By His Reputation Ch. 03

This is the third chapter of the story of Alexander and Kate, and was by far one of the most difficult things I've had to write for many reasons I won't bore you with here. It went through three drafts that I was deeply unhappy with. I assure you, the next phase of the story is one I am excited to write, and it's thanks to my readers that I will continue writing. Specifically, thank you to TheMillersAngel for helping me edit and encouraging me.

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Alexander Page let out a long low sigh, as if a steam valve released inside of him. While this morning had been pleasant for him, it was marred by a strange fact that Kate, the lovely young woman with the hazel eyes, had told him. Her presence was wonderful, and he would not have traded her visit for much. But she had been told exactly where he lived by speaking to Denise. Denise, his ex-girlfriend, who he avoided, almost completely successfully, since the breakup, had sent a woman to his apartment building. He had called Denise, as soon as Kate was safely in a taxi on her way home, and demanded that she make time in her schedule. He was going to confront her and find out exactly what her intentions were. The breakup had not been amicable and Alexander loathed having to enter her life again. He had been perfectly happy never having to socialize with this woman again, and he had thought he left behind that lifestyle. Apparently, he was about as successful at that as he was at forgetting her phone number.

He paced around his apartment as he collected his things: his wallet, his phone, and his nicotine gum. As he popped a piece into his mouth, he noticed that Kate had hastily scratched her phone number onto his note pad on his breakfast bar. He picked it up and bit down, giving a half smile. He deeply wished, in the moment, that he had not given up smoking for Denise -- he could have used one of them now. That particular silver lining of the relationship dimmed as he was taken from a moment of happiness putting the paper in his pocket to feeling his face get warm from the frustration. Why had she sent a woman to his apartment? Why would she do anything positive for him at all? Furthermore, Kate and he had not had much opportunity to talk once everything had cooled down, so what was the nature of their relationship now? He did want to see her again; the chemistry between them had been explosive and woke deep parts of him that he thought were long gone. But was this all a ruse? A ploy of some kind?

Alexander's racing thoughts tore back and forth between the dark thoughts of Denise and the happier thoughts of the woman, Kate. Kate, who had been so curious and excited. Something about her inspired him to dive back into the old patterns that he once held, of being a Dominant and holding that control in his hands. She had been so naturally submissive and receptive; the heat between them was overwhelming and both had felt themselves swept up into it. Alexander smiled to himself as he opened the door to leave. He saw that she had thoroughly enjoyed herself and, while she might not have fully understood what happened, she left her phone number on his table for a reason. The elevator dinged and he stepped into the lobby, waving a curt goodbye at the doorman, he was more surprised that he had enjoyed it as well. To put himself back in that mindset; it wasn't something he expected to do again.

Alexander was a man whose silence usually indicated he was lost in thought, analyzing problems and examining his life and the world around him. But as he hailed a cab, all he could think about was turning back the pages in the book that was his memory to the chapter of Denise and the night they had separated, roughly two years ago.

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Denise and Alexander had only known each other in vague passing terms, not paying much attention to each other for whatever reason that collegiate classmates don't pay attention to each other. Alexander was the year above Denise, and finally, in his last year of art school, Denise had come to him to ask for his help with a class, as he had become the TA. And as often happens, the topic shifted away from the assistance she needed to social subjects and to lighter topics. It had so happened that they both had plans to see a movie playing on campus that night. And before the next dawn, they would have shared their first kiss.

Alexander was close to graduation and Denise had promising grades and was gifted in her own rights -- the two talented artists spent a great deal of time together in public and in private. The romance was moving swimmingly and exactly as one would expect a college love story to begin. And, after romancing each other for a full school year, Denise had decided to accept the invitation Alexander extended to stay with him for the summer instead of moving back home. Alexander had an arrangement with his family that many of his friends found unfair -- as long as he was pulling good grades they would pay for his living expenses, modest yet livable. As such, that summer Denise and Alexander grew extremely close to one another sharing the one-bedroom apartment not far from the campus.

