Continental Life (3 page)

The
recognizable sounds of jangling chains could be heard as he sorted through the different array of toys. Gliding back to the side of the bed, his naked, shimmering silhouette was just visible; the long, lean lines of his toned body holding her spellbound. He laid down the items he had picked out and when he turned sideways, the shadow of his hardened cock made her inadvertently moan out loud.
She wanted him.
She wanted
it.
This thing he did to her; the anticipation; the nervousness and exhilaration of receiving his sweet fucking; and the way he made her feel. Five years into their relationship and she still felt butterflies every time he looked at her possessively or touched her as if he owned her. No, there was no
as if
about it and there was no question that this man owned her completely. Why did she ever doubt that he would give her less than his everything or put her first?

“I’m sorry I doubted you,”
she whispered, suddenly feeling the need to confess.

Xande
r’s head turned and the light of the flame glowed in his eyes as he watched her broodingly as if contemplating something. If only she could see his expression, but the room was too dark… her emotions began to skid out of control again, but she forbade herself to weep.

Climbing onto the bed and kneeling next to her, his warm fingertips swept her
mussed hair away from her face causing her heart to hammer in her ears as heat surged through her veins. With Xander so close the hunger was visible on his face, arousing her own passion. She itched to run her fingers through the dark and silver strands of hair that hung over his eyes, but she resisted. His commands were final and she didn’t dare disobey him.

He buried his face in the curve of her neck and began the slow torture of bringing the blood to the su
rface as he sucked slowly at her flesh.

“You mean more to me than anything, Princess, including the Training Center,” he breathed against her neck as it began to tingle and throb.
“Even work. This thing between us is forever, Bella. My mind and heart have already made that decision and there’s nothing that will ever come between us. Now…” he ghosted his fingertips over her belly, “…present that ass to me so I can remind you that when you doubt my decisions and intentions, consequences must be paid.”

***

Without delay, Bella’s heart-shaped ass came into view. Xander’s irritation at not having been able to get in contact with her had already dissipated, especially in light of her perfect theatrical performance. But her unprompted confession about doubting him stuck in his craw. He had never given her any reason to doubt that she was his one and only. Was his teaching again really eating away at her resolve that badly? He swept her tousled hair off her face as she turned to face him and he watched her pensively.

Brushing his fingers down her spine, he savored the surge of power beneath his touch. Bella belonged to him.
Forever
. Even though there wasn’t a set date yet for their wedding, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to go through with his commitment to her. He was simply waiting until her schooling was finished so she could focus on one important thing at a time. Didn’t she understand that? Couldn’t she see that she was it as far as he was concerned? His end-all, be-all; his fucking
everything
?

You’d think after three years of being together, five in total
since first meeting him, she’d see that.
Women
. He shook his head in frustration, but couldn’t hide the wry smirk on his face. If there was one thing all females needed, it was reassurances and affection.
On a daily fucking basis
. Not that he was complaining. He did enjoy doting on and pampering his Princess, after all, and the physical response he got when he did. But he wouldn’t be second-guessed and he sure as hell wouldn’t allow there to be any doubt in her mind as to his intent.

Resting his hand on the small of her back, he pushed down gently. “Hands on the tops of your thighs, Ms. Darcy,” he stated firmly.

Her body melted against his touch and she did as she was told, her ass rising infinitesimally as if daring him to go through with it. Punishments in the Pettifor household were few and far between, and Bella’s acquiescence sent him reeling, just like it did every time. He hated having to discipline her in the form of physical reprisal. He could dole out playful spankings and verbal reprimands all day long, but this… He sighed heavily and caressed her ass cheeks in an attempt to sooth the worry from her cobalt eyes.

“Count them out,” he whispered as his hand rose and fell against her firm bottom.

“One,” she gasped out and flinched as his hand lifted again and moved to the other cheek. “Two,” she choked out. “Three,” she sniffed as tears pooled at the edges of her eyes. “Four.” Her voice was barely a whisper when she buried her face in the bedding below her as he carried out the remaining swats.

A
twinge of disappointment stabbed Xander’s heart. He loved her so much and as she struggled to accept his castigation gracefully, he could sense her own regret in the way her body began to tremble from her despair. Six swats later, he hauled her into his arms and cradled her.

“
Did I ever tell you the first thing about you that caught my attention?” he cooed in her ear. Her eyes brightened as she stared back at him, waiting for his response. “Your fragrance. I don’t know what it was. When I looked up, my God, your eyes…” he paused and his vision blurred as he thought back to her interview.

“Skin.” he heard
her say softly.

He fixed his gaze on her mouth.
“What?”

