Beware Falling Ice Read online

  She looked up at him again. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. Thank you. Thank you for trusting me, and thank you for asking me to come with you.”

  It took her a long time before she answered, and he was starting to think maybe he’d pushed her a little harder, misread her, took things just a hair too fast.

  “Okay. I’d really like that. Boyfriend and girlfriend.” She kissed him.

  His cock tried to stir, realized how cold it was, and said fuck this shit, defrost first and try again later.

  “I’d also be okay,” she added, “if you wanted to be my Dominant. I’ll let you make that call. But I don’t want us to have any stricter rules yet than we already have, except the monogamous part.”

  “And we don’t play with others without asking first.”

  “That go for you, too?”

  “Absolutely. If you didn’t notice, I’ve kind of limited myself to playing with only you lately. I really haven’t wanted to play with anyone else.”

  “Me, either.”

  “Then those sound like boundaries I can easily accept, if you can.”

  Her smile almost—but not quite—stirred his stubborn cock out of hiding.

  “I can.”

  He closed his eyes. “Good. Dom Says let’s sleep in a little while longer, then.”

  Her sigh sounded content, happy. “Thank you, Sir.”

  “You’re welcome, pet.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  They arranged things with the hotel—which Andrew insisted on paying for this time.

  She didn’t argue.

  She also had to call the rental car company and arrange for an extended time, as well as she added Andrew as a driver, just in case.

  The hotel had a hot breakfast bar, self-serve, in an alcove off the main lobby. Today, there were only a couple of people in there besides them, none of them any relation to Rachel.

  After eating, they headed over to the side door to make their trek to Walmart. After checking weather reports, it looked like there were several weather fronts that would be sweeping across the center of the country over the next several days. After weighing their options of a hazardous two-day drive, or just waiting and flying home on Friday, they decided to wait it out.

  She noticed how apprehensive he looked. “You sure you want to try this?”

  He stared at the slick parking lot. “Not really, but I relish the thought of freezing my balls off even less. You sure they’re going to have winter stuff in Walmart? This is spring. Don’t they have like bathing suits and stuff?”

  “This is South Dakota,” she said. “We’ve had ice storms in May.”

  “Greeaat. I should spank you for this, but that would be a reward.” He didn’t move.

  “You want me to try to get the car?” she asked. “Since it has automatic locks, maybe it won’t be frozen. We could try to defrost the windshield. I’ve got an old gift card I could use as a scraper.”

  “No.”

  He still didn’t move.

  “Or give me your sizes, and I’ll go.”

  He glared at her, which made her smile.

  She stuck her tongue out at him.

  “You do that now,” he softly warned, in case anyone could overhear them, “the tongue thing, and you’ll get spanked for it.”

  “Maybe that’s what I’m hoping for.”

  “Dammit, you need to stop using reverse psychology on me. Red. Hard limit.” He stared at the slick surface.

  “Stick toward the sides,” she said. “Follow me. And don’t walk under overhangs, or trees or stuff, if you can avoid it.” She pointed up. “Beware falling ice.”

  “I thought that was just something out of A Christmas Story.”

  “No, people really can and do get hurt by falling ice.”

  “Terrific.” He stared.

  “Whatever you do, don’t rush, and don’t stop in the middle of a driveway.”

  “We’re crossing a parking lot. A couple of them. And a road.”

  “I know. It’ll be okay. Move slow, walk like a penguin.” She took the lead, knowing if she didn’t, he might chicken out.

  The hotel had already salted the sidewalk around the building. She stuck to sunny spots on the black pavement until she reached a grassy strip. Andrew only wobbled once.

  She made the mistake of thinking they were home free when they crossed the road and reached the store’s parking lot. She was more focused on watching where she was going than checking on Andrew.

  That was her first mistake.

  She caught sight of something in her peripheral vision and realized Andrew had veered off-course and was heading toward the sidewalk, along the shaded northern end of the building.

  “No—”

  Too late. Andrew let out a scream as he pinwheeled his arms and went down faster than a discounted chocolate bunny the day after Easter.

  She hurried over to him. “Are you okay?”

  He held up a finger. “Don’t touch me,” he softly said.

  “But—”

  “Just let me regroup and catch my breath and regain my dignity.”

  She couldn’t help the giggle that burped out. “I tried to stop you. Stay out of the shade, I told you.”

  He let out a sigh and sat up. “That’s two right there.”

  “Two what?”

  “Paddle strokes, when I find a suitable replacement for a paddle in that store.” He carefully made it to his feet and this time, she held on to his arm, guiding him, not letting go until they’d reached the safety of a salted section of sidewalk.

  Inside, he stopped and stretched before slowly walking over to the cart corral area to grab one.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Remind me to add Epsom salts and ibuprofen to our shopping list.”

  He bought jeans, socks, a couple of sweatshirts, a warm jacket, a knit hat, and warm gloves. They also added slip-on ice cleats for their shoes, which the store carried in the shoe section. He bought another small suitcase, because he wasn’t about to leave brand new clothes behind, and didn’t have room for it all in the suitcase he’d brought with him. She picked up a couple of extra things as well, which she could stash in his suitcase for the return flight.

