Bottoms Up

Jenn smacked her freshly glossed lips together one last time and sifted through her hair in a lame attempt to freshen her look. On a deep breath, she knocked on the door of Riley’s condo and waited. After all their years of friendship, it made no sense for her to be this nervous, but she couldn’t stop the racing of her heartbeat or the fluttering in her stomach if her life depended on it.

Even though they’d kept in contact through frequent emails and text messages, she hadn’t actually laid eyes on him in over seven years. After college, he’d settled here in North Carolina with a big ad agency and she’d moved on to a job in New York City.

“Hang on. I’m coming.”

Riley’s muffled response quickened her breath as anticipation and fear coursed through her. She needed to pull herself together. This was Riley, not a first date. That she secretly harbored feelings for him shouldn’t matter. They were just two best friends getting together for the weekend to catch up and spend some time reminiscing.

The lock clicked, and the door opened.

“Jenn, wow, you’re here, and don’t you look great.”

Before she could utter a word, he gathered her into his arms and hugged her fiercely. The scent of spice and man filled her senses, and she hugged him back. Her cheek pressed to the warm skin of his neck and his breath tickled the shell of her ear.

“It’s been too long,” she responded.

He pulled her into his place and shut the door behind them. “You have no idea how excited I’ve been about your visit. I wish I could have been here on Wednesday when you arrived.”

Riley wore a white business shirt open a few buttons at the collar and gray slacks that molded to him perfectly without being too tight or too loose. Forcing herself to glance away, she dragged her gaze to his face before he caught her staring at his crotch. He looked really good, which came as no surprise. He always did. Even when he rolled out of bed, he looked yummy enough to eat.

No, don’t go there.

“It’s probably for the best. The last two days have been a constant whirlwind from breakfast to dinner. I would have been too exhausted to muster up much energy for anything.”

“Oh yeah, the job interview. How’d that go? I can’t tell you how stunned I was when you said you wanted to leave New York and you had an interview in my town.” His voice was low and incredibly sexy.

She relaxed into the offered chair and tried to focus on the conversation. “You and me both. I never thought I would say this, but life in New York is harder than I thought.” And lonely. “As for the interview, I think it went great and I’m cautiously hopeful that I’ll receive an offer this weekend.”

Riley took the seat next to her, close enough for her to smell his sexy as sin scent that always drove her wild. Her nipples peaked against her bra and she thanked God she’d opted to keep her suit jacket on when she’d arrived.

“Well, damn, how awesome is that? You and I in the same city once again, wreaking havoc and breaking hearts.”

She laughed. “I don’t know about that. I’ve haven’t done much else but work ever since leaving college.”

“Don’t you know that all work and no play makes Jenn a dull girl?” He smiled. “Sounds like we need to break you out of your work shell this weekend and cut loose.” He patted her arm and moved from his chair. “First things first, though. I only got home from my flight about ten minutes before you got here, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to grab a shower. Then we can discuss plans for the weekend.”

“Oh, of course! You should have said something, I could have come later.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ve been anxious to see you. How about you make yourself comfortable, grab some wine if you’d like and give me a few minutes to make myself presentable?”

“Yes, no problem.”

He dropped a friendly kiss on her nose and walked away. “If you need anything at all, Jenn, just let me know.”

She blew out a relieved breath and watched him disappear down the hall. Grateful for the time to pull herself back together, Jenn removed her jacket and laid it across the back of the chair. Clearly, seeing Riley again did little to diminish the cravings she suffered from. Walking away from him at graduation had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, but for her sanity, she’d decided she needed to get away from him. She’d thought, once she got settled into her New York apartment, the pain of unrequited feelings would diminish and she’d move on with her life.

But living without Riley had proven harder than she’d imagined. She missed having him around and the little things that came along with it. The gourmet meals he’d cooked for her and the hours they’d spent curled together on the couch watching movies they both loved. She’d relied on him for so many things, and as it turned out, living on her own hadn’t left her with the sense of independence she’d thought it would.

Her job, on the other hand, was perfect. As the assistant director at the nature museum, she’d thrived and found the perfect haven for her restless spirit. Over the years, there had been a few dates here and there, but they’d all seemed so… She didn’t know the right word to describe what had been missing.

Jenn wandered around the condo and wondered what Riley’s life had been like. She knew he loved his job, but she’d been reluctant to ask about his personal life. So far, he hadn’t mentioned a significant other, so when the job option here in North Carolina had come open, she’d decided to hop a plane and kill two birds with one stone. She would summon the courage to find out if Riley had any romantic feelings toward her. If so, and she got lucky, she might have a new job and a new life.

Jenn shook her head. Quite a gamble for a woman like her, but what the hell.

Wandering into what looked like a media room, complete with big screen television, she caught site of a collection of DVDs, CDs and books across the room. Curious to see if they still loved the same movies, she walked over and perused his vast collection.

Sure enough he had all of their favorites from college as well as all the latest and greatest blockbusters she’d already seen. Smiling to herself, she glanced through the CDs and books.

On the bottom shelf, her hand froze. It couldn’t be.

She pulled the book out with trembling hands and turned it to stare at the cover. The Caring Dominant. She’d seen this book once before. In a bookstore coffee shop, she’d overheard two women discussing it, and when they’d left the store and deserted the book on their table, she’d been curious beyond belief and unable to resist checking it out.

She’d read through some of it, but the fear gripping her insides had forced her to put it down and leave the bookstore as quickly as she could. Maybe her inexperience made her naïve, but when her sex had squeezed excitedly over many of the words, she’d thought something was wrong with her.

Her finger rubbed the edge of the pages and, after a quick glance over her shoulder, she opened the book. The table of contents laid out all the intriguing chapters, but a red paper stuck in the middle of the book caught her eye. She flipped quickly to the place it marked and found a chapter titled, Levels of Submission.

