The city was a blur as the cab slowly made its way through traffic. Tea roses and Baby�s Breath still clung to his senses as he held the book to his chest. In his mind he was still trying to understand it all. So much to believe, that she would enjoy such things. His strong, intelligent, vibrant partner crying out in throngs while tied down and helpless, at the mercy of some sick freak. Yet, he wanted to be that sick freak. He wanted to see the look in her eyes, the same one he saw whenever they had to go in hot, guns ready. He needed to see that same look when she had to go with him into interrogation and run defense for him, even when she didn�t agree. He had to see that she trusted him, trusted him enough to let him touch her in this way.
He leaned against the cab window, cool glass and warm thoughts fading the city around him further�
Dear God, it�s hot in here, but so is she. Look at her. Just LOOK at her! I did just what she wanted. She�s across my bed, softness holding her wrists and ankles; she�s spread and naked and oh heavens she�s moaning! Squirming, moaning, begging� calling for me. What can I do, Alex? How do I make it better for you? I don�t care what you tell me, I�ll do whatever you want. I want this to be perfect, but you already are. Skin so soft under my hands. Smooth. Stretch marks. War wounds, earned for the sacrifice you made. The pain. God I remember it, sweetheart. I�ll never forget. Don�t cry. Please don�t ever cry again. I�ll do anything you ask, but please don�t cry.
She�s so soft all over! Just laying here next to her is making me insane! I was always insane, but now it�s official, and she made it so. Can I kiss you, Alex? Am I allowed? Should I? I don�t care! You taste like cinnamon, Alex. Cinnamon and sugar and home, soft and smooth and so warm. And getting hotter. That�s it, baby, scream for me. Let them hear you for miles, so the entire city will know I made you feel this way. So they�ll know you�re mine. And I�m yours�
A horn just outside his window jolted him from his mind. His heart was pounding and sweat was beading across his face. His clothes felt damp and sticky, and there was an amazingly powerful ache pulsing against his jeans. This cab ride was officially taking forever.
Finally, he stepped out into the haze of this part of town, right in front of a place he�d had to enter only because a suspect shopped there. He hadn�t noticed it so much, then, but now he had a purpose. He was going to make use of this place. So into Lady Gadiva�s Workshop walked Detective Robert Goren.
Toys for big boys, he thought as he wandered aimlessly through the many displays. Fuzzy and furry and leathery things surrounded him in colors not found in nature. Who the heck would actually use fuzzy pink handcuffs? They were soft, though�
�Hi. I�m Angel. Anything I can help you find?� Bobby gave a wonderful impression of a deer in headlights as he turned to behold a rather lovely young woman. She wore tight leather pants, but a rather modest cream-colored top. Her hair was a very dark brown, and her smile was genuine and subdued.
Then he remembered the fuzzy handcuffs in his hand, blushed quite deeply and dropped them very quickly.
�Pink not your color?�
�Uhm�� He could feel his cheeks growing hotter. What the hell was this? He wasn�t shy about much, but sex was not something he was ever shy about. It was natural, heart-felt, and why the hell was he trying to convince himself of this right now?!
�Oh, I see. First time?� At his very dumb nod, she smiled further. �Well, what interests you? I might be able to help you find what you need.�
�I�m actually here for s-some�um�b-bon��
�Bondage? Is that the word you�re reaching for?� And suddenly it felt as if he was blushing all the way to his ankles, and her knowing smile wasn�t helping. �Follow me, then.� She turned on a surprisingly delicate ankle considering the boots she wore and moved toward the back of the store.
�Well, actually, I�m just sort of learning.� She stopped dead and turned to him fully, her arms across her chest and an air of authority suddenly surrounding her.
�Well, then you need to seriously consider what you�re getting yourself into.� He stared at her a moment, a hard swallow ripping through his parched throat. She licked her lips as if thoroughly annoyed. Wow, she looked a lot like�
�What do you really think this is?�
�Well, it�s about one person being in charge while the other person is at their mercy.� He didn�t think, and perhaps he should have, because even he thought that answer was lame, and untrue. At least for him. Was it? Did he even know what he thought?
