Her Surrender (Irresistibly Bound Book 2), page 7
Vicki pushed her panties aside with her foot, then sat down at the very edge of the bed. “I’m going to let you show me how much you want to be my submissive. Show me how much you want me. Show me how much you want to please me,” she said. “Once again, without using your hands.”
This instruction was much easier for April to understand. She buried herself between Vicki’s legs as Vicki had done to her minutes ago, the woman’s heady scent enveloping her. She feathered her lips along Vicki’s thigh, kissing the silky skin there, until she reached her prize. She slipped her tongue into Vicki’s slit, savoring her taste. A satisfied groan emerged from Vicki’s lips.
April smiled. Vicki might be the one calling the shots, but right now, April had the power to make her fall apart. And April was determined to exert this little sliver of control. She took her time, swirling her tongue over every inch of Vicki’s pink folds before finally settling her lips on Vicki’s clit.
Vicki shuddered, her face contorting in ecstasy. She threw her legs over April’s shoulders and grabbed the back of April’s head, pulling her in. Her rapturous cries only spurred April on. Soon, April felt Vicki’s body tense.
“Fuck!” Vicki arched out, her hands leaving April’s head to grip the edge of the bed. She bucked against April, her thighs hugging April’s face.
Then she let out a breath and toppled backward onto the bed.
Afterward, April lay on her stomach in the bed, lost in a daze. Vicki had spent the last few minutes kissing April’s raw, red ass cheeks, soothing them with her lips. Murmurs rose from April’s chest. It felt heavenly. Was this part of what it meant to be Vicki’s submissive? If it was, April could get used to this.
Vicki slid back up the bed to lie next to her. “How was that?” she asked.
“Good,” April said.
“Just good? Is that all?”
“Fine, it was incredible.”
“You know,” Vicki said, “it would be easier for both of us if you would just obey me from the start.”
April smiled. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Vicki shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“Someone has to keep you on your toes.”
As the silence stretched out, April came back down to earth, and she began to remember why she had come to see Vicki in the first place. She had to make sure Vicki knew how serious she was about the library.
April propped herself up on her elbows. “So, about the library.”
Vicki groaned. “Do we have to talk about that now? Can’t it wait until the meeting?”
“We’re here anyway so we might as discuss it. It’s important to me.”
“Okay. What do you want to discuss?”
“I want to talk about how we can keep the library open. The community needs the resources it provides-”
“Yes, I heard your little speech the other night. I’ll do what I can, okay? I’ll talk to the rest of the management team before the meeting and see what kind of solution we can work out. I don’t know why I’m agreeing to this,” she grumbled.
“Thank you,” April said. Eliza had told her to compromise? This was her compromising.
“It’s time to add a new rule,” Vicki said.
“A new rule? Does this mean that you want to keep doing this?”
“Don’t you?”
April thought for a moment. She should have zero interest in pursuing anything with Vicki. Even before everything with the library, she had her misgivings. But that didn’t change the way April felt toward Vicki. That didn’t change the fact that April was so inexorably drawn to her and the release that she offered.
Besides, Vicki seemed to be coming around on the issue of the library. So maybe they were on the same side after all.
“Yes,” April finally said. “I still want to do this.”
“Here’s my next rule,” Vicki said. “When we’re together, no talking about work, or the library, or the development project. No discussion of it, no thinking about it. We leave all that at the door. Pretend that it doesn’t even exist.”
“Will you be doing that too?” April asked.
“I have no problems leaving business at the door. You’re the one who came to me tonight, guns blazing.”
“Fine,” April said. “No work when we’re together.”
April could do that. And honestly, it might make things easier. She could just pretend that the Vicki she was pursuing this twisted affair with was a different person from the Vicki who she would have to negotiate the library’s fate with.
“Good,” Vicki said. “My old rules still stand. I expect your complete obedience when we’re doing this. No talking back, no trying to push me. Nothing less than absolute submission. Can you do that?”
April hesitated. Everything Vicki was offering seemed contrary to April’s nature. Maybe that was why she wanted it so badly. No matter the reason, there was no denying it—April was hooked.
“Okay,” April said. “I can do that.”
She would play this game with Vicki. Because that was all it was—a game. It wasn’t true submission. April hadn’t truly surrendered to Vicki.
And she never would.
Chapter Nine
The week that followed seemed to crawl by. April was so busy at work that she barely had a moment to herself. It didn’t help that she spent half her time daydreaming about the night at Lilith’s Den with Vicki.
It left her feeling so conflicted. She’d enthusiastically agreed to be Vicki’s submissive. She loved the way submission made her feel.
But she hated that it was Vicki making her feel this way. Despite their agreement to work together on the library, April felt like their alliance was tenuous at best. She was still wary of Vicki, and she still found the blonde-haired woman irritatingly cocky. No amount of physical attraction, no matter how intense, could overcome that.
Despite it all, April played along with Vicki’s games. And Vicki took her games very seriously. That night, they had discussed the finer details of their arrangement. Limits. Expectations. Even more rules.
