The Enticement: The Submissive Series (10 page)

The other twin stood in the doorway, bouncing up and down. “My turn! My turn! My turn, Daddy!”

Jackson swept across the room again, making a
whoosh
sound as he turned the corner where Elizabeth and Lucy, their five-year-old daughter, sat playing with dolls.

“That’s dangerous, Uncle Jack,” Elizabeth said. “If you drop him, he might break his clapacal.”

“Clavicle,” said Maddox. He was approaching ten, in a bad position, really, being too old to play with the other children but too young to be interested in the adults’ conversation. He sat in a chair by himself, reading a book.

“That’s what I said,” Elizabeth explained patiently before turning her attention to Lucy. “Did you bring a bathing suit? Want to go swim? Mommy?”

I shook my head. “Too late tonight. We haven’t had dinner yet and you have school tomorrow.” Granted it was preschool, but bedtime was bedtime and we tried to keep it consistent. “We’ll have everyone over soon for a swim date.”

Laughter floated down the stairs, making it to the living room before Nathaniel and Todd. The two men entered, smiling. Nathaniel walked over to me and ran his arm along my shoulder before sitting down and talking to Maddox about what he was reading.

Elaina returned from where she’d been in the bathroom and sat beside Felicia. Though they’d tried repeatedly, she and Todd hadn’t been able to conceive since Maddox was born. They’d looked into adoption, but nothing had worked out.

I turned my attention to Nathaniel. Maddox was explaining something in the book. It sounded like a fantasy novel. Nathaniel must have read it or heard of it because Maddox became very animated over whatever it was he said.

A timer went off in the kitchen and since Linda was changing Henry, I motioned to Elaina and we went in together to take care of it. I took the roast out of the oven while Elaina grabbed the plates and silverware.

“This smells so good,” I said, putting it down to cool. “Want me to help you set the table?”

“That would be great.”

Linda’s dining room had changed over the years, the biggest addition being the small kiddie table she added for guests like the ones she had tonight. Sometimes the kids ate at the table with the adults, but they seemed to enjoy their own space, so tonight we were going to let them eat by themselves. Except for Maddox, who had insisted he was too old to eat at the kiddie table.

“We heard from the adoption agency,” Elaina whispered, looking over her shoulder.

“Oh?” I tried to be nonchalant, but I knew how important this was to them.

Her face broke out into a huge grin. “We’re picking our son up tomorrow.”

I dropped the silver and she scooped it up. “Really?” I choked out.

“Yes, but we’re not telling anyone until it’s a done deal. You never know. I had to tell someone though. It’s eating me trying to keep it a secret.”

“I thought you and Todd looked different tonight.”

She nodded and placed the silver around the table at each setting. “It’s been a rough time. Infertility and then nothing with the adoption for so long. I feel like everything should happen right now, when I want it, and I’m learning patience is hard.”

I started putting out the napkins. “I understand. It’s tough when things happen you don’t have control over and can’t make fit your timetable.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

“The things we appreciate the most are the things we have to work for. Wait for. If it’s handed to us, we don’t value it as much.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure you aren’t a psychologist?”

We laughed while we finished setting the table and then
called everyone in to grab a plate and get their food. As everyone sat, my advice to Elaina repeated in my head. It made sense, what I’d told her. Looking across the table to where Nathaniel sat, laughing and joking with Jackson, I was reminded that our own journey hadn’t been the easiest, but I liked to think we valued what we had as a result.

He looked up and caught me staring. “I love you,” he mouthed to me.

“Always,” I replied.

A
few weeks later, we were in our private jet on our way to Wilmington, Delaware. I’d felt off the entire week before. The day we left, I knew I’d been a bit of a brat. Probably because of the week ahead of us. I wanted to try wearing Nathaniel’s collar for this extended period of time, but I was apprehensive as well. Plus, we’d be leaving the kids for longer than we ever had before.

