t want to find out what the result of disobeying him might be, especially if it turned out to be another session with his very mean belt.

Before I knew it, I was home. I checked my watch.

Less than an hour. Good. I reached out to open my front door with a shaky breath.

It was unlocked, which meant that he was probably waiting inside.

He hadn’t stayed over other than the one time, but we’d eaten several meals together over the past few days.

He’d even cooked for me a few more times.

Everything he made was utterly delicious and so much more exciting than anything I’d ever made myself.

The last time he’d kissed me, though, was the morning he’d made me breakfast. That fact had me feeling a bit disappointed.

“There’s my good girl,” the sound of his husky voice heated me from within.

I looked down at the floor, feeling my cheeks warm, and just stood there, discomfited.

He cleared his throat, and I finally looked up to see him sitting on the couch with a book on the geography of the North American continent. It wasn’t as up to date as most of my records, but it could prove helpful to the journey in any case.

“I’m glad you came home. You need to get your rest tonight,” he said with warm concern in his tone.

“Yes, you’re probably right,” I agreed. I glanced over to him, uncertain what to do next.

“Come, I’ve prepared something to help you relax before bed,” he said softly.

He stood up and offered his hand. I took it tentatively, feeling unsure of his intentions.

I furrowed my brow, intending to ask, but he shook his head.

Instead, he guided me through the hall to the master bath. Confused, I went with him in silence.

I gasped when I saw what was inside.

The tub was full of steaming water and bubbles. There were several lit candles placed all around the room. I recognized them as the ones I kept simply to use in the event I hit an electricity quota early and the city cut off my lights.

One would have to be home much more often than I was to hit that cap.

The lights were turned low, but I noticed a plate of finger foods along with a full glass of red wine set on the side of the bathtub.

“What is all this?” I asked, my voice breathy with happy surprise.

“I wanted to make sure you relaxed a bit tonight, so I prepared a bath for you,” he answered. He pulled me closer and spun me around to face him. His face dropped to mine, capturing me in a soft kiss that pushed all my questions to a remote corner of my mind.

He had my blouse half unbuttoned before I even realized what he was doing. I reached up halfheartedly to stop him, but he brushed my hands away with ease.

“I don’t really take baths,” I muttered inanely against his lips.

It occurred to me that might sound ungrateful, but I was telling the truth. By the end of the day, I was usually too tired for anything more than a quick shower before curling up in bed. It might seem silly, but I hadn’t even known that the water worked in the tub because I had never tried it.

“You’re going to tonight. For me,” he pressed.

“But I…” my weak protest died on my lips when his hand slipped down my lower back and just brushed against the upper curve of my bottom cheeks.

It was more than enough to give me pause.

He didn’t say anything more as he undid the rest of my buttons and pushed the blouse off my shoulders, letting it drop to the floor.

I slipped out of my shoes, not because I wanted to be obedient and help him, but because my feet were sore. At least, that’s what I told myself anyway. His resulting grin told me that he’d thought the former, no matter how much I might argue the latter, so I didn’t even try.

With a tired sigh, I wound my arms around his shoulders as he deftly unbuttoned my pants and pushed them down past my hips.

Using his strong body for balance, I stepped out of them with his assistance.

I straightened back up now in just my matching pink bra and panties, again not really knowing what to do.

“I can do the rest myself,” I offered.

He laughed like I’d said the funniest thing in the world.

“But you’re not going to,” he insisted. He reached behind my back and unclipped my bra with one swift motion.

With care, he grasped each strap and pulled, guiding my bra down my arms gradually.

My nipples hardened as he bared me. Reflexively, I rushed to cover myself but stopped when a dark look of warning crossed over his features.

I dropped my hands to my sides, and it disappeared.

He slid a knuckle under my chin and lifted my gaze to his.

His look was smoldering and made me melt inside. He didn’t look away as his other hand slid beneath my panties, glancing over the top of my mound, and going further still.

When his fingertips glided down against my dripping flesh, I knew he’d found me wet for him for the second time (although there’d been many more than that he would never know about).

His lips turned up in a wicked smirk at his discovery and my pussy clenched.

Slowly, he slid his fingers free and pushed my panties down, one side and then the other until they slipped down to my feet.

I was just about to step out of them when he lifted me in his arms, leaving my panties in a wispy heap on the floor.

In his arms, I felt like I weighed no more than a child, which was comforting and arousing at the same time, reminding me of his extreme masculinity.

He used his foot to push the rest of my clothing aside, carrying me to the tub and very gently lowering me into the water.

His arms got wet, but he didn’t let go until my bare bottom settled against the bottom of the big tub.

His arm supported me as I lay back against one end.

The soothing, fragrant water enveloped me completely. It was the perfect temperature, not too hot but just enough to melt away all the tension in my muscles. A blissful sigh escaped me.

He sat down on the side of the tub close to my head. His big hands began to knead my sore shoulders, and he worked his fingers into every knot. I groaned, leaning into him and enjoying his strong touch. By the time he finished, I felt like a relaxed puddle of goo.

“A girl could get used to this,” I whispered.

“I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying yourself,” he replied tenderly. He turned to the side and took my bottle of shampoo into his hands. When I reached to take it from him, he shook his head very subtly and I lowered my arm.

“Wet your hair for me.”

I obeyed him, even though it had felt more like a request than an actual directive.

At once, I was rewarded with the tingle-inducing feeling of his fingers against my scalp, massaging and working out every last bit of tension that was left in me.

I didn’t really think about the fact that I was naked in front of him again, and he was fully clothed.

Again. When his hands were touching me, nothing else mattered.

He shampooed my hair more thoroughly than I had ever done myself. By the time he finally dipped me back to rinse out the shampoo, I felt more relaxed than I ever had in my life.

When he was done with his self-appointed chore, he handed me the glass of wine.

“You will relax in the water for a little while. When I come back, I will wash that beautiful body for you before I condition your hair,” he directed. My eyes opened wide, embarrassed even as my clit throbbed.

“But I can do that…” I sputtered.

“Do I need to spank you again, little girl?” he interrupted.

I hated that a tiny part of me was screaming yes.

“No sir,” I whispered.

“Then be a good girl and enjoy your bath,” he murmured, his warning still written all over his face, but it seemed softer now. I pressed my thighs together, trying to ignore the telltale pulsing of my clit.

It didn’t work, not even a little bit. To make matters worse, he was looking at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking.