Grace and Mercy Read online

“He’s Will. Never any drama. A whole lot of funny,” she said. “He’s taking the boys to see the Dodgers this weekend. Some daddy and sons bonding time. I’ll be enjoying a Sunday afternoon free from little boy burps and silly fart jokes.”

  Reagan smiled thoughtfully, imagining for a moment a life filled with laughter and children. Penny picked up on the shift in Reagan and knew exactly why.

  “I’m sorry, Ray. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful,” she said reaching for her hand.

  “You didn’t. I’m happy you’re going to have some relaxing Mommy time. You deserve it. In fact, I’m going to treat you to a spa day. Massage, facial, whatever you want.”

  Penny shook her head slowly.

  “No way. You always treat me to things. I’m happy to stay home and draw a bath, sip wine, and indulge in a good book. You don’t have to spend money on me.”

  Reagan wouldn’t take no for an answer. She loved her friend and the money didn’t matter to her. She had enough to take care of herself and no one to spoil. Besides, she knew Penny would never spend money on indulgences for herself and she deserved a break.

  “It’s done. You will accept it. You will enjoy yourself,” she said with authority.

  Penny giggled. “Oh, you think you can boss me around like you do your clients?” she said with a smile.

  Reagan grinned, realizing she’d sounded rather stern. Only Penny would call her out on that kind of stuff.

  “Ok, please let me do this for you and please have a relaxing day,”she said, exaggerating the please.

  Penny gave her a playful shove on her shoulder.

  “That isn’t any better,” she said with a smile. “But thank you. I will gratefully accept.”

  “Good, I’ll call Aqua and set it up. I’m sure they’ll be able to work you in if I ask,” Reagan concluded, picking up her cell and making the call.

  Penny was certain that was true. Reagan was not an easy woman to say no to. She was confident as hell and had a way of getting people to do exactly what she wanted. And they were happy to do it.

  People wanted to please her.

  A striking woman, she was tall, strong, and elegant. She had an air of sophistication that was undeniably mysterious and even a little sexy. Plus her long auburn hair gave people the impression she was feisty as hell, and they weren’t wrong. Her strong personality and great sense of humor served her very well in her choice of career, although Penny wished with all her heart that Reagan would find another path. She told her this on occasion, but Reagan never wanted to talk about it and she could tell that bringing it up made her uncomfortable. So she mostly avoided the subject and just loved her friend unconditionally.

  It was easy to adore Reagan, although the truth was, she let very few people love her. That made Penny sad, but she knew the reason why. She wished she could convince Reagan to change, but this was her path and she had to figure it out for herself.

  Reagan finished her call and gave her friend a thumbs up.

  “It’s done. They’ll take you in at noon.”

  Penny smiled and gave her friend a hug, making it short and sweet. Reagan was typically uncomfortable with shows of affection, and Penny respected that. Reagan smiled and accepted the hug. Penny was a hugger and if Reagan was being honest with herself, she enjoyed her affection and their friendship. She felt safe with Penny and could let down her guard. That was a rare thing for her.

  “We should get back soon,” Reagan said, standing up. “I have a client tonight and I need to prepare.”

  Ragnar and Penny both stood up, as if on cue.

  “Someone you’ve already worked with?” Penny inquired, hoping it was.

  “Yes, a nice older man. Easy to work with,” she said, knowing Penny was apprehensive about her work. “No worries,” she added.

  Penny smiled and nodded. They walked quietly back across the field, Ragnar staying close to Reagan’s side, perhaps knowing his time with her was coming to a close and he wouldn’t see her for a few days.

  “I know you hate when I bring this up, Ray, but I’m worried that if you keep focusing on this career, it will be hard for you to find someone to love.”

  Reagan stopped and looked closely at her friend, smiling gently.

  “You may be right, Penny, but I’m not sure love is in the cards for me. I don’t think what you and Will have is meant for me,” she stated sincerely.

