Out of the Box 7 Read online

  Out of the Box 7

  Kallysten

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2008 Kallysten

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  The right of Kallysten to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  First Published September 2008

  First Edition

  All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Mary S.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Out of the Box 7

  My Lady Aphrodite,

  From the moment I came back home after my night with Anando and Leo, I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. I was excited by the memory of these two gorgeous, sexy men focused on me and my pleasure, but also, just as much, by what I had shared with Anando alone after Leo’s departure. It feels strange to even say so after everything we have done together, but it had been our more passionate tryst yet, and just thinking about it made me squirm.

  The one thing that I couldn’t wrap my mind around was that I wasn’t upset or annoyed that we had broken the rules yet again. I was the one who had set them up. Why couldn’t I manage to maintain them?

  Invariably, thinking about our rules always brought my mind to the rules that governed Leo’s life. I thought I knew of two; his partner had to approve of his lovers, and he couldn’t stay the night with them. I may not be very experienced, but I am not an innocent either. I am aware of the existence of other lifestyles. Being aware of something and understanding it, however, are two very different things, and I couldn’t help wondering what Leo gained from being bound by these strict rules. Part of me was certain he had to have been coerced into that arrangement. It didn’t make sense otherwise. At the same time, I had seen no trace in him that these restrictions chaffed.

  It was all very puzzling, but more than that it was safer to wonder about Leo’s amorous life and its rules than to reflect too deeply on my own.

  My mind still troubled and buzzing with questions, I returned to the club only two nights later. The club was busy, but not overly so, and I easily found a seat in the back of the first floor, in one of the semi-private booths. I sat in the back of the booth, so I could survey the bar and entrance. After sitting alone for half an hour, sipping on alcohol-free cocktails, I started worrying that Anando might not come. The previous night, Lisa had hinted he didn’t come to the club as often anymore, and he had no reason to think I would return so soon. For the first time it occurred to me that I had no way of contacting him. That realization left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.

  When he finally arrived, just before ten o’clock, he walked straight toward me, making me wonder if he had somehow been warned that I was there. It didn’t matter, though, not now that he had arrived. I watched him approach, letting my eyes roam over him. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a tan shirt. He had left the top three buttons unfastened, and they offered tantalizing glimpses of his skin, just a little darker than the shirt. His walk held the confidence that he always wore like a coat. I beamed at him as he sat on my right.

  “I didn’t think I’d see you again so fast, Virginia dear.”

  Something sparkled in his dark eyes, and made it clear that the surprise was a good one. Relief washed over me.

  “I didn’t expect to be back so soon either,” I said with a little shrug. “Especially when I’ve got to go to work in the morning.”

  He smiled at the bit of apology I put in my words and asked, “Do you have a curfew, then?”

  It had been at the back of my mind, even though I hadn’t truly let myself think of it, and so the answer came easily.

  “Eleven. I won’t be going home with you tonight.”

  I expected him to try to convince me otherwise; maybe I even hoped he would. I couldn’t be disappointed when he nodded, though, not when his eyes were so full of warmth.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, “but I’m glad you came. Would you like to dance?”

  I pointed at the almost full glass in front of me, but in truth I didn’t really feel like dancing. I wanted us to be able to talk, and the loud music made that difficult on the dance floor.

  “In a moment,” I said. “Can we stay here for a while?”

  He rested his elbow on the table and leaned forward to rest his cheek against his closed fist. “Anything you want. Always.”

  The tone of his voice hinted at much more than deciding whether to dance or talk. Heat spread through my cheeks. I took another sip of my drink, looking up as I did. I noticed the owner of the club, Brett Andrews, passing by. The memory of dancing with him—and especially of the reason why he had wanted to dance with me—made me take another long drink.

  “Did you enjoy yourself the other night?” Anando asked.

  Some day, I’ll be able to talk about sex without blushing. Or at least, I hope I will.

  “Very much,” I said, struggling to look him in the eyes. “Both when Leo was there, and afterwards.”

  He reached over the table to take my hand and brought it up to his mouth. He barely brushed his lips against my fingertips, but a shiver ran down my spine at the elusive touch. To try and get a better grip on myself, I looked up again. Brett was now leaning against the bar, talking to Leo. From the corner of my eye, I could see Anando’s face turning to see what I was looking at.

  “What’s on your mind, Virginia?”

  I hadn’t come there to talk to him about this, but I found the opening impossible to resist.

  “I’ve been wondering about what you said last night. You know, about Brett needing to approve of Leo’s… partners.”

  I looked back at him to find he was frowning lightly. “What about it?”

  “I just…” I tried to smile, but it felt like a grimace. “I don’t get it.”