The close quarters led to a lack of privacy that inevitably led to many uncovered secrets with each passing week. And so, Alexander came to discover Denise was interested in a darker side of her sexuality. She revealed to him that she became interested in the BDSM lifestyle after reading some stories and magazine articles. And from that one revelation, both began to explore the lifestyle in any way that they could afford, and think, to do. Their summer fell into a passionate routine of exploration and broadening horizons as they grew closer to each other and deeper in the pattern of discovery.

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Alexander finally hailed a cab, frowning as the yellow vehicle pulled up to him. His anger had begun to fade, and he found the feeling replaced with anxiety instead. He found thoughts of Denise distasteful and was beginning to regret calling her to set up a confrontation he knew would be deeply uncomfortable. More than anything, he really did not want to see this woman again, not after how she had left things. Their relationship was exactly where it belonged, in the past. But he found himself asking the cab driver, perhaps the only cab driver in the entire city to not have a radio playing as he drove, to take him to the University and off they went slowly towards the school, the lunchtime crowd dispersing and walking down the streets.

Lunch had come and gone and husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, friends from wherever spending their Saturday together, strolled down the sidewalks as he passed their oblivious faces. His lunch today had been quite different. He had spent it in the company of a woman who could make him smile in ways that these people may never understand. She made him feel peace in a way that was unclear to him yet. All that was completely clear to him was that he would be using that phone number she left. And that he hoped she wasn't giving him the phone number just to spend more time behind locked doors. He wanted to learn more about her, although he was certain that he was getting ahead of himself -- a habit he long had when women were involved.

As easily as a coin flips through the air, its fate uncertain, Alexander's mind was flipping between possibilities as well. In one moment he thought of the lovely Kate who had been receptive and welcome to him. In the next he thought of Denise, a woman who had broken his heart and had now insanely inserted herself back into his life against his will. A part of his brain wished that he had sent Kate away when she said the word "Denise" and the other part of his brain told him that was an insane thought. He was a man divided, split between a peaceful thought and a turbulent fear, and again he felt anxiety rear its dreadful head again. The cracks were starting to form in his calm demeanor and his blue eyes revealed a secret to anyone who looked at him. He was upset.

"Sir? Are you going to be sick? You don't look so good," the driver asked him in a deep accent, glancing back in the mirror towards his fare.

"I might be, but not until I get out of the cab, I promise you that." Alexander spoke back, his voice having lost the confidence it had earlier. With Kate, his thoughts came easily and he felt calm. Even the prospect of facing Denise fractured the man, and nobody liked feelings of uncertainty.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" The driver laughed. Alexander suspected this was a man who drove forlorn lovers home from nights out and away from the hazy reality that alcohol gave on late nights. Cab drivers had become the new psychologists of his generation.

"It's two," he replied, shifting his eyes to look into the mirror to see the dark skinned man's older eyes. "And I can't stand one of them."

The driver chuckled happily, "The secret to life, my friend, is to do what makes you happy and try not to hurt anyone else." It was certainly fair wisdom and it rendered Alexander quiet for a moment. He was happy by himself. He was happy with Kate, who he felt guilty and that he owed an explanation to. With his art, his books, his social circles. He wasn't happy with Denise in the same building as him, so why was he going towards it?

"Unfinished and unpleasant business. But once it is over, it's over." Alexander looked away out the rear passenger window, watching the storefronts pass by. The conversation died as he looked out the window. After a few moments in silence, his eyes glanced over a familiar sight. They had crossed the river, getting closer and closer to the campus where his confrontation waited. And along the river, running up and down the stone sidewalks that were designed to look much older, cafes and coffee shops were sprinkled. One in particular appealed to the artists in the city. The White Grass café, modeled after a Van Gogh painting, had outdoor seating lit by lanterns and white tables with linen tablecloths. He looked away and remembered bringing Denise there, the night they broke up.

