Continental Life (6 page)

Dominic, the Board Director
s and Headmaster, wasn’t exactly thrilled with the decision either, but it had been put to a vote and the majority ruled. It had all been brought up by Brandon and though he hated to admit it, he knew the decision was made in the best interest of the school.

He had never been on friendly terms with Brandon, but there had nev
er been any animosity either and he wasn’t sure where the hostility was coming from. It felt juvenile and immature and he bristled at the thought. They were grown men – respected members in the BDSM and Alternative Lifestyle Community and here they were, acting like a bunch of grade-schoolers arguing over something petty like allowing one’s girlfriend into their secret boy’s club. Was it such an outlandish idea to suggest his fiancé attend the DDTC? He didn’t think so. If he had thought it was an unreasonable request, he never would have brought it up.

Bella’s eyes would glance in his direction only occasionally as he sat quietly contemplating everything. He wanted to acknowledge her or give her a smile for the way she was presenti
ng herself so admirably, but he knew better. All eyes were on him right now and he wouldn’t give them any reason not to allow Bella in. He could tell by the way her body moved and the way exuberance oozed from her voice that she
truly
wanted this, and he would make damned well sure she got what her heart desired. Even if it was going to test their relationship like nothing else ever had. But he had faith… in her and in their love for each other.

When all of the board members questions were
finally answered, the conversation moved on to the inevitable.

“
We’ve come to a collective decision that in order for the professionalism of this school to be upheld, there must be no suspicion by the other students as to your relationship with Xander. Therefore, you must be separated for the duration of this program,” Dominic flatly told Bella.

Xander
inwardly cringed. This was it. Would she accept their proposal or deny it?

“You will
not be exempt from any of the activities that take place within these walls, and you will be expected to participate in all forms of education offered here at the DDTC…” Dominic continued. “…including the practicum sessions which will require you to be in sexual situations with the instructors of this program. I assure you that all encounters will be dealt with in the utmost professional manner, as it is with all students. You will not be treated any differently or with any less respect than those around you. In turn, you also will not be given any special treatment. Also, Xander will not be permitted to opt out from those sessions any longer, and he will be expected to participate in all hands-on lessons. He has deferred to your judgment in making the final decision about this arrangement, so now we just need to hear from you. Do you agree to this proposal?”

Xander’s stomach churned when he saw
Bella’s brightly colored cheeks pale and her look of joy change to dread. Her eyes darted to him, her mouth parted and the panic and hurt on her face was easily readable; she wanted him to tell her what to do. He wasn’t a passive man in business or private, and most especially when it came to his relationship with Bella. He was, after all, the Head of his Household. But as difficult as it was to allow such an important decision to lie solely in her hands, he knew that this choice was hers and hers alone. He absolutely would not force her into something that she may end up holding against him later, or that could potentially be detrimental to their relationship in the long run. If she wasn’t ready now, then he knew her well enough to know that she would be ready later, and he could wait until that time. Bella was a strong woman, and he had no doubt that everything he had taught her would surely shine through, sooner or later.

W
ordlessly he tried to relay his feelings to her, to send his message of encouragement telepathically –
I’ll support any decision you make,
he repeated over-and-over in his mind. He watched as Bella moistened her lips and swallowed hard. Bringing her knotted hands onto the table, she stared at her interlaced fingers for several minutes and he could almost feel her pain.
Was it worth it?
To be separated from her for the duration of the program? To be without her touch? To watch her accept another man’s hands on her? In the end, after everything is said and done, will any of this have made one ounce of difference in their relationship?

Yes,
without a doubt, he knew it would. It would test their love and capacity to accept each other unconditionally, and allow them to fully embrace the lifestyle which he wholeheartedly believed in. It would be a learning experience for the both of them, but would Bella agree to it? He could only hope that she could see past the ache in her heart to see the end result.

