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CHAPTER20
The moment Kim walked through the door at work the next day, she was bombarded with issues. One of their clients decided they didn’t like the marketing campaign they’d already signed off on and was supposed to begin running next week. She’d spent most of her morning on the phone trying to nail down what exactly the client didn’t like and figuring out how to adjust it without having to scrap the whole thing.
By the time lunch rolled around, Kim needed a break. She grabbed her purse, let her assistant know she was going out, and rushed out of the building before someone could waylay her.
It was below freezing, but at least the sun had come out. All the snow from Saturday night had melted, so there weren’t any issues walking to her favorite lunch spot in her heels.
Georgio’s was a quaint Italian bistro three blocks from her office. She tried to make it there a couple of times a month if for no other reason than their fettuccine Alfredo. She’d once tried to make it herself at home, but it hadn’t compared. Today, she was badly in need of comfort food.
The cozy atmosphere calmed her and the cappuccino she’d ordered warmed her from the inside. Kim pulled up a book she’d been reading on her phone and tried to spend her lunch break relaxing. She knew the moment she got back into the office it would be full steam ahead again. They still had a lot to do before the campaign could go live and less than a week to do it.
Her lunch was over too soon, and she trudged back to the office. At five o’clock, she sent her assistant home while she continued working with the account manager. There was so much to do and so little time. She thought briefly about texting Justin and canceling their dinner plans, but she didn’t want to. After the day she’d had, she needed a break. So, at six, she and the account manager called it a night and headed home.
When she breezed through the door of her apartment, she began removing her clothes as she marched toward her bedroom. There was no time for a shower, but she needed to freshen up. Bracing her right leg on the edge of the bathtub, she turned on the water and lathered up her leg. She didn’t want to have prickly hair on her legs for her date.
Kim was fastening her earring in her ear when the doorbell rang. Swiping her shoes from the closet, she hurried down the hall to answer the door.
Taking a quick peek first to make sure it really was Justin, she pulled the door open. He stood on her small porch looking as delicious as ever. His hair was still damp from his shower, and he looked downright edible. Did they really have to go out?
“We aren’t going to get very far if you keep looking at me like that.”
Kim took a step back, inviting him in. This was the first time he’d been in her apartment. When they’d stopped by on Saturday before going to the club, he’d stayed in the car while she ran inside to pack a bag.
It felt strange having him in her space. Her apartment wasn’t huge, maybe half the size of his house, but it was perfect for her. Since she didn’t have a roommate and she worked all the time, there wasn’t a need for a second bedroom.
He took a look around, zeroing in on the pictures she had on the wall of her mom and dad. “I don’t think I’ve seen this one before.”
She came to stand beside him. “It’s from when they were dating. Mom told me that Dad proposed a week later.”
Justin turned to look at her but didn’t say anything.
“What? Do I have dirt on my nose or something?” She went to rub her nose, but he captured her hand in midair. He pulled her to him and she fell against his chest with a little omph. As she gazed up at him, there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. Or what she was feeling behind his dark jeans.
Her body responded immediately. Blood pumped through her veins and she parted her lips, ready for the kiss she knew was coming.
But instead of kissing her, he put space between them. “Are you ready to go?”
Kim blinked, trying to shift her thinking and answer his question. “Um. Sure.”
He moved toward the door, reaching for the knob. When he noticed she hadn’t budged, he dropped his hand. “Something wrong?”
“No.” Kim shook her head. “It’s just...I thought.” She blew out a breath. “I thought you were going to kiss me.”
“I was.”
“Oh.” She was confused. “Then why—”
“We are way too close to a bed and if I kiss you right now, we aren’t going anywhere but into it.” The heat in his gaze told her he wasn’t exaggerating.
“I wouldn’t complain,” she whispered.
He opened the door, letting the cold air into her apartment. “I know. But I promised you a date and I intend to keep that promise.”
Sensing there was no use in arguing with him, Kim put on her coat. They exited the apartment and she locked the door behind them. Justin waited to the side, hands in his pockets. She turned toward the parking lot when he grabbed her arm, halting her progress. His lips were on hers before she knew what hit her.
The kiss was swift and hard...and over before she knew it. “I thought you decided not to kiss me.”
One side of Justin’s mouth pulled up and his eyes danced with amusement. He was enjoying throwing her off balance. “I changed my mind.”
