Business Dinner Chapter 8
A/N: Mild BDSM here, but purely monogamous and quite tame. Also, the wonderful Rae D. Magdon is co-writing these last few chapters with me in exchange for helping her out on another story (Denial, over in R&I land). Thanks, Rae!
"If you recognize anyone there, don't use their last name. I'd even go so far as to avoid first names unless it's necessary. This kind of thing is supposed to be kept discreet, and the only reason you're getting in without a formal interview is because I vouched for you personally."
Alex rolled her eyes, more than a little exasperated. She saw the wisdom in Olivia's words, but the detective had been whispering urgent pieces of advice in her ear on and off all day. They weren't even framed as orders, which might have aroused her. Instead, the brunette almost seemed like she was worried that something would go wrong, or that Alex would embarrass her. "I don't see why it's such a big deal. There's nothing wrong with what we do..."
"That's not the point," Olivia said brusquely as they walked the two remaining blocks to the apartment where the party was being held. "How would you like to see your kinks plastered over the front page of the Ledger?" Alex didn't respond. "I thought so. Just be cautious, and remember that we don't have to do anything at all tonight but watch. This is your first party, so no one will expect you to jump right in to anything heavy."
They covered another half-block in relative silence, although the city noises occasionally swelled out of the background, and Olivia started when a Taxi horn blared a few hundred yards away. "Do you think I will recognize anyone?" Alex asked, her voice tentative.
"It's very possible. Lots of powerful people dip their toes in the kink community during their off-hours." Olivia didn't mention one person in particular that she suspected they might run in to, but decided that it was not her place to out any of their work colleagues.
"How should I address people?"
"Politely and with respect. I'll be doing most of the talking, since I was the one who got you an invite, and also because you're my submissive. You won't have to say much unless you want to." Not for the first time, Alex was grateful that she and Olivia could communicate so well nonverbally. She knew that the detective wouldn't let her embarrass herself.
"What does your ex look like?"
"Chelsea? Very different than you. Opposite end of the spectrum, really. Very tall - that's about all you have in common - but she has long, dark hair and green eyes. She's also broad-shouldered and rather, um..."
"Um..." Alex prompted, waiting for Olivia to continue. The detective was walking a few steps ahead of her, and even though Alex's long legs could have easily kept pace, she had chosen to remain where she was. Olivia was her top, after all, and she was the one who knew where the party was being held.
"Let's just say that some women pay out the ass to get what she has naturally."
Alex felt her cheeks color. "I see."
She hadn't slowed her pace, but Olivia seemed to sense her sudden hesitation and the brunette halted and turned back towards her. "Alex," she began, but the blonde readily shook her head, shrugging her shoulders.
"I'm fine," she replied. "Let's go."
"We can turn around at any time."
Alex looked at the detective as if she had suggested that they bribe a judge. "No," she said firmly. "I want to do this." Olivia stared back at her, as if peering through the layers of confidence the blonde had adorned like armour, but Alex seemed as determined as ever, and the brunette could only trust that her girlfriend's insistence on their visit to Chelsea's was from a place of discovery rather than jealousy. Besides, Alex wasn't one to get jealous. If that was anyone's role, it was her own. She took the attorney's hand, and pulled her into her, giving her a quick, possessive kiss.
The move let Alex know that their back and forth was over, and that they would both now slip into the roles that they had come to know over the past several months. Although Alex was still perfecting hers, she saw Olivia's came naturally, and the shoulders broadened under her leather jacket. She felt her nervousness start to dissipate into a pleasurable feeling below her belly as she continued to follow the detective down the block.
They came to a halt in front of a large brownstone with a small iron gate closing off the steps. "I see she does quite well for herself," Alex said.
"What does she do again? Besides this whole thing..." she trailed off, her face coloring slightly under the moonlight.
