Beg Me Scarlett Sanderson Tessa fantasizes about being tied up and tantalized with pleasure. She longs for a man to take control, to drive her wild with lust. But she’s never been able to let go and indulge in her most taboo desires. The second Jared sees Tessa, he wants her. Her fierce intelligence and repressed sensuality call to him, make him burn with a passion he hasn’t felt in years. Jared offers Tessa a deal—for a month, they’ll play a game of dominance and submission. He’ll make her beg, make her moan, make her come harder and faster than she ever has before. In return? He just wants great sex. No strings attached. But when he can’t get enough of Tessa’s scent, her taste, her touch, he realizes what he really wants is her love.
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Beg Me ISBN 9781419936586 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Beg Me Copyright © 2011 Scarlett Sanderson Edited by Carrie Jackson Cover design by Syneca Photography: Romancenovelcovers.com Electronic book publication November 2011 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.
BEG ME Scarlett Sanderson
Dedication For K. You are always my inspiration. I love you.
Chapter One “Do you need a Master, little girl? I can be the one to own you.” Tessa turned, facing the man who spoke the words. He was about the same age as her. His blond hair fell in perfectly shaped bangs around his face. His dark eyes flashed with sparks of interest. She raked her gaze over the rest of him. Tall, lean and tanned, he wore leather pants laced at the sides. They rode low on his hips and cupped an impressive bulge at the crotch. A leather waistcoat covered his bare, waxed chest. Her body heated. A soft throb beat in her pussy. “Thanks, but no thanks.” He grinned, flashed a set of perfectly whitened teeth. “I can be your little boy if you prefer.” A shiver of desire and trepidation ran down her spine. “No, thanks.” The man shrugged. “Your loss. Let me know if you change your mind.” He moved into the crowd, lost in the throng of people. Sending up a silent thank you to whatever gods listened, Tessa found a quiet corner booth and sat down. Inferno was the latest in a series of BDSM clubs opening up in the area, catering specifically to high-class clientele. Not usually a place she’d visit but Tessa had been curious. In all her sexual relationships, something had been missing. She’d always been curious about BDSM, she even admitted it to her fiancé back in college only to be told she was “abnormal”. After that disastrous experience, she’d pushed her desires to the back of her mind. Part of her reason for becoming a sex therapist was to help others who were having problems. Maybe then she could come to terms with her own needs. In reality, she buried herself in her work and other people’s problems. She didn’t know if the club would help. The pounding beat intensified her nerves, made her wonder if she should be there, if she’d made the wrong decision. In one of her sessions, a female patient had described the thrill of being a submissive to a Dominant Master. The description sent a buzz zinging through her, a feeling she rarely experienced. While the woman talked, describing intimate details of having clamps attached to her nipples and clit, Tessa’s body burned. Her pussy became slick, her own nipples beaded as she imagined sharp teeth biting into the delicate flesh. It had occurred to her that maybe she needed that kind of relationship. Maybe she needed to be submissive. To her analytical mind, it made sense. Every day she experienced control—she was always the dominant personality. Her darkest sexual desires involved relinquishing some of that tightly held control to someone else. To a Master. Every time she thought about it, feelings of guilt arose. Maybe her ex-fiancé had been right. Wanting to be beaten and tied up wasn’t normal. Taking her own advice, she’d pushed aside her fears and researched informal BDSM gatherings—“munches”, she'd learned they were called —and clubs in the area. She’d taken weeks to work up the courage and now that she was here, Tessa hadn’t a clue what to do. Various people milled around in different types of BDSM outfits. Many were subtle in their choices. Some were bolder, wearing their fetish like a badge. The heavy beat of sensual music thudded, throbbing in time with the crowd on the dance floor. Scents of alcohol, cologne and the musk of people packed together in a small space filled the air. Wearing a tailored black pencil skirt, slightly heeled boots and a black cotton shirt, Tessa stuck out like a sore thumb. A blonde waitress stopped next to her table. “You want a drink, honey?” She smiled at the young woman. At a guess, the girl was in her early twenties. Most likely a college student earning extra cash. The outfit she wore was, unsurprisingly, leather—a revealing black bustier and an obscenely short skirt. Her shoes, thigh-high latex without a heel. Sexy yet practical. “Vodka, no ice.” She’d be grateful for something to hold, something that would soothe her nerves. When the waitress smiled back, the knot of tension in Tessa’s stomach eased just a little. “First time?” “Is it that obvious?” A blush rose in Tessa’s cheeks as the blonde laughed, and she tugged at the corner of her sleeve, rolling her eyes to hide her embarrassment. “I think I’m a little overdressed.” “You look fine. Although a bit more leather would be perfect.” Winking, the waitress turned and headed back into the crowd, drink tray raised over her head. She wound her body perfectly through the throng of people. With a slight turn of her hip, she avoided any wandering hands. Did she indulge in the pleasures of the club? She certainly looked the part. Smiling, Tessa turned her attention back to the crowd. What would it take to get up and mingle? About another ten shots of vodka. Maybe more. More of a voyeur than a participant, she drummed her fingernails on the table. So this was the kind of place where she could explore her submissive fantasies? The night was not turning out as she’d expected. Then again, she hadn’t really known what to expect. Except for the leather. Leather was pretty much a given. “One vodka. No ice.” The waitress set Tessa’s drink on a napkin and gave her a dazzling smile. “Enjoy. And relax. They don’t bite. Unless you ask nicely.” Tessa laughed. “Thanks, I’ll remember that.” She reached into her purse and pulled out enough money to cover the drink and a generous tip. After all, the girl had been the first friendly face in the club. Taking a sip of the cool alcohol, she let the vodka burn a pleasant path from her palate to her stomach and glanced up. Her heartbeat quickened as Mister Perfect White Teeth sidled up. He eased himself into the booth beside her. His spicy, citrus cologne wrapped itself around
her, bled into her pores. “You look lonely.” Despite her attraction, she wanted to get up and walk away. She’d expected to observe, get used to the environment. She didn’t expect to get hit on, not on her first visit. “I’m fine.” She flashed him a small smile. “Thank you.” White Teeth held out his hand. “I’m Karl.” “Tessa.” She slipped her hand into his, shook. He had a strong handshake. She noted the veins running along his skin, signs he worked out. An image of him slapping that hand against her ass flashed into her mind. She shifted in her seat. “So, why are you here, Tessa? Are you looking to play?” Panic bubbled to the surface. Was she? Had she come here looking for precisely that? Best thing was to be honest. She looked into his dark eyes. “You’re straight to the point.” “First time?”
Was it that obvious? Did she have “newbie” tattooed on her somewhere? A great neon sign over her head? She frowned. “Yes, it’s my first time.” He leaned forward, brushed a strand of hair off her face. “Submissive or Dominant?” “Submissive. I think.” Maybe, who knew? That’s what she was here to find out. “Okay. I’m going to ask you a question now, and I want you think about it.” She nodded. Intrigue and confusion lodged in her throat. “If you are not sure, how about we try a little experiment? They offer some cornered-off booths here, nothing too private.” He laughed. “It’s not that kind of club. But they have some spanking equipment, some restraints. Other stuff, if you are interested. Are you interested in spanking?” Her whole body tightened. Her slit bloomed. Desire beat a steady path from the pit of her stomach to her clit, setting her nerves on edge. Her mouth watered and she licked her lips. Oh yes. Spanking definitely interested her. Tessa nodded. “We could start with that. Go slow. If you don’t like it, just say the word ‘red’ and I’ll stop. You’ll be perfectly safe. There are tons of people around and the bouncers keep a close eye on things. First step is always the hardest. You won’t know until you try.” He was right. She’d come here looking to push past her boundaries. Maybe a spanking was exactly what she needed. Her cunt clenched, swelled. She could feel the wet patch soaking her panties. It might be easier with a stranger. No awkward moments later. She could get her spanking and move on. No attachments. No humiliation. Where was the harm? She was a grown woman seeking sexual bliss. Slipping her hand in his, she let Karl navigate toward the private rooms. Her heart hammered. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry and parched. This was it. After this, she’d know once and for all if she really was a submissive. The rooms had no doors—they were large roped-off, cave-like crevices at the back of the club. People could see in and the occupants could see out. She’d read about them online. No one was allowed to have penetrative sex. A few were occupied but Tessa kept her eyes averted. Although some rooms had spectators, she couldn’t be party to someone else’s pleasure. It just seemed rude. “Stop.” Karl gently tapped her hand. He nodded to a room to their right but she shook her head. “Look, Tessa. Just take a look. I can assure you they enjoy people watching them.” With his gentle persuasion, she glanced into the room. A woman lay spread-eagle on a wooden table, strapped down with leather restraints crisscrossing her body. A man stood over her, running the tails of a flogger over her bare pussy. Her legs quivered. She moaned as the man lifted the flogger and brought it down onto her mound with one sharp, quick flick. Tessa’s body tensed. She felt the sharp sting in her own pussy, followed by a rush of moisture. Her nipples tightened. Her body throbbed, ached to be the woman on the table. What would it feel like to be tied down and used for someone else’s pleasure? Could she handle it? “See how beautiful that is, Tessa? Her reaction?” She nodded, mesmerized. “Come.” He led her away. In an erotic haze, she didn’t hear the words Karl spoke to the bouncer at the edge of an unoccupied room. He unhooked the rope and chained them in. “I’ve told him to try and keep people away.” Karl smiled and touched her cheek. “I didn’t think you’d want anyone to watch.”
Thoughtful. She couldn’t handle that. Not that. “So.” He gestured to the equipment. Floggers, paddles and whips lined the walls, as did various gags, nipple clamps and restraints. “Restrained?” Tessa gulped and shook her head. “No.” “Didn’t think so.” He took her hand once more and led her to a simple stool. “Are you sure, Tessa?” “Yes.” “Do you remember your safeword?” “Yes.”
“Good.” Karl got down on hands and knees, wrapped his upper body around the stool and stuck his ass in the air. “I want you to kneel like this. The stool will give you some support.” She blinked. Anticipation coiled in her belly. Fear beat in the back of her throat, speeding up her pulse. She felt sick. She felt hot and needy and nervous. She inhaled. Okay. She could do this. She knelt, assumed the same position he had. The cool, tiled floor hurt her knees. She pressed her cheek against the wooden stool. She faced the club, watched patrons dancing in the distance, heard their laughter and the music. She focused on slowing her racing heart. He lifted her skirt, bunched the material at her waist. “Are you ready, Tessa?” “Yes.” Smack. Smack. She gasped. The gentle crack of a paddle on her ass cheeks made her burn. The sharp sting followed by a dull ache. Then again. Once. Twice. Smack. Smack. Her pussy pulsed. Her sex swelled. The tiny bundle of nerves between her thighs beat a steady rhythm, begging for relief. Her nerve endings tingled. Her nipples tightened to hard nubs. “Again?” “Yes.” Karl spanked her again and again. She jerked her hips forward and back in between every smack. Her ass was on fire. Her body more alive than it had ever been. She stopped thinking. Couldn’t. Her drenched slit begged for relief. “Oh you like this. You’re such a dirty girl, Tessa. Dirty. Dirty. Dirty.” Tessa’s body went cold. Memories raced to the forefront, killing her desire.
“How could you ask me that? How could you ask me to beat you? It’s sick. It’s disgusting. Dirty.” Panic rushed to the surface. She couldn’t breathe. No longer pleasurable, her ass hurt. Her body ached. She needed him to stop. How? What was her safeword? Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Sir, I really think you should stop.” The pain ceased. She took in a shaky breath and willed herself to relax. Tessa opened her eyes and stared at a god. About six feet tall, he loomed over her, his face covered with a leather half-mask that revealed more than it concealed. The sensual shape of his lips, the mass of dark-brown hair styled into a choppy, spiky cut, and green eyes that blazed with blatant fury. “And why is that?” Anger laced Karl’s tone. “Because the lady is sobbing and I’m damned sure they aren’t tears of joy.” Reaching for courage, Tessa pulled down her skirt and scrambled to her feet. Her cheeks heated. Embarrassment coursed through her body. She had to take back control. “I’m sorry.” She looked at Karl then at her would-be rescuer. The violence in his eyes tightened things low in her body. “It was my fault. I forgot my safeword. I’m sorry.” Throwing an apologetic smile at Karl, she dashed into the crowd.
Stupid. She’d been so fucking stupid coming here and agreeing to a stranger’s request to be spanked. Now that the situation was over, Tessa felt both foolish and uncomfortable. She should have spoken her safeword rather than play the frightened female. Karl had just surprised her with his phrasing. A hand curled around her wrist and stilled her escape. She turned and stared into the green eyes of her buff savior. His gaze pierced hers, and the zings she’d felt moments ago burst around her body like firecrackers. In all the right places. She got a good look at him. The rest of his body was toned like his shoulders. A lithe, graceful torso rippled into a tapered waist, ending with strong thighs and legs. Despite being in a BDSM club where leather dominated the attire, he wore ripped denim jeans and a tight white T-shirt, his half-mask the only leather adornment. “You okay? I’m sorry about the asshole.” He moved forward, cradled her hand in his. Gently, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over her racing pulse point. The movement was soothing. Sheer, blissful pleasure slid through her blood. His thumb worked over her skin, creating ribbons of heat. Tessa bit down on her lower lip. She mentally fanned herself and prayed she didn’t melt into a pool of orgasmic harmony. His thumb moved around and around in a lazy circle. She became mesmerized, watching it dance a pattern on her skin. Those electrifying zings reached an all-time high as her body readied itself for action. Her nipples peaked beneath the fabric of her shirt and moisture pooled between her thighs. She’d been turned on by Karl’s spanking but this was different. A deeper attraction on a base level. The deep-seated need to be fucked by someone stronger than her. The physical action she craved would never happen. She didn’t do casual sex. Not with anyone from Inferno and especially not with the buff god standing less than a foot away. He was too dominating, too arousing. Raising her gaze to his, Tessa blushed. A predatory confidence burned there, setting the green contours of his eyes alight with what she could only describe as sexual desire. When he grinned and touched his full upper lip with the tip of his tongue, she mentally bit down on her knuckles and
groaned. Her masked savior was sex on a stick. And she knew exactly where she wanted to lick first. “You seem a little dazed. Want me to repeat the question?” His voice, a rich timbre in her ears, held a slightly Southern lilt that made her desire more painful. She’d always had a weakness for a Texan twang. She regained some composure and withdrew her hand from his grasp. “I’m okay. A little shocked and feeling a little stupid. I should have remembered my safeword.” She gave the guy a wry smile, feeling foolish for allowing herself to be so naïve. He pushed a hand through his spiky hair. She followed the movement, fascinated by the length and slenderness of his fingers. “We pride ourselves on a safe and discreet environment here at Inferno. I’m sorry you had to experience that in your search for a Dominant.” Tessa frowned. Just because she was on the receiving end of a spanking didn’t mean she was looking for a Dominant. How could he assume something like that? It wasn’t like she had it written on her forehead. Lifting her chin, she stared straight into his arrogant, cocky eyes. “How do you know I’m not here looking for a submissive?” Her words brought laughter. Not just any laugh but a throw-back-your-head-and-roar type of laugh. Her cheeks burned with humiliation. Gritting her teeth, she asked, “What’s so funny?” The guy took a deep breath and looked down. His eyes danced with humor and a mischievous glint, sending zings through her body all over again. Her cheeks now burned with something other than embarrassment. “What’s funny is the thought of you coming here to find a submissive.” Leaning forward, he fingered her lapel intimately. His gazed burned into hers. “You don’t have a dominant bone in your body, lady.” Tessa didn’t know whether to grab his tight, white T-shirt and beg him to kiss her or to be offended by his comment. He spoke with such conviction, such absolute authority, she knew he had a dominant bone, and more than one. Still, it didn’t become a woman to let a man get the better of her. On second thought, that was exactly why she was here. To let a man get the better of her. The whole Dominant/submissive thing was really confusing. “And how do you know I don’t have a dominant bone in my body? You don’t even know me, mister.” There, she’d told him. “In fact, I might be looking for a nice piece of ass just like yourself to take home. I’ll bend you over and spank those tight buns ’til you scream.” He raised an eyebrow and stopped rubbing her shirt. He just stared at her, as if looking straight into her soul. Then, wrapping his fingers around her arms, he gently pushed her against the nearest wall. Her back collided with the concrete and she let out a squeak. Whether from shock or excitement, she didn’t know. He had her trapped, and Tessa loved every second of it. Her breath hitched, her body cried out kiss me, kiss me, take me! A body could be a treacherous thing. Her lips parted in anticipation. Her pussy throbbed with delight. The guy slapped one hand against the wall above her head. With the other, he stroked her hipbone. The guy was really into stroking. “How about I just bend you over my knee right here and give you a spanking?” The tone of his voice was low, intimate, husky. The sounds of the club faded away. All she could hear was him, all she could smell was his spicy, woodsy scent. His breath tickled her ear as he leaned into her body and whispered, “You’d like me to spank you, get those tight ass cheeks all red. You’d beg me and I wouldn’t stop. You’d beg me to fuck you.” Stunned yet shamelessly excited by this rough talk, Tessa opened her mouth to speak but his lips covered hers in a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was hard and brutal. Just how she needed it. Just how she’d fantasized millions of times in the past. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, dueling with hers like they were two warriors battling to the last. They continued to kiss, to explore each other. His kiss was hot and enticing, stoking a sweet fervor inside her. Not once did he let up on the dominating assault. She felt as if she would drown from the passion building in her body. Her nipples became turgid peaks begging to be touched, her heart slammed against her rib cage. Elation and excitement coursed through her, mingling with the heady feeling of taboo. This illicit encounter with a stranger shouldn’t make her quite so horny.