I drummed my fingers in a disjointed staccato on the armrest. My legs were crossed and I swung my foot in time with the tap-tap-tap of my nails. Nathaniel reached out and put his hand over mine.

“Stop, please,” he said.

I stopped my fingers, but my leg kept swinging. “I don’t know why we’re taking the jet. Wilmington isn’t that far away—we could have driven.”

He raised an eyebrow. “We’re taking the jet because I want to.”

I snapped my hand out from under his and buckled my seat belt. It was a petty thing to do, but I couldn’t help it.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he said. “We’ve never played this
long before and that alone will stretch us. But I want you to know, I do plan to push you as well. It’s okay to be anxious.”

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the seat. “I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’ve never been anxious before. I’ll work through it.”

But I knew it was more than anxiety; I just didn’t say that to Nathaniel. But it was also him. He was different lately and it confused me as much as it turned me on. I couldn’t give specific examples, but it was there and it made me uneasy.

“Just as well you get the attitude and snark out of the way before I collar you,” he said. “Because I’m not going to put up with it once I do.”

I turned my head to look at him. He was leaning back in his seat and though his body was relaxed, I sensed an underlying tension in him.

“Don’t even think about arguing,” he spoke before I could utter any disagreement. “You’ve been goading me for the last few days. I’ve already decided you’ll be on the floor the first night. Keep it up and you won’t sleep in my bed all week.”

My mouth fell open. “You can’t punish me for what I do when I’m not wearing your collar.”

“Oh, you’re very mistaken. I can do anything I want. And I never said it was a punishment. I simply stated a fact.”

I wanted to say more, but didn’t. I couldn’t remember the last time I slept on the floor; surely he had a good reason for insisting I do it tonight. Just like this week. Even though it was something I wanted, he’d specifically said it wasn’t working out for him the way things were. Perhaps this was his way to show me how things could work. Or maybe he was seeing if he liked it better with me in his collar more frequently.

I glanced out the window. We’d almost reached our cruising altitude. It would be a ridiculously short trip.

Beside me, Nathaniel unbuckled his seat belt and stood up. I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw he had my platinum and diamond collar with him. I had another one made of leather but I remembered he’d said something about a cocktail reception tonight, so it made sense he’d pick the platinum one for today.

“If you’re ready, Abigail,” he said just a few steps beyond my chair. “Come kneel and show your desire to wear my collar.”

He’d instructed me earlier to wear a dress with no hose or panties, and when I stood up, I felt cool air brush against my skin. The hem came only to my knees, so I knelt down carefully before him. As always, when I got into position to serve him, I felt restful and at peace.

I relaxed with a deep sigh as he slipped the collar into place and fastened it with a softly spoken, “Thank you, Abigail.”

I looked up at him to see if he made any sort of movement that indicated he wanted to use my mouth.

“Not right now.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “The pilot said there was a possibility of running into turbulence and I’d prefer not to have my dick in your mouth if that happens.”

I couldn’t help it—I laughed at the visual. “Ouch.”

He smiled. “Come back over this way. I have something for you to do.”

He pulled a large pillow from the cabinets beside my chair and placed it on the floor. “I want you to sit and write in your journal. I’d like for you to spend twenty minutes writing down your goals for the week.”

He’d told me yesterday to have my journal with me and accessible during the flight, so his assignment didn’t come as a surprise. I was thrown a little off guard by the fact he wanted me to sit on the floor and write.

Looking at it as a way to prepare myself for a pallet bed that awaited me that night, I settled myself near his feet and started
writing. He appeared to be reading papers. If I had to guess, he was going over his notes for the meeting he had the following day. He’d already gone over them a million times, but Nathaniel was Nathaniel.

I pulled out my tote bag to get my water bottle, but remembered I’d left it sitting on the kitchen countertop. Not a problem, the jet had a refrigerator.

“Is something wrong?” Nathaniel put a hand on my shoulder when I started to get up.

“Just wanted to get some water. I left mine at the house.”

