by Lexi Blake
“So we shouldn’t play together?” He eased a bit because he believed her about the scar. She wasn’t repulsed by him. Anything else was workable. “We’ve been going out together for months. We go to dance clubs. We’ve gone to movies. We’ve hung out.”
She shook her head, dark hair moving across her shoulders. “I didn’t know that was dating. That doesn’t count.”
He couldn’t help but smile. He moved into her space, happy when she held her ground. “We were hanging out in a group. We’re all friends. We work odd hours so it’s only natural we would all play together. And when I take you on a date, there won’t be any question about what we’re doing. I promise.”
Now she took a healthy step back, her hand coming up as if to block him. “See. That’s what I’m talking about. We can’t date. People who work together shouldn’t date.”
He followed her, paying no attention to that hand. He let her raised palm hit his chest. “Like Chef and his wife? Like Macon and Ally? I won’t even go into the very inappropriate relationships at McKay-Taggart.”
“They’re different.”
He put his hand over hers, holding it to him. “How?”
“They’re not me.”
It was time to reassure her. He told himself he wasn’t lying. “This isn’t dating, Deena. This is a training class that lasts six weeks. We were paired up because the people who run the place thought we would be good training partners. I think we’ll be good together, too. I think we proved it last night, but this is only about the six-week training period. This isn’t about dating or getting married. It’s not that serious.”
It wasn’t for her. It kind of was for him, but he was a gambling man. If he sat her down and explained to her that he intended to be her only Dom, to be the last man she ever slept with, she would definitely run. Slow and easy was the way to catch this girl. Ease her into a relationship. Get her into bed and show her how well and thoroughly he could please her and then one day she would wake up with a ring on her finger wondering what the hell had gone wrong.
Yeah, that was a good plan.
“It felt serious last night.”
He let go of her hand. “So that was why you scampered away after class.”
Her chin came up. “I did not scamper anywhere. I left with Tiffany.”
“New rule number two is I pick you up and take you home after class.”
“I can get a ride with Tiffany,” she argued.
“Tiffany is not your Dom for the next six weeks. I am and I will take care of you getting to and from class. Unless you can give me a real reason why you need to ride with Tiffany. Does she have narcolepsy and needs you to wake her up when she falls asleep at the wheel?”
Her lips turned up. “No. Of course not.”
“Does she forget the way?”
“You know it’s nothing like that.” She stared at him as though he should easily know the answer.
The truth was he did know the answer. He simply wasn’t sure she was ready to admit what the real problem was. “Then tell me why you don’t want me to drive you.”
“Because I think you might get handsy at the end of the day.”
“Well, maybe I’m afraid you’re the one who’ll get handsy.” He was a little insulted, but he kept his cool. Her fear wasn’t about him assaulting her. It was about something else altogether. “I wasn’t the one who begged for a spanking last night.”
She flushed again. “That is so untrue. I did not beg for a spanking.”
“All I’m saying is I can handle myself around you, sweetheart.” He moved in close again, backing her up until she was against the metal door of the freezer. She looked like she could handle a cooling off period. He moved in close until his chest almost brushed the curves of her breasts, until his mouth was over hers. “I can spank you and not fuck you. I can top you without ever touching you in a sexual fashion if that’s what you’re afraid of. If you don’t want me to, I’ll never kiss you.”
“You don’t want to kiss me?” The question came out in a husky tone.
“Oh, I want to, but I have control over myself and I want you to think about that. We’re together for the next six weeks. We’ll sign a contract tonight. We can spend those weeks blandly learning the ins and outs of the club or we can spend them figuring out if we work as sexual partners. I’m lonely, Deena. It’s been a long time since I had a lover. I would very much like to spend this time getting to know you in every way I possibly can, but I won’t take you if you don’t want me back. I can be your Dom and not your lover. I can control my impulses. Hell, I’m always in control, and you should think about that. You should consider the fact that I would use every ounce of that control to bring you pleasure, to take you as high as I can.” It was time to pull back. He pushed off the door, having never once touched her. “But it’s your choice. In the end, it’s always the sub who chooses.”
“Why? Why would you want me?” All her arrogance was gone.
“Because we’re friends and I like you and you’re gorgeous. I’ve wanted to sleep with you from the moment I saw you. That might not be what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. I think we could be good for each other. Neither one of us has had a lover in a long time. Am I right?”
“You’re right,” she replied. “I haven’t even dated anyone since my divorce.”
“Then why not try? If it doesn’t work, we’ll go back to being friends.”
Her head shook. “That never happens.”
“I don’t know what kind of douchebags you’ve been dating, but I’m still friends with almost every woman I’ve ever dated. It doesn’t have to end in either happily ever after or hate. Especially if we’re both honest. The contract is for six weeks. I can promise you right now that I’m still going to like you after six weeks. You be honest with me. Were you planning on experimenting with your training Dom if you’d had chemistry with him? Before you knew I was the Dom. Would you have given that Dom a chance?”
She nodded silently.