Placing a hand on the small of her back, he led her down the sidewalk to his car. He opened the door for her and held it open while she got situated in the passenger seat. She hadn’t known where they’d be going tonight, but he’d said to dress in comfortable clothes, so she’d worn a pair of jeans and one of her favorite tops. Not exactly something she’d wear at the club, but the outfit accentuated her curves and made her feel sexy.
“How was your day?” he asked as he pulled out onto the highway.
“Crazy.” She chuckled and leaned her head back on the headrest.
“Want to talk about it?”
She turned to look at him. “You don’t want to hear about my day.”
Justin frowned. “Why not?”
“Because.” Kim noticed they were headed out of town. “It’s not the type of thing you talk about on a date.” When he didn’t comment, she added, “You don’t want to hear me complain about clients.”
“Isn’t that what boyfriends are for?”
Something fluttered in the pit of her stomach. “Is that what this is?”
Justin’s fingers flexed on the steering wheel. “I thought I made it very clear this was a relationship. Last time I checked, that would put us into boyfriend/girlfriend territory.”
Biting the side of her cheek, she watched the buildings go by as they drove. She didn’t say anything for a long while and he let the silence in the car linger. “I went to the submissive meeting with Ali yesterday.”
“I was gonna ask you about that.” He glanced over at her. “How’d it go?”
Kim looked down at her hands. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
A different kind of quiet settled over the vehicle. “What makes you say that?”
“Just some of the stuff they said.”
“Like?” He pulled into the parking lot of what looked to be a Mexican restaurant. Once he’d found a parking place, he removed his seat belt and shifted in his seat to face her.
She shook her head. “It wasn’t anything specific. It was more...they act like it was perfectly natural to let their Dominants do whatever to them. Drew talked about Beth using knives on him and Nicole wants to use something called a violet wand on Jeff...”
Justin took hold of her hands and brought them to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on each of her palms, then made her look at him. “What is it about those things that scares you?”
The tone of his voice was soothing and helped to calm her a little. “I just don’t know if I could ever trust someone that much and according to you and Ali, that’s what I have to do.”
“Trust isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s built over time.” He cupped the side of her face and she leaned into his touch. “Step by step.”
Moisture filled her eyes and she willed herself not to cry. “I want this to work so much.”
“We have a month.” His hand caressed the side of her face. “I know this is new to you. If it’s what we both want, we’ll figure it out. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay?”
She knew what he said made sense and, true to her character, she was trying to put the cart before the horse. They’d been together three days. They had a long way to go before they made any major decisions. “I’ll try not to stress about it too much.”
A slow smile spread across his lips before he leaned in to kiss her. “No more worrying for tonight.”
Kim nodded and they made their way into the restaurant.
Justin spent the next hour trying to take Kim’s mind off work and contemplating all the reasons she couldn’t be a good sub. In the few times they’d been together, he knew by her body’s responses that she was submissive. It was her head that was getting in the way.
Kim was the type of person who went after what she wanted. Case in point was the day she showed up on his doorstep, offering herself to him on a beautiful submissive platter. It was also what landed her the executive VP marketing position at one of St. Louis’s most prestigious ad agencies. But she was going to have to let go and free herself of that need for control if she wanted to live this lifestyle with him.
Some Doms would tolerate their subs to top from the bottom. Justin did not.
In the past when a sub tried to top from the bottom, he’d put a swift and clear end to any notion they had that they were in control. With Kim, things were more complicated. She wasn’t doing it to try and gain an advantage. He didn’t even think she was doing it intentionally. It was a security thing for her. What he needed to do was to show her that keeping her safe was his responsibility.
“Can I get either of you some dessert? Fried ice cream, perhaps?” Their server had taken their dinner plates and was trying to tempt them with dessert.
Justin glanced at Kim to see if she wanted anything else. She held up her hand in a stop motion. “I’m good. I don’t think I could eat any more if I tried.”
Their server looked at Justin. “Just the check, please.”
Placing the bill on the table, their server nodded. “I’ll take it up when you’re ready.”
“I can’t believe I ate all that food,” Kim said, leaning back in the booth. “I’m going to have to put in some time at the gym this week.”
“I don’t think one meal is going to hurt.” Just reached over and took her hands in his. “Besides, I happen to like all your curves.”
“Is that so?”
Running a finger along the inside of her wrist, he met her gaze across the table. “Gotta have something to hold on to.”
