Dancing With Devils Ch 08

Chapter 8

One

Kendall and Jacob went back to the family compound and Kendall agreed to stay in the executive suite. Jacob was coming down from the stress of the day, the loss of Mindy, and the night in jail. He was a mess. It was alot to process, but he seemed to be holding it together. She was also worried about him.

He sent the staff home and the two of them sat on a balcony overlooking a pool. It was the same pool that she had seen Jacob and Mindy having sex next to. She wondered if Jacob was thinking about that.

He poured them both bourbon, handed her a glass, and said, "I can't believe Mindy is gone."

Kendall said, "I know. I had someone from my offices pull the files. It looks like it will be ruled another stupid accident with hand guns and kids."

Jacob sniffled and Kendall said, "Oh God I'm sorry Jacob. I should not have said that."

Jacob said, "It's okay, you're right. It is stupid." He paused and then said, "Oh God did you talk to Charlie? She must be a mess too."

Kendall was surprised and said, "You know about Charlie?"

He nodded and said, "Yes. She told me she was going to get married. It's why she quit her job."

Kendall was confused, but wasn't sure what she should say. So she said nothing. Finally Jacob said, "Kendal you alright?"

She nodded and said, "Fine. I just didn't know you knew about Charlie."

Jacob said, "You aren't offended she was in love with a woman are you?"

Kendall turned to him and said, "God no. I'm not a homophobe. I just didn't know you knew. You two seemed, um, close. I sort of thought you might be a couple."

Jacob looked at her for a long moment, his eyes piercing and said, "Why would you think that?"

She turned to face him and was about to say something, but he interrupted. He said, "Whatever you are about to say, don't. I can see the lie on your face and remember what I told you the night I signed your contract."

Kendall remembered his command. Never lie to me. It's the one thing I won't tolerate. She sighed and said, "Okay Jacob the truth is I saw you two together by the pool. I was in my room and heard you, then saw you through the window."

Jacob stared at her for a long time. He said, "You saw us, but never said anything?"

Kendall nodded. "I was shocked, but this is your house and what you do in it, isn't really any of my business. But you knew I was here. Why didn't you just go to your bedroom? You had to know there was a risk I would see you." Kendall was genuinely curious.

Jacob considered her for a long time. Then he said, "I did that for Mindy. The risk was part of the thrill."

Kendall smiled and said with skepticism, "For Mindy? She didn't strike me as an exhibitionist."

Jacob smiled, thinking about Mindy and said, "She's not. Or I guess wasn't." The change from the present to past tense sent an expression of grief over his face.

Kendall said, "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this." Kendall somehow felt she was on dangerous ground. She wasn't sure why.

Jacob said, "It's okay Kendall. You saw something that Mindy and I shared that was both intimate and personal. She was a submissive and wanted to explore that part of her personality. When I met her she didn't understand who or what she was. She was ashamed of her own desires and buried them inside herself. Maybe we all do that. I don't know." He paused and then said, "What I do know is that the things we did together as a dominant and submissive was the most honest thing I have ever felt in my life. To play those types of games you have to trust each other and be willing to be vulnerable and honest."

Kendall thought about it and said, "You said something similar to me in Chicago and then again the night we had dinner. You said you wanted a lawyer you could trust and then told me to never lie to you."

Jacob nodded and said, "Yes. Those two things are as important in our relationship as it was with the relationship Mindy and I shared. I have to be able to be vulnerable and honest with you. To do that I have to trust you. And for you to believe the things I say, you have to trust me."

Kendall's heart was hammering and she felt the strong attraction to the man again, but also incredible curiosity about what she had witnessed and what he was saying.

He said that he brought Mindy to the pool where they might be seen because the risk made the sex better. She could understand that, although when she thought about being seen in a sexual situation herself, she was mortified. She asked, "You said Mindy was not an exhibitionist, but you took the risk of being caught for her. Is that true Jacob, or was that for you?"

Jacob considered her and said, "She wasn't an exhibitionist. She was terrified and embarrassed at the thought of being seen like that. I did it for her because it was something she could not do for herself. Part of the dynamic is to understand limits and explore them. When it comes to sex, I think it's not the things we desire that are as erotic as the things that we find dirty. I think dirty is another word for shame."