One of Vicki’s rules was that April had to send her a sexy photo every day. The photos were, in Vicki’s words, a daily reminder of their agreement. This was one rule April was happy to follow. Whether it was intentional or not, Vicki hadn’t been specific about what counted as ‘sexy.’ So April decided to be creative. She sent photos of herself to Vicki that were sexy but not revealing, enticing while still leaving a lot to the imagination. If Vicki wanted anything more than that, she would have to wait until they saw each other again.
A few times, Vicki had taken the bait, replying with a salacious message that made April blush. Other times, April’s photos had been met with silence, and the only reason April knew that Vicki had seen the photo was because her phone showed the message as read.
April was determined not to let Vicki get inside her head. Nevertheless, she found herself thinking about Vicki constantly. That soft, golden hair that she was always playing with. Those piercing eyes. That enticing smile. Every time April closed her eyes, she was back in that room at Lilith’s Den with Vicki, the scene playing out, over and over.
Of course, it wasn’t Vicki herself that April was addicted to. It was the erotic game the two of them were playing together.
“April?” Lexi asked.
“Hmm?” April looked up to see Lexi squaring away her desk.
“The meeting? Vicki will be here any minute.”
“Right.” As Vicki promised, her assistant had called April a week ago to confirm the time and date.
“Hopefully it won’t be a complete waste of time,” Lexi said.
“It won’t be. Vicki promised me she would try to work something out.”
“She promised you?” Lexi asked. “I thought you said you talked to her assistant?”
“Yeah, I did. I spoke to Vicki herself too,” April said, leaving out the fact that she had spoken to Vicki at a BDSM club.
“How did that conversation go? Did you yell at her some more?”
April crossed her arms. “Why does everyone think I’m some kind of tyrant?”
“Who else said that?”
“Eliza.”
Lexi chuckled. “That woman is never wrong.”
“I did yell at Vicki a little,” April admitted. “But then she genuinely seemed to be interested in finding a solution. Maybe we have her all wrong.”
“Seriously? A week ago, you were convinced that she was pure evil. What did she say to you that changed your mind?”
“Nothing. I’m just trying something new. I’m being open to compromise and change.”
“Eliza?” Lexi asked.
“That obvious, huh?” April got up from her desk. “Let’s go.”
They made their way to one of the meeting rooms at the other side of the library. Vicki hadn’t arrived yet, but everyone else had. As well as the library staff, a few community leaders who were involved in programs that took place at the library had been invited.
April greeted everyone, then sat down at the head of the table, with Lexi to her right. She looked out through the glass walls of the meeting room, watching for Vicki’s arrival. Moments later, Vicki appeared, dressed as stylish as ever in a pantsuit and heels. She looked so different than the last time April had seen her, all dressed in leather. But somehow, Vicki managed to look incredibly sexy no matter what she wore.
Vicki spotted them through the glass and strode purposefully toward the meeting room. The head librarian was a few steps behind, struggling to keep up with the long-legged woman.
The two of them entered the room. Vicki apologized for her lateness, then made her way around the table, introducing herself to the staff one by one. When Vicki reached Lexi, the curly-haired woman gave Vicki a stiff, firm handshake. Vicki returned it in kind.
What was that about? Perhaps neither of them liked not being the only lady-killing lesbian in the room. April made a mental note to ask Lexi about it later.
But April forgot all about it when Vicki moved on to her. April stood up and took Vicki’s outstretched hand. As soon as their skin touched, April was transported back to the other night. Suddenly, the room felt foggy. Could everyone see how weak-kneed Vicki made her?
As soon as Vicki let go of her hand, April sat down before her legs could collapse underneath her.
Finally, Vicki took a seat at the opposite end of the table, right across from April, and placed a folder down in front of her.
“Shall we get started, April?” Vicki looked at April expectantly. “Sorry, do you prefer Miss Reid?”
It took April a moment to find her voice. “April is fine.”
“April it is.”
“Uh, yes.” April wasn’t sure if she imagined the suggestion in Vicki’s eyes, but she ignored it. “Let’s get started. Vicki, can you tell us about how Oasis is willing to work with us?”
Vicki flipped open her folder. “You’ll be pleased to hear that Oasis has agreed to lease a property to the library at the same rate the city was paying for this building.”
April frowned. Was it really that easy?
“We’ve recently acquired a property in Springdale which we’ve determined is an ideal location for the library.”
“Springdale?” April said. It was a couple of suburbs away from West Heights. “Isn’t that a bit out of the way?”
“It’s not Oakmont Street. But with property in West Heights at a premium, there aren’t any alternatives in West Heights itself. I assure you, the site is more than suitable. It’s on Earlwood Street.”
April knew the area. Not only was it nowhere near central West Heights, it was in one of the most crime-ridden parts of the whole city. Most people would never go there alone. And the library’s most vulnerable patrons—the elderly, children—wouldn’t dare venture there at all. Even if they wanted to, it was miles from the subway and bus stops. Most people in West Heights didn’t own cars.
