CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

VANILLA WITH SPICE

Steph had been so involved with her multiple-screen research that she had let the time run completely away. Ranger's appearance at her office door was a pleasant surprise.

"You better wrap things up for now, Babe. You don't want to be late for class." His voice had not a hint of boss or Dom, rather it was soft and almost caring. "Grab a sandwich and water for now. We can have a more substantial meal when you get back. You are planning to stay here for the week, aren't you?" Again, his statement was normal in tone and inflection. Wow, not what I was expecting. I figured he would be all Dom on me all the time. This isn't so bad. Steph smiled up at him as she powered down her computers.

"Silvio has traced the original message to a California ISP. It gets bogged down there. But I've got some good leads." She felt the need to report her progress, even though he had not asked.

Ranger had his hand on the center of her back in a very possessive way as they walked across the fifth floor com room and headed for the elevator.

"I have all the confidence in the world in you, Babe. You are like a dog with a bone. You won't let it go until you get your answer." Now if I could just direct your sexual appetite in the same direction. No, I'd better let sleeping dogs lie. Ranger had sudden memories of the week Steph had eliminated sugar from her diet. They had almost put each other in the hospital after that fiasco. Hmm, I still have two pills left in my desk. Maybe I'll save them for her graduation ceremony.

The smile never left his face for the entire elevator ride to the garage. Steph hoped that she was the one who put it there. Her smile was caused by the anticipation of another wonderful evening with Claude. The classes had become increasingly more hands-on. She found that being bound was really a turn-on for her. Pain, on the other hand, was something she could take or like in very small and purposeful doses.

Ranger helped her into the SUV and handed her the sandwich and water bottle. Then, cameras be damned, he planted one hell of a good-bye kiss on her lips. "Stay as long as you want, but text me when you leave. I need to know you are safe." He closed the door, waited to hear it lock and then backed away as she drove out of the garage.

This week would be a good chance to see how this Vanilla/Kink lifestyle might work. Ranger had never wanted a 24/7 D/s relationship. To be honest, he hadn't had any kind of relationship in mind for himself. But the enigma of Stephanie Plum had invaded his world and turned most of his long-term plans into dust.

He was the Dom in the bedroom. There was no compromise on that point. If they were to have any hope of a future life together, Stephanie would have to come to terms with her suppressed tendency towards kink. He could not demand it from her…even though he could see her submissiveness in her instinctive reactions both in public and especially in bed. She had to discover this for herself and offer her submission to him voluntarily. Her classes with Claude and the open dialog with the other students at USI were helping her to see and seek her own sexuality.

He had a sudden mental image of her, face down and bound. His hard-on was instantaneous. He let himself enjoy the pressure against his zipper. He was in complete control by the time he entered the fifth floor and his office. Somehow, since September, his life was actually fun.

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Their "tea and tatter," as Claude called the long conversations they shared after class, were the thing Steph would miss the most. Part girlfriend, part wise old uncle and part mentor, Claude had slipped quietly into her heart. He never judged her. He never looked at her in shock, even when she was sure that some of her questions were off-the-wall. She could ask him anything and know that his answers, though not always what she wanted to hear, were the truth as he knew it.

When she complained to Claude about Ranger's hissyfit when she neglected to text him on her first class night, Claude took the time to explain about a Dom's responsibility and heavy obligation.

"Well, my dear (she loved his pet name for her) those Primary Rules are not just for you to follow. Your Dom has accepted the responsibility for your safety, personal development and happiness. He must be as honest with you as he expects you to be honest with him. Along with all his other daily obligations, he must be aware of any needs or concerns of yours that arise. Unlike the sub, whose duties usually begin and end during play, a Dom's responsibilities do not end until the agreement ends. I have known some Doms who have quietly kept an eye on ex-subs to make sure they are safe and secure in their new arrangement."

Steph had no idea that Ranger's commitment was so all-consuming, and she felt a twinge of guilt for adding to his burden.

As he munched on a scone, Claude continued, "You are so fortunate to have a trained Master as your Dom. Carlos is well respected in the community and that he has selected you…well that is saying something."

"Yes, but our agreement is a secret between him and me. I guess he doesn't want to take the chance that I'll embarrass him in front of other Doms." Steph sighed, wondering if he would ever be proud enough of her to introduce her as his sub.

Claude thwopped the top of her head with his teaspoon. "He isn't worried about what others will say. He is worried that you don't have enough confidence in yourself or his training to be acknowledged in the community. He is also concerned that your relationship may not be acceptable with your family and you may not have the strength yet to deal with those repercussions. But I have never seen him more proud or more fulfilled than when you are by his side. I hope the two of you can find a way to work this all out."

"I love him, Claude. I truly love him. And I want to be what he wants me to be. I want to try." Steph could feel her eyes getting moist with unshed tears.

"You must never try to be what someone else wants you to be. That's where mistakes happen and relationships die. You must try to be exactly what you are so that the other person has the opportunity to be themselves, too. If you see your partner trying so hard to be what you want them to be, you start to feel obligated to do the same. Suddenly, the whole relationship, which started out honestly is nothing but masks and lies. Just be honest with yourself, my dear. That's all anyone can ask." His twinkling eyes showed his great passion for the words he spoke.

"It sounds like the honesty part is the hardest part. How can I tell him what I want when I'm not even sure about what I need?" She couldn't help but let her frustration show in her words.

"That's why you are here at USI. No one will judge you here. No one will question your motives here. Here, you are free to find your inner-kink." With that last statement, Claude chuckled and stood. "Look at the time! Carlos must be frantic. You should text him."

Somehow the time had flown by and it was well after midnight. Steph grabbed her phone and texted. "Got carried away in conversation. Sooo sorry. I'm leaving now."

