by Maggie Ryan
“Open.” If ever she asked how he’d known she would be his, he’d be able to state the exact moment. Her instant obedience, her acceptance of the bite, the closing of her lips around the tines of the utensil, and her softly uttered moan of pleasure would forever be imprinted on his brain.
“Good girl,” he softly praised, sliding the fork from her mouth. When her tongue made a reappearance, licking along her lip, his cock turned into a steel rod. Wishing he could be tasting something far more enticing, he took a bite of cake. Swallowing, he nodded. “Excellent choice, Jane. It is delicious.”
“I… I’m glad, sir.” The moment was broken when a crash and the sound of breaking glass rang out. He watched her as she jerked back a step, her eyes scanning the table as if expecting that she’d caused the commotion.
“Relax, little one. It wasn’t you.”
“Oh… good. Um, I’ll… I’ll bring you the check.” Not waiting to hear if that would be acceptable, she spun away and was soon out of sight.
Sawyer set down his fork. The pleasure had been in watching her enjoy it. Picking up his coffee cup, he took a sip and shook his head as Edward remained silent, though Sawyer knew it was killing the man. “Fine, you are right. She seems perfect.”
“I’m far too refined to tell you, ‘I told you so,’ but, well, I told you so,” Edward said, finishing his piece of cheesecake and sitting back. “I’ve done my part. The rest is up to you. Use the card, Sawyer. I have no doubt you won’t be disappointed.”
Within moments, Jane was back, placing the leather bill folder onto the table. “I hope you enjoyed your evening. It was my sincere pleasure to… to serve you.”
“And it was mine to have you do so,” Sawyer said. She blushed, nodded, and turned away. He pulled his wallet from his jacket. After using the pen provided, he slipped some bills inside the folder before closing it. As he stood, he could never remember a single time in his life when he had been more reluctant to call it a night. Still, he knew that Edward was only partially correct. The rest wasn’t up to him… it would be up to Jane.
Chapter Three
Jane sighed. She’d seen Mr. Masterson fingering a card and had thought she’d get another chance to linger… if only for a moment when she returned the credit card slip to him. Instead, she watched the men until they’d disappeared and then approached the table. Picking up the folder, she flipped it open. Instead of the credit card she’d expected, she saw a sheaf of bills. Closing it, she moved toward the kitchen where she’d enter the sale. It had gotten late and there was a line at the register.
Sarah joined her, two folders in her hands. “So, do we need to scrounge the dumpster for boxes to pack your stuff?”
“Geez, you’re supposed to be my friend, not ready to kick me to the curb,” Jane mock complained, bumping her hip against Sarah’s when her friend only laughed.
“You know I’m kidding. You were just so positive you were going to get canned.”
Finally reaching the register, Jane lifted the stack of bills, causing Sarah’s eyes to widen. “Holy shit, what did they order? That’s a lot of money.”
Jane was a little surprised as well. The bills not only covered the check, which was far more than she’d ever be able to afford for a meal, though far less than she’d seen paid in Arturo’s, but it would be the largest tip she had ever earned. About to slide the money into the register, she saw something slip out and fall to the floor. Bending, she picked it up. She’d been right. She had seen a black card… but it was not a black American Express card.
“What is that?” Sarah asked, leaning forward as if to see better.
“I don’t know,” Jane admitted, her fingertip sliding across the front of the card. It was the size of a credit card and almost as stiff as plastic. And yet, those were the only similarities. Instead of a customer’s name, only one word was written in a beautiful script across the face. Frowning a bit, she noticed that an address of a website ran in block print across the bottom of the card. It still made no sense to her, but she felt a tingle run through her as she looked down at the pink script. Favored. What did that mean?
“Jane, hurry up. I’d like to get home,” another server in line called.
“Oh, sorry, Karen,” she said, sliding the card into her pocket. Finishing her transaction, she moved away only to barely miss bumping into her boss. “Sorry,” she muttered again.
“I just wanted to commend you, Miss Knight. Mr. Masterson made it a point to inform me that your service was exemplary this evening.”
“He did?”
Mr. Arturo smiled. “Yes, Miss Knight, he did. Keep up the good work.”
“I will. Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome.” As he walked away, Jane wondered how addressing her boss as sir gave her absolutely no tingling feeling, no sense of expectation or excitement. But addressing a man she’d just met with the same word had caused her entire body to thrum.
“You about ready to go?” Sarah asked. Though the restaurant didn’t close for another half-hour, neither of them had an occupied table.
“Sure, let’s see if there’s anything left to eat.” Mr. Arturo might like to give off the vibe of being a hard ass, and he was when it came to demanding the very best of his employees. But, he was also a nice man. Besides donating generously to various food banks in the area, he also allowed his employees to take home food that had not been served, rather than to have it thrown away. The two women thanked the chef as they accepted the bag containing lasagna, salad, and breadsticks.
“Wait up,” Brian called. “Here, dessert is on me tonight.”
“Thanks, you’re a doll!” Sarah said, accepting another container, this time showing her appreciation in a far more personal way by giving his cheek a kiss. Peeking inside, she said, “Yum, I love cheesecake.”
