“Of course.” Troy pushed to his feet, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Trent and me.
I wondered what he was thinking. He was clearly still rattled, but I wasn’t sure from what. Perhaps the accusation that he was in a relationship with his boss. Or maybe Trent’s declaration that he intended to take us as his submissives.
Realizing I was ogling Trent’s assistant as he exited the room, I returned my attention to him. Unfortunately, he was watching me and I doubted those smoky blue eyes missed a thing.
I took a sip of my wine, grateful when Trent didn’t question me.
Thankfully, Troy walked back into the room a few seconds later carrying several fancy bags. He motioned toward another room, not looking directly at Trent. “I’ll get everything set up in the dining room.”
“Thank you,” Trent said, eyeing him as he moved through the room.
Once he was out of sight, those blue eyes turned to me.
“Come here, sunshine. I didn’t get the chance to greet you appropriately.”
Even that simple command had my nerve endings dancing with delight. I wasn’t sure how I’d been programmed to respond to that sort of stimuli, but I was and I’d long ago stopped trying to fight it.
He patted the cushion beside him and I inched over without thinking about it. When Trent leaned in, his big hand sliding around my neck, I closed my eyes. The next thing I knew his mouth was on mine. There was no thinking on my part, I simply parted my lips and allowed him access. Kissing Trent was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The man was the most exquisite kisser. Smooth, demanding, yet sweet and gentle at the same time. I couldn’t resist him.
When his lips released mine, he pulled my head forward until our foreheads touched.
A chaotic burst of energy took root in my belly. It fluttered, then dipped and rolled, making me feel strange. Trent Ramsey was a man I’d fantasized about for years. In fact, I’d had some dirty thoughts of him late at night when I was alone. But as far as my mind was concerned, that was all he was. A fantasy. Not someone I would end up spending the rest of my life with.
Did I even want that? I’d seen what fame did to him, how it had formed him. He wasn’t a diva, but there was something about him that said he usually got what he wanted.
And what about the news reports about him and Troy? I was sure they’d have a field day once they got wind of the three of us together. Would they question me and Trent the way they had Trent and Troy?
Not that there was a me and Trent. But wouldn’t that only increase their curiosity? What would the story be then? Would they broadcast to the world that I was involved with the two of them?
Wait.
My gaze locked with Trent’s. “Have there been news reports about you and me?”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t call it news, but yes. It appears someone took a video of us outside the restaurant last week. From what I can tell, they don’t know what to make of it yet.”
“That explains the reporter on my porch,” I mumbled to myself. And the bodyguard.
Crap.
I liked my privacy. The last thing I wanted was to be talked about by anyone, much less everyone.
My eyes lifted to Trent’s face and my heart melted a little. As much as I wanted to fight it, I wasn’t sure I was strong enough. However, if I gave myself to him, I feared I wouldn’t be given back in the same manner he’d received me. I feared a man like Trent would ruin me forever. And with the press already lurking, the entire world would be privy to my demise.
“Thank you for coming, sunshine. I’ve been thinking about you nonstop. I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad to be here, too,” I whispered, although I wasn’t sure that was exactly the truth.
Trent
I WAS INTERESTED TO SEE where this night would lead.
Having Clarissa here was a comfort I hadn’t expected. Oh, sure, I’d known for years that I was attracted to her. I knew I wanted to top her, even. However, I always questioned my own intentions. I wasn’t a man who had a set routine or enjoyed consistency. It wasn’t in my DNA. Having spent most of my life living in chaos, I tended to gravitate toward it. Probably one of the reasons I had ventured into so many side businesses, never being satisfied with only one.
So it would’ve made sense if I hopped from bed to bed, enjoyed one woman after another. Oddly enough, that had never been the case for me. Sure, I dated regularly and I had yet to have a serious relationship. Nothing that lasted more than a month at the most, anyway.
To be honest, I hadn’t expected to feel quite so complete with Clarissa in my home, but this felt right to me.
And then there was Troy. I had clearly taken him by surprise with my admission that I wanted to take them both as my submissives. I hadn’t thought about how the revelation would affect him. In my defense, I figured it was better to plant the seed early, to allow him time to consider it.
And, I figured what the hell. The media was already going to have a field day and I had absolutely no desire to play their games. If they wanted to accuse me of being in a relationship with a man, they could go right ahead. At this point in my life, it wouldn’t make or break me.
And the truth was, I wanted Troy. I wanted him in a way I’d never wanted a man before.
Did I think he’d make a good submissive? That was yet to be seen. I worried he would push against his own instincts, not give in when it was necessary. That would make it decidedly difficult in the long run. It was my intention to bring him pleasure unlike anything he’d ever known. In order to do that, I needed him fully on board.
As for Clarissa … I’d been pleasantly surprised to see her interest in Troy. It had appealed to me on a deeper level. I hadn’t expected it and I figured that was one of the reasons I wanted to see where things went with the two of them.
Granted, I was taking a serious gamble here. A smart man would likely pursue one or the other first, establish a relationship, something to link us together before drawing in a third. Since I couldn’t pick one over the other right now, I had no idea how that would work. Which was the very reason I’d decided to take them both on at the same time.
