by Cathryn Fox
Chapter Four
Zach fought to steady his heartbeat as he watched Teal disappear into the back room. He hadn’t been deliberately eavesdropping, but when he’d heard her plead so prettily his cock had hardened instantly and his heart had started to pound. He’d figured her for a woman that would never plead, but maybe he was wrong.
And now, all he could think about was how he wanted to hear her plead for him like that.
Teal returned from the back room with a rolling cart full of framed prints. She stopped the cart nearby and picked the first one up off the top and went about trying it on various spots along the far wall. He tried not to watch her, he really did, but his eyes just would not do what he wanted.
She looked damn good in her long flowing skirt and classic white blouse. More sedate than what he’d seen her in before, yet still subtly sensual. Her dark hair was loose and free that afternoon and when she stepped underneath the spotlight to hang a photo, the color came alive. It shone like polished mahogany and his palms itched to touch.
His eyes followed the long line of her body as she stretched to place the frame properly and he imagined her with her hands bound above her head, her body stretched out awaiting his attention. He’d keep her hair down, so he could stroke it and play with it. He wondered if it was her natural color, or if her pubic curls would be different. Darker against her fair skin maybe.
She must’ve felt him watching her because she looked over her shoulder in that moment, and caught him staring.
Their eyes locked and the arousal tugged at his groin. There was definitely something about her that got his blood pumping. But he still hadn’t decided what to do about it. When she looked back at what she was doing, he did the same.
He felt her approach and looked up at her from his squatting position. “Need a hand?”
“Actually,” her lips tilted into a flirtatious smile. “I was just thinking of what I wanted for dinner tonight. There’s a great Japanese restaurant down the road, would you like to join me for dinner when we’re done here?”
Zach had to bite his tongue to keep from accepting her invitation as he straightened up. When he was at his full height, he looked down at her and shook his head slowly. “Thank you for the invitation, Teal, but I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not? You have about one more day’s worth of work to do for me then our business is done. I don’t see why we should have to wait any longer to focus on pleasure instead.”
“It’s not that,” he assured her. How could he explain his hesitancy to her when he wasn’t even sure himself?
“Then?”
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Her eyes widened and he took the moment of her surprise to move around the podium and get to work on the other side. He was almost done with it and after that he had two more to do. Like she said, one more day of work, then his work for her was done.
If she let him, he could ignore the attraction for another day. It was for the best since he really didn’t get the submissive vibe from her. He glanced back at her, and met her puzzled gaze calmly. She nodded and gave him a weak smile before walking away and he cursed the twinge of disappointment in his chest.
Neither of them spoke as they continued to work, but the tension grew in the silence. He’d just stepped back from the podium and was putting the lid back onto the can of stain when he felt her steady gaze on him. Ignoring it, he went back to where his tools were and gathered them up.
The abrupt click of her heels on the hardwood floor warned him of her determined approach.
“Okay, Zack, what’s wrong with me?”
Schooling his expression, he turned to face her. “Who says there’s something wrong with you?”
“You do. I know you’re attracted to me. I can see it in your eyes. I can feel it tug deep inside my belly when you look at me.” She scraped a well-manicured fingernail across his chest. “Yet, you won’t even go to dinner with me?”
Honest amusement blended with the other sensations stirring inside him. She really was a force to be reckoned with. He pulled a cloth from his back pocket and wiped his hands while contemplating her.
“Do you always get what you want?”
Her head cocked to the side and she grinned at him cockily. “Pretty much, yes.”
A chuckle escaped and he shook his head at her. “I think you’re a very beautiful and sexy woman, Teal. I just think we wouldn’t fit together well.”
“Really? You’ve never seen me outside of this building, yet you can tell we wouldn’t hit it off?” She licked those luscious lips suggestively and his cock twitched to life. “I think we’d fit together very well.”
Zach pushed aside the mental image of their bodies fitting together perfectly and forced a light chuckle. “You really do go after what you want, don’t you?”
“I do. And right now, I want you.” She took a small step back and planted her hands on the curve of her hips. “But maybe I was wrong. Maybe you’re just not man enough to handle me?”
She looked at him from under those long, dark lashes, the challenge in her eyes clear. His heart thumped and he mentally shook his head. Taking up the gauntlet she’d thrown down would be a real mistake. This woman was dangerous to more than his peace of mind. He knew it in his gut.
But he’d never been one to back down, so he opened his mouth and jumped in with both feet.
“There’s nothing wrong with you that some time in my basement wouldn’t fix.”
A delicate eyebrow lifted. “So you admit there’s something wrong with me?”
“I wouldn’t really say wrong. But I do think you’re a bit too cocky. Yes.”
Her eyes narrowed briefly then she stepped forward again. Now she was close enough that the pointed nipples of her breasts brushed lightly against his chest and her breath heated his lips when she spoke. “It’s not cocky when you can back it up. And I guarantee I can make you feel things no other woman ever has.”
