Page 43 of Submissive Lies

“Thank you, sir,” I whispered, letting my relief carry across on a sigh that followed the words. I needed him to hear that in my response. I was jumping into the deep end of the pool here, all of it based on those last nine words.

-But Thomas…-

Stop. I am done with that. I did my best. I tried.

And tomorrow I’d be free. Free of the last nagging shreds of guilt in my own head.

Tomorrow I’d be me again. Completely.

We finished the dessert. As we sipped our coffee, staring at each other across the table, I wanted to believe we each shared a sense of relief that something had resolved itself in a way that maybe we both had been afraid it wouldn’t. It was certainly true for myself and watching some of the earlier tension drain from Steve’s face, I was confident he was feeling the same way. Whatever the case, the looks he now sent me were back to the ones which earlier had shot thrills of electricity through me. Intense and full of desire. With each action I took, I saw his corresponding reaction. The precision with which his eyes focused on my every move, when I tilted my chin down to the tabletop, drew my lower lip between my teeth, biting down. The way he leaned closer at the sound of my soft voice. Each ‘yes, sir’ I gave him was spoken with the confidence of knowing the response it would elicit. Looking back up at him, shy and questioning from under hooded eyes. All these things I did because I wanted to wind him up as much as he had me. When we had finished our coffee, I sat with my hands folded on the table, quiet, watching as he spoke with the waiter to settle the bill. As we waited for him to return, Steve cleared his throat.

“I hope you enjoyed dinner.”

“I did, sir.”

“Good. Thank you again for coming tonight.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He chuckled at my emphasis, and knowing he’d caught my intention made me grin. The tension from earlier was completely gone now, and any reservations I’d had before left with it.

The waiter came back, dropping off the receipt, and then Steve was standing. He moved to my chair as I stood to leave. We walked through the restaurant, Steve’s hand in the small of my back once again, and everything was so picture perfect I scanned the room purposely, doing all I could to capture this moment with crystalline clarity. I wanted to remember this, every part of this evening for the happiness it had brought me. All my issues and anxiety aside, it had been incredible. And I had this warm, fuzzy feeling of anticipation which suggested it was only going to get better.

We stood outside the front door, waiting as the valet hailed a cab. Steve’s presence behind me was a cocoon of reassurance that wrapped around me. I let myself lean back into his chest, and his hand drifted from my hip up my side to my shoulder. He held me there, his fingers caressing me, my body soaking in his warmth as the slight chill of the evening stirred around us. His fingers pulled my shoulder tighter to him, and I trembled without thinking.

He leaned down, the soft intake of his breath in my hair a whisper over the sounds around us.

“Are you cold?” His voice was low, comforting.

“No, sir. I’m fine.”

“I felt you tremble.”

Closing my eyes, I let the tingling running through my body carry me. “That wasn’t because I was chilled…”

“Ah.” It was all he murmured, his lips so close to my scalp, his warm breath sending another quiver arcing down my spine. The cab pulled up to the curb, and Steve guided me inside. Once I was in, he came around and slid in from the opposite side. He slipped across the seat until there was no space between us. Steve’s arm came up and glided across my shoulders, pulling me in tight.

“Mmm.” I nuzzled against his chest. My anxiety from earlier was gone, and I pulled the blanket of contentment that Steve offered around me. I closed my eyes, the lights from outside casting diffused patterns across my eyelids as the sound of the car whispering along the streets provided a comforting white noise. It was a lulling sound, one that let me bask in the calmness his proximity provided. I wasn’t certain how far we’d traveled when he shifted, his hand brushing over my hair, his fingers moving until they cupped my cheek. Calloused fingers grazed my skin, soothing me, coaxing me deeper into this nest of wellbeing he’d created. I looked up into his eyes, watched as they caressed my face. He leaned down, and his lips pressed against mine. The kiss was sweet wine on a summer’s eve, the taste of something fresh, exhilarating, exciting. He moved with assurance, and I let my hand come up to cradle his face, fingertips drifting down to trace the edge of his jaw. At my touch, the kiss went from gentle to fierce, every part of us that touched turned into a starburst of electrified nerves, and I fell into the dark pool that was my desire. I could feel him, taste him, and his every action let me know he was doing the same. These explorations were without hesitation, only hunger, each of us confident in what we were doing. When Steve pulled back, I knew only that the cab was not back at the hotel but still moving through the streets of Chicago on a trip I did not want to end and yet wanted to be over at the same time.

“You are so incredibly beautiful.” His voice was soft but filled with an unmistakable rumble of desire. Desire that was for me.

I bit down on my lower lip, staring up at him. “Thank you.”

His eyes traced the outline of my face, embracing me no less than if he had with his fingers. I watched as he drank me in, my body pressing tighter against him. He drew me in close until his face was touching the top of my head. I heard him murmur something, and then his hand slipped to the back of my neck, gripping me, fingers digging in to tilt me back. Those five points of pressure shot delicious tendrils of pain through me, each dimple in my skin radiating sensation outwards. It was something I had not experienced from a lover’s touch in so long. Too long. I know I moaned. It was low, yearning, and I could only hope that the driver did not hear it. Even if he could, I didn’t care. All I cared about in that moment was Steve. Pleasing him and in return taking the pleasure he was giving me.

I couldn’t say how long he held me like that. Time was playing tricks with me. When he loosened his grip on my neck, I let out a sigh that was both contentment and dismay. Chuckling at my reaction, he pulled me close, cradling me tight to him. I nestled against his chest for the rest of the ride until the cab swung into the semi-circular drive of the hotel. It was just so good to be there, held close to him, letting my mind wander with delighted anticipation, contemplating how the rest of this evening would play out. The cab pulled to the curb, and Steve pulled me up from his chest.

“We’re here.”

I sighed with satisfaction, looking up at him with hooded eyes. He was shifting, trying to subtly edge towards the cab door on his side at the same time he continued to hold on to me, tugging me across the seat with him. It was clear he wanted to get us out of this cab and inside, and that sense of urgency mixed with anticipation was not far from my own. He let go of me, and slipped the remainder of the way across the seat, exiting the cab. I took his hand when he opened my door, stepping out and waiting while he paid the cabbie. When he was done, he ushered me past the doorman and inside. The lobby was quiet, far fewer people than when he’d picked me up earlier in the evening. We walked across the floor to the elevators, and he pushed the UP button. I stood next to him, leaning against his shoulder, not wanting to leave his touch for even a moment. His arm came around my back, his hand resting on my hip as we waited.

“What floor,” he asked as the bell chimed.

“Twelve.”

He ushered me inside the elevator, pressed the button for the twelfth floor. As the doors slid closed, he turned, capturing me in his gaze once more. He trapped me with a scrutinizing look that was one of pure possession, and my mouth went dry. I was buzzing with eagerness, waiting to see what his next move would be. He stalked towards me, and I backed into the corner until there was nowhere left to go. He stepped in until he was on me, close, so very close and God I wanted him. Wanted him to know how much I wanted him, and not to stop what he was doing.

Please don’t stop.

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