Be quiet! He stroked his tongue against hers, teased the roof of her mouth before drawing back. His labored breathing matched hers. She managed to open her eyes and glance up. His thick lashes framed eyes languid with the heat of their kiss. She swallowed and his gaze followed the movement of her throat. He parted his lips, licked the lower one again. His nostrils flared with passion. She couldn’t read his emotions, other than his lust. He was a stranger to her in every sense yet she knew his scent, the taste of his lips, and she’d never been more certain that she wanted his tongue mating with hers again. Clutching his shirt, Tessa pulled the stranger toward her. Her lips clashed with his, biting, nipping, demanding. She let out a small moan as his hands tunneled under her shirt. His fingers stroked lazy patterns across her torso. The contact of his skin against hers was electrifying. Every nerve ending sparked to life. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist, plaster her body against his and have him fuck her. The stranger placed fevered kisses on her cheek and across her eyelids. He nibbled at her chin before giving her throat one long, leisurely lick. Tessa sighed, wrapped one leg around his waist and draped her arms across his shoulders, clawing at his shirt. His teeth were doing wondrous things to her earlobe. His tongue rimmed the shell of her ear, making her shiver. She didn’t even know his name. The thought was like a bucket of ice water across her heated skin.
What the hell am I doing? First the spanking incident and now this! Managing to lift her hands, she placed them on his broad chest and pushed, wrenching her mouth from his in the process. His chest heaved, his eyelids drooped lazily, his lips swollen. When they curled upward into a coy smile, Tessa thought this stranger was the sexiest man alive. Panicking at the thought she might have found a Dominant after all, a man who could make her lose control, lose her will to do anything but please him, she ducked underneath his arm and stepped away. She turned to face him, raising her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” And she was. Sorry she couldn’t be the woman he wanted. Her night of unbridled pleasure had come crashing down around her ears. Tears prickled in the corners of her eyes. Why did finding sexual satisfaction have to be so hard?
Jared stared as the woman ran through the crowd. Hands reached out to stroke her and she slapped them away. Other people turned to glare at the woman who disrupted their enjoyment. He watched her go, his cock raging. He was so hard, the pressure from his zipper bit into his swollen head. Not that Jared cared. An edge of pain added to the eroticism. He could still taste her on his tongue, feel her passion and will to submit. Sure, it was buried deep, but a guy like him could always sense a woman’s needs. He wasn’t a Master, just a guy who liked some kink with his sex. Kink added variety and spice. Jared liked spice. He was also a Dominant. Not a Master—he didn’t live the lifestyle 24/7—but he did like to be in control. Pressing the heel of his hand against his crotch, Jared shifted his weight. It had been months…no, a year…since he’d taken a woman. He’d grown tired of the constant expectations. Many of the women he’d dominated were either too experienced, demanding, topping from the bottom, or not really submissive at all, just playing, acting the role for a cheap thrill. The BDSM scene he moved in had become a cliché. Disillusioned, Jared was sick of all the pretense. He needed someone fresh, someone to teach, mold. Someone with innocence and no expectations. The thrill of being in control didn’t excite him. No one had interested or fascinated him enough. Until now. Until the woman with the practical, short dark hair and blazing-blue eyes. He’d seen her distress but before that, he’d felt her pleasure. Seen it etched on her face. Her buried needs called to his. He’d sensed her undiscovered craving. She thought she was looking for a Master. From the defiance in her eyes, a Master wasn’t really what she needed. She wasn’t a slave. A Master would make her panic, run away. What she needed was some kink, a man who could make her lose control. A Dominant. A role he was very willing to perform. This woman was untouched. She wouldn’t make demands, she wouldn’t have expectations. How long had it been since he’d dominated a newbie? Years. Maybe that’s what he needed, something fresh. She would be an interesting experiment. A way to ease himself back into the game. A way to regain the thrill. A challenge. Now all he needed to do was find her.
Chapter Two “Big, juicy, hard, pert nipples. I cannot resist them. I’m a nipple addict. I just want to suck and lick. I even think about sliding my erection between their breasts and making love to them while those erect beauties poke up at me.” Tessa listened patiently to the man sitting on the opposite side of the desk. The monologue about his breast obsession, nipples in particular, rattled on and on. As a sex therapist, her job meant she had to listen and advise. Many patients, especially the males, tried to arouse her with descriptions. When they failed, they tried the shock approach. With ten years in the business, she had heard it all. There was little that could shock her. Legs crossed, she sat taking notes on how best to approach this case. Neil worked with a female swim team, so help for his problem was essential. Hard nipples abound in the cool arena of a swimming pool. If Neil planned to avoid temptation—and a lawsuit—she needed to refocus his attention on other things.
Easier said than done. Right now he stared at her well-covered breasts. Even though he could only distinguish the silhouette, his eyes were firmly glued to her chest. His tongue snaked out to lick his bottom lip. She resisted the urge to snap her fingers in his face. Instead she coughed, clearing her throat. It diverted his attention from her womanly assets. The key thing was not to humiliate Neil for his secret desires. A good therapist listened and refrained from judgment. A slither of sympathy ran down her spine. Back in college she’d tried explaining her needs to her ex. Tessa believed that one day they would get married. She trusted him enough to admit she craved dominance and pain. She’d asked him to tie her up and spank her with a hairbrush. She mentally winced as she remembered his reaction. He called her dirty, depraved, made her feel guilty for asking for abominable things.
Only really fucked-up people want to be beaten, Tessa. A week later he ended their relationship. “Well, Neil, I can see why this is classed as a problem.” He nodded. Strands of dirty-blond hair fell across his forehead. “And you can see why this is urgent?” He leaned forward, tapping his fingertips on the desk. Tessa leaned back. “Yes, Neil, I can understand.” She had a knack for sensing problem patients. Already, Neil was heading for her difficult-clients list. His sense of urgency, his agitation, made her wonder if she could ease his nipple craving. When the timer signaled the end of their session, Tessa let out a huge mental sigh. Saved by the bell, at least for this week. She closed her patient journal and stood, offering a professional hand to Neil. “Until next week. Please confirm your appointment with my secretary out front.” His sweaty palm slid against hers. He squeezed and pumped her hand with an annoying vigor. She wanted to rub the heel of her hand over her skirt, removing the excess fluid left behind. “Thank you, Dr. Connolly. I’ll definitely be back to see you next week.” Once again, his gaze moved down to her breasts, his tongue licked his lower lip. Tessa saw a lot of clients. It was very rare one gave her the creeps. Neil sparked all her feminine defense receptors. She made a mental note never to be completely alone when he was booked for a session. She gave him a forced smile. “Good afternoon, Neil.” The door closed behind him, and Tessa sank into her chair. Removing her glasses, she leaned her head back, closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. The pressure relieved some of the tension headache jackhammering in her skull. She couldn’t get last night out of her mind. The look, taste, feel and scent of the stranger haunted her dreams. The images made her body ache with a desire so strong, not even frantic masturbation sessions could quell it. Just thinking about him sent her body into orgasmic overdrive. Underneath the demure suit, her nipples plumped, beaded. Her pussy became slick as she fantasized about what could have happened…
The stranger led her to one of the private playrooms. He shackled her wrists, forced her ankles apart and bound them with a spreader bar. He blindfolded her, attached a ball gag to her mouth. The thought of being immobilized, of being unable to control the exchange, ripped through her body. Her clit throbbed.
The fronds of a flogger cracked against her ass. He whipped her repeatedly, trailed the horsehair over her aching nipples. She was completely at his mercy. He could do anything to her body and she was powerless to stop him. Ah, if only she’d had the courage to continue. She didn’t doubt she would be purring with satisfaction right now instead of sitting here, imagining what could have been. The buzz of her secretary’s intercom broke the erotic reverie. “Dr. Connolly, your next patient is waiting. Should I send him in?” Replacing her spectacles, she turned the journal to a fresh page and checked her date planner for a name. Jared Campbell was a new client. He’d called earlier for an urgent appointment, and as luck would have it, they had one free. He hadn’t elaborated on the word urgent, and it wasn’t her secretary’s place to discuss confidential matters outside a session. She wrote his name on the top of a new page and answered the intercom call. “Yes, please send him in, Cally.” The door opened and the gentleman closed it behind him. She could only see his back, broad and muscular beneath what appeared to be an expensive black Armani suit.
Sophisticated. Money. Those were the two impressions she formed. Tessa stood and held her hand out to her latest client as he turned. Her breath hitched. Startling green eyes connected with hers. She’d seen those eyes not twenty-four hours ago at Inferno. Her gaze moved to those erotic, sensual lips—lips now curled into a smile. Oh yes, those same lips set a fire burning in her loins. He walked toward her. His strides were long, confident. He slipped a warm hand in hers. No sweaty palms for this guy. Instead his grip was firm, soothing and arousing at the same time. The zings were back. Only this time they were like great big clanging cymbals. Mr. Jared Campbell played havoc with her libido. “Dr. Connolly. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” His voice still held a slight Southern drawl. His voice gave him away. In the suit, he could be mistaken for a Wall Street trader, a banker and a slick, sophisticated man who enjoyed fine wine and cheese boards. The packaging might scream money but his voice and eyes held a rawness of character. Jared Campbell would always be a little rough around the edges. The observation only excited her more. On the outside he was respectable, but the rough edge meant he wouldn’t be afraid to mark her skin. Quelling erotic thoughts of ripping off his suit and taking a bite, she smiled. Releasing his hand, she gestured to a chair. “We had a free appointment. It’s not a problem. Please, sit.” If she didn’t sit, her knees would give way. What could the man from the BDSM club want? More importantly, how had he found her? Chance? Coincidence? Or something more sinister? She’d heard stories of other therapists acquiring stalkers in the form of ex-patients. She picked up a pen, her hand shaking. Tessa prayed she appeared professional. “Now, Mr. Campbell, what can I do for you?” “Please, call me Jared.” He settled back. His gaze twinkled with a confidence that mesmerized her. She raised an eyebrow and scowled. Whatever game he was playing, she refused to take the bait. “Jared it is. So, Jared, what can I do for you?” She waited. He tilted his head to the side and steepled his fingers under his chin. Still, she waited. The silence lengthened. The only sound in the room a ticking clock. His gaze roamed every inch of her face then lower, caressing her breasts before settling back on her face. The intensity electrified her. Heat licked across her skin. She refused to blush at his scrutiny. “I met a woman. She fascinates me.” A woman? Tessa’s heart skipped a beat. Did he mean her? She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she swallowed and moistened her dry throat. “How does this woman fascinate you?” Jared raked a hand through his hair, a gesture she’d found inherently sexy last night. She watched his hand move through the strands, the veins flexing across the skin, his fingers graceful. Oh yeah, the gesture was still sexy. “She’s beautiful and intelligent. Vulnerable yet passionate.” He turned his hands over and studied them a heartbeat before meeting her gaze. “I touched her and she came alive. I could sense her need. Feel her desire. Taste her arousal. It was like the most expensive champagne bursting on my tongue. I wanted to swallow it, roll it around, devour it.” Tessa blinked. His passionate words made her cunt pulse. Who knew such simple words could sound so erotic? Licking her suddenly dry lips, Tessa managed to ask, “And who is this woman?” If he spoke another woman’s name, she would hunt the bitch down and scratch out her eyes. Sexual tension became palpable in the room as they stared at each other. “You.” Zings pinged, blood pounded and all manner of physical fireworks exploded in her body. Her nipples hardened to pebbled peaks. Her sex swelled, cream soaked her panties and she clenched her thighs to ease the heavy ache pounding in her clit. He neither spoke nor moved, just stared at her with those intense green eyes. Lost for words and painfully aroused, she made a playful doodle on her notepad, stalling for time, trying to construct a sophisticated and intelligent response. Even though her mind asked numerous silent questions, her body was intensely aware of his commanding, masculine presence.
What was a gal to do? “Mr. Campbell…Jared…” She dropped her pen and clasped her hands. “What happened last night at Inferno… I don’t usually…it was…” None of the sophisticated responses or reasons for her behavior came out of her mouth.
