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We’re in bed.  So much time has passed without anything being spoken, at least not with words, just our bodies speaking to each other with a soft touch, a graze of lips, flesh to flesh. 

I look into his eyes and I realize something. 

“If you need to explain, Marco, then yes you can.” 

He might need to, not for me but for him.

Marco

When I saw her at the door I was shocked, I didn’t know what to do.  And when she took control and said she was going to prove to herself that I belonged to her, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.  Whatever she wanted I would do, and I’d never been happier to do what a woman wanted, my woman

“First, I would never have had those pictures brought here if I’d known you before I organized everything for the move.”

“Marco, I know this.  What I want to know is what am I to you?”  I wave my hand out, “Am I like the rest of them, just tell me so I know where I stand.”  I study his face, “You have to be honest, and if I am, it’s ok, that doesn’t mean I’ll leave…unless you want me to.  Just know that you’re more than that to me,” it’s almost a whisper and is hard to hear but I had to say it, he’s got to know.

He holds my face firmly in his two hands so that I’m looking directly at him. 

“You know you’re not Elizabeth!  Before you, it was all about money, business, success.  Being with a woman was only about pleasures of the flesh.  That’s what those pictures were about.  But with you, it’s like you cut me open and let the sun shine inside me and brought everything to life.  You made me realize that I could be happy, that I wasn’t living but I’m alive with you.  I don’t want you to leave me, Elizabeth, ever.”

Her expression is so beautiful, there are tears welling up in her eyes, not from sadness but from joy and relief and hope.  I kiss her hard and deep, I never want to let her go.

She pulls away from me and I can tell there’s one more thing she wants to say, and I already know what it is.

“Tell me everything about Liana, Marco.  All of it.”

I let out a heavy sigh and pull her close, I want to be holding her just in case she tries to pull away.

“Liana and I had a fling, yes.  It was a while ago, about five years ago and we saw each other for about a year.  She was the one that brought BDSM into my life.”

I can feel Elizabeth flinch in my arms and I just tighten my hold on her.

“Liana got off on some pain.  And to be frank, I was coming out of that shitty part of my life, it seemed that is exactly what I needed.  It gave me complete control, and pleasure.” 

I feel her tighten again but I don’t loosen my hold on her.

“She made me think that she loved me.  But I found out later it wasn’t me that she loved but what I did to her, my position in the company and the money I was making.  I thought I loved her and I asked her to marry me.”

Elizabeth starts pushing against me and yelling at me, “Let me go!”

“You asked me to tell you now let me finish, dammit!”

She settles down but she’s stiff and motionless.

“After I proposed she started to ask for things, a house, jewelry, money and then she wanted more…pain.  I started to question her about it and I told her that I couldn’t get her a house yet, and I gave her some things but it wasn’t enough, or good enough.  We started to fight and I think she thought she could do anything she wanted, that she had me no matter what she did.  So she started to go out at night.”  I pause as I remember that time, it doesn’t seem real, like it was something I watched or it was someone else.

I feel Elizabeth’s hand come to lie flat against my chest as she’s waiting for me to continue.

“After she’d come home with marks all over her body I decided to follow her one night.  She went to a BDSM club, apparently she’d been a member there before we got together.  I filled out the appropriate paperwork to get in and signed that I wouldn’t participate in any scenes because I didn’t have a clean health record on file.”  I let out another deep breath before I continue, “When I got in I found her in a scene with two guys after they’d caned her, one was fucking her in the ass, the other had his cock shoved down her throat.’

“Oh, God, Marco, I’m sorry.”

“It was a good thing, baby, because right then I realized I didn’t love her and what she was doing was a huge favor for me.  I didn’t feel jealous over what I saw but pissed that I’d been made to be a fool.”  I pull Elizabeth close and finish the story, “That was Liana, I couldn’t blame her for that, but I wasn’t going to be her meal ticket.  So I went home and packed her shit, left a note and told her I was leaving for a few days and to be gone when I got back.”  I look into Elizabeth’s glowing face, “And that’s it, babe.”

“Thank you for telling me, Marco.  But…”

“What is it, baby?”

“Marco, I can’t be like those other women.  I don’t think I can be like that with you…” her eyes are searching mine, looking for something to tell her it’s ok.

“Elizabeth, those women don’t exist, there is no other woman but you.  You’re everything I want, don’t ever question that, baby.  Ever.”

Relief is clearly evident on her face and in her body, I can feel her relaxing in my arms. 

“There are no more secrets between us Elizabeth, got that?”

“Yes, no more.”

But it’s my turn to ask a question now, if I don’t it will eat me up inside.

“Elizabeth, tell me about John.”

I feel her tense against me again.

“There’s nothing to tell, Marco.”  I can tell she’s a little worried.

“Elizabeth, no more secrets.  Tell me, I need to know everything, even if it hurts.”

She pulls her lip between her teeth, nervously tugging on it.  Oh, God, no.

“I had lunch with him today,” she sighs heavily with the admission.  “When I found those pictures I had to talk to someone about the lifestyle, Marco, and I needed it to be someone who had no interest in our relationship, someone with a completely unbiased opinion, I just needed facts.”

“Did you get the information that you needed?” I ask waiting for more.

“Yes, that’s why I’m here, he helped me to see things clearly.”

I suck in a breath before I ask, “Is that all that happened today with him?”

Her brows pull together in confusions, “What do you mean, ‘is that all’?”

“Are you attracted to him, Elizabeth?”  There, it’s out.

The surprise on her face is completely obvious.

“That came out of nowhere, Marco.  He is an attractive man, Marco, I would have to be dead not to see that but no, I’m not attracted to him, I feel nothing towards him except friendship.”  She searches my face and I’m sure she can see the residual worry that has been eating at me all day, the uncertainty and the fear.