Kendall said, "So it was about humiliating her." Kendall was curious but also felt a surge of anger.

Jacob said, "No. It was about her letting go and not feeling the shame for something she enjoyed, even if it was dirty."

Kendall said, "I don't understand Jacob. She was the one in a leash and collar, not you. I'm not sure how you giving her orders and treating her like your personal slave, was in her best interest, or 'for' her as you put it."

Jacob said, "You're right."

Kendall was surprised he agreed with her. She said, "I am?"

Jacob nodded and repeated her words, "You really don't understand."

Then he said, "If Mindy were here maybe she could explain it to you better than I can. But what you saw was our final night together and I wanted it to be special for her. You saw the end of a year and a half relationship between the most intimate dynamic two people can share. You don't understand. But I promise you, she was the one in control every step along the way. She did nothing that she didn't want to do. She just needed a dominant to give her permission to explore the things she wanted. I gave her things she could not give herself."

Kendall said, "Permission? Mindy didn't strike me as the type of person that needed permission for anything."

Jacob smiled and said, "That was true about ninety five percent of the time with her. What you saw was the other five percent of her. Everyone has desires they are afraid to explore. Don't you have unrealized fantasies?"

Kendall thought about it and said, "Me?"

Jacob shrugged, "You are human, aren't you?"

Kendall smiled, paused, and then said, "No, I'm a lawyer." That made him laugh.

He responded with, "Even lawyers like to fuck sometimes, don't they? You were having sex while talking to me on the phone, less than a week ago. Was that exciting for you?"

Kendall blushed crimson.

He smiled and said, "Feeling embarrassed right now?" She was, and wished she had never told him about that.

Like he had read her mind he said, "Wishing you lied to me that night?"

She said, "I'm not embarrassed." Then she paused and said, "Well I am, but I shouldn't be. I didn't think you would ever know and I was in my own house with my husband."

He smiled and said, "You don't have to justify having sex Kendall. No one is judging you for your desires. Tell me the truth. Why are you embarrassed? Is it because you had sex while talking to someone on the phone, or because I know about it?"

Kendall licked her lips, unsure of how to answer. She said, "It's just that sex is personal and private."

Jacob nodded and said, "Yes it is. Personal because your desires are uniquely yours; private because you have been taught since birth that there is something wrong with you for having those desires."

Kendall felt herself shiver. This conversation had gone from personal to intimate and she wasn't even sure how they had gotten there. But she was curious and wanted to understand what would make a woman like Mindy be led in a collar and leash.

Jacob continued, "And that's what I helped Mindy reject: the idea that something was wrong with her for what she desired. We spent alot of time talking about it before we did much. Trust takes time to build."

Kendall said, "So putting her on a leash and having sex with her while I was watching was her idea?"

Jacob shook his head. "No that was all my idea. She only had the choice to surrender to my will or use her safe word. That's the freedom of submission."

Kendall said, "I won't tell you I understand it Jacob. It sounds complicated."

Jacob said, "It can be complicated and its hard to explain to someone who has never experienced it. But it's not that complicated to understand if you feel it."

Kendall said, "What do you mean?"

He looked at her with those dark eyes, paused, and said, "If you want, I will show you."

Kendall said, "I am not going to let you put a leash on me."

He laughed and said, "I suppose not. But that is not what I had in mind."

She smiled playfully and said, "What did you have in mind? And I'll remind you that I'm married." She was actually trying to remind herself. Robert seemed very far from her right now.

He raised an eyebrow and asked a question of his own, "So what limitations does that impose?"

She looked at him confused. She said, "It means that you can't touch me. You can't kiss me. You can't have sex with me. You can't do anything like that at all."

He stared at her and asked, "Am I allowed to speak to you?"

She laughed and said, "Sure. You can say anything you want to me as long as you don't touch me."

He smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll show you something that might help you understand what I am talking about."

Kendall felt the tingle of attraction become a tremor. She said, "What do you mean?"

Jacob said, "Stand up, and I'll show you."