Slick, Tessa, real slick. Jared Campbell probably thought her a blithering idiot rather than an intelligent professional. No matter how hard she tried, Tessa couldn’t find an excuse for kissing him. There was only one reason she’d molded herself against him like a limpet, and that reason was pure animal attraction. She’d been drawn to his dominance. His smile was almost smug. “I know what it was, Tessa. I know why you came there.” Annoyed at his presumptions, Tessa raised an eyebrow. “Do, please, enlighten me to any revelations you may have.” “I can give you what you need.” He shifted in his seat and curled his hands over the edge of the arms. “You need to have your pretty little butt spanked. You need to be tied down. I saw it in your eyes at the club, you enjoyed what Karl did. Underneath all the panic, you enjoyed the feel of the paddle on your skin. I can give that to you. You have a submissive tendency and you’re in need of a Dominant. I have a dominant streak and I need a willing submissive. I’m offering my services. Call it a contract if you want, a business arrangement.” She widened her eyes with a mixture of fascination and disbelief. “A business arrangement? And how would this ‘arrangement’ work? Would you expect me to pay you?” Jared let out a rich laugh. “You think I’m some sort of gigolo?” Tessa shrugged. “The thought crossed my mind. Especially when you talk of ‘business arrangements’.” Her comment only made him laugh louder and with more gusto. Cheeks burning, Tessa managed to put on her don’t-mess-with-me scowl. Something she reserved for overzealous clients and unwanted advances in BDSM clubs.
“I’m so glad you find my comments amusing, Mr. Campbell. But, forgive me if I misunderstood, you came in here offering me…sex…and then you mentioned contracts. So in essence, you want payment for having sex with me?” She couldn’t keep the dripping sarcasm out of her tone. “I really don’t see the humor in that.” There. She’d said it. Got it all off her chest. “Money is the last thing on my mind right now, Dr. Connolly.” Tessa frowned at his casual amusement. “Then what exactly is on your mind, Mr. Campbell?” He removed a speck of lint from his pants. Tessa tapped her foot with impatience as she waited for him to say something. She had a full schedule the next few days and if Jared was here just to play games, he’d picked the wrong female. “Sex is on my mind, Tessa. Specifically, sex with you. As I’ve already said, I’m a guy who likes to play dominant. I’m in need of a partner. You, to be precise. You bewitched me last night at the club, with your soft little moans and your defiance.” He laughed softly. “The conflict on your face drove me insane. Panic and desire and need. Beneath the fear, the thought of what if. I saw it when you looked at me. I felt it when you kissed me. I haven’t been able to get your taste off my tongue. Your scent is inside me. “You know what I’ve thought about since last night? I’ve thought about you on your knees, kneeling for me. Offering yourself. I thought about the fire in your gorgeous blue eyes. I thought about what it would be like to take all that fire, all that passion and have it directed at me. I thought about running my hands over your skin. Tasting you. I thought about having you over my knee, your ass bare, ready for the slap of my hand. Do you know how it feels to be spanked properly, Tessa?” She shook her head. “I know you want to. I want to give that to you.” He placed his palms on the desk and stood, leaning into her. She swallowed the lump of desire in her throat. Her heart rate hitched, beat rapidly. He invaded her space, crowded her senses. She could smell his breath, minty fresh mixed with a hint of coffee and cigarettes. Her aching nipples strained against the confines of her bra, begging to be plucked. “I want you.” Her jaw dropped at his outrageous words. No man had ever been bold enough to give her such a command. By the look in his eyes, she knew he was an alpha male. One who always got what he wanted, no matter what. “And how are you going to get what you want?” Her heart pounded, banged against her rib cage. Surely, he could hear it. His body, his scent and his presence played havoc with her hormones. Her body, ripe for the taking, begged silently for him to take and take. The predatory grin returned, curling his lips upward into a coy smile. “I’m offering you a deal, Tessa. A deal of sexual mastery. Give me one month of your time to teach you, train you and show you exactly what a Dominant/submissive relationship involves. Give me one month and I’ll show you just how good sexual submission can be.” Her mind reeled. He offered her everything she desired on a platter, gift-wrapped in a pretty package. From his spiky dark hair to his toned legs, from his sexy Southern accent to his commanding presence, she found everything about him appealing on a base level. Her body responded to his in a way it had never responded to her previous lovers. Could she really sleep with a total stranger? Tessa frowned. “What would you get from this arrangement, apart from the obvious, of course?” He shrugged. “I get a willing submissive. A partner. Someone to share the experience with.” He grinned. “I’m all about the experience.” It was Tessa’s turn to laugh. “You must want something more than that.” He returned her smile. “I’m going to be getting great sex. What more could any guy want?” A blush darkened her cheeks. She’d been fighting the desire to experiment in this area for years, fighting the will to give into her needs. After college, wanting someone to dominate her hadn’t been high on her list of priorities. Until recently, until her last sexual partner failed time and time again to bring her to orgasm. He left, claiming she was frigid. An ice queen. He failed to realize he couldn’t fulfill her needs. She began thinking about her repressed desires. She knew her guilt was irrational but she couldn’t find a way to disassociate herself from the humiliating experience. In the darkest corners of her mind, she wondered if maybe her college boyfriend had been right. All her years as a sex therapist, advising other people to embrace their desires, and she still hadn’t been able to confront her personal hang-ups about BDSM. It was time to practice what she preached. She wasn’t even sure she was a true submissive. A little submission in the bedroom she could handle but being forced to submit in the real world was a tough cookie to swallow. She’d spent ENOUGH time wondering what if? The time for self-doubt was over. Jared Campbell offered her the perfect deal. He didn’t know her. They didn’t have any emotional attachments. With him, she could be anonymous, a faceless submissive. She wouldn’t have to deal with any humiliating explanations. Maybe this was a way to overcome her fears. Sex with him would allow her to explore the what if and move on with her sex life. There would be no more wondering. Moistening her lips, she decided to go for broke. “So, if I decided to accept, there would have to be ground rules. I would expect you to be discreet.” He nodded. “Of course. Goes without saying. We both have a professional façade to maintain.” Tessa wondered what profession he meant. She filed that question away for a later date. “And if I accept, I want you to know that the Dominant/submissive thing goes as far as the bedroom. I will not be your…bitch. I will not wear a collar or be led around on a leash and made to eat out of a bowl on the floor. Our relationship will not extend outside of the bedroom.” “Of course. Our relationship will be based purely on sex and sex alone.” The amused tone crept back into his voice. “This is not a joke, Mr. Campbell. I’m merely discussing the terms of our arrangement before embarking on anything.” “Very shrewd of you, Tessa.” He reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a pen and searched for a piece of paper on her desk. He scribbled a few sentences. Finishing off, he signed the paper and handed it over. “The terms of our arrangement. A discreet, sexually experimental relationship
that does not extend beyond the bedroom. Signed, sealed and delivered by yours truly. I can assure you it’s a legally binding contract, ma’am.” Despite the embarrassment of the situation, his quirky sense of humor made her smile. He held out a hand. She stared at it intently. Decisions were a pain in the ass. Should she make a deal with the green-eyed devil? Should she embark on this dance? Taking a deep breath, Tessa slipped her hand into his and shook, sealing the deal. What the hell if he turned out to be some kind of sick pervert? Well, she just might enjoy it. “You have yourself an arrangement, Mr. Campbell.” “First things first, you will call me Jared.” His gaze glittered mischievously. Tessa gulped. The man was astoundingly sexy. “So, where do we start, Jared?” “We start with dinner, tomorrow night at eight.” He handed her a business card. “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.” The plain script was printed on a dark-gold background. The only things printed on there were Inferno, Jared Campbell and a phone number. Dinner was the last thing she expected. Leather, whips and a seedy motel maybe, but not dinner. A little stunned, Tessa fingered the card and nodded. “Tomorrow it is then.”
***** Jared stood in front of the glass window of his office. Inferno pulsed with music and people. He loved his club and he was lucky to have such a successful business. Hopefully his personal life would soon be heading in the same direction. He thought of Tessa and grinned. He couldn’t wait to see her. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an invitation. It was to a small, exclusive BDSM party organized by an old friend. He’d gotten one in the mail every few months for the last year but never considered going. He’d been out of the scene too long. There would be too much pressure on him and his partner. Could he handle that? Walking over to his desk, he pulled out a chair and sat down. He turned the invitation over in his fingers. The party might be a way to announce his return.
Jesus. Return? It sounded like a goddamn coming-out party. He dropped the card and rubbed his palms over his face. Maybe he should go. It would give him a goal to work toward. Maybe he needed to reconnect with old friends in the scene. Maybe it would ignite his enthusiasm. Maybe things had changed. Jared’s intercom buzzed. He pressed the button and spoke to his personal assistant. “Yes, Carly?” “I think there is a situation you need to come deal with down here.” “Be right there.” He opened a drawer and stuffed the invitation inside. He’d make a decision later.
Chapter Three Driving through the lush neighborhood, Jared contemplated his surroundings. The streets were lined with picket fences and oak trees. It was a far cry from his humble beginnings in Texas but he couldn’t think about that now. Shaking off the thoughts of his past, he lost himself picturing Tessa. Tessa at the club—feisty, fighting her own desires. Tessa sitting behind the desk in her office—cool, calm, collected. Professional. The look on her face when she mistook him for a gigolo. Tessa pliant in his arms—the taste of her innocence, the reaction of her body to his touch. Already there were so many images of her in his mind. Jared grinned. He looked forward to beginning their lessons. She would make a poor student, constantly fighting him. He knew from the way she resisted him at the club, she’d be bratty at first. He’d be gentle, allowing her to adjust. His punishments would be swift and necessary to overcome her innate reaction of disobedience. He imagined Tessa kneeling, breasts bound tightly with Japanese rope bondage. A spider gag clamping open her mouth. He’d run a pinwheel over her tight, pink nipples. He shifted in his seat. His cock throbbed. He glanced at the lilies on the passenger seat. Usually, in a situation such as this, he would bring roses. A dozen red ones. But in Tessa’s office, he’d seen a number of lily paintings. The flower suited her. Elegant, regal, virginal—at least to the BDSM scene. The woman fascinated him on a number of levels. Beautiful, intelligent, yet she fought her desires. He would enjoy the challenge her initiation provided. In one month, Tessa would be ready to live the sexual lifestyle of a submissive. If she chose to. After their arrangement ended, she could choose any Dom she wished. The thought of her with another man, another Dominant, a Master who commanded her body in every sense, set off stabs of jealousy. Why should he be jealous? She was just a way for him to get back into the scene. There would be no lasting relationship between them. They had a contract, nothing more. He didn’t want to get involved. Relationships were messy. He avoided mess. He liked his nice, comfortable life without entanglements. Yet Tessa had an innocence he wanted to exploit, a glimmer of submission he wanted to keep to himself. He wanted to be her first. He wanted to strip away the veneer of control and civility she wore like protective armor and show her just how liberating submission could be. Not wanting to analyze such complex emotions, especially not tonight, he switched on the radio. Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns blared out, the moody yet seductive tones fitting. Seeing Tessa’s house, he slowed down and pulled into the driveway. Jared knew she was surprised at the dinner invite. She’d probably expected him to take her back to the club, a “conventional” BDSM environment. He smirked. He was going to enjoy breaking down her preconceived ideas. Reaching for the flowers with one hand, he slipped the other into his pocket and fingered the black-silk blindfold. Tonight he would gain her trust. It was his duty as a Dominant. If she didn’t trust him, this exchange would be worthless. He wasn’t into forced submission. Tonight he would tantalize her senses. Tonight was just the beginning.
***** Tessa lifted up a stray bang and sprayed. She was aiming for sultry, funky and sexy. What she got was bed hair, messy and very unsexy. Letting out a squeal of frustration, she started again. She hated this, the nerves of a first date. Glancing at the clock, she smoothed down the front of her black shift dress. He would be here shortly. If he made it on time. After Jared’s proposal, Tessa had changed her mind a dozen times. She couldn’t give herself sexually to a complete stranger. Could she? The question had plagued her dreams and every waking moment since making the deal. What the hell was she doing? She was a professional. A sex therapist, at that. If a client came to her with this situation, she’d tell them to think deeply about the decision. As long as they were safe, Tessa usually encouraged clients to pursue whatever made them happy. She realized now how much that advice was a crock of shit. Making the jump from fantasy to reality wasn’t easy. What if Jared got beneath the surface? What if her desires disgusted him? Her ego couldn’t risk another humiliation. What if she gave up control and hated it? Was she even a submissive? Sure, she fantasized about spanking and pain and being on her knees, but what was the reality? The doorbell rang, invading her thoughts. Too late to back out now, he was there. After taking a deep breath and one last look in the mirror, she walked downstairs and opened the door. Jared stood on her porch, leaning casually against the railing, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a bunch of white lilies. The grin lighting up his face melted her body into a pool of swooning-female jelly. Heat unfurled low in her stomach. A dull ache pulsed between her thighs, dampening her pussy. She almost let out a sigh. Almost. Silently chiding herself for acting like a lovesick teenager, she stepped out and joined him. “Hi. I guess those are for me?” “Actually they’re for the nice old lady next door, but since you got to me first, I guess you can have them.” He handed her the flowers. The mischief dancing in his eyes made them sparkle and she laughed despite her nerves.
She led him through the house. “Mrs. Madison is more of a roses girl.” After filling a vase with water, she set it down and unwrapped the flowers before arranging them. It felt good to have something to do with her hands. It stopped her from reaching out, fisting his shirt and dragging his lips to hers. He looked devastatingly handsome. The midnight-blue suit and black button-down shirt suited him. She could just make out wisps of dark hair peeking from beneath his open collar. She imagined ripping open his shirt and licking her way across his chest, a voyage of discovery to see if the lush, dark hair really did go all the way down. “And you prefer lilies?” Turning, she gave him a weak smile. “I’ve always been a little unconventional.” He leaned in and toyed with a strand of her hair. She could smell his cologne. Something woodsy, spicy and oh-so-masculine. “Have you thought about me, Tessa? Have you touched yourself and got wet thinking about me?” Where the hell had that come from? She blinked. Her breathing quickened. What could she say to that? “I don’t think that’s an appropriate question.” He laughed. “Really?” “Yes.” “That means you have been thinking about me.” She frowned. Of course she’d been thinking about him but it was arrogant to ask. “Think highly of yourself, don’t you?” Despite his arrogance, her body couldn’t help being attracted to his. He was a pretty package. He shrugged. “Not really. I’ve been thinking about you.” He stood in front of her, placed his hands on the sink to either side of her body and leaned down, sniffed the crook of her neck. Tessa had to bite her lip to keep from moaning. She barely knew the guy and he was crowding her space like they were old lovers. His dominance thrilled and terrified her. Her heart slammed against her rib cage, her pussy wept. Like a moth to a flame. She silenced the pesky voice in her head and tried to keep her voice steady as she replied, “What have you been thinking?” “I’ve been thinking about you on your knees. Your pretty breasts bound and naked for my attention. I’ve been thinking about pinching your nipples, wondering what they look like. Are they pink and rosy? Or peachy? I bet they are rosy. I bet they blush like the pink on your cheeks. Hmmm.” His tongue snaked along the crook of her neck. She shivered. His warm, wet tongue sent zings of pleasure coursing through her body. She imagined him running that tongue across her nipples. They stiffened to hard peaks beneath her dress. “Have you been thinking about me, Tessa?” She managed to choke out a single word. “Yes.” “Good.” He stepped away. Her body cooled. She instantly missed his heat. Why had he stopped? She swallowed, turned her head to look at him. A smile played on the corners of his lips. He held out a hand. “You ready to go?” Was she? Hell no. She was stunned and horny. He’d invaded her space, turned her on and left her hanging. Is this what she could expect? The doubts didn’t stop her from slipping her hand into his. His grip was firm and warm. Electrifying. One small touch sent electrical zings buzzing in her nerve endings. At that moment, they could have plugged her into the national grid and she would have lit up the entire USA. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and rub her aching clit against his crotch. Tessa gulped. If that was one mere touch, what would sex with Jared do to her system? Yikes! “Let me just grab my purse, and I’m all set.” He smiled, an oh-so-knowing smile that said he was the wolf and she was poor Little Red Riding Hood, waiting to be eaten. Well…she was waiting to be eaten, but in an entirely different sense. A blush rode high on her cheekbones. She locked up and Jared escorted her to his car. He held open the door like a true gentleman. Her thigh brushed against his as she slipped into the passenger seat. Heat seeped into her skin and her breathing quickened. Her nipples strained against her bra, begging to be touched. Moisture leaked from her slit. She heard him moan. At least the whole sexual attraction thing wasn’t a one-way street after all. She swallowed the pulse beating frantically in the back of her throat. Tonight was going to be terrifying and titillating.
