The Dom’s Submission: Complete Series by Ellis O. Day

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 21:  Terry

 

 

 

Terry was stretched out on his back in bed, Maggie draped over him. His hand caressed up and down her spine, loving the feel of her skin, warm, soft and supple. This was not ending tonight. He wouldn’t allow it.

“Hmm.” She kissed his chest.

“We need to talk.”

She stiffened.

“Damn. I didn’t mean to say it like that.” He was a lawyer. He knew what to say and what not to, but she tangled him all up.

“How did you mean to say it?” She tried to sit but he grabbed her and rolled her onto her back, throwing one leg over her to keep her in place.

“I meant that although I said you could decide what this was, I changed my mind.”

“What do you mean by that?” She was looking at him suspiciously.

“I mean, this isn’t a two-night fling. I want more.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “Me too.”

“Good.” That was easier than he’d thought. He kissed her, a soft brushing of his lips against hers. “But we need to set some rules.”

“You and your rules.” She rolled her eyes.

“It’s better that we both understand exactly what this is.”

“What do you mean by that?” she repeated.

There was that tone again. “I mean, you’re mine. You don’t get to be with anyone else.”

“Okay. Same for you.”

“Agreed.” He kissed her again. Now, came the tough part. “I usually expect my women to be available except when working but I understand about the kids. They come first.”

Her eyes hardened a bit and he wanted to slap himself on the forehead. He knew better than to mention other women.

“You’re right. They do.” She pushed at his chest.

“Good. That’s settled.” He’d charge right over the goof. He lowered his head to kiss her but she turned away.

“Get off me.” She shoved at his chest again.

“Damnit, Maggie.” He rolled to his back, letting her sit up. “What do you want me to say? That you’re the first woman I’ve been with? You know better than that.”

“You’re right. I know exactly what kind of man you are.” She scooted off the bed, grabbing a blanket. “I met you at a sex club.”

“You were there too.” He was sick of this shit.

“By accident.”

“Please.” He sat up. “You went out, all dressed up to find someone.”

“I did not.”

He ignored her. “You may not have known what kind of club it was, but you knew you were going to a club.”

“I have a right to go out once in a while.”

“You’re recently divorced and horny. You wanted a man.”

“I did not.”

“Liar.” His eyes held hers. He was a lawyer, a damn good one. “Tell me honestly, that you didn’t hope somewhere in that hurt heart of yours that you’d meet someone. Someone nice.” He almost spat the word. He was as far from nice as a man could get. “And maybe not that night, but eventually, the two of you would hook up. Have sex. Make love, if calling it that makes you feel better about yourself.” This time he rolled his eyes.

She stood there, her mouth opening and closing and her face hot with anger.

“Answer me.” He wasn’t letting her back away from the truth, not this time.

“Fine. Yes, I guess a part of me hoped that.” She looked up at the ceiling, tears in her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Now, he felt like a heel. He’d wanted to win but he hadn’t wanted to make her cry. He lowered his voice. “No, there’s nothing at all wrong with that.” He took a deep breath. “But don’t judge me because I’m more honest about what I want.”

“More honest?” Her gaze snapped to his.

“Yes. I want sex and an arrangement. You want the same thing but package it up in your mind as a relationship.”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t want sex?” He knew the answer to that.

“Of course, I do. I’m not dead.”

He smiled. “No, you’re definitely not that.”

“But I don’t just want to do it.”

He laughed. She was still so adorable. “Neither do I.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I want to go out with you. Take you to lunch. Dinner. Spend time with you. Take care of you.” That was going to be a sticking point.

“You do? Really?”

“Yes.” He patted the bed. “Now, get back in here so we can finish our discussion.”

“Right.” The softness in her face fled. “You were going to tell me the exceptions you’re making for me that you didn’t have to make with all your other women.”

He sighed. Damn, he’d hoped she’d forgotten about that. “Yes, I’ve been in arrangements before.”

“No kidding.”

“You’ve been married.”

“So, have you.”

He tipped his head, conceding that point. “And I don’t want to do it again. Is that okay with you?”

She bit her lip. “Yes.”