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Their date began like most any other that any two young lovers would have on any given night of the week. He wore a white shirt and slacks and she dressed in a knee-length black dress, and they sat talking, laughing, and smiling at each other like any other couple would be expected to. But what set this night apart from others was Alexander's clever mind and one simple catalytic event. After the meal, and with no pretense or warning, he extended an open palm to his date and said the simple words "Give them to me." Denise blushed and stammered for a few moments before meeting Alexander's icy gaze and seeing no humor in his eyes. He expected obedience, and she would give it. She glanced around for a moment and leaned forward. She knew what he wanted, and she learned, among other things, that she enjoyed obeying him.

Her hands, underneath the tablecloth, started to wiggle and she shifted her weight back and forth before finally bending low with her chin nearly resting on the table. And without another word, she sat back up and placed her black lacy panties in his hand. He closed his hand around them and promptly placed them into his pocket, leaving her feeling exposed and her body already growing wetter from the simple command he had given her.

The walk back to Alexander's apartment was spent in silence as they both knew what was coming, evidenced by deliberate steps and hearts racing with anticipation; a light evening breeze caressed her in gentle and soft ways that only increased the thrill she felt rush down her spine and rest on her soft feminine slit, growing steadily more wet with each passing moment and every gliding and sliding step.

The door had not even closed behind them before he turned and pushed her until the latch clicked shut. Months had passed with the two learning each other, and he knew her body as well as she knew his. In moments she was on her knees with him in her mouth, quietly savoring his cock with her hungry lips, feeling his raw strength on her head from gripping fingers. This was not gentle and slow and the moment she felt him move her body with his powerful hands, she knew she would feel it the next day.

"Follow me," he instructed her as he pulled away. "On your knees," as she began to stand; she corrected herself and began to crawl after his lead towards the bedroom, only to be bent over the bed before she could even climb onto it. "If you turn around, I will punish you," he threatened with a low growl in his voice. Her pussy throbbed at the words he said and she gave into the curious temptation, turning her head around to see him.

The punishment was delivered immediately, and he spanked her through her dress. She loved the pain he gave her and her knees grew weak with each subsequent smack. Her wetness slicked down her thighs and her breathing grew shallow and rapid with each powerful smack. In that moment, she became his, and she never wanted him to stop punishing her as she was pushed closer to the edge, each spank sending her body forward with a jolt and her mind closer to the cliff she wanted to fall from.

One very hard smack sent her body reeling in pain and pleasure as she braced herself by gripping the sheets with her shaking fingers, her head dizzy and eyes cloudy. She would have given him anything at this moment and she barely felt it as he bent low and attached cuffs to her ankles quickly. But when he moved her back to adjust her, her ankles were locked a distance apart and she gasped. "A spreader bar, Sir?"

He answered with the sound of a belt being undone and when it was in both hands, he swung it forward and it came down around her neck, pulling back until it was a taut "U" around her neck -- he pulled her back towards him and her ass rose in the air only to be punished by another powerful smack sending her higher than she thought possible until he sunk swiftly into her. "You're going to pay for that. And you're going to feel this tomorrow," he stated factually, their favorite promise music to her ears.

And the night passed in a blur of motion and pleasure. Alexander took her again and again as waves of pleasure crashed against their bodies. Her small breasts shook and her smooth ass rippled with every deep thrust. Hours seemed to pass in her mind as her soul rode one explosion to the next, never stopping and never calming. Time and space held no meaning for her, only her body and her Sir existed until finally, her entire world came crashing down as he pulled himself free and painted her back with his cum. Denise's mind so charged that she felt it sting her skin and drip down her back, covering her as her eyes rolled back and she lost all sensation but one, the deep unstoppable pleasure that ensured she would feel it tomorrow.

