Being Hers (Irresistibly Bound Book 1) Read online

“I noticed.” Everything that James had told her about Vanessa came flooding back. It was all too much to process right now.

  “I take it you haven’t checked your email today?” Vanessa asked.

  “Not yet. I just woke up.”

  “Well, you might want to take a look. I have to go, but I’ll see you in the evening.”

  Mel stretched out her arms with a smile. She was actually looking forward to celebrating her birthday with Vanessa. Then she remembered. “I’m supposed to work.”

  “No, you’re not. I asked James to write you into the roster for tonight so you’d keep it free. You don’t actually have a shift.”

  “How long have you been planning this?” Mel’s work schedule came out a couple of weeks in advance. Vanessa hadn’t asked her about her birthday until a few days ago.

  “Oh, for quite some time now.”

  Mel sat up and dragged her hands through her hair. Perhaps Vanessa’s comment about canceling the helicopter ride wasn’t a joke. And she should have felt uncomfortable about Vanessa manipulating her schedule. But she was becoming used to being subject to Vanessa’s whims. And she hated to admit it, but in this case, it was kind of sweet.

  “I’ll see you this evening,” Vanessa said.

  “Sure.” Mel hung up the phone and checked the time. Crap. It was 11:55. Mel had slept through her alarm. She leapt out of bed. Her email would have to wait.

  Mel made it to campus with a few minutes to spare. It wasn’t until the end of her last class that she remembered to check her email. As she and Jess walked out of the building, Mel took her phone out of her bag and scrolled through her emails. They were mostly junk. Nothing from Vanessa. But she had an email from the Financial Aid Office that had been sent this morning. Had she missed a student loan payment? As she read on, she stopped in her tracks.

  “Mel? Is everything okay?” Jess asked.

  “Yeah…”

  “What is it?”

  “My student loans. Someone paid them off. Completely.”

  “Wow.” Jess gaped at her. “Do you think it was Vanessa?”

  Mel nodded. It could only be her.

  “That’s amazing, Mel! Right?”

  Mel nodded again. But familiar feelings were brewing inside of her. This was too much. There was no way she could accept this.

  “Is it a birthday present? I’m surprised you told her about your birthday.”

  “I didn’t. She figured it out herself. And she has this big evening all planned out, but she won’t tell me anything about it.” Now that Mel thought about it, Vanessa didn’t even tell her where they would meet.

  “Sounds like she likes to keep you on your toes…” Jess trailed off, her eyes staring out into the distance.

  Mel followed Jess’s gaze across the lawn. Vanessa had come to pick her up again. And this time, she was holding an enormous bouquet of yellow and white daffodils. Mel had made an offhand comment about how much she loved daffodils once before. She never expected that Vanessa would remember it.

  Mel turned to Jess.

  “No. You’re not running off this time,” Jess said. “I want to meet her.”

  Mel groaned. She was not prepared for Vanessa and Jess to meet. But Jess didn’t care. With a confidence that rivaled Vanessa’s, she made a beeline for the parking lot. Mel only just caught up with her before she got to Vanessa.

  “Happy birthday, Melanie.” Balancing the bouquet in one hand, Vanessa pulled Mel into a long, deep kiss.

  Jess coughed quietly to the side. Mel broke off, suddenly conscious of all the students walking past the parking lot.

  Vanessa gave Jess a warm smile. “You must be Jess. Melanie has told me all about you.”

  “Oh, really? Good things I hope?” Jess said.

  “Yes, she said you’re going to be a formidable lawyer one day.”

  Mel watched Jess’s face turn pink. Apparently, Mel wasn’t the only one who Vanessa’s charms worked on.

  Vanessa turned to Mel and handed her the flowers. “These are for you.”

  “Thanks. They’re beautiful.” Mel held them up to her nose and breathed deeply. They smelled as wonderful as they looked.

  “So, what do you have planned for Mel’s birthday?” Jess asked Vanessa.

  “Quite a bit. I’m going to spoil her more than anyone ever has spoiled her before.” Vanessa said.

  “Well, try to keep her out of trouble,” Jess joked.