Kendall said, "Stand up? I told you that you couldn't touch me."

Jacob said, "And I won't. Now stand up."

Kendall stood, turned to face him, and said, "Okay. Now what?"

He smiled and said, "All you have to do is listen and answer me honestly."

She stood facing him, heart hammering, afraid and excited. She said, "Okay."

Two

Jamal Davis was fantasizing about seeing Kendall Baker shot, stabbed, dismembered, or set on fire. The bitch had fucked him today. Now he had to wait 90 days before the board would fire Jacob. There was no way they would convict him that quickly. The arrest was supposed to be enough and if those pencil pushing weasels over at the DOJ had held him for one more day, he would have been able to manipulate the board into doing what needed to be done. God damn it.

He wanted Kendall dead if for no other reason, than she pissed him off. He thought about calling Ice and ordering the job be done right now, but he didn't. There were risks in killing her and unintended consequences could bite you in the ass. Look at Mindy. Jacob hired an assistant to fuck him, and now Jamal was running around like a lunatic trying to manage the damage.

He also had another problem. There were some very dangerous people in northern Africa, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Russia that were also potentially on that hard drive. He had set up Carol's money laundry using some of his off the books clients with Mitchell Industries. He and Willard had done some profitable but highly illegal deals involving weapon sales to warlords, drug smuggling out of Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as supplying both Iraq and China with computer chips that were not available for export. It seemed logical that these contacts could handle a minor money laundry as a favor to gain access to Willard and his vast empire.

Willard didn't know what Jamal had done on his own and would have probably fired him had he known. Willard was willing to take risks but he would not tolerate someone taking them for him. Now Jamal had to worry about that potential disaster. If some of his clients thought they might be compromised, the wouldn't think twice about Jamal Davis disappearing from the earth.

So he couldn't go off half cocked and kill Kendall until he had a better grasp on the situation. But he wanted to. She had screwed him at the board meeting and Mindy might have a way to reach out of her grave and give her a weapon. He poured another drink as he fumed.

Three

Jacob watched Kendall stand up on the patio overlooking the pool. She faced him and asked, "Okay now what?" He brought himself to his full height and stood facing her, his face inches from her own. She looked at him and he saw the excitement in her eyes. Part of her was enjoying this and part of her was afraid. He thought about how Mindy had looked that first night and Kendall looked much the same. He felt the rush of excitement roll over him. He needed this release after the day he had endured. He thought she might as well, or at least was curious.

He said, "Kendall there are rules to what we are about to do. They are there for your benefit mostly. Do you understand?"

Kendall's lips quivered and she said, "Rules? What rules?"

Jacob smiled and said, "We will start with four rules. There are more, but those are where we will start. The first rule: your safe word is going to be 'red'. Do you know what a safe word is Kendall?"

Kendall nodded and said, "It means stop."

Jacob nodded and said, "Yes. But more than that, it is a covenant of trust. It has power because you trust that no matter the situation you are in, if you say your safe word, then everything that is happening stops. It's what gives you all of the control in this experiment. It's the only absolute. If you say your safe word everything you are experiencing will stop. Do you understand?"

Kendall said casually, "Sure. I know what a safe word is."

Jacob said, "Good. The only other word with power is 'yellow'. You can say 'yellow' if you want something to slow down or if you get too close to a hard limit you have. It won't stop everything, but its a way for you to tell me you are getting close to red. Do you understand that too?"

Kendall breathed softly, remembering Mindy, and said, "Yes."

Jacob said, "Good." Then he asked, "So what is rule number one?"

Kendall said, "My safe word is red and my slow down word is yellow."

Jacob smiled. She was looking up at him and he down at her as they spoke. He felt the connection between them and it was already intoxicating. There was nothing so exciting to him as seeing a submissive explore who they are.

Four

Kendall looked up at him and felt his presence close to her. His eyes were locked on hers and she felt the world collapse in scope until the only thing in her consciousness seemed to be Jacob Mitchell and his dark, piercing, eyes. She said, "My safe word is red and my slow down word is yellow." Even saying those words excited her. At the same time they somehow made her feel safer. She could say red anytime she wished and end this. It made her feel like she had some power in this dynamic.

