Overture (Rain Dance, Book 1) (Rain Dance Series) (48 page)

     
My senses were
in overdrive now. Stunned by the loud slapping of his body hitting mine, I
began to feel the beads of sweat forming on my skin. I felt small. I felt raw.
I felt alive. I felt…
So. Fucking. Good.

     
"Well?" he growled.

     
"…Don't stop…Don't
stop…"

     
Later on that
night, just before bed, we found ourselves sitting in his bathtub.

     
"It's
true, then," he said as he gently massaged my arms. "You prefer to be
dominated."

     
I began chewing
on my lip, flushing over his openness. "I thought you already knew that.
You're the one who first pointed it out."

     
"Yes. But
as I said before, I couldn't be completely certain until I had fully tested it
out."

     
I remembered
reading somewhere before that the majority of men preferred a woman who could
play both roles in bed. Whether that was true or not, I had no way of knowing.
Everyone had their preferences of course, but what exactly did mine say about
me? If I couldn't fully enjoy the experience of sex, no matter how I was
getting it, didn't that mean I was broken in some way? "…Is that
bad?"

     
"It's
ideal, seeing as I prefer control."

     
"Really?"

     
"Were you
worried?" he asked.

     
"...A
little bit."

     
He kissed my
temple. "We were drawn together for a reason."

     
The next day
would make all the difference. If things went right, the result would be a
perfect ending. If things went wrong…Well, I didn't want to go there. The time
had finally come to begin working on the glass ceiling. It wouldn't be easy,
but I needed the entirety of the room to be one whole piece, otherwise it would
feel incomplete.

     
The first step
was figuring out how to actually hold the paint to the glass without it
breaking off or eroding away over time. Glass was a difficult surface. I wasn't
sure I wanted to go through the trouble of sandpapering it. I
could
just
try priming it and then hope for the best, but if I stuck with my basic
acrylics I would have to throw in an additive that would increase the adhesion
of the paint. Since I felt uncomfortable with the idea of playing scientist
while in the confines of the Luxadigm, I decided that idea was out. As was the
wishful ideal: going full-out fresco. Not only would I have to play scientist
if I went that route, but I would also be under a time limit, and the
probability of me fucking up the glass in the process was too high. I would
just have to buy a whole other set of paints meant for smooth surfaces such as
glass.
Don't forget, if you want it to match the walls exactly, you'll
probably need to be able to use oils over it, too.

     
"Ugh." Groaning, I shut my laptop, wanting to just forget the
whole thing.
Need. Magic. Potion. For. Strength.
I stomped into the
kitchen and grabbed an ice cream cone from the freezer, sure that it would
brighten my mood. As I bit enthusiastically into the outer shell, I checked the
time. Ethan had dropped me off a couple hours ago and it was now after eleven.
I would have to make a trip to the art store before heading to work. Depending
on how much time I took, I might end up not painting at all today.
We'll
see, I guess.

     
When I was done
eating, I felt much better and was able to dress for the new day.

     
Because I would
probably be spending a shitload of money on paints, I decided to walk to the
store rather than take a cab. The exercise would do me good. Luckily this was
the city, so no place was too far away, but at my slow pace it took nearly
forty minutes.
I may or may not have gotten a little lost and thus ended up
taking a longer, more roundabout way.

     
I took my time
looking for any other items I might've needed while in the store, so I didn't
end up leaving until nearly two. As I was walking through the large double-door
exit, I realized I was hungry. Really hungry.
Damn.
Aside from the ice
cream, I hadn't eaten.

     
The walk to the
Luxadigm would take longer than the time it took to get to the art shop. Then
again, I had gotten lost, so maybe it would take about the same length of time?
I had originally meant to take a cab, but if I wanted to eat lunch first, then…

     
I reminded
myself that I was almost twenty-five thousand dollars richer, so what did it
matter?
That kind of thinking is the surest way of spending it the fastest,
though.
My stomach growled then and I decided I didn't give a fuck. I just
wanted food. I started walking, keeping an eye out for a place that I felt
comfortable going to alone.

     
I was sitting
down, halfway done with my turkey club when my phone rang. It was Ethan.

     
"Hey,
you," I answered.

     
"Are you
not coming in today?"

     
Always to
the point.
"I am. I just had to pick up a few things, first."

     
"Where are
you now?"

     
I glanced out
the window next to me. "I'm not sure. A few blocks away from the art
store."

     
"Are you
walking?"

     
"No, I'm
eating."

     
"Alone?"

     
"Yes."

  
   
He paused. "…You're out eating alone?"

     
"Yes," I repeated.

     
"You."

     
"
Yes
…What's
wrong?"

     
"I thought
you didn't like to eat out."

     
"This is a
safe place. I know the menu and how to pay."

     
"I'll send
Douglas over to you."

  
   
"You don't have to do that. I need the
exercise after stuffing my face so much."

     
I heard his
sigh, which was followed by another small pause. "I don't feel comfortable
with you being alone so far away from here."

     
"It's
really not that far."

     
"I should
think you would understand given the circumstances regarding your safety."

     
Looking around,
I lowered my voice. "I told you, I'm perfectly safe. I mean, I've been
doing this for long enough…I'm pretty sure I can tell when it's time to be
extra cautious about things."

     
"Douglas
is going to get you," he said with finality.

     
I took a deep
breath.
You have to be understanding. It's not that he's trying to treat you
like a child. He's just worried.
"…Yes, sir."

     
"Are you
mocking me?"

     
"Of course
not. Never, Mr. Desmond."

     
"I think
it's time I made proper use of the break room. Tell me, Kitten…have you ever
been bent over someone's knee?"

     
I swallowed
loudly as the heat of his voice instantly made its way from my ear straight
down to my core. "N-no."

     
"Something
to look forward to, then. Now tell me where you are so I can send Dou-"

     
Click?

     
"…Hello?" I checked my phone, wondering why he had cut off,
only to find that it was dead. It didn't even warn me about the battery being
close to dying, the little bastard. Pressing my lips together into a thin line,
I looked around nervously and decided I would take the rest of the food to go.
Hopefully Ethan wouldn't be too angry. Chances were that he would still send
Douglas, though. In which case, was I supposed to wait here or head back over
to the art store?
Should I find a phone and call back?
I realized then
that I couldn't call. I hadn't memorized any of Ethan's numbers. It wasn't like
I hadn't tried to, but numbers just weren't my forte.

     
Figuring the
sooner I made it to the building the better, I began walking. Not long after,
the sky began turning a dark grey. I had already lost a good few hours today. I
would need to find another source of light if I planned to work late.

     
It was about
ten minutes later that the Porsche pulled up beside me.
Damn, he's good.
Douglas rolled down his window and smiled at me. "Good afternoon, Miss
Myers. If you please?"

     
"Hello." I opened the backdoor and slid in. "That was
pretty quick. He wasn't mad, was he?"

     
His smile
widened. "Oh, he was absolutely livid."

     
I tried to grin
back at him, but I'm sure my eyes said something else. I wasn't sure if he was
just playing with me or not. "...Are you serious?"

     
He bared his
teeth, his smile giving way to those precious dimples. "Completely. Did
your phone die?"

     
I wondered then
what a livid Ethan looked like. I'd seen many angry Ethan's, but I don't think
I had seen that one yet. I wasn't sure I really wanted to, but curiosity was an
interesting thing. "Yes," I answered.

     
He nodded and
pressed a button on his phone, waiting a few seconds before speaking into an
earpiece that I hadn't ever noticed before. "I've got her, sir. Yes. Yes.
Got it." He hung up and said nothing else.

     
"…Hey,
Douglas, do you mind if we make a stop somewhere else?"