Raising her head, tears hovered on her lashes as she stared at him longingly, silently begging him to make the decision for her. Not caring if the others saw him or not, he mouthed
I love you
in hopes of giving her peace of mind
and to reassure her that no matter what she decided, they would always be
forever
.

Blinking rapidly, her spirit
and strength slowly resurfaced as her glassy gaze shifted from his, and one by one, she met the stare of each Lord. “Yes, I agree,” she whispered boldly and gracefully.

Xander’s heart nea
rly seized in his chest from her response. Filled with overwhelming love and pride, he was barely able to hide his elation when he saw the look of surprise on the board member’s faces.

As for the
hands-on
that they would have to participate in… he would deal with that when the time came.

The evening was a haze as Bella drifted around the hous
e tour, two steps behind Nathan, aka Lord Hutchens. He had been the man seated directly to the right of Dominic Grainger, the Headmaster and Head Honcho of the DDTC. As his voice buzzed faintly in her ears, her thoughts were deafening. She was faced with the toughest choice she ever had to make. She hoped it was the right decision, but she had her doubts. Was being away from Xander really worth it? In retrospect, she wished she had registered for summer sessions to account for all of the time spent away from school; that way it wouldn’t be spent alone in Xander’s vast kingdom

As they descended a flight of sta
irs, Bella squinted as her eyes tried to focus in the dim lighting. She hadn’t even realized they were now in the basement until large overhead lights suddenly clicked on, lighting every corner of the immense space. Half expecting to see cold, stone gray walls and concrete floors, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the area was decadently furnished with colorful tapestries hanging on the walls and covering the floors. The richness of the room and the faint scent of honeysuckle lingering in the air gave Bella the calmest feeling.

Her eyes traveled around the room, resting
briefly on the different array of objects lying neatly organized on antique tables. A flogger here, a cat o’nine there, leather wrist and ankle cuffs… many of the pieces of equipment Xander had acquainted her with over the years. Finally her eyes settled on a spanking horse placed at an odd angle just in front of a long table with a high-back, black velvet upholstered chairs. She had only seen this particular piece in photographs.

“This
is where we dispense punishment and pleasure…” she heard from behind her in the deepest, mellowest voice.

When
she turned, she was met with an intense, lusty, brown-eyed gaze that had fixated itself on her lips. Her cheeks flushed with unwelcomed awkwardness. She didn’t like the idea of anyone but Xander dispensing
anything
to her, above all - pleasure and punishment.

Quickly looking away, she inspected the rest of the room. It was truly a
charming place and not at all what she had expected. Her eyes were drawn to the soft, hand-woven rug beneath her and she wondered what it would feel like on the soles of her feet and between her toes. Without thinking, she slipped her shoes off and wiggled her toes into the rug. Lost in the moment, her mind drifted to the different things she wanted Xander to do to her in this room.

Preferably
pleasure only…

She never
enjoyed being punished. It meant that she had disappointed Xander in some way and that, to her, was the most awful thing in the world. She would feel content if she could live the rest of her life only to be pleasing to her lover and without being reprimanded by him.

Warm fingers gliding down
her spine startled her back to reality. School wasn’t in session yet and any man’s touch other than Xander’s would not be tolerated. She attempted to pull away but was pulled back against a strong chest by her upper arms. Restrained and helpless, she felt nipping on her collar bone. Spinning around and lifting a hand to deliver a harsh slap to Nathan’s face, she was surprised to see Xander grinning down at her.

Immediately she threw her arms around his neck, thankful that she h
adn’t just ruined her chances of attending the DDTC.

“Such
a defiant little girl, Ms. Darcy,” he whispered. His mouth crashed down onto hers and his tongue thrust into her mouth, but only for a moment.

“Xander…” she began to whimper as emotions overtook her.

“Not here,” he ordered, putting his hand up to her mouth to silence her sobs. “You can cry all you want later, when you’re in my arms and in our home,” he whispered even softer.

“Why would they require such a cruel thing?” she mumbled into
his chest as she hid her face in his puff tie.