"Consultant. Strategic planning. Boring enough that she has to get her rocks off somehow, right?" Olivia laughed, glad to see that she had at least brought a nervous smile to her the blonde's lips. "If you want to leave at any time, you know what to say." It was a statement rather than a question, and Alex nodded over at her. "Great," the detective said, opening the iron gate. "Follow me."
As Olivia rang the buzzer at the door, Alex felt the brunette give her a once over, running her eyes over the taupe coat that she wore over a thin black dress, both short enough to expose the length of her bare legs, and down to the black Louboutins that she wore.
"You look beautiful," the detective admired. "I can't wait to show you off."
Alex didn't have time to respond. The door opened, and in its threshold stood one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. As Olivia had described, she had long dark hair that fell in waves, although whether they were natural or the result of a curling iron, Alex couldn't be sure. Her eyes were a brilliant green, she had full lips and a chiseled face, and she did indeed possess assets that most women would envy. Alex felt a brief lance of insecurity, but brushed it aside. Although she was not normally a jealous person, she couldn't help being slightly jealous that this woman had bedded Olivia.
"Hey, Chelsea," Olivia said, filling the brief silence and leaning forward to give the woman a brief hug. Alex looked sharply, but could find nothing sexual or lingering in the embrace. For some reason, that didn't do anything to put her at ease.
"Hi. Whose your friend?" Alex wasn't quite sure why she was asking, since Chelsea already knew who she was. Olivia had shared with her that all new invitees needed to go through a background check and have at least one reference.
Olivia slid a possessive hand around the back of the attorney's neck. "This is my girlfriend, Alex."
Chelsea gave an exaggerated lick of her lips, although it was obviously meant as a joke. "Very pretty, Liv. You know how to pick them."
"Be nice to her, Chels," Olivia warned. "She's new to this. You don't want to scare her off."
"Come in. I had you come a little early so you can help me set up the hors d'oeuvres... and so your pet wouldn't have to walk into a room full of women she didn't know while they stared at the fresh meat. Animals..." She stepped out of the doorway so that Olivia and Alex could enter the apartment. It was luxuriously furnished, and the light was somewhat dimmed by scarves draped over the lamps. A cheap but effective way to get some mood lighting, Alex thought.
"She's just kidding," Olivia said, taking Alex's silence as a sign of worry. "This place isn't a meat market..."
The ADA snorted. "You want to call a lesbian BDSM party a meat market? Not a lot of meat to be found here, I suspect."
"I don't want any backtalk from you tonight," Olivia said, gripping Alex's wrist just a little too tightly. Alex didn't nod, but the slight bow of her head let the detective know that she had made her point. She turned her attention back to Chelsea, who she saw had been watching her attempt at discipline, and Olivia found herself blushing at the woman's tacit approval.
Alex waited until her girlfriend had let go of her hand before her natural ability as a hostess kicked in, eliminating some of her anxiety about the evening. "Chelsea, what can I help you with?" she asked.
"Well, first, let me get you out of that coat," the woman replied with a smile.
Alex felt the green eyes burning a blaze over her torso as she shrugged out of her coat, and she suddenly wished she hadn't let Olivia talk her into wearing such a low cut dress. The detective handed over her own coat, her shoulders confident and straight under the button-up shirt she wore.
"My, if the two of you don't make the most outstanding couple," Chelsea said appreciatively as she stored their coats in a nearby closet. "Just in case you need to make a quick getaway tonight, your things will be in here," she said, giving Alex a colluding eye. She reached her hand out, as if about to touch Alex's bare forearm, but she hesitated, thinking better of it. "Why don't you follow me to the kitchen?" she asked. "I need a fellow feminine eye."
Alex nodded, swallowing any anxiety she felt. Chelsea at least gave them the courtesy of turning and heading towards the kitchen, allowing her to look over at Olivia, who gave her a quick smile and a questioning raise of her eyebrow. Alex understood the look, and nodded back at her, reaching over to squeeze the detective's hand before following Chelsea down the hallway, her heels echoing across the hardwood floors.
