by Julia Kent
She set the coffee down near him, and froze momentarily when he looked her way. He was too handsome for a Plain Jane like her to be around him without floundering for oxygen. The ceiling lights glanced off his black hair, slicked back from a tanned face with a straight nose, lips she knew could curve absolutely wickedly when he was looking at a woman he liked, and a strong, square chin. His eyes were such a dark brown they appeared to be black, and they pierced her like arrows now, something intensely carnal in them she wasn’t at all comfortable with.
“Good morning, Ms. Hewitt,” he greeted her in that deep, rich voice that was like the caress of a man’s strong hand down her spine.
“Morning, Mr. Donaldson,” she murmured quietly in return, dropping her eyes to the coffee tray she’d set down so she wouldn’t have to look into his impossibly dark eyes. She began pulling out the different coffee’s and reading the labels on them before passing them out. When she got to his she set it down in front of him, her eyes fixated on the glossy wooden table, and she nearly jumped out of her skin as his hand curled around the cup, strong, warm fingers touching hers before she could let go. Startled, she looked up to see that carnal gleam was in his eye, and this time that wicked curve to his lips was there to match it. Her pulse tripped as color heated her cheeks. Surely he wasn’t looking at her like that. She was just a wallflower—a nobody.
The spell of the moment was shattered when Dave came rushing over, his pale face stretched in a grimace of a smile. The loathing in his blue eyes as he looked her way told her loud and clear that he was not pleased with what he was seeing. “I’ll take that off your hands, Ms. Hewitt,” he told her, elbowing her out of the way none too gently. He spied the caramel macchiato and snatched it up. “Ah. I see you’ve forgotten my own coffee, so I’ll make do with this. You can go back to your post up front, Ms. Hewitt.”
Katherine balled her hands into fists, but she was still new here and she couldn’t risk speaking out and losing her job. Prepared to walk off without her coffee, her head shot up in surprise as Mark spoke.
“Mr. Harrison, you know full well you never ordered any coffee this morning, which is why Ms. Hewitt did not bring any for you. You always complain about the inferiority of the Starbucks brand and blend your own at home, which is in the thermos you’ve left out on the table over there.” Mark pointed to where it sat next to the portfolio case Dave was always carrying around, and though his tone was mild there was a hint of steel in it that had Dave’s spine stiffening and a line of sweat breaking out over his pale forehead. “Please don’t play games during office hours, and give Ms. Hewitt her coffee back.”
“Of…of course,” Dave stammered, his eyes wide with shock. He turned and handed Katherine her macchiato. “Apologies, Ms. Hewitt. It was my mistake.” The resentment flashing in those pale eyes told her it was no such thing, and they both knew it. As it was, she gave him a small smirk that didn’t even come close to the tap dance of joy her heart was performing, and took the drink from him.
“Thank you,” she told Dave, and then looked past him to Mark, who was watching them both. “Good morning, sir.”
She turned and left the room, and a tingle went up her spine as she felt Mark’s eyes on her the entire way out the door.
*
Mark watched the subtle sway of Katherine’s hips as she walked out the door, drink in hand. She really wasn’t much of a looker at first glance—she wore the same black pencil skirts, white blouses and low-heeled pumps every day, and her brown hair, while glossy, was always pulled back into a no-nonsense bun. Her make-up was always professionally done, but low key, the buttons on her blouses were always completely done up so as to show not a hint of cleavage, and she always wore pantyhose over those legs of hers despite the sweltering heat that was summer.
She was always very quiet, very unassuming, and wouldn’t look him in the eye if she could help it. Their conversations were always very brief, and she never tried to engage him in small talk. If it weren’t for the surreptitious glances she would send his way when she thought he wasn’t looking, he would swear she swung the other way. But he suspected she was exactly what she appeared to be—shy, quiet, unassuming. A wallflower that preferred to duck her head and avoid him rather than raise it like many other women did and flirt shamelessly with him.
He was between women right now, the last one having become far too clingy, and normally he wouldn’t have given Katherine a second glance. He liked his women to be sexy and outgoing, to know what they wanted and not be afraid to ask for it. But he was also a Dom, and he sensed that she was a natural submissive, albeit one who was inexperienced with men. His practiced eye eventually saw past the drab exterior and to the exquisite figure beneath that she downplayed, and his instincts told him that the right man could not only bring out her external beauty, but awaken her sexually as well.
He’d seen those fists of hers bunch when Dave had tried to steal her coffee as punishment for drawing his attentions. He glanced sideways at his assistant now, who was busy setting up the projector. He knew perfectly well about Dave’s feelings for him and his proclivity for jealousy towards the women he brought around, but that was just too bad. He wasn’t sexually attracted to men, and if he had been he suspected Dave wouldn’t be his type anyway. If it weren’t for the fact that Dave was the best assistant he’d had in his ten years as CEO of Empire Creations he would have gotten rid of him—it didn’t pay to have an assistant constantly mooning after him that he wasn’t sexually attracted to. But his efficiency more than made up for that problem, so he would deal with it. And if Dave had a problem with his current interest in Katherine, he was just going to have to get used to it. Because now that he’d set his sights on her, he wasn’t going to back down until he got what he wanted.