The first few pages detailed the fact that, according to the author, BSDM had many levels of both dominance and submission. She scanned the first paragraph and tried to imagine Riley reading this book. Was he a dominant? Her sex squeezed sharply, the edge of her arousal sharpening at the thought.

How would she feel if Riley did as the book instructed? Commanded her to do things…

Her dreams of Riley had always been intense with him in control of their encounters. Is this what that meant? If he ordered her to strip and get down on her knees, what would she do?

She smiled. Anything he wanted.

Inexperienced didn’t mean repressed. If her dreams and taste in reading material were anything to judge by, there was a wild woman inside her dying to get out. She just didn’t know how to let her loose.

The red paper slipped from her fingers and fluttered to the ground print side up. Jenn bent to retrieve it and noticed the bold word Purgatory emblazoned across the top of the flyer.

It was an advertisement for a local BDSM club and a recent charity event. The list of activities included spanking, flogging and so much more. Need pulsed in her body from her straining nipples to her pulsing clit. Oh God, she needed Riley. She wanted to know more, learn from him what this was all about.

“I’d say your curiosity just saved us about an hour’s worth of awkward conversation.”

She dropped the book and whirled around, the paper still grasped between her fingers. “I-I uh—”

“Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed, Jenn. I’d planned to find a way to tell you tonight. To explain my life to you.”

His life? She couldn’t speak with the lump that had formed in her throat. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt, and his worn jeans rode low on his hips with the button still undone. The heat inside her rose impossibly higher.

“When I moved here, I decided to explore some of what I thought was the darker side of me. A need for more in my life that nothing else had quite fulfilled.”

“And did you find it?” she whispered.

“I did. I have very strong needs, and once I’d learned how to fulfill them, I wanted to share them with the right woman.”

“A submissive.” Humiliation burned through her. She’d planned to try and make a case for them dating, and he’d already found what he needed in a submissive. Her stomach cramped with the knowledge of being too late.

“Yes, Jenn, a submissive. Someone who craves what I crave, a woman who understands a dominant’s need to control. Now, I only need to know one thing. Do you want to be that woman?”

She blinked. Her body jerked to attention.

“What?”

He took a few slow steps closer. “I want you, Jenn. I always have.”

This couldn’t be happening.

“You’ve never given me even a hint that you wanted me.”

“Haven’t I? Not many men spend as much time with a woman he doesn’t crave as I did with you. But back in college, I wasn’t ready to risk the friendship. Now, I’m ready to claim the woman I want.”

“But I’m not submissive. I don’t understand.”

Riley grabbed her around the waist and hauled her against him. “Are you sure about that? Your face is flushed, your nipples are hard and I caught you reading a book about it. If I were to slide my hand underneath this little skirt of yours, would I find damp panties?” His hand teased her thigh at the edge of the fabric.

With Riley’s warm chest pressed against her, it was hard to think straight. She had him right where she’d dreamed and the last thing she wanted to do was push him away.

“I have a confession to make.” She breathed heavily. “I came here tonight hoping to find out if you had an interest in me other than as long distance friendship, but…but I—”

“Didn’t expect this.”

She nodded.

“Well, you’re here, and now, you know I’m interested. Are you curious?”

“I’ve read some of that book before,” she admitted.

Riley smiled wide. “Have you now?” He stared at her questioningly. “Well, considering you haven’t run from me screaming, I’d say you’re more than interested. So…you’re here and I’m here and we have two days before you have to leave, so let’s have some fun and see where it goes. But before you agree, understand that I will command you, I will ask you to do things that are outside of your comfort zone and I will give you more pleasure than you can imagine. If you say yes, then you agree to trust that, no matter what I ask, I will keep you safe.”

“The only thing I’m scared of is walking away without taking a chance,” she whispered.

Riley’s hand scorched through her blouse as he trailed his fingers up and down her spine with one hand and along the inside of her thigh with the other. Her pulse pounded harder with every passing second until she wanted—no needed—him to kiss her.

“I have missed you, baby girl.”

Oh hell, she’d almost forgotten about his favorite nickname for her. This time instead of annoying her, the sentiment melted something inside her.

“Please, Riley, teach me what you like. Show me what pleases you.”

He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. Lust and determination swirled through his as she waited for what would come next.

“Two days then. I’ve dreamt for years of what your pussy will taste like or how hot and snug you’d fit around me as I buried myself inside you. Now, the image of you on your knees, skin flushed with desire, begging for more is going to kill me.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and breathed deeply. “I’m going to the other room to get something. Take this time to be certain this is what you want, because when I return, I’ll expect you in nothing but your bra and panties. You’ll stand in the middle of the room with your legs shoulder-width apart and your head bowed with your hands clasped behind your back. Is that understood?”

“Yes.” Her pussy creamed more.

“There is no wrong answer here, Jenn. I’ll respect your decision either way.”

His head lowered and soft lips slid across hers, lightly at first, until a hot tongue licked at her and coaxed her mouth open. For a second, she thought the floor had fallen away and the earth had tilted on its axis. Her head spun. The kiss stole her breath and wiped away all the fears she might have harbored, leaving her with nothing but hot, pure pleasure.

More. The single word repeated itself in her head over and over. She’d waited for him for so long she could hardly believe he wanted her too. Tongues tangling, her nails digging into his shoulders, she wished they were already naked. Her breasts grew heavy with her spiked lust, and the pulsing in her clit turned to an aching throb.

She soaked up the strength of being in his arms until he pulled away from the kiss.

“Remember your instructions. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She nodded and bit at her lip as the butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly. She couldn’t wait.