"Liv, do you mind checking on the stand downstairs?" the woman called from the kitchen. "It was giving me trouble earlier."
Olivia sighed. She had fully planned on following Alex and Chelsea into the kitchen. Although she didn't expect her ex to act anything other than friendly and professional, she still wanted to be around to give Alex some peace of mind. She chuckled softly to herself. If anyone could hold their own, even in front of Chelsea, it was Alex. The attorney wasn't one who needed to be coddled. "Sure," she called back, heading towards the steps that led downstairs. "I'll be back up in a minute."
Alex looked curiously about Chelsea's kitchen, which, surprisingly enough, seemed as if it was used quite often, far from the modern, blank surface that she was used to in so many Manhattan apartments. She turned her attention toward a tray of stuffed mushrooms that lay on top of the stove.
"I just pulled those out," Chelsea explained. "Any of the trays on the island will do, if you would be so kind as to help me plate them."
"Of course," Alex replied, grateful for a task. The two worked in silence for a moment.
"Despite what I said in the foyer, you'll find everyone's pretty respectable here," the brunette said as she fished through the refrigerator, pulling out several bottles of white wine. "I don't tolerate anything less."
"Yes, Olivia laid out some of the ground rules for me earlier," Alex said, her shoulders tensing despite the ease in her tone.
"Are you nervous?"
Alex turned at the question, her eyes narrowing. "No, I'm not."
Chelsea had taken a step closer to her, the green eyes studying her, and Alex straightened her shoulders, feeling as if she had something to prove. The brunette's eyes were warm, however, and she smiled. "I'm sure you are quite the challenge."
The blonde ADA wasn't quite sure what her hostess meant by that, but she decided not to comment. "I suppose I am a little nervous," she grudgingly admitted. "I have no idea what I'm doing, and I hate being out of my element."
Chelsea gave the attorney another quick once-over and smirked. "Oh, I think you'll be just fine."
Alex had no idea whether to be slightly flattered by Chelsea's obvious appreciation of her appearance, offended by the same, or jealous of her for being stunning herself... especially since she had been Olivia's girlfriend for four entire years.
"You and Olivia dated an awfully long time," she said as she lifted two of the snack trays sitting on the counter. Chelsea grabbed her own set and headed towards the living room, with Alex following. Just for comparison's sake, the ADA couldn't help checking to make sure the retreating view was just as attractive as the front. It was, and another surge of jealousy flared up in her chest.
"Four years," Chelsea confirmed, not bothering to look back over her shouler. She set the trays down on a coffee table in front of the living room sofa, and Alex copied her. "We broke up because she was too good for me."
Of all the answers Alex had been expecting, that wasn't it. "She is a wonderful person..." Her voice trailed off, and she was unsure what else to say.
"Well, that, and the monogamy thing. I wanted to play with others, she didn't, although she tried it for a while for my sake. It took a toll, though. I could tell she didn't like it, even just the knowledge that I had been with someone else bothered her. She was also never a fan of safe sex. One of the benefits of monogamy, she always said."
Alex couldn't help snorting with laughter. That certainly wasn't something she had expected to hear about Olivia. Then again, they had never used any kind of barriers in their own intimate relationship, but it wasn't really necessary, since both of them were disease-free and exclusive. It was just funny to hear about an SVU detective, who had seen the consequences of unprotected sex time and time again, bitching about the exact same thing.
She felt Chelsea's eyes on her, and she turned her gaze quickly back towards the kitchen. "What else can I help with?" she asked, eager to end the line of their current conversation. Now that she'd gotten a glimpse of Olivia's ex, she found her curiosity somewhat sated. She had no desire to pine the ins and outs of their relationship. She only wanted to learn more about how to please her girlfriend in the present.
"Why don't you see if Olivia needs any help downstairs?" Chelsea suggested. Her lip curled in a friendly smirk. "Maybe she can show you the ropes before the others arrive."