Hot blood roared south and his cock hardened fully behind his zipper. Damn, she was hot! He met her gaze and let her see the desire that was burning inside him.
“I don’t doubt that a bit.”
Wow!
The heat in Zach’s gaze almost lit Teal’s panties on fire. She’d seen lust before, but it was nothing compared to what she saw in his gaze. Standing in front of him, breathing in his earthy scent, her sex moistened and throbbed, and her self-control flew right out the window.
“Is that a yes for dinner then?” Please be a yes. If it wasn’t a yes, she was afraid she might do something really rash. Something like strip her clothes off and ask him to fuck her then and there.
She held her breath as he stepped back and pulled a business card from his toolbox. He wrote something on the back of it with the pencil form his shirt pocket and handed it to her before picking up the toolbox. “I’m cooking, be there at eight.”
Teal waited until the door swung shut behind him to fan herself with her hands. That man was more than confident, he was intense…and boy did he get her juices flowing!
Chapter Five
It was five minutes to eight when Teal turned into the driveway of Zach’s house. She double checked the address on the back of the business card and looked back at the house in surprise. She didn’t know what she had expected, but it wasn’t the sprawling ranch style house in front of her.
The house itself wasn’t fancy or posh; it was quite simple, really. Elegant. The neighbourhood was pretty high-scale though, and with the placement of the house, she knew he had to have an amazing view of the river valley from the backyard.
Teal looked down at her cotton pants and flowing tunic and cursed Brina Jo. When Teal had called her to ask for an opinion on what to wear to Zach’s for dinner, Brina had suggested something casual, since it would be at his house. It seemed neither of them had thought that a carpenter would live in such style. Not that she’d expected a dump. The address would’ve given her a bit of a clue if
she’d paid attention. And he did own his own business…
Teal gave herself a mental head slap. She knew better than to judge people on their looks or occupation. Her only excuse was that she’d been too focused on his body and the possibility of what was likely going to be for dessert.
She also should’ve known better than to ask someone else what to wear. It was unusual for her to doubt her own taste in anything. But she was a bit unsure of herself where Zach was concerned. Shrugging her shoulders, she climbed out of her car and strode up the brick walkway that led to the door. None of the trappings mattered, it was the man himself and the fire he put in her belly that she was interested in.
And she was going to put that fire out tonight, once and for all, so she could get her mind back on business.
The doorbell chimed at three minutes to eight and pleasure flowed over Zach. She was on time.
He put down the knife he was using to chop vegetables and wiped his hands on the dishcloth as he strode to the door. When he opened it, his breath caught in his throat. Standing on his doorstep, smiling for him, she looked…right. Like she was right where she was supposed to be.
He was definitely in trouble.
He took a deep breath and tried his best to sound normal. “Come on in, Teal. You didn’t have any trouble finding the place?”
They made small talk while she followed him to the kitchen. He already had a pitcher of cider on the table and he poured her a glass. “Make yourself comfortable. Dinner’s almost ready.”
He expected Teal to take a stroll around the main rooms of the house, at the very least, the patio. But she didn’t. She seated herself at the center island in the kitchen, propped her elbows on the counter next to the waiting plates, and kept him company.
Despite the erotic tension that kept him on edge, their conversation flowed quite smoothly as he tossed the veggies into the skillet. Their talk of music shifted to movies and he confessed he didn’t even own a television; he was addicted to movie theaters. When she asked him where he learned to cook, he told her.
“My mother wasn’t much for cooking, even when she was home. Cooking started out as a matter of survival for me then grew into something I enjoyed. I even toyed with the idea of becoming a chef.” He placed the grilled chicken breasts on the waiting plates.
The sautéed veggies were already on the plates and she was eyeing the food hungrily. “Really? So I’m in for a real treat tonight then, eh?”
Desire flared deep inside at her words. He set aside the honey glaze he’d made for the grilled chicken and met her gaze head on. “You have no idea.”
The hunger in her eyes shifted and the air vibrated between them. Oh yeah, she was in for a treat, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he wanted to skip all the niceties and give it to her immediately.
The woman threatened his much-valued control.
He watched her pink tongue dart out and slide across her bottom lip before she spoke in such a husky voice that he knew the tension was getting to her, too. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”
Reining in his desire, he picked up the plates full of food and slid them into the oven to keep them warm. “I’d rather show you.”
Taking her hand in his, Zack led her down to the basement where she gazed around in wonder. He’d been full of surprises from the moment he greeted her at the door in threadbare jeans, a black button up dress shirt and bare feet, but this basement topped everything.
It was sectioned off, each corner housing a different set-up. The nearest corner had a chain hanging from the ceiling and a wall unit with various ropes and cuffs displayed. The next section had a huge wall-mounted mirror in front of a low wooden bench with a padded top – sort of like a gymnastics horse, but a bit wider.
Wide enough for a persons torso to blanket the top.
The next corner, the one to her immediate right, held a large, dark, wooden X-cross with padded restraints on all four points. The wood was polished to a high gleam that showed such pride and workmanship that she just knew Zach had built it himself. Then she noticed the matching armoire next to it and wondered what surprises it held.
