letting you out on some street in the rain. I’m not an asshole.” When I made a rude noise, he looked at me, finally. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s fine.” I released my death grip on the seat belt and held up a hand between us. A wall he wasn’t allowed to cross. “It’s fine. It’s what you want. It’s good that you know what you want. But I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what my limits are, not exactly, so I can’t possibly know if I can live up to yours. You’re looking for someone who’s perfect out of the box, and that’s not me. It would be unfair for you and a little scary for me.”
“But this lifestyle is about obedience,” he answered, squeezing those strong hands around the steering wheel again while struggling to keep the calm Clark Kent smile. “You will enjoy what we do because I enjoy it and you want to please me. That’s how it works.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Really? And you would know that how again? No one has bothered to teach you anything.”
I flinched and looked away from him. No one had. That was true. I’d been rejected by the only person I’d been willing to submit to, so he had me there. Warmth suddenly burned my cheeks and as if sensing my embarrassment, he glanced at me.
“Your words, not mine.”
“I just want to go home. This was a terrible idea.”
“I’ll take you home. I said I’d take you home. I’m not leaving you on some street corner.”
“Fine. Just, whatever.”
His eyes flicked suddenly to the rearview mirror. His forehead knotted.
“Shit. Hold on.”
“What is it?”
“I said hold on .”
“I don’t want to hold on,” I snapped. “You’re freaking me out.”
“I said wait .” He threw me a look, hit the gas, and took a curve so fast the wheels squealed. I grabbed at the dashboard just as the lights from the car behind us lit up.
A police car.
He swore. “God damn it, Marcus.”
“Marcus?” I stared out the back window, the hair on my arm standing up. “Oh my god this isn’t happening. They want us to pull over. So pull over .”
He didn’t, not at first. For a second he seemed to hesitate, but common sense won out. The car slipped on the wet street as it decelerated.
The cop followed us to the side of the road. Thomas killed the engine and we waited in heavy silence.
I exhaled and dropped my head against the leather headrest.
“Worst date ever.”
He didn’t look at me. He said nothing.
A flashlight hit the passenger window, nearly blinding me.
“Step out of the car. Both of you, step out of the car right now.”
Thomas rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Fucking fantastic.”
While he pulled himself together, I let the seat belt loose and pushed the door open. I hadn’t gotten a foot into the overflowing gutter water when the officer grabbed my arm and dragged me onto the sidewalk. Another cruiser drew up behind the first.
On the other side of the car, Thomas pushed the cop’s hands away.
“Don’t touch me. Do you know who I am?”
“Do you know whose car this is?” the officer asked in a tone that suggested the officer knew exactly whose car this was. He smirked and Thomas wilted.
“Thomas?” I looked at him and he no longer looked like Clark Kent. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t say anything,” he warned.
“Don’t say anything about what ?” The cop squeezed my arm and pulled me away from the open door. The second officer ducked inside and shone his flashlight along the floor.
“I don’t know what’s going on. Do you want to see my license?” I held up my hands, like they do in the movies, but it only made being dragged away from the car more awkward. My officer clicked his flashlight and shined it right in my eyes. I jerked my head away.
“Have you been drinking?”
“A couple glasses of wine.” The light made my eyes water. And since it seemed like it needed to be pointed out, I added, “I
“It’s fine.” I released my death grip on the seat belt and held up a hand between us. A wall he wasn’t allowed to cross. “It’s fine. It’s what you want. It’s good that you know what you want. But I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what my limits are, not exactly, so I can’t possibly know if I can live up to yours. You’re looking for someone who’s perfect out of the box, and that’s not me. It would be unfair for you and a little scary for me.”
“But this lifestyle is about obedience,” he answered, squeezing those strong hands around the steering wheel again while struggling to keep the calm Clark Kent smile. “You will enjoy what we do because I enjoy it and you want to please me. That’s how it works.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Really? And you would know that how again? No one has bothered to teach you anything.”
I flinched and looked away from him. No one had. That was true. I’d been rejected by the only person I’d been willing to submit to, so he had me there. Warmth suddenly burned my cheeks and as if sensing my embarrassment, he glanced at me.
“Your words, not mine.”
“I just want to go home. This was a terrible idea.”
“I’ll take you home. I said I’d take you home. I’m not leaving you on some street corner.”
“Fine. Just, whatever.”
His eyes flicked suddenly to the rearview mirror. His forehead knotted.
“Shit. Hold on.”
“What is it?”
“I said hold on .”
“I don’t want to hold on,” I snapped. “You’re freaking me out.”
“I said wait .” He threw me a look, hit the gas, and took a curve so fast the wheels squealed. I grabbed at the dashboard just as the lights from the car behind us lit up.
A police car.
He swore. “God damn it, Marcus.”
“Marcus?” I stared out the back window, the hair on my arm standing up. “Oh my god this isn’t happening. They want us to pull over. So pull over .”
He didn’t, not at first. For a second he seemed to hesitate, but common sense won out. The car slipped on the wet street as it decelerated.
The cop followed us to the side of the road. Thomas killed the engine and we waited in heavy silence.
I exhaled and dropped my head against the leather headrest.
“Worst date ever.”
He didn’t look at me. He said nothing.
A flashlight hit the passenger window, nearly blinding me.
“Step out of the car. Both of you, step out of the car right now.”
Thomas rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Fucking fantastic.”
While he pulled himself together, I let the seat belt loose and pushed the door open. I hadn’t gotten a foot into the overflowing gutter water when the officer grabbed my arm and dragged me onto the sidewalk. Another cruiser drew up behind the first.
On the other side of the car, Thomas pushed the cop’s hands away.
“Don’t touch me. Do you know who I am?”
“Do you know whose car this is?” the officer asked in a tone that suggested the officer knew exactly whose car this was. He smirked and Thomas wilted.
“Thomas?” I looked at him and he no longer looked like Clark Kent. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t say anything,” he warned.
“Don’t say anything about what ?” The cop squeezed my arm and pulled me away from the open door. The second officer ducked inside and shone his flashlight along the floor.
“I don’t know what’s going on. Do you want to see my license?” I held up my hands, like they do in the movies, but it only made being dragged away from the car more awkward. My officer clicked his flashlight and shined it right in my eyes. I jerked my head away.
“Have you been drinking?”
“A couple glasses of wine.” The light made my eyes water. And since it seemed like it needed to be pointed out, I added, “I
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