  “You don’t, Virginia?” He lowered his voice almost to the level of a purr. “Are you sure? I thought I had helped you figure out that it wasn’t that bad to put yourself in someone else’s hands.”

  A flash of heat coursed through me as his words summoned the memory of how he had given himself to me, just weeks earlier. My throat felt dry suddenly, and I had to take another long sip from my drink before I could reply.

  “What we did… It wasn’t anything as drastic as what they do.”

  Anando’s eyes never left me, and I found it hard to look away again. “Maybe,” he conceded. “But it’s the same idea. One partner gives entire control to the other, and in exchange gets taken care of. It can be freeing not to have to make decisions and just put your trust in someone else. Freeing, and intensely rewarding.”

  I thought about it for a little while. I wasn’t sure I understood what he meant, but I was more intrigued than ever. I soon finished my drink, and when I did Anando stood and offered me his hand and a smile.

  “Shall we, then?”

  I nodded and took his hand, letting him guide me to
ward the staircase to the lower level. I cast a glance at the bar as we walked by it, and smiled when I caught Leo’s eyes over Brett’s shoulder. He winked at me.

  I had never been there on a Sunday night, and I was a little surprised to find the dance floor almost as packed as it was on Fridays and Saturdays when I usually came. It didn’t matter to me, though, not when I was dancing with Anando, mere inches from him, following his lead more than the rhythm of the music as I always did. His body was made for this—music and movement seemed to be the same thing when he danced, and both were very sensual. It didn’t take long before my mind returned to our conversation, and I started wondering whether it would be as intense as he had claimed to follow his lead not only on the dance floor, but for every little thing as well.

  Song after song, my courage built up. When the DJ switched to a slow song, Anando pulled me closer, his arms wrapped around my waist, and I looped mine around his neck. With a hand to the back of his head, I pulled him closer to me so I could say in the shell of his ear:

  “Would you do it?”

  “Do what?” he asked back, his lips brushing against my earlobe for a second.

  “Tell me what to do. Not all the time, just… just a night. Just to see what it’s like. Just as… a game. You know, like the games we’ve played.”

  He pulled his head back and gave me a long, surprised look. I returned it as levelly as I could. If he was wondering whether I meant it, I had to prove to him I did. I had to prove it to myself also.

  I was disappointed when he let go of me and took my arms down from around his neck: disappointed, and scared that I had finally crossed a line I shouldn’t have. He reassured me by weaving his fingers through mine and holding on tight.

  “Let’s go back up.”

  He kept my hand in his as we walked back to the first floor and found a table. A waitress approached, and Anando ordered wine and blood. I asked for wine as well; if I was really going to ask for this, I would need more courage. I seemed to have used up all of mine on the dance floor, and I couldn’t even look straight at Anando anymore.

  “Look at me, Virginia.” He waited until I did to continue. “You’re really serious. You really want to play that game.”

  The waitress brought our drinks. I took a sip before I answered. The wine was refreshing, but it did very little to cool down my mind.

  “Yes. I am serious.”

  Anando shook his head. I thought he was refusing my offer at first, but then I recognized the look in his eyes: incredulity, with maybe a touch of amusement.

  “Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?” he asked, a fleeting smile gracing his lips.

  I laughed, from nerves more than anything else. “Probably not.”

  He drank deep from his glass. It always fascinates me how his mix of wine and blood looks no different from my wine. His smile had faded when he lowered his glass again, and he now looked and sounded extremely serious. “This game has rules.”

  I understood the shift in his attitude at that moment. He wasn’t reluctant, as I had first thought. It was just the opposite, in fact. He wanted this as well, and wanted to make sure I knew what I was asking for.

  “I am serious,” I repeated. “Teach those rules to me.”

  He took another sip and seemed to mull this over. “Just for a night, you said?”

  I nodded.

  “Give me a full day.” He sounded like he was bartering. “Twenty-four hours. You can stop anytime you want, but if you don’t we’ll just go around the clock.”

  I swallowed hard, silencing my fears and doubts. I had been afraid before, but I had never regretted pushing forward. “OK.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know… how about next Saturday?”

  “From sundown on Saturday to sundown on Sunday?”

  “OK.” My anxiety resurfaced at that moment. It all seemed to be going too fast, suddenly. “What if… what if it’s too long?”

  “Then you put an end to it with your safeword.”

  I was overcome by the sudden urge to giggle and had to cover my mouth so I wouldn’t be too loud. This seemed to amuse Anando, and he raised an eyebrow at me.

  “I never thought I’d ever have a safeword,” I explained once I had calmed down.

  He gave me a half smile. “Well, it looks like you will. What is it going to be?”

