*written in collaboration with my Enchantedfool*
*****
It had been over a week since she had teased him under the tree at the university. He had sent her a goodnight text thirty minutes after they had parted at her doorstep. She had rolled her eyes, returned his text with a short response and turned off her phone. Over the next week, Anna found herself smiling each time her phone dinged. The occasional text quickly turned into hour long discussions, which lead to phone calls well into the night.
That morning she had silenced her phone instead of replying to the good morning text he had sent. It was an effort to remind herself that he was only meant to be a toy. Glancing at the hall clock, she realized she was late and rushed out the door nearly crashing into a delivery boy holding a bouquet of white roses. He thrust them at her before pausing to scan her breasts with a goofy grin. As she turned to the note, the young man was already slinking away down the street. The note was written neatly but something about the slight shaking of the letters screamed nervousness.
Dear Anna,
I've really enjoyed getting to know you this week. Needless to say, our time under the tree last weekend was amazing. I've tried to get it out of my head but every day and every night I find myself imagining how intense and perfect that was. Our time together was only a few short minutes, but I don't think another woman has ever gotten under my skin like you did. Ever. I'd very much like to see if we might enjoy each other's company more generally. Would you do me the honor of allowing me to take you out this weekend? Perhaps to dinner, a movie or play. I have no expectations for a reprise of last weekend, unless that's where the moment takes us.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Respectfully,
Allen
She had turned him down each time he had hinted at a date over the phone, but he was a persistent one. A bouquet this size must have been a stretch for a grad student and the note was so adorably pathetic. Despite running late, she grasped a petal between thumb and forefinger, and plucked it from a bloom. Looking down at it, she he ran her fingers over the soft petal with a small smile. They reminded her of the silk boxers he had been wearing the night they had met. Anna shook her head, placing the flowers on a table beside the door, and chastised herself for the smile that seemed determined to grace her lips. What harm could one "normal" date do?
*******************
That night they met outside the restaurant of her choosing. His face lit up when he saw her and he seemed to stand just a bit taller. They had not seen each other in person since the tree, and it was clear that he was anxious. She wondered if that blush on his cheeks would always make her heart skip, before taking his hand and leading him inside with a smile.
This was her usual place to have a nice meal, she knew the owner quite well and enjoyed their menu. When she ordered for both of them, the look on the pretty waitress's face made Allen shrink down into his chair. He hastily insisted on choosing the best wine to pair with their main course. The waitress giggled and gave her a look acknowledging the fact that he was cute when flustered.
Their food was enjoyed slowly as they talked about their past relationships, the books they were currently reading, even a few childhood memories. While they chatted, her foot found it's way up his leg causing him to gulp his wine and look around with a wide self-conscious smile. When she paid for dinner while he had excused himself to go to the bathroom, she could swear he pouted all the way to the movies. He really did want to be the manly man who took care of everything.
Faced with the choice of movies at the ticket booth, he fidgeted and bit his bottom lip, glancing over at her to make the decision. Was it out of politeness or submission? She couldn't be sure. Anna chose a movie she had been wanting to watch. It was a foreign film with just enough nudity to give a man naughty thoughts that followed him home.
During the film, he had slid his arm over the back of the chair, pretending to slyly watch the screen like a teenage boy. Returning his arm to it's previous place, she placed her hand on his leg instead, sliding up and down idly.
Her touch remained inches from the hardest part of him for two straight hours as he squirmed. Each time he tried to slide himself down lower, she would squeeze his leg and give him a hard look. To her surprise, his attention stayed fixated on her hand, even when a naked woman graced the screen. When she asked him how he enjoyed the movie, he was barely able to recant the opening scene. The way he was looking at her in that moment, it was as if he was starving and she was the only nourishment on earth. What harm could one date do? She repeated to herself on the way home, shaking her head.
All night she had tested him, trying to catch a glimpse of the submissive man she had coaxed out of hiding. She had yet to really see him beneath the nervousness of a first date and the mask of politeness he seemed to wear in public at all times. As he prattled on about the wine they had drank in the restaurant, she studied him instead of paying attention to his words. His shoulders were squared and his voice was deeper than it had been the night they met. It was almost as if he was another man entirely. People passed them on the street as he talked and he nodded confidently to the men, giving the woman a charming grin before returning his attentions back to his date.
