Page 49 of The High Price Of Loneliness

Angelica wrapped around him and asked, “How can I please you right now, sir?” She looked at him with her seductive bedroom eyes and voice. He stroked her hair and caressed her face softly.

“You have given me the greatest gift already today, Kitten,” he said, complimenting her. You have gone to the next level of trust and surrender with how you gave yourself to me today—waiting for your sir in First Position, being blindfolded, and then opening yourself to me so completely like never before. You transcended today to the next level in my world.” He kissed her softly. “Nothing more for today, Kitten, as you have been stressing all day and are tired from a lack of sleep I can see in your eyes.”

Angelica nodded, admitting he was right, and said, “And the way you made me climax today drained me like you wouldn’t believe.”

“I don’t want you driving home tired and exhausted, Kitten. Come to my room and sleep with me tonight.”

Angelica’s face lit up at the invitation to sleep wrapped around him and she asked, “Can we leave the door to the balcony open just a crack so I can hear the ocean waves? I slept so soundly last time, hearing the breakers’ rhythm rolling in as I slept in your comfy bed.”

He replied, “Of course.” Edward reached out his hand to help her up and out of the Playroom bed. As they walked across his huge home to the master suite, he said, encouraging her, “Let’s go get you a good night’s sleep. You need to rest up the next few days because I have you completely to myself for three full days and nights on our weekend trip.”

Angelica squeezed his hand and asked, “Oh? Should I be worried, Mr. Gray?” playfully teasing him.

He replied, “That depends on how well-behaved you are, Ms. Hart.” With a smile that hinted of more to come, Gray added, “I am bringing the flogger and a few other toys on our trip.”

Angelica giggled loudly and enthusiastically, channeling her newly blossoming inner kinkster and gushed, “Don’t threaten me with a good time, sir!”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The Homework

The rhythmical sounds of the ocean waves breaking on the Gulf of Mexico gently filled the morning air. It was always that deep percussion as the waves broke, followed by a softening sizzle that faded away as each wave inevitably gave in to make room for the next. It was a song that had played for millennia that filled the room and Angelica’s first morning stretch. She wiggled her toes under Edward’s silky Egyptian cotton sheets, which felt just one shade above excellent in incredible softness. She sighed out loud, looking around to find him but, of course, he was gone already. Ever the early morning riser and alpha entrepreneur, his note on the pillow where his head had watched her sleep pre-dawn wished her “Good Morning” and invited her to help herself to anything in the kitchen.

She loved getting Edward’s written notes in the mornings when she had been invited to sleep over on a few rare occasions. But this one had a unique twist and said, “Call me after work. I have a homework assignment for you to prepare for our upcoming trip.” She smiled with instant curiosity about what it might be as she stretched one more time before getting up for work. Something about that bed and the ocean waves invited her to sleep in forever if she could.Duty calls, she thought, glancing at the clock and the need to get home, shower, and get to the office.Only two days to go before their trip, she thought, walking through Edward’s palatial home.What this home needs is a couple of dogs, she thought as she walked across the empty expanse of the living room.Something to add warmth and that feeling of home. The Keurig machine filled the room with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee for the ride home. She loved that everything felt back to normal between the two of them, if normal can describe what it feels like being with a Dominant like Edward. Her unfounded fears and worries about Slave Training had melted into his voice, guiding her last night. They had bonded on a deeper level. She had given herself to him entirely. Now, wearing nothing but his white linen button-down dress shirt, she was in his kitchen making coffee. It was her favorite makeshift pajamas when she slept over with Edward. What a fantastic way to start a Wednesday.

It was quite a rush to drive home, get ready, and then get to her property management office. Sometimes she felt like she was catching every red light when she was in a hurry. But she finally made it only a minute or two late which was a good feat of magic, given the logistics of getting home and then back downtown. She had never packed an overnight bag when Edward invited her to his place for an evening date, but that would save a lot of time and having to race around in the morning on a workday. She didn’t feel it was her place to suggest the idea as she did not want to “assume” that she would be invited to stay over in his world. Perhaps the opportunity could come up to discuss it on their trip.

Work flew by with nothing consequential to deal with, and she looked forward to leaving the office right on time for her call with Edward. But mostly, she looked forward to hearing his voice. Plus, there was an added bonus of her homework assignment she had been curious about all day. As she locked up the office and headed to her car, his text arrived, signaling that she would not have long to wait.Call me when you are available to talk. Edward.