And as everyone in this office new, Mark Donaldson always got what he wanted.
*
Katherine spent the morning answering phones, handling correspondence and doing the other myriad front desk duties expected of her. Every time she sipped from her caramel macchiato her lips curved into a small smile at the memory of Mark giving Dave a set-down. If nothing else good ever happened to her again on this job, she would treasure that memory forever. It was the first time Mark had ever really paid attention to her.
Of course, it was probably going to be the last time too. She knew from office gossip that the runway model he’d been dating was old news, and he had been without a woman for over a week now. She fully expected to see a new one on his arm by the time he came back from lunch today. Sometimes she wondered how he ever got anything done with all the sex he was obviously having. Her cheeks heated as they always did when she thought of him screwing some woman in his office. Did he like for them to kneel on his desk, doggystyle? Or did he sit back in his chair and let them ride him?
Blinking, she shook her head to snap herself out of it and try and lower the color in her cheeks. It was inappropriate for her to be thinking about her boss having sex with other women… even if he did it during office hours. Why should it matter to her, since she was never going to be one of those women? It’s not like his sexual performance affected the performance of the company. Empire Creations’ stock had risen ten percent in the last week alone. Mark was obviously very good at what he did.
Her heart beat a little faster as she heard the sound of Mark’s expensive shoes briskly hitting the tiled floors. He always walked with a powerful stride and she’d learned to recognize when he was coming by the sound alone. Self-consciously, she patted her hair and adjusted her blouse a fraction, not wanting to look less than her best though she knew he probably didn’t pay her any attention.
He came around the corner and she looked up at him through the fringe of her bangs, admiring his powerful body. He was six foot two with broad shoulders and a stocky build—he looked like he’d probably played as a linebacker in college and had maintained the physique despite being in an office position for who knew how long. Fully expecting him to give her a polite smile and
walk out the door, she was surprised when he instead made a beeline for her desk.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Donaldson.” She gave him a small smile, hoping to God her cheeks weren’t as hot as they felt. “What can I do for you?”
He smiled warmly, placing a palm on her desk. “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind coming out to lunch with me. There are some things I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Lunch?” There was no helping it—her cheeks flushed as her heart pumped faster to deal with the sudden rush of hormones coursing through her body. “My lunch break isn’t for another hour… Dave usually comes to cover for me at two o’clock…” Well, that wasn’t particularly true. He usually was a half hour late at the earliest, but that wasn’t something she was going to complain to Mark about. Most days she was just happy to have this job.
Mark waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure he’d be happy to move up his schedule. Ah, look, here he comes now.” He shifted slightly as he turned and Katherine looked past him to see Dave walking into the lobby, briefcase in hand. She saw his pale eyes flash briefly before he fixed a polite smile on his face as Mark waved him over.
“What can I help you with, Mr. Donaldson?”
“I’d like you to take over for Ms. Hewitt for an hour,” he said, and Katherine had the pleasure of watching Dave’s face turn pale with shock once again. “I’m taking her out to lunch so we can discuss a few things.”
“Now?” His eyes flashed to Katherine and then back, and she watched with interest as his color turned blotchy. “But sir… I…” he trailed off as Mark’s eyes turned steely. “Of course. Of course I will.”
“Good man.” He turned toward Katherine with a smile, who was staring at both of them. “Are you ready?”
“What?” she snapped out of it. “Yes, yes, of course.” She reached down beneath her desk to grab her purse, then stood up and nearly collided with Dave’s chest, who had come around the desk to take her place.
“Have a great lunch,” he told her with a sour smile, and the look in his eyes told her that she would pay for this if he ever got the chance.
“Thank you.” Something stirred in her at the look he gave her that demanded she do something else than just slink off like a wounded animal. “Is there anything you’d like me to bring back for you? I’m sure they have doggie bags at the restaurant for leftovers.”
Dave’s eyes flashed, and Katherine had to bite the inside of her cheek to hold back her grin. “No thank you.”
She followed Mark outside to the Mercedes parked out front, and allowed him to help her into the passenger’s side. He chuckled, a rich deep sound that had her looking over in surprise as he started the engine and headed down Central.
“What’s so funny?” she couldn’t help but ask.
He shook his head. “It has been a long time since I’ve ever seen anyone other than myself put Dave in his place. You should do it more often.”
Katherine shook her head with a small smile. “That would be suicide. I like my job.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to let him push you around like that,” Mark pointed out. “Dave can be a little overbearing. He’s a good assistant, but he often takes himself too seriously and will walk all over anyone who lets him. And you’re far too pretty to have someone do that to you.”
Katherine blushed, her fingers flying to her lips—pouty lips, he noted. Made for long, slow kisses. “It’s really not a big deal most of the time,” she insisted. “I’m really just grateful to be able to work for you.”
“And I’m grateful to have you.” They parked outside the bistro he usually came to for lunch. “In more ways than one.” His lips curved in that wicked smile again, and her imagination immediately went into overdrive. Did he really mean what she thought he meant? Or was she just being ridiculous? She probably was, and really didn’t need to get her hopes up. He probably just wanted to talk business.
