He missed the wild abandon. The difference was that the other women had known about the O’Malley brothers. They went into the relationships, no matter how short-lived, knowing exactly what to expect.
That wasn’t the case with Rena. She grew up pretty much alone. Marrying young had not been a good experience for her, leaving her unsure and wary about men. He never wanted her to feel the shame and humiliation she’d felt while in the arms of her ex-husband.
Memories assailed him. He wanted to wrap his hands around the throat of the bastard who dared to treat Rena like a slab of meat. That night so long ago, when she’d bared her soul, unburdening her heart, had left him shaken. Had his unusual sexual tastes ever left a woman feeling the same? Thinking back, he was sure that wasn’t the case. He might have loved being dominant when it came to sex, but all present had been willing and eager.
Pleasing a woman, hearing the sultry words spill from her lips as he pushed her over the edge, that’s what got him off.
Such thoughts kept him awake until finally his eyes grew heavy, then the dreams took over. Dreams of bondage and total capitulation with a woman he loved. Exciting sex that kept both parties teetering on the edge. Did such a thing exist? It must, his sleep-drugged brain taunted him. It’s just a matter of finding and training the right woman.
Chapter One
Serena checked her appearance one last time in the mirrored closet door. The hug of her navy blue skirt was neither too tight nor too loose. As always, her attire was completely professional. The white silk shirt never dipped too low, a button never left undone. She often wondered how the woman staring back at her could be so outwardly different from the one buried deep inside.
Nylon-clad feet slipped easily into comfortable pumps. Tiny gold studs graced her ears, the only jewelry except her watch to adorn her body. A pink-tipped finger ran the length of her collarbone moving inward until it reached the dip at the base of her throat.
Her green eyes watched the movement in the mirror. Never once, as her fingers slid smoothly over her skin, did she long for a shiny gold necklace. No, her taste ran more toward the exotic, a collar. One, that would show ownership of her body. A body longing to be lovingly possessed.
It was hard to get used to. The fact she was no longer the conservative woman she strived to be. The exact moment things began to change couldn’t be pinpointed. It was like a slow transformation, one she wasn’t sure would ever be complete. That may very well be what frightened her most, the fact that she had no time limit to follow. It was like being left dangling on the end of a rope. A very precarious feeling for a woman who insisted on always being in control.
Control and the need to always feel it was what disturbed her. It was okay in her everyday life but no longer worked for her private life. How would she ever learn to experiment, to experience, if she couldn’t give up the control she held so tightly?
And yet, if she did give up control of her body, of her sexuality, would she lose herself in the process? Too many questions and not enough answers. It was so frustrating to need so deeply and not know how to go about finding a means to satisfy that need.
“Good luck with your meeting, Rena. You’ll knock their socks off, I’m sure.” The way he came up behind her all quiet and controlled startled her. She’d been so engrossed with her inner thoughts that she’d missed him in the mirror as he’d come up behind her.
“Thank you,” she whispered as he leaned in and kissed the side of her neck just below her ear. “I’ll call you when I’m finished,” she added when normal brain function returned. Her neck still felt warm and tingly from his kiss and the feathering of his breath across her skin, as he talked low and husky near her ear.
Serena listened intently as he once again cautioned her, reminding her to stay in the restaurant and to call if she needed him for anything.
When he left for work, she couldn’t help but wonder what her relationship with Zane would be like had they started out communicating instead of just letting things happen. Would things have evolved into a more open relationship? Would they be having knee-buckling sex on a nightly basis? Under those circumstances, would she have been able to tell him of all her secret fantasies without the inner turmoil she now felt?
There has to be something I can do, she thought as she made her way into the kitchen to retrieve her purse. Some way to get what she longed for, what her body, mind and soul craved without being unfaithful. Could she find a way? And if so, how would she know it was the right decision?
The twenty-minute drive to the restaurant left her a lot of time to think. What exactly was it she was looking for? There were so many sides to eroticism. She had to be sure of her wants and needs before she could even begin to make plans. And yet how could she be sure without any experience?
Domination. Bondage. Loss of control. These were among the things her mind mentally checked off. To be able to have a loving trusting relationship with a man who would leave her no choice. Those thoughts alone were enough to make her skin tingle, the flesh of her inner thighs heat causing her to become slick with her own juices.
Damn! Good thing she’d taken to carrying extra panties in her bag. Erotically sensual thoughts seemed to keep her aroused and wet.
Hell, the way things had been going lately she might be better off to forego panties altogether.
Would she be able to find a man who could take her in hand and teach her submission without humiliation? The thought of being degraded or hurt was not at all appealing. A little pain could go a long way, so how could she know for sure what a partner might do?
She couldn’t, that was part of the excitement. The fear factor. Fear of the unknown—of letting go.
Pulling into the large parking lot, Serena took one last look in her rearview mirror to be sure no wisps of hair had escaped the tight twist at the nape of her neck. Probably one more thing on the long list of things she could control.
Upon entering the restaurant, Serena was met by a hostess.