***** The restaurant was a small, chic place she’d read about in magazines. It had rave reviews. What struck her most was the intimacy of the place. Small booths, big enough for two to four people, lined the walls. Most of them were full. The maître d’ led them to a private area at the back of the restaurant. Nestled away in a corner, their booth was slightly plusher than the rest. Once they were seated, menus in hand, Tessa told Jared, “This is a nice place. I never had the chance to eat here.” He wasn’t looking at the menu. He stared at her instead, watching her every move as if fascinated. “I’ve been here a few times. It’s a good place. Great food. Nice atmosphere. Friendly. Discreet.” She nearly asked what he meant by discreet but the waiter came to take their order. Tessa asked for wine. Despite the smart suit, the fancy car and the expensive restaurant, Jared ordered a bottled beer. With the wine poured, they were once again alone. Tessa took a small sip of her wine. It wouldn’t do to gulp it down. She didn’t want Jared to think her a drunk. He already thought her the kind of gal who made sexual deals with strangers. “So, I guess we should talk about this arrangement.” Jared reached for his beer. Condensation ran down the frosted glass, and he trailed a finger up, catching the droplet of moisture. Tessa’s
gaze followed his finger as he slipped it into his mouth, sucking suggestively. Everything about this guy screamed sex. Her pussy clenched and tightened. She squeezed her knees together and moisture gathered in the crotch of her panties. An image of Jared between her legs, sucking her clit into the moist cavern of his mouth, flashed into her mind. His tongue coating her nether lips as he gave her pussy long, languid licks. “We’ll get to that.” Lifting the bottle, he took a sip. “How about we start with something simple. Something normal, like your work, life, friends, family. The usual stuff.” Fascinated by the way his lips fit around the top of the bottle, she took a while to answer. “Something normal…” She reached for something to tell him. “You already know I’m a sex therapist.” She sipped at her wine between statements. “I have a mother and a father in Boston. No siblings. I have a few ‘best’ friends, a number of acquaintances.” Jared raised an eyebrow. “Lovers?” Choking on her wine, she spit some of it back into the glass. Not very classy but hell, he’d just asked a very personal question. Something she did every day to her clients. Now that the tables were turned, she squirmed in her seat. “Lovers. Well…yes…I’ve had lovers.” Jared leaned back and toyed with the beer label. “How many lovers?” “Two, three maybe.” “How many, Tessa?” She shrugged, a nonchalant gesture, hoping to appear more casual than she actually felt. “Two. One in college. One more recently.” “And why did that end?” “Look.” Anger began to bubble. “I really don’t think that is any of your business.” Quick as lightning, he reached out and grabbed her wrist. The gesture should have been menacing but it wasn’t. Instead, it felt erotic. His fingertips caressed her pulse point. “It is my business. More than you think. As your Dominant, I need to know everything that’s happened in your sexual past. I need to know how far to go. We need to have mutual trust.” She gave him a withering stare. “I know about submission and dominance, Jared. I’m a sex therapist, remember?” He grinned. “How could I forget? So, doctor, tell me what you know about BDSM.” It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. “We’ll get to that later. First I want to know about Jared Campbell.” “Nothing much to tell.” She nodded at his beer. “You drink beer from a bottle. Not expensive beer but average-guy beer. Yet you wear extremely expensive suits and drive a car costing more than my house. You frequent BDSM clubs yet you feel no need to indulge yourself in the fashion of the scene. You, Jared, are an enigma.” Laughing at her analysis, Jared started to answer. The waiter interrupted, bringing their meal. The scent of hot, spicy food made her stomach growl. Jared looked at her and she pressed a hand to her traitorous stomach, apologizing for the noise. “Please, never apologize for your body’s needs.” “I always seem to be apologizing for my needs.” He frowned. “What do you mean by that?” It was difficult to explain. She didn’t want to get into her past right now. It would ruin the night. She toyed with the stem of her wineglass and stared at the full-bodied liquid. “I just haven’t had the greatest experience with submission. I guess you could say I’m afraid to face my desires. Does that make sense?” His fingers caressed her knuckles and she looked over at him. He stared at her, compassion filling his eyes. “Yes, it makes sense.” “Let’s eat before it gets cold.” They ate in pleasurable silence. Occasionally they would speak, making small talk about the exquisite taste of the food or the awful weather. Once the meal was over and dessert had been served, Jared answered her question about the beer. “I drink beer from a bottle because it was the way I was taught to drink back in my hometown.” He raised a beer in mock salute and spoke with an exaggerated Texan twang. “We Texans know how to appreciate a fine brew.” She laughed as he mimicked a heavy accent. “Sometimes I like to wear nice suits. I’m a guy, so obviously I like to drive nice cars. I used to frequent BDSM clubs, now I just stick to small parties run by friends and Inferno. I don’t feel the need to wear the ‘clothes of the scene’, because when I’m working, I like to keep things semiprofessional.” He tipped his beer in her direction. “See, I ain’t an enigma. Just a normal guy from Texas, trying to make a living.” “Working? You work at Inferno?” She wondered what he did. Bartender? Manager? Stage-show organizer? “Why, sugar, I don’t just work there. This Texas hick owns the joint.” She tried, and failed miserably, to hide her surprise. “I’m sorry. It’s just…well…I never expected…” “You never expected a young, handsome guy like myself to also have a brain?” She grinned at his self-deprecating humor. “Something like that. So Inferno is yours?” He nodded. “Lock, stock and dungeons’ worth of goods.” “Impressive. I hear it’s doing well.” “I get by.” He drummed his fingertips on the table. Once. Twice. “Now, I answered your questions. Time for you to answer mine. What do you know of BDSM, Tessa?” She settled back into her seat. The booths were very plush. Anyone could feel at home here. Although other couples were in the room, Tessa felt like she and Jared were alone in their own private world. They really got the atmosphere right in this place. “Dominance and submission is all about trust. Mutual trust. It is about consent and pleasure, for both parties.” She smiled. “I could give you a whole textbook analysis of the lifestyle but I know it would bore you.” She pushed back a stray strand of hair. “Now tell me what you know on the subject.” She imagined from his experiences, he knew a whole lot.
An image of him as a kinky dungeon master, top to toe in leather, complete with mask and a wooden paddle, flashed into her mind. She sat on hands and knees, thighs spread wide as he smacked the paddle against her ass, occasionally grazing her pussy. The image made her hot. The thought of supplication to his will, the promise of release through pain, made her wet. “A relationship of this kind is grounded in mutual respect and, as you said, trust. Ultimately, it is the submissive who holds the most power. Or that’s the way it should be. In a perfect relationship, the submissive should be proud to submit to her Dominant, while the Dom should be proud to receive the gift of submission. A good Dominant should know his sub’s needs, anticipate them. Trust and respect are the key issues.” Obviously, he knew a lot. Unprepared for the stabs of jealousy that coursed through her body, Tessa couldn’t stop herself from blurting, “How many women have submitted to you in the past, Jared?” If he said hundreds, she was out the door. Giving her body to a man-slut wasn’t on her agenda. She wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship but she needed to respect the man she had sex with. She couldn’t give up control to a man she didn’t respect, and she couldn’t respect anyone who inhaled sexual encounters liked air. His eyes spoke volumes. I know exactly what you are asking, Tessa. She looked for a chance to escape. Though the meal so far hadn’t included any talk of having sex, she became increasingly aware of Jared’s presence. Every shift of his body caught her eye, from the way his fingers danced across his beer bottle, to the graceful shrug of shoulders. Every time he smiled, her gaze gravitated to his lips. He just oozed sex and masculinity. At times she wanted to defy his effect on her. She wanted to walk out, cancel the arrangement and never look back. The rest of the time, the majority of the time, she wanted to drop to her knees, nip at his ankles and beg, “Take me now!” “I choose my partners carefully. There have only been a few over the years. All of those have been long-term. I’m not in the habit of using kink as a cheap trick to get laid.” A dazzling grin made him look like the devil incarnate. “I can get laid all by myself.” Usually arrogance in a man made her roll her eyes and groan, but it suited him. Jared Campbell was the type of man women threw their panties at. Still, a hint of uncertainty crawled down her spine. He’d tracked her down and offered her a deal after one brief interlude, it wasn’t exactly choosing carefully. Before they went any further, she needed to clear that up. If she didn’t, it would gnaw away at her subconscious. “Hmph. I have no doubt.” Tessa frowned. She smoothed strands of hair behind her ear, gnawed at her lower lip. “So why did you choose me? How did you find me, for a start? I didn’t tell you my name at the club. In fact, I don’t recall talking about anything personal.” He tilted his head to the side, pondering for the length of several anxious heartbeats. “Why did I choose you? How could I not?” His gaze locked with hers, bored intently into her. The intensity branded her soul, the conviction in his voice made her heart pound with nervous excitement. “You were so pliant in my hands. I could have done anything I wanted to you.” A grin spread across his face. “And you would have let me.” “I don’t think—” “I don’t mind you lying to me but don’t lie to yourself, Tessa. You were like warm clay, ready to be molded.” He shrugged. “As for how I found you? Simple. Inferno takes camera shots of everyone who walks through the doors. I did a ’net search. It’s amazing what you can find on there these days.” “But why? Why go to all that trouble?” Her voice sounded needy even to her. She should mentally kick herself but deep down she really wanted to know. “I wanted you.” Who knew three little words could mean so much? Flushed with a strange sense of pride, a small chunk of fear and a whole lot of sexual attraction, she was lost for words. No one had ever wanted her that badly. The intensity scared her and thrilled her in equal measure. What would it be like to have that desire directed at her pleasure? Her fiancé had never looked at her with such passion, with such need. Their relationship was nice and pleasant. He’d never looked at her with molten fire in his eyes. He’d never admitted he wanted her. What did a woman say to that?
Thank you very much, now get out of those pants so I can see if the bulge really is that big… The unconscious mind could be a traitorous thing. His voice shattered her erotic thoughts. “I think it’s time for your first lesson in the ways of submission.”
Chapter Four Jared unfolded his body from the booth, and Tessa quickly swept her gaze around the restaurant. She could hear the steady din of conversation, see some of the patrons eating their food. Whatever lesson he had planned for her initial submission, they wouldn’t be disturbed. He slid into the seat next to hers. His warmth seeped into her. His breath on her neck made her tingle with anticipation. An arm across her shoulders, he leaned in. “Trust is the most important element in our relationship. I’m asking you to trust me, Tessa. Right here. Right now. Put your trust in me.” Nuzzling the strands of her hair, he inhaled her scent, and gooseflesh rose all over her body. Electric zings went into overdrive, setting her senses alight with barely contained desire. Her breathing hitched as fear and excitement heated her blood. Her heart beat wildly. Her skin tingled with the desire to be touched. She missed this, this animal attraction. The base desire to fuck, to be taken, to give up control to someone else. She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice inside a barren mouth. “Right now? What did you have in mind?” “Trust me, Tessa.” Reaching into his pocket, Jared pulled out a piece of thin, black silk. Her heartbeat quickened. Fascination and fear slammed into her belly as he rubbed the silk between his thumb and forefinger. She imagined him rubbing those graceful fingers against her skin, rolling her nipples, pinching them into hard, puckered buds before taking them into his warm, expectant mouth. Could she do this? Rationally, she knew Jared wouldn’t think she was dirty and unnatural. He enjoyed the same things she fantasized about. He’d actually experienced some of those things. He’d given pain and taken control. He got off on it. He wouldn’t humiliate her for wanting something out of the norm. “I’m going to put this on you. You won’t be able to see. You need to trust me not to harm you.” Panic licked at the edges of her mind. This was a public place. She wasn’t into exhibitionism. What would they think of her wearing the black silk? How humiliating to have strangers judging her. “Look at me, Tessa.” When she refused, his fingers brushed the underside of her chin, lifting her face to his. “Trust me. I promise no harm will come to you. I give you my word, you’ll be safe.” She stared into his eyes. Sincerity burned in the deep-green pools. The intensity scared and excited her. Her mouth watered, body ached. She’d never seen such intensity in a man’s gaze. Not for her. If she didn’t put aside her guilt, she’d always wonder what if. She needed to trust Jared. He offered her a perfect way to explore her desires. No commitments. No strings. If she didn’t like it, she could walk away without having her heart and ego smashed. She had to trust him enough to give her pleasure and that meant letting him take the lead. She had to leap into the unknown. Nodding her consent, she gave herself over to him. Jared. Her sexual Dominant. After this lesson, her Dominant was exactly what he would be. Could she handle it? Her heartbeat thundered around her body, beat loudly, throbbed against the flesh of her clit. She’d die of sexual frustration if he didn’t do something. Anything. All the thoughts, doubts and emotions could wait. She wanted his hands on her. Any way she could get them. If he didn’t touch her, she might be reduced to begging on her knees. She watched him raise the silk and gasped as the material covered her eyes. Although it was silk, the dark color blocked out her vision. No outline of Jared or the other restaurant patrons was visible. She was blind to the world. The loss of one of her senses paralyzed her with fear. She resisted the instinct to tear at the material. Instead she took a deep, calming breath and lifted her hands. She wanted to touch the silk, reassure herself she wasn’t actually blind. “Do not touch the blindfold, Tessa.” His tone was different, more authoritarian. It sent shivers down her spine. “Concentrate on your other senses. Trust them. Smell. Hearing. Touch. People often rely on sight too much. Trust in me.” “It feels strange.” Her fingers itched to finger the silk but she resisted. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Although fear beat around the edges of her subconscious, the blindfold engulfed her with a sense of rightness. It felt good to have someone else take the reins. Still, a large part of her wanted to touch just to see how he would react. Was Jared strict? Would he punish her? Was that something he was into? His control excited her, thrilled her senses. Her body came alive, throbbed, pulsed, pounded with a need to be taken. “The strangeness comes from giving up some measure of control to me.” He tied the blindfold securely behind her head. As he did, her nose bumped against his chest. His solid, muscular chest. “You have no idea what I’m going to do. You’re at my mercy.” Tessa caught a hint of amusement in his last statement, yet panic licked along her nerve endings. She swallowed her fear and gave him an uncertain smile. “Well, as long as you don’t start baring my breasts to the world.” She definitely wasn’t ready for that. “I think we’ll leave that ’til you get to know me a little better.” Of course she’d been joking. A niggling feeling in the back of her mind told her he wasn’t. “So what—” “Stop talking, Tessa.” Again the domineering voice was back. “Listen to the sounds around you. Inhale the scents. Concentrate on me. On us.” She did exactly as he asked, losing herself in the spicy scents wafting from the kitchen, the quiet chatter of the other patrons. Her body became hyperaware of her other senses. It was so strange to experience the world this way. Enriching. She had never thought to focus on scents and
sounds; she had focused on what she could see. The freedom was exhilarating. She flinched from surprise when he ran a fingertip down her cheek. “Stop thinking. Tell me how it feels.” She resisted the urge to moan as his finger trailed down her left cheek. Lower. Lower. Tracing her jawline, lower still, running a soft path down the V in her shirt. It was a crowded restaurant, people would stare. Maybe they already were. His lips followed the same path as his fingertips, and her thought process went awry. Soft and skilled, they trailed across her skin, leaving a blaze behind. His touch seared her, ignited the flame of desire to epic proportions. Not even in her wildest fantasies—and there had been some pretty wild ones—had she imagined it would be like this. “It feels…” How did it feel? She’d never been asked to describe desire before. “Wet, warm, soft.” Her body tingled. When his lips reached the tender patch of skin between her neck and jawbone, Tessa whimpered. She felt him smile, and she murmured a curse. His teeth nipped, gently at first, then firmer. Hard enough to leave a mark? A brand? His brand? His tongue soothed the spot and all thought stopped. Her body reacted on animal instinct. Her nipples beaded against the cups of her bra. Her clit throbbed, begging to be touched. Emotion took over. She gripped the table to keep from sliding to the floor. She’d become boneless, a mass of tingling nerves and throbbing desire. “More, Tessa. How am I making you feel? Hot? Are you wet for me?” She made a soft sound. She couldn’t think with his lips on her skin. “Yes, I’m wet. I’m on fire.” She had to touch him, know if he was affected. Slipping a hand between their bodies, Tessa took her fingers on a voyage of discovery across uncharted territory. The material of his pants was rough against the palm of her hand. She squeezed, unable to resist, and felt the muscle as hard as steel. She wondered if the rest of him was as taut, as hard. Shivering at the thought, Tessa moved her hand up his thigh, slid it slowly across his groin. He groaned against her throat and she felt it all the way to her toes. Finally, after an age, Tessa curled her fingers around the treasure she’d been seeking. His hard cock strained against the zipper of his pants. She cupped him and began sliding her palm up and down, up and down, adding more pressure with each stroke. Wetness on the thin material, a sure sign of his heightened state of arousal, dampened her fingers. The fact that Jared wasn’t wearing underwear made her smile. Beneath his prissy, conservative suit he was naked as a jaybird. She gave a throaty laugh. “Commando.” Gripping her wrist, Jared removed her hand and placed her palm on the table. “Commando, yes. But you must not touch me without permission. Is that understood?” His lips moved to her ear, his tongue rimmed the outer shell. “Tessa?” Moisture gathered between her thighs, and Tessa thanked God she wore pantyhose. Never had she been so wet, so turned on by kisses and a few heated words. By the touch, feel, scent of Jared. By her Dominant. He turned away to murmur a request to the waiter. She blushed, her cheeks flamed and throbbed. A different kind of heat flooded her body.