“Truly? Don’t think I’ll change my mind.” At the hurt in her eyes he continued, “It’s not that I’m saying this will be temporary. Hell, I don’t know how long it’ll last and you don’t either.”

“No. I don’t.”

“I’m sure you’re not ready to jump back into a marriage.”

“God, no.” She shook her head.

“Then let go of your little girl fantasies. The ones your parents and society drilled into your head from the moment you were born. Discover what you want as a woman. They tell you that all girls, all women want…no need a husband and family to be complete. That’s great for some but most…well, it doesn’t work.”

“What should we want? Being alone? Having sex with any man who meets our fancy?”

“You should want what you want. Each woman is different and what each one wants changes with every stage of her life, just like men.” He shifted, moving closer to her. “I want you, Maggie and I want more than sex.” He lowered his voice. “Although, that is a big part of it.”

“No reason to whisper. That’s not exactly a secret.” She frowned but her eyes sparkled.

“But I also want to help you. Take care of you. And yes, I’ve done this with a few other women but that was then and this is now. And now, I want you.”

“And later?”

He shrugged. “Who knows? You may not want me.”

She tipped her head. “That’s true. I might tire of your bossy ways.”

“You could.” He raised the blanket.

“So, how does this work?” She crawled in and he pulled her to his side. “We can see each other when David takes the kids.”

“I’d like that.” His hand found her skin again, like a compass finding north. He needed to touch this woman. “But I’d like to see you more often than every other weekend.”

“I…” She leaned up and kissed him. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want to introduce you to my children.”

He kept his face impassive. He should be jumping for joy. He’d been going to suggest that exact thing, but it was different coming from her. He’d loved being around his kids and had been an excellent father. “Just because I belong to a sex club and like to dominate doesn’t mean I’m a pedophile.” The hurt just slipped out.

“I know that.” She touched his cheek. “It’s just so soon since the divorce and they already have Stephanie to deal with—”

“Stephanie?”

“David’s new wife.”

“He’s remarried already?”

“Yeah.” She smiled sadly. “Six months after the divorce.”

“They were seeing each other before.”

“No.” She shook her head as if to convince herself. “He did not cheat on me.”

He raised a brow. “I was a divorce lawyer for a long time. I’d bet he did.”

She took a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter.” She leaned forward and kissed him.

Her lips were soft and sweet and he ran his tongue along her seam until she opened. He slipped inside and it was a warm kiss that promised passion, but not right now. He pulled away.

She sighed. “What were we talking about?”

He was going to kiss her whenever he slipped up. “About your cheating ex and why it doesn’t matter, but it does.”

“It does?”

“Yes. I’m clean. I have to be in order to be a member of the club, but—”

“You’re worried about STDs?”

“Yes.” He gave her a dirty look. Her tone was more than insulting. “I have to be tested regularly to be an active member of the Club.”

“I don’t have any sexually transmitted diseases.” She sounded appalled that he’d even consider it.

“I’m sure you don’t, but I want you to get on birth control and get tested.”

“I haven’t been with anyone but you since David.”

“But we don’t know how many women he was with while he was with you.”

“Oh…my God. I was tested when I was pregnant with little Davy.”

“Afterwards, you and your husband didn’t—”

“No.” She shook her head. “At first we couldn’t and then he left.”

“He’s a fool but I’m glad.” He kissed her again. “Because now, you’re mine.” He caressed her cheek. “But I still want you to get tested and you need to get on birth control.”

“I do need to do that.”

“I’m going to pay for all this.”

“No. I can—”

“Part of our arrangement is that I take care of you.” He put his finger against her lips to stop her from arguing. “I need this. Just like I need to be in control in the bedroom, I need to take care of you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure you can.” He wasn’t, not at all. He’d never met a woman who needed to be looked out for more than her. “But I want to do it.” Here was the test of her nature. “It’ll make me happy.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” That wasn’t a lie.

“Okay. You can pay for the test and the birth control.”

“Good girl.” He kissed her forehead. Now, for the next hurdle. “I’m going to want to fuck you without a condom. I’ll give you the report proving I’m clean.”