However, I did have to take things slow with Clarissa. I couldn’t stop thinking about Xander’s warning. After our conversation yesterday, I’d run through the events of my lunch with Clarissa. While she had acknowledged she had a safe word, it concerned me that he had said she wouldn’t use it. Did that mean she had wanted to during lunch? Was she merely placating me, trying to earn my approval? If she went blindly into this, doing whatever I asked of her, we were going to have some serious problems.
Granted, I believed if I hadn’t forced my hand, I probably never would’ve spoken to Clarissa again after our lunch with Mercedes and Xander. Outside of business, anyway. While she was willing to tell me she was interested in entertaining the prospect of a client in Chicago, she hadn’t exactly led me to believe she was in it wholeheartedly.
Which was part of the reason I’d wanted to have dinner tonight. Something casual that would allow us time to talk. No expectations. And tomorrow I would lay it all out on the line for them. Get their honest reactions.
“The food is ready,” Troy said when he popped back into the room a few minutes later.
I noticed the way he watched us, the desire that heated his eyes. At the very least, he was curious. But I needed more than that. I needed him to be eager, anxious. I wanted him to want this with every breath in his body.
“Come on, sunshine.” I held my arm out to Clarissa as I got to my feet. “Let’s eat.”
I liked how easily she allowed me to lead. And though it was something I approved of, I was cognizant of how ready to please she was. She didn’t seem to question my desire to include Troy tonight. I would’ve liked her to have questioned it, to have at least attempted to get an outline of my intentions.
It seemed Xander was right. I would have to keep an eye on her.
Pulling out Clarissa’s chair at the dining roo
m table, I waited for her to sit, then helped her forward.
“Troy, I’d like you to sit on my other side.” I motioned to the chair on the other side of the table, opposite Clarissa. With my chair at the end, I’d be between them.
My assistant’s hesitance did not go unnoticed.
“So, is this a business meeting?” Clarissa inquired after I had taken my seat and set my wineglass in front of me.
“Not at all. Why?”
She gave a half shrug, then speared her ravioli. “I just figured since the three of us were here together…” Clarissa met my gaze. “I thought perhaps we would discuss … something related to your friends in Chicago.”
“That’s completely separate from this, Clarissa. And tonight’s informal,” I told her, glancing over at Troy. “I merely wanted to share a meal with the two of you.” Turning my attention back to Clarissa, I continued, “Do you have concerns?”
She offered a sweet smile, her gaze remaining on the table momentarily before briefly darting up to my face. “No. It just took me a little by surprise, that’s all.”
I liked that I was able to surprise her.
“What is it that you do?” Troy inquired, glancing between the two of us before focusing solely on Clarissa.
“I’m a contract lawyer,” she said easily.
I decided to get in a question of my own. “Why did you leave the firm you were with?”
Her gaze focused on her food, and I knew she was biding time. Likely hoping I would move on when she didn’t answer. That wasn’t the type of man I was. When I asked a question, I expected an answer.
“Clarissa?”
She turned her attention to me and I could see the displeasure in her gaze. Finally, she sighed.
“What happened with your previous job? What made you venture out on your own?”
Her posture was stiffer than before as she set her wineglass down on the table. “I had a client who found out I was a submissive. He saw me at a club one night. He didn’t seem to know how to separate business from personal.”
“Did you play with him?” I inquired.
“Oh, God, no. But I think he wanted that. Based on the fact he began sexually harassing me, then attempting to blackmail me by threatening to out me to my company, I think it was a safe bet.”
I wanted to know who the bastard was so I could destroy him.
“Why didn’t your company back you?” I asked.
“They claimed they would have if I hadn’t decided to handle it myself. They didn’t approve of the fact that I had emailed him from the company email and told him off.”
“Well,” I told her, “if it’s any consolation, they handled it badly. They should’ve backed you, not the asshole.”
She shrugged. “It’s over and done with. I’ve moved on.”
I glanced over at Troy and the moment he saw me looking his way, he began shoveling food into his mouth. He ate with gusto. As though by keeping his mouth full he wouldn’t be subjected to conversation.
“You mentioned you were parting ways with your talent agency. Does that mean you won’t be making any more movies?” Clarissa asked after a few minutes of silence.
“Of course not. I’m actually reviewing a script right now. One I’m considering for the near future.”
“So, it’s not for the Dillon Chronicles?”
“No. We’re holding off on discussions for that one. Although I do anticipate I’ll be filming it at the end of next year.”
She seemed pleased to hear that.
“Are you a fan of those movies?” Troy questioned.
Clarissa chewed her food, then took a sip of wine. “Very much.” She smiled at Troy, then back to me. “I don’t know why that is, either. I’m not usually into action movies, but there’s something about them that drew me in.”
I wondered if that something was me. Knowing it would reek of arrogance, I opted not to ask the question aloud.
“So, what’s this one about? The one you’re considering?”
I grinned. “It’s a romance. A little edgier than your everyday average romance, though.”
“Really?” Her eyes were pinned on my face and I could see her intrigue.