“Sit back down.” He buzzed for the flight attendant and I debated hopping up into my seat. Nathaniel kept his hand firmly on my shoulder, though. He must have anticipated my thoughts again.

“Yes, sir?” Margaret, the attendant, asked, stepping into the main cabin. I couldn’t look at her. I pretended to be invisible.

“Mrs. West would like some water. Please bring me a bottle.”

She stepped away to get it and I straightened my shoulders and steeled my spine. Why did I want water? I should have kept writing.

Margaret returned quickly and held the bottle out to me.

Nathaniel grabbed it. “I said bring
me
a bottle.”

I looked her way quickly, just to see how or if she reacted, but she appeared unruffled. “Sorry, sir.”

She turned and left. Completely unreadable. I supposed that was probably a good personality trait to have with her job.

Nathaniel shifted me so I leaned against his legs and pressed the bottle to my lips. I was more thirsty than I thought and I drank almost half of the bottle. In the back of my mind, though, I kept looking for Margaret to come back in.

“Tell me what’s on your mind.” Nathaniel stroked my cheek.

He probably had a fairly good idea what was on my mind, but
might think I wouldn’t tell him since I had his collar on. Which wasn’t the whole truth. I just didn’t feel like talking about it. Because he asked though, I’d tell him.

“I wasn’t expecting you to keep me on the floor while Margaret waited on us,” I said.

“Did it bother you?”

“I don’t know if
bother
is the right word. It’s just now she knows.”

He traced the line of my collar. “She’s been an employee for eight years. I imagine she knows about most of what happens on our plane.”

“But we’ve never been so blatant and in her face.”

“Technically, all she saw was you sitting near your husband with his hand on your shoulder. Now, if I’d been fucking you over the armrest? That would have been blatant and in her face.” He was silent for a second and hooked a finger around my collar. “We have a cocktail party tonight, which you will attend as my submissive. How will you handle five hundred people if you have difficulties with one?”

“But I’m willing to bet you won’t have me kneeling on the floor at the cocktail party.”

“You’re able to say that because you trust me to know how far I can push you.” He cupped my chin, lifting my head so our eyes met. His were so green and clear, yet filled with an emotion I couldn’t name. “You do trust me, don’t you?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Thank you for being honest.” He leaned down and kissed me. “But I only heard one
Master
in that conversation.”

I swore under my breath.

He chuckled. “If you’re finished with your water, you can go back to writing.”

I relaxed slightly until he added, “As punishment I want your
skirt up around your hips, so you’re naked from the waist down. And sit in a way so I can see how wet you are.”

*   *   *

O
ur suite at the conference hotel was spacious and decorated with cool tones of ivory and mint green. A dining room table for eight occupied one corner, while a baby grand resided in another.

“It’ll do,” Nathaniel said, giving the area a once-over.

I snorted. Typical male. The suite was beautiful and the only comment he offered was, “It’ll do”? I supposed as long as it had a bed and bathroom it would be fine for him.

“I didn’t mean the room itself,” he said with a mischievous grin. “Though it is lovely. I meant the dining room table looked like it’d do for what I have planned.”

I answered with my own mischievous grin. Whatever he had planned certainly wasn’t on the mind of the designer when they were creating this space. “I look forward to it, Master.”

“You should.” He gave my ass a playful swat. “We need to be dressed in two hours. Go on and shower. I’ll put your outfit on the bed.”

We’d stayed up late the previous Saturday night negotiating our plans for this week. One requirement we’d agreed on was he would pick out what I wore. It wasn’t something he usually liked, but he’d said it’d help reinforce our roles for the week. I shook my head. I’d been a submissive for a long time and still it would occasionally slip my mind that he had a head space to stay in as well.

He’d told me his requirements for the party tonight as well: I couldn’t talk to anyone without his approval, I would eat only from his hand, and whenever we sat down, I would place my hand on his knee, keeping my own slightly spread.

