by Lexi Blake
She was going to feel like hell in the morning, and Deena wanted to be able to tell her friend that she hadn’t done anything embarrassing in front of the boss.
“Deena, I need to speak with you for a moment,” a deep voice said.
Shit. Tiffany might not be able to avoid the boss because Sean Taggart stepped into the room, and he seemed to be in full-on authoritative mode. His eyes were slightly narrowed, his shoulders squared off, and his voice deep. Was he pissed? “It’s all right. I’m going to take her home.”
“I don’t know why we should go home. All the beer is here,” Tiffany said, pushing her hair out of her face.
“I’ll have someone take her home. I think Sebastian was planning on leaving soon. He’ll take care of her,” Sean said. “You have something else you need to do.”
Sebastian seemed like a perfectly nice man, but Tiffany was her responsibility. “If you need me to help set up the buffet, I’m more than happy to do it, but she’s my friend. I have to make sure she’s all right.”
Sean stepped up and looked down at her. “I admire that, Deena, but Sebastian can handle her. You have something else to do and it won’t wait. Don’t worry about Tiffany. Sebastian will treat her well. He doesn’t put this out there often, but he’s a trained Dom and I would trust him with Grace.”
That was about as good a recommendation as Sean Taggart could give.
Tiffany managed to stand on wobbly feet. “I can take myself home.”
“No, you can’t,” Deena shot back.
“Deena, I need you to go upstairs, last door on the right,” Sean ordered in a tone that brooked no argument.
“Am I supposed to get something out of there?”
“Oh, you’ll definitely get something.” He put a hand on Tiffany’s arm to help steady her. “Come on, Tiff. Let’s get you home.”
Charlotte watched as Sean eased Tiffany out of the room. There was a small smile on her face that Deena could only describe as mischievous.
“What’s going on?” Deena asked, suspicion creeping in.
“Sometimes wishes get granted. Be careful though. Some wishes make our backsides ache.” Charlotte winked and Deena was left standing in the middle of an empty parlor. She glanced toward the stairs. There was nothing else to do. It wasn’t like she was going to walk away.
She started up the stairs and hoped curiosity was on her side.
CHAPTER SIX
Deena opened the door and felt her eyes widen immediately. Of all the things she’d expected to find, Eric standing there looking deliciously yummy without his shirt on wasn’t it. She supposed she’d expected some sort of practical joke. The guys she worked with were good at those.
There was no humor in the way Eric was looking at her now. He stood in the middle of the room, right in front of…was that a spanking bench? She glanced around feeling somewhat like a mouse who’d walked right into a trap. She was in a private playroom. Chef’s private playroom.
Why was she in Chef’s private playroom with Eric? Her Dom. Her mind was starting to work overtime. Yep, she was in a private, beautifully done torture chamber with a man who had the right to punish her.
She stared for a moment, trying to grasp what the hell was going on. Eric was standing there, his shirt off, all those gorgeous muscles glistening. “Hi. Uhm, are you supposed to give me something to take down to the party? Chef told me to come up here. Is he doing a demo? I kind of thought this was a PG party, what with Grace’s son being here and all.”
He stepped forward, his bare feet moving over the hardwoods. She thought for a moment that he was moving toward her, but he stepped around her, passing her and moving to the door. She heard the door close and the snick of a lock being set into place.
“The party is certainly PG,” he said, his voice a bit rough as he moved to stand in front of her. He was so tall. He towered over her, seemingly taking up all the space around them. “What goes on in here will be anything but. Now, Deena, it’s far past time for us to have a long discussion about what happens to submissives who lie to their Doms.”
“Lie?” She hadn’t lied to him since those first couple of days. Well, mostly. She didn’t tell him everything, but then he didn’t need to know the things she didn’t tell him. Maybe the best and easiest way out of all of this was to give him some truth in exchange. It was obvious to her that someone had talked about what happened last night. “I’m sorry. My stalker diner came in and he did try to grab my ass, but I handled him. It was fine.”
His eyes flared and she realized she’d made a mistake. “He did what?”
“That wasn’t what you were talking about?” She hadn’t lied about anything else. Even that had been a lie by omission.
“No, but I’ll add that to your punishment. I’m talking about the fact that you lied to me when you said you didn’t go to Master Ian and request a new Dom for your training period. You sat there and looked at me and lied. You said you had gone in there to take him his lunch and that was all you talked about. I happen to know that isn’t true. Unless you intend to tell me that Master Ian is the one who lied.”
She was not even going to go there. A smart girl knew when she was caught. If she thought Eric could get a little spanky, she didn’t even want to know what Master Ian would do to a sub who lied about him. The man had been an assassin at one point, if the rumors were true. “Nope. He did not lie. And I did take the man his lunch. I also had a very quick conversation with him about the possibility that you weren’t the right training Dom for me, though I have changed my mind since then.”
He stared down at her and if those gorgeous eyes of his had laser beams, she would have been dead then and there. “Don’t try my patience, Deena. And don’t think for a second that giving me big doe eyes is going to change my mind about punishing you. I told you that night I wouldn’t forget and that punishment was coming. Here’s the way this is going to go. You’re going to take off your clothes. You’re going to fold them neatly because you have a party to attend afterward. You will then move to the mirror where you will lean over and grab your ankles, presenting your ass for my punishment.”
