Playing for Real: Paolo's Playhouse, Book 5 (14 page)

“It’s about time,” she cried. When she let go of Paolo, she turned to Julianne and smiled widely. “Hi, I’m Piper, you must be Julianne.”

Julianne couldn’t help but smile back, even after the quick burst of jealousy she felt after seeing the little blonde launch herself at Paolo. “That would be me.”

Paolo slipped his arm around Julianne’s waist and pulled her tight against him. He made introductions all around, then held out the chair for her and ordered drinks from a redheaded waitress for the two of them. Julianne was used to it now, thought of it as rather chivalrous.

She found Piper easy to talk to and soon they were discussing thoughts for redecorating the bar. As they were throwing around ideas, some sensible, some totally wild, Piper admitted she doubted Ben wanted to change anything. Julianne turned to ask Ben what he thought and she paused as she saw Paolo and Ben laughing together.

Paolo looked so lighthearted and carefree. Usually when they were together, he was the intense, controlling Dom, but seeing him now, just a guy out with friends, she remembered their relaxing Sunday at the park. He hadn’t dominated her then, she’d felt like his girlfriend, nothing else.

He must have felt her staring at him because he turned to her. His smile dropped from his face. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” She tried to laugh, but she couldn’t make the sound come out. She’d had this great epiphany and she couldn’t talk about it now.

“We were talking about redecorating this place,” Piper chimed in, saving Julianne from having to speak. “What do you think, Ben? Sports bar? Irish pub? Yuppie bar?”

“What are you talking about?” Ben asked with a frown. “We’re not redecorating.”

“I know.” Piper laughed. “But we’ve been having a great time talking about it.”

“Why talk about something we’re not going to do?”

“Because it’s fun?”

Paolo took Julianne’s hand, threaded his fingers with hers. The intense look was back on his face. He ignored his friends’ good-natured bickering. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you still upset? About what we talked about earlier?”

Julianne glanced over to Ben and Piper, their bickering had turned to sexy whispers. She looked back to Paolo who was smiling indulgently at his friends. “No.” Paolo didn’t stay in that tidy box she’d tried to put him in. Nothing about their relationship did. She took a deep breath. “I’m okay. I’m going to just be your girlfriend tonight.”

“What else are you?” Piper asked, her eyes widening not-so-innocently.

Shit.
Julianne didn’t think she’d been listening. “What?”

“Well, I’m Ben’s waitress as well as his girlfriend. And you are…?”

“His decorator,” Julianne quipped. “He doesn’t want me working tonight, so no more talk of redecorating the bar.”

“Good,” Ben replied. “Scandals is staying just the way it is.”

“No prob,” Piper said. “We’ll talk jewelry. I love your necklace!”

The evening passed by quickly. Ben and Paolo shared stories of going to college together. Their longtime friendship was easy to see. She liked learning more about Paolo. Liked learning more about him as a man.

Of course, his friends knew about the Playhouse. Knew Paolo was a Dom. Probably assumed Julianne was a sub. But they made it clear it was no big deal.

Julianne enjoyed talking with Piper and hoped she might have found a new friend to call from time to time, a friend with whom she could be herself. As the evening went on, she would almost forget about the other side of her relationship with Paolo, but then at odd moments he’d slip his hand under the table and cuff her wrist. Or pin her with his I-am-Dom-you-are-sub gaze.

And every time he did, a thrill ran through her.

She was his. It was time to stop fighting it.

Time to stop separating her time with Paolo into neat little boxes that weren’t so neat anymore. Time to bust those boxes right open. She would be a submissive and a girlfriend and a businesswoman. She’d find a way.

“Did you have a good time?” Paolo asked when he was back with Julianne in the limo. He’d enjoyed spending time with Ben and Piper, but he was glad to finally be alone with Julianne again.

“I had a great time.” It was too dark to see her face, but Paolo heard the smile in her voice. She reached out to take his hand. “I like your friends.”

“I’m glad. They liked you too.” He tugged her close, brushed his lips over her soft cheek. “Come home with me? Stay the night?”

“Okay,” she agreed without hesitation. “No more boxes.”

“Boxes?”

A brief shake of her head. “Nothing. I want to go home with you. Spend the night with you.”

His heart shouldn’t have soared like that. The fact that it had was the only reason he could think why he caught her chin between his thumb and index finger and said, “Remember when I told you I would give you control some night?”

“Yes?” Was that eagerness or nervousness in the shaky tone of her voice?

“When we get home, the night is all yours, so I want you to spend the rest of the ride planning what you want to do.”

She brought her free hand up to cup his cheek. Her lips brushed his. “Thank you.”

And while his heart had soared a moment ago, her obvious pleasure at being given control made it plummet now. Perhaps he’d been wrong about her. Perhaps her need for control was too strong. She might not be a drama queen like Holly, but she might never truly embrace her submission either. They might never be able to make a relationship work.

Paolo helped her from the car, kept his arm around her as they walked into the building, rode the elevator to the third floor. Julianne was silent as they made their way up, but then, so was he. Her body was warm and soft next to his. Her scent wound around him and he couldn’t resist nuzzling her neck, breathing her in, savoring her softness.

As soon as he closed the door behind them, Julianne stepped away from him, turned to look him over. He studied her warily, wondering what was going on in that beautiful, intelligent head of hers. Her lips lifted in a slow smile.

“To the bedroom,” she said. She grabbed his hand and led him through the doorway and to the end of the bed. “We need to get you out of those clothes.”

Paolo reached up to start unbuttoning his shirt, but she stopped him with a frown and a lift of her hand.

“I’m doing this.”

He nodded and dropped his hands to his sides.