Though it wasn’t Jane’s favorite, she discovered she was rather glad there was no slice of chocolate cake inside. She doubted that if there had been she would have been able to enjoy it anywhere near as much as she had that one single bite that Mr. Masterson had fed her himself. Sliding her hand into her pocket, she fingered the card. The first chance she had, she’d be logging on to the website to see why this card had been left for her.
* * *
“Damn it! Why give me a card when I can’t access the freaking website!” Staring at the laptop’s screen, she erased the address she’d typed in and tried again. The same result came up. The only thing that appeared was a black screen with the same pink script and the same word, Favored. Below it was a box where she supposed some sort of access code was to be entered. Screw that, she had no idea what to even try.
Sighing, she leaned back against the stack of pillows she’d piled up against her headboard and closed her eyes. Somehow she knew that she was meant to figure this out. She had not given exemplary service, not from the way she’d stumbled over her words and acted like she’d never waitressed before, but still, he hadn’t seemed like the type of person who would pull some sort of joke in retribution. No, he seemed like the sort of man who would… Jane could feel her heart beat a bit faster and her tummy flutter as her thoughts took her to a place she’d been avoiding ever since he’d given her a look of disapproval when she’d dropped the f-bomb.
He might not be one to pull a prank, but she had no doubt that he was a man who wouldn’t hesitate to punish a naughty girl. Naughty girl? Where did that come from? I’m not a girl, I’m a grown woman. Yeah, a grown woman who spends far too many hours reading those books on my Kindle and fantasizing about being one of those characters, one of those sassy girls who finds the man of her dreams… a big, strong, stern man who swears to love and protect her. She squirmed a bit as a scene from the latest book she’d read flashed across her mind’s eye. A man who gives a shake of his head, sends his girl the ‘look,’ and then informs her that she’d be going to bed with a very hot bottom.
Good grief, she needed to get a grip! Those characters weren’t real a
nd those scenes were fiction. Life was not an erotic fairytale! Instead of letting her imagination run wild, she needed to try to find the freaking access code!
She forced her mind back to the problem at hand. Okay, if it wasn’t a joke, what was it? Some sort of puzzle… a test? And if so, what was she missing? Her thoughts ran back across the evening, and her body instantly reacted when she remembered how his fingers had brushed her hair back. Her nipples tightened and she felt her panties becoming a bit damp. Damn, she’d only just changed into clean ones after her shower. What would it feel like to have his fingers touching her body, thumbing her nipples, sinking into her slick… Whoa! Snapping her eyes open, she sat up. That path would not have her solving the puzzle.
Picking up the card, she stroked it, the embossed lettering seemingly giving weight to the word… like it was important. That the person owning the card was somehow special. Her eyes widened. Could it be that simple? Moving her mouse, she clicked it on the box. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and typed in Mr. Masterson. No new screen opened when she hit enter. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so formal. Typing in the name Sawyer Masterson had her holding her breath and then exhaling loudly when absolutely nothing happened. Crap. Didn’t websites lock someone out when too many incorrect attempts to enter were made?
Come on, think. Why would he leave the card for me unless he wanted me to access this site? She chewed on her lip for a moment and then smiled as she considered the thought she’d just had. Who was holding the card? She was. Entering her name, she gave a squeal of victory when the screen slowly began to change, only to groan when another text box appeared.
Leaning forward, she read the words on the screen.
Welcome, Jane. You are favored. Please enter the password given to you by the one who has chosen you.
“Welcome, my ass,” Jane muttered. “Whatever happened to a simple, ‘I’d like your number so I can call you’? This is all a bit too Mission Impossible if you ask me.”
“What are you mumbling about?” Sarah suddenly asked, dropping onto the bed next to her. Jane slammed the lid of her laptop closed, shocked that she hadn’t been aware of her roommate entering.
“Nothing.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Sarah said. “Anybody who closes a computer that fast is definitely looking at things she shouldn’t be.” She nudged Jane aside in order to sit right next to her, sharing the mound of pillows. Handing her a fork, Sarah held out the plate that contained the slice of cheesecake.
Jane put a bite on her fork, wishing it was being offered to her by Master… MasterSON!
“Oh, man, that sounded more like an ‘I’m so horny’ than a ‘this is good cheesecake’ moan.” Reaching out with her own fork, Sarah tapped the cover of the computer. “Come on, we’re both big girls, and it’s been a while. I could use a good porn video myself.”
“It’s not porn,” Jane said, shaking her head. “Hell, to be honest, I have no idea what it is.”
Sarah picked up the card. “Does it have something to do with this?”
Resisting the urge to snatch it out of her friend’s hand, Jane nodded, sighed, and opened the computer again. “I finally figured out the first screen but now am stuck at this one. I’m telling you, I’ve never seen a site so difficult to access. You don’t suppose he’s some sort of government agent trying to coerce me into breaking all sorts of laws, do you?”
Sarah laughed. “You watch far too much TV, girl. If that were the case, this card would have already self-destructed. So what happened when you entered the password?”
“Nothing as I have no flipping clue as to what it can be!” Jane said, taking another bite of the dessert.
“Did you try SawyerMasterson1007?”
