Obeying Rowen: Club Zodiac, Book Two Page 9

  “Oh. My. God. What… Like, what happened last night?” Now she was way too damn excited.

  “Sasha. That’s enough. I’m not discussing this with you.”

  “I’m your sister. You should be able to discuss your relationships with your sister.” Her inflection was still playful.

  “How about this. You tell me what you were doing from eleven p.m. until one a.m. last night, and then I’ll tell you. Sound good?”

  She sighed. “You’re right. I see your point.”

  “I thought so. Now, tell me how things are going with you.”

  “Things are great. I’ve never been happier.”

  “I want you to be happy. You know I’ll always be here for you if you ever need me, right?”

  “Of course.” Her voice was lower, serious. But that was good. He wanted to be sure she took him seriously. She was his only family member. He would always worry about her no matter what. Even though one of his best friends in the world also had her best interests in mind.

  “Good. Now put Lincoln on the phone, you little minx.” He let his voice lift in a tease, breaking the serious moment.

  “Are you going to tell him I was pushy? Because if that’s your plan, I’m just going to hang up.”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” With a firmer, solid voice he said, “Put Lincoln on the phone, Sasha.”

  There was some shuffling and then Lincoln’s voice came through. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

  “I’ll be at the club Wednesday night, but I’m not scheduling any scenes. I’ll fill in for some of the dungeon monitor slots.”

  “Okay. Sasha could have told me that.”

  “Yep. And that was my plan. Until your sub got mouthy with me.”

  Lincoln chuckled.

  “I’m not going to tell you what we discussed, but do me a favor and reinforce that I meant what I said. She needs to contain herself this week and stay out of my business.”

  “Consider it done. I’m pretty sure she’ll be tied up this week.”

  This time Rowen laughed. “TMI. See you later.” He ended the call, still smiling. If his sister wanted to play hardball with him, she would find herself in a world of trouble with her own Dom. Rowen didn’t have to chastise her himself. She needed to remember that Lincoln was one of his best friends.

  Rowen set his computer aside and pushed up from the couch. He needed to get a workout in and run a few errands himself. He’d been up for several hours before Faith texted him. In addition to the email he’d sent, he’d also made several plans for the week. He wasn’t going to see her in person, but that didn’t mean he didn’t intend to ensure she kept him in the front of her mind several times a day.

  It was time to put his plans into action.

  Chapter 9

  Faith’s run was long and hard and did nothing to calm her nerves. She’d hoped if she went farther and pushed herself, she might be able to shove Rowen to the back of her mind and gather her wits. Alas, no.

  After she showered and put moisturizer on her face, she pulled her hair back in a messy bun and glanced down at her body. She had decisions to make. And she needed to make them now. She had two choices—commit to following Rowen’s demands or bow out gracefully. Lying wasn’t her style. She’d never been the sort of person to lie about anything.

  She padded back into the bedroom and opened her computer on top of her bed to remind herself what Rowen’s demands entailed—as if there was any way she would forget them.

  What’s expected of the submissive for the period of seven days:

  The submissive is expected to shave every morning, including her entire pussy.

  The submissive is not permitted to use a vibrator or any other electrical stimulant on her body.

  The submissive is not permitted to wear panties or thongs.

  The submissive will wear dresses or skirts when she leaves the house except to work out.

  The submissive will finger herself at least four times a day for a period of five minutes without allowing herself to reach orgasm.

  If the submissive feels the need to orgasm at any time, she is expected to call and ask for permission. The call may or may not be answered, and permission may or may not be granted.

  The submissive will remain naked at all times when she is at home.

  She found it interesting that he referred to her in the third person as if this were a contract he made with all sorts of people. She shuddered, wondering if that were possible, and if so, how many women had submitted to him like this before?

  She would be sure to ask when she shot her own list of personal questions back at him.

  Faith fidgeted while she read the list several times. The truth was, there was nothing on the list she couldn’t comply with. Rowen had made it simple enough to serve one objective—keep her aroused all week without relief.

  She wondered if she ever called and asked permission to orgasm, would he grant it?

  She had shaved the small landing strip of hair in the shower, leaving herself bare for the first time in her life. She wasn’t currently wearing anything, but she wasn’t sure she could wander around her apartment butt naked all week.

  She wasn’t a prude, but she’d also never had this request before, so she had no idea how it would make her feel. At the moment, a ball of need was forming in her belly at the thought of working from her home office, watching television, reading, cooking, or cleaning naked.

  She was turned on. Shit.

  As for not wearing pants, though it was true she frequently wore more pantsuits than dresses and skirts, she had plenty of them in her closet, and she wore them often enough that no one would think twice about it.

  She was super clear that Rowen wanted her to be aware of her naked pussy at all times.

  Faith had no idea if she could commit to this list all week. Nor was she certain she wanted to. Deeply buried feelings were coming to the surface. She hadn’t been this aroused for this long in eighteen months. It felt good. It scared her to death at the same time. It felt like a betrayal to Victor’s memory to so easily find herself under the spell of another man. It didn’t matter that Victor would have wanted her to move on and enjoy life again. It still made her uncomfortable.

