The implications of his statement hung in my mind, demanding to be explored.
Single, needing to believe love still existed and trying to rediscover my sexuality after three years of an unsatisfying marriage, I had devoured a lot of romance novels after the divorce. One kind in particular intrigued me and fed my hunger more than the others. Strong, dominant men totally devoted to their submissives. Silk scarves, floggers, toys, clamps…
A strange yearning formed in my stomach as a picture of Brent placing clamps on my nipples formed. I pinched them again, mimicking what I thought would be the feeling the clamps would conjure. Oh how I wanted to find out for real.
I allowed my hands to travel further down my body, tracing the outline of my curves until I found myself frowning. How could he think my protruding belly or large hips were sexy?
In my mind he slapped my ass and growled.
What did I tell you about maligning yourself?
The funny thing was, I could totally imagine him saying that for real. Ignoring my need to find all my flaws, I slid my hand down even further, my fingers brushing over my mound.
Would Brent be the kind of man to take his time and engage in foreplay or would he simply take what he wanted? Somehow I suspected he was the former.
The tip of my finger parted my pussy lips and the image of Brent grew stronger in my mind. As I parted my nether lips I gasped with shock at the amount of wetness I found. My lady bits dripped with desire, just waiting to be filled. Without thinking, I slid two fingers into my slick passage and began to pump, mimicking what I wanted Brent to do to me.
It took mere minutes for me to ride the sweet edge of release. Deliberately holding back, I toyed with my control, just as the Doms in the stories I’d read did to their subs. Just as I hoped Brent might do to me.
Finally, when I couldn’t take anymore, I lowered my other hand and raked a finger across my clit. The extra stimulation sent me right over the edge and I whined as my channel pulsed around my fingers. For several long seconds I worked my nub, milking every last twinge of pleasure.
Temporarily satisfied, the haze of lust lifted from my brain, leaving me to face the ugly truth. Not only had I just masturbated in the shower while thinking about a man I’d known for less than a full day…chances were damn good he’d get his way and I’d be in his bed before the weekend was over.
* * *
After a fitful night’s sleep, I dragged my tired body from the bed and tried to put myself together. I donned my clothes like armor, hoping they would somehow insulate me from Brent’s smoldering heat. Once I did all I could to hide the bags under my eyes, I headed downstairs to take advantage of the hotel’s continental breakfast.
As I ate, I ran through the list of Brent’s associate sponsors, looking for one who I hoped would be willing to become a primary. If none would go for the big sponsorship, I’d have to look elsewhere.
With Calen being a bit of a sexy rogue, with a reputation for partying and womanizing, finding a company willing to be associated with him wouldn’t be easy. From what I understood, Brent’s sponsor issues could completely go away if he’d just replace Calen with another driver. Two major problems arose with that solution. The first being that Calen was currently the hottest driver in motorsports and on a major winning streak. The second being that Brent wasn’t a man who was willing to be told what to do.
Due to both those issues, here I was eating a stale bagel and drinking what could barely pass as coffee, while I worked on solutions for both my client and myself. Maybe I could find a casino or alcohol company to sponsor Brent. Maybe one of those dot com dating sites might be interested in ponying up some money.
Despite my attempt to focus on work, my thoughts slowly drifted back to last night, my episode in the shower and my new feelings for Brent. Romance and love weren’t even on my radar when I arrived Thursday night, yet here I was, Saturday morning with new and exciting feelings coursing through me and not a clue of what I was going to do about them. When we started our business, Marcy, Kayla and I hadn’t specifically created any policy against dating clients. Being young and upstarts we hadn’t needed to, since all we wanted at the time was to be successful. Now I’d wished we had, so I could use it as an excuse for not getting involved with the man who’d dominated my dreams last night.
With the dining area slowly filling with people, I gathered my things, tossed my empty plate and cup, and headed for my room. Though I wasn’t really ready to face Brent again, I needed to get moving before traffic heading to the speedway created gridlock on the streets.
Chapter 7
During my hour plus drive, my mind continued to analyze not Brent’s sponsor issue, but my budding relationship, if I could even call it a relationship yet. No matter what angle my head approached the problem, it always seemed to come back to the same solution. Which left me nervous and wary. Yes, I liked Brent. The man had an ability to stir feelings inside me I hadn’t felt in years. And yes, he’d made it perfectly clear that he wanted me, but what happened if I gave in? What if once he got me into bed, he walked away? After what Wayne did to me, could my fragile ego handle yet another blow? I wasn’t so sure and that uncertainty scared the hell out of me.
By the time I finally arrived at the speedway, I was no closer to a real answer to my problem, or Brent’s. I showed my track pass and the parking attendant directed me toward the back side of the track. I pulled into an empty spot next to a local news van, turned off the engine and stepped out. What a difference a day could make. Unlike yesterday, where the place was nearly empty, today it teemed with fans donned in their favorite team gear. There was palpable excitement in the air that seemed to spread from person to person like some runaway disease. I even found my heart beating a little faster as I made the walk to the entrance. Whether it was from the outside influences or internal issues, I couldn’t tell.