What the hell must he think of her blindfold? The doubts crept in. Jared had blindfolded her, touched her in a fairly innocent way, and she had lost all rational thought. She’d allowed him to tease her in a public place. She panted and salivated all over him like a bitch in heat. If he could do this with a blindfold, what could he make her do when they were both naked? Fear of losing herself, of losing control, were rife. What had Jared said earlier—to submit was a gift? Could she give that gift to Jared? Could she ever be proud to submit? Despite her embarrassment, she missed Jared’s heat. This guy was sex personified. What better way to awaken her sexuality than with the magnetic Jared Campbell? Her emotions warred but desire won out. “You’ve been good so far.” Jared stroked her hair. “A very willing student.” A warm hand slipped under the hem of her skirt, caressed the inside of her knee and inched higher. “Are you ready for the next stage?” She was ready. More than ready. She was locked, loaded and ready to fire on all pistons. She needed this, needed him to touch her. Despite her readiness, doubts niggled. What could he want of her now? She gave a nervous laugh. “Unless it’s full-on, down-and-dirty intercourse right here on the table, I think I’m ready.” “Open your mouth. Part your lips slightly.” She did as he commanded. The tone of his voice wasn’t a request. The taste of champagne and strawberries burst across her taste buds, tangy and sweet at the same time. The heady mixture tantalized her. The gesture was so simple, so erotic, it pushed her body into sensory overload. She nibbled on the forbidden fruit while he cooed at her, “Very good. You learn quickly.” She was dependant on him. She had to trust in him. Bizarrely, she trusted him implicitly. Swallowing the fruit, she grinned, waiting expectantly for more approval. See, she could be a good submissive. “Good girl, Tessa.” He nuzzled her neck again, kissed her collarbone, nipped at her earlobe. A flush of pride added to the flush of desire. His praise made her want to dance on the tables. She wondered if her clients felt this way when they finally submitted a part of themselves to their partners, be they full-fledged Masters or kinky guys like Jared. “Good girls always get a reward.” Her pussy clenched.
Please let me come. He slid his hand underneath her dress. His fingertips stroked her thighs. She held her breath in anticipation. He’d stopped before. She couldn’t bear for him to stop again. One small touch and she’d come.
“Part your thighs.” She exhaled, let her thighs drop open slightly. His hand moved higher. His fingertips grazed the scrap of soaked lace covering her mound. If she’d been thinking rationally, she’d have been embarrassed at how wet she was. Jared slowly ran a finger up and down her slit. “Someone’s very wet.” Rationality gone, Tessa bit down on her lower lip. When he pressed the pad of his finger against her clit and rubbed in a circle, she whimpered. He nibbled on her earlobe. “Ssshh. Not too loud. We don’t want to draw attention, do we?” His husky tone, along with the illicit gesture, sent another rush of cream soaking her panties. Her musky perfume scented the air. “Please…” He rubbed harder and faster. Tiny zings of pleasure shot from her clit and lodged in her belly. Her nipples pearled, tightened and ached. She wanted his mouth on her tits, raking the aching buds with his teeth. “Come, Tessa.” With those two words, her world broke apart. Her pussy clenched. Her body stiffened. She let out a loud, mewling sound. Jared covered her mouth, muffling the noise. Pleasure intensified and burst through her system. She rode the waves of her orgasm. She’d never come so quickly or so hard. Spent and sated, she sank back into the booth, breathing heavy. He untied the blindfold. She blinked to accustom her eyes to the light and blushed, focusing on his smiling face. He literally beamed. His eyes, however, remained predatory, glistening orbs in the dim light. “Kiss me.” The words came tripping off her tongue in desperation. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to feel his fiery heat, his velvet-soft lips against hers, his tongue in her mouth. Seeking, exploring, dominating. Jared titled his head to the side and licked his lower lip. His gaze focused on hers. As he stared, she couldn’t resist the urge to moisten her own lips. Lifting his hand, he ran the pad of his thumb across the droplets of moisture, swiping them away. “Not yet, Tessa. That’s a pleasure for another time.” He kissed the tip of her nose and flashed a wicked grin. “Here endeth the first lesson.”
Chapter Five The shrilling phone woke her. She snatched it from the cradle and mumbled a groggy greeting. “Morning, Tessa.” Sitting up in bed, Tessa frowned. Excitement, fear and anger licked inside her stomach. Since their meeting at the restaurant, Jared hadn’t called. She’d begun to think she’d done something wrong, something to turn him off. Maybe she wasn’t attractive enough. Maybe she wasn’t submissive enough. “And who might I be speaking to?” His answer came as a rich, throaty laugh. “That’s good. I like that. A bit of fire in my women.” The deep, smooth voice sent tingles all the way to her toes. Her nipples beaded. Her body became hot and squirmy. Moisture flooded her pussy. If his voice could do that, she was in serious trouble. “Oh Mr. Campbell, what a pleasure to hear from you again.” Her icy tone would have made the Snow Queen proud. Her wounded pride wouldn’t allow her to let on she’d been thinking about him, waiting for him to call and berating herself for being so needy. Usually she didn’t care if they called or not. “Believe me, darlin’, the pleasure is all mine.” His accent became pure Texan. It melted some of the ice from her tone. Just a little. “What can I do for you?” A pause. “Come over to my place.” He gave her the address. “It’s time for your next lesson.” She lifted the receiver from her ear and glared at it. No call for days and then suddenly he expected her to drop everything and rush over? What was she, some kind of booty call? Anger boiled in her blood. “So, I’m just supposed to drop everything because you’re feeling horny and thought to yourself, ‘Hmm, which tasty piece of ass haven’t I tried? Oh I know, I’ll call Tessa’?” She was nobody’s booty call. “A submissive should never question her Dominant.” He spoke the words through gritted teeth. “Screw that, Mister Campbell. You treat me with some sliver of respect or this whole deal is off.” Deep down, the sexually repressed part of her soul cried out for the deal to continue. She wanted to see him but Tessa Connolly was no man’s doormat. She was an independent woman with a busy schedule. She heard Jared sigh. In frustration? Or because his booty call was over? “I’m sorry. I have no excuse for not calling. I pushed past your boundaries. I didn’t want to rush you, especially after what happened at the club. I didn’t want to scare you away. I wanted to give you some space. Some time to digest.” Again he paused. “Please come over.” Her heart pounded. From a few meetings, he knew her well. She needed time to analyze, to process. If he’d pushed her further she would have bolted. He’d considered her emotional well-being above his physical needs. The final sheet of ice around her heart melted. But it was the please that undid her. She sighed into the receiver. “Okay. What do you want me to wear?” If this was her second lesson, she wanted to be prepared. Would he take her out? Would it be another restaurant for lunch? The club? “You have an overcoat?” She frowned. “Sure.” “Wear that, nothing else.” “What!” “I said wear nothing underneath. Come to me now, Tessa. Don’t keep me waiting. This is your second lesson. What we agreed. Don’t disobey me.” His tone became more forceful. Commanding. Yet he couldn’t disguise the laughter in it. She glanced at her open closet and located the overcoat—long, black and made of wool, with a hem that reached the floor. Despite her reservations, the idea of being forced to wear nothing underneath secretly thrilled her. It had always been a forbidden fantasy. “I’ll be there.” She replaced the phone on the cradle and sighed. He’d called. He’d apologized. He’d commanded. Tessa steeled her spine and padded over to the closet. Excitement and nerves coursed through her. Her pussy throbbed, already dripping wet. Her hard nipples rubbed against the silk of her nightshirt, creating an ache that matched the dull pulsing in her cunt. She wondered what Jared had planned today. Pulling the coat off the hanger, she headed to the bathroom. Time to get primped and primed for her next lesson. A smile twitched at her lips and she dashed into the shower like a schoolgirl on a first date.
***** Jared put down the phone and grinned. She was coming. Finally. One minute she frustrated the hell out of him with her stubborn streak, the next his cock was so hard he could barely walk. He sat on an oversized chair and stretched his legs onto his coffee table. He picked up a glass of bourbon and sipped, wincing as the liquid
burned a path down to his stomach. The clock hadn’t struck midday but what the hell, he needed a stiff drink. Shifting, he winced. The drink wasn’t the only thing stiff. A voice on the radio sang about desire and a deep-seated lust. Jared could relate. Tessa Connolly was under his skin. At first she’d been a fascination, a challenge. After the dinner date, she’d become something more. Closing his eyes, he pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead, hoping to ease the ache. Maybe the alcohol didn’t help. Tessa. Tessa. Tessa. The woman plagued his every waking thought, not to mention his every erotic fantasy. None of his other partners had affected him so quickly. He hadn’t wanted to possess them as much as he wanted to possess her. He needed to break down her barriers, get beneath the surface, see what made her tick. He wanted her to think of no other man but him. He understood her struggle. He didn’t need to be a psychologist to know Tessa was representative of him. An abandoned father left him unable to get close to anyone. He couldn’t form lasting attachments. Everyone leaves. Jared always wanted to be the one doing the leaving. Sometimes he yearned for more, wanted to share his life with a woman. The concrete wall around his emotions wouldn’t allow it. In the past it didn’t matter. Until now. Until Tessa. It wasn’t just her need to submit, it was everything. Her stubborn streak, the sexy way she toyed with strands of her hair, the small frown creasing her brow when she was angry. Snorting in disgust, Jared took another hit of bourbon. Life always knew how to throw a curveball. Tessa was supposed to be a means to an end. A way to get back into the scene. A way to ignite his desire to dominate. He wasn’t supposed to feel for her. He had no clue what he felt for her, but there was something. Something intimate, something more than just a Dominant giving lessons to a willing submissive. Every time he thought of her with another dom, he wanted to do major damage to the nearest wall. He was even considering asking her to be his partner at the BDSM party in a few weeks. “You are so screwed.” Figuratively and hopefully…literally. What seemed liked hours later, the doorbell chimed, saving him from wallowing in his thoughts any longer. A glance at the clock made him wonder what had taken her so long. Jared padded through the house to the front door. Unlatching it, he pulled it open a fraction and waited for his eyes to adjust to the change in lighting. Outside, the weather matched his mood—damp, wet, dark. The wait had been worth it. Tessa stood framed against the light, shoulders slightly hunched as she brushed speckles of rain from her all-black coat. His gaze trailed down the length of material. The coat was set in a Japanese geisha style. Its high-necked collar made sure her body was covered from neck to foot. The only skin on show was the pale skin of her ankles. When he caught a glimpse of black high-heeled stilettos, he laughed. The coat might be practical but the shoes were real showy. It made him wonder what she wore beneath. He’d commanded her to stay naked. Had his stubborn Tessa followed his order? His laughter drew her gaze. He saw the spark of recognition behind her eyes, of desire mirroring his own. “Tessa. Come in.” He opened the door wide and allowed her to step inside. She looked at his glass and raised an eyebrow. “Little early to be hitting the bottle, isn’t it?” He flashed a wicked grin. “Never too early for a snifter of fine whiskey.” He whirled the glass under her nose. “Here, have a sip. It’ll warm your bones. Or so my momma used to tell me.” She eyed the glass warily. A few heartbeats later she took it from him and swallowed the remaining alcohol. Her grimace as the liquor went down made Jared chuckle. He loved a woman who didn’t shy away from anything. Tessa was one of those women. He winced. He didn’t want to think about using the L-word and a woman’s name in the same sentence. He scowled and silenced the thoughts in his head. “Feeling warmer?” Tessa shivered and shook her head. “I think my brains just dropped out.” Blinking rapidly, she focused her gaze. “That’s some good malt.” Jared gave a mock tip of an imaginary cowboy hat. “Only the finest for us Texans, ma’am.” “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all before, cowboy.” She patted her short black hair, smoothing wet strands from her forehead. The movement lifted her breasts, and Jared growled. His cock hardened, strained against the confines of his jeans. Lust, need and something he didn’t want to examine clawed at his skin. He didn’t feel playful anymore. Instead he felt wild, feral. He felt the need to take, command, dominate. Not just anyone—he felt the need to dominate Tessa. His woman. His submissive to do with as he pleased. Blood coursed around his body, his pulse pounded in his ears. Moving toward her like a predator closing in for the kill, Jared fingered the buttons on her coat. He rolled them between his fingers and imagined rolling her nipples in the same way. He flashed a grin. “Ready for lesson two?” Biting her lower lip, Tessa nodded. “Good.” Slowly, he moved his hand across her shoulder, caressing his way down her arm. Twining his fingers with hers, he led her through the house. It was time to up the ante in his game of seduction. Seduction? Where did that come from? Jared scowled, thankful Tessa couldn’t see his expression. When had it moved from scratching a mutual itch to seduction?