  They detoured through sporting goods, where he grabbed a table tennis paddle. After Andrew arched an eyebrow at her, the item went into the cart.

  As did a package of clothesline from hardware, a couple more boxes of condoms, and a full-sized bottle of lube.

  He grinned. “If nothing else, this week will educate you on my knowledge of pervertibles.”

  She shivered in the good way, her clit throbbing. “Yes, Sir.”

  * * * *

  The ice cleats, gloves, hat, and coat helped make Andrew’s return trip to the hotel far more tolerable. They also bought some more snacks, including a couple of microwaveable meals, in case they were still iced in that night. It’d be cheaper than ordering pizza, too.

  She let Andrew lead the way, now that he knew it, and did her best not to laugh at how cute he looked waddling his way across the parking lot like a Domly penguin. Back in their room, he adjusted the temperature of their AC unit warmer.

  “Get naked, pet,” he said.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He started putting things away and walked over to grab the new paddle and package of rope, which he tossed into the middle of the bed. “I think we’re going to go for attempt number two with anal this morning.”

  He’d also purchased disposable gloves, and extra batteries for her vibrator. A cheap sleep mask became a blindfold, and twenty minutes later, she was on her back, tied up, extra pillows under her hips boosting her ass in the air, the vibrator buried in her pussy, and Andrew’s cock balls-deep in her ass.

  And she was coming around the vibrator and his cock.

  “Much better, pet,” he said. “Good girl.” He took a slow stroke out with his cock before sliding deep inside her ass again. “Such a good gir—”

  Knock
knock knock. “Housekeeping!”

  “Fucking seriously?” he muttered. “No, thank you!” he called out. “We’re fine.”

  Rachel froze, hoping one of them remembered to throw the deadbolt and the safety latch.

  The sleep mask lifted and Andrew stared down at her with what she was beginning to think of as “the look.”

  “That’s another five for not making sure the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign is out, pet. How many are we up to?”

  Her hands were tied above her head so she couldn’t easily shrug. “I don’t remember, Sir. I think ten is a good number.”

  “I think that’s more than I owe you, but I won’t argue with you.” He tugged the sleep mask back into place and she felt him lean, reaching for something.

  Followed by the feel of the paddle against her outer thigh. “Five on each leg. Count.”

  He smacked her hard, too, her body at war now, trying to process pain and pleasure and the fullness in her ass and pussy. By the time he landed the last promised stroke, she was coming again, harder than before.

  “Yeah, that’s what my pet likes, doesn’t she?” He started fucking her ass, slamming his condom-clad cock home over and over again, his body bumping against the vibrator, too. It forced her to remain in an orgasmic spiral, coming and coming, until he finally finished with a loud grunt of his own.

  The vibrator switched off, and now that he was still, she could hear and feel his heavy breathing.

  He reached down and removed the sleep mask again, leaning in to kiss her. “That’s better,” he said. “Almost. I am bound and determined that I will fuck your ass at least once this trip without interruption.”

  She giggled. “Yes, Sir. Good luck with that.”

  He got up to dispose of the condom and clean up.

  Also, to put the sign out.

  She remembered that, with her hands full earlier when they’d returned, she’d pulled it out of the lock so he could insert his key card, then she’d forgotten to put it back into place.

  He got her untied and she cleaned up while he started filling the tub.

  “After that fall, I need to soak or I won’t be able to move tomorrow,” he said.

  “Ooh, wait.” She went through her oils and pulled out rosemary and peppermint. Using their ice bucket and the plastic bag liner for it, she mixed him up a batch of Epsom salts with the two oils added.

  “There you go. Try that. If you mix the oils in with the Epsom salts, it blends better. Otherwise, the oil just floats on top of the water.”

  He sniffed it. “This is witchcraft, isn’t it? I was right in my earlier assessment that you’re like a demon or something based on your early mornings.”

  But he smiled.

  She pulled him in for a kiss. “Try it. When you get out, I’ll give you a massage.” One of the items on her shopping list had been a small bottle of almond oil.

  A horrible thought hit her. “Wait…you’re not allergic to nuts or anything, are you?” she asked.

  “I’m only allergic to fire. And, apparently, ice.” He grinned, making her laugh.

  * * * *

  Andrew knew he wouldn’t ever give her a hard time about her oils. Between the soak, and then her amazing back rub after he got out of the tub, he hoped he’d at least be able to walk tomorrow.

  After a nap, he called work to let them know what had happened with their flight, and to arrange to work remotely from the hotel room for the rest of the week.

  Unfortunately for Rache, there wasn’t as much she could do for her job remotely. She could take phone calls and answer e-mails, but unless someone sent her files and reports, she couldn’t log in remotely the way he could.

  But she had vacation time due to her, so she took some of that.

  And she had fun lying between Andrew’s legs, holding his cock in her mouth while he was on a conference bridge call.