After showing my pass, I worked my way through the crowds of people and headed for Brent’s team hauler. With each step I took, my heart beat just a little faster. My mind churned with possibilities as I approached. How would Brent react to seeing me today? Would he regret what he said yesterday? What he did?
Tony stood just inside the open hauler bay door. “Hey,” I called as I stepped inside.
He turned and his eyes widened. “Morning.” Immediately, he looked around as if he was checking to see if anyone else was near. Then he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me further into the trailer.
“Tony,” I protested as I pulled away. “What the hell?”
“What is going on between you and Brent?” he questioned.
“What?” Confused I stared blankly at him for a moment while my brain raced to catch up.
“You and Brent,” he repeated. “Is there something more to your relationship than just this ruse for your ex-husband?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but words failed me. What was I going to say when I wasn’t even sure myself? “I-I,” I stammered as I tried to formulate some sort of answer.
Tony’s gaze narrowed and a frown formed on his lips. “Shannon.”
I held my hand out, cutting him off. “Don’t, okay.” Frustrated, I raked a hand through my hair. “You want the God’s honest truth?”
He folded his arms and nodded. “Yes.”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I don’t know what if anything is happening between us. Yes, we have this whole facade going for Wayne’s benefit, but Brent’s also expressed a real interest in me.”
Tony groaned and looked skyward. “Shannon.”
“What?” I put my hands on my hips as my confusion grew. Why did he have an issue with me and Brent being together? Besides the fact that Tony hadn’t seen me in years, I was all grown up now and certainly didn’t need him trying to protect me.
“There is something you should know about Brent.”
The concern in his tone set me on edge. Was Brent married or already involved with someone? And why in the hell was this the first time I’d even conside
red there might be someone else? “What about Brent?”
“He has a very strong personality.”
That’s it? Unimpressed by Tony’s statement I leveled my gaze and arched a brow. “And?”
“And,” he continued. “Well…” He actually looked physically uncomfortable with what he was about to say. “He can be very...dominating.”
Still not quite understanding the importance of his statement I nodded. “I know that. I kinda figured that out yesterday.”
Tony let out a heavy sigh and lifted a hand to his forehead. “Yes, but that’s not what I mean when I say he’s dominating.”
“Then what-” The words died in my throat as dawning awareness skittered across my skin. Did he mean what I thought he meant? A giddy excitement flooded through me at the idea. “You mean he’s dominating in the bedroom?”
Tony nodded and a wave of desire nearly swamped me on the spot. Brent was a Dom and he was interested in me being his sub? “Okay,” I replied, while trying to keep my voice steady. “How do you know that?”
“He had a party at his house at the end of last year to celebrate the great season we had. During the course of the night I went off to find the bathroom and well.” Tony’s face slowly turned red. “I opened a door and found some interesting decorations on the stairwell wall leading to the basement.”
“What kind of decorations?”
“Medieval looking sconces, an old battle-axe and some strange looking masks. Curious, I slipped inside and took a quick peek to see what other cool items he might have. Instead I found a bed with chains attached, some weird looking rack thing and what I think was some sort of spanking bench.” He looked away. “There were whips hanging on the walls, Shannon. It was pretty obvious what he did there.”
Even as my imagination ran wild with possibilities, something about Tony’s demeanor didn’t set well with me. “If you have such an issue with his lifestyle, then why work for him?”
Tony shook his head. “What he does in his off time, behind closed doors, is his business not mine. Besides, he’s a good boss.”
“Then why the warning?” I asked, though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.
He finally managed to look me in the face again. “You’re my friend. Hell, you were like my little sister when we were growing up. I wouldn’t have felt right if I hadn’t warned you.”
His concern gave me warm fuzzies inside and I smiled as I placed a hand over his. “I appreciate your concern and I promise I’ll be very careful. However, if something does happen between Brent and I, you need to know that it will be of my own free will. I promise that I won’t allow him to force me into anything I don’t want.”
He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “You never stuck me as a girl who would like that kind of thing.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know that I do, but then I’ll never know unless I try it right?”
A slow grin spread across Tony’s face and he shook his head. “Just do me two favors, okay?”
“Anything,” I replied even as I began to smile.
“Promise me that if you need help you’ll come to me.”
“Done!” I nodded.
“And don’t share any of the gory details.” He held up a hand. “I don’t want to ever think of you in that way.”
Chapter 8
Tony gave me access to the tiny office in the front of the hauler. I spent over an hour talking with Marcy, then most of the rest of the morning making phone calls and working a few contacts. The task hadn’t been an easy one to start and was only made more difficult by the new influx of information Tony provided. I’d spent as much time reconciling my reasons for wanting a relationship with Brent as I had talking myself out of one.
In the romances I’d read, the Dom always seemed to worship his full-figured sub, giving her not only everything she wanted, but everything she needed. It was hard for me to admit, even to myself, that I wanted such a relationship in my life. After all, growing up, I was always conditioned to think sex outside of marriage and the missionary position was bad. It took me years to accept that it was all right for me to enjoy the pleasures of sex out of wedlock. To admit that the idea of being dominated and spanked turned me on wasn’t something that would come easy either.
