Chapter One
Jacob was late.Being the wife of a fire captain meant I was used to him being habitually late. I was also used to worrying from the time he left the house each morning until he walked in the door each evening. To help curb my worries, Jacob and I had one rule in place that literally helped me live; call at your first opportunity when you’re going to be late. That one phone call kept me sane on nights like this.
As the minutes ticked by, the more nervous I grew. I had to keep myself busy. I got up from the table and dumped out the water from the glasses before I refilled them with fresh ice and water. I set the glasses back down and then sat at my usual seat.
Thirty-five minutes late.
“Lord, please let him be safe,” I whispered with closed eyes.
I had the chili warming on the stove, and as soon as he arrives, we would eat dinner.
Fifty minutes late.
Jacob knew that once he was an hour late, I would be calling his cell phone. I stood and paced around the dinner table, straightening the silverware as I went. I went through all of the motions that were in my routine. I turned both of our dinner plates so that the floral design on the outer rim of the plates mirrored the position of the other plate. I re-creased the creases in the pale, yellow paper napkins. I sat back down and let my mind drift to our plans for the upcoming weekend.
Startled, I jumped from the table at the sound of the phone and raced to answer it. The entire way, I recited my silent prayers;please let him be safe.
“Hello?” I nervously voiced my greeting into the receiver.
“Elise, I’m going to be a little longer, darling,” my husband Jacob’s voice came through the airwaves, instantly calming my nerves.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled.Jacob was safe.
“Okay, I was starting to get really worried,” I admitted.
“I know, darling. I’m very sorry. I am at the hospital,” he began in a hushed tone. “We lost Mark late this afternoon. His sister arrived moments before I was getting ready to call you.”
I covered my mouth as the tears instantly streamed down my face at the news. Mark was only a month out of his probational firefighter training. He was a lovely young man with his whole life ahead of him. Jacob had personally handled Mark’s training and was close friends with his father. Like all of the firefighters at Jacob’s station, Mark was like one of our own children.
“Oh, Jacob, I’m so sorry,” I sobbed.
“I’m going to drive Mark’s parents home, and then I will be home.”
“Please give his folks my condolences. Drive safe, and I will see you in a little while.”
“I love you, Elise.”
“I love you, too.”
I hung up the phone and braced my hands on the counter to steady me. Yesterday, Mark was taken to the hospital with severe burns to his face and torso from an apartment fire. Jacob had said that Mark was with another firefighter when he opened a door in the apartment. The increased oxygen caused a cloud of fire to engulf Mark. I knew last night that he had been in critical condition, but hadn’t expected to lose him so quickly.
While I waited for Jacob, I pulled out the contact information for the other wives of the station’s firefighters. Whenever we lost one, or one was injured, we took care of meals and some arrangements for the family. I had just finished calling the last person when I saw the headlights of Jacob’s truck pull into the driveway. I ran to the entryway and met him with open arms.
Jacob’s arms held me close to him and squeezed me reassuringly that he was safe. I breathed in the scent of his cologne and silently said my thanks that he was here and safe. Jacob had an uncanny ability to read me like a book; ever since I met him back in college. I was working through college as a waitress at a restaurant near a fire station. The firefighters were in there often, and he caught my eye right away.
Jacob was different than all of the college boys. He was older than me by about ten years, but there was a way he carried himself that made me weak in the knees whenever I saw him. One day he commented on my fingernails; I had been a nail biter ever since I was a child.
“You know, I can get you to stop that,” he had said one evening at the restaurant.
It’s funny how you can be drawn to someone, but not really know why. Then all of a sudden it hits you. That’s how it was with Jacob. That one phrase was delivered with confidence, held mystery, and captivated me. From the moment he told me that he could get me to stop biting my nails, I was intrigued and so curious to find out how.
We began to date, and I learned very fast exactly how different he was from the college boys. Boy, did I learn! I also discovered that not only could I tolerate his method of curbing my bad habits, I began to crave it, too.
Jacob had caught me biting my nails one day and said he was going to punish me for giving into my nervous habits. He said a little physical discipline would curb my nervousness. The thought of being a grown woman and needing to be punished by a man almost instantly made me wet. He took a wooden paddle to my ass, and though it was physically uncomfortable, being disciplined had an unexpected effect on me. It was how I discovered that I was a masochist. Oddly, the physical pain allowed me to release the emotional turmoil I carried, which allowed me to feel in control again and not nervous.
Life with Jacob was exhilarating, and unlike anything that I had ever imagined. Nights like this, after the sadness, loss, and anxiety, he will need to take his relief from my body. And I am more than willing to give him whatever he needs…no matter how painful.
Being Jacob’s submissive was full of perks. Not only was I able to meet his needs, but he took care of mine completely. We complemented one another in ways that many of our friends never even knew existed. There was a rare nuance that made us click so well. While Jacob was a Dominant, he was also a sadist. This worked incredibly well as he was able to scratch my masochistic itches. Jacob needs to give pain, and I need to receive pain.