The minute she came on your hand at the restaurant. The minute you saw unabashed pleasure on her face from a simple orgasm. Shut the fuck up. “You have a nice house, Jared.” Her words broke his thoughts. Thankful for the distraction from his internal dialogue, he turned his head, answering her with a smile. “Glad you think so.” Onward they moved, through rooms, hallways. Jared knew it was pure hedonism to have a house this large. Five bedrooms were more than
enough to accommodate his lone ass. Most of the time he just rattled around in the place. Most of the rooms never got used. No one could accuse him of failing to make something of himself with a house this size. It was kind of a fancy screw you to his dad. Jared would never be trailer trash. Back in Texas, they’d lived in a small, cramped apartment. As soon as he made enough money, he’d bought this house. He liked the house, enjoyed the open space. One room had gotten more than its fair share of action, though not in a while. In a few minutes, Tessa would see the room for herself. He couldn’t wait for her reaction. Would she be shocked, or would she embrace it like everything else he had offered her? “I hope you like this room. It’s where your real submission will begin.” Stopping outside a plain wooden door, he turned and cupped Tessa’s expectant face between his hands. Smoothing the pale skin of her cheekbones, he asked, “You ready?” She answered with a hesitant yes, and Jared opened the door.
***** Tessa blinked. The rest of the house had been contemporary but minimalist. This room was beyond anything she could have imagined. The walls were a dark, dark red, covered with erotic fetish photographs. A large, wooden bondage table stood in the center of the room. Complete with leather stirrups, its polished walnut frame gleamed. The black-vinyl upholstery shone. She closed her mouth, realizing too late it gaped open. One second later and spittle would have flowed out. Various other bondage equipment lined the walls. Some she recognized, some she didn’t. Tilting her head to the side, she contemplated one strange contraption, wondering how the hell it could be used for pleasure. It looked like something from the Inquisition. She pointed at it and turned to look at Jared. “My lesson doesn’t include that, does it?” She gulped, swallowed the rising panic. An erotic image of her spread-eagled and tied down flashed into her head, Jared standing over her, wielding a cane, tapping it lightly on her breasts. Her pussy creamed. Her aching nipples pressed against the wool coat, begging for attention. She wouldn’t be able to move, he’d be in complete control and she would be unable to stop him. Fear and anticipation lodged deep in her stomach. Could she really let him secure her to that thing? Would it hurt? It looked like it would hurt. From the chuckle he gave, Tessa knew her face held a look of pure horror. “No, my stubborn little slave. That is for someone…” He stopped, searching for the right word. “More experienced in the ways of bondage and submission. As your Master, I’m just trying to get you to submit.”
Not as easy as it seems, huh, mister? She couldn’t help her defiance. Her nature was to be dominant. To take control. She’d been that way all her life. Despite her desires, she was scared of losing herself in submission. She was afraid giving up control meant her life would come crashing down. Who knew fulfilling desires would be so damn hard? She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. I promise to play nice today.” She walked into the room and opened her arms wide. “I’m all yours to do with what you will.” Turning, she flashed Jared a wicked smile before clasping her hands, lowering her eyes and bowing. “Master.” Stepping into the room behind her, he closed the door. The sound reverberated around, followed by utter silence. Soundproofing. She was reminded of an old movie quote, something about no one being able to hear you scream in space. Yeah, no one would hear her scream. Whether that was bad or good had yet to be determined. Although she trusted Jared, niggling doubts beat at the edges of her mind. What if he hurt her? “Take off your coat.” He leaned against the door, arms crossed over his chest. Locking her gaze to his, Tessa slowly, seductively, undid each button, bending to reach the ones at the bottom. Keeping the coat closed until she reached the last button, she bent one knee, sliding her foot up onto tiptoes. The material parted and she flashed him a peek of bare flesh. Jared might be a Dominant but she could enjoy making him squirm. “Take it off now, Tessa.” His voice was low, guttural. Her body tightened, went liquid and pliant. Her pussy heated, pulsed with need as his tone sent her nerve endings into overdrive. Just when she’d been enjoying herself, he had to go and be all commanding on her. Typical man. She was here to learn submission. Didn’t mean she couldn’t be a little playful. “Is that a command, Master?” He nodded. Deciding to tease him a little, she clasped the material at her breasts and shrugged the heavy coat off her shoulders. As it dropped, she released her grip, letting the coat fall into a pool at her feet. He slowly raked his gaze over her body. His chest heaved. His nostrils flared. He liked what he saw. Her legs went weak. Her heart beat wildly against her rib cage. Yes. This was what she wanted. She wanted him wild for her, she wanted him to ache as much as she did. In some deep part of her soul, she wanted to pay him back for making her wait. He pushed away from the door and stalked toward her with a predatory dark gleam in his eyes. The look sent fire through her body right down to her clit. It throbbed in time to her heartbeat. Moisture began to gather between her thighs. Her mouth went dry. Her nipples beaded. “I told you not to wear anything except the coat.” Defiant to the last, Tessa had picked out a red-and-black jacquard, strapless corset that accentuated her curves. Not even at his command would she go au naturel. She wasn’t willing to relinquish all her control. The matching scrap of material that covered her pussy was soaked through. The heady scent of musk filled her nostrils and she was sure he could smell her desire, know she was turned on. He rubbed his thumb across her exposed collarbone. “I like this but next time, when I tell you not to wear something, don’t wear it. Understood, slave?”
Before she could answer, Jared dipped his head and sampled her skin with his lips. He sipped at her shoulder like it was a fine wine. His kisses were like whispers. Tessa lost all rational thought. Whatever he wanted, he could have. “Understood, Master.” Her body cried out for his. Her brain screamed at him to kiss her, touch her, taste her, fuck her. She whimpered when he circled her and banded one arm around her waist, pulling her ass against his heavy erection. “Submit to me, Tessa. Please. Today. Now.” He squeezed her breast, massaging the fleshy globe, rubbing the heel of his hand over her nipple. It distended even more. The arm around her waist moved lower and he cupped her pussy. She felt the heat of his palm against her mound and she moaned. Too much. It was all too much. She became a mass of aching, tingling flesh. Her body warred with her emotions. Physically, she needed him. Emotionally, she couldn’t submit. Not yet. It was too soon. Fear coiled inside her, mingled with desire. How could you want someone so much and be afraid of that need at the same time? “Please, Jared. Please…” A hand moved between her thighs, putting delicious pressure on her pubic bone in the process. Tessa rocked her hips against him. “Dominate me. Please, Jared!” He was relentless in his ministrations. He strummed her pounding clit. She bit her lip, needing to come. He worried his thumb against the tiny bud, circling it, pressing it against her pubic bone. “Submit to me, Tessa. You know you want to. I can feel you creaming all over my hand.” “No.” The delicious pressure became too much. The tingling in her clit burst through her body. All her nerve endings spiked. She closed her eyes, threw her head back against Jared’s shoulder and cried out. “Jared!” Her muscles went rigid. Her skin was tender to touch. It had been so long since she’d had a man. The emotions Jared unleashed made her want to weep. She’d never been so turned-on, so aroused by someone’s touch. He continued to rub her gently, the aftershocks sending tiny bursts of pleasure into her system. She felt thoroughly sated. His cock pressed against her thigh. His heat seeped into her and she looked into his eyes. They burned with possession, threatening to drown her with their intensity. “Now the fun part begins.” Fun? Hell, she’d thought that had been fun. What else did he have planned? Sweeping her up like she weighed nothing, Jared carried her to a bondage table. Made of heavy oak, it looked like a medieval banquet table. Laying her down face up, he fixed the stirrups in place, binding her hands and feet. She lay spread-eagle. Open to him, vulnerable. The doubt and fear must have been evident in her eyes because he leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Trust me.” Moving away from her, he stood, looking down. Lifting a hand to his nose, he sniffed. “God, I love the scent of your pussy.” He licked his fingers and almost purred. “You taste as good as you look.” Tessa swallowed. Her heart beat so fast it would surely give her a heart attack. Her skin tingled, her body hyperaware of her surroundings. The leather chafed at her joints, creating a frisson of pain. Blood roared in her ears. Moisture slithered down her thighs. She’d never been so aware of her body. “Before we start, there are a few technical things we need to get sorted.” He trailed his fingertips along her thigh. He wanted to talk safety now? Tessa couldn’t believe he’d tied her up, primed her engine and then wanted to talk. She gritted her teeth and let out a growl of frustration. “Make it quick.” Just a little more to the left and he’d be touching her pussy. This drew a smile from Jared. “Patience, Tessa. Do you have any limits, anything you would feel uncomfortable with?” She only had one hard limit. “I don’t want to be shared with anyone. Group sex is a no. As is having sex with other people while you watch.” She didn’t know why, it just set her nerves on edge. She wasn’t ready for that. He nodded. “You don’t have to worry about that.” He stroked the tender skin on her thigh. “What’s your safeword?” “Pandora.” Tessa had known he might ask. “Pandora is my safeword.” She jerked against her restraints, trying to move his hand. Jared cocked an eyebrow. “As in Pandora’s box?” Tessa blushed. “Yeah. As in Pandora, who got curious and opened the box, hence unleashing sin into the world.” He reached her calf and caressed the muscle. “I can promise you, the only sin we’ll be releasing is our own.” His comment made them both laugh. “Those are specially made restraints. One real, hard tug and they will unbuckle.” He stared intently into her eyes. “You ready, Tessa?” She lowered her gaze like a good little submissive. “I’m ready.” “Then we’ll begin.” Fisting a handful of his sweater, Jared pulled the material up, over his head. Tessa’s gazed dropped to his well-sculpted chest. She drooled. It was impossible not to. The guy was buff, with a capital B. She’d known from the first moment she laid eyes on him in the club he was ripped, but this was something she’d been unprepared for. His torso was chiseled, dusted lightly with crisp, dark hair. Spreading halfway down his arm, across his left shoulder and onto his chest, curled a dragon tattoo. The dragon looked vicious, with snarling teeth. The colors were amazing. It showcased his torso to perfection. She wanted to trace the contours with her tongue. Oh yeah, if she got the chance, she had plans for the tattoo. “Like what you see, slave?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Good. I love that look on your face. I’m glad you find me attractive. It makes my cock so fucking hard. You can’t wait to get your hands on me, can you? Greedy little Tessa.” Finding him attractive was the understatement of the year. Tessa was mesmerized by him. He was hypnotic. She shivered. His eyes promised
untold amounts of pleasure. He gripped her ankle. She expected him to caress her calf like he’d done earlier. Instead he ran his fingertips over one of her heels, fingering the lines of the instep, down to the pointed end of her toes then back up, across and down the heel to the very tip of the stiletto. “I should punish you for disobeying my command. You’d like me to punish you, wouldn’t you, Tessa?” He flicked off her heel and ran a fingertip quickly across the sole of her foot. Tessa groaned and curled her toes. Even one small flick of his fingers electrified her. “How do you want me to punish you, slave?” Jared wrapped his hand around her ankle and slowly, softly ran it up her calf, to her knee and beyond. Up to her thigh. She held her breath, waiting, praying for him to move higher, to the ache in her pussy. Wicked mischief danced in his green eyes. Standing before her, he looked like the devil incarnate. “You think a good fuck is in order? Think you could handle that punishment?” He fingered the edge of her thong. “Yesssss.” Her body burned for his. He spoke of punishment but his slow ministrations were pure torture to her overly aroused body. “No, I think we’ll leave that for another time.” He moved his hand, leaving the ache and moving higher, higher, toward her breasts. She watched him shift positions. He spread his legs and leaned over her. Deftly, he started to unhook the eye clasps of her corset. She sucked in a breath as he bared her breasts to the cool air. Already aching and distended, her nipples beaded to the point of pain. His eyes glistened, his tongue snaked out to touch the tip to his upper lip. Swooping down like a vulture after a meal, he latched onto one of her breasts. Taking the tender flesh into his warm, waiting mouth, Jared suckled. She felt the suction right down to her toes. She curled her fingers into fists and willed herself not to break the bonds. What she really wanted to do was grip his luscious dark hair and drag his mouth to hers. But this was a lesson in submission. She’d chosen to be here, in this position, at his mercy. It turned her on like crazy, knowing she was truly at his mercy. Her body was his to command. Tracing an intricate pattern, his tongue swirled around and around her areola. At the same time, his hand roughly manipulated her other breast. When he pulled back, he clasped the tight bud between his teeth and tugged. The stab of pain was bittersweet. No one had dared be so rough, yet she enjoyed it. More than enjoyed it. Her pussy answered with a flow of cream. He let the flesh go with a popping sound and it bounced back into place. “Oh my god!” Her nipple throbbed. It felt exquisite. He laved the same attention on her other breast, and Tessa gave herself over to sensation as his warm, wet tongue rasped across her heated skin. Whatever he wished, she’d give. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Exciting, stimulating. Her body pulsed, became a quivering mass. He could do anything to her and she was powerless to stop him. The slight frisson of fear mixed with a heavy dose of desire made her jerk against her restraints. Her pussy throbbed. She wanted to drag him closer, demand his teeth on her skin. A large part of her reveled in the loss of sexual control. Nothing existed for her except him. Jared worked his way down her torso with his hands and mouth, manipulating erogenous points she never knew existed. Almost reverently, he ran a hand over her slightly rounded stomach. His teeth nipped at her hip bones, gently at first then with more force. Nips she knew would leave a mark. As he used more force, ribbons of pleasure cascaded through her body. She had never understood how pain could be a pleasure but the threshold between the two was a very thin line. Only a man like Jared could understand that. Reaching her panty line, he slipped his fingers beneath the material, making room for his tongue to follow the same path. She felt his wet, warm tongue caressing the top of her curls. “Please. Please.” Tessa never begged for anything. Right now it came naturally. She wanted him to move lower, to pull her panties aside and thrust his tongue into her demanding pussy. He laughed, and she felt the reverberations in her core. His gaze met hers. “Is my slave anxious for me to fuck her?” She had never seen anything so erotic as his gaze boring into her. His tongue snaked out and licked her clit. She watched every movement, every subtle sweep of his tongue, feeling it deep inside. That look made her pussy clench, tighten, release a rush of moisture into his mouth. Her clit swelled. When he sat up, ceasing all contact, she wanted to scream in frustration. He really was punishing her. His gaze dropped to her thong and darkened. He let out a low growl. His feral tone thrilled her. “This has got to go.” Fisting the scrap of material, he ripped. She heard the elastic snap. “Jared!” His eyes burned with an overwhelming intensity. Despite the need there, he remained outwardly calm. His commanding aura never faltered yet her resistance to submission crumbled with every passing second. Being in someone else’s control was a heady aphrodisiac, one she didn’t want to fight anymore. “Master. I’m your Master.” He delved between her thighs, lapping at her pussy like she was the finest ambrosia. He flattened his tongue to make long, lascivious strokes. Tessa whimpered, she squeezed her eyes closed and lifted her hips, hoping to release some of the wild tension. She concentrated all her thoughts on one place—her pussy. Nothing mattered except the feel of his tongue. He moaned against her, the vibrations playing against her clit like a well-strung violin. “More!” Parting her slick folds with forefinger and thumb, he touched the tip of his tongue to the hardened nub of nerve endings. He pushed one finger inside her sopping wet opening, adding the friction she needed. Jared found a devastating rhythm of fingers and tongue that shattered her every emotion.
