in
sync with it appearing and disappearing—over and over and over—until Isabel
finally relented and reached for the Shift key.
* * * * *
Chris didn’t even bother locking the door to his apartment
behind him. Let the asshole who lived across the hall or one of his drunken,
heavy-metal horde wander in. He’d happily tell them to grab a beer from the
fridge and pull up a chair. Usually, he’d divest himself of every clothing item
he wore, toss them in the washer and snag an ice-cold libation before turning
on the television and trying to get his brain to quit racing over whatever
calamity the night might have offered. But not tonight.
Chances were slim that Isabel would have hurried home and
immediately checked out the website. Then again, before tonight, chances were
slim that he’d be presented with even a tiny window of opportunity where
playing Dominant to Isabel’s submissive could become more than a wet dream.
While he kicked ass at offering advice on his blog and in the chat room, he
hadn’t had a D/s relationship in quite some time. As he plopped onto the big
computer chair, he realized how much he had missed the closeness being with
another person on that level offered. But it was so damn hard finding a woman
who had all the components needed for success.
Within seconds he was logged in and staring at the inbox
notification that stated he had three unread emails. Part of him thought to
play it cool, to check out who was online or what had been posted in his
absence. But here, in the sanctity of his home, he didn’t have to prove jack
shit to anyone. He could be as damn dorky as he wanted. And at the moment, he
only wanted to check and see if there were any new member requests.
There she was. No mysterious or obscure email address. Her initials, her last name. She’d taken the time to check it out. He took a
steadying breath and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling it tightly
against his scalp before reaching for a hair tie and securing it in a tiny
ponytail at the nape of his neck. Then he opened her email.
I’m not into the lifestyle by
any means, which is why some of the other sites are unappealing to me. I found
this site by accident and feel the chat room might be the perfect place for me
to get some insight and some answers.
I’ve had one experience with
bondage and found it to be appealing, not only on a titillation level but, more
importantly, for the serenity it briefly provided.
I’m not sure what I’m hoping to
get from being a part of the chat group, other than a better understanding of
what I want at this stage in my life. Thank you for your consideration.
“Concise,” Chris said, looking at the time stamp of her
email. Two hours ago. She wouldn’t be online, not if she had to get up and go
to work. His gut clenched, the acid in his stomach suddenly churning. “Fuck.”
Did she even have a job? He hadn’t given that a thought
until now. He knew from enough passing conversation at the bar that her late
husband had been considerably older and that he’d gone pretty quickly from
cancer. Chris racked his brain, trying to remember if she or her friends had
ever mentioned a career. Something other than charity-centered activities.
Something a bit less highbrow. He couldn’t remember a damn thing.
“Great.” He did not need another rich girl trying to take a
walk on the wild side. He’d done that more than a few times and it never ended
well. He wasn’t looking for a session of titillation. No. He wanted something
far more rewarding with Isabel. Something that would have her hot and wanting
from the get-go. Something that would leave her unhinged to some extent.
Something that would keep her on her toes.
An image of her wearing thigh-high latex boots with six-inch
heels flashed through his mind and he ground the heels of his hands against his
temples. He’d listened to enough relationship chatter to know one of the major
tenets was not looking too anxious. If he were
The Cowboy's Surprise Bride