“It’s for the reputation of the school, Princess, that’s all. It’s not personal.”

Like hell it wasn’t. Nothing Xander said was going to convince her otherwise. They didn’t want her there and they were going to make this experience as miserable for her as they could, despite their reassurances that she would be treated the same as the others. But she wasn’t about to let their tactics deter her. She remembered the way his eyes lit up after she had agreed. She knew she had made him proud.

Kissing her forehead, he
fingered her chin and smiled one last time before disappearing and leaving her with Nathan.

“I can only imagine how you must feel,” Nathan commented as he guided her out of the room. “And how we must seem, but I assure you that it isn’t our intention to be vindictive, Ms
. Darcy. This school means a great deal to a lot of different people, including myself and Xander. We both did a lot of growing up here, as did the other members, and none of us would ever want to see its reputation sullied for any reason.”

Stopping at the bottom of the s
teps, she faced the stocky man who was only a few inches taller than her. “Neither would I,” Bella said softly in her defense. “As Xander’s partner in life, I just want to be the absolute best that I can be for him.”

Nathan’s cocoa eyes softened and his craggy
, perfectly groomed stubbled face broke into a crooked grin. “I’m glad to hear that.” Running his fingers through his wavy, short dusty-brown hair, he sighed. “I’m sure the other members who are opposed to this endeavor will eventually come around, so please give them the benefit of the doubt. Their heart is in the right place.”

“As is mine,” Bella countered.

*

Back in the penthouse and in Xander’s arms, Bella let her tears flow. They weren’t tears of
frustration like they were before, but tears of sadness. She didn’t want to be without Xander for any amount of time, no matter what the reason was, but her short discussion with Nathan had somewhat put her mind at ease. Looking up at the clock, she decided to allow herself five minutes to grieve her upcoming loss. When the five minutes were up, she sucked back her tears and wiped her eyes, ready to discuss how they would approach this new challenge.

With the back of his fingers, Xander swept away the last few stray tears
that lingered on her cheek.

“Okay. So how are we going to do this?” she asked, sitting up and reaching for a nearby notepad and pen.

“Always the machine of efficiency,” he chuckled.

“You trained me well, Sir.”

He waggled his eyebrows lasciviously at her. “I most certainly did, but before we talk about all that, I want that beautiful mouth of yours wrapped around my cock. I’ve been thinking about it all day.”

Reaching for the pen and paper, Xander pulled them from her grip and tossed them aside. As Bella lowered herself to her knees and positioned herself between his legs, she watched as he casually unbuckled his belt and slid his pant
s down his legs. Her heart swelled at the sight of his bright eyes focusing on her lips. She loved that he had been envisioning her mouth all day. The ease with which he began to stroke himself made her lower belly quiver with need. His sexual confidence always set her on fire.

With his free hand, Xander leaned forward and reached behind her head, pulling her bun free and letting her hair fall around her shoulders. Wrapping her delicate fingers around the base of his shaft, Bella pushed the crown of his cock past her lips, swirling her tongue
around and around. His long fingers slipped into her hair and guided her, pushing her head down farther and forcing more of his thickness into her mouth as it swelled with arousal. Deep, guttural grunts from above her filled her ears like the sound of erotic music playing in the background. She wanted this moment to last. She paced her sexy movements, sucking him off slowly as she concentrated all of her efforts on the beautiful man who was going to marry her. Slowly and deliberately, she inched her lips all the way down his shaft, pushing his dick to the farthest part of her throat she could take him to, only to retract just as slowly, leaving a pool of saliva all around him.

Prying her eyes open,
her gaze met Xander’s. A current of desire flickered across his face and he sunk his teeth into his lower lip as he thrust his hips upwards. Unhurriedly, she continued until everything around her melted into the background and only the two of them existed. Just when her jaw began to ache, Xander grunted and his warm, salty gift splashed against the roof of her mouth.