  She needed to remain detached from Rowen and keep her head screwed on straight.

  Every time she thought of him, her nipples jumped to attention. This had not started last night. It had been true for several weeks. What were the chances the first man in years who could turn her insides to mush would also approach her and offer her a D/s arrangement?

  It’s only for one week, she reminded herself. One week. It feels good. It’s healthy. You’re hurting no one. No one even needs to know. You can do it.

  Could she, though? She worried she was kidding herself if she thought she could submit to Rowen for seven days and then walk away. She could already tell there was something about him that called to her soul.

  But her soul was not available. It would never be available again. It was permanently damaged. Irreparable. No longer open to hurt.

  Seven days. I can do seven days. Especially without contact with the Dom.

  Finally, she took a deep breath and knew one thing for certain—she could definitely do one day. Tomorrow she could commit to tomorrow.

  With that settled, she glanced down at his list of questions.

  She read the entire list again, mentally tallying how many of the questions she was willing to answer and which two she was willing to answer now.

  What do you do for a living?

  What family do you have nearby?

  Why did you transfer your membership from Breeze to Zodiac?

  What happened to your husband?

  Do you have OCD?

  Do your close friends and family know you’re in the lifestyle?

  When did you first know you were submissive?

  When did you enter the lifestyle?

  Has anyone ever drawn blood on your body?

  What D/s arrangement d
id you have with your husband?

  Do you consider yourself a sadist?

  Have you ever been in a 24/7 relationship?

  Do you get aroused when you dominate others?

  Do you get aroused when you submit to others?

  How do you feel about public exposure?

  How do you feel about humiliation?

  Do you consider yourself a service submissive?

  Do you consider yourself a switch?

  Do you need to dominate to feel whole?

  Do you see yourself dabbling, or committing to something more permanent in the future.

  With a smile, knowing full well she was going to frustrate Rowen, she pulled the computer to the edge of the bed, leaned over, and typed her first response.

  I’ve chosen two questions to answer for you, Sir.

  No. No one has ever drawn blood on my body. If they did, I would cut off their balls and feed them to them.

  I also do not consider myself a sadist. I can strike people in whatever way they need or request, but it’s not something I crave or need to feel whole.

  Realizing she needed to add a list of personal questions, she got down on her knees to make it easier to type and continued the email with a list of twenty questions similar to his with a few variations.

  She was pretty proud of herself when she hit send. And then she closed the computer and went about her day.

  Naked.

  Very naked after shaving.

  She ate lunch, cleaned up the kitchen, started a load of laundry, and folded the shirts in her T-shirt drawer. Anything to avoid thinking about Rowen and the fact she was naked.

  She sent a text to Brooke to let her know she needed to cancel their appointment for Wednesday, feeling irrationally guilty. She knew better than anyone how much Brooke needed someone she could trust to help her break through the thick walls she’d spent a lifetime erecting.

  With that task accomplished, Faith paced for a while and then sat on the corner of her couch and opened a book she’d been meaning to read. After reading the first page several times, she slapped it shut and turned on the television. Channel surfing was not her thing either, though.

  She was relieved when her cell phone pinged, letting her know she had a text. But she frowned when she saw it was her mother. Again. Twice in two days. No way was she going to engage her mother in any sort of conversation. Not by text or phone. Not this week. She ignored the text and took a deep breath.

  Faith had a precarious relationship with both her parents, but at least her father left her alone for the most part. Her mother insisted on attempting to contact her at least a few times a month. She was undaunted by the frequent lack of response.

  To say their relationship was strained would be an understatement. It wasn’t something she liked to think about, and it certainly wasn’t something she liked to discuss.

  Rowen wanted to know her story. He’d made that clear. He also hadn’t pushed. There was no compelling reason why she needed to tell him yet, so she wouldn’t. After all, this was a week-long arrangement. Not a lifetime. Even if they continued to explore their chemistry for longer than the week, she still didn’t need to divulge her insane life secrets.

  It drained her to discuss her parents. Literally sucked the life out of her.

  What Rowen didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. And he had no reason to even know she had parents, let alone encourage her to speak of them.

  When her phone pinged again, she glanced at it with apprehension and then smiled when she saw it was from Rowen.

  I answered your questions, sweet girl. Check your email.

  Finally, something exciting. After shoving off the sofa, she made her way to her bedroom, situated herself on the bed, leaning against the headboard, and opened her computer.

  It would probably take two seconds to read the answers to two of her questions, but she was intrigued to find out which ones he chose.

  When she opened the email, she gasped. He’d answered all the questions. Every. Single. One.

  Why did you and Rayne break up three months ago? (And don’t just say it was because you’re incompatible)—Rayne is relatively new to the lifestyle. In fact, I introduced her. She likes to play, but it’s not important to her, and she has no interest in devoting as much time to it as I would like in a permanent submissive.What family do you have nearby?