  Penny shook her head.

  “I don’t think that is true, Ray. You have to stop telling yourself that story. You deserve someone to love you, girl. You’re an amazing person.”

  Reagan cast her eyes down in a rare moment of insecurity then looked up and smiled.

  “I love that you believe that, Penny, but I’m not unhappy. That’s the truth. I do my work honestly. I know it’s unconventional, but I like being in a job where I’m always in charge. I like that it allows me to take care of myself financially. It makes me feel secure.”

  “Or do you mean sheltered?” Penny asked.

  Reagan sighed, knowing deep down that Penny wasn’t wrong. She was protecting herself. She was guarded when it came to love. She stopped walking and placed a hand on Penny’s shoulder.

  “Please don’t worry about me. I’m doing okay. Right now, this is exactly where I need to be in my life.”

  Penny nodded, still not convinced, but accepting Reagan’s words anyway.

  “Come on, let’s get this boy back,” Reagan said, as she nudged on Ragnar’s leash.

  He looked up at her with a smile, the way labradors do. She chuckled.

  “Why do you think no one has adopted this gorgeous boy yet?” Reagan asked, changing the subject.

  Penny reached down and gave him a pat on his side, not losing her stride.

  “Ray, this dog is nuts. You’re the only one he behaves for. Whenever someone else tries to walk him or play with him he’s very naughty,” she said with a wink.

  Reagan laughed. “That figures.”

  Chapter Three

  Ethan

  Ethan sat back, his arms resting comfortably on the arms of his chair. Across the desk was one of his investors, a small, high strung man with a tight mouth. He knew this meeting was going to be challenging. It always was when he met with Simon.

  “What’s the probability of my investment being returned in two years?” Simon asked.

  Ethan smiled reassuringly.

  “Simon, you know I pick my projects carefully. We have a very established studio who will provide the collateral, and some great talent lined up to carry the film. This is a winner.”

  Simon shifted nervously in his chair. Ethan knew they’d make the deal. He just had to be patient and keep his cool. Simon needed to throw his weight around and play the big shot, but Ethan was confident he knew how to manage him.

  “I know you like to make money, my friend. You and I have always worked well together. I wouldn’t bring you into a project unless I knew it was a sure thing. You’re a smart investor and I have a lot of respect for you.”

  Ethan threw him one of his famous smiles.

  “Besides, I know you love the pics as much as I do. How could you not want to be a part of this one?”

  Simon shrugged and huffed in mock irritation. Ethan waited quietly, knowing the silence would force Simon to speak first.

  “How much are you looking for?” he asked gruffly.

  Ethan sat forward, knowing the deal was done.

  The rest of the day carried on much the same way, with Ethan charming his way through meetings and getting things done. As late afternoon turned to evening, he finally made his way home. He was tired, but also exhilarated. It had been a successful day and he was excited to see the project coming together.

  But as he made his way through preparing his dinner, he started to feel his enthusiasm slip away. It was quiet and his thoughts turned to his living situation. He wished that he could share his day with someone, talk through his ups and downs, share funny stories, even watch some mindless television on the couch
with a bowl of popcorn.

  He wanted someone who would inspire him with new ideas or happily sit in comfortable silence and hold his hand when they needed it that way. He thought about calling Mia for a split second, and then shook the idea off. Mia was a great person, but when they were together it was more about taking care of Mia. She wasn’t interested in his work aside from the parties and the glamour, and he often felt like he was boring her when the conversation got too heavy.

  He grabbed a beer from the fridge and took his dinner into his study, sitting at his desk in front of his laptop. For several minutes he ate and scrolled through news websites catching up on the events of the day. Not feeling inspired, he logged into his Facebook and Twitter. He saw an update from Mia.

  “Guess who this girl got to spend time with last night? Initials E.M. #lifeisneverboring #hollywoodsitcouple”.

  Two thousand retweets.