“I’m going to do all those things? Any reason why I’m not using that very nice spanking bench?” Her voice was a little shaky, her hands already beginning a fine tremble because his voice was mesmerizing. This was not the happy, smiling Eric she was used to. This was not the man who held doors open for her and made sure she always locked herself inside her apartment before he would leave. This wasn’t the man who made her a plate after work every night, always making certain she got the best of whatever they’d made.
This was the Dom and he wasn’t a pushover.
“You are going to do everything I tell you to if you wish to continue as my submissive. And the spanking bench is a treat. I’m not giving you a treat, Deena. I’m punishing you for an infraction. Apparently for several. If you choose to forgo punishment, I’ll explain to Master Ian that you’re leaving the program and will need to move to the next training class where you will likely piss off another Dom.”
Did he have to sound so certain of that? “Maybe the next Dom will be nicer than you.”
His mouth flattened. “He won’t. I’m as nice as it gets, baby, but I’m done being nice to you. It doesn’t work. You don’t want nice. You want me to spank you. You want a rough hand on your ass, getting your pussy nice and wet and ready for a long, hard fuck. That’s where I might not be so nice to you. I might slap your ass, get you hot and horny, and then we’ll spend the rest of the night with you serving me because there is absolutely nothing I want more than the feel of those lips wrapped around my dick.”
Every word made her heart thump in her chest. This wasn’t what she’d expected from Eric. She’d been certain he’d forgotten all about her teeny lie, but it appeared he’d merely been waiting for the right moment to pounce.
He wanted to feel her lips around his cock? They’d fallen into a comfortable friendship. Was she ready to try something more with
“Or you can be a total coward and walk out of here and never know if it could have worked between us,” he continued. “You can scamper off and I won’t come after you again because I’m through playing this game by your rules. If you do stay in this room with me, our relationship changes. No more training wheels. For as long as our contract lasts, you’ll be mine and I will take you when I want you, how I want you, wherever the hell I want you, and no one is going to come between me and my sub. You’ll be mine to take care of, to pleasure when you’re good and punish when you deserve it. If you choose not to even try to make it work, you’ll have to watch me with someone else because I am ready. I’m ready to not be alone. I’m ready to find some pleasure in life, and if you won’t have me, then I’ll find someone who will. I’ll find a woman who will take this ugly mug of mine in exchange for taking care of her in a way only I can. A woman who wants the pleasure and pain I can give her, the safety I can offer.”
“Don’t you ever say that again.” She hated it when he talked that way. Her hands were trembling again as she stepped close to him and put her palm against the scar that ran over the side of his face. “You are not ugly. Don’t even pretend.”
He softened, but only slightly. His hand came up, holding her palm to his face. “You’re the one I want, Deena, but you need to understand that I won’t wait forever. I want you to want me, too, but if you can’t, I will move on. Make your decision.”
He let go and stepped back, giving her space. That was what he’d been doing all this time. She’d thought they were falling into friendship and all along he’d been the wolf in sheep’s clothing waiting for the right moment to pounce.
He was too much, too scary for her to even think about staying with. If she couldn’t handle her ex, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to handle Eric.
But she couldn’t force herself to move. She needed to back away and protect herself, but a sudden vision of Eric with another woman nearly brought her to her knees. As though they moved of their own volition, her hands came up, fingers unbuttoning the blouse she wore. Her eyes locked with Eric’s, and she saw the moment he realized she wasn’t walking away. Those green orbs flared and then satisfaction settled over him. His sensual lips curled up as he watched her undress. She was so aware of what she was doing. This was what had been missing before when it came to sex. The lovers she’d taken had been hurried and thoughtless, more concerned with pleasure than real intimacy. Eric was forcing her to take her time, to connect with him. It was scary, but she couldn’t stop herself. She wanted the connection with him. He was right. If she walked away without even trying, she would regret it.
Her ex had taken something from her. It was far past time to see if she could get it back. This piece of herself, the sexual self she’d never explored, had lain dormant. It had been sent into hiding by cruel words and self-doubt, and she could feel it stirring under Master Eric’s hot gaze.
He hadn’t been lying. He wanted her. He wanted to do all those nasty things he’d promised and she worried he would follow through on every one of them. The Dom was definitely in charge tonight.
She slipped her fingers under the front clasp of her bra, unhooking it and feeling her nipples rasp against the cotton cups. Her ex had told her she needed to get into better shape, but she’d always liked her body. It was curvy and soft, but strong. Somehow she knew Eric would like it, too. Though she was seeing a rougher side of the man, she knew deep down he was still Eric. He could talk a filthy game, but there wasn’t an unkind streak in the man. She eased the bra off and folded it, laying it and her blouse in his waiting hands.
“Now the jeans. Leave your shoes by the door.”
She started to unbutton the fly of her jeans and felt the waistband of her undies. Yeah, she wasn’t supposed to wear those. She rapidly calculated the likelihood of slipping them off with her jeans and getting away with it. Not good odds. “Uhm, Sir, I didn’t realize we were playing tonight.”