She gasped, trying to suck in enough air to keep her lungs rising and falling. Her heart beat so fast, she thought it would explode out of her chest. He stopped long enough to choke out, “Who am I, slave?” Slowly, inch by inch, he dragged one thick finger out of her pussy. The slurping sound it made told her just how wet she really was. Not that she needed to be told. She could feel her juices flowing, running down her thighs in musky-scented rivulets. “Jared.” Her throaty reply was punished by Jared plunging his finger back inside to the hilt of his knuckle. “Do you submit your body to me?” He repeated the process of dragging his finger back out, this time curling the tip so it scraped against her cleft. She moved her head from side to side. She couldn’t submit, couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Some final barrier prevented them from escaping her lips. “Jared, please!” She choked out the plea, desperate to come. He withdrew from her. His heat gone, her body cold and aching. Tingling with sensation. On the edge of pleasure but failing to find release. How could he leave her like this? Tessa moaned, lifted her head and stared at him. He moved to the wall of implements and picked a few items. She couldn’t see clearly enough to identify them. “I won’t allow you to come, Tessa. Not until you submit.” Her body tensed. She wanted to reach down and touch herself, bring herself to orgasm. Jared be damned. But she couldn’t. Bound and helpless, she was at his mercy. She inhaled. Exhaled. Focused on slowing her heart rate and the heavy throb between her thighs. She’d never been so frustrated and turned-on. It was a heady combination. She sought dominance and Jared gave it to her. “I’ll ask you again, do you submit your body to me?” He stood over her, looming like a dark god. “Jared.” She wanted to say the words. She really did. She gazed at him, pleading with her eyes. “Jared, please.” “Quiet.” He reached for what looked like a gag. Leaning down, he let her see the black-leather ball gag. “You’ll learn to be quiet until you address me with the proper respect.” Fear spiked her pulse rate. Was he really going to gag her? She blinked rapidly. Could she let him? His features softened. He smoothed one hand over her hair. “Trust me, Tessa.” Trust him? She’d be bound and gagged. Completely out of control.
Yes. Her body jerked, tightened. Although her mind was unsure, her body betrayed her. “Okay?” She nodded. “Open for me.” She opened for him. He attached the gag, placed the plastic ball firmly in her mouth and fastened the clasp at the back of her head. “If you need your safeword, knock twice on the table. Understand?” She nodded again. Saliva pooled around the plastic holding open her mouth. Nerves danced a pattern in her stomach. Nausea rose in her throat. Completely at his mercy, she shoved the panic aside. He wouldn’t hurt her. Looking at Jared, she saw the metal clover clamps in his hand. He tested the teeth, opening and closing the snap spring. “Mmphh.” She whimpered, tugged on her restraints. Her nipples beaded in anticipation of the sharp-looking teeth against her delicate flesh. “Look at me. Keep your eyes on me.” He tugged one of her nipples, rolled it through his fingertips. The bud hardened, ached. Palming her breast, he snapped the clasp onto her nipple and Tessa screamed behind the gag. Sharp stings of pain shot through her system. He didn’t allow her any respite. He pinched her other nipple and snapped on the second clamp. She held her breath, fighting the pain. Torturous pain. Exquisite pain. Her mind froze. Her body sang as endorphins surged. “Breathe through it. It helps,” Jared’s voice interjected and she latched onto it, following his advice. She breathed out, her whole body alive with electricity. Who knew pain could be so pleasurable? “Don’t fight it. Feel how good it is? Feel how good I can make you?” He could. He was giving her everything she’d ever fantasized about and more, stripping away her control and using her as he saw fit. He tugged on the chain linking her breasts and she yelped. The pressure increased, shot through her body and ended with a throbbing in her pussy. “Jared.” His name came out garbled but she didn’t care. She pleaded with her eyes. The desire to come, a need so deep it almost hurt. “No, Tessa. Not until you submit to me.” She shook her head, blinked away the tears. It would be so simple to tell him she submitted. She didn’t have to mean it. But she couldn’t lie. Not to him. He’d know and most likely punish her for it. His jaw clenched. Was he having trouble with control too? The thought sent zings of pleasure to her heart. He picked up a bright-blue, ridged butt plug. The tip was tapered but it still looked imposing. Tessa whimpered. That was never going to fit. She’d never had anything in her ass before. It was a forbidden taboo. She squirmed, swallowing hard, unable to express her discomfort at the thought of having something in her ass. What if there was a mess? What if it hurt? Anal had always been a limit for her. She didn’t trust anyone enough to stick something in her there. Jared merely looked at her and said, “Trust me.”
He kept repeating it like a mantra. Was he hoping all the positive reinforcement would allow it to sink in? In some weird way, she did trust him. It was irrational. She barely knew him and yet she knew, deep down, he wouldn’t hurt her or humiliate her. Her pleasure was his pleasure. He demanded nothing but her submission. He rubbed the tip across her slick pussy lips, spreading moisture on the rubber. She stopped squirming. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, pulling the clamps tighter as she tried to fight the rising panic. She watched him squeeze copious amounts of lube on the plug before he drizzled the cool liquid onto her anal opening. “Do you want to use your safeword?” She knew her eyes must be as wide as saucers. Did she? Now was the time to back out. She could go back to her normal, safe life or she could take a risk and jump into unknown pleasure. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. No. She didn’t want to use her safeword. She wanted to give in to her submission, to experience everything Jared had to offer her. “You are beautiful, Tessa. Lying there with your wet pussy on display, your nipples clamped, that gag in your mouth. I’m so fucking hard, looking at you.” Her cunt spasmed, her walls tightened as he drove her wild with his words. No one had ever spoken to her that way. He was breaking down her barriers piece by piece with his words and his actions. He pressed the tip of the plug against the entrance of her ass. She tensed, fearful of the invasion. “Relax.” Her muscles went lax at his command. The tip stretched her, opened her like a flower. The tight fit and intense pressure made her moan. The sensation was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Indescribable. Forbidden. Jared worried her clit. She gasped, moisture flooded her pussy and he pushed the plug farther, working it into the tight opening. “Good girl. Take it. Take it all. This is what being a submissive is about, pleasing your Master.” He pressed his lips to her cunt, ran his wet tongue along her slit. She jerked her hips up against his mouth. “You please me, Tessa.” He slid the plug all the way in and she groaned. The tiny frisson of pain was overruled by the intense pleasure flooding her system. It was decadent, hedonistic, having his mouth on her pussy and the plug in her ass. She almost came. Almost. “Look at me, Tessa.” She looked down at him between her thighs, her juices coating his chin. The dark look in his eyes burned all the way to her soul. Its intensity shattered any remnants of doubt, any shadow of fear and panic. “You are already submissive. I’ve bound you, gagged you, clamped you. I’ve brought you to the brink. You are mine. Submit to me. Tell me you submit,” he growled and stood, removing her gag. She sighed, moved her aching jaw and swallowed the excess saliva. Her throat felt scratchy and sore. He placed a tender kiss on her lips and moved between her thighs once again. “Jared.” “Submit to me.” He thought she was still being stubborn. The scared woman frightened of losing control. Maybe she was, but right now she wanted to give them both a gift, a gift of submission. He’d stripped away her barriers, dug deeper than anyone she’d ever known. She was raw inside, open to this man like never before. She needed to give him what they both desired. Locking her gaze to his, she nodded, placing as much conviction in her voice as she could muster given the circumstances. “Yes Sir.” If she thought his ministrations had been full force before, she’d been wrong. He attacked her pussy like a hungry man seeking a fine meal. Her Master knew exactly how to make her body hum with pleasure. She reached higher and higher, climbing toward the delicious peak of orgasm she desperately craved. When he sucked her clit between his teeth, tugged, repeating the motion he had treated her nipples to, Tessa shot over the edge. Her toes curled, her back bowed. She rose up against the restraints. Her world became a mass of color as wave after orgasmic wave shot through her. She was in sexual heaven. Jared’s eyes glazed over, watching Tessa in the throes of orgasm. She was beautiful. A perfect, womanly specimen, and he just wanted to eat her up. His heart clenched. He’d never seen a submissive more open and vulnerable than Tessa. She’d given herself to him. He felt invincible, like he could walk through fire. He watched her chest heave, rising and falling rapidly as she came down from the blissful peak. Her eyelashes swept open, her pupils dilated before she fixed her gaze to his. A slow, lazy smile appeared on her lips. He couldn’t resist leaning down and tasting them. His cock was hard as stone, straining for its own release. “Enjoy yourself, slave?” She nodded and he chuckled. Poor woman was unable to speak. The thought did wonders for his ego. Waiting for her to recover, he caressed her body, ran his fingertips reverently across her smooth and very slick skin. There was one more thing he had planned before completing the first stage of her submission. His cock jerked in response. He toyed with the plug in her ass and gripped the base. It could hurt if she wasn’t prepared. “Ready?” “Yes.” “Take a deep breath.” She did as he asked and he slowly pulled. She hissed. He dropped the plug and watched her ass gape and close. “Good girl.”
Jared flipped the clasps on the restraints. He checked to see if the leather had abraded her skin. The table had been made by one of the best in the business, it was unlikely to have marked her, but he needed to check, to be sure he hadn’t hurt her. He hadn’t. She’d given him a gift. She was someone to be cherished and adored. Gently, he rubbed her wrists and ankles, getting some circulation back into the joints. She would need to stand up and he didn’t want her in unnecessary pain. “That was…” She blushed, the color adding to her already pink cheeks. “Incredible.” Jared grinned. “All part of the service, ma’am.” She playfully ruffled his hair and he found himself enjoying the leisurely, casual atmosphere. Most of his previous submissives wanted to be in the zone all the time. It wasn’t a problem, but with Tessa he wanted more than to command her. He enjoyed every second spent in her presence. She was a like a drug and he the addict. She’d inserted herself into his life, weaved a spell around his heart. Lifting her off the table, he helped settle her balance. She stood in front of him like a wanton siren. His hands rested on her hips. The scent of sex and her subtle perfume clung to their skin. His cock twitched. Her scent drove him wild. “Ready for round two?” She contemplated his words and a frown creased her forehead. “I’m good to go, Master.” His heart flipped. He loved hearing that word coming from her lips. “Fine.” Jared stepped back, raked his gaze hungrily over her naked body. He wanted to tease, to have her so hot for him she panted. He wanted her pussy slick with juice because of his cock. Running his hand down his chest to his stomach, he toyed with the waistband of his pants, watching her reaction. Her gaze fixed on his hand. He moved lower, across the tight material stretched over his groin. He palmed his cock, rubbing the entire length of it. It felt so good to finally be receiving some attention. The damn thing had been hard for her since the club. Her lips formed a perfect O and he almost came in his pants. He knew exactly what round two was and he wanted it instigated now. “You like watching your Master rub his cock?” He rubbed a few more times, punctuating every word with a firmer caress. Tessa swallowed. “Yes.” Jared frowned and tilted his head to the side. He wanted to hear her call him Master again. “Yes, what?” “Master.” “Good girl.” Flicking the button on his pants, he gripped the zipper and slowly, oh so slowly, dragged it down. He watched the reactions flash over her face with fascination. Never had he seen a woman so hungry for him. He wanted to beat his chest and scream like a Neanderthal. What the fuck was this woman doing to him? Lifting his cock out, he shrugged his pants down. He never wore underwear, especially when he knew he was entertaining a lady. Fisting himself, he ran his hand up and down, up and down, paying special attention to the head. Her gaze fixed on his cock, watching every movement he made. Jesus Christ. He twitched, jerked against his palm. Pre-cum oozed from the helmet. He felt like it would pop off at any second. He hadn’t been this aroused since high school. It was Tessa’s fault, her and those hungry eyes. Gritting his teeth, he gripped the root of his cock, held it firm and straight, pointing it at Tessa. “Come over here. Get down on your knees and suck your Master’s cock.” He wanted her tongue on him, he wanted to feel her hot mouth sucking his balls. He’d fantasized about this since the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Her eyes widened. For a brief second he thought she was going to refuse. Not taking any chances, he repeated, “Get down on your knees and suck your Master’s cock, slave.” He kept his tone even yet commanding. Even now, this was a choice. A choice she had to make. If she complied, Tessa’s submissive streak would be satisfied. It she refused, their arrangement was over. He prayed she wouldn’t disappoint him. He needed her to want this as much as he did. She padded over to him, staring for a heartbeat before sliding sinuously to her knees. His heart surged in triumph. Jared moaned as she pursed her lips over the head of his cock and gently blew. His dick twitched in response. She slowly lowered her mouth. Her tongue snaked out to lick the pre-cum that had gathered at the head. He fisted his hands by his sides, determined not to touch her lest he break the spell. Wrapping her delicate fingers around him, she lowered her mouth. The first feel of her lips made his body jerk. Her mouth—warm, wet and so fucking inviting. She sucked him like a pro. Twirling her talented tongue around and around the head, using the devastating combination of hand and lips, twisting and turning, fondling his heavy sac with the right amount of pressure. He felt his balls tighten and fought back the pressure by gripping a handful of her hair. He massaged her scalp, and her lips slid down his cock, eager to take more. Hot. So hot and soft. He pushed farther into the cavern of her mouth. She felt like home. No other woman had him this turned-on, this desperate to come. He’d always been so controlled. He wouldn’t come until he was ready. A few strokes and sucks from his Tessa and he was going to spill his load. “That’s it. That is so fucking good. My little submissive loves her Master to fuck her.” His. She was his. His submissive. His crude words made her moan, and he felt it right through his body. Unable to stand it any longer, he gave one mighty groan and threw back his head. His body jerked and tightened as he spewed hot, jetting cum into her willing little mouth. She swallowed every drop. The suction of the movement made him shiver. Tessa released his cock. He heard the wet popping sound and looked down at her. She had a wicked gleam in her eyes. Locking her gaze to his, she swallowed. The action was deliberate and one of the hottest things he’d ever seen.
His. His heart pounded as he pulled her to her feet, dragged her body against his and kissed her. He couldn’t resist. She tasted salty, musky and oh so sweet. He wanted to wrap her in warmth and comfort. He wanted to care for her. He dropped his forehead against hers and smiled. “Like your submission lessons?” Tessa chuckled. “Oh yeah. They are the highlight of my day.” Her tone made Jared laugh. “So you want to keep this arrangement going for a little while?” “You betcha, cowboy.”