�It�s not so much about dominance, but sharing.� Bobby stepped back, his fantasy suddenly alive in his mind again. Wow, that sounded familiar. �A sharing of yourself with someone else in a specific kind of setting. For some, that means being on �top� as opposed to on �bottom�, and for others, it is simply a state of mind, allowing control to be given and taken as a situation dictates.�
�Wow. I�m impressed. � He couldn�t help a smile as the cynic in him reared its head. �That sounded remarkably well rehearsed.� With a smirk of her own, she relaxed a bit, her arms falling to her side. Resignation? Annoyance? Both?
�Yeah, I can see that you really are new to this whole thing. Come back and let me explain a few things to you.� She stretched up and looked over his shoulder, and he turned to follow her line of sight. �Julia, take over for a few, could you?� Talking to nothing? Should he really be taking advice from this woman?
�You got it.� From behind one of the display cases came a diminutive slip of a girl in a schoolgirl�s outfit, high-heeled Mary Jane shoes and fishnet stockings. Her hair was in pig-tails, and she wore far too much eye make-up. A leach�s dream. He sincerely hoped that was her goal.
Angel turned and walked to the back of the store, a curtain of crushed velvet covering a doorway. She moved behind it, and he followed, not entirely sure if he should. Point of no return, and all that. I really hope this drama-queen streak does dormant soon, he thought as he stepped beyond.
He looked around in the dimmed light, and the walls were covered in nightmarish things. Whips, chains, many kinds f knives, handcuffs of all assortments, rope and leather bindings. He was suddenly not sure if he was in for a lecture or a demonstration.
�Come, sit.� She advanced on a small table, rather out of place considering the surroundings. Kind of like her, he thought with a wolfish grin. The small wooden table held a white linen tablecloth and a small vase with a single pink carnation, freshly bloomed. The chairs were hard but comfortable, and within seconds she brought forth a small ceramic tea set.
�Now, where exactly did you get the idea to get into this? It sounds like it wasn�t your first choice.�
�Well, there�s this woman in my life, not really a girlfriend per say, she�s a friend that I kind of have a thing for.� Oh yeah, that sounded really lame. Need to curb that. �And she asked me to get her something from her apartment, and I stumbled onto this�well, let me show you.� He retrieved the book and the two small sheets of paper that were currently ruling his life. As she read them over, his mind drifted back to his fantasy. Soft skin, pleading eyes. I�ll do anything, baby, just tell me you want me to, tell me you like it, let me know you love it when I touch you right here�
�That�s very personal. It�s also very, very good that you read this.� His mind snapped back to the present just in time to retrieve the pages and return them to the book. The book lay out on the table, and Bobby suddenly felt like snatching it up and keeping it in his coat. Alex should never be so exposed. She should be protected, cherished, not left out on display like a piece of meat. Angel�s smile changed subtly, and he wanted to adopt his usual stone face of indifference, but it seemed too late. �It shows you�re willing to accept this part of her. You�re willing to understand and even venture toward enjoying this part of her personality. You just got knocked up two notches in my book.� She handed him a small cup, steam roiling from the rim. �Sugar?�
�No, thank you.� She sat back easily in her chair, taking her own cup and staring at him through slightly lidded, thoughtful eyes. Yup, far too late to try and cover this. Oh well.
�So,� she said after a brief sip of the strong brew, �what did you have planned?�
�Still working on that.� Never mind the fact that he was already trying to tune out Alex�s moaning in his head. Why was this fantasy not joining the others that involved his partner in seclusion so he could think?
�Ever even thought about this before?�
�Yes, but my knowledge has only gone as far as surface research. I�ve seen some very interesting things, and some things that seemed anything but pleasurable.�
�Pleasure is in the eye of the beholder, but she�s given you a really great outline on what she is and is not comfortable with. But word of warning, whatever you end up doing, you have to stick to these guidelines.�
�Well, she also said she wanted to explore.� She nodded, almost as if testing him. He�d passed, apparently.
�True, but think about it this way. This is your first encounter, not only sexually, but also in this setting. The last thing she is going to want is to be pushed out of her comfort zone. Enough new territory is being forged here without adding in something that could potentially ruin this entire thing.�
�Point taken.� Another soft smirk fades in and out. Apparently, he was getting some of this right.
�Good. Next up, do you have any idea what her safe word could be?�
�Safe word?� His ears gently perked. Her smile faltered a bit, and she set her cup aside.
�Ok, how exactly do you think the person on top knows when the person on bottom has had enough?�
�I hadn�t really� thought about that.� Not totally true, but that was neight here nor there.
�Well, while the telepathic skills of Hollywood actors may be uncanny, those of us in the real world use words. Special words or phrases that, if uttered, stop the game right then and there. Ropes and bonds are removed, blindfolds are off. The person on bottom has control of when things stop in this sense, because only they can know when they truly can�t take anymore. This word is their lifeline. Honor it as a matter of trust, always.�
�I take it you�re not a big believer in gags, then.�
�Not really. They cut off communication. And besides, most people like to listen to the begging.� Her nose gave an impish crinkle. Little minx, he thought with a slow sip.
�You sound like you know all there is to know about this stuff.�
�I�m part of the local chapter of a BDSM educational group. Working here for as long as I have, it made sense to know what my customers were up to.�
�But not you?�
�That�s none of your business either way.� Even though he already had his answer, but no matter.
�Returning to the subject at hand, if you want to really impress her, get informed. Tell me you didn�t do something stupid like plan something for tonight?�
�I barely even have a plan.�
�Good, because now I can truly devote time to you and make sure you make the most of this.� With that she was on her feet and walking, and Bobby had to consciously keep up with her. She went rather ceremoniously back through the velvet curtain and into the store, weaving her way through the maze of aisles.
�Did you have particular scene in mind?�
�Scene?�
�Absolutely. This is primarily about role-playing, and this girl of yours seems to like that part of it especially, so why not have a full scene? You can set it up in your apartment, and when you bring her there, all you have to do is change clothes and make it happen. Or hell, leave changing out of it. You can do that, too.�
�Good idea.�
�Well, let�s go see if we can�t get you a few more good ideas.�
She stood for a moment before a display of all things feathery and soft, and began picking up what looked like no more than yards of silk. One after another was shoved at him in a barrage of dark colors and patterns. As she moved on, he surveyed his armful in more detail.
�But, what are these for?�
�You�re lady friend seems to like restraints a lot.� Made sense. He hadn�t liked the idea of ropes. They seemed�too mean. Too angry. Unloving.
�Good. No ropes.�
�I quite agree. Even in a situation like this where one of you is experienced, soft and simple makes all the difference.� And another point scored, he thought happily. He was on a roll, and forming a definite plan.
�Anything else you�d like?�
�Actually, yes�.� He made his way to a second display, and her giggle behind him seemed distant. He knew what he was looking for, and when he found it, he found two other things that would go perfectly with it.
�You have some�interesting tastes.� He looked back toward her as he held up two of the objects he wanted.
�I fell like I�m back in high school having �the talk.� This one�s a little more hands-on, though.� Again rose the cynic, but at least his sense of humor was coming back, too.
�In a way, you are.� She held up a pair of bottles, and an impish grin of his own spread wide.
�Well, looks like you�ve got what you need.� She turned toward halfway in the direction of the counter, but a sudden grin told him mischief was about. �So, how did you want to present the subject to her?�
�I hadn�t gotten to that part yet.�
�Well, then I have a few suggestions��
Disclaimer: The charactors, names, and references made herein belong to NBC, inc, Wolf Productions, etc. No copyright infringement intended. For fun, not profit.
