by Marie Tuhart
She shut the door and leaned against it. “Lock it, Tessa.” His voice came through the wooden door. Tessa sighed and threw the dead bolt.
“Night, my lady in blue.”
Tessa’s legs went limp, and she slid down the door to sit on the floor. This was so not good. Her reaction to Damon was off the charts. Was that why she’d fought with him at the beginning? Was she afraid of the depth of her feelings?
All she knew right now was she was aroused and needed relief. Fishing her phone out of her purse, she looked at the time and groaned. Almost eleven and she had to work tomorrow. She forced her legs to function.
She would analyze her feelings about Damon later. Right now, she needed some rest, but first she had to find her vibrator and fresh batteries. Tessa made her way into her bedroom. There she saw the bag Damon had been carrying sitting on her bed.
Had he forgotten it? There was a note on the bag, so Tessa plucked it off and read.
Tessa, a little something for you. When you’re ready let me know. D.
What the heck? Curiosity aroused, Tessa opened the bag. “Oh. My. God.” It was the restraints they’d played with in the store. Heat hit her full force as she pulled them out of the bag. Nerves fluttered in her belly. How would it feel to have Damon restrain her and play with her body? To feel his hands roaming over her skin and be helpless to stop him. Tessa shook her head and put the restraints in the top drawer of her dresser, out of sight out of mind. Yeah, right. With a sigh, she pulled out her vibrator and a fresh package of batteries.
* * * *
“Someone looks a little tired,” Allie, Tessa’s co-worker said the next morning.
“Yep.” Tessa smiled and kept walking toward her office. Her dreams had been filled with Damon restraining her and teasing her to release. She’d woken hot, sweaty, and in need. Even masturbating in the shower hadn’t helped, and she’d spent ten minutes staring at the restraints in the top drawer of her dresser.
She needed to give them back to Damon. They were too dangerous for her to have in her apartment because her mind kept coming up with fun and naughty things they could do with them.
Ugh. She pushed all those thoughts into the back of her mind. Today was collection development day. She enjoyed acquiring new books, DVDs, and e-books for the library. Sure, her budget was limited, but she found ways to make it stretch. She settled down in her small office and got to work.
“Hey, Tessa,” Allie said.
“What’s up?” Tessa glanced up from her computer screen.
“There’s a gentleman who is looking for a book on industrial something or other, and I have children’s hour.”
“Okay.” Tessa stood up, and her muscles protested. “Dang it, how long was I sitting there?”
“It’s almost noon. So about three hours.”
“I need to remember to get up more often.” Tessa followed Allie out to the main desk. Allie turned right to go to the children’s area for reading hour, and Tessa went to the main desk.
A man stood there with his back to her. She tilted her head. The man looked familiar. “Can I help you?” He turned. “Damon.” He was here. In her workplace.
“Tessa? I forgot you were a librarian.” He smiled at her.
“That’s me.”
“I’m hoping you have this book on industrial design.” He told her the title and author. Tessa brought it up in the system. “We don’t have that exact book. I can ask another library for it, but we have others by the same author. Would you like to see the ones we do have?”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay, follow me.” Tessa walked between the stacks to the back of the library.
“You know, librarians get me all hot and bothered,” he said softly.
Tessa stopped in her tracks and faced Damon. “Damon, this is my place of work. Please respect it.” She wasn’t sure why she was coming down so hard on him. Yes, she was. Her body was already aroused by his presence, and she didn’t need to be reminded of her attraction to him.
“I’m sorry. You’re right.” He looked contrite, and Tessa’s stomach tightened.
“Be aware that other people may be around and not understand we have… I don’t know what we have.” She found the right stack and turned down the row.
“I’d like to say we have a budding relationship.”
That was a good word for it. Tessa put her hands on the books. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“If you need anything else, come to the front desk.” She stepped back to get around him.
Damon leaned close to her. “What if I need you?” he whispered.
Warmth spread from her toes to her cheeks. “Behave, Mr.— Heck, I don’t even know your last name. Klineman?”
Damon laughed softly. “Kline. Klineman’s is the name of the store.”
“Why not Kline’s?”
“Because only select people know I own the store.”
She nodded. “Behave, Mr. Kline or I’ll have to go all librarian on you.” With that, she marched away with what she hoped was an exaggerated sway of her hips.
* * * *
Damon stifled his laughter as Tessa sashayed away. That was the only way to describe it. His lady in blue/librarian wasn’t going to be a pushover. Good. He didn’t want that. She hadn’t mentioned the restraints; then again, this wasn’t the place for that kind of conversation. Back to business, he reminded himself.
He glanced over the books, pulled four of them off the shelves, and found a table.
Two hours later, he came up for air. Two of the books had some of what he wanted. He needed to take them home and see if the information panned out. Standing, he stretched, picked up the books, and walked to the desk.
Tessa sat there typing on the computer. She glanced up. “Did they help?” she asked.
“Two did. How do I check them out?” He set the books on the desk.
“You’ll need a library card.”
“And how do I get one of those, my pretty librarian?”
Her face flushed, and she glanced around. There was no one near them. In fact, the library was pretty empty.