He saw color rise in her cheeks as his meaning registered. She glanced around the restaurant, confirming no one at the surrounding tables had heard him. It was going to be hard to leave her tonight.
After paying the bill, they donned their winter coats again and made their way back to his car. “Home?” she asked.
“Not quite yet.” He put the key in the ignition and listened to the engine purr to life.
“Where else are we going?” she asked.
Justin grinned. She really did have a difficult time not being in control of things. “You’ll see.”
“Not even a hint?” She placed her hand on his thigh, a few inches below his crotch.
He removed her hand from his leg and placed it back in her lap. “Nope. You’ll have to be patient and wait till we get there.”
After his conversation with Daniel Saturday night at the club, he’d been thinking of different ways to build Kim’s trust and get her to let go. Asking her on this date was a step in that direction. He didn’t want a relationship with her that only revolved around sex, so being together and acting like a normal couple was important.
The second part of the evening, however, was about building that foundation of trust. The skating rink was five miles from the restaurant. Since it was a Monday night, it wasn’t very busy. That was perfect for what he had in mind.
“We’re going ice skating?” she asked as he helped her out of the car.
“Yep.” He tucked her into his side as they headed inside. “Have you ever been ice skating before?”
“Not since I was six and I wasn’t very good then.”
Justin grinned and kissed the top of her head. He paid for their time on the ice and rented them both a pair of skates. His dad was a huge hockey fan, so Justin had spent a lot of time on the ice as a kid. He could skate almost as well as he could walk.
When they walked into the ice rink, there was only a handful of other people skating. There was a little girl and a woman he assumed was either her mother or her coach standing nearby, giving her instructions. The other three people were older and didn’t look to be quite as steady on their feet.
He laced up his skates and waited for Kim to finish with hers. Then he reached for her hand and helped her up. Luckily, they only had a few feet to walk in order to reach the ice. Walking on ice skates wasn’t his favorite thing in the world.
Bracing himself on the side edge of the rink, he removed the guard on his skates before stepping onto the ice. He held on to Kim’s arm as she followed his lead.
As soon as she had both feet on the ice, she latched onto him, nearly landing them both on the ground. It was a good thing he was proficient on the ice. “Sorry.”
He helped to steady her. “Better?”
“As long as I don’t have to move.”
Justin chuckled. “I think for it to be considered skating, you have to do more than stand in place.”
“How about I stay right here by the wall, and you can skate to your heart’s content?”
“Not a chance.” He took a step back, putting a little distance between them, but not letting go of her arms.
“Don’t let go!” Her voice was laced with panic. Her eyes pleaded with him, and her nails dug into his arm.
“I’m not going to let go. Relax.” Before she could respond, he stalked backward, pulling her with him.
It was a small move, but like before, she overcompensated. “I’m going to fall.”
“Look at me, not the ice.” He waited for her to lift her gaze to meet his. “If you do what I tell you, you’ll be fine.”
She pressed her lips together but didn’t comment.
Justin took her lack of response as agreement and continued with his lesson. “Tilt your hips forward a little.” He watched as she complied. “Now slide your right foot forward.”
Kim was holding on to him for dear life as he guided her step by step around the outside of the rink. She wasn’t doing too bad. Every now and then, she’d wobble and grasp hold of him, but as they embarked on their second trip around the rink, she got steadier on her feet.
“Ready to move away from the edge?” Even though he asked the question, he changed their trajectory and moved them toward the interior of the ice.
She clung to him again, the fear he’d seen on her face earlier returning. “Maybe we should stick to the edge.”
“Nope. You can handle this. I’m right here if you need me.”
They spent another thirty minutes skating around before he led her over to the edge so they could remove their skates. Toward the end, she was skating with more confidence—he even noticed her smiling a little. She still wasn’t steady enough to do it on her own, but she wasn’t leaving claw marks in his arms either.
“You’re really good,” she said after handing in their skates. “I didn’t know you could skate.”
“My dad taught me. I think he was hoping I’d become a hockey player.”
She slid into the passenger seat of his vehicle and waited until he was behind the wheel. “I think you’re the only guy I know who’s not really into sports.”
He shrugged. “I like sports. I just don’t eat and breathe them.”
“I’m glad.”
Justin glanced over at her before pulling out into traffic. “Why’s that?”
“Because I’m not sure I could spend the next forty years listening to someone yell at the television every weekend.”
Justin tried not to read too much into her statement. She wasn’t saying she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But it was hard not to view it that way. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
