She doesn’t need to be so nervous, though. The collar is sitting in my condo, waiting to be placed around her neck – with her permission, of course. I’m not going to be a Dom with her until that happens. Right now it’s her and me as we always are. Yet I’m sure it’s not that simple in her mind.

Her cunning mind that is really not on its game today.

Of course, this does not look good in front of the Andrews, who are getting ready to sign on the dotted line that would transfer the deed and keys of The Grand over to the Mathers family. Good thing Kathryn isn’t officially part of the buy.

Do you know who is?

The woman crashing the meeting, her coiffed hair tangling in her earrings without a care.

My mother was not invited to this meeting. Yet there she is, sitting across from Kathryn and me, her eyes darting between us with the goofiest smile on her face. I look to my father, who tightens up and clears his throat. He won’t meet my eyes.

The gabby bastard. What was it, Dad? Did your ex-wife grab you by the balls as she always does and demand to know what I’ve told you about my love life recently?

Is this how she keeps finding out about me?

The papers my ass! See if I tell my father shit again.

Kathryn stiffens so hard that I think she might be turning into a piece of wood. I graze my hand against her knee beneath the table and feel her relax. This isn’t going to get any easier with both of my parents making asses out of themselves.

The Andrews don’t seem to notice, and continue the meeting with both of our real estate lawyers present.

By the end of the meeting, I feel like the only thing that’s been accomplished is finding out that my parents know. What I don’t anticipate is what my mother says to me after the meeting, when we’re alone in the half-destroyed lobby of The Grand with the signs of protestors still marching back and forth across the street.

“I had the most lovely talk with Kathryn on Monday,” she says in a low, cheerful voice. “You’ll never guess what she told me about you and her…”

Oh, I can guess. I can guess to the point I’m glaring at the back of Kathryn’s French twist without any regard for who sees me doing it. Like my mother.

“Don’t be that way.” She pats me hard on the shoulder. “You take care of that sweet girl so she doesn’t run away screaming from you. I want no fewer than two grandkids. I want a grandson with the dark curls you used to have, and a granddaughter with blond locks like hers! I want mini-yous!”

I’m going to throw up.

“I don’t think this is the best time to discuss this,” I say through gritted teeth. “And if you only came here to talk about Kathryn, then I’m afraid you picked a terribly poor time. I’m here to work.”

Standing up to your mother’s meddling is a dangerous thing. Especially when she has a reputation for being notoriously meddlesome. Just ask my father.

Just ask Kathryn, apparently!

My mother finally makes her grand exit a few minutes later, stopping to whisper something in my father’s ear. The man glances at me straight away, and I know it’s not good.

He gives me an apologetic look. He’s the only man who knows better than I do what a handful Caroline Grant-Mathers can be.

A handful of money, but a handful nonetheless.

Once most of the company is gone, I steal some time to approach Kathryn and lightly touch her shoulder. She’s talking to her assistant before the girl goes home for the evening, so now is as good a time as any.

“See you later,” I whisper into her ear. Kathryn shudders beneath my breath, but she does not change the power in her voice as she speaks with those around her. Good. I prefer her like this when we’re in public.

We’re not leaving together. We’re having dinner separately, and then meeting at my place later. She needs to go home and change, anyway.

I sent her very specific instructions on what to wear again. What can I say? Part of being a Dom is getting to dress up your sub. Not every Dom does that, but I get a kick out of it. Seeing her dressed up as I want her… it’s part of the fantasy, the eroticism.

Now it’s also a part of her training.

I go home, alone, after seeing Valerie off with her husband and kid who came to pick her up. Usually I walk to The Grand since it isn’t too far away from my condo, but this morning it was raining so I brought my car.

Take-out is my dinner. While I eat, I run around my home, cleaning things up and attempting to set some ambiance. Kathryn is… delicate. Even when we weren’t being kinky, she was still hesitant when we had sex last time. So I need to step up my romantic game.

Just because I’m training her, pushing her boundaries and turning her into a new person she’s never met before… doesn’t mean it can’t feel romantic.

More candles. More mood lighting. More of me fighting back my hard-on because I can’t stop thinking about her bending over my bed, pulling up her skirt and exposing her ass to me for a hard spanking.

The more I think about that, the more incensed I become. She needs to be punished.

She told my mother about us.

She needs to be punished.

***

Kathryn’s sitting in my living room, perched on the edge of the couch. She sat there on her own. I told you, she’s not wearing the collar yet. She doesn’t have to obey any commands under pain of just punishment.

I kinda wish she was.

She’s turned down a glass of wine. I ask her again if she wants one. It would be a good idea to have some alcohol to relax before we begin.

Instead, I’m doing all the relaxing.

Hey, I get it. I’m being myself. We’re in my home, on my turf. It’s Katie who has to psych herself up and get into the mood. So when I sit beside her and press my wineglass to her lips, urging her to have a sip, she finally relents.

I kiss her shoulder. Her bare shoulder.

She dressed as I asked. “Dress like you were doing a scene as a Domme.”

Kathryn’s black corset is stitched with bright red ribbons. It pushes her breasts up, and when she moves quickly, the mounds jiggle in such an enticing way that I can barely restrain myself from kissing them. Black garters run down her legs and into a pair of lace-up boots. To my delight, her corset has an easy-access place where I can get to her wet slit without having to completely disrobe her or attempt to pull fabric out of the way so I can fuck her.

Her hair is up in that lovely twist. Immaculate. Stunning with tiny black beads laced between her strands of golden hair. Her long neck looks even longer without jewelry adorning it. Although she is wearing those dangling earrings, per my request. There’s something about them that is so regal.

It’s probably the way they jangled against her skin the last time I drove my cock into her from behind.

That’s going to happen again tonight.

So help me…

What I love most is the low-cut jacket she’s wearing on top of all this. Any sub can look like she does beneath. Yet it’s a Domme like her who is going to sport the tight, crisp fabric currently covering her. I know I said her shoulder was bare. That’s because during our time tonight I’ve already managed to pull down a part of the sleeve and kiss her perfumed skin.

She’s trembling. Not in pleasure.

“Are you nervous, my darling?”

Kathryn nods.

“It’s all right. I understand.”

The harsh judgment of her blue eyes suddenly pierces into my soul. “Do you?” She takes a deep breath and looks away again. “I mean… I’m sorry. I know I’m asking for this. It’s not fair to you.”

“Unfair? Hardly. You can’t help how you feel.” I get up, giving her some space to breathe as I traverse my condo in search of her present. “But I do understand that our blurred lines aren’t helping you any. Just the other night you kept fearing I was going to try Topping you. That’s why I propose something.”