  He shook his head. Subtle, Mia, he thought to himself. He wasn’t bothered by her tweeting about it really, it was just that he wondered what her intentions were. Why did she need validation? He decided to ignore it and move on. He wondered where the strong women were hiding. He opened Google and typed in the search bar.

  “Strong Independent Women.”

  Immediately the page loaded with at least two dozen dating sites. He laughed and imagined showing up on someone’s doorstep with flowers. Wouldn’t that be a fiasco. Yes, online dating was probably not the answer for him. He scrolled down a little further and saw an interesting headline.

  “Let The Girl Tame You ...”

  It was more curiosity than anything that made him click the link, but he was certainly intrigued.

  The page opened and at first he wasn’t sure exactly what he was looking at. He saw a tall, beautiful woman dressed in black leather and holding a riding crop in her hand. She was gorgeous, curvy, with long, auburn hair and a stern expression on her face. Although she was wearing a glittery mask over her eyes, he could see a twinkle in them. He chuckled to himself.

  Ya, definitely a strong, independent woman, he thought. He felt a stirring in his groin and was surprised that he was getting turned on. He adjusted himself in his seat to give his growing bulge more room. Just for shits and giggles he read the description on the page.

  I am Lady Grace.

  I am assertive, creative, intuitive, and highly erotic, but make no mistake I AM a Lady. I take great pride in my professionalism and my clients must be respectful, courteous and willing to comply with my boundaries at all times. I offer gentlemen an opportunity to explore their B.D.S.M. fantasies and fetishes in a safe environment.

  DISCRETION IS STRICTLY ADHERED TO.

  Our play will be safe, sane and consensual at all times. I will help you explore your fantasies of being tied up, controlled and dominated by a strong woman. BDSM is often very erotic in nature and I consider myself a very sensual woman. Do not misinterpret this as a prelude to sex.

  I am a Professional Dominant, not a prostitute.

  I will not engage in any form of sex. If your end result is sexual gratification then you need to look elsewhere. I am your Domme and your pleasure (or pain) is at my discretion. It is my role to push your boundaries, to ease you out of your comfort zone, to teach you the pleasure of pain (if that is what you need). Your limits will be challenged, but ultimately respected.

  Ethan went on to read the list of services offered and made a mental check list of the things he would definitely be into. He was curious and surprised that none of it really spooked him.

  She was very clear about what she would NOT do and he was definitely on the same page. Ethan sat back in his chair and took in a deep breath.

  He was intrigued by the sensual images on her website. They were beautiful, artistic even. Erotic but not distasteful. The woman was curvy, with voluptuous breasts and a delicious ass. He imagined sinking into her. He could tell at a glance this woman knew how to use her body in ways that an inexperienced girl like Mia never would have dreamed.

  He scrolled through the pages on her website several times and found himself fantasizing about being in the situations portrayed in the images. While he’d never imagined himself actively participating in BDSM, he couldn’t help but be turned on by it.

  Your limits will be challenged.

  His eyes kept falling back to those words. He wondered how it would feel to push himself in that way. He’d always been turned on by strong women, and wondered how it would feel to be dominated by someone like that, to give up the control he clung to so tightly, if only for a short time. It didn’t take him long to come to the conclusion that it would probably be hot as hell and a welcome reprieve from his high stress life.

  Maybe he was kinky.

  He’d always suspected it about himself and there was a time when he even tried to explore a little with some of his partners, but most of the time it never went beyond fuzzy handcuffs and gentle spankings. He did have one partner that liked to bite him during sex and he had to admit it revved him up, but he was too nervous to ask for more or to go further than that. And of course, discretion was of the utmost importance, given the importance of public opinion in his profession.

  He looked at Lady Grace’s picture on the main page of her website.

  Let The Girl Tame You.

  His cock throbbed in anticipation.

