Page 86 of His Turn

Chapter Twenty-Two - Nadia

What happens after that is just like New Year’s Eve, but without Jordan. He walks away, starts my shower, and then comes back into the bedroom, naked. He holds out his hand and I take it, letting him bring me to my feet. My legs are shaky. Hell, my entire body is nothing but fatigued muscles. And he undresses me. He takes off my bra, then makes me place both hands on his shoulders as he slips my panties down my legs. When I step out, he picks me up, carries me to the bathroom, walks me into the shower, and places me on his lap once he sits on the stone bench.

He wraps his arms around me and lets me rest. Just like that.

My reward isn’t going to be sex, I realize. And that is the best gift ever right now. Because I don’t think I can move.

“Are you excited about the house?” Bric asks. My head resting on his shoulder. My eyes closed. I am a big bundle of exhausted nothingness in his arms.

I can’t think about that house. “I probably will be tomorrow,” I admit.

“It’s nice inside. You made a good choice, Nadia.” He pets my damp hair as he says this. “I think we’re all going to be very happy there.”

“Did Jordan see the inside?”

“No,” Bric says. “I haven’t really talked to him. But don’t worry. He’s gonna love it.”

I picture Jordan and me and Bric. Living inside that mansion. I picture their cars in the driveway. What will breakfast be like? What does the master bedroom look like? I wonder if we have a back yard?

“Come on,” Bric says, after a few minutes of silence from me. “Let’s wash up and then I’ll take you to bed and massage your legs. Would you like that, Nadia?”

He doesn’t wait for me to answer, just stands up, taking me with him, and waits until I place both feet on the tile floor of the shower.

I feel like I might collapse. But Bric is there, one arm around me. Holding me up.

“Turn around and face the wall,” he says.

He turns me.

“Place both hands here, Nadia.” He puts my hands right where he wants them, flat against the tile. “Now rest like this while I take care of you.”

He does take care of me. Very good care of me. He grabs the shower head and wets my entire body. My hair too. And then he has shampoo in his palm. His fingertips massaging it into my scalp.

“Tomorrow we’re going to go shopping for furniture. We have six thousand square feet to furnish and I’m going to assume your place came furnished?”

I nod. “It did. None of this is mine.”

“It’s almost a hundred years old, that place. But it’s just been completely remodeled. I’ll call a contractor tomorrow and have them make you a ballet studio. Just like the one you have here. Better,” he adds quickly. “Better than the one you have here.”

He’s rinsing the shampoo out now. And then he repeats that whole process with the conditioner.

“Would you like that?” he asks.

I would. Very much. “Why are you being so nice to me?” I ask, looking over my shoulder.

I catch him grinning and decide I like his grin. Elias Bricman is confusing in a lot of ways. But then again, he’s very simple. He likes to be in control. And even though Jordan was filled with warnings when he came to pick me up on New Year’s Eve, I don’t think they were necessary. Because as long as Bric gets what he wants, he’s very reasonable.

Yes, my legs are aching and my body is spent. But I do that to myself every day when I dance. It’s a familiar feeling. A welcomed one too. I like exhaustion.

“It’s my job, Nadia,” Bric says. “Your job is to submit, my job is to dominate. And when I use that word, I mean it in all the ways you probably don’t. I push you and you give in because you trust me to take care of you. I asked for more tonight. And you gave it to me. You did so good.”

He leans down into my neck and kisses the soft, wet skin just below my ear. When he pulls away, I want him back.

“And Jordan and I have already showed you this side of the arrangement once. Now you have two real experiences to form an opinion. Twice we’ve pushed you beyond your limits—”

“No,” I say, waking up a little at the mention of Jordan. “He’s not here.”

“We’re both here, Nadia. I’ll fill him in on the details tomorrow. But the point is, we pushed you hard, you gave in—maybe it was just faith. Maybe it was just the fact that you wanted to get fucked. Who cares why? We don’t care why. The only thing that matters is that you did it. And when it was over, when your challenge was removed and you realized you pleased us, you got a reward. This builds trust. So next time we push you you’ll know what comes afterward. You’ll be looking forward to it.”