Dom Vs: Domme: The Deluxe Trilogy: A Billionaire Romance (Dom Vs. Domme Book 0) (21 page)

No.

It will take all night.

Because it’s Kathryn Alison, looking at her feet and squaring her shoulders for a fight.

Chapter 22

IAN

“We need to talk.”

No man likes hearing those words, under any situation. Even if he’s the one uttering them himself, he still doesn’t want to have to say them. Those words? They don’t mean anything good.

Especially coming from a woman who turns your heart upside down when you see her.

I’ve almost forgotten about Stephanie. She’s leaning against my couch, buffing her nails and probably thinking about work and my cock. I’m too distracted right now to fantasize that it’s 100% my cock.

“Of course.” I open the door wide, catching Stephanie’s attention. She frowns as Kathryn shuffles in. Does Katie realize how submissive she looks right now? Downcast eyes. Slouched back. Hair hanging limp from her otherwise tight bun. Most people would still think she looks impeccable, but I know the difference between the usual Kathryn… and this one.

“Oh,” she says, meeting Stephanie’s gaze. “I didn’t realize you had guests.”

“You and me both,” Stephanie mutters. She puts her buffer away and crosses her arm. “Who are you?”

Kathryn is taken aback. Now, the Katie I know would start swinging her balls all over my apartment, putting this woman in her place once and for all. She’s a Domme. That’s what they do. Except this Katie is looking at Stephanie with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen. No, not sad.

Scared?

“This is Kathryn Alison,” I say, knowing full well what spot I’ve put myself in.

Stephanie knows it immediately. Her eyes widen, staring down Kathryn as if she’s an interloper come to destroy half the clan. “That’s Kathryn.”

Katie sucks in her lips. “Yup,” she says. “I’m Kathryn.
That
Kathryn.”

Fuck. Now we all know it, and Stephanie is looking none too pleased about it.

“I think it’s best if you leave,” I tell Stephanie. Nope. She’s really not pleased about a damn thing.

“Me? I was here first.” Yet she’s off my couch, clutching her purse to her side and looking like she’s ready to take off at a moment’s notice. “Tell her to wait in line.”

“I’ll go.” Kathryn turns around too eagerly. Without thinking, I wrap my arm around her front, my fingers digging into her back as I tuck her safely into my embrace. She shudders.

This is the first time we’ve touched since we last had sex. And so much has happened since then.

“No. Stephanie was seeing herself out.”

I say it softly to Katie, but Stephanie hears a certain tone in my voice. It makes her bristle, and I know I ruined any chance of seeing her again like this.

That’s fine. Not like I knew there was another chance until she showed up tonight. Life goes on as it has before.

Except not really. Kathryn is in my arms, tiny convulses spreading into me from her wary body. I don’t know what’s going on with her, but I know this isn’t a pleasure call.

I tighten my grip on her. Both to keep her here and to reassure her that she’s safe.

“Fine.” Stephanie stops, her lips curling into a menacing smile. “See you. Farewell, Kathryn. You don’t have to worry about this guy forgetting
your
name.”

I don’t turn to watch the door close. I hear it, and that’s enough.

“Katie.” I loosen my grip, hands going to her shoulders. I’m already taller than her – barely – but she feels so much frailer and smaller tonight. Has something happened? Is someone hurt? “What’s going on?”

A spark erupts in her eyes. Just like that, she’s looking at me, her back straightening and her forehead reaching up toward mine. There she is. That’s the Kathryn I know.

“I’m sorry about the other night. I should have told you I couldn’t make it.”

“Don’t worry about it.” My fingers graze her chin. She does not shudder or sneer. “But I somehow doubt that’s your whole reason for coming here. You would’ve called me just for that.”

“You’re right. I came here for another reason. The real reason we have to talk.”

I gesture to my couch. Saoirse scrambles out from beneath and trots into my guest room turned library. She has a bed there she likes to curl up in around this time of night.

“I didn’t know you have a cat.”

“Even men like some feline companionship.” I gently push her toward the couch and think of offering her a drink. Probably not the best idea. “What’s on your mind?”

She shrugs me off and doesn’t continue. While she doesn’t look like a girl in trouble anymore, she
does
look like someone in need of a kiss and a stiff drink. I offer neither. Women like Katie aren’t reassured with those things unless it’s established to go ahead. I have no such establishment.

“Ian.” Her voice is firm, unwavering. Standing before me is Kathryn Alison, untouchable in her gray pantsuit. “We need to talk about that bet.”

“It’s fine,” I say. I haven’t really thought about it that much. Especially with everything else going on. “We were drunk.”

“No, no, we need to
talk
about it.”

“All right.” I once again offer the couch, but she declines.

“I didn’t show up on Wednesday because I was afraid. No, not afraid. Too nervous.”

“About
what?
It was a date.”

“A date with certain expectations.”

“What expectations? I didn’t anticipate anything except some dinner and maybe some, you know…”

“Exactly. That’s what I was nervous about.”

“
Why?
I wasn’t going to force you to do anything.”

“I know that, but you have to understand my point of view.”

“All right, what’s your point of view?”

She looks at me as if I’m an idiot. Okay, so maybe I am. If I can’t read her right now, I must be an idiot. That’s fine. I can handle being an idiot.

What I can’t handle is worrying about her.

Finally, Kathryn leans against my couch, in that exact spot Stephanie was in only a few minutes ago. “It’s not the sex, Ian. I’m a big girl and can obviously handle casual sex. It’s the… type of sex.”