“Marco,” she says softly, “you have healed me, made me live again, and there is no other man I ever want but you.  None,” and she pulls my face to hers kissing me with so much emotion, so much tenderness and so much possession it melts the last bit of doubt that I might have had.

“There’s one more thing, baby,” I say to her.

She waits quietly for what else I have to say.

“I liked that Dominatrix in you, do you think she could come out to play again?” I say as a wicked smile curves my lips.

The blush creeps quickly over her cream skin but she can’t stop the slow naughty grin spreading across that beautiful face. 

“Well, Mr. Bond, I’m sure she will have to just to remind you who’s really in control.”

“Like I said, baby, you’re the best kind of bad.”

My hard-on is pressing into her and her body answers it, our need calling to each other, wrapping itself around us, entering us and we succumb to it, getting lost in each other, mouths, hands, tongues, fingers.  We ride that wave together climbing higher with nothing to stop us now and we crash together lost in each other.  No kink, no binds, nothing but desire joining us, becoming one.

I fall asleep with Elizabeth in my arms and feel like life is just beginning and it’s magnificent. 

Chapter 15

Elizabeth

“Mr. Wu, I appreciate the offer to make me dinner, but I’m sorry, I can’t.”

This is the fifth time this widower has asked me out and he’s not even a sugar daddy! 

“If there is anything else we can help you with,” I pause.  “Yes, when open enrollment comes around give us a call and we can review some other options for you.  Have a great day, Mr. Wu, bye,” I wait until I hear the word bye from him then I hang up.

I groan, “Oh, my God, again!” and I hang my head.

“What’s the matter, Elizabeth, Mr. Wu proposing to you again?”

Carol loves this, I can hear her practically rolling on the floor peeing her pants laughing at me.

“My God, the last time he did this he called me here every day with something or other
and
came in to the office three times that week.  What is it, does the man have mating cycles like women have periods that get him all worked up?  He’s a sweet old guy but he’s driving me crazy!” 

Now the whole office is in an uproar, I’m not going to live this one down for a while.

Thankfully the front door chimes announcing a visitor and hopefully putting an end to my Mr. Wu torment.  I get up to greet them and stop when I see Marco.  He’s got a huge bouquet of yellow roses in his hand.

“Ms. DiStefano, how is your day going?”

His smile brightens up the whole room and his voice still makes me want to swoon.

“Mr. Kastanopoulis, it’s much better now that I see you again, although I’m afraid you’re too late, someone’s already proposed today.” I tease him as his arm goes around my waist pulling me to him.

“Oh, really?”  I feel him tense up against me and it makes me giggle.

“Yes, dear Mr. Wu, he’s asked to make me dinner again tonight.”  I’m a terrible person for making fun of the old man’s sweetness, but I mean, really?

“Ah, I see, well, I understand, I cook for you all the time.”

All three women in the office yell out at the same time, “You do?!”

He laughs at the extra ears before answering them, “Yes, I do, breakfast, lunch and dinner, but she’s worth it.”

“Don’t spoil her too bad, Marco, she’s hardly tolerable as it is,” Carol says coming out of her office, smiling from ear to ear.

He loosens his hold on me but doesn’t entirely let me go.  I’m totally crazy for this guy, I just want to scream it out sometimes!

“Hi Carol, actually it’s you I came to see today.”

The surprise is evident on her face as I’m sure it is on mine.

“You did?”

“Yes, and these are for you.  The mayor told me about the lunch you and his wife had.”  He moves his hand from my back and reaches out to give her a small hug.  “He said that his wife was asking him questions about my project and wondering why it hadn’t begun yet.  She told him how it would be such a shame if anything got in the way and what a disservice it would be to the community…and to his re-election.”

If I thought I was surprised before, I know that I am now.  Carol quite demurely used her connections to gently suggest in an ear that most certainly would have the greatest effect, the mayor’s wife, that maybe something was amiss with Marco’s project.  It was quite brilliant really, it was informal, I’m sure a comment made in passing, probably sounding more like an afterthought rather than a formal complaint.  A talk amongst two old friends, much the same way they would talk about the latest fashions.  Brilliant.

Carol blushes, I have never seen her blush before, and she puts her head down, smiling bashfully. 

“Leonora and I used to go line dancing together when we were kids, she’s an old friend of mine.  She is the most regal women I know today but back in the day, wooey, she was a hellion.  That’s probably why the mayor scooped her up so fast.”

“Well, after she questioned him on it, he did some checking.  That little conversation of yours and Leonora’s was a big part in me finding out what was going on with my permits.  And for that I am forever in your debt, my dear.”  Marco bows slightly before handing Carol the roses.

“Aw, honey, what are friends for, come here you big ole teddy bear,” and she gives him an eye popping hug.  Now it’s Marco’s turn to blush. 

By now everyone’s come out of their offices and watching the emotional, yes it’s emotional, display.  I can’t believe we’re all not in tears, I know I feel them welling up threatening to fall.  This must not be easy for Marco, he’s not an open man especially with such personal and business matters.  But this is Carol, and he must have felt her genuineness. 

“You didn’t have to do this, Marco, but they’re beautiful, thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do, thank you for caring, it doesn’t go unnoticed.  Now, if Ms. DiStefano has some time, can we review that timeline again and maybe make some revisions according to the latest updates, we can start to move forward now.”  He turns back to Carol, “Did you see what Elizabeth showed me?”

“Yes, I went in and took a peek one day, she was holding the goods out on me, and I was very impressed, this is going to work very well for you and your company."