“Yes. Older woman, younger man entanglement. With a hint of BDSM thrown into the mix.”
“Oh, my God.” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t realize that was becoming popular for the big screen.”
“The guy who pitched it to me noticed the genre’s doing well for others, so he’s considering taking on this project alongside me. It’s a good script.”
“You’ll be directing it?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” I admitted. “I’d like to try my hand at it. But acting is still my strong suit.”
“And your expertise will likely add to the accuracy,” she noted.
“I think that is what he’s aiming for,” I told her.
“But romance is outside your norm, for sure,” she said with a shy grin. “Will there be sex scenes?”
Watching her closely, I answered with, “Yes. Quite a few.”
“Those must be interesting to film.”
I chuckled. “Well, I can assure you, there’s nothing sexy about them.”
Her attention turned to Troy. “Do you like watching the movies being filmed?”
His eyes darted up to her and he swallowed the mouthful. “I do. Yes. They’re … interesting.”
Clarissa’s eyes took on a dreamy sheen. “I would love to watch a movie being filmed. I don’t know why, but it sounds fun.”
Troy’s eyes lit up. “Well, maybe Trent can invite you to the set sometime. It’s quite impressive to watch him work.”
A slight blush tinged his cheeks as his eyes dropped back to his plate. Poor guy. He’d already eaten everything on it, so he had nowhere to hide.
“Impressive?” I asked directly.
Troy nodded. “Yes. And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to speak out of turn.”
Realizing he was referring to the invitation he’d extended Clarissa, I decided to ease his mind. “No, I think that’s a great idea.” I looked over at her.
“Oh … I … um…”
I was waiting for her excuse. Rather than save her, I kept my eyes locked with hers and waited for whatever lie she was conjuring up. I knew without a doubt Clarissa was going to try to get out of this one.
“Don’t worry,” Troy blurted. “It’s a while off and—”
I held up my hand to stop him, my eyes never leaving Clarissa’s face. It was her turn to speak and until she did, I didn’t intend to say another word. For a submissive like Clarissa, the intensity of my gaze would be all the pressure she needed.
“I’ve…” She looked at her plate for a really long time. “We’ll have to see how things are going whenever you start filming.”
I had to give her credit. She hadn’t lied. That pleased me immensely.
“So, what are you working on now?” I asked, wanting to ease some of her discomfort.
“Well, I’m moving.” There was a hint of defiance in her tone. “So, that’s taking up a lot of my time.”
“Where are you moving to?” I asked, placing my fork down and picking up my wineglass.
“I’ll be staying in Mercedes’s condo temporarily.”
“Why?”
Clarissa shrugged.
“Not an answer, sunshine,” I informed her.
She sighed. “It’s not something I care to discuss if that’s all right.”
It wasn’t all right. I didn’t like that the woman was being so secretive. I wanted her to open up to me, to let me into her life. However, since I’d promised a casual evening, I would give her a reprieve. For now.
“Is anyone helping you move?” Troy inquired.
She shook her head. “I just started, so I haven’t done a whole lot yet. And I’m planning to move most of my stuff to storage. I don’t intend to take a lot with me. I’m hoping I’ll only impose on Mercedes temporarily. Luckily, I don’t have many clients who are cons
uming all my time, so I’ve got nothing better to do than pack.”
Troy frowned. “Luckily?”
“I was being facetious,” she replied with a grin.
“Oh. So what about Chicago? Will that take too much of your time?”
Her eyes cut to me. “I’m merely going to meet with the clients. I’m not sure it’s something that will fit into my life right now.”
So much for hoping she was going into it with an open mind.
Troy
I HAD NEVER FELT SO out of place as I did sitting there at the dinner table with Trent and Clarissa.
Not that I wasn’t enjoying myself, because I was.
That didn’t make it any less awkward.
My brain was still rehashing Trent’s comment. The one where he mentioned Clarissa and I would both be his submissives. Only, he’d dropped the bomb that he wouldn’t be discussing that tonight, so all the questions that plagued my mind had to go unanswered for now.
Clearly, Clarissa had far more experience in this realm than I did, because she didn’t seem to be having the same sort of panicked reaction that I was. Which was likely the reason I couldn’t stop thinking about it. While this appeared to be just an ordinary dinner, I was wondering what kinky stuff Trent was going to pull on me in the future. Was he going to force me to strip? Make me wear some kind of weird harness on my balls? Maybe he would shove a dildo in my ass and put me on display?
Okay, so I’d obviously watched some really imaginative porn over the years. Nothing Trent had ever said or done made me believe he was into anything like that. Maybe it was the fact that I’d gone over that limit list before we had dinner. There were so many things I’d never even heard of.
Clarissa had kindly given details and answered all of my questions in an almost clinical manner. She didn’t blush when she spoke of dildos or anal beads or nipple clamps. I doubted she got all hot and bothered the way I had. The mere thought of seeing her with nipple clamps…
“Troy?”
I jerked my attention to Trent. He was staring at me as though he’d been waiting for me to respond for a while.
Their Famous Dominant (Office Intrigue, 4) Page 16