Alex caught the humor, but the nervous ball in her stomach kept her from giving it its deserved laugh. Instead, she merely nodded, watching as Chelsea made her way back to the kitchen with a confident bounce in her step, while Alex turned toward the stairs that she'd seen Olivia disappear down a few minutes earlier.
The mood lighting in the basement was darker, but Alex was still able to catch sight of Olivia fumbling around with a contraption near the side of the room. The detective looked up at her as she walked slowly over to her, passing by a couple of couches and several straight-backed chairs. Her eyes roamed over the whipping stand that her girlfriend was preparing, only recognizing it for what it was due to some diligent research she had done online.
"All finished upstairs?" Olivia asked.
"I think Chelsea can handle it," Alex replied, her eyes still on the piece of equipment in front of her.
Olivia followed her gaze, and a devilish smile lit up her face, visible even in the low lighting. "Want me to show you how it works?"
Alex balked, her mouth dropping open just slightly, and she didn't respond immediately, giving the detective enough time to cross the small space between them and place a firm hand around the back of her neck. The deep, brown eyes traveled slowly down over her chest, and Alex could feel her nipples harden under the fiery gaze. "Don't worry," the brunette said, leaning in and capturing the base of her neck with her lips. "You aren't being punished. Yet."
Alex melted into her touch, now malleable enough for Olivia to lead her over to the wooden rack, attaching first one hand, then the other to the metal cuffs on the top of each slab. She let her hands run delicately over Alex's back, letting her hands find contact bare skin underneath her dress.
"Imagine you standing here," she whispered, closing in on the attorney's body from behind, "and having a crowd of women determine how long I should punish you." Alex's breath caught in her throat as Olivia's fingers traveled down the side of her torso, over the curve of her hip, and the side of her leg, raising the edge of her dress up just enough for her to gain access to the sensitive inner side of her thigh. The idea was frightening, but also arousing, and combined with Olivia's touch, every nerve ending in her body seemed to burn.
Olivia knew how deeply the imagined scenario was influencing Alex, and so she let the moment last, even though she had no intention of punishing Alex like that tonight. The ADA wasn't ready for it. Whether she realized that or not was a different story, however. Alex could be stubborn once she got an idea in her head - coming to this party, for instance. Fortunately, Olivia knew that her lover wouldn't dare disobey her openly during this gathering.
"You are so beautiful when you submit to me," the detective purred, causing Alex to shudder as she raked her nails over the attorney's inner thigh, skimming the elastic line of her panties. "If everyone else at the party came in right now and saw me discipline you, they would be so incredibly jealous." Alex's body felt like it was going to melt into the stand beneath her, and she knew she would have lost her balance if left to her own devices. She wanted Olivia's hand to cup beneath the fabric of her underwear and touch her without barriers, but she knew better than to ask. Olivia loved it when she begged, but not before she had been given permission.
Knowing that they didn't have much time before the other guests arrived or Chelsea came to see where they were, Olivia slipped her fingers inside of Alex's panties, running her fingers through wet, exposed folds. She smiled at Alex's hiss of pleasure. There might not be a lot of time for her to play, but that didn't mean she couldn't give Alex a taste... a nice little warm-up to keep her on edge for the next few hours.
Alex let her head fall forward obediently, wishing that Olivia would end the teasing and also terrified that she would stop. She knew that she couldn't come without her Mistress's permission, and the chances of that happening before they were forced out of this position weren't very good. Then she realized it didn't matter. Only Olivia mattered. She would feel only what Olivia wanted her to feel, and do what Olivia wanted her to do, and that would be enough. The freeing of her responsibilities made the tight ball of nervousness in her chest dissolve, and Olivia noticed. "That's my good girl," she said, using her other hand to flip Alex's dress up and pull the attorney's underwear down to her knees, leaving her fully exposed.