“May I help you, ma’am?” the neatly dressed woman asked.
“Serena Keller. I’m meeting the Bennetts,” Serena answered politely nodding her thanks when the woman motioned her to follow.
Immediately, she was whisked away into the dimly lit interior. With chin lifted and back straight, she followed the woman through the cozily furnished room. The whole time her eyes were riveted on a couple sitting closely together at a table in the far corner.
The voluptuous brunette was smiling into the face of a handsome man with hair the color of sand. He idly stroked the back of her hand where it rested on the tabletop.
He looked as if he might devour her on the spot. She looked like a woman who would willingly climb onto the center of the table and let him have his way right there for all to see. There was no discomfort, no unease in their movements.
It was a brief second before Serena realized she’d been led to and stood staring at the very couple she’d excitedly watched on her journey across the room.
Moving as one, the couple stood. Glad for a tiny respite, she gave her drink order to an eager waiter. Fighting her embarrassment at being caught staring, Serena stuck out a hand.
“Hello,” she said. “I’m Serena Keller.”
The handsome man standing across from her took her hand in his. “Nice to meet you, Ms Keller.” His palm was warm and his firm grasp sent a jolt of awareness straight up her arm. This man may seem relaxed and carefree, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Continuing, he said. “I’m Josh Bennett and this is Jenna.”
“Please, call me Serena.” She wasn’t quite sure, but something about this couple was different. The difference might be subtle, but it was there.
“Okay, Serena,” he said as he released her hand.
Serena shifted her gaze to the woman standing beside him. She was of average height, but that’s where anything average about her stopped. Exotic almond-shaped eyes stared back. Golden flawless skin covered perfect bone structure and her body was to
die for. She had yet to speak.
Josh leaned in and whispered something in her ear, making the woman smile. A blush crept from her chest to her neck then higher. Serena could tell the woman wore no bra. Pierced nipples stood proudly erect against the peach shirt highlighting her golden tan. The neckline was square and low. Collarbones thrust out above full breasts.
That’s when she noticed it, the collar. It wasn’t a necklace, not in the sense of what she considered normal. Wide and fitted, it was an intricate work of gold and about the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.
The woman introduced to her as Jenna fondly fingered the collar. Then her husky deep voice broke the spell Serena had fallen under.
“You like it?” she asked. “Josh gave it to me,” the woman added while she openly let her eyes roam over the curves of Serena’s body. Serena could feel the blush converging over her features and was helpless to do anything about it. Before she thought to speak, Jenna continued. “Please forgive my rudeness upon your arrival. I was waiting for Josh’s approval.”
Approval? Approval for what? Serena silently wondered. Josh waved them into their seats. Once they were both seated, he once again took his.
“I can tell by the look on your face that you have questions. I’d also venture to say that your questions aren’t only professional in nature,” Josh said to her before continuing. “Please allow me to explain. Jenna is my wife, my love. She also happens to be my submissive. She was a bad girl yesterday, part of her punishment is that she cannot speak today unless given permission to do so.”
Part of Serena bristled at what the man across from her just said, but the look of love and contentment written all over Jenna’s face quickly changed her mind.
She longed to ask Josh what the rest of Jenna’s punishment was, but didn’t dare.
As if reading her mind, Jenna reached out and began to stroke the back of Serena’s hand. It was an odd sensation. Never before had she been touched by a woman. It wasn’t repulsive, but it didn’t arouse her either.
When Josh did the same to her other hand, she fought the need to pull away. His slight touch raised chill bumps that ran the length of her arms. He was a man in control, one who would ask and expect to be answered.
How she knew, she had no idea. It was a feeling she had, just the same as the feeling that the man across from her could be trusted. His every movement, every touch, proved the love and respect he felt for his wife. His feelings were obvious and ran deep.
“Have you ever been spanked?” Jenna asked quietly leaning closer as she did.
For a minute, Serena was struck dumb. Did she have a darned sign stamped on her forehead or something? Did it say I want to be dominated or spank me?
“N-no,” she croaked.
“That’s what the rest of my punishment was. That was what you were wondering wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” she admitted through suddenly parched lips.
“First he made me remove my clothes and then I was told to kneel before him. With my elbows on the floor and my bottom in the air, he used my favorite paddle. The sting burned forever,” she said in a hushed voice. “But then he took me in his arms and made love to me, long and slow.”
Oh god, she could feel her blush deepen and spread. Great! How professional would she seem now? Serena was having a heck of a time controlling the urge to grind herself into her seat. Just the low-lidded look on their faces was enough to make the room feel ten degrees hotter. Not to mention what it did to her dry panties.
Stifling a groan, she opened her mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off by the firming of Josh’s grasp upon her hand.
“I don’t know who he is or if he even exists for you yet, but I can see it in your eyes. In the way you carry yourself. You crave to be dominated, it’s written across every feature of your face. The way your face is flushed, the color riding high on your cheeks. It’s in every breath you take.”
His voice was soothing, almost coaxing in its deep sensuality.