She would miss this kind of physical contact… this kind of connection…
his lusty voice in the throes of passion, his taste, his touch, his cock… but it wouldn’t be forever. Only six weeks, she reminded herself. It was a strange feeling to be so far along in their relationship yet to also feel like they were starting over and beginning anew. As with any couple, their relationship was in continual flux. They had both changed over the years. They were older and more evolved as a couple. They were more in tune to their individual needs and at different places in their lives than they were three years ago. The place they were in wasn’t necessarily a bad place and the thought of what was just over the horizon didn’t frighten her. But in a lot of respects, she felt just unsure of herself now as she did in the very beginning as she learned to navigate this unusual and unconventional lifestyle they were living.

But sometimes new times called for new experiences and boundaries needed to be pushed in order to grow. I
t wasn’t the end of the world or even the end of them. It was only six, long, miserable and enlightening weeks…

***

Helping Bella pack up the remainder of her necessities was surreal and heartbreaking. It felt as if things were ending, but Xander knew it was a new beginning, even though it was a painful one. Silently, they walked arm-in-arm behind Dante who was carrying the last of the luggage down to the Rolls. The last two weeks had been spent with every spare moment holding onto Bella and making the sweetest and most decadent love imaginable as this moment neared. He tried to focus on the illicit and mouth-watering details of those short weeks rather than the thought of having to be without
Continental Breakfast
for over a month or the ache in his chest; an ache that felt reminiscent of the time when she had walked out of his office.

His original plan was
to stay in an executive suite in a building he owned for the duration of the program while Bella lived in the penthouse. However, when he shared this with Bella, she begged for him to change his mind. She couldn’t tolerate the idea of being alone, without him in their large home. A change in plans now had her taking up residence in the smaller suite for the next six weeks. He filled the suite with every luxury conceivable, and even added a few touches of his own. He only hoped his Princess would find her accommodations acceptable.

Holding her close as they drove to the small but luxurious apartment, the desolate loo
k on her face nearly made him say to hell with everything, but he knew better. The school was already making a large sacrifice and he didn’t want their efforts or Bella’s to be for naught. When the Rolls came to a stop in the underground garage and they were left alone while Dante carted her belongings to the 10
th
floor, he pulled her close, nearly suffocating her.

“In six
weeks we’ll be together forever with no more distractions,” he tried to comfort her.

“I know. I know…” she trailed off. Pushing gently against his chest, she straightene
d up and lifted her head. It was obvious she was doing her best to appear impassive, but her glassy, blue eyes belied her true pain. “I’m honored to have been accepted and I promise I’ll make you proud,” she smiled weakly.

“I’m already proud of you.”

Without saying anything more, he walked her to the elevator, then to the door of her suite where they lingered for several minutes. When he bent down to kiss her, a tiny moan caught in her throat.

This was it.

“I’ll check in on you later to make sure you’re settled in and everything is to your liking.”

“Oh, Xander, I’m sure everything is perfect,” she shook her head and smiled.

“Very well, I’ll be in my office and conferences most of the day tomorrow, but I’ll see you tomorrow night. Be sure and go over the first three chapters of the rule book as thoroughly as you can tonight and tomorrow.”

Bella’s eyes lit up. “Are you giving me an unfair advantage by hinting there will be a quiz of some sort?”

Undeniably, he was. So be it. It’s not like he was giving her the answers. He shrugged his shoulders and flashed his pearly white teeth. “Just read the chapters I mentioned…” he paused to kiss her deeply, slipping his tongue into her mouth and savoring her flavor one last time before they parted.

Pinning her body between him
self and the door, he slid his hand under her short, lace skirt and past her panties. Pushing them to the side, he easily slid two fingers into her wet folds. Soft panting against his mouth and the excitement she was exuding sent a shiver of arousal through him. She accepted his forceful dominance beautifully and like no other. Bella truly was built just for him.

“
…and remember, I’m always with you, even when I’m not, and I see
everything
.” he winked deviously as he withdrew his fingers and brought them to his mouth.