She slowly opened his shirt, her concentration focused on each button as she pushed it free. After she drew his shirt off and folded it over the chair in the corner, she ran her hands over his arms, his chest, a sound close to a purr escaping her lips. Her touch was hot but gentle, almost reverent.

Julianne cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. The kiss started gentle, a mere brush of lips, but then she moaned and crushed her mouth to his. He opened to her insistent tongue, let her plunge and thrust until he gave in to the urge to suck on her, drink from her.

When she pulled back they were both breathing heavily. His cock ached as it pressed against his zipper. She locked her gaze on his as she undressed. He worshipped her with his eyes as she slowly bared herself to him. This was no sexy strip tease, just an efficient yet graceful reveal as each article of clothing dropped to the floor.

When she was completely naked, Julianne dropped to her knees in front of him and unbuckled his belt. Her hand brushed against his erection and he hissed from the teasing contact. She smiled up at him and then rubbed her face over the front of his jeans, stroking his arousal with her cheek through the fabric.

“Sit on the edge of the mattress,” she instructed. He did as she commanded and she slipped his shoes from his feet, then gently massaged each foot before she stripped off the socks. She slid her hands beneath the hem of the pants, stroking his calves and ankles. Her touch sent shivers along his skin and he may have moaned from the delicious sensations.

Julianne moved between his thighs then and when her hand reached for his zipper, his cock throbbed with the anticipation. She stroked him for several long moments before she unbuttoned the jeans and lowered the zipper. His erection lunged against her hand as it was released. He definitely moaned then.

She told him to stand and she pulled his pants and underwear down and off. She folded his pants and placed them on the chair along with his socks and briefs. When she joined him again at the side of the bed, she pushed down on his shoulders so that he sat back on the edge of the mattress. She stepped between his open legs until his cock bumped against her stomach and her breasts rubbed against his chest.

He fisted his hands at his side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her nipples across his chest.

“Paolo?” she whispered. “You can touch me if you’d like to.”

If
he’d like to? He curled his arms around her, his fingers skimming up her back as she continued to rub against him with her breasts. Her skin was like hot velvet under his hands. Her hard nipples were tiny pricks of fire along his chest. Her fingers slipped up to cup his shoulders, her touch firm and possessive. Her touch reverent and warm. Her touch…

Her touch.

Sometimes it took a while for things of importance to make it through his thick dominant skull. From the beginning, Julianne had told him she wanted to touch him. He’d focused on her desire for bondage and hadn’t paid attention to what else she was saying. But he realized she needed to be able to touch him more often. And he also realized that he enjoyed her touch too.

He’d thought when he gave her control tonight, she was going to order him around, prove to him that she didn’t want to submit to him. But with every touch, every motion, she was caring for him, even when she had all the control.

Julianne dropped to her knees, her hands brushing along his chest as she lowered herself to the floor. She took his hot length in her hand and stroked him long and hard. Paolo dropped his head back as more blood rushed to feed his erection. He throbbed beneath her fingers and when she took him in her mouth, his groan echoed off the walls.

Too soon she released him. “On the bed,” she told him. She stood and pushed him onto his back. He stretched out in the center of the mattress and although he wanted to drag her on top of him, roll over and plunge into her, he waited for her to let him know what she wanted to do.

She crawled onto the bed and sat between his legs, facing him. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she decided her next move. Another smile spread across her face and she leaned back and spread her legs. “Watch.”

He reached for her, but she wiggled her finger in front of him and shook her head. “No. You only get to watch right now.”

Paolo groaned, but dropped back down onto the mattress and pulled a pillow under his head so he could more easily enjoy the view. Her pretty pussy glistened and when she slid one of her hands between her legs, his jaw dropped and his mouth immediately went dry.

“Julianne…”

Her fingers slipped through her slick folds, spreading around the cream he wanted to have on his tongue. Julianne caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she slid two fingers deep into her core. The scent of her arousal hit him and he growled in the back of his throat.

“Patience,” she said with a smile. She drew the fingers from her core and began to slowly circle the tiny button of her clit. “That’s one thing you taught me.”

One thing he was still working on. “That’s a pretty pussy,” he told her.

“Thank you.” She licked her lips and kept teasing her slick flesh. Kept teasing him too.

“I would love to taste it,” he said. “You would love it too.”

“I have no doubt. But I don’t want you to move. I like to see you spread out for me.” She got up on her knees and crawled up beside him on the king-size bed. “I do want to make you happy though. What should I do?” Her eyes lit up. “Open your mouth.”

He did as she requested and she rewarded him by slipping her cream-coated fingers between his lips. He sucked on her fingers, feasting on her unique taste. Paolo kept his eyes on her, feasting on the sight of her as well. The wheels were turning in her brain again, he could tell.

She pulled her hand away. “Did you like that?” she asked. He nodded. “Would you like more?” He nodded again. She smiled. “Good.”

Julianne straddled him then and moved up his body. She grabbed on to the headboard and lifted her hips until her pretty wet pussy hovered over his face. Paolo grasped her hips and brought her down to his mouth. He dove in, licking and sucking, drinking her in. She’d already made herself wet, her cream flowing freely.

She moved above him, rocking her hips, changing the angle slightly so that his tongue rubbed directly on her clit. He could tell she was close to coming. The tiny bud was hard and swollen. He decided to give her what she wanted since he’d promised to do exactly that for her tonight. He gave it a few hard licks with his tongue and then he took the bundle of nerves between his teeth and scraped.

She exploded, her juices gushing over his face. Her body danced above him and he kept rubbing and scraping, sending her over again and again. He only stopped when she finally let go of the headboard and slumped over him, sliding her body down so she rested on top of him.