I took a seat whilst he went to the counter and ordered our drinks. When he returned we made idle chit chat that seemed to go on forever. I could sense he wanted to ask me something else entirely but hadn’t yet gotten up the courage to do it. Having that feeling made me feel a little nervous.
Finally he got up the courage and when he cleared his throat I knew he was finally going to get to the heart of the matter.
“So you work for David?”
“Yeah, I’ve been his secretary for nearly a year now. Why?”
“No real reason I just find it strange that you work for him and you would indulge him in some of his darker fantasies.” Robert lifted the coffee cup to his mouth and took a sip. I was intrigued. What did he mean darker fantasies? Yes, the club had been an odd experience. But David hadn’t done anything yet that I could really attribute to a dark side.
“What do you mean? I haven’t indulged him in any dark fantasies or...” I cut myself off before I could continue. It really was none of Robert’s business what we got up to in the bedroom and I certainly wasn’t going to share any intimate details.
“Oh, well my mistake then. It’s just when I saw you at the club last night and I found out you were with him I just assumed.”
“Assumed what?” My voice had taken on a hostile tone. I couldn’t help it. Every fibre of my being told me I should like Robert but I didn’t. There was something off about him that let me know he was a bad idea.
“Carrie, really it’s nothing. You said it yourself he hasn’t tried his idea of fun with you. Clearly you are something different for him. It’s just, I like you and I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. He liked me? How could he? He didn’t know me and I didn’t know him. Was this how it worked for everyone else? Guys told them how they felt. It was something my friends had spoken about but it had never happened to me.
“Look, Carrie, I can see that you care about Ashcroft. But I’m going to tell you this as a warning. He’s a user. He likes to seduce women just to prove that he can. He has taken subs from other Doms in the club. He doesn’t have many friends there. Quite a few members would like to see him disappear. But I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want him to use you up and spit you out like the others. You’re worth more than that.” Robert reached out and tucked some of my stray brown hairs that had escaped my hair tie back behind my ear. His touch left me cold.
“I have to go.” I stood, my hasty movement shaking the table and spilling the coffee. It spilled across the surface and straight down onto Robert’s lap. He jumped back but it was too late.
Part of me wanted to giggle as I watched the dark stain spread across his grey trousers. The sensible, responsible part of me forced me to apologise.
“I’m so sorry. Really, Robert, I am. I have to go.” I ran from the coffee shop and down the street. This had clearly been a mistake. I should have pretended I wasn’t in. Or just told him to leave.
The sound of a man’s footsteps following me down the street made me speed up. It was an irrational reaction but being chased had that effect on me. Especially after the night before with Richard.
“Carrie, wait.”
I stopped outside my apartment and reached for my handbag, thinking if I could get inside the door before he reached me I would be safe. Panic brought bile up my throat as I realised I didn’t have my bag.
“Carrie, you forgot your bag.” Robert sauntered the last few metres to my side and handed it to me. Shame prevented me from looking him in the eye. I had behaved despicably and here he was still being nice and gracious.
“Look, I know this is weird for you. And I’m sorry about what I said about David. But do you think I could come up and get cleaned up?”
I glanced down at his ruined trousers and nodded. It was the least I could do. I fumbled through my bag and fished out my keys. I remained silent as I let him in and we climbed the stairs. It was an absurd situation. Only a few days before I had been contemplating my future. No man in my life and no sign of ever having one. Now here I was with David and Robert. I didn’t count Richard. He was a Dick in more ways than one.
But David was unlike any man I had ever been with. He was different. Something in him spoke to me. It hit me then. What was I doing? I was mad. Walking away from him had been the worst mistake I could have made. I wanted him and if he wanted me then what was I worried about?
I opened the front door of my apartment and stepped inside. The broken glass on the floor caught my eye and it brought memories of the night before flooding back. He knew exactly what to do to my body to get me to respond to him. He pushed all of my buttons. What I needed to do now was learn to push his right back.
“The bathroom is just back there.” I indicated to a door down the hall and left Robert to find his own way. Heading into the kitchen I pulled open the fridge and took out a bottle of chilled water. I had made up my mind as soon as Robert was cleaned up and he left I was going back to David.
I had been foolish to leave him. He made me feel things like no other had in the past. I owed it to myself to find out just what he could offer me. After all what was the worst that could possibly happen?
“Carrie, can you come here for a minute?” The sound of Robert’s voice from down the hall drew my attention. There was no way he could get the coffee stain out of his trousers but he could at least dry it. Heading to the bathroom I knocked on the door.
“It’s okay, you can come in. I just want to ask you something.”
Without thinking I pushed opened the door. I stumbled back into the hall in shock as I caught sight of Robert. He had stripped off all of his clothes. His wet trousers lay across the towel rack and I could see that he had made no attempt to dry them.
The fact that he was naked was bad enough but it was his erection that had me shielding my eyes.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, my voice high and breathy—but it wasn’t excitement I was feeling.
“I know you want this, Carrie. I’ve sensed the connection between us from when we met last night. But I have just one thing. You called me sweet. And, well, I am anything but sweet.” He moved out of the bathroom and cornered me in the hall. His hands wrapped into my hair and he kissed me hard.
For a moment I was shocked and couldn’t move. Surely this wasn’t happening. The moment I felt his erection press against my stomach I knew it was. I pushed him away and wiped my hand across my mouth.