  “I can’t make any promises.” Vanessa shot Mel a suggestive glance.

  Jess smirked, a knowing look on her face.

  “Don’t you have a bus to catch, Jess?” Mel said. “You know, at the other side of campus?”

  “Okay, I get the hint. Have fun tonight.” Jess turned back to Vanessa. “It was lovely to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is mine,” Vanessa replied.

  Jess giggled. “Bye, Melanie. Don’t forget about brunch on Sunday. I want to hear all about your evening.”

  “Okay, bye, Jess,” Mel said through gritted teeth. She watched Jess disappear around the corner.

  Vanessa walked around the car and opened the passenger side door. “Your friend seems nice.”

  Mel grumbled wordlessly and sat down.

  Vanessa took the flowers from Mel’s hands and placed them in the back seat. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Mmmm,” Mel set down her fork and leaned back in her chair. “This is delicious.”

  “Isn’t it divine?” Vanessa said. “This is one of the best restaurants in the city. It’s very hard to get a table. Luckily, I know the chef.”

  “You went through all this trouble for me?”

  “All I did was call in a favor. It’s nothing, really.”

  “This is not nothing.”

  The small, intimate restaurant was finer than any that Mel had ever been to. From the shiny silver cutlery to the crisp, white tablecloths, everything in the room was pristine and rich. Their dinner, which they were halfway through, ran several courses. And there were no other diners. They had the whole restaurant to themselves.

  “And I seem to remember saying ‘nothing over the top,’” Mel said. “Is booking out an entire restaurant your idea of low key?”

  “Trust me, this isn’t over the top,” Vanessa replied. “If I had my way, we’d be on a flight to Paris right now.”

  “You’re not even joking, are you?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” Vanessa poured them both another glass of wine, hand-picked by the restaurant’s sommelier. The bottle was almost empty already.

  “Thank you,” Mel said. “For all of this.” Mel appreciated being able to spend some one-on-one time with Vanessa that didn’t involve Mel getting tied to something. Not that she minded that part. But it was a welcome change of pace.

  Vanessa smiled. “Didn’t I tell you that you would love it?”

  “Yes. You were right.”

  “Aren’t I always?” Vanessa reached across the table and placed her hand on Mel’s arm. “See? Sometimes it’s worth giving something new a chance.”

  “I know. It’s just hard, you know? To be open to anything new and different after being disappointed so many times.” Mel picked up her fork and prodded at her food. “It’s silly of me, I know.”

  “Why do you do that?” Vanessa asked.

  “Do what?”

  “Dismiss your feelings. Pretend that they aren’t important.”

  “I’m not…” Mel sighed. “It’s a habit, I guess. When I was growing up, having any feelings at all was a weakness I could never afford to indulge in. I always felt like I had to be strong all the time because I had no one else I could rely on.”

  “Where were your parents in all this?” Vanessa asked.

  “My dad left when I was young. And my mom didn’t like how much I reminded her of my dad. So she basically left me to fend for myself. And she was an alcoholic, so she wasn’t exactly reliable. She always found new ways to let me down. And even when she was actually around, she wasn’t really present
.” Mel blinked. She had never told anyone that much about her parents. Not since Kim. And Kim had only used it against her.

  “That’s awful. I’m sorry. No child deserves to be treated like that.”

  Mel shrugged. “Well, at the very least it taught me to be independent. And it made me want to escape my dead-end life and make something of myself. It’s probably why I’m such a control freak. I’ve always tried to create a sense of stability to cope with the uncertainty that was around me as a kid.”

  Vanessa gave Mel a small smile. “We’re all products of our upbringing, aren’t we? My parents? They had high expectations of me, to the point where they were overbearing and controlling.” She took a sip of her wine. “My father was a mechanic and my mother was a nurse. They spent their entire lives working themselves into the ground. They wanted me to have a better life than they did, so they put a lot of pressure on me to succeed.”

  “That sounds hard.”