Chapter Six “What do you mean, you can’t come until tomorrow? It’s leaking all over the kitchen floor!” Tessa squealed into the phone like a banshee. Her kitchen was a disaster area and had been for the past couple of hours, since the faucet started leaking. It didn’t do any good, as the plumber still refused to get his lazy ass out on a Sunday to fix her leak. His advice—turn off the stop tap and wait until tomorrow. “Yeah, thanks a lot.” She slammed down the receiver before releasing a stream of verbal abuse. It wasn’t often she cussed, but goddamn, when she did the air turned blue. She bundled a cup of lukewarm coffee into the microwave before turning to survey her kitchen. She’d already dealt with the stop tap. Did he think she was stupid? Numerous towels lay draped on the floor, soaking up excess water. She could do without her kitchen for a whole day. It wasn’t a major thing. She could use the bathroom water works; they were still operational. It was the principle. She’d paid the guy good money for previous jobs, the least he could do was help her out of a jam. The microwave beeped and she retrieved the coffee. Taking a sip, she frowned as the hot liquid scalded her tongue. Life had become interesting these days. First there was Jared. Her Dominant, her Master. Submitting to him was…thrilling, exciting, mindblowing. When they weren’t in a sexual situation he treated her as an equal. Was that unusual? Many Masters and slaves had loving, respectful relationships. Despite this, the submissives she’d known always gave up certain things—their jobs, their homes. Even in vanilla situations such as going for a meal, the Dominant took charge. Not so with Jared. He gave her exactly what she needed—submission in the bedroom, equality everywhere else. A strange contradiction, especially considering his background as a Dom. It puzzled the crap out of her. Startled by a knock at the door, she hoped the plumber had changed his mind. She twisted the lock and gave her guest a surprised look. “Jared. What are you doing here?” Her heart beat wildly. Just one look from him and she quivered. Her pussy slicked, anticipated taking his hard cock inside her. Amazing. Her body became liquid and pliant, as if screaming take me now! He shrugged, treating her to a devastating smile. “I was in the neighborhood, thought I’d drop by, see how you were.” Tessa invited him in and offered him some coffee. “Would love some, thanks.” She poured him a cup and became intensely aware of his presence. It was like a bulb lighting the way in the dark. She wanted him, wanted to feel his arms around her, his lips on hers, skin against skin. She craved. She needed. She wanted many more mornings like this with Jared Campbell. The thought slammed into her like a freight train. It wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to form an attachment to him. When the month was up, he would be gone, on to his next submissive. Caring for Jared was exactly what she’d been afraid of. From what she could gather, his past submissives hadn’t been about permanency. “Is it laundry day or something?” Tessa gave him a puzzled look, followed his gaze toward the wet towels. “Oh no.” She laughed. “Problem with the plumbing. The asshole I usually pay reminded me it’s Sunday and not really an emergency.” She rolled her eyes. “Soooo, I’m stuck with a semi-Titanic and no downstairs water.” Jared pushed away from the breakfast bar and walked to the sink. Squatting down, he opened the cupboards and began feeling around the piping. “You know, this wouldn’t take much to fix. I could do it for you.” He flashed her an impish smile. “And my fees wouldn’t be much.” Tessa composed herself and returned his smile. She’d been having wicked thoughts about how great his ass looked in those tight blue jeans. “I’m sure I could pay your fee. But one thing I need to know, are you a professional?” She sauntered toward him. Unable to stop herself, she ran her fingers through his hair, a gesture she loved performing. He loved it too. “Well, I know my way around women’s piping if that’s what you mean, ma’am.” Tessa threw back her head and laughed. “Let me get some tools from the garage and you can take a look.” He clutched his chest. “Be still my beatin’ heart. A woman who has tools? Marry me!” Her heart lurched. He was joking but those words did something weird and wacky to her emotions. Her cheeks heated and she slapped him gently upside the head. “Behave.” When she walked away, he swatted her ass. “Aww, but you like it when I’m bad.” She rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand in his direction. Rummaging in the garage, she thought how nice it was to banter and share laughter. She grabbed a few things he might need but then changed her mind, deciding to take the whole toolbox. She wondered what had driven him to stop by. His neighborhood was a good distance away. Surely he didn’t have business in suburban Middle America? Dare she let herself hope he’d made a special journey to see her? Jesus, all these thoughts were driving her crazy. They led to one thing she’d dared not admit, even to herself. She was falling for Jared—hook, line and leather-bondage restraints. And she despised herself for it. Jared would never allow himself to get attached. Not to her, maybe not to anyone. The thought cut through her giddy schoolgirl notions of love and romance. She should know better. Her fiancé had dashed her hopes of meaningful relationships. Although he hadn’t been able to satisfy her sexually, Tessa believed she loved him deeply, that they could have had a life
together. Then she’d told him about her needs.
That is disgusting, Tessa. I cannot believe you can get off on that kind of shit. It’s abnormal. Even after all this time his words haunted her. She knew she should pull away from Jared, put some distance between them. She couldn’t give her heart again and risk getting it torn in two. Jared would never berate her for her submissiveness but she might not be enough for him.
Just a little while longer. She couldn’t leave, not yet. She was going to get hurt but right now she didn’t care. She wanted Jared Campbell and she was going to have him, any way she could. Even if it meant getting her heart broken. “Where did you learn how to be handy with a wrench?” Tessa stood behind him, arms folded over her chest, head tilted to one side. He’d stripped out of his leather jacket and she watched, fascinated, as his muscles bunched and moved while he worked his tools under the dark recesses of her sink. Beads of sweat glistened on his skin and she wanted nothing more than to lick them, taste the tangy scent of Jared Campbell on her tongue. “Growing up, we helped Momma where we could.” The image of a little boy with dark, spiky hair and piercing-green eyes holding a wrench too heavy for his tiny hands made her heart melt. “What about your daddy?” His gaze snapped to hers and the fury she saw startled her. “That son of a bitch left when I was a baby.” Unable to resist, she moved toward him, needing to touch him. “I’m sorry.”
So that was why he refused to let anyone get close. He patted her hand and returned his attention to the pipes. “Don’t be. It was a long time ago.” Therapist instinct kicking in, Tessa decided to leave the subject alone. After all, it wasn’t any of her business. Jared wasn’t her partner, just a business arrangement. “How did you come to own Inferno?” Jared snorted. “A lot of shrewd moves and a lot of dumb luck.” “I don’t believe that.” Turning, he batted those long, sensuous lashes. “I have a head for business. And a body for sin.” His tone mimicked that of Melanie Griffith’s in Working Girl, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “All done.” Rising, he wiped his hands on the towel she offered him. He tested the water and Tessa smiled at the look of pure male pride of his face. “Still got the knack.” “Sure have, cowboy.” She glanced at the clock. “Um, can I make you some lunch?” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and gnawed on her lower lip. “Unless you have somewhere else you need to be?” Jesus, she was acting like a shy virgin. His gaze locked with hers. “No, I don’t. Lunch would be great.” Tessa let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “I’ll grill us some steaks.” He helped her cook the meal. The simple gestures and casual atmosphere pulled at Tessa’s heartstrings. How many Sundays had she spent like this with previous lovers? None that came to mind. Tucking into their steaks, Jared broke the silence. “Why did you come to the club?” She blinked, swallowed. He’d never really asked her that before. “What?” “Why did you come to Inferno? Why now, after all these years? Why explore submission now?” Pushing the meat around her plate, she toyed with her salad. Good question, one she’d been asking herself for a while. She felt closer to Jared than any of her previous lovers, even her fiancé. Maybe it was time to reveal some of her past. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Jared. He stared at her, expectation evident in his eyes. “It was time. I can’t keep denying the things that turn me on.” “And how did you discover submission a turn-on?” She put down her fork and leaned back in the chair. Her pulse quickened, nerves beat butterflies in her stomach. Why did she feel so nervous talking about her past? “Sounds clichéd but I guess I’ve always known. Does that make sense?” He flashed a wry smile. “Yeah, it does.” Briefly, she wondered if it had been the same for him and made a mental note to ask. “As a kid, being an only child, there were certain expectations. I strived to be the best. That meant keeping a tight rein on things. Always be in control. I couldn’t let things slip.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. Long-buried emotions bubbled to the surface. She didn’t have a bad childhood, she wasn’t abused. She’d grown up in a safe and loving environment. But there was no room for error, disappointment. She had to do well in school, in extra activities. There was so much pressure on her to succeed. She drummed her fingertips on the table, focused on a spot of knurled wood. “You know what it’s like in college, you start to explore your sexuality. I began to wonder what it would be like to give up control, to not have to be the one in charge. To take orders from someone else. I started out reading stories online. Just a little rough sex at first. Then BDSM ones. The more I read, the more I began to fantasize what it would be like. Then I started to watch some videos.” Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. “I really enjoyed those.” “Did you touch yourself?” She glanced at Jared, meeting his heated gaze. “Yes.” His nostrils flared, he took a deep breath, expanding his chest. Was he imagining her touching herself? Her pussy throbbed, a lick of desire
curled low in her stomach. “So what did you do about it?” “I was engaged at the time.” He blinked, obviously surprised. “Oh yeah, I thought I had found the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.” Now the dam had been broken, she couldn’t stop. “You know what I did? I told him. I told him I wanted to be tied up and fucked. I told him I wanted to be beaten until my ass was raw. I showed him some hardcore spanking video and begged him to enact it with me. And you know what he said?” “No.” “He told me I was abnormal, I was dirty and strange. The look on his face, pure horror, killed a part of me. Two weeks later he called off our engagement.” She rubbed the spot on her chest just above her heart. Even now, the humiliation stung. After that, she’d buried her needs and desires, locked them away. His hand covered hers, squeezed, sought her fingers and curled around them. “Asshole. You know he was wrong. It’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s beautiful. Giving yourself to someone so completely. On your knees in front of me, you’re beautiful. It’s not dirty.” Tears prickled. “I know that. Rationally, I know. But I couldn’t face submission again. What if it happened again? My ego couldn’t have taken another hit.” “I could kill him for making you feel that way. You’ve missed out on so much.” Anger burned in his eyes. Possession flashed across his face, tightening things low in her body. She smiled. “It’s my own stupid fault. I’m a sex therapist. I should have taken my own advice years ago.” “We never take our own advice.” Wiping at the tears slipping down her cheeks, she said, “I’m sorry to dump that on you.” “Don’t apologize. Maybe it’s time I do a little off-loading of my own.” She squeezed his fingers, flashed him a smile. “I’m all ears.” Jared pulled away, raked his hands through his hair. “I probably have enough emotional shit to fill a lake.” His father had left the family. He’d told her that earlier. As a therapist, she knew what that could do to a kid emotionally. “Your father?” He sighed. “Yeah, my rat-bastard father. He left me and my momma when I was young. After that, I took on the role of my father. I took control. Difference between you and me, I enjoyed the control. I like to be in charge.” He rolled his shoulders, shrugged. “Turns out I like to be in charge during sex too.” She watched the pain flash across his face. It was obviously painful talking about his past but he chose to trust her. Something inside her softened, melted. “You ever had a long-term submissive?” She’d always wondered what it would be like. “No.” He shifted, looked away from her. “I…I never really wanted anyone enough to keep them around. Jesus, that sounds so shallow.” No, it wasn’t shallow. It was classic abandonment syndrome. A part of her reveled in the fact he’d never taken a long-term submissive. Her heart pounded.
Pick me. Pick me. She reached for his fingers. “Not shallow. After what happened in your past, it’s understandable you’re skittish. You’ll find someone. One day.” Her heart clenched. She desperately wanted it to be her. They talked for hours, talked of nothing and everything. Of books they liked, movies they had seen, music they listened to. She found it funny he liked classical music while he gaped and scoffed when she confessed her love of hip-hop. The intimacy of their afternoon floored her. She hadn’t known it was possible to be so comfortable and yet so devastatingly attracted to a man. When the sunlight began to fade, Jared finally decided it was time to leave. “Sorry to have taken up so much of your time, Tessa.” She rose from the couch when he did. “No, no. Please, it was a pleasure to have some company.” Not wanting to sound desperate, she added, “Plus I owed you for the plumbing.” He shrugged into his jacket and stared down at her. “No trouble at all.” She was unsure of her next move. Should she kiss him on the cheek? On the lips? Should she grab the lapels of his jacket and beg him to take her to bed? “Well, I guess I better get gone.” He made no move to kiss her, touch her. Instead, he walked to the door and Tessa resigned herself to another lonely night away from Jared. Jared’s mind screamed. All afternoon his hormones rampaged around his body, crying out for him to make a move, to take Tessa upstairs and fuck her brains out. He needed to be inside her. Like a junkie craving a fix, he’d driven by earlier, not knowing what to say, not caring if she knew the real reason for his visit. He needed to be with her. Not just sexually but any way he could. He’d come with a plan, to tell her…confess…ask…if he meant more to her than a business arrangement. He cared for her deeply. He wouldn’t admit love. He’d never been in love, wouldn’t admit even to himself he was falling in love with her. You couldn’t fall in love that easily. He’d opened up to her in a way he never had before. He’d talked of his father, of his childhood. It was a perfect opportunity to reveal his feelings. His plan had crumbled when she starting talking about her past. He couldn’t bring himself to admit his feelings. He wanted to protect her, spirit her away from the world and beat the asshole who hurt her into a pulp. She, however, showed no signs of having feelings for him. Sure, she listened, nodded at the appropriate points, but she was a therapist. It was ingrained in her nature.
He always took his role as dominant seriously, but for him BDSM became a way to experience control and not commit. Many partners were looking for the same thing as him. He never hurt anyone emotionally. Sure, he’d found it unfulfilling. One of the many reasons he hadn’t taken a partner for so long. Maybe he was becoming too attached. Maybe he had been out of the game too long. Maybe with her it wasn’t a game. Tessa made him want to commit. Now he was about to leave. He didn’t want to, he wanted to stay. Not because of another lesson. He wanted it to be just them, not some damn business deal. She touched him, placed a delicate hand on his arm. He turned toward her, his heart slammed into his chest. He stared intently at her. He wanted her to ask. He wanted her to beg him to stay. To submit. To give in. He wanted her to ask for what she wanted. To ask her Master to fulfill her desire. Her eyes burned brightly with passion, hunger and lust. Lust for him. “Stay, please.” His pulse quickened, his heart pounded against his rib cage. Something inside him roared in triumph. Finally. His control snapped. Every thought he’d had of leaving shattered. The walls he’d constructed around himself melted. With two little words she stripped away his fears. There was no dominant and submissive, just Jared and Tessa. He needed to be inside her, to show her how he felt. Gathering her to him, he kissed her. He drank from her lips, telling her with his mouth all he could not say with words. He knew how hard it had been for her to ask, but she had. His Tessa had asked for what she desired. And what she desired was him. His tongue tangled with hers. He stroked into her mouth, mimicked the spearing movements he’d perform with his cock inside her pussy. He was going to fuck her hard and fast. He would take over her senses, make her forget everything but them. Him. Fuck her into needing him as much as he needed her. When she moaned, he trailed his lips to her ear, sucking on the lobe before whispering, “No stopping, Tessa. I’m gonna take, and you’re gonna give. You understand?” She nodded and he smiled, nudging her hair from her neck as he licked his way to her collarbone. He bit down sharply. