The Heart of the Matter Read online

  “Danvers.” A terse, but altogether deep, sexy voice answered on the other end of the line. Elizabeth was momentarily caught by nerves, and he had to question who was on the line. “Hello? This is Eric Danvers.”

  “Yes, Master Eric, I’m Elizabeth Williams. Calla called me before and…” Elizabeth took a deep breath and did her best to carry on even though she felt as if she was making a hash of the entire conversation. “She said we should meet in the mundane world.”

  “Stop.” Eric’s voice held an even deeper note of command than Calla’s had previously, and it did something to her girl parts. She felt her nipples responding and butterflies erupt in her stomach. “You’re Elizabeth, and you’ve been proposed as a training sub for me, am I correct?” His questions were succinct and to the point. Eric spoke in his dominant voice, and she wanted to rub her pussy against her seat to get some friction.

  “Yes, that’s right,” Elizabeth answered.

  “Are you free tomorrow night?” he asked, and Elizabeth felt anticipation ratchet up her system.

  “Yes, always free for you,” Elizabeth blurted out. “Oh, I didn’t mean to say that. What I meant was I’m free. I can make myself be free.”

  “Stop, Elizabeth,” Eric chuckled into the phone, and her heart melted at the sound. “You have some impulse control issues don’t you, sweet girl?”

  “Well I have been accused of speaking before thinking,” Elizabeth admitted.

  “That’s something we’ll try to work on, then.” Eric’s voice was still calm and controlled. “Do you know the restaurant L’ Abattoir in Gastown?”

  “Yes, I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been there. Isn’t it supposed to be really expensive?” Elizabeth wasn’t sure how these things were supposed to work, but she knew she couldn’t afford anything at the upscale eatery, even though she would love to go there one day.

  “Good. I’ll have my secretary make a reservation for us and text you the time. Wear a skirt, no panties and make sure you wear your hair down,” Eric instructed.

  “But it’s really expensive,” Elizabeth repeated.

  “This is your first lesson concerning Doms. We don’t like to be contradicted. Elizabeth, it’s customary for Doms to pay for the first meal together, and if we agree to play together, I will pay for every meal in the future. It’s my right as your dominant partner. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I understand,” Elizabeth replied uneasily.

  “I get that in the past your dates have all required that you pay for half, and it has something to do with being an independent woman in a modern world. The BDSM world is different. How I practice in the lifestyle is different. I like to take care of the women I top, and part of that is paying for their meals. You’re entering a whole new world, Elizabeth, you’d better be open to making some changes, or this is going to be a difficult transition for you, involving many spankings,” Eric finished.

  The thought of Eric spanking her ass with that sexy voice counting out loud made her pussy clench. Elizabeth had to swallow a couple of times before she could answer.

  “I understand, Master Eric,” Elizabeth replied obediently.

  “Perfect, sweet girl. Now what were my other instructions?” he asked in a tone that brooked no disobedience.

  Elizabeth went back over his original directions and thought hard. “I’m to wear a skirt with no panties and have my hair down,” she repeated. “Also, we’re not allowed to play outside the club during my thirty-day training period.”

  “You’re right, of course, Elizabeth, but this is a lesson in your obedience.” Eric reminded her. “Watch for my text tomorrow with the reservation time.”

  “Yes, Master Eric.” Elizabeth felt calm as the end of the conversation neared. She had gotten a meeting out of Eric Danvers at the very least without doing anything to ruin it. “I look forward to meeting you.”

  “I look forward to meeting you too, sweet girl. Now get some rest, you might not have much time to sleep after tomorrow night,” Eric commented before he hung up.

  We might not have much time to sleep because we would be up all night fucking. He would be torturing her into submission. Just the thought filled Elizabeth with lust, and she thought of her toys hidden in her bedside table. Was it better to masturbate tonight and be on an even level emotionally when she met Eric tomorrow? Or should she hold off and save up all her pent-up lust for him?

  Elizabeth pushed her salad plate away from her and stood up. She wasn’t hungry for food now, anyway. She wanted to meet Master Eric, and more than anything she wanted him to live up to the promises he made on the phone. Elizabeth walked the short distance from the small kitchen to her bedroom without flicking on the lights. No need to turn them on for what she had in mind.

  Chapter 2

  Elizabeth stood outside of L’Abbattoir in Gastown and studied the patrons inside. The restaurant was so cool and chic; Elizabeth wiped her palms on her skirt. She had always wanted to eat here but had never had the money to indulge. She was meeting her potential training Dom for the first time inside. What would he think of her? Would he realise right away that she didn’t belong in a place this fancy? How would he react to her not being sexy like the other submissives at The Cage?

  “Excuse me Miss, are you Elizabeth Williams?” A deep voice spoke from beside her, and Elizabeth swept her glance from the brightly lit interior of the brick and beam restaurant to the man towering over her.

  “Uhm. Yes, I am,” Elizabeth replied hesitantly as she peered up into the face of the most handsome man she’d ever seen, let alone exchanged words with. He was movie star good-looking with windswept inky black hair and eyes so dark they merged with his pupils. He smiled down at her, revealing perfectly straight white teeth. He held his hand out in greeting.

  “I’m Eric Danvers, your date for this evening.” His salutation swept through her body and immediately her nipples became hard. She was glad the cool spring evening had required a jacket; otherwise, she’d be blinding him in her headlights. He started to frown, and Elizabeth realised he was waiting for a response.

  “Oh my God, I am so sorry.” She reached out quickly with her one hand and jammed it into his larger grip. His eyes widened at her aggressive actions, but he squeezed her hand gently before letting go.

  “It’s ok to be nervous, Elizabeth.” Eric spoke in a low confident tone. “We’re going to head inside and have a very nice dinner and get to know one another. Nothing is going to happen tonight that you don’t want. Do you understand?”

  Elizabeth nodded her head. She watched as Eric frowned and opened his mouth, and she gasped out loud. “Yes, I understand, Master Eric. I mean Eric. You want verbal responses, right?” She heard herself babbling. A blush began to arise from her chest to her neck. Elizabeth wished more than anything she could have a do-over.

  “Stop.” Eric’s voice was low and imposing. He seemed to grow a couple of inches taller, too. Elizabeth merely looked up at him with her heart in her throat. Was this where he told her they weren’t compatible? Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and she held her breath hoping her lips hadn’t twisted into a frown.

  “I don’t know what just went through your head, but you’re going to have to relax, Elizabeth.” Eric held his hand out and cupped Elizabeth’s face. Normally, he wouldn’t start a date out in the mundane world with any form of non-platonic touching, but Elizabeth looked as if she needed grounding. “You’re learning, and the lifestyle has many rules you need to understand. The good thing is that I don’t expect you to learn them all in one day or even be the perfect submissive. If you were perfect, I wouldn’t have an opportunity to spank your ass. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Master Eric.” Elizabeth was mesmerised by the fire dancing in his eyes and the way his lips moved when he spoke.

  “And Eric is fine. We are out in the vanilla world and people don’t need to know our business,” he concluded as he removed his hand from Elizabeth’s face. She frowned as she had enjoyed the comforting affe
ction.

  “Ok, Eric.” Elizabeth took a couple of deep breaths and tried to smile again.

  “Good, now let’s go inside; I’m starving.” Eric’s lips transformed into a boyish smile and Elizabeth’s heart did a somersault in her chest. He opened the door for her and ushered her inside the busy restaurant. A hostess approached them, and Eric gave his name for their reservation. Elizabeth followed the hostess to a table for two at the rear of the restaurant. The hostess lingered a bit too long speaking with Eric as she handed them the menus.

  “Elizabeth will have a water, and so will I.” Eric ordered their drinks and Elizabeth frowned slightly as she watched the waitress walk away. She had been perusing the innumerable interesting and diverse signature cocktails on the list and had her heart set on one with rum.

  “Really, water? Do I get to order something more interesting later?” Elizabeth asked over the top of her menu.

  Eric shook his head at her. “This really is going to be an interesting experience for both of us.”

  “What do you mean?” Elizabeth felt the nervous fluttering kick up again in her gut, and she wondered what she had done wrong now.

  “It’s customary when I take potential subs out to dinner that I order for them. Think of it like a test on both our parts. Will I take in to consideration what you might like? And can you trust that I’m only looking out for what’s best for you?” Eric sat back in his chair, and Elizabeth felt his eyes taking in every one of her responses.

  “I trust you,” Elizabeth said even though she knew by Eric’s shake of the head that he didn’t believe her.

  “You don’t trust me, and you shouldn’t,” Eric admonished. “I’m just some guy you met ten minutes ago. The same rules apply to the kink world as in the vanilla, Elizabeth. You wouldn’t immediately trust a vanilla date, and you shouldn’t trust a kink date right away, either. The kind of intimacy that runs between a sub and his or her Master takes time to build.” Elizabeth felt herself frowning, and she did her best to try and hide her reaction. Jerry had told her she looked ten kinds of bitchy when she frowned. “Stop worrying about everything so much. This is supposed to be fun.”

  Elizabeth nodded and set the menu aside. Eric watched her with warm approval in his gaze, and she felt her insides melt a little. This would be as hard as she wanted to make it, and she didn’t want to make this any harder than it had to be.

  Eric drank in Elizabeth’s lush figure as she gave up a smidgeon of her control and set her menu down. Inwardly, he smiled at the small act of submission. He had to admit when he saw her staring inside the restaurant from the street, his cock had kicked up in his pants. When she turned to stare up at him with her big blue eyes and luscious mouth, his dick had become fully engaged in the byplay. Even though Calla hadn’t given him a description of Elizabeth, for some reason, his instincts told him the woman with the lost expression on her face was his new training sub.

  “Are you allergic to anything?” Eric asked her as he stared into her eyes. They were so open, giving away her internal struggle. She was a mixture of defiance and submission. On the one hand, she needed to please; on the other, something blocked her submission. The fear of disappointing him rode her hard, instead of the fear that he would disappoint her. She might understand the power exchange in intellectual terms, but she hadn’t really gotten a taste of her own power as a submissive.

  “No.” She shook her head and glanced down at the menu.

  “Is there anything you really hate?” Eric asked her as he read her responses. How she answered these easy questions would become a basis for how he read her reactions when they played in scenes together. He needed to be absolutely sure she was enjoying his brand of kink as much as he.

  “Oysters, shrimp, fish.” She tapped a finger next to her pouty mouth. “Anything that comes from the sea, actually.”

  “See, that wasn’t so hard.” Eric looked back down at the menu. “Any particular reason why you hate seafood?”

  “I didn’t eat it very much growing up, I guess.” Elizabeth was staring down at the menu probably taking in all the seafood menu items. A waitress came around with their drinks order, and she set the glasses of water down on the table.

  “Are you ready to order?” she asked politely staring at Eric.

  “Yes.” Eric took a deep breath and plunged into his first test as her training Dom. “My date will have the beef tartare to start and the eggplant stuffed pasta for a main. I will have the baked oysters to start and the lamb loin.”

  “Can I get you anything further to drink? A cocktail or a bottle of wine?” The waitress asked while she gathered up the menus. Elizabeth perked up at the mention of cocktails and wine, probably wanting to ease some of the nervous tension she was feeling with alcohol. Unfortunately for her, alcohol would not be a part of their play.

  “No, we’ll stick with water, thank you.” Eric watched as Elizabeth’s face fell. The waitress walked away, and Eric took pity on Elizabeth. “Go ahead and ask.”

  “Why no alcohol?” Elizabeth rubbed a finger along the linen tablecloth, and Eric imagined what it would feel like to have that finger sliding across the head of his cock. He had to swallow before he could answer.

  “There’s a two-drink maximum at The Cage. I assume you read through the manual?” He asked as he picked up his water and took a drink.

  “Yes, of course. But we’re not at the club now,” she pointed out.

  “It’s true, and every Dom will have a different way of dealing with life in the mundane world. I choose to follow the Cage’s rules, especially since you’re new to the scene. Alcohol changes perceptions, and I want to make sure you have full cognitive abilities going into our first date.” Eric watched as the disappointment on her face morphed into a radiant look of happiness.

  “Is this a date?” she asked in excitement.

  “Yes, of course, it’s a date.” Eric really had no idea what this woman was thinking. “Just because I might tie you up and spank your ass soon enough doesn’t make this any less than a first date.” He watched as her breath caught at the thought of him spanking her and did his best to repress a grin. She might have problems submitting to his authority when it came to something as platonic as a food order, but the thought of him working her body over had her hot. A glimpse at the front of her shirt revealed her nipples had grown hard, and Eric shifted in his seat to adjust his slacks. He wanted to ask her about her last boyfriend and Dom. He was obviously an idiot for giving up on this sweet succulent sub when he could have nurtured her submissive streak. There was no doubt Elizabeth possessed one, underneath the heaviness of self-doubt.

  “What do you do for work, Elizabeth?” Eric asked as their entrees were served. He watched as Elizabeth inspected the beef tartare with yearning and knew he had made the right choice. He inspected the plate of baked oysters with similar excitement.

  “I’m an administrative assistant,” Elizabeth replied as she scooped up some of the seasoned raw steak and placed it carefully on the cracker. “It’s not a very interesting job, but they pay me well.”

  “Well enough to get a membership to The Cage,” Eric commented as he started to eat his first oyster. He swallowed the morsel and watched as a faint blush suffused Elizabeth’s cheeks.

  “I actually took another job to save up for the membership, and I used some money I had from an inheritance I received from my aunt.” Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders as Eric continued to stare at her. She might be skittish, but she had been committed enough to the lifestyle to work two jobs to get a membership. His stare was making her nervous again and she blurted out. “What do you do?”

  “I’m the owner of an import/export business,” Eric replied. There was a lot more to it than that, but his mundane life really was boring. “My great grandfather started the business as a kid when he arrived in Vancouver from Scotland. Supplying miners and adventurers going up to northern British Columbia. Now, we import goods from all over the world and export stuff from Canada.”
/>   “Wow, you’re much more exciting than me.” Elizabeth frowned down at her steak tartare and noticed she had finished the whole thing in only a couple of minutes. The raw beef had tasted wonderful, and she had enjoyed every morsel. Somewhere inside her was a foodie clamouring to get out.

  Eric was staring at her with a hard expression on his face, and Elizabeth’s heart nearly stopped when he spoke. “I don’t think so, Elizabeth.” He scooped up some of the oyster from another shell and held it out to her over the table. “Eat from my hand.” The words delivered in his smooth, dark voice sent shivers right down to her pussy and was wet from just him speaking.

  She leaned forward in her seat. “I hate oysters and seafood.” Elizabeth heard the words come out of her mouth, but she opened her lips wide to receive his gift.

  “This is me, exploring your soft limits, Elizabeth,” Eric reassured her and slipped the fork into her mouth. Elizabeth closed her mouth over the offering and felt the fork slide out of her mouth. What would it feel like to have his fingers or his cock pumping in and out of her lips? Her pussy clenched as she chewed the oyster. It wasn’t nearly as gross as she thought it would be; she liked the extra cheese and breadcrumbs. Without thinking, she let her tongue dart out and lick up the remaining crumbs around her mouth. Eric groaned, and Elizabeth realised he wanted her as much as she wanted him. A thrill of power went through her, and she felt her breasts heave underneath her shirt. Suddenly, the restaurant was too warm, and she wanted to get naked with Eric.

  “The oyster was really good,” she whispered as she sat back in her chair. The words spoken out loud appeared to break Eric out of his trance, and he went back to his plate.

  “So, you enjoyed it?” he asked before popping one into his mouth.

  “Very much.” Elizabeth smiled at him and was helpless against the adoration she knew was shining in her eyes. She had only known him for half an hour, and he already had the power to hurt her. What if he didn’t even want to be her training Dom? They were only feeling each other out right now.