“Is casual sex not a type of sex?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

I also don’t have time for this kind of bullshit. No mind games. Just tell me what’s going through your head, Katie. I don’t want to misjudge you. I don’t want to misinterpret something you’ve said. Just tell me what’s on your fucking mind.

“I wasn’t ready to submit to you.”

“
What?
” I’m on the verge of laughing. Holy shit, was she going to go through with the bet? “I didn’t expect you to do that at all.”

“Really?”

“Why the hell would I?”

“The bet…”

“Fuck that stupid bet. Like I said, we were drunk. What, were you going to hold me to it if I lost?”

“You weren’t?”

“No!”

“Shit…”

I put a hand on her shoulder, ready to shake with laughter. “I know that’s not who you are. So, I don’t expect you to ever do that.”

“But I…”

“Hm?”

Kathryn turns away, blushing. What have I done to her this time? “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Submitting, that is.”

Well now.

“Not only because of the bet, but also because I’ve been thinking about you a lot in general.” She glances at me. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Which one?”

“Shut up.”

At least I got an eye roll out of her. I’ll take that over this indecisive Kathryn any day.

“I’m being serious, Ian. I know you’re a Dom. At some point even in a casual relationship, you’re going to want to push my boundaries. I have to be prepared for that.”

To admit that I haven’t thought of this is an understatement. I really haven’t. Why would I? As far as I was concerned, we would go along our merry way, having sex when we felt like it. Regular, non-kinky sex outside of maybe some dirty talk. Yet she’s not too far off. I probably
would
want to push her boundaries in the heat of the moment. Spank her ass while I take her from behind. Shove my cock down her throat and call her filthy names when she’s giving me head. Edge her. Just because I’m not tying her up doesn’t mean I’m not being a Dom in any given situation.

I never even thought about it going the other way around. What if she pushed
my
boundaries during sex?

“So what are you saying, exactly? That you were afraid I would put you into a compromising situation right away?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Thinking that includes what I want not only from you, but my own sex life.”

No way I’m interrupting here. I stay silent, urging her to continue.

The businesslike look on Kathryn’s face intrigues me. This isn’t a woman flirting with me. This is a woman looking to make a business proposal. This is the Kathryn who was ready to twist necks at the presentation last week. You know, the one who turned me on so much I had to have her right there and then.

Be still, my heart.

“I want you to do it, Ian.” She’s puffing out her chest, making herself feel bigger. And letting me see her chest better – let’s not forget that. “I want you to dominate me. For one night.”

Excuse me? I don’t think I heard that correctly. It almost sounded like Kathryn Alison asked me to
dominate her.

“I’m serious. I want to know what it feels like to submit to you.”

Normally, I would be enjoying this most immensely. A Domme like Kathryn coming to me under the utmost discretion to ask me to
dominate her.
Something I’ve been fantasizing about for two weeks now. Her, me, a comfortable playroom where I can do whatever the fuck I want.
My way.

I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to know how she feels, looks,
sounds
when she’s submitting to me.

But I know it’s not that simple.

“Are you sure?” I don’t touch her. It’s hard enough to look at her right now without feeling like I’m going to scare her off. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it if you weren’t.”

“See? That’s why you’re a good guy for this. I’m attracted to you,
and
you’re not… that much of an asshole.”

I feel so vindicated.

“Tomorrow. Let’s do it tomorrow before I lose my nerve.”

“Tomorrow?” I have an appointment in the early afternoon. Possibly a dinner. “Eight is the earliest I could do. Right here. But… are you
sure?
You’ve never subbed before.” I state it as a fact, because I know it’s true.

She shakes her head, that bun swishing in the air of my dimly lit apartment. “Don’t make me second guess myself. Tomorrow at eight. I’ll submit to you.”

“You don’t have to do this.” What am I doing? This woman is throwing herself at me, and I’m trying to get her to change her mind? “I’m not going to hold you to any bet.”

Katie keeps shaking her head. “I’ve made up my mind.” Fuck me, she sounds like such a Domme. This will not end well. “Don’t try to talk me out of it.” Her finger is in my chest, hard and unrelenting. “Unless you don’t
want
to dominate me.”

That low voice. That hiss. That throwing down the gauntlet. She knows how to speak to me, both the man and the Dom.

All I see is me pushing her over the edge of this couch and giving it to her.

I hold back, however. I won’t let myself touch her tonight. Not when it’s like
this.

“I’ve thought of nothing but dominating you for ten years now.”

“I knew it.” She’s still growling. “Well, tomorrow you’ll have your chance. You better make it count.” Kathryn begins to leave, fixing any stray hairs in her bun on her way out. “Mr. Mathers, you’d best show this Domme a good fucking time on the other end of the leash. You’d be my first Dom. You better be up to the challenge.”

No pressure, Ian.

No pressure at all.

Chapter 23

KATHRYN

My mind is so clear that I’m having bouts of insecurity regarding my sanity. When I woke up this morning, remembering what I had said to Ian before leaving his place last night, I groaned and thought about calling him to cancel.

Thinking that made me angry. So I took a shower, cooked some breakfast, and am now sitting in front of my big, wide window overlooking a park and doing some meditative yoga.

I’m a strong woman. I feel like I shouldn’t have to tell myself that, but it’s true. I’ve been through worse. I trust Ian – or as much as a woman can trust someone in that situation. Never have I heard a bad word about him in the club. Although I’m not privy to why he and subs go separate ways, I’ve never thought it had to do with his behavior.