“You promise you’ll only be with me?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I like it better that way anyway.”

He stared at her for a long moment. He hadn’t expected that battle to be won so easily. He had all his arguments lined up in his head and ready to go.

“What else?”

“Ah…I’m going to want to see you more than every other weekend.”

She frowned. “That’ll be hard with work and the kids.”

“They go to school. We can meet at lunch when you don’t have to work.”

“Davy’s at home.”

“He’s not in daycare?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t afford it anymore.” This time she put her fingers on his lips. “And you’re not paying for that.”

He kissed her palm and then grabbed her wrist, moving her hand away from his face. “Why not? It’d be for me. The only reason he needs to go is because I want to see you.”

“Yes, but I have to take care of myself.”

“Why?” He kissed her wrist. “I like taking care of you.” He sucked on her thumb before nipping it. “Both in and out of the bedroom.”

She pulled her hand away. “I can’t. I just can’t.” She sat up, scooting away from him. “I’m in this mess because I relied on David for everything. I can’t do that anymore.”

“It’s not your fault you picked an asshole.”

“Then whose fault is it?” She climbed out of bed again, tucking the blanket around her. “No one made me marry him. No one made me quit my job. Quit college.” She tapped her chest. “I did that. I wanted marriage and kids and now look at me.”

He crawled out of bed and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, her shoulders shaking from her sobs.

“I’m a mess. I can’t afford my home. I can’t afford day care. I can barely afford the babysitter. My car is a wreck and…and I work at Outback and barely make enough to pay the bills.”

“Shhh.” He picked her up.

“Stop.”

“Hush.” He put her in the bed and she rolled away from him. He dropped down beside her pulling her close. “It’s okay.” He kissed the back of her head. “Let me take care of everything. I’m good at it. I like doing it.” He kissed her again. “Please.”

“I want to but I can’t. It’s not right.”

“It’s not wrong.” He was starting to lose patience. “You need help. Let me help you.”

“I won’t take your money.”

He held his breath and counted to ten. Yelling at her would only make her cry harder and he hated her tears. “Okay. That’s fine. Let’s start with something simple.”

She rolled over, looking up at him. “What on that list is simple?”

“The car.”

“I’m not taking your car either.”

“Okay, but you can borrow it.”

“It’s your daughter’s present.”

“She didn’t want it. She wanted a European tour.”

“Then why did you keep it.”

This would be a good time to lie, but he wouldn’t. “I was going to give it to her when she returned, but she doesn’t know that. Now, I’d rather loan”—he stressed the word—"it to you.”

“I have to put my kids in there. They’ll mess it all up.”

“I don’t care. It’s worth it to know that you’re safe.”

“No, really. Three kids in that car. They’ll destroy it.”

“You’re right.” He kissed her nose. This should seal the deal. “You need a minivan.”

“What?” Her body stiffened.

“We’ll go to the dealer early tomorrow and we’ll get you one.” He skimmed his hand down her back, loving the way she instinctively relaxed into his touch.

“No. Absolutely not.” She slapped his chest.

So much for relaxing. “You need a car. I’m not going to worry all day and night that you got mugged by some Uber driver or that another piece of shit car you drive is broken down somewhere.”

“You’d really worry?”

The way she was looking at him made his heart stutter. “Yes, I’d really worry.” He stroked his thumb over the soft skin of her cheek. “I care about you.”

“You barely know me.”

“So. I know you’re kind and giving.” He grinned. “Sexy and yet innocent.”

“I have three kids. I’m hardly innocent.”

“There’s a difference between being a virgin and being innocent.”

“I suppose.”

“The car or the minivan?”

“Car. But it’s only until I can get something else, or I can make payments to you.”

“We can talk about that later.” Like never.

“Thank you.” She kissed him softly.

“Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow we can talk about how we can meet around your kids’ schedules and work.”

“Okay.”

He stretched out and she snuggled against his side, her hand on his chest and her leg tangled with his. He loved the feeling of her soft skin against his. “You wouldn’t consider quitting your job, would you?”

“No. I need the money.”

“Hmm.” He wasn’t going to offer to pay her again. He’d learned that lesson.