Working Out the Kinks (Chain) (15 page)

“That was my fault. I’m sorry,” he said, bringing me into his embrace with my back pressed against his chest. “I should have explained how it actually works.”

He spent a minute explaining to me each button and their uses until he had me try it out myself. I started the shower with much more ease than the first time. We stepped into the shower, and Eric instantly walked underneath the stream. Seeing him standing there with water running down his body made me want to drool. He ran his hands through his hair, flicking some water at me.

“Showers are a time that we can spend together with or without the confines of titles, depending on what I feel like. You will always get into the shower and kneel next to the drain, until I am ready to have you care for my needs.”

Eric picked up a loofah and handed it to me.

“My shower first, and then yours,” he said and I happily obliged his will. I poured on the soap from an unlabeled bottle and ran the sponge across his chest first and then traveled my hand around. While I worked, Eric stood there, watching me, studying me. He wanted the entire front side of his body done first, and then his backside. After I was done with the soap, I switched to his shampoo and conditioner. Since I was much shorter than him, Eric obligingly sat down on the stone seat at the corner of the shower and let me work around him. Soaped and clean, Eric seemed pleased with my work.

“And now your turn,” he said and picked up the loofah once more. My breasts perked at attention when he brushed against them. I think he liked to see that because he spent a couple extra moments at my chest.

“How are you feeling today?” he asked me while he worked my arms.

“Sore,” I confessed, “but a lot better, Master.”

He smiled and gave a small nod of his head to acknowledge me.

“Thank you for taking care of me last night.”

“It’s my job to care for all of your needs, as well as mine,” he said, as if it were his duty just to say it. Eric pursed his lips together, seeming to keep his thoughts from me. “Your back is looking better. You’ll need about another day to recover before we can play again like that.”

I was washed and then my hair was cleaned. He left me in charge of shutting the water off and fetching our towels. Eric dried himself, unfortunately. I waited until he was done and then he gave me permission to towel myself off.

“Go ahead and get dressed once you’re done in here. I’ll be getting ready for work myself,” he explained and then wrapped the towel around his waist. I was left alone in the bathroom where I finished drying and then wrapped the towel into my hair. I found Eric in his closet, sorting through his shirts. While I stepped into my clothes, which had been neatly folded on the chair next to his dresser, I watched him select a sage-colored shirt that brought out the golden hues of his hair. He found a tie in a deeper green and hooked it around his neck.

“Come here,” he called suddenly. I dropped my panties from my hand and rushed to kneel at his side. Eric had taken a seat on a short ottoman, leaving room between his legs for me to crawl closer.

“Let’s see what you can do,” he said and I knew exactly what he wanted of me. I had worked at a restaurant a few years during the end of high school and into my first year of college. The main dress code had been a formal shirt and tie, and I had perfected the art due to our manager’s high expectations. I leaned into Eric and buttoned the rest of his shirt, snug at his neck. I looped the tie into a full Windsor, pushing it under his collar with care. Eric stood up to inspect my work at the full-length mirror behind me.

“Not bad,” he muttered and then tucked his shirt into his pants. I followed him out of the closet and finished putting my clothes on. He was ready at the same time I was and so he escorted me out of the house.

“You’ll find sitting a bit uncomfortable today,” he told me as we walked down the street toward my car. “Try and tuck something under your seat at school and it will help the problem.”

I unlocked my car and Eric opened the door for me to slip in. He leaned one arm against the frame, watching as I settled into my seat and snapped the belt around my waist. After I was inside, he dropped down and cupped my face gently into his hand, bringing my lips to his in a gentle kiss.

“Have a lovely day, Miss Hayes,” he whispered against my mouth.

“Have a nice day, Master,” I replied just as quietly. He smiled as he closed my door and I sped away.

“Ready for your big night?” Whitney asked me as we walked into class, hours later. We decided to take up the two empty desks at the back of the lecture hall so we could have more privacy. When I went to sit, she noticed the pain wash across my face while I tried to adjust to the spot.

“I know that face all too well,” she said with a heavy sigh while bringing out her books from her bag.

“My big night already happened,” I told her as I scribbled the day’s date in my notebook.

Whitney slapped her hand on my paper. “Wait, what?”

“Wesley decided to show up last night as a surprise,” I told her, “and watch me train.”

“Oh my God, what was he like?”

Class had begun, but we had too much to discuss. There was no way I would be able to concentrate with Whitney practically begging me to spill all the details about the night. I leaned back into my chair and scooted down just enough that it wouldn’t become suspicious to our professor, if he decided to look our way. Whitney picked up the hint and did the same. I had to adjust my legs a little more because the lashes between my shoulder blades were being pressed against chair.

I sighed. “He was an asshole, that’s how he was.”

“Did he make you do anything?”