“Well, then I suppose we’ll have a very abstinent training period and then we’ll go our separate ways when it comes to the club. I guess Big Tag and the shrink aren’t as smart as they think they are.” He wasn’t about to give up. This was only the beginning of a very long battle, but it was time to retreat. “We’ll talk about the contract later tonight and set up all the rules. I’ll still have to touch you during the scenes, but I’ll make it as impersonal as possible.”
“We don’t know that we have chemistry,” she said quietly, making no move to grab the bags.
He shrugged. “I guess we won’t know.”
He turned to begin helping her. He would take the bags out to her car and then let Grace know she was on her way. Someone would meet her in the parking garage to help her bring everything up. He would spend the afternoon planning menus with Chef and heading to the farmer’s market to find fresh vegetables for dinner.
A hand on his arm gently pulled and he turned.
Deena was standing right there, her face turned up to him, her eyes wide. “Shouldn’t we know?”
She went on her toes and pressed her mouth to his. He went still, unwilling to frighten her away. Soft lips moved over his as her hands found his waist. She was tentative, but he could sense the fire in her. Those hands told the real tale. They moved restlessly, as though she had them on a leash. He wanted that leash taken off.
When she ended the kiss and stared up at him, he decided to go for broke. She wanted to see if they had chemistry? He could show her how volatile they could be.
“My turn,” he whispered before he took control. His hands slid up her neck, fingers sinking into the soft, silky strands of her hair.
He kissed her, moving his lips over hers, commanding her. The minute he took control those hands of hers started to move, sliding up the muscles of his back, her body pressing in. He felt her relax as though happy to not be the one in charge. Deena could take control of a room of diners and work that floor with an iron will, but she
He could do that. It wouldn’t be sexy if she weren’t so together in the rest of her life. He kissed her again and again, his tongue finally moving over her full bottom lip. She groaned and her mouth opened, welcoming him inside.
The kiss turned wild, their tongues playing against each other as their bodies came together. He could feel her rubbing against him. He would bet her body was soft, her pussy already getting slick and ready for him.
He was so ready for her.
And if he took her right here on the prep table, she would likely run away forever. She wasn’t ready. Not even close.
He broke off the kiss, brushing his lips lightly against hers one last time. He’d promised her control. It was damn iron will that got him to take his hands off her. She was so sweet looking with her hair mussed and her lips puffy from kissing. This was how he wanted to see her all the time. Sweet and willing and ultimately satisfied.
Satisfaction would have to wait.
“We have plenty of chemistry, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head and stepped back. “It’s all going to be fine. I’ll take care of everything.”
It seemed to take her a moment to come out of her daze. She stared and then shoved her sunglasses back on. “I have to go.”
She was out of breath and obviously flustered. That was a good sign. “Let me help you.”
She shook her head. “I can get it.”
“Deena, I’m going to help you,” he ordered, deepening his voice.
He was happy when she complied.
* * * *
“Thank god. I’m starving!” Phoebe Murdoch located her lunch with a smile. The rest of the group was milling around, grabbing their orders and getting settled.
A redhead Deena didn’t know very well sat down in her seat, her face a complete blank. She had a notebook in front of her and her phone, but she seemed to simply be waiting. Deena looked down at the boxes that were left. Big Tag, Erin, and Master Alex.
Alex McKay. She had to get used to that. One night in Sanctum and she’d had to stop herself from referring to Alex and Liam as Masters.
And Eric. Master Eric. Her Master for the time being. She could still feel his lips, his big body cradling hers. She wasn’t sure what she’d been thinking when she’d kissed him. It had been impulsive, but something about the way he’d said the word “chemistry” had made her a little crazy. He said it like he’d known they had chemistry. Like he was an expert. No one knew. Not until they’d tried it.
So she’d kissed him. Yep, they had chemistry like she couldn’t believe.
She also likely couldn’t handle it. She wanted some pleasure, some experimentation. Eric Vail was the kind of man a girl married, not the kind who fucked her senseless and was happy to let her go at the end of the night.
He was the kind of man she could fall in love with, and she wasn’t doing that again. No way. No how. She had to finish the job here and talk to the big guy because this situation wasn’t going to work for her. Of course the thought of talking to Master Ian scared the crap out of her.
She picked up the box and walked over to the redhead. Erin. She knew the name. She’d seen Erin a couple of times before at Top, but she’d never had a conversation with her. Deena had seen her with Chef’s brother, Theo. Theo Taggart had died a few months back while on a mission. It was hard to believe that happy, laughing man was gone.
“Hey, this one is for you.” She set the box down in front of Erin.
Cold eyes glanced up at her. The woman was quite pretty, but there was a chill to her that made Deena want to take a step back. “I didn’t order anything and I don’t want it. Thank you.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that. The name was right there. Someone had ordered it for her. “You have to eat, right?”
A single brow cocked. “No. No, I don’t. I don’t have to do anything.”
