Hilary Baxter is a retired dominatrix who runs a boarding house for young women. Looking to hire a first-class chef for her enterprise, she arranges an interview with Margo Timesch, a rising star on the local culinary scene.
Poor Margo, already nervous about the interview, is rendered almost speechless when she meets Miss Baxter’s sexy assistant and caretaker of the house, Anise Dale. Recognizing Anise as a famous competitive snowboarder, Margo has several fangirl moments and nearly falls apart, but eventually gathers the courage to ask Anise on a date.
On the date, Anise confesses her non-conventional views on sexuality and describes what she would like to do with Margo tied to her bed. Rather than being shocked, Margo is ready to submit to anything Anise proposes.
With plenty of kinky fun, the two seem to be a match made in heaven, but a job offer from a famous restaurant in a city far away puts their relationship to the test. Is great sex enough to keep two women with career aspirations together?
Anise took a step back, extended her index finger and dragged her fingernail down my cheek. “I’m picturing you, arms and legs tied to my bedposts. You trying to keep your dessert recipes a secret while I do my best to pry them loose. You’d be naked of course.”
I felt like my knees had given up on supporting me and I tried not to spill what was left in my wineglass as I deposited it on a nearby table. “Um.”
“But not tonight,” she said. “You’ve been drinking.”
Anise slammed the rest of her seltzer water before trading the glass for my hand and pulling me onto the dance floor. I tried my best to be present throughout the whole thing, but honestly I think I probably just stood there and swayed while Anise danced around me. She wants to tie me up.
And the longer we danced together that night, the more I wanted her to do it. As the tempo of the music slowed and I found my body pressed closer to hers, I wanted it to happen sooner rather than later.
“Anise,” I said.
stopped me with a kiss, but not on the cheek this time. “I know,” she said, “I want it too. But I want you to have a little time to think it over and not just agree to it because you’re smitten with me.”
“I am not smitten,” I said, but I knew it was a lie. Anise had me under her spell from the moment she opened the door to greet me so many days ago. And if Anise wanted to tie my wrists and ankles to her bedposts ... well, that would be just fine with me.
“Miss Baxter thinks you are.” Anise trailed her fingers from my shoulders to the small of my back where she lingered long enough for me to press harder against her. Personally, I was hoping she might engage in a little inappropriate display of affection, fancy benefit ball or not, but she just held me close and swayed to the beat.
“I mean, really Margo, who else do you know that uses words like ‘smitten’ anymore?”
I grinned. She was right, and I could hear Miss Baxter’s voice in my head as I repeated the words to myself. Resigned to not having my ass grabbed, I instead settled my head against Anise’s shoulder and inhaled her scent. “Are you?” I whispered. “Smitten, I mean?”
“I’ve never asked another girl if I can tie her up if that’s what you’re wondering. So yeah, I suppose I am.”
Me too.” I let out a sigh. “Thanks for being my date.”
Thanks for asking me.”
I spent the rest of the night in a semi-lucid trance, sometimes dancing, sometimes standing politely to one side as word apparently got around as to who it was I was dancing with. And while Anise’s fans gushed about how much they looked forward to seeing her competing again, I stood with my thighs clasped together trying not to gush over thoughts of being tied to her bed.
Miss Baxter was right, I was smitten with Anise.