After my shower, I toweled off and stepped inside the bedroom to see what he’d set out for me to wear. I smiled at his selection.
One of my favorites. A short silver cocktail dress with spaghetti straps and an open back and plunging neckline. I decided to pull my hair up, knowing it’d emphasize the neckline and my collar.

I found him after I dressed. He sat on the living room couch, leaned back with his hands behind his head. When I came in, he sat up.

I walked to the middle of the room and dropped to my knees.

“Abigail?”

“I know I’ve been a brat the last few days, Master. I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry and I’m truly looking forward to this week.”

“Thank you,” he said, standing and walking to me, unbuckling his belt. “Since you’re on your knees, there’s something we didn’t do on the jet and since I’m not going to the party with this erection, I’ll give you the privilege of taking care of it.”

I had an overwhelming desire to have him in my mouth, so I made quick work of his pants and had his cock freed within seconds. He was kind enough not to mess my hair up, but instead kept his hands to his side as I engulfed his length.

“Fuck, yes. You have the sweetest mouth. You make my dick feel so good.” He thrust into my mouth. “But you’re going to have red knees when you finish. Everyone who sees them will know you’ve been sucking cock.”

I hadn’t thought about that and I stopped momentarily. He wouldn’t allow it and put his hand on the nape of my neck. “Too late now. Finish me off. Take me deep and swallow everything I give you.”

I was tempted to rush through and make him come quickly. He’d know what I was up to, though, and I really wanted to show my excitement at the week before us. So I took my time and worshipped his cock properly. I glanced up at one point and his eyes were closed. I added a bit more suction and before too long he released into my mouth.

He straightened his clothes while I waited for further instructions.

“Look at you.” He helped me to my feet. “Your lips are swollen and your eyes are dark with lust. Your hair’s the slightest bit tousled and your chest is heaving. One look at you and all anyone is going to be thinking about is dirty fucking sex.” He pulled me close and whispered, “Depending on how this evening goes, maybe I’ll show you just how dirty I can be.”

His words never failed to turn me on, and I was jelly in his arms. “Please, Master.”

He took my arm and looped it through his, and we made our way downstairs.

We were a bit late to arrive, thanks to the impromptu blow job, and the hotel ballroom was crowded when we entered. I recognized a few of the attendees from previous conferences, but the majority of them were unknown to me.

He steered us to the middle of the room where a waiter stood nearby, offering wine.

“Red?” Nathaniel asked.

“Yes, thank you.” I couldn’t add
Master
,
not with as many ears as there were around us, and once his collar was on me, I couldn’t use his given name.

He handed me a glass and I’d just taken a sip when I heard a deep voice from beside us. “Nathaniel West, I hoped I’d run into you tonight.”

I turned to find Nathaniel shaking hands with a good-looking gentleman. He had dirty blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes. His full lips were curved into a friendly smile, but there was a strength in his expression I recognized.

“Daniel Covington,” the blond said. “I work at Weston Bank and I’m a good friend of Jeff Parks.”

My ears perked up and my cheeks felt hot at the mention of
Jeff’s name. I’d really thought never to hear from or about him again after he’d finished his consulting job with Nathaniel.

“And this is Julie Masterson,” he said, indicating the beautiful brunette at his side.

Nathaniel shook her hand and turned to me. “This is my wife, Abby.” He ended with a nod, signaling I was free to talk with both Daniel and Julie.

“Pleased to meet you both.” My eyes fell on the choker Julie wore and I wondered for a split second if it was a collar. But then I scolded myself. Odds were, it was only a necklace.
Seriously. Just because you wear a collar doesn’t mean everyone else does.

The men started talking so Julie and I stepped to the side a bit so we could talk separately. She stood with a bold confidence and I wasn’t surprised when she told me she co-owned her own business.

“What do you do?” she asked.

“I stay at home with our children, Elizabeth and Henry. But I’ve recently started writing for WNN.”