Case Taggart moved over to the table. “Yes, you damn well do, Erin. I ordered it and you’re going to eat it. You have been eating nothing and I’m done with it. If you want to stay in this meeting, you’ll eat everything I ordered for you. Or you can go and have a session with Kai. It’s your choice.”
Erin’s palms flattened against the desk and the whole room seemed to go quiet. “Fine. I’ll eat.”
She opened the box and took out the sandwich Eric had prepped for her.
Case sighed as though happy the battle hadn’t been longer. “It’s your favorite. Pulled pork.”
Erin shoved it away and stood up quickly, her face going a nice shade of pale. “Eat it your fucking self, Case.”
Erin practically ran out the door and down the hall.
Case’s eyes closed. “Shit. What do I do now?”
“I could get her something else,” Deena offered. It was obvious the woman wasn’t into the pork, though Deena happened to know it was delicious.
Grace put a hand on Deena’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. There’s nothing wrong with the food. It’s simply something we’ve been worried about. We’ll take care of Erin. Why don’t you take Ian his lunch? He’s not joining the rest of the crew today. He’s working on a special project in his office. And don’t let him growl at you. He’s a pussy cat.”
She got the feeling she was being gently but efficiently eased out of the room so the team could start whatever discussion was about to begin. She grabbed Master Ian’s box…Ian Taggart’s box and stepped out into the hall. She knew where the big guy’s office was since she was the one who brought in lunch once a week. He wasn’t so scary. He was just a massive, gorgeous man who happened to know how to kill a person forty different ways and was famous for his sarcastic outlook on life. And for being a hard-ass Master with every sub in the world but his wife.
It would be fine. She would explain the problem and he would be reasonable. After all, the D/s world was built on communication. Even the night before, Master Alex and Master Liam had lectured about the importance of Dom and sub communication. How could the Dom know what the sub wanted if she never told him? How could the sub understand the Dom’s needs if they weren’t explained?
She needed a new Dom because she was far too invested in the current one for her peace of mind. How could Master Ian know that if she never told him?
Also, she had slipped a slice of lemon cheesecake in with his lunch. Everyone knew the big guy liked Macon’s desserts.
It was going to be all right. She would explain the situation to Master Ian and then she and Eric could go back to being normal, absolutely no chemistry between them coworkers.
She knocked on his door.
“Come in,” came the deep-voiced command.
That man used his Dom voice twenty-four seven from what she could tell. There wasn’t a lot of difference between Big Tag, the boss, and Master Ian, the Dom.
She opened the door and the man himself was sitting behind his massive desk, his eyes on the computer in front of him. Behind him were floor to ceiling windows with a spectacular view of Dallas.
Taggart didn’t look up from his computer. “Did Erin eat her lunch?”
Wow. It looked like the whole crew was very into that poor woman eating something. “Uh, no.”
His eyes came up, holding her.
“No, Sir. She did not.”
Taggart sat back. He was wearing a dark T-shirt, his hair a tad longer than a military cut, but it was easy to see the soldier in the way he held himself. “Did she give you a reason?”
“Not really. She yelled at your brother, opened the box, and then I don’t think she liked what she saw. She kind of ran out of the room. But she did manage to yell at your brother again. I told Grace that I could get Erin something else. I can go back to Top and be back here in about thirty minutes.”
Taggart’s eyes closed and he seemed to be thinking for a moment. “No. She doesn’t want anything. Don’t worry about it. Let’s say it was a bit of an experiment and I have the intel I need.” His eyes came open, staring at the box. “What did Sean send? Did my wife change my order? Because she sometimes does that. She’s got it in her head that I should eat salads. Do I look like a bunny rabbit to you?”
Nope. He looked like a big old lion who could tear through a gazelle in a heartbeat, and she unfortunately knew what was in his lunch. “No, Sir. Like I said, I can just run back to Top.”
“Damn it.” Taggart slapped his desk. “That woman is going to drive me insane.” He picked up his phone. “Grace? I want you to clear Charlie’s schedule for this afternoon because she’s getting the spanking of a lifetime.” There was a pause. “Some kind of damn salad. And make sure daycare knows we’ll be late.” He slammed the phone down. “At least tell me it’s got some meat on it and not fish.”
She rushed forward, happy to give the man some good news. “Jerk chicken.”
Taggart threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah, she’s getting another fifty for that. Thank you.”
She set the box on his desk. “I was hoping to speak with you, Sir.”
“Then all of your hopes have come true since we are indeed speaking.” Taggart went back to looking at his computer.
She couldn’t see the computer screen but he had a bunch of maps on his desk. It looked like the Caribbean and several islands. They were marked up in a new grid pattern, as though he was searching for something.
She hoped he’d found it because she’d already disappointed him once with the salad. “I’m a new trainee at Sanctum.”
“Congratulations. I’m sure you’ll be very happy there getting your ass smacked by various and sundry Doms. Have fun.”
He was a frustrating man.
“I needed to talk to you about that.”
“You should talk to your Dom. I assume you have a training Dom. Alex is usually very thorough about not letting the subs roam free range for the first six weeks.”
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