“The name of the perfume was
Skin,
” she beamed up at him.

“How appropriate. Now that you’ve accepted
my will, are you ready to play?”

Bella nodded enthusiastically and her eyes grew large in mock innocence, and his pent-up sexual tension sprang forth as did his swiftly stiffening cock. Skimming his palm over a breast, her nipple swelled under his skillful touch.

“Sensory deprivation is on the menu for tonight, Princess.”

***

Encompassing darkness.

Tranquil silence
.

Tingling.

Heat.

Random wet kisses.

Feather light touches on the tops of her legs and prickly, sharp strokes across her torso.

Bella’s body began to shake as endorphins
traveled from her toes to her belly to her brain. Saliva trickled down her chin and pooled around her neck when she began to groan uncontrollably. Sinking her teeth into the ball-gag she moaned out louder and tossed her head back when Xander’s long fingers assaulted her pussy. She wrenched against the leather restraints around her wrists and ankles and the sound-proof headphones shifted and nearly slipped off her head, but a quick readjustment put Xander’s little game back on track, right where he had left off.

S
ensory deprivation had only been mentioned casually and expressed as minor curiosity. Leave it to Xander to store their conversation away for a later date. He was sneaky like that. If she noticed something in passing and her eyes lingered longer than usual, it would be hers. Her wants and desires always came to fruition.
Always.
An attractive, hand-blown glass vase spotted on a Sunday stroll seen in a window display… now sitting on their mantle. Louboutins worn by another woman at a gala and complimented on… now sitting in her closet. A cabin in the woods she commented on in Dwell magazine … now with their names on the deed. She had stopped long ago trying to convince him that she didn’t need absolutely everything she liked. However, it was useless to argue her point. To spoil, pamper and please her is what drove him. He had no children; no heirs for whom to spend his wealth on, then why not the love of his life and the only person to whom his heart belonged?

The love of his life.

Her body shuddered at his words spoken so earnestly and not so long ago.

How dare she doubt him
and his love for her
.

Yes, s
he did deserve his reprisal.

Bella floated through the never ending
darkness and silence back to the present. This is where she longed to be; pinned down, bound by leather and chains, and deprived of nearly all of her senses.

Slickness against her labia.

A tongue slowly and deliberately dipped into her folds.

A
warm current of air blown across her clit.

The crushing
weight of Xander’s body crashed against her like a hot and unpredictable summer storm as his lips traced the vein along her neck and his tongue laved a path down to her sternal notch… Drops of wetness touched the most intimate parts of her flesh and she was simply left to guess what they could be.

Xander’s sweat.

His shaft twitched
against her thigh and she instantly became aware of each of his movements, despite her lack of all senses except for smell. Thankfully he hadn’t denied her that one piece of divinity as his scent was all that was keeping her grounded. His damp breath caressed her cheek just before he eased himself between her legs and thrust slow and deep, in and out, unhurriedly. Her belly throbbed and the heat moved downward to that spot. Yes, right there…
that
spot… that part of her that belonged only to Mr. Pettifor…
Xander
… the man who was going to marry her… Her body gravitated toward his warmth and moved in rhythm with his. Their sweat dampened bodies slid against one another and she feared her heart would implode. Yes… her heart… that other part of her that belonged only to Xander.

In this moment, nothing else mattere
d - not school, not the Training Center -
nothing
. Only their bodies moving in unison…

Curled in Xander’s embrace, Bella slept soundly for only a few hours. When she woke, her body ached in a way it hadn’t in months. Her mind was still trying to formulate exactly what had transpired as she lay watching his eyelids flicker with untold dreams. She regretted having confessed her doubt in him, but not because of his reprisal. No, the regret came from seeing the displeasure in his eyes just before she felt his strong hand against her bottom. Nothing would ever break her heart more than to see that look on his face.

Finally p
eeling herself away from him, she whispered in his ear. “May I leave the bed, Sir?”

Xander’s eyes
opened only briefly before he mumbled and nodded his consent. Dressed in Xander approved loungewear, she gathered her book bag and schedule, and settled into his office. Her own designated work area was in a small alcove in the large living area. Xander had designed it himself and placed it in a spot so that he could keep his watchful eye on her while he roamed about the penthouse. The space had everything she needed, but she preferred to be in his office and seated in the large leather chair that was reserved for him. The leather seat was perfectly formed to his physique and his smell lingered in the large room, making her feel as if he was all around her, lording over her like the good old days when she had worked for him.

As she set
her bag down, she noticed a stack of files on the desktop with various women’s names. Sneaking a peek, she opened one to see a picture of an average looking brunette paper clipped to a stack of documents. Perusing the contents, she realized the files were Xander’s students. The in-depth profile on the woman left no stone unturned, delving into her childhood and past relationships.