“Are you serious?” His eyes narrowed. “Tell me you didn’t disobey a direct order. Tell me you’re not wearing panties.”
“I would love to be able to do that, but jeans are rough on a girl’s hoo haw.”
“Do you know what else is rough on your pussy? A violet wand. Maybe a TENS unit. Do I have to attach an electrode to your private parts to remind you of what the rules are? Or should I spank that pussy raw? Is that what you want?”
She wasn’t sure why, but when he talked like that her whole body seemed to go limp and submissive. “No, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t think we would be playing tonight. You haven’t wanted to play outside the club.”
He got into her space again, taking her chin with his left hand and forcing her head up so she had to look at him. “You don’t guess at what I want or what I don’t want. I told you what would happen if I caught you in panties again so you will not be getting these back and when I take you home tonight, you will surrender the rest of your underwear to me. I will decide if and when you get them back. You signed a contract that made your body mine. I’ve been indulgent up to this point, but you keep pushing me. If you’re not careful, I’ll be selecting every item of clothing you are allowed to wear outside of work. Do you want that, Deena? Do you want me to make those decisions for you? Do you want to give up that much control?”
She shook her head. That idea held no appeal at all. She liked the idea of being submissive for sex and play, but she was too independent to go any further. “No, Sir. I won’t wear them when we’re together.”
“Give them to me.”
She hurried to do his bidding, the whole place seeming to shrink. She knew the house she was in was huge and filled with people, but the world seemed to shrink down to the two of them. She could no longer hear the sounds of the party. Only his voice mattered. She shoved out of her pants, dragging her panties with them. She folded the jeans, placing the black cotton undies on top. She wouldn’t be seeing them again. She was going to miss wearing underwear, but it would be worth it to keep her body feeling so alive and ready. Her skin was tingling, waiting for the moment he would lay those big, callused hands on her.
Eric nodded toward the mirror that ran the length of one side of the room. She turned and there she was in all her glory. No way to miss that. She was so naked, her nipples taut and skin flushed with arousal.
“Yes, I want to stare, too. You’re as fucking gorgeous as I thought you would be, and you have no idea how many times I managed to picture you naked. I didn’t even come close to the real thing.” He stood behind her, so close she could feel the heat rolling off his body. “Tell me I can touch you. I know it’s in our contract, but I want to hear you say it. I want to know you’re doing this because you want me, not just because we have a contract between us.”
He needed reassurance. Somehow it made the encounter sweeter. He’d given her all the dirty words she needed to get hot and to feel like she was sexy and lovely. It was easy to forget he needed the same. He was a man and he needed to know he was wanted. Alarm bells went off in her head, but they seemed distant now.
She locked eyes with him in the mirror. “I want you, Eric. It’s not about the contract, though I like the contract. I want to see where you can take me. I’m scared. Not of the pain. Not of the punishment.”
“You’re scared of the emotion between us.” He brushed the hair off her shoulder and planted a kiss on the nape of her neck. “I’ve always known that, but it’s going to be all right, Deena. We’ll go slow in that department. But not in the rest of it. It’s time to move forward with our D/s relationship. Go and do as I asked.”
He was going to do it. He was going to smack her ass and then…she wasn’t sure what he would do then. He might touch her. He might demand that she get to her knees and service him with her mouth. He might give in and give her his cock.
It was so easy now that she was here. She’d agonized for weeks over what she wanted, but now it was clear. She wanted a sexual relationship with this man. She wanted to experience what it truly meant to be Eric Vail’s submissive.
Deena stepped across the space toward the mirror, the wood at her feet slightly chilly. The air was chilled as well, but she didn’t mind. It was one more sensation to be had, one more bit of proof that she was alive. She felt it now—how alive she was. Too often she moved through her days with the only thought being to get through to the next one. He was forcing her to focus on the now.
She took a deep breath and bent over, grasping her ankles. Her body stretched, the sensation pleasurable as her muscles released.
A smack filled the air and then she felt a sting of pain. He’d slapped her ass with what was very likely a crop. Had he come prepared for the evening? As he’d driven her here, talking about innocuous things, had he been thinking of doing this to her?
“Spread those legs farther apart. When I tell you to assume the position, I want your feet shoulder width apart and your ass in the air.”
“Yes, Sir.” She moved her legs apart, her vulnerability becoming increasingly evident. In this position, he would have access to her backside and her pussy. He could likely see her pussy through the part in her legs.
The crop caressed her skin, the leather tip moving over her ass cheeks. “That’s what I want to hear, baby. But do you honestly think that all this sweet submission is going to save you? Do you think if you give me a breathy little ‘yes, Sir,’ that I’m going to be satisfied?”
She knew exactly how to answer that one. “No, Sir.”
“I don’t know about that. I think you think I’m a pussy Dom.”
Shit. That was not a good thing for a sub to think about her Dom. Even though she kind of had thought it, she didn’t want him to think she’d thought it. “Not at all.”
The crop came down, smacking her hard and making her eyes water. “I think you do. I think you tell all your friends how easy I am, how I let you get away with anything you want. You might even tell them how you manipulate me.”
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