Even though Olivia usually demanded silence from her unless she asked for a response, Alex couldn't stifle a soft gasp as Olivia's fingers slid inside of her. The detective curled them forward, making Alex's backside twitch deliciously at the pleasurable and slightly overwhelming sensations. She had never been with anyone who appreciated penetration quite as much as Alex did, no matter what Olivia used. Her other lovers had enjoyed it, but for some reason, being inside of Alex was special in a way she couldn't explain in words. It was as though Alex was inviting her into her very soul instead of just her body.
"I would ask if you're enjoying yourself," she whispered, allowing her teeth to capture the skin at the base of Alex's neck, where it dipped lithely into her shoulder. Her fingers slipped even further into her girlfriend's wet core. "But I think I already know the answer."
Alex let out a shuddering breath, as the pleasurable fingers inside of her were a marked contrast to the pain at her neck. She knew Olivia was marking her, a fresh signal to anyone in attendance at tonight's party that the attorney belonged to her. The ownership was an extension of the connection between the two of them, and Alex felt another rush of wetness between her legs. Her body had never been this tied to her emotions, not with men or women. Not until Olivia.
Olivia could feel how much of an effect her actions were having on the poor attorney, and recognized the way her fists clenched above her head, the rigidness of her legs. She hadn't planned on taking her girlfriend all the way until they got back home, alone together, but it seemed as if Alex's body knew that they were working on limited time. And she knew her words were just as responsible as her touch for the way she was edging Alex closer to orgasm.
"I'm glad we came tonight," she said, picking up her pace and curling her fingers slightly. "I can't tell you how good it feels to know that all of these women are going to want you..." She pumped further, and Alex let her head fall back, the blonde hair cascading down her bare back. "... but know that they can't touch you. That no one can touch you. But me."
Olivia let her thumb graze the attorney's clit, applying some much needed pressure, and she felt the attorney's legs shake. Not much time had passed since Alex had joined her downstairs, but she didn't want to risk exposing the attorney in such a manner just yet. "Come," she commanded, curling her fingers and in another harsh thrust pulling the blonde closer to her, their bodies pressing together.
Alex was helpless to resist. She crashed over the edge before her mind fully processed what Olivia was doing and saying. The brunette knew exactly how to push her body beyond its limits and send her flying, and all Alex's fuzzy mind could comprehend as she rode the seemingly endless spasms pulsing between her legs was - what on earth did I ever do to deserve this woman?
When the pulses faded to twitches and the steady in-and-out motion of Olivia's fingers began to feel almost painfully overstimulating, Alex let out a soft groan of discomfort. When Olivia stopped and removed her hand, she groaned again, even more uncomfortable now that the touch was gone. She didn't know whether she wanted more or couldn't take another second. Trying to find a happy medium, Olivia slipped her fingers back between Alex's legs, resting inside her but not moving in order to give her a chance to recover.
"I love being inside of you like this," Olivia said softly, leaning down to press herself against Alex's back and whisper in the attorney's ear. "Are you gonna be okay?"
"I think you killed me," the blonde mumbled, her face still pressed against the tilted flat surface she had been bound to.
Olivia gave her exposed backside a teasing slap, just hard enough to make her point. "You seem alive to me."
"Not sure if I can walk..."
"Let me help you." Knowing that they didn't have a lot of time, Olivia gently removed her fingers and licked them clean, using her other hand to pull her lover's underwear back in place and lower her dress. There was nothing she could do about the rest of Alex's state except wait for the effects to wear off, but she wasn't sure that was going to happen. She caressed the small of Alex's back briefly and went to untie her wrists. Alex groaned with relief when she did, using Olivia for support as she got to her feet and rotated her shoulders, testing the range of motion. She had not been bound for very long, but there had been a little strain. The ADA tossed a slightly wary glance at the St. Andrew's Cross in another corner, wondering if the X-frame would cause any more discomfort than the whipping stand. To her surprise, she realized that she wanted to find out. She decided to worry about that later. Now, they had a party to focus on, if the sound of voices floating down from upstairs was any indication.