“Driver’s license, please.” She held out her hand.
Damon fished out his license and handed it to her. Tessa flipped it over, then ran it through a card reader machine. She then looked from the license to the computer screen. “You live out of town a ways.” Tessa handed him back his license.
“I do. I like the space.”
“So only two of the books worked?”
“Yes.” He watched her scan them and print out a receipt.
“Now that you have a library card, I’ll request the other book you wanted. It will take a few days to get here.”
“Perfect.” It gave him an excuse to see her again.
“Are you an engineer?”
“I have two engineering degrees, mechanical and industrial.”
“Overachiever.” Tessa smiled at him.
“You could say that.” He put his hand on the desk and leaned forward. “How about lunch?”
“Not today.” There was regret in those brown eyes. “I brown-bagged it so I can make sure I get out of here on time tonight.”
Damon frowned. “Not a hot date, I hope.”
“No.” Tessa leaned back as her co-worker slipped behind the desk.
“Sorry it took me so long; there was a line at the bank. Go take your break.” The younger woman waved them away.
Tessa slipped from the stool she was sitting on, and Damon met her when she exited the desk area. “Walk with me?” he asked. At least they could talk outside a little more privately.
Damon wondered for a split second if his grin betrayed his fantasy as he watched the sway of Tessa’s pert ass. His hands itched with the desire to cup those luscious globes while taking her hard and fast. Once outside, she walked down the steps and took a path off to the left away from the parking area. Damon followed with a grin. She stopped when trees blocked them from the main road.
“To answer your question. No hot date. Since it’s been so long since I was at the club, I need to go through the classes.”
“That makes sense.” It did. He remembered Jordan asking her about who her Dom would be for the classes. She didn’t need a Dom tonight, but next week? That was something they could talk about at dinner. “We’re still on for tomorrow night, right?” His mind started toying with ideas on ways he could crash the class tonight. No, it was better he didn’t. Let Tessa experience the first class on her own. He needed to be patient.
“Yes.” Tessa took a breath. “Thank you for the gift,” she said.
He almost asked what gift and then remembered. “You’re welcome.” He leaned to where he could whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to use them on you.”
Her skin flushed. “I can’t keep them.”
“Why not?”
“Damon, that’s an expensive gift.”
He laughed. “Not really.” He didn’t mention that, with Colby’s help, he’d learned how to make those restraints himself. Colby, a member of the club, was also a master leatherworker, and he’d helped Damon pick out the right pieces. “They’re a gift, and I want you to have them. This way, when I spend the night at your house, we have them.”
Tessa’s chin rose, and she put her hands on her hips. “Sure of yourself, are you?”
“I am.” He was looking forward to having some fun with Tessa.
“You are so arrogant.”
“I’m confident.”
She shook her head. “I need to get back to work.”
“Before you go.” Damon put his hand on her arm. “One more thing. Did you dream of me last night?”
Her eyes flared. “Ass,” she muttered as she shook off his hand and marched away.
Damon couldn’t help laughing. He enjoyed getting her riled up. She was a spitfire, and he wanted her in his bed.
* * * *
Tessa pulled her car into the lot at Wicked Sanctuary. There were three other vehicles already there. Well, at least she wouldn’t be alone in class. Ralph smiled at her when she walked in.
“Straight down the hall, last door on your right,” he said.
“Thanks.” Tessa found the door and slipped into the room. Max and Jordan were standing at the front, and four other people were seated at the tables. They looked like couples, but it wasn’t always easy to tell. “Take any seat you want,” Max called out.
Tessa waved and found a seat off to her right.
“Welcome, everyone, to Wicked Sanctuary,” Max said. “All of you were at the Valentine’s Day party as guests or a returning member.” He looked at Tessa and grinned. “You were invited to orientation because you expressed interest in becoming members of the club or as a member have never gone through the classes.”
Orientation? Max had told her classes. “We’re going to start with the background check and a non-disclosure form.” Jordan walked around and gave them each a folder with a pen. “If you have any questions, yell out.”
Jordan paused next to her, and Tessa looked up. “Max told me you’d already done the background check, so this is an NDA form for you to fill out so we can update your file.”
“Thanks.” Tessa opened the folder and read the NDA. Pretty standard. Jordan had probably drawn it up since he was a lawyer. She filled out the necessary areas and signed the form.
Max walked over to her as she closed the folder. “Since you’re already a member, I’m fast-tracking you.” He set a folder in front of her. “Your background check was clean, as I suspected. But compared to when you first joined, we now have a detailed questionnaire everyone fills out.”
“Thanks, Max.” He went to turn away. “And Max…” Tessa waited until he was looking at her. “Thank you for not being mad at me. I know I probably should have said something before I showed up here Saturday night instead of surprising everyone.”
“You’ve kept your dues up, so it wasn’t a problem. A surprise, yes. Problem, no.” He grinned. “But you had your reasons, and it was fun to see Damon tied up in knots.”