When she turned to peek around the staircase into the last corner, she saw no kinky bondage furniture, but two closed doors.
“What’s in there?”
“If you’re good, you might find out.”
Teal’s head snapped around and she looked at him. She’d felt those words like a finger stroke between her thighs.
“If I’m good?” A light bulb went on in her head and a surprise jolt of desire washed over her. “So that’s what you meant when you said there was nothing wrong with me that some time in your basement wouldn’t cure?”
His slow lazy blink sent a shiver down her spine. Dinner was forgotten as her skin tightened everywhere and she imagined herself naked and strapped onto the X-cross. How delicious would his big, strong workman’s hands feel working her over?
The idea was appealing, more appealing than she’d ever imagined, but… “I admit I’m surprised. You don’t strike me as the type of man who needs to dominate a woman to get pleasure.”
His eyes flashed and his lips lifted at one corner in a half smile. “For me, it’s not so much about domination as it is about being in control.”
She shrugged. “Control, dominate, what’s the difference?”
He led her over to the X-cross. “There’s a big difference. I like to test the limits of my control as well as a woman’s. Giving her pleasure, watching her respond to stimulation, seeing the desire build inside her mind, in her body … it’s an amazing thing. And even though I like to restrain my playmates, my dominating them is an illusion. Thy are ultimately the ones in charge of the situation.”
She reached out and touched the padded leather cuff attached to the cross. “How is she in charge if she’s tied up?”
“Trust.” His eyes met hers and she saw the truth in them. “It all comes down to her trusting in me. Trusting I’ll stop when she says to stop, or give her more when she begs. Trust in my control and my ability to give her the release she needs. Sensual, emotional or physical release.”
The world narrowed and all her attention focused on him and the excitement coiling low in her belly.
“Okay.” She patted her hand against the polished wood of the cross. “I want to try this one.”
Zach threw back his head and laughed. When he looked at her again there was something else mixed with the banked heat in his eyes. Something like … affection.
“How about we eat first?” he said with a smile.
Zack struggled to keep things light as he put the plates on the already set table and pulled a chair for Teal. She sat down, and unable to not touch her, he let his fingertips skim across her shoulder as he pushed her chair in. Heat zipped up his arms and spread though his body at the contact and he kicked himself in the ass for inviting her over for dinner.
They should’ve gone out. If they were in public, she wouldn’t know about his basement set up and she wouldn’t have offered to get on the cross for him. An offer that bothered him.
Zach wanted to show her it was okay to let someone else be in control every now and then. He wanted her to experience the joys of letting go, to know that trusting someone wasn’t a weakness. But her quick offer to submit made his radar hum. It had been her way of maintaining control, not giving it up.
“Wow.” Her softly uttered exclamation brought him back to the present. “This is amazing! I can’t believe I watched you prepare it, and it took you less that 15 minutes!”
“I’m glad you like it. Often, I find that when it comes to the basic needs in life, the simpler things are, the better they are.”
“You sound like my mother.” They continued to eat and she told him a bit about the way she was raised. He was a bit surprised to find out her parents were modern day hippies. “They believe in natural foods, holistic healing and free love.”
“Free love?”
“That’s
not to say they screw around on each other, just that they could if they wanted too. They’ve never formally married and Mom says that by restricting peoples desires, they’re restricting their souls, and she wouldn’t dare to do that.”
Interestingly enough, he understood what she meant. “And you? Do you believe that?”
“Yes, I do.”
He nodded and they ate some more in silence. Zach knew then why he hadn’t taken her up on her offer downstairs. It was because he’d come to like her. Not just be attracted to her, but to like her, the woman. His instincts had warned him she’d be trouble, that she was dangerous to him, and now he knew why. Because for once in his life, he looked at a woman and wanted more than a playmate.
He wanted a partner.
He wanted her for a partner!
Dumbstruck, he stared at her across the table. She was strong, smart, driven, and clearly a very sexual creature. He didn’t want to just play with her. He also didn’t want her to give him her trust, she would never give something so valuable away. He had to earn it … he wanted to earn it. Because, if he earned it, there would never be any doubt about it-–for either of them.
He sat back in his chair and just watched her. Contemplating his epiphany while enjoying her company. When she told him about taking business in college, but never mentioned art, another thought occurred to him. “You don’t have an artistic background do you?”
Teal hesitated, taking his measure before answering. “Nope, not at all.”
“Is that why Lush is going to specialize in erotic works?”
“Exactly!” She beamed at him. “It’s about more than art and more than sex. It’s about the principles of lust.”
“And those are?”
“Recognize it, then embrace it. People are too wrapped up in what’s wrong or right, what they’re taught is appropriate and what is dirty or bad. I want to show the many different levels of eroticism there are, from subtle to explicit. And that it’s okay to desire any and all of them. That these emotions are gifts to us that shouldn’t be denied or restricted, but embraced.”