By the time they arrived at her apartment, it was clear what he needed to truly be free, to truly submit to her. A female sub was different than a male in many ways. Even when a female chose to submit, they still held all the power, even if they didn't realize it. Most women needed to retain a sense of it in order to truly reach that plateau of pleasure.
A man, or more specifically, this man needed to have it pried from his hands and shattered into a million pieces. He needed to be freed of the weight of it. Luckily for him, taking a man's power was exactly what turned her on. There was a chill in the air as she turned to look up into the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. He had draped her in his jacket in an effort to be gentlemanly, but was now covered in goosebumps. His eyes darted to the door and then back to her, and a smug grin crossed his face.
"Is this the part where you pretend to want a nightcap but really want to try and bed me?"
"Well..isn't that my duty and obligation as the male of the species?" His smile was infectious and she couldn't help but chuckle.
"You'll have all sorts of duties with me. None of which depends on your ability to play the big strong male."
"What sort of duties?" He asked leaning forward and searching her face for some clue of her meaning.
"That discussion will come after I've decided if I wish to keep you or not."
Slowly she slipped out of his jacket and handed it back with a smile. It was about time the tables were turned, and she was growing weary of the macho act. She wondered how far he would go to sway her decision. Something told her, despite the conventional gender roles he seemed to take very seriously in public, he could be stretched all sorts of ways in private. He seemed to be mulling over her words as he laid his jacket over his arm instead of slipping it back on.
"Goodnight, Allen. I had a very nice time," she said, turning to stick the key into the door.
"You are a fascinating woman, Anna...I think I'd like to learn more about...what you want."
Something in his voice made her glance back at him. His eyes were burrowing into hers, the slightest hint of worry swimming under the surface. What was it that made him look so fragile even when he was trying so very hard to be strong? She moved closer, brushing his cheek with her fingertips and leaning close enough to whisper in his ear.
"You're shivering, pet."
"Well...it is...a cool night. I'll be okay. Probably," he grinned, swallowing hard in an effort to hide both the quiver in his lips and the gaze that kept glancing inside her apartment.
She shook her head, smiling as she gripped his tie, pulling him inside like a dog on a leash. He beamed and followed her eagerly just as he did the night they had met. The memory of his embarrassment that night made her skin grow a bit warmer, so she released him, causally strolling toward the living room. It was best to keep a clear head at all times. No use being swept off into a rush of feelings. He made no effort to hide the grip his eyes had on her hips as they swayed away from him.
"You're entirely too adorable to let you freeze to the steps. Plus I just had them painted."
"I think you meant handsome, or debonair or some such, didn't you?"
"I meant what I said. And for the record, I always do. Adorable...beautiful...even pretty. Are those really such dirty words to describe a man?"
His face flushed at her words as he subtly draped his jacket in front of him. As if she'd never seen a man attempt to hide an erection. He shuffled from leg to leg under her stare before turning to pretend to examine a painting on the wall. When she remained silent, he turned his attentions to the white roses on the table, running his finger over the petals ever so gently. His voice was low and softer than before when he finally spoke.
"Most women wouldn't want their man to be adorable or...um...pretty."
"Do I seem like most women? She asked, flipping on the light and slipping out of her heels.
"Not in the least. That's why I am intrigued by you. Very."
"Close the door and come here. We'll see if you stay intrigued," she called over her shoulder, shuffling toward the bedroom.
He managed to pry his eyes off of her long enough to close the door, carefully locking it behind him before strolling toward her, no doubt certain he had somehow won a night in her bed. Turning to hold a hand up, a wicked smile gracing her lips as he stopped dead in his tracks. He clutched the jacket even tighter in his hands, pressing it into himself as a shield against the devious look that she was giving him. The gleeful smile soon slipped from his lips, and was replaced with a desire deep within him. A desire that they both shared.
"Crawl to me and I might give you a treat."
"S-seriously?" His voice was tense and cracking.
"On your knees. Now," she ordered, slipping the band from her long dark hair.
Even before the word Now left her lips, his knees folded beneath him as they slid to the floor. In the next instant, his palms spread across the wood grain, as the rest of him tensed. He slowly crawled forward with eyes riveted to her. Finally, she saw the man who exposed himself under that tree. Finally, he let that heavy shield slip away. She watched each movement carefully before disappearing into the large bedroom, tossing her hairband onto the side table, and switching on the lamp. Leaning her weight on the king sized bed, she waited patiently for him to crawl into the room like a good pet.
