Sara was confused about her own feelings. She did not know where they originated or if it even mattered. But she did know this; she was attracted to Daniel. She was falling for him faster than she wanted to admit. She was a little bit afraid of him. She liked how bossy and strong he was. But regardless of all of that, right now she was mad at him. She was afraid to show it at the moment; but she was mad. She plodded through her day, completing every task she was given but remaining quiet. She did not bother to turn her music on; something she enjoyed listening to every day.
It wasn't until lunch time that the thought crossed Sara's mind that she felt...depressed.
Daniel was about to go into a lunch meeting and knew he would ask her to attend and take notes. It was 11:00 a.m. and she grabbed her handbag and flew out the door to her car. As she was leaving the parking lot she could hear a text message notification on her phone. She reached over and shut off the phone without even looking at it. She wanted to sit and stare and do nothing. Her car seemed to pull her into the parking lot of Panera Bread where she could have her ultimate comfort food. She seated herself near the fireplace and a big picture window and consumed her all time favorite; Cheesy Broccoli Soup and a baguette.
As she stared out the window, she thought about the night before. She wasn't sure what she was more depressed about; being faced with James and all of the memories that brought flooding back or the fact that Daniel had been so hard on her. As the soup began to warm her insides and hunger subsided she felt better able to assess what was happening on the inside of her. Long after her food was gone she sat staring out the window. Customers came and went, lunch turned into dinner and time marched on without Sara seeming to notice. When she checked back into this dimension, the sun was going down. A single tear slid down her cheek as she thought of powering on her phone and going home to face Daniel.
Sara drove for an hour down beautiful country roads and circled around the city just thinking. When she finally parked her car she was at the fanciest resort hotel in town and determined to get a massage and a good night's sleep.
She dropped her credit card at the front desk and booked a room and headed off for the resort salon. She felt hours of stress drain away as her skin was kneaded, pushed and pulled in every direction. She had paid for an hour and a half Swedish massage with a hot rock finish. She barely had what it took to walk to her room when they got done with her. She ordered a fancy salad up to her room and ate dinner alone. She borrowed a phone charger from the front desk, turned off her phone and put it on the charger for the night. She knew Daniel was going to be looking for her furiously. She wanted to sleep on all she had thought about before she faced him. With that last thought, the lights in her world went out in an instant.
When Sara woke up she powered on her phone out of habit. There was a single text from Daniel that came in from the night before.
Daniel: You realize you used my company credit card and I know where to find you right?
Sara: I will have the balance transferred to my card when the bank opens.
Daniel: No need. Take whatever time you need, Sweet Pea.
Sara decided not to respond. The hotel delivered breakfast to her room along with a list of spa treatments she could enjoy at a discount since she had spent the money on a massage. She sent the card back with a manicure, pedicure, haircut and color and a facial. She decided to make a day of it. She also planned to eat in their Cafe to break up the spa schedule. She was laying out in the sun by the pool with her eyes closed when she felt a shadow darken the sun.
"I do hope you are enjoying the use of my credit card, Miss Beckett."
Sara immediately jumped to her feet. She blocked the sun with her arm as she looked up at Daniel.
"It's like you are getting paid to play all day; at my expense."
"I said I would have the balance transferred."
Daniel stared at her for a long time before answering.
"No. It's okay. I said take the time you need and I meant it. Even though it is a work day. I can survive a day without you in the office."
Sara peered warily at from behind her raised arm as it blocked the sun. Daniel reached out and gently cupped her jawline with his hand and ran his thumb over her chin. His hand found its way to the back of her neck and he pulled her close. Sara was nervous as she looked up into his eyes. She found tenderness there as he spoke.
"Take whatever time you need. I would like to see you in the office today but if you have a day planned here, it can all wait until tomorrow."
Sara nodded as he folded her into an embrace. Her arms came up under his arms as she hugged him back and she fought hard to swallow her tears. However, her battle was quickly lost as the first tear slid down her cheek. She was falling in love with Daniel and he had hurt her. That single tear opened the floodgates from deep within her and there was no dam to stop the flow.
Daniel sat on the chaise lounger and brought Sara down onto his lap. She curled up and fell asleep on his chest after a long cry. As he held her he sat thinking. He did not mind that she spent the money for spa treatments. He didn't even mind that she needed time away from him. But he did not like the fact that she would not talk about it before she disappeared on him. Honestly though, he had to admit, he would never have allowed her to take the day off and go to the spa if she had simply asked. He would have told her it was a work day and she had better be there and on time at that. There may be no fixing what ailed him at the moment. He was falling in love with this woman and he needed to be careful if he intended to hang onto her.
Daniel would never be the type to allow a woman to take over and push him around. He enjoyed the power dynamic a domestic discipline relationship provided. He also delighted in giving tender loving care to a feminine woman who wasn't afraid to allow him to be a man. But he drew the line at direct disobedience and she had definitely crossed it. There were many reasons he wanted her to keep quiet at that meeting and she should have followed orders.
When the hostess came to get Sara for her facial, Daniel woke her up. They both stood and he kissed and hugged her goodbye. Before they parted ways he leaned into her ear and whispered,
"Please do not spend anymore money without asking me first." She looked up at him and nodded.
"Okay. I promise."
The rest of the day went smoothly and Sara was glad Daniel came and found her. She was better able to relax about spending the day on his credit card.
Sara went for a cocktail and dinner when she got done with her day at the spa. She sat in a small bistro and had a salad for dinner at 7:00pm. She sat deep in thought for two hours and then returned home. When she let herself into her flat she was greeted by dark silence. She made it to the bedroom where she heard Daniel's light breathing. She stripped her clothes off and climbed in next to him.
She did not want to wake him up so she stayed on her own side of the bed and stayed still until she fell asleep. She awoke at 3 a.m. and could not sleep. She could hear Daniel snoring softly next to her. She laid awake thinking about his punishments and the things he had said to her in the previous days. Something about the way he talked to her had her distracted beyond rational thought. She could not argue with the man because he was too smart. She had always fancied herself as a highly intelligent woman, able to hold her own in any argument or while bantering in good fun. But Daniel was different. He not only held his own; he knew things she did not. He was smarter than her. If she poked him in jest, he poked right back. There would never be a doubt in hers or anyone else's mind about who was running the show. It didn't matter how mad she got, if he believed he was right, it would take a lot of energy to sway him. She laid there thinking about what goes through her mind as she does and says things she knows will upset him. Sara wondered what drove her to forge ahead knowing her mouth could get her into trouble. There was a tipping point when she felt like no matter what she did she was already in over her head and she gave up and just jumped in with both feet. She did not have that flag that went up in most people's minds that told her when to stop. This was, perhaps, why she had attracted such punishment. It was possibly her subconscious trying to reign her in. In any case, whatever it was, it set her soul up in flames where Daniel was concerned. She knew he liked her a lot. She could feel it in the way he looked at her and watched her and stalked her and stayed close by her at all times. He involved her in every meeting he possibly could and they ran errands together whenever possible. He spoiled her and took her to lunch often and bought her little treats and made sure she had unfettered access to not only the company credit card; his personal credit card.