  He wondered about Lady Grace. He recognized the reference to the Shakespeare play, The Taming of the Shrew. She was clearly educated. But what was she really like? Yes, obviously beautiful. Sexy. Strong. Kinky. Naughty. But there was something in those eyes. Like they were saying, “I dare you.”

  He clicked to the contact page. He read over the client information form several times, pondering his decision. He was very aroused, and also highly intrigued. It had been a long time since he felt this energized.

  Should he?

  He started filling out the form with his information. It asked him for his name/nickname (identity to be established prior to meeting in person, discretion assured), email address, phone number. Basic information.

  The next part was interesting.

  What are your main BDSM interests?

  He thought about that for a few minutes, not sure what to say. Finally he wrote:

  To not have to be the one in control all the time. To go where I am led.

  Next question.

  Describe your fantasies and fetishes.

  He smiled and started writing, surprised by the length and the raw honesty of his profile. Yup, he was definitely kinky. He was pretty certain it was safe to share with her, she had probably read a lot worse. He wasn’t sure if it was his nerves or not, but he couldn’t help but add in his own sense of humor. Next question please?

  Tell me the type of session you would like to have.

  He allowed himself to fantasize for several minutes, noting it did not take long for his erection to throb, almost to the point of cumming in his pants. He wrote down some of the things he thought he would enjoy and then ended it by saying:

  Honestly, I don’t have any expectations but I am open to experimenting. I am not sure what kind of man typically partakes in this type of play, but make no mistake, I AM a man. I may be hard to tame.

  He read over what he wrote and added a winky emoticon so it would come across as playful rather than arrogant.

  He answered the rest of the form, noting that Lady Grace was very thorough, a fact that actually set him at ease. Finally he was done and he read the disclaimer. His eyes fell on the red button at the bottom.

  SUBMIT.

  His mouse hovered over the button for several minutes as he contemplated his decision.

  His cock throbbed with lust and he directed the question straight to it. Should he? Shouldn’t he?

  His cock gave him a clear answer with a throb of pleasure and anticipation that forced him to shut his eyes and breathe in sharply. He couldn’t believe how close he was to climax. He hadn’t even touched himself.

  He sat back in his chair once
more and re-read the form from start to finish. He really wasn’t sure why this appealed to him, but each time his eyes fell upon Lady Grace’s image he felt reassured in some inexplicable way. Maybe she was just what he needed to shake him out of his funk. He decided to take a shower and come back to it.

  He stood under the hot water, allowing the day’s stresses to wash away. His mind kept going back to the images of Lady Grace in those hot, commanding outfits. That led to him fantasizing about all of the kinky things she would do to him. His cock was erect, pointing out in front of him like an arrow, and he wished Lady Grace was there to touch it for him. He ran a finger along the underside of the shaft, from the head all the way to the base. He focused his mind on the images of Lady Grace, and to his surprise, his cock spurted semen across the shower. He watched the string of cum fly through the shower water and land on the wall in front of him. The force of the pleasure made him dizzy and he had to grip the sides of the shower to steady himself.

  He looked at his cock and realized he’d been depriving it all this time. Despite all the women he’d slept with, he’d never really given his cock what it truly wanted. He’d never fully surrendered to his desires. He’d never been with a woman who was his equal.

  His cock was still erect and he grabbed it in his fist and started pumping methodically. His hand moved rapidly up and down his shaft, like a schoolboy under the control of raging hormones. He pumped with his right hand as his left splayed out on the tiled wall of the shower.

  When he came again he cried out, gasping for breath. His semen flowed freely, dripping over his hand and falling to the floor of the shower.

  “Oh, God,” he moaned.

  He shut off the water and climbed out of the shower, wrapping himself in a towel. He walked back to his office and went straight to his laptop. Without another thought he scrolled down to the bottom of the page.

  SUBMIT.

  Click.

  Chapter Four

  Reagan

  Reagan finished brushing her hair and proceeded to remove the make up from her face, looking forward to crawling into bed to watch Jimmy Fallon. Laughter before bed was always welcome.