Besides the moral implications that came with that kind of relationship, it also meant not only giving up control, but placing an immense amount of trust in your partner. I barely knew Brent, so how I could I possibly trust him? I also fell back on my tried and true concern that I was being played for sex, and that once Brent got what he wanted, I’d be tossed out on my ass in favor of someone younger and prettier.
Lost in my thoughts I didn’t hear the door open and jumped the moment I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Easy, sweetheart,” Brent’s voice soothed, reminding me of hot caramel over ice cream. “It’s just me.”
Holding a hand over my racing heart, I stood to face him. “You scared me.”
The same wry grin I’d seen the day before returned as he sidled up to me. His hand shot out and snagged me by the hip, preventing me from stepping out of his embrace. Not that I could have went very far inside the closet sized office. His other hand snagged mine and he lifted it to his mouth. “I certainly didn’t mean to frighten you,” he pressed his lips against my racing pulse. “I apologize.”
“It’s okay,” I managed to whisper as I watched him begin to nibble his way up my arm.
“I missed you, Shannon,” he confessed as he slowly mouthed my flesh. “Did you miss me?”
The question hung in the air, changing the mood from playful to passionate in a matter of just those few seconds. Suddenly unable to formulate a thought, let alone any words, I swallowed audibly and managed a slow nod.
He grinned, then continued on his journey as he moved up my arm toward my shoulder. “Good. Knowing that makes it much easier for me to admit that I also dreamed about you.” He inched closer and slid behind me. Using a finger, he tugged my hair aside as he continued to drug me with sensual kisses. “Disrupted my sleep to the point I had to relieve myself in order to get any rest.” He pressed his hips against my backside and I immediately felt his erection pushing against my bottom. “As you can feel, it did little good, since even thinking about you makes me hard.”
Desire laced his words and seeped through my pores, slowly breaking my resolve. My eyes drifted closed, as his confession settled in my brain. I could totally picture him naked and hard, stroking himself to his thoughts of fucking me. My breath quickened, and much to my chagrin, I could feel a renewed wetness in my panties.
His teeth grazed along the nape of my neck. “Did you also pleasure yourself last night, Shannon?”
I wanted to deny I had, but something deep inside me insisted on complete honesty. Maybe I was afraid he’d know I was lying. Or maybe I was afraid he’d believe me and stop and right at that moment I didn’t want him to stop. “Yes,” I managed to whisper and immediately felt the heat rise to my face.
“Were you dreaming about my cock filling you?” He slid a free hand beneath my tank top and fondled my breast as the other slipped between my legs to cup me though my jeans. “Instead of your fingers, were you wishing it was me fucking you?”
A whimper escaped me as he held me captive. My body felt as if I were on fire and Brent was the only one who could put out the flames. “Answer me, Shannon.” His fingers pressed at the juncture of my thighs and it was everything I could do to bite back a moan.
“Yes,” I hissed and pushed back against his erection.
He growled against my ear. The feral sound sent chills down my spine and added to the lust already clouding my brain. At that moment, if he wanted to bend me over the tiny desk and take me right there, I wouldn’t have stopped him. Worse yet, I would have enjoyed every last second.
No sooner had I answered his question than a soft knock filled the air. Brent growled again, but didn’t move. “What?” he yelled over his shoulder.
“Just wante
d to remind you about the owner’s meeting,” Tony’s muffled voice drifted through the door. “It starts in less than thirty minutes in the media building.”
“Fuck!” Brent mumbled under his breath. “Yeah, alright. Thanks, Tony.”
“No problem,” Tony replied and then apparently disappeared back to whatever he was doing before.
Slowly Brent pulled back, extracting himself until he was no longer touching me. The places on my body where his hands had been now felt cold, and inside I struggled with a new sense of emptiness and regret. Damn if I hadn’t wanted him to take me like the dominant he was.
“Shannon, look at me.”
My legs felt heavy as I turned in the tiny space to face him. The look of remorse on his face nearly did me in. Was he sorry he’d started this with me?
He lifted a hand and curled a finger beneath my chin. “This isn’t over. You understand?” He paused and searched my face, as if he were looking for a sign that I understood. “I have to go to this meeting, but I think after the things we just said we need to have a serious talk, don’t you?”
I barely nodded. “I do.”
Before I could say more, he leaned forward and took a kiss. “Just so we’re clear,” he whispered against my lips. “Had Tony not interrupted us, I would have had you bent over that desk panting and gasping as I filled you up until we both came.”
My body shuddered at his statement and I licked my lips. “Duly noted.”
His serious look slowly morphed into a grin. “Since that can’t happen, you should come with me to the meeting. It will give you a chance to learn some more about the sport and grab some lunch at the same time.”
My stomach growled at the mention of food and like a damn fool I nodded again. At that moment, a room full of other owners sounded like a safe place to be.
* * *
After the luncheon meeting, we wandered the infield for a while. Brent explained to me what was taking place as the Nationwide teams prepared for their afternoon race. Brent’s team wasn’t scheduled to race until Sunday, so, as the race began, we made our way back to the media building where they’d held the owner’s luncheon. Brent grabbed us a couple of drinks and we settled in to watch the race and chat.
Reckless Curves Page 4