Tessa chuckled softly. Damon had her tied up in knots as well. She opened the folder and began reading the questionnaire. As she filled it out, she was impressed at the detail. In her opinion, this was a good thing. When she finished, she closed the folder, and Jordan walked over and took a seat next to her as Max was talking to the other couples.
“Done?” Jordan asked.
“Yes.” She fought not to be embarrassed. The first time they all played at the club was going to be very intriguing.
“Okay, a couple of things. No cells or recording devices. No photography. No drugs or alcohol allowed.”
“Right. I read the rules. Ralph gave them to me on Saturday. All pretty standard.”
“Yes. Max said we’re fast-tracking you—so next Thursday, you’ll be allowed into the club with a Master to walk you through everything.” Jordan paused. “The Master you pick will read through your questionnaire, make any notes that he might need to discuss with you.”
“That’s fine. Who is the Master?”
“You have a choice of whom you want. Me, Max, or Damon.”
Tessa swallowed. Damon? Why didn’t she see that coming? He was a member of the club after all. “It will have to be Damon.” There was no way she could do this with Max or Jordan; that would be stretching the bounds of friendship.
“Very well. I’ll let Damon know, and next Thursday, he’ll be your escort. That’s it for tonight,” Jordan said standing up.
“Okay.” Tessa’s head was spinning. She and Damon were about to go public. Going public at the club wasn’t an issue, but it was outside the club she was having trouble with. Maybe after their date tomorrow night, she’d have a better idea of how being in public would work.
“I’m glad you’re here, Tessa. Crystal was worried about leaving you out of the mix.” Jordan walked away.
Tessa stood and waved to Max as she left. Tomorrow night was going to be interesting, to say the least.
* * * *
Damon pulled the sports coat on over his white shirt. The coat matched the slacks he wore. Grabbing his keys, he headed out to pick up Tessa. He’d planned on calling her and realized he didn’t have her phone number. An oversight he’d fix tonight.
Once at her apartment complex, he pulled into a visitor slot and got out. Jordan had called him this morning to tell him Tessa agreed to have Damon as her trainer in the club. Not that she needed one, but it was something they did.
He’d have to talk to Max and Jordan about that. Now that the three of them had women in their lives, they were going to need some help.
The lobby door of the apartments was unlocked again. He needed to find out who the management company was and tear them a new one. Damon knocked on Tessa’s door.
“Just a second,” she called out.
He smiled as he heard the deadbolt click. When the door opened, his breath caught in his throat. Tessa had left her hair down and was wearing a soft-looking blue dress with a gold necklace. His dick twitched, and his gut tightened. This woman not only took his breath away but caused his libido to wake up and pay attention.
“You are beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Her voice was soft. “You didn’t say where we were going for dinner. Do I need to change?”
“What? No, you’re perfect.”
She picked up a small clutch and stepped out.
Damon wanted nothing better than to pull her into his arms and kiss the lipstick off her lips, but he wouldn’t. Consent was needed. Technically, he had it, but he wanted to make things clear to her tonight.
Tessa locked up and dropped her keys into her purse before turning to him.
Damon cupped her elbow and led her to his vehicle. “By the way, the main door was unlocked.”
She tightened her lips. “I’ll call them again tomorrow. They promised to fix it.” She glanced at him. “Where are we going?”
“I made a reservation at Pleasant Valley S
teakhouse.” He’d chosen the place because they could have some privacy.
“Sounds good.” She waited until they were on the road. “Did the books you checked out help you?”
“I’ve barely scratched the surface of one, but yes, they’re helping.”
“Good. If you need something further, let me know.”
“Thank you.” Damon flashed her a grin. She really seemed to like her job. “Why a librarian?”
“I like books.” She gave a little laugh. “I honestly do. I was pretty much a bookworm most of my life and hung out at my local library as much as I could.”
“Natural job for you.”
“Yes.”
Damon pulled up to the front of the restaurant. One valet opened her door while the other opened his. Damon dropped his keys in the valet’s hands and escorted Tessa into the restaurant.
The waiting area was full, as was the bar. “Mr. Kline, so nice to have you here tonight,” the hostess said with a smile. “If you and your guest will follow me, we have the table you requested ready.”
“Thank you.”
“You requested a table?” Tessa’s voice was hushed.
“I did. I wanted some privacy.”
The hostess led them through the crowded room. The muted voices of patrons, along with the clanking of silverware, filled the air. Waiters and waitresses bustled around. “Here we are.” The hostess stopped at one of the high-backed booths in a corner.
Damon watched as Tessa slid onto the deep brown cushion and slid around before he took his own seat. “Your server will be here shortly.” The hostess handed them each a menu before leaving.
“Have you been here before?” Damon asked.
“I haven’t.”
“Good evening and welcome to Pleasant Valley Steakhouse. I’m Victor, your waiter for this evening. Would you like something to drink?”
“Water for right now,” Tessa said.
“Same for me.”
“Very well. Our specials tonight are the Porterhouse, which can be topped with onions and mushrooms, and our fish selection is grilled salmon. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
“They have the best steaks.” Damon lowered his menu and looked at her. “You do eat meat?” Why didn’t he think about that before now? Not everyone was a carnivore like he was.