  He loved looking down at her, seeing the way the corners of her eyes playfully crinkled, and knowing she was having fun.

  Sure, this week would be aggravating in terms of logistics…but damn.

  He’d received his wish to have more alone time with her. Maybe by the time they finally made it back to Florida, they’d have solid answers for each other about where they wanted “this” to go.

  If he had his way, he’d be doing his best to convince her this was a good thing that should keep happening.

  Not there, in South Dakota, of course. Back home together, in Florida.

  Because the more time he spent with her, the more he realized this felt right.

  And the more he realized that the thought of losing her ripped him to shreds.

  * * * *

  Once Andrew was off another call, Rachel took a few minutes to call Justin.

  “We’re stuck here until Friday.”

  Justin started laughing. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. They cancelled our flight. So if you want to get together for dinner once the roads are safe, let’s do it.”

  “Okay. How about tomorrow night?”

  “If it’s safe.”

  “It’s supposed to be in the upper fifties tomorrow. It’ll be melted.”

  “Terrific.” They’d just purchased stuff they’d probably never need again.

  “What’s wrong? I mean, besides the obvious.”

  She told him about their sojourn to Walmart—including Andrew’s introduction on how not to walk on ice—and he started laughing.

  “That’s hysterical. We didn’t have nearly as much ice down here this morning. The roads are pretty much clear and safe in town.”

  “Tell your brother I’m flipping him a bird,” Andrew said without looking up from his laptop.

  “What’d he say?” Justin asked.

  “Sir said to tell you he’s flipping you a bird, but he’s not really. He’s just joking.”

  “Remind him I think it’s funny a guy his age has never seen ice or snow before.”

  “If that was an age joke,” Andrew playfully shot back, “tell him to stuff it. I’m only forty-four.”

  “Should I just let you two talk?” she asked.

  Then she realized…had she just called Andrew “Sir” to Justin?

  Shit, shit shitshitshit!

  She’d have to be more careful about that. Around the rest of their friends, it wouldn’t matter.

  But Justin was family, and vanilla.

  Shit!

  When she finally got off the phone with him, Andrew looked up. “You realize you called me ‘Sir,’ right?”

  She fell backward onto the other bed. “Dammit! I was hoping I hadn’t done that. What do I do?”

  “Leave it alone and see if he brings it up. If he doesn’t, fine. If he does, you need to decide what you want him to know. The easy out is the little white lie about Southerners saying sir and ma’am all the time to everyone, and you picked up the habit.”

  “He won’t have remembered hearing me say it any other time.”

  “That’s where things get tricky. Or you tell him I’m spanking your ass on a regular basis. Your call. I’ll support you either way.”

  She didn’t like that option, either. Not that she was against others knowing that Andrew was spanking her ass, but she didn’t want Justin knowing that.

  He was her little brother.

  And she wasn’t entirely sure he’d be okay with it. Considering he was the only family she had left, she damn sure didn’t want to do anything that might possibly alienate him.

  The rest of the day she spent watching TV, watching Andrew, curled up next to Andrew naked in bed—and getting another spanking by Andrew, just for funsies—and then cuddling with Andrew.

  This was starting to become a habit.

  One she didn’t want to break.

  A really good habit.

  They ended up nuking their microwave dinners that night, eating cuddled up in bed while watching a Christmas movie on TV.

  “I can’t believe I’m watching Christmas movies in April and freezing my ass
off,” he grumbled. “It’s witchcraft, I tell you.”

  Despite his earlier fall, and the sudden change in plans, his playfulness remained intact.

  She wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d become moody and sullen, but he hadn’t. He’d immediately thrown himself fully into making the best of the situation with her.

  If this isn’t love, then I damn sure don’t know what the hell it is.

  Although declaring love for him would have to wait a little while. No, they hadn’t just met. It wasn’t some “instalove” situation. They weren’t strangers who’d only met yesterday on the Internet. They’d been friends—and closer—for months.

  Still, this was the first time they’d…gotten this intimate. It was a crazy weekend, and they needed more time like this together before she could really label it with any degree of certainty.

  But it sure felt good.

  And it sure felt the way she hoped love was supposed to feel, the way she’d always hoped it would feel.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tuesday morning, Rachel awoke half-draped across Andrew’s chest, one leg thrown over his.

  “Don’t you dare move,” he muttered. “Unless you have to go to the bathroom. In that case, you can move, but only if you promise to get your sweet ass back here immediately.”

  She snuggled closer. “I’m good for right now, Sir.”

  “Good.” He reached up, found her head, tangled his fingers in her hair, and pulled her in for a kiss. “Is it daylight outside?”

  She lifted her head. “Yes, Sir. Barely.”

  “Crap.” He let out a sigh. “I do have to work today for a while, at least. So we have something we need to get out of the way before I start that. Spanking or fucking?”

  “Why does that have to be an either-or choice, Sir?”

  “Mmm. Good point. Such a clever pet. Spanking, and then fucking.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  “You have got to be the most agreeable sub in the history of the planet.”