He snapped his head in her direction. "Did you not hear my question?"
"Umm, yes, but you don't have to get me a car." She shook her head.
"Didn't you tell me your truck wouldn't start?" he asked. "Why wouldn't you want a new car? Do you have some sort of attachment to that piece of tin out there?"
"I bought it myself," she whispered. "It's mine."
"I see." He ran his hand over his jaw and thought for a few seconds. "Well, we'll compromise."
She wasn't sure what he was offering.
"I'll provide you with a car you'll use to come here. A reliable vehicle that you may choose to use whenever you'd like, and you keep your truck. Is that acceptable?"
She nodded.
"I want you to be happy," he said. "But, I also want you here on time. I don't like to be kept waiting. Do we understand one another?"
"Yes, Master," she whispered. "I apologize for being late and letting you down, and I appreciate that you want to provide me with a car."
"That's a start." He smirked as he got up from the table and extended his hand for her. "Come. I believe you have some more apologizing to do."
"Whatever pleases you, Master." She stood up and let him lead her to the playroom.
Chapter 6
First public appearance …
Kat paced her tiny loft and regretted her decision to have Luke pick her up here. Compared to his house, her home was a joke. And to make matters worse, now that her roommate had gotten engaged and moved out, she wasn't going to be able to afford living here much longer. She knew it was coming, but she had hoped that she'd find a way to swing it. She needed to take on a second job, but since she was already working full-time as a receptionist for a leading fashion designer in the city, her only option would be as a server on nights and weekends, but how could she work weekends and still be Luke's sub?
She'd think about it later.
She waited patiently for Luke to arrive. He had called her on Wednesday, like he did every week, and told her he had to entertain clients on Friday night and was in need of a companion. She jumped at the opportunity to go out with him even though she knew it was part of her duties as his submissive. It was a weekend and she was at his disposal, but she was still excited to be with him.
He rang the bell at exactly seven, just when he'd said he would arrive. She checked herself in the mirror before opening the door. She felt pretty confident she'd meet his expectations since he'd had the dress delivered to her last night. She insisted it wasn't necessary, but he pulled out the Dom card and told her since it was a weekend function and she was on his time, she'd wear what he wanted her to wear. Considering she was standing in her little foyer in a vintage Versace original, she wasn't complaining.
Katherine pulled the door open and almost lost her breath when she saw him standing there in a perfectly tailored black suit and white dress shirt. The first three buttons remained undone and since she knew what that chest looked like underneath that shirt, she couldn't stop staring at his exposed skin. She was just about to lick her lips when he said, "Hello, Katherine," in that sexy southern drawl of his. The same voice that made girls kneel at his feet.
He smiled at her, and she wished she could read his mind. He was such a complicated man, and she wanted to know so much more about him.
"Are you going invite me in, darling?" He winked.
She wasn't used to him looking so relaxed in front of her. Maybe it was the fact that they weren't in his house, either way, she didn't care, because she liked this side of him and hoped to see more of it.
"Oh, of course." She opened the door wider and motioned for him to come inside.
"You look stunning." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Is the dress acceptable?"
"Are you kidding?"
He arched an eyebrow at her and she realized that just because they were switching it up tonight, it didn't mean she should forget her place.
"I mean, yes Master," she mumbled. "It's spectacular. I've seen them on the runway, but never did I think I'd get to wear Versace."
"You've been to runway shows?" He looked surprised.
"Before I left school, I was studying fashion design. I work at a design house too," she reminded him.
"I see, but you're not a designer."
"No, I'm a receptionist, but I'm learning a lot."
"If you're so into fashion, why didn't you pursue it?"
"I will," she said. "When the time's right."
"Hmm." He looked around the loft. "Your home is quite charming."
"I like it," she said, but then felt a sense of dread come over her when she thought about it not being her home for much longer. "Although, I'm in the process of looking for a new place."
That wasn't entirely true, but if she did have to move, she wanted him to know it wasn't a snap decision. It was part of their arrangement that she inform him of what was going on in her life.
"Why?"
"My roommate moved out and the rent is too much for me to keep up with."
"Do you want to move?"
"I don't have much of a choice," she said. "Unless I take on a second job, and that would probably require nights and weekends."
"Well, that can't happen," he said. "I don't want you out and about in the evenings in the city, and you belong to me on the weekends."
"I know that, Master, so I'll figure it all out."
"Very well." He looked around the loft again, and Katherine wondered what he was thinking. "I have a few things to discuss with you before we meet with my clients."
She nodded.
"Normally," he said, "I don't feel the need to bring my personal life into my professional one, but this particular associate is really into his wife and he brings her everywhere. The new client he's introducing me to will also have a companion, so I didn't want them to feel uncomfortable if I didn't bring a date."
She smiled at the word date and he looked at her curiously before continuing.
"Obviously you can't refer to me as Master." He sighed. "But I won't permit you to use my given name either."
She nodded, but didn't fully understand why for just one night she couldn't call him by his first name.
"I'm a very private man," he said. "No one outside the BDSM circle knows what I am, and I'd like to keep it that way. I realize after spending the past few weeks as my sub, this evening may provide a challenge, but I've taken my other submissives to social functions and it has always worked out. I have the utmost confidence in you."
"Thank you, Master. I won't let you down."
At least she hoped she didn't.
* * * *
At first, the dinner was exceptionally awkward. Katherine was quiet and tried not to draw any attention to herself. She was so out of her element that Luke had to order for her because she had never eaten in such an upscale restaurant before. She didn't even know which wine to order with dinner. It was all very disorienting, and she didn't want to screw anything up. She was also trying to concentrate on not calling him Master or Luke.
It wasn't until he took her hand and whispered, "You're doing just fine, so relax," that she finally felt like she could actually pull this off. His confidence meant everything to her.
While the men discussed business, Katherine became more at ease with the women. They were envious of her dress and recognized the designer immediately, so that gave her an "in" to talk about what she knew. As the evening progressed, she became more comfortable and confident. And she found them to be intriguing and interesting. They had both attended the fall shows in Paris and Milan, something she'd only dreamed of doing, so she picked their brains and found out as much as she could about all the upcoming season's trends.
Katherine noticed Luke couldn't take his eyes off her all through dinner. She occasionally looked at him and smiled. She briefly imagined they were a young couple in love. She knew no one would ever have been able to guess that Luke would soon be taking her home and tying her to the bed.
Katherine exchanged numbers with the women, knowing she really couldn't pursue a friendship with them under the circumstances, but didn't want to be rude. Luke didn't say much in the car ride home, and she wondered if she had done something wrong. She replayed the evening's events in her head, making sure she hadn't actually called him by his name or disagreed with him. She couldn't remember doing either.
Once they were back at his house, she slipped her shoes off and placed them in the foyer closet, like she always did, as he continued to watch her.