The circles his finger was making on the back of her hand punctuated every word he spoke. “If you have no one and are ready to delve into your submissive side, Jenna and I will be glad to help you.”
Holy moly! She couldn’t get a word out, but it didn’t matter because Josh wasn’t done. “You would like that, wouldn’t you, Serena? I could see it on your face as you watched Jenna’s fingers stroke the gift of my possession. A gift I bestowed upon her the first night she completely submitted to me. Would you like to wear proof of my possession too, sweet Serena?”
“Uh,” she couldn’t get her brain to form thoughts much less coherent words. “I’m in a relationship right now, but thank you anyway.”
Not sure of what to say, Serena decided to stay where she was comfortable. “What type of website were you looking to have designed?”
Josh gave her a knowing smile. “We own an online adult business. Part of the site is free. In this part, we offer free stories, personal want ads and general information. The paid area of our site is an adult store where we sell pretty much everything you can think of.” He gave Jenna’s hand a gentle squeeze, she continued where he left off.
“I’ve been the webmistress since we opened, but I can no longer keep up with the traffic and my other duties, so we decided to hire someone to rebuild it. We surfed around and kept coming across your name. Would you be interested in working for us?”
The whole way home Serena could not stop thinking about Josh and Jenna. They were so different and at the same time they were…normal. In a way, she wished she would have asked some personal questions. They seemed open to discussion. Several times her curiosity had almost gotten the best of her.
* * * * *
Several days later, Zane lay in bed, his laptop computer set across his thighs. Sounds of the modem connecting awoke Serena. She stretched her hands above her head rolling toward the muffled sounds.
“Zane?”
“Hmmm?”
“When you finish what you’re doing, would you give the new site I’m building a once-over?” she asked through a yawn.
“Sure, Rena,” he said, head bent forward, fingers flying across the keyboard.
Serena mumbled out the web address, rolled over and before he could ask questions, she was once again sound asleep. Surely, he’d heard her wrong? No longer able to concentrate on the work in front of him, Zane saved the file and typed in the address Rena had just given him.
Without even a glance at what the site had to offer, he scrolled to the bottom of the page. Sure enough, right there for all so see was her name and business e-mail address.
Zane chuckled, he wondered how his straitlaced, prim and proper Rena had been roped into building an erotic website?
He couldn’t hold back his curiosity so nudging her shoulder, he woke her up. “Rena?”
“Yeah?” she answered sleepily.
“How in the world did you end up with this job?” He couldn’t help the amusement lacing his voice. Evidently, Serena also heard it because she sat up in bed and gave him a harsh look.
“Don’t get all bent out of shape, babe. I’m just saying it’s hardly you.”
“Would you just look it over, Zane? I didn’t ask for your opinion, just your help. Click on the links and browse around and make sure everything is working.” He held back his chuckle knowing damned well she was pissed.
When he started checking things out, she added. “Besides, when I met with the owners the other day, they didn’t seem to mind if I was the type. Since they propositioned me, I’d say they didn’t mind at all.”
After dropping that bomb, she promptly rolled over showing him her back.
“What in the hell do you mean they propositioned you?”
He watched as she once again sat up in bed. The bedspread dipped low around her waist completely baring the top half of her body to his view.
The filmy pink tank top she wore wasn’t nearly thick enough to conceal her nipples. The darker brown of her areolas circled the pink
tips. His mouth watered thinking about what he wanted to do to them. How he wanted to suck them deep into his mouth, tugging and tonguing until she was mad with need.
Forcing his gaze from her breasts, he decided that now she just looked plain annoyed.
“Just what I said. Just because you think of me as a geek doesn’t mean someone else might not find me sexy.” She was on a roll now and there would be no stopping her. “The owner and his wife asked me if I’d like to spend some time with them. I told them no, of course.”
“Of course,” he mumbled more than a little unnerved about someone else wanting what was his. When Serena scooted lower on the bed to lie down, he stopped her.
“Let’s look it over together?” he asked.
She nodded her head in answer.
The next thirty minutes or so was spent checking the site over. The graphics were just amazing. Explicitly erotic. Some were home shots of the average housewife while others looked more professionally done.
Beside him, Rena gave a groan of what could only be embarrassment at a detailed photo of a couple engaged in oral sex.
Just looking at the photos had him hard as steel. The few times he’d glanced at Serena made him even harder. Her face was flushed a rosy red, her eyes seemed to dart around the room while snatching quick glances at the screen of his laptop. She couldn’t seem to sit still. Her squirming movements beside him only made matters worse. His arousal was at an all-time high. And dammit, he knew if he didn’t let her off the hook now he’d embarrass them both. Besides, she was a good sport sitting by his side the whole time even though it was obvious she was uncomfortable doing so. The least he could do would be to let her go back to sleep.
Settling a chaste kiss on her brow he said, “Why don’t you go ahead and go to sleep? I’ll finish looking it over and let you know tomorrow if I found anything.”
When she’d settled in, he took up where they had left off.
Well, she’d asked him to take a look around, so that was exactly what he would do.
Zane's Way Page 2