He led her inside, where the maître de greeted them warmly—Mark was a regular here. They were taken upstairs to the terrace where they had a wonderful view of the city, and given a seat right next to the metal railing with boxes off impatiens and other flowers trailing down over the wall, providing a lovely fragrance.
Their server appeared almost instantly to hand them menus. “Good afternoon. It’s so nice to see you again, Mr. Donaldson. Can I start you off with anything to drink?”
“Do you drink wine?” Mark asked her.
Katherine hesitated. “I do… but I really shouldn’t…”
He waved her protests away. “One glass of wine over lunch won’t affect your job performance. A bottle of Chardonnay, please.”
“Wow.” Katherine let out a slow breath as the waiter returned with their bottle and poured them both a glass. He left them to decide on their entrees, and Katherine took a sip. It was like drinking gold. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a Chardonnay like this before.”
“This place has an excellent selection,” Mark agreed. They chose their entrees, and then he sat back as they waited for their meal to arrive and studied her.
Uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze, Katherine cleared her throat. “So, what is it you wanted to speak to me about, sir?” In truth she was a little nervous that all he’d done was made small talk so far… and look at her with those bedroom eyes that made her stomach flip-flop.
He gave her a slow smile. “It’s not about your job, if you’re wondering about that. I assure you that you’re doing a fantastic job. To be honest I’ve been curious about you. Dave and Mike—” the HR rep who’d initially contacted her “—did your interview and so I really know nothing about you at all. Where are you from?”
They made small talk for a little while, and then Mark leaned forward. “I’ll be honest with you, Katherine.” She blinked as he used her first name for the first time since the beginning of her employment. “I want you.”
“You… what?” She blushed as she felt his hand settle on her knee beneath the table. “Want me where?”
“On my desk. In my bed. On the floor.” He spoke low, his fingers slowly trailing up the inside of her thigh. “Your legs are exquisite. I want to know what they feel like without the panty hose.”
“I… I…” Katherine bit down on her lower lip as he started massaging the inside of her thigh; slow circles of his thumb that sent tendrils of heat traveling straight to her core. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m completely serious.” The waiter arrived with their entrees, and without removing his hand from her leg he looked up and engaged in a brief conversation as the waiter set everything out. Katherine had to ball her fists in her lap to keep from trembling, and she was certain the waiter couldn’t have missed the scarlet blush staining her cheeks.
Once the waiter went on, he continued on as though nothing had happened. “I know you want me, Katherine. I’ve seen those naughty little glances you’ve tossed my way when you thought I wasn’t looking.” His hand trailed down to stroke the area right underneath her knee, sending more shivers through her and making her hot all over. She’d no idea that was such a sensitive area! “I’m sure you’ve wondered on more than one occasion what it is I do with the women I’ve brought back to my office. Now you have a chance to find out.”
Katherine licked her lips, which had gone as dry as the inside of her mouth. She wanted to reach for her wine glass to wet her throat but she was trembling from Mark’s continuous caresses and wasn’t certain she could be trusted not to spill the wine on herself.
“If you do decide you want to do this, you should know it will be a Dom/sub relationship,” he continued, picking up his fork and sampling his alfredo as he continued to touch her underneath the table.
“What does that mean?” she picked up her own fork slowly, but found that she couldn’t concentrate long enough to get anything from her plate onto the utensil.
“That means I will be the one in control, and you’ll trust me to do what’s best to bring you pleasure,” he told
her. “It won’t be anything like you’ve ever experienced before sexually.”
That wasn’t really saying very much, Katherine thought, but she had the idea that what Mark was referring to was considered… taboo. “Is that like when I have a safe word and I tell you when to stop?”
He chuckled. “It won’t be anything quite that intense, but yet. Don’t be afraid, Katherine,” he told her when her nerves flashed in her eyes. “I’ll take good care of you. You can trust me on that.”
What did she have to lose? It wasn’t every day that devastatingly sexy men told her they wanted to have kinky sex with her. And maybe this was the kind of thing she needed. Her life had been tedious this last year, full of nothing but work and worry.
“Alright,” she told him. “What do you want me to do?”
“First,” he told her, setting down his fork and picking up her own. “I want you to eat.” He scooped up a bite of pasta off her plate and held it up to her lips. “Go ahead, take a bite.”
She did as he asked, and admitted to herself she’d never been so self-conscious of eating in her life—his eyes were boring into her face the entire time.
“There you go,” he said huskily. “You have such gorgeous lips. Have another one. Go more slowly this time.”
He fed her bite after bite, and she learned to slide her lips slowly along the fork, and she knew from the gleam in his eye that he was thinking of having her lips wrapped around something very different. She felt a flutter of embarrassment at first, but as she continued it faded as she realized this simple act was the sexiest thing she’d ever done. She could tell by the expression in his half-lidded eyes that he was aroused, and the knowledge aroused her too—her nipples were stiff beneath her bra, and the space between her legs was moist and pulsing lightly with need. All the while he continued to toy with her leg, brushing his fingers under her knee and down the back of her calf.
Eventually her plate was empty. He looked at his watch and saw their hour was nearly up.