Angelica smiled and teased him playfully in her text reply.I am always available to you, sir.

Her phone rang almost immediately, and as she answered it, his voice came through clear and calm as he said, “I thought I would test the words of your last text, Ms. Hart.” Her pulse quickened as only it could with his voice. There was something about Edward when he was in his Dominant mode. His voice changed to a subtle but significantly different gear of tone and slow, measured pace such that each word was clearly heard and understood. It worked if it were his design to keep her hanging onto his every word.

Instinctively, she replied to his greeting, “Yes, sir, I am here for you always.”

The deep voice responded, “Good answer, Kitten. I like it most when we are together in person, where I can see your eyes, touch you, and feel your breath. But we cannot be together every moment of the day, and that is the purpose of your homework assignment tonight.”

Angelica felt flush hearing his words about their deep connection and energy together. She smiled instantly as she heard him describe precisely how she felt being at the center of his attention and responded, “Thank you, sir. It makes me happy, more than you will ever know, when I please you.”

Gray said, “As we are flying out to D.C. tomorrow evening, I have to work late at the office wrapping up paperwork and loose ends and then get home to finish packing for the trip. So, I won’t be able to see you this evening in person. However, I have taken the liberty of ordering you dinner. It is being delivered at about 7 p.m. to your home, and once you have had dinner and are all packed and settled, call me for your homework assignment this evening.”

“Edward, you have no idea how it makes me feel that you think of me. That you thought to send me dinner on a busy day to take care of me means the world,” Angelica said, speaking in a serious tone now with a sincere and earnest ache in her voice. What she did not say but felt in her heart was that it meant more than extravagant shopping and an unlimited clothing budget. She loved his attention and care most of all. So, instead, she said only, “I will text you tonight when I am all packed.”

The unspoken words of a heart aching went unsaid as she hung up, still sitting in her car in the office parking lot. She sighed as her engine started a bit slowly. For some reason, it took a second attempt for the machine to roar to life.I will have to get my car checked out when I return from Washington, she thought. The red sports car was no match for the speed of her racing mind wondering what Edward had ordered her for dinner. He always loved surprising her. Most of all, she had been thinking about what she needed to pack for tomorrow’s long weekend getaway trip with Edward.

Her car pulled into the hair salon at the last minute for a quick stop on her way home to get some travel-size hair products. It was an excellent excuse to see her friend and confidant, Samantha, who would be dying to hear all the juicy details about the weekend trip with Edward. Despite signing the Confidentiality Agreement, Angelica simply could not resist telling at least one of her friends about heading off on a private jet to Washington, D.C.!

When she walked into the salon unexpectedly, Angelica smiled broadly and saw Samantha give her a discreet little hand wave as she was finishing up with her last client. Angelica gathered up a few of her favorite hair products in travel size while she waited for Samantha to be free to talk. She was secretly beaming inside to tell her the latest but could hardly wait for her to ring up her client and be free to speak. Samantha was a beautiful blonde herself and was no stranger to dating and the ways of men. Angelica loved getting her advice, especially since she was one of her friends who had known the most about Edward Gray and his vast business and financial reputation when Angelica first met him.

“Hey there!” Samantha said, beaming as she walked over to give her a friendly hug. “I wasn’t expecting you today, was I? Your hair still looks great!” she added, touching Angelica’s long, flowing blonde locks, and admiring her work. Angelica held up the hair products and handed the travel-sized bottles to Samantha. “No, I just stopped by to pick these up for a trip and see you for a quick minute.”

“Sure, let me ring these up for you,” Samantha said, smiling. “Where are we off to?” she asked nonchalantly in the tone you might expect for small talk at the salon.

Angelica paused, and the biggest smile crept over her face as she whispered, “Can you keep a secret?” She leaned in towards Samantha across the register as she spoke.

It took only a heartbeat for Samantha to pause and look at Angelica with widening eyes as she said with hushed excitement, “Oh my gosh! You two are going away somewhere? First the black-tie event and now travel. Is this getting serious?”

Angelica’s smile said it all, but Samantha wanted more. “Tell me all the juicy details!” she urged as she took Angelica’s card, which still read Edward Gray, Platinum American Express, across the front.

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