Ranger's reply was instantaneous and surprising. "Thank you. Good girl. Come right to bed. I've missed you."

All of her spare blood and some of the necessary blood rushed down between her thighs. Oh my! She became a little lightheaded and anxious to be back to the apartment and her Dom. The heat and her smile lasted the whole half-hour drive home.

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Except for the utility lights over the kitchen counter, the apartment was in darkness. Steph noticed that the breakfast bar still had two place settings of china. Had he missed supper while waiting for me? God, I'm such an ass sometimes.

She quietly entered the bedroom. He was lying on his back with his arm over his eyes. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or just holding back his temper. Suddenly she had a thought…no, more of a compulsion. It was as if this is what she had done a million times before, in some other life or in some repressed dreams.

Steph quickly stripped herself of her clothes and silently went to the side of his bed. There, in her best submissive pose, she knelt at his bedside.

"Please forgive my thoughtlessness, Sir. I promise to be more prompt. Have you eaten? Do you need anything?" It wasn't Friday. She did not have to act as a submissive. But something inside her demanded that she do just that. Her heart was actually breaking, knowing that she had caused him undo worry and hunger.

He hadn't been sleeping. He couldn't sleep, knowing she was still on the road. He had placed his arm over his eyes to give her a moment's privacy. Her words as she knelt beside him sucked the very oxygen from the air. He took a moment before answering to allow the lump in his throat to subside. In that same moment, his erection caused the sheet to tent in a very un-Dom reaction. Damn!

She hadn't seen his physical reaction. Her eyes were downcast and her body was waiting for his instructions. She was offering her submission without any coercion or contract. With just that thought, he practically came undone. Control, she needs to see that I have the control for both of us. Don't fuck this up, Manoso.

He tossed the sheet and swung his legs over the side of the bed, enveloping her with his thighs. Softly, he stroked the top of her head and down her hair. "I gave you no time limit to be home, Babe. And you texted as you promised. I have found that my food is not as tasty when you are not here to share it. But, right now, I have an appetite for something much more satisfying."

He took his member in his left hand as he raised her chin with his right. She smiled at his unspoken command. She touched his tip with a kitten-soft lick and was delighted to see his member twitch with anticipation.

Normally, when giving head, she did what felt good to her. This time it was different. She wanted to follow his direction. She wanted him to use her mouth and her body to find his own satisfaction. For the first time in her sexual life, Stephanie wanted to be the tool by which her lover found his release. At that moment it didn't matter what he asked of her, she would do it willingly and happily. And with this submission she found an unbelievable feeling of joy and of all things free…freedom to be as sensual as her body cried out to be. She didn't feel dirty or sluttish. For the first time she felt like a strong, passionate woman with no need to apologize for her sexual drive.

She wasn't aggressive. She didn't grab his dick and start to pump or squeeze. She didn't gulp his head into her mouth and demand response. She waited patiently as he guided her head and asked permission with her gestures before placing her hands on his shaft. Her eyes never left his. Her submission was total. He had never been so honored or so turned on in his life. Behind his eyes, he felt pressure…surely a reaction to his arousal and definitely not unshed tears of joy. Not him. No sir.

Slowly her tongue danced around his cap. Her nails played up and down the base as she gently sucked. She stroked his balls as she made popping sounds as she pulled away and sucked him back between her lips. His hand gently guided her movements with the gentlest tug on her hair. He was driving her, showing her, helping her to please him.

His breathing became more rapid and his thrusting deeper. She was finding her own arousal in the sounds and motions of her lover…her Dom. His release against her lips was powerful. She could feel jet after jet of his semen hit the back of her throat. He tasted like love.

She held him in her mouth long after he had released. He held her there selfishly, not wanting to break the wonderful spell. But he had obligations to his sub. She needed to know the same joy. She needed to know that her willing submission had sparked a thirst in him that only her climax could quench.

He stood and took her by her arms to help her rise to her feet. He overpowered her mouth with his. He sucked deeply to remove any foreign oxygen from her lungs, replacing it with the air from his own. She needed to know that it wasn't just her body that he dominated…he controlled her very being, at least for that passionate moment. He needed her to know that she could trust him with her very breath. She could trust him with her heart.

Laying her on the bed, he proceeded to worship every inch of her skin with his hands and his lips. His tongue tasted her eyelids, her throat and her wrists. He suckled each tit as if contained vintage wine. He worshiped her mound with his mouth and nibbled ever so gently on her hardened clit. His tongue explored her inner space with a reverent joy. He played with her g-spot and could feel her heat.

Suddenly, he did not want her to take the leap without him. He needed to be inside her. He needed to feel her as she exploded into pieces around him. He knelt between her knees and pulled her up as he entered her. The cry from her lips, either from the pain of penetration or the joy of being one, sent the final jolt to his sac. Three deep, hard thrusts were all it took for both of them to fly away together.

Lying on his side with her wrapped in his arms and legs, he felt perfectly content. In that moment, he wanted for nothing. Heaven could not offer him more than what he had right here in his bed. He drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep.

She felt her heart leap from her ribs and envelop both of them. All this time wasted. All she had to do was trust herself and in trusting herself she could trust Ranger to be there for her in all things. Where had all this insight come from? From the bop on the head Claude had given her this evening. As silly as it sounded, that thunk of pain had cleared an awful lot of cobwebs from her mind. She was in control. She could say what she was and what she wanted. She did not have to apologize for what she was or what she needed. And Ranger, her Dom accepted her submission tonight with love in his eyes. He would help her to explore her needs and prevent her from harming herself while doing so. He would push her limits to their very end and perhaps beyond. In being his submissive…she would be able to fly off that garage roof and truly be free.