Feeling guilty for snooping, she set it aside as she continued to stare at it, wondering what made these women want to seek out the program in the first place. If only she could sit in on one of the courses or ‘practicum’ sessions.
She flipped the file open one more time and her eyes rested on the picture of the female.
Is this the kind of woman that Xander is drawn to?
What was it about The Center that he couldn’t just leave it all behind? Come to think of it, why hadn’t he ever asked her to take the program herself if that’s what he was looking for in a spouse?

Their work contract came t
o mind. In a sense, she was the woman in that file. Though she hadn’t sought out that sort of instruction on her own, Xander had, nonetheless, educated her on what he wanted in a lover and companion, and as she recalled, she had eagerly and willingly accepted his tutelage.
Still
…

Just then he
appeared in the doorway of his office wearing only silk sleeping pants, rubbing his eyes and yawning loudly. “What’s keeping you up?”

Bella shrugged, still
pondering what her future husband’s side job entailed.
If only she could see him in action
…

Large, warm hands began to massage her shoulders as he leaned down and pecked the nape of her neck. “Find anything interesting in here?” he reached over and tapped the open file.

“It’s all interesting.”

“Indeed,” he spun the chair around to face him.

The question slipped past her lips before she could stop it. “Do you find her attractive?”

His brows knitted together and his eyes scanned her face cautiously.

“It’s not a trick question, Mr. Pettifor,” she sniped when she saw what she perceived to be guilt on his face.

“Mr. Pettifor?” he fingered her chin
, tipping her head back. “So that’s how it is?”

Again, she
lifted her shoulders in a shrug and turned the chair around to avoid his stern look.

Seating himself on the corner of the desk, he picked up the
folder and nonchalantly flipped through it before casting his austere gaze back onto her.

“I
find them all attractive, but not for the reasons that you think. It’s their obedience that appeals to me; nothing else.”

A lump lodged itself in her throat and she averted her eyes to the desk.

“Look at me, Ms. Darcy.” Xander’s disciplinarian tone left no room for negotiation and she lifted her face. “Regardless if I find them attractive or not, they’re my students and, more importantly, it’s you that I intend to spend the rest of my life with. It’s
you
who appeals to me on
every
level.” He paused to place the dossier down and crossed his arms over his chest. “Where is this coming from?”

“
I just… I miss… I…” she began to stutter.

He stood and clasped his hands behind his back as he glared down at her. “Compose yourself and stop stammering, please.”

And there he was: Professor Pettifor in all his muscular and brooding glory. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be his student.
Almost.
The thrill of being under his command liquefied her insides and suddenly she realized what it was exactly that she missed.

Sitting up straighter and
staring up at him, she responded, “This is what I miss.”

His dark eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch and he quirked his head in an unspoken question.

“Being your student, Sir. I miss you instructing and directing me,” she sighed heavily and placed her hands in her lap as her eyes lowered. “I’m signing up for the next session of the DDTC,” she blurted out before she even realized the idea was in her head. Keeping her eyes glued to the floor, she held as still as possible.

In a deceptively calm tone he asked,
“Are you asking me or telling me?”

Lifting her eyes
, she tried to relay her feelings without sounding demanding. “A little of both…” she trailed off. “I really want this.”

Seating himself on the edge of
the desk, he reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Since when? You’ve never mentioned it before.”

“Since now.”

“Perhaps you should think this through. The program is intense and a significant obligation to commit to. With your summer classes, I’m not sure…”

Why was Xander
so reticent to allow her to join the program? “You don’t want me there?” She couldn’t hide the hurt in her voice.

With a so
fter tone he answered, “I didn’t say that. I just think you need to consider this more carefully and not jump into it haphazardly. It’s a very serious program, the likes of which I don’t think you’re prepared for. Anyway, you haven’t even filled out the application and I’m honestly not sure you would be accepted.”

Offended, Bella stood
. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Xander smiled and shook his head. “Don’t take it personally, Princess
, not everyone who applies gets in…”

She seethed.
Was that all she was to him - a Princess to fawn over? Hell, she had been accepted into one of the most sought after medical schools in the area. Then again, it had a lot to do with Mr. Pettifor’s letter of recommendation... Stalking toward the window she huffed loudly as she stared out at the bright lights below. Here she was, high above the streets of San Francisco looking down at all of Xander’s minions and living in the Pettifor Castle. She really was just a Princess.

“Bell
a…” she heard over her shoulder in the most God-awful, patronizing tone.