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"That bitch." He said as he snapped free from his memory and stood on the ground of the campus while the cab drove away from him. Times had changed to the point where Alexander had a headache at the prospect of meeting Denise here. And as he walked through his old familiar campus, where he had spent so much time studying and assisting fellow students, his stomach soured. Passing the dormitory or "residence hall," as the resident advisors insisted, should have filled him with nostalgia. The library he worked at part-time to keep himself busy was dull and bleak to him. And when his eyes finally landed on the art building, it was about as pleasant as a kidney stone.

But finally he stepped into the building and began the long walk to the old office he shared as a teaching assistant. And there she was, with a textbook in front of her. She looked exactly how he remembered her. She was tall and of average build for a woman, but still a full head under him. She wore her long brown hair in a braid now, and her brown eyes looked tired from reading steadily for hours, but it was her.

"Denise Whitemore," his voice made her start and she looked wide-eyed at him, clearly surprised, even if she was expecting him based on his call. And until a smirk appeared on her face, that was all that was spoken. But that expression irritated Alexander even further. "What are you smiling at?" he demanded, lips tight.

"You finally are back here, in my office." She answered, voice high and light, almost jovial at the turn of events.

"I never wanted to be back here. And I never wanted to see you personally again. So let's make this quick." He turned to close the door behind him and sighed, the internal steam valve of an audible sigh not functioning as well anymore -- he was still just as tense. "Let me be blunt, why did you tell a woman to come to my home?"

She stood up and leaned against the bookshelf behind her, the desk separating them still. "Oh c'mon. Let's talk some more. We have so much catching up to do." She teased him. Alexander closed his eyes and sighed. She was playing a game. She wanted to keep him talking.

He turned to face her and rubbed the bridge of his nose between pinched finger tips. "Denise. Let's face facts. You left me because we got too serious -"

"You had a ring, Alex!" She interrupted, her voice raised, an old argument sparked in an instant and the anger in the room flashed.

"We had been together for a year! You had moved in with me! And you went snooping!" He took a deep breath to collect himself and paused. "And it's Alexander. Not Alex. And, as I was saying, you left because we got too serious for you, and you came up with dozens of reasons to not be with me but you were just afraid of what 'forever' might mean. So now, why are you back in my life?"

She huffed and crossed her arms. "You're such an asshole. You think it's always about you. Like you're the star of everyone's story in your life, in your tiny world. Maybe I didn't want to get married! Maybe I didn't want to be with a pervert like you anymore!" she spit the words out, searching for the ones that would hurt him the most as tempers began to rage. She came around the desk and faced him. "You liked it a hell of a lot more than I ever liked it, and you know that."

Alexander grew angrier and clenched his fists. He was not a violent man, but this was a woman who left him when she found an engagement ring. A woman who blamed him for it. And a woman who screamed at him for a half hour straight after finding it, only to step out of his life and give no satisfactory explanation for what had happened -- until now. He would make her. His eyes narrowed. "Answer the question. Why did you send Kate to my apartment?" His voice had grown quiet and still, through extraordinary effort on his part.

"Fuck you, that's why!" Denise spit the words in his face. Her anger escalated so quickly. Some couples are like oil and water, never quite mixing. Denise and Alexander were like fire and gasoline. It had not always been like this, they both knew deep down. They were not always angry, but they were always exceedingly passionate together. They had once been happy, but when that first happiness vanished, the two had anger that built so quickly that the rare times they spoke it always ended in hatred. And Alexander had enough. He snapped.

He grabbed both of her arms in his passion and spun her around. She was not a tiny woman, but he was still far more powerful than her. And in that moment when Alexander lost control, he bent her over the desk as she struggled and insulted him further. He did not listen to anything she called him, reached his hand back, and brought it swiftly down over her jean-clad ass. She yelped in pain and screamed at him "What the fuck are you doing?!" Alexander didn't even know, he simply fell back into the old pattern of disciplining his submissive.