  Are you prone to losing your temper?—I’m a pretty even guy. Rarely do I lose my temper. If Sasha told you I punched a hole in Lincoln’s kitchen wall a few months ago, that is correct. But you would have to know all the extenuating circumstances that led up to that to understand. Trust me. It was warranted. And no one faulted me.

  When did you enter the lifestyle?—I joined Club Zodiac when I was eighteen, but then I joined the army soon afterward. (Yes, I was in the service. I served four years.) I was twenty-two when I started my next four years of Individual Ready Reserve while attending college. I took a job at Zodiac to defray some of my costs. A few months later, my mother died, leaving Sasha (twelve at the time) without a parent. I raised her. Out of desperation, she came to work with me three nights a week and waited for me in the breakroom on the third floor of Zodiac while I worked. So, to answer your question, I’ve been going to Zodiac as both an employee, player, and now owner for fourteen years.

  When did you first know you were dominant?—I figured out I was dominant when I heard some of the guys talking about BDSM in the locker room in high school. They were just joking around. I was intrigued. So I researched it and joined Zodiac. Then I met Carter when I joined the army. He already knew he was a Dom. He taught me a lot before I came back to the States.

  How many women have you sent this list of demands to?—None. You are the first.

  Have you entered into an arrangement similar to this one before? One where you didn’t have physical contact with the submissive for seven days?—I’ve never had an arrangement like this where I expected a submissive to follow my orders without seeing her for this long. (Yes, all of my submissives have been women, though I have done scenes with submissive men at the club on occasion.)

  Have you been in a 24/7 relationship?—Not for any length of time. I have made attempts with a few women, including Rayne, but was never able to negotiate an agreement that was suitable for both parties.

  What sort of D/s arrangement are you looking for?—In the long run, I’d like to find a submissive who’s interested in a full-time arrangement that meets both our needs.

  Have you ever submitted to a Domme or a Dom?—Only for the purposes of learning.

  Have you ever drawn blood on a submissive?—No.

  How important is striking your submissives to you?—That’s a difficult question. If you’re asking me if I get restless without flogging or whipping a submissive, the answer is no. If you’re asking if I frequently use spanking as both a means of punishment and for pleasure, the answer is yes. Is it a deal breaker? Probably not. There are many other aspects of D/s that fulfill me. The highest compliment from a submissive is having her relinquish control to me, trusting that I will make decisions for her that will demonstrate she is cherished, cared for, and happier than she would ever be otherwise.

  Do you get aroused when you dominate others?—Another loaded question. In general, no. Doing random scenes at the club with strangers, no. When I need to concentrate because I’m using a tool to strike a sub, no. When I’m in a defined negotiated relationship, yes.

  Is sex an integral part of BDSM for you?—Same answers as number twelve above. And let me add that in a long-term relationship with a woman, I would expect to have sex often. I would expect her to orgasm more frequently than me. A goal of mine is to find the woman who can learn to orgasm at my command.

  How do you feel about exposing your submissives?—It’s negotiable. Not a deal breaker. There are occasions and locations when it can be hot. In the general public outside of the club? No.

  How do you feel about humiliating your submissives?—Humiliation is not my
thing. Belittling a sub doesn’t do it for me. If that’s something a submissive needs, she should find another Dom.

  How do you feel about restraining your submissives?—I enjoy restraints. They’re pivotal to the lifestyle for me. Immobilizing a sub and making her crazy with the need to come makes my blood pump. I’m well-trained with rope bondage. Not to say I’m excellent at Shibari, but I am knowledgeable enough to maintain 100 percent safety in a way that never causes my submissives to be fearful.

  Do you enjoy the company of a service submissive?—I can’t truthfully answer that. I’ve never had a service submissive. It would require a tremendous amount of negotiation to delve into the motives of the submissive. If a woman clearly derived pleasure from taking care of me and our environment, I suppose I might acquiesce. But I would tread carefully into that territory.

  Do you enjoy gagging your submissives?—On occasion. Again, taking away a submissive’s ability to speak requires careful planning and negotiation. There are safety factors. Have I used ball gags? Yes. Bits? Yes. I’ve also used bandanas. Again, not a deal breaker.

  Do you need to dominate to feel whole?—After fourteen years, I can safely say yes. After a year trying to make things work with Rayne, I know my heart is not full without a pretty intense level of D/s in my relationship.

  Do you see yourself dabbling, or committing to someone on a permanent basis?—If I ever meet that woman, I will never let her go.

  Chapter 10

  Faith’s chest was pounding. Sweat had built up on her brow. Her pussy was so swollen and wet she was shaking with desire. Every word. Every thought. Every sentence. Holy shit.

  She snapped the computer closed, set it aside, and slid beneath her covers to curl up on her side. Her body was warm, but she still shook.

  How had this man come into her life at this time? More importantly, what was she going to do?

  Rowen held nothing back. He didn’t tease her with a trickle of information as she’d conspired to do to him. He’d given her everything in one fell swoop. His life story. He’d bared his soul to her. What did it mean? If she was reading him correctly, he was definitely interested in her after one evening together.