I shook my head. “No, he just watched and egged Eric on a little. But this morning he…”

The words didn’t want to come out, and I didn’t exactly know what I was telling Whitney anymore. She waited for my answer. I shrugged my shoulders and set my pencil down.

“I-I don’t know, it felt like he was trying to…take me over.”

Her eyes turned into saucers. “Where was Master Eric?”

“He was sleeping. I went into the kitchen and Wesley was there. It really scared me.”

Whitney looked around us and then leaned in closer. “It’s happened before, I’ve heard. Some Dominates think they can own another’s submissive.”

“Eric would never let that happen, and neither would I.”

“Just be careful, okay? Master Wesley can be persuasive.”

The warning didn’t need repeating. “I can only imagine,” I said sarcastically.

“Can I see them?” Whitney asked me, as if I knew what she was talking about. I gave her a quizzical look and she motioned with her finger, pointing to my backside.

“Your marks,” she explained. “I want to see your marks.”

My first reaction was to sink lower into my chair, but the moment I did so, pain shot through my back. I flinched and sat up straight, causing Whitney to cover her mouth and hide her laugh.

“Shut up, it’s not funny,” I whispered.

She was still smiling when she lowered her hand. “No, it’s not. It’s hilarious.”

I slapped her arm playfully as a tiny smile crept on my face. As stealthily as I could, I leaned my arms onto my desk and inspected the lecture hall all around us. We were the only ones at the very back of the room, apart from one student in the corner dozing off and another invested in his cell phone more than anything else. I flashed Whitney a look over my shoulder and she took my silent hint. With care, she leaned back into her chair took hold of my shirt, then slowly dragged it up.

She dropped my shirt and scooted closer to me. “Wow,” she made with the shape of her mouth before asking, “how many whips did he use?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “It just started to become a blur after,” I stopped myself, because saying his name, involving him in my intimate moments with Eric, made me uncomfortable. Unfortunately, it was too late, because Whitney was practically on the edge of her seat, her head resting on her knuckles as she waited for me to finish.

“After Wesley joined in.”

“Like joined in how?”

Keeping Whitney informed of my activities caused Wesley to become real once more in my mind. I continued on, telling her about what we had done, what both men had done.

“You can tell Master you don’t want Master Wesley to play with you anymore,” she assured me. “This is just as much your playtime as his.”

I nodded my head. “I know. I know I need to talk to him about that. But it was hard to do this morning.”

Whitney smirked. “I’m sure it was.”

“When did you become such a pervert?” I joked. Class finished minutes later, and luckily my next class was canceled when I arrived. I decided the only thing I was allowed to do then was go home and relax. My mother called me when I was halfway through my nap in the living room. She wanted updates on how school was going, and the social life of Lexi Hayes. I tried my best to give her all the details I could about what had been happening to me, deciding to leave out Eric and our endeavors entirely. It was around six that evening when I decided to roll off the couch to search out food. The fridge proved useless. I hadn’t had time for a grocery run in days, and I really didn’t feel like making mac ’n cheese again. I called in for pizza instead and while I waited, I searched through Netflix for something good to watch. While I flipped, I fluffed at the pillow under me to add more support and comfort.

A knock at the door pulled me off the couch. “Wow, fast pizza tonight,” I mumbled as I reached for the knob and opened. Standing there, disheveled from a long day of work, was Eric, the beautiful Windsor knot tie I had made him loose at his neck. In one hand was his briefcase, and his jacket was draped across his other arm. I knew my mouth was hanging open out of embarrassment and shock, so I had to consciously close it.

“Uh,” I tried to stammer out a greeting.

“Hello,” he answered for me. My cheeks flushed, and I had to look down at my feet.

“How are you?” Eric asked and I was back to staring into his eyes.

“Fine, Master,” I replied and he held his hands up to stop me.

“This is neutral ground for us right now,” he explained. “You don’t need formal titles or roles when we’re at your place.”

That caught my attention and I shifted my weight to one leg and leaned in, holding onto the doorknob. “How did you get my address?”

Eric smirked. “Patient’s records.”

“Is that legal?” I made sure he knew I was joking…slightly.

“Was anything that we did in the examination room really legal?” he retorted.

I smiled and gave a light laugh. “Probably not.”

“May I come inside?”

I stepped away and gave him the invitation.

“Thank you,” Eric said as he walked in. We brushed against one another as he passed, and I felt the warmth of him against my bare arm. Wearing just an old pair of boxers and a loose tank top instantly made me feel underdressed compared to his suit. Luckily after I shut the door, Eric set his belongings down on the kitchen counter and pulled his tie up and over his head. He began rolling up his sleeves and I felt better about my appearance.

“May I ask why a surprise visit?” I walked into the kitchen behind him and opened the fridge to bring him one of my last two beers. He took my offer and opened both of our bottles, then handed me my own.

“It’s my job to see that you’re well taken care of,” he explained after taking a long sip.

“So you said this morning,” I replied and took a drink.