Not only that, but the funding that the library received from the city was dependent on how many customers used the library. If people stopped coming to the library, it wouldn’t receive enough funding to stay open. The library would be as good as dead.
“So,” Vicki said. “What are your thoughts?” Vicki looked pointedly at April.
The eyes of everyone at the table followed. They were looking to April for guidance. But her disappointment weighed so heavy on her that she found she couldn’t speak. Vicki had promised to come up with a solution. This wasn’t a solution.
Lexi swooped in to save her. “It’s something,” she said. “Do you have any more information about the site?”
Vicki flicked through the folder before her and pulled out some glossy printouts. “I’ve prepared some material for you to take a look at. Here.” Vicki passed them around. “As you’ll see, the site isn’t as big as this one, but Oasis is willing to help out with some improvements.”
April took a printout and flipped through it, trying to maintain her composure. But as she looked at the photo of the tiny, ramshackle building, her disappointment turned to anger. April didn’t know much about real estate, but she was certain a property like this in such an undesirable location was useless to Oasis. It was no wonder they were offering to lease it to the city.
Vicki spent the next ten minutes explaining Oasis’ offer in detail. After a while, the others began to ask questions. Were they actually on board with this?
“April,” Vicki said. “I haven’t heard from you yet. Do you have anything to add?”
“No,” April said flatly.
“Then we’re done here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.” Vicki’s eyes landed on April’s. “I’m committed to working with you on this.”
April kept her eyes locked with Vicki’s but said nothing.
Vicki stood up and straightened her jacket. “If you’ll excuse me, I have another meeting-”
“Wait,” April said.
“Yes?”
“Before you leave, I’d like to speak with you.”
Chapter Ten
Once the room had cleared, Vicki walked over to April’s end of the table. “So? What do you think?”
“What do I think?” April stood up and dropped the printout onto the table before Vicki. “What is this, Vicki? You said you’d work with us!”
“I am. I don’t understand what the problem is.”
“The problem is that your solution isn’t a solution at all. Do you really think the library can operate in some rundown shack in Springdale? We might as well just shut our doors now.”
Vicki pulled out a chair and sat down. “I don’t know what you were expecting. Oasis is being very generous. We don’t normally do things like this.”
“What, so we should be grateful for your charity?” April asked.
“My charity?” Vicki asked. “Is it Oasis that you’re angry at? Or me?”
April threw her hands up. “You’re leading the project, aren’t you? You’re the Vice President of the company. As far as I’m concerned, this is all you.”
“I’m VP of Project Development. I can only control what happens in my department. I still answer to the CEO and the board. I couldn’t change what’s going to happen to the library even if I wanted to. The gears are already in motion. The library’s fate was sealed when Oasis bought the building.”
“Then why did you tell me you’d see what you could do?” April asked, her voice rising. The room was soundproof, but the walls were glass. Anyone could walk by and see the two of them arguing, but professionalism was the last thing on April’s mind. “Why did you tell me you would work with me?”
Vicki stood up, her eyes darkening. “I am working with you. Why do you think I came to this meeting personally instead of sending someone else? I don’t usually spend my workday traveling halfway across the city to meet with a bunch of librarians.”
“A bunch of librarians?” April fumed. “So we’re not worth your time? I’m not worth your time?”
“That’s not- Will you just listen to me? I did what I could. I stuck my neck out for you. If it wasn’t for me, Oasis wouldn’t have even considered helping out the library. I’ve worked my ass off on this project. If it goes smoothly, I’m looking at an executive level promotion. And I’m risking it all because of you.”
April scoffed. “I’m sorry that I’m standing in the way of you getting a bigger paycheck.”
“It’s not about a paycheck,” Vicki said through gritted teeth. “My job is more than just a job to me. But it’s clear there’s no point trying to make you understand.”
“I’m not the one lacking empathy in this situation. You’re the one who’s rolling into a neighborhood that’s hundreds of years old, displacing its residents and turning it into yet another exclusive playground for the wealthy. But I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand.”
Vicki’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Someone like me?”
“That’s right,” April said. “I know all about you, Victoria Blake.”
Vicki recoiled. Had April hit a nerve?
But a moment later, Vicki regained her composure. “You’ve obviously made up your mind about me.” Vicki picked up her folder. “I’m done trying to reason with you.”
April shook her head. “I can’t believe I actually thought this meeting would make a difference.”
“You really don’t get it, do you? This project is happening. In a few months, this building is going to be torn down. You’re naive if you think there’s anything you can do about it.”
April put her hands on her hips. “Don’t think I’m going to roll over that easily. I’m going to keep fighting for the library until it’s a pile of rubble. And I’m going to keep fighting you.”
“You can try,” Vicki said. “But you’re wasting your time.”
“Just go,” April said. “Get out of my library.”
Vicki tucked her chair under the table. “If you come to your senses and decide you want to work with me instead of fighting me, let me know.”