“Bella
what
? I guess a letter of recommendation from the distinguished and well-respected Xander Pettifor doesn’t carry the same weight with your precious school as with the University, does it?”

“Bell
a…” she heard again, sterner and an octave lower.

“Forg
et it. If you don’t want me to attend your secret society meetings, then so be it. I just thought it would be a good opportunity for us to spend some time together; for me to get to know the kinds of things you expect of me as your wife, but… just forget it, MR. PETTIFOR,” she enunciated his name clearly. She had never spoken so harshly to him and her knees threatened to buckle from beneath her when she saw the cold, stark look in his eyes. “Walla Walla, Washington!” she blared before she had the urge to say anything more as she marched out of the room.

***

Xander took a deep breath in and blew it out slowly. Bella’s recent mood swings were perplexing and exasperating, to say the least.
First her earlier outburst and now this?
Compassion clenched his heart. It had been distressing to see her breakdown when she was normally so strong and composed, and he knew that she must really be feeling the effects anxiety and pressure to let her guard down so completely. Stress will do that to people, he reminded himself, and he couldn’t be angry with her when medical school was so daunting and often times overwhelming for her.

A poignant smile tipped the corners of his mouth
at her reference to
Walla Walla.
It had been years since she had used that phrase. The fond memories that it evoked strangely aroused him. He truly missed those days.

He had trained her well and t
hough Bella did her best to maintain a calm and collected outward appearance, every now and again her petulance shone through. And usually in spectacular, unruly fashion. She was definitely no brat, but more than once she had stated “
go big or go home”
and that’s precisely the philosophy she was practicing.

Sinking into his office chair, he
kicked back, rested his feet on the desk and stared at the ceiling. The DDTC was no secret society, though it wasn’t exactly advertised to the general public. They were also extremely discreet in choosing their students. They had standards after all and only those with the utmost respect for the lifestyle they were trying to advocate would be let past their fortress doors. There was no doubt in his mind that Bella fit the profile of the kind of person who would be accepted, but that wasn’t the issue. The issue was that they were engaged.

Rules prohibited
fraternization of student and instructors – for understandable reasons. There was to be no bias when teaching, and engaging in outside relationships with those enrolled in the program was strictly forbidden in order to uphold The Center’s esteemed reputation and exacting principles.

Only once had he been tempted to break those rules
in his ten year off and on tenure. Well, in actuality, he had been
tempted
often, but only once did he seriously entertain the idea. Being an instructor at the DDTC presented him with both benefits and drawbacks. The most apparent perk being that he could partake of his students while in turn teaching them; the snag being that often times his apprentices would try and coax him into breaking the rules and sample the goods off of school property. Trying to maintain one’s cool aloofness and professionalism when faced with stunning submissiveness and sexual obedience was a test of Xander’s will nearly every session he taught, but only one particular student really stood out who had made him question his ability to resist the allure of a teacher/student affair…

Joy.

Recalling her name brought anything but that emotion. She was a pretty, little thing though not in a beautifully ethereal sort of way like Bella, more like the attractive girl-next-door kind of way. She was sweet, bright, soft spoken and the one thing he couldn’t resist - subservient. At least that’s what she had led him to believe. As his eyes lost focus, her charming fox-colored eyes flashed in his subconscious. He could still recall precisely what she tasted like. Even her scent.
Warm vanilla
.

He
pushed aside his romantic recollections. She had shredded his heart and soul like all the rest.
No
– the havoc her dishonesty wreaked on his heart had been far worse.

S
ix months from the time she completed the program, she showed up on his doorstep to entice once again. Too young and immature and frustratingly impulsive, she was completely wrong for him and he knew it. But it was the head between his legs doing the thinking when she was around… that and her crimson-stained mouth around his cock. Two weeks and a spur-of-the-moment trip to Vegas later, she took his name. He sighed and shook his head, still irritated with his impetuousness from eight years previous. There was good reason he denied his ‘romantic side,’ as Bella had put it. A month together physically with Joy and nine months on paper - the short-lived marriage ended up costing him well over a quarter of a million dollars. It was money well spent as far as he was concerned seeing as she got the hell out of his life. Of course, she only signed the annulment papers
after
he handed over the check, delivering yet another kick to his balls and ego.

Bella was no Joy. Not
that there was ever any comparison, but it was because of Joy that he had been so hesitant to allow Bella into his heart in the first place; Joy and a handful of others, including the now infamous Svetlana, aka Leggy Blonde, according to Bella. The very same Leggy Blonde who had nearly cost him the love of his life, his Princess. Three years later he was still feeling remorse over not having given his heart to Bella sooner when she was so deserving of it. Hell, the
only
one deserving of it.