Jane looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “I watch too much TV? Who are you, Bond… Jamie Bond? Geez.”
“Go ahead, what have you got to lose?” Sarah teased, pointing to the screen. “If I’m right, you have to clean the entire house including windows, baseboards, and the bathrooms.”
“Fine,” Jane said, typing the code in only to huff. “I can’t believe I even thought that might work. Looks like you’ll be the one scrubbing toilets, Ms. Moneypenny.”
“You typed it wrong. Get your mind off Ian Fleming. I said 1007, not 007.”
“Whatever.” A few clicks later, Jane’s tune changed. “Oh, my God! How did you know that?” A sinking feeling had her eyeing her friend. “Please don’t tell me that you and he… that you both…”
“Oh, no,” Sarah said. “Honey, I would never do that to you. Friends don’t let their friends go out with ex-boyfriends.”
“Then how do you explain knowing the password?”
“Easy,” Sarah said, laying the card down. “He wrote it on the back.”
Jane groaned. She’d never even looked at the back of the card.
“Whoa, are you actually considering this?” Sarah asked, her brow furrowing as she sat back against the pillows again.
“Considering what?” Jane asked, taking her eyes off the card.
“I honestly thought this was some sort of exclusive dating site, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Jane studied the screen and had to admit she hadn’t either. She’d sort of been expecting a dating site as well, but this seemed far more than that. It wasn’t asking for her favorite restaurant or wine. It wasn’t asking what her idea of a perfect date would be. Hell, it wasn’t even asking her if she preferred blond or dark-haired men. There was only an instruction on the screen.
In order to continue, you agree to grant Master Masterson remote access to your computer. He will assist you in completing the questionnaire found on the following pages. If you choose not to continue, or terminate the session before the final agreement has been signed, the opportunity will be closed.
Below the note there were two boxes. Choosing one would grant him access. Clicking on the other would end the session.
“Wow! I wouldn’t have pegged him as some sort of IT nerd.”
Sarah snorted. “Seriously? That’s what you get from this screen?”
“Sure, I mean, I don’t know how to do that,” Jane said. “Hey, how does he even know I’m logged on right now?”
“Honey, sometimes I wonder about you.” Sarah reached toward the screen, her finger tapping against one word. “Forget nerd, your guy considers himself a master, and I’m guessing the moment you accessed the website, he was informed. The real question is what sort of questions does he want you to answer, and why does he wish to watch while you do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he wants to know if I’d like to go out with him or something,” Jane said.
Sarah gave her a long look. “Jane, you need to give this some serious thought. I know the man had some sort of… effect on you, but, this isn’t just dating. Anyone who is to be addressed as Master is not going to be offering just dinner and a movie. Are you ready to share your fantasies, your desires? Are you prepared to dig deep and answer intimate questions?”
“How do you know they are going to be those sorts of questions?”
Rolling her eyes, Sarah said, “Think about it. This is not some sort of tame matchmaking site. You can’t even access it without a card and a code. You are a ‘favored’ one, and the man addresses himself as Master. It’s not a huge leap to make to understand that this is some sort of seriously heavy BDSM hook-up site.”
“So you think I should say no?”
“I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that you need to think about what you are expecting and what you are willing to offer in return because I assure you, you will be offering something.” She looked at the screen again and smiled. “But, I will say that while it’s a little scary, it’s also intriguing. Sort of like skipping all the bullshit and getting right to the heart of the matter.”
“What would you do?”
Giving her a hug, Sarah sco
oted off the bed. “I’d follow my heart.”
After her friend left the room, Jane sat for a long time considering Sarah’s words. When she found herself stroking the card, she had her answer. She’d spent her entire twenty-four years looking for something that she’d never managed to find. She’d had boyfriends in her youth and even a few relationships she’d thought might go somewhere. Yet, not a single person had ever had her body heating and her heart pounding as this man had with nothing more than a look and a few words shared. Jane knew Sarah was right; she would be expected to offer something. Every cell in her body seemed to be alive, filling her with the infinite possibilities she had only read about, but had yearned to explore. It might be a little unusual—okay, it definitely fell in the crazy department—but she’d never be able to live with herself if she didn’t take a chance. Besides, even in BDSM play, weren’t there supposed to be strict rules to follow and safewords to stop all action if she found she couldn’t handle whatever it was that her master desired?
Biting her lower lip, she imagined looking into those incredible eyes and asking, “What should I do, Master?” His answer was absolutely clear. With one little click of her mouse she made her choice. As the screen changed again, she could swear she heard him saying “that’s my good girl,” and she knew her life was about to change.
Chapter Four
Sawyer took another sip of his cognac, his eyes on the screen before him. The fact that Jane had accessed the website not long after she’d gotten off work had him very pleased. He had questioned his use of the agency but, with Edward’s, as well as other friends’ testimonies, he’d finally acquiesced. But that had been months ago. It was not until tonight that he’d found a woman he’d instantly considered as favored. It was a rather archaic word and yet, it seemed to fit not only how he’d felt, but it fit Jane Knight. She had an air of innocence that tugged at him, that had him wanting to teach her things she’d most likely never considered.