  My mind went blank. I had no clue what kind of word would do. Maybe I was also afraid, just a little, that I would pick something silly and Anando wouldn’t take me seriously anymore. “Why don’t you pick it for me?”

  “No. That needs to be yours. Something you’d be unlikely to say in normal circumstances.”

  I watched his finger run along the rim of his glass. When he stopped and picked up the glass, the perfect word came to me. I grinned. “Chastity.”

  He snorted into his drink and looked up at me. He seemed both startled and amused. “Nice. What about your limits?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, what won’t you do?”

  I guess that had been the question ever since I had first met him, and every time it was asked, I surprised myself and pushed my own limits a little further. This time, though, I didn’t think I could push more than I was already doing. “I’m not sure. How about… how about anything we’ve done so far is OK.”

  He picked up his glass as he thought about it, and I watched the movement of his wrist as he twirled the wine in the glass. Once or twice, I thought he would spill his drink, but his control remained total.

  “All right,” he said at last, with a small, devious smile that made me a little anxious about what he had in mind. “Let’s see… what else…” The smile disappeared, replaced by a poker face that worried me just as much. “In this kind of game there’s usually punishment.”

  A flash of fear coursed through me. The obeying part of the game, I thought I could do. Punishments, however, might just be too much for me. Pain has never been anything I was even remotely attracted to. Before I could raise an objection, however, Anando seemed to read my mind.

  “I don’t think you’re ready for anything too wild though. Let me think…”

  He sipped on his drink and finished it as I waited, holding my breath and unable to think of any kind of punishment I could agree to receive. When he put down his glass, it made a light clanking noise on the frosted glass tabletop; the sound had a ring of finality to my ears.

  “How about this,” he said. “Anytime you don’t do as asked or hesitate, I’ll delay when you get to come by whatever amount of time I see fit. Disobey enough and you might not enjoy yourself too much.”

  I thought about it for a moment. I didn’t intend to disobey, but if I made a mistake, this was a consequence I could live with. I nodded, a little relieved, and gathered up my courage to ask, “What about…” I could feel my cheeks heat up as I finished. “Rewards? What do I get if I’m good?”

  Anando waggled his eyebrows at me. “That’s for me to know and for you to earn.”

  The temperature seemed to jump up at his words, and I gulped. “Anything else?”

  “No, for just a night, that’s about it. Do you still want to go through with it?”

  A wave of nervousness washed over me at the realization that we had really just planned a game of submission for me. “Ask me again on Saturday,” I said, and I wasn’t really joking.

  “I will.”

  A burst of nervous laughter erupted from my throat before I could stop it. “Wow.”

  Anando chuckled. “Is this what you came here for tonight?”

  “No.” I thought about it, then amended myself. “Not consciously, at least.”

  “Are you scared?”

  I almost lied, but decided not to. There would have been no point to making myself appear fearless; he already knew I was anything but. “A little. But I trust you.”

  It was that trust that I kept in mind all week. Every time we had played, Anando had pushed at my limits, or had encou
raged me to push at them myself, but he had always known when to stop. I can’t pretend I didn’t have moments of doubt, as the week trickled by. Those moments became more and more frequent as Saturday came closer. Still, I held on to the certainty that Anando would never do anything to hurt me, and that I would be able to stop everything if it just was too much for me.

  Saturday finally arrived, and with it, a box in the mail, about a foot long in all dimensions. A handwritten note next to my name and address warned me not to open the box before sunset. Curiosity gnawed at me, and throughout the day I kept coming back to the coffee table where I had dropped the box, but I managed to restrain myself. It was his first order for our game, and to break it now wouldn’t have boded well for what was to come. I started getting ready in the late afternoon, spending more time than usual preparing myself. I had bought new moisturizer, a new dress, even new underwear, all of it designed to make me feel sexier. It worked. The bright red dress had a plunging neckline that, I hoped, would attract Anando’s eyes. It was cinched just beneath my breast, then flowed freely down to my knees. I held the barely acknowledged hope that I wouldn’t wear the dress long. As it turned out, I didn’t even wear it out of my apartment.

  At sunset, just as I finally started opening the box, I heard something ring inside it. I hurried up and found a phone right on top, with a slim, black headset next to it. I slipped it over my ear and picked up the call.

  “Hello, Virginia. First order of the evening. You only speak when asked to. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good girl.”

  These first words of praise sent an unexpected flood of warmth down my body. I had not thought the game would start so fast, or that I would get into it that easily.

  “Do you still want to do this, Virginia?”

  I was glad he had remembered to ask, and glad that I hadn’t changed my mind. I am sure he heard my smile when I said, “I do.”

  “Any questions before we start?”

  “Just… just one. Should I call you anything special?”