Then he said, "Rule number two. You will only ever have one choice to make tonight. You may follow my instructions and obey me, or you may use your safe word. Do you understand the rule?"

She bit her bottom lip and said, "I understand but I'm not going to do anything with you."

Jacob said firmly, "I didn't ask you what you were or were not going to do. I asked you if you understood the rule. Answer the question. This is not a debate."

She suddenly felt like she was being scolded or corrected. She felt her face flush like the time in law school where she cited the wrong case and the professor had corrected her in front of the class. She said, "I understand the rule."

Jacob said, "Repeat it then. What is my second rule?"

Her mouth was dry but she heard herself whisper, "Obey you, or use my safe word. That is my only choice." She looked at him and felt the heat of attraction roll through her again and her nipples went hard with the recitation of the rule. He stared at her saying nothing. A moment stretched into two and finally she said, "What's the third rule?"

He smiled and said, "Speak only when spoken to." She shivered and blushed knowing she had violated the rule with her own question, as Jacob had known she would. She licked her lips and started to say something, then held back. His words echoing in her mind, 'speak only when spoken to'.

He saw her wanting to speak and smiled as she exerted control over herself and surrendered to the third rule. She stared back at him and he wondered how long she would be able to not speak, and just be with him in this moment. He didn't intend to find out. This was just an experiment to see if he could make her understand.

He said, "And the fourth rule is important to me." Kendall listened, her focus singularly on him. With no ability to speak without breaking one of the rules she was able to listen and hear him. She suddenly felt something she had never felt before. Her mind went quiet, no longer obsessing on the flurry of thoughts that were so ever present that she didn't understand what quiet was anymore. Now all of the tangential thoughts about legal questions, Robert, would her flight be delayed, and a million others that were ever present in the bubbling cauldron of thoughts in her mind went silent. The cauldron was no longer bubbling and she only focused on the words Jacob said.

He said, "You will address me as 'sir' until this experiment ends. It is a sign of your respect for the rules of this game and of your promise of obedience. Do you understand?"

She understood and said, "Yes sir." Saying those two words to him was an act of surrender for Kendall. But she didn't want this connection between them to end, at least not yet. She considered ending whatever was happening, but she told herself it was harmless. He had not touched her and she had been very clear that he couldn't. But under that rationale there was some other truth that she felt, but didn't completely see. She liked the way he looked at her. She liked him instructing her about this game they were playing. And she liked that feeling of being wanted and out of control.

Jacob broke eye contact with Kendall and took a step back. He said, "Stand up straight." Kendall immediately straightened her back and stood at attention. He said, "That's better." Then he took a full minute to walk around her, looking at her, first from the front, then around to one side, then behind her. As he stood behind her he moved closer. He never came in contact with her, but she could feel him standing there. She could smell his cologne and hear his breathing. He whispered in her left ear, "Your limits prevent me from touching you. Those are your limits and I will respect them. It's part of the trust we will have to share if you really want to understand this. Do you understand?"

She was trembling and felt nothing but raw sexual chemistry and desire for him. She said, "Yes sir."

He nodded and said, "Good. Now I am going to ask you some questions and you will answer them honestly and fully. Do you understand?"

Again she said through trembling lips, "Yes sir."

She was surprised at how she felt and how completely she was overcome with desire for him and her desire to please him by not breaking his rules. He looked into her eyes and said, "Let's start with an easy one." He paused watching the anticipation in Kendall's face and said, "Do you shave your pussy?"

Kendall's eyes went wide with shock and she was about to protest. He saw it in her eyes and said firmly, "Rule number two".

Kendall thought, Obey him or say red. She almost said her safe word, but something held her back. Perhaps the same thing in her that wouldn't let her give up on pursuing the Mitchell account, or that thing that drove her out of bed every morning at 5 AM in the hopes of making partner, or perhaps it was just her desire for him. She would never know exactly what it was in that moment, but she felt she understood the game they were playing was a trap. She could surrender to him, or she could surrender to her safe word, which felt like a betrayal to herself. She shivered and said, "No sir. I don't shave, sir."