  “It was. As their only child, they put all their hopes and dreams on me. They loved me, but their love was conditional on me being perfect in every way. So I ended up internalizing their attitudes. I told myself that I had to excel at everything I did. And I sought to control those around me like my parents did to me. Which I clearly haven’t outgrown. We’re all hostages of our pasts.”

  They sat in comfortable silence as they waited for the next course. It arrived with another bottle of wine. By the time they had finished with everything but dessert, they were halfway through the second bottle.

  Suddenly, Mel remembered. “Vanessa. You paid off my student loans?”

  “Yes. It was nothing, really. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it would make you happy, or mad. I know how independent you are.”

  “It bothered me a little at first. But then I realized I was being irrational,” Mel said. “Either that, or your lavish gifts are softening me up.”

  “Really? Because I’ve been holding back.” Vanessa said. “Next time I’ll have Elena drop off a new car for you. Or keys to a bigger apartment.”

  “I don’t think so,” Mel said, trying to look as resolute as possible.

  “Suit yourself.”

  “I’m going to keep working at The Lounge,” Mel said. She didn’t need to anymore. Without loans to pay off, her scholarships would cover most of her living expenses.

  “I expected as much,” Vanessa said. “If it were up to me, you wouldn’t have to work another day in your life. I’d look after you in every way.”

  Mel raised an eyebrow. “What, like some sort of sugar baby?”

  “You would never allow that, would you? You should know, you’re the first woman who hasn’t simply let me do whatever the hell I want with you. Outside the bedroom, that is.” Vanessa lowered her voice. “You have no idea how infuriating it is. It only makes me want you even more.”

  Mel suppressed a smile. Knowing that she drove Vanessa crazy in her own way was extremely satisfying.

  “I do respect you for it, though. I respect anyone who values independence. Besides, I think your friends would miss you if you quit working at The Lounge. James in particular.” Vanessa smiled. “You made quite an impression last night.”

  “Oh god.” Mel buried her face in her hands. “What was on the voicemail James left you?”

  “Quite a lot. Including something about you all getting kicked out of the bar. He was quite drunk, it was very hard to understand him.”

  Mel groaned.

  “He also gave me a bit of a lecture about you. He went on and on about how amazing you are and told me never to hurt you. I think he’s taken quite the liking to you.”

  Mel felt warmth rise up her face. She wasn’t sure what to make of James’ sudden protectiveness.

  “I assured him that I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?”

  There was a softness in Vanessa’s eyes that Mel had never seen before. “I…”

  The chef approached the table. He was carrying a small, elaborately decorated chocolate cake with several candles and sparklers sticking out of it. He gave them both a warm smile as he placed it on the center of the table, then disappeared back into the kitchen.

  Mel stared at the extravagant creation. “Did you do this, Vanessa?”

  “I assure you, that was all Joseph.” Vanessa sighed. “He’s the chef. I had to tell him it was your birthday for us to get the restaurant for the night, but I made him promise not to make a fuss.” She glanced down at the cake. “He’s been known to come out singing, so I suppose this is him being discreet.”

  “It looks delicious,” Mel said.

  Vanessa pushed the cake toward Mel. “Happy birthday.”

  Mel blew out the candles and watched the sparklers burn down. “This is definitely the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

  “It’s not over yet,” Vanessa said in a smooth, low voice. “I still have one last present for you.”

  “Oh?” Mel smiled. “What kind of present?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” Vanessa slid her bare foot up Mel’s leg under the table. “Now hurry up and eat your dessert.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “This view is stunning.” Mel turned on the spot in the center of the enormous penthouse suite. The glass walls gave a 360-degree view of the city beneath them. The twinkling city lights looked like a reflection of the night sky above. Mel examined the room. There were bottles of champagne in ice on the dining table. Soft fluffy robes hung from hooks on the wall. The huge bed was on a raised platform and looked soft enough to drown in.

  “It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” Vanessa asked. “I remember how much you enjoyed watching the sunset on that rooftop, so I thought you might like the view here. I called in another favor to get this room. It was worth it, just to see your smile.”

  Did Vanessa really rent a penthouse suite because she thought I’d like the view? Mel suddenly found herself overwhelmed.

  “What’s the matter?” Vanessa sat Mel down on the couch.

  All of Mel’s emotions poured out at once. “All this. The loans, the dinner, the hotel. It’s too much…”

  “No, it’s not.” Vanessa took Mel’s hand. “Why is it so hard for you to accept things from others? Or to let them in? Do you think you don’t deserve love and happiness?”

  “No. I…” Mel trailed off.

  “Melanie. Look at me.” Vanessa looked deep into Mel’s eyes. “You deserve the world. And you don’t have to go through life alone.”

  Mel searched the depths of her heart. Vanessa was right. Sometimes Mel did feel like she didn’t deserve to be happy. It was a side effect of a childhood spent alone and unloved. But she knew it was irrational. Maybe just for one night, she could let go of all her doubts and insecurities and enjoy the moment. “You’re right. I’m being silly.” Mel smiled. “Thank you, Vanessa. This was the perfect night.”

  Vanessa kissed her. Mel laid her head on Vanessa’s shoulder and they sat in silence, sinking into each other.

  After a while, Mel peered up at Vanessa from under her eyelashes. “Didn’t you say you have one more present for me?”

  “Are you sure you’re up for it?”

  Mel planted a fiery kiss on a very surprised Vanessa. “Yes. Definitely.”

  “You’re insatiable.” Vanessa pushed Mel down onto the couch and pressed her lips against Mel’s.

  A low rumble rose from Mel’s chest. Vanessa’s lips tasted faintly of wine.

  She pulled Mel up off the couch and guided her to an open space in front of a large mirror on the wall. Vanessa grabbed the hem of Mel’s blouse and drew it up over her head, then tugged Mel’s skirt down to the floor. Vanessa ran her fingers over the cups of Mel’s lacy, purple bra. “These were my first gift to you.” A light smile crossed Vanessa’s lips. “I love seeing you in things that are mine.”

  That was the reaction Mel had been hoping for when she had chosen to wear that set of lingerie. Vanessa didn’t need to tell her what to wear, or what to do anymore. Mel co
uld anticipate Vanessa’s every impulse without her speaking a word. But she still delighted in following Vanessa’s orders. And she loved the satisfaction that her obedience gave the other woman.

  “As lovely as you look in this, it’s in my way,” Vanessa said. She stripped Mel’s bra from her body. “Stay right there.”

  Mel watched in the mirror as Vanessa strode over to the table and opened up a large leather bag that was sitting on top of it. She pulled out several coils of thick, red rope. All up, it was enough to truss up Mel’s body from head to toe several times over.

  Vanessa returned to her side. “Close your eyes for me. Keep them shut until I tell you to open them. And put your hands behind your back.”

  Mel obeyed. Vanessa folded Mel’s arms against her back, one forearm on top of the other. She wound the rope around the length of Mel’s arms in a series of loops and knots. Mel wriggled her arms. She couldn’t move them at all. Mel was no stranger to restraints by now, but this was a far higher level of immobilization. Her pulse quickened.

  “Are you all right, my pet?”

  “Yes, Vanessa.” Mel’s nerves were more out of excitement than anxiety.

  Vanessa kissed Mel on the back of her shoulder. “This will take a while. Try to relax. You’ll enjoy it more if you do.”

  As Vanessa wound the ropes around Mel’s torso, she focused her senses on everything around her. The pressure of the soft rope on her skin, tight, but not constricting. Vanessa’s hands and fingers on her chest and back. Everywhere Vanessa touched left a faint tingling behind. It was almost sensual. By the time Vanessa was done, Mel felt light and serene.

  “Open your eyes,” Vanessa said.

  Mel looked at herself in the mirror. The red rope crisscrossed over her chest and shoulders and around her breasts. Underneath her bound arms, her back was a mirror image of her front. A length of rope dangled from the center of her chest.

  “It’s shibari. Japanese rope bondage. Some consider it an art,” Vanessa said. “You make a perfect canvas.”

  “It’s beautiful.” Mel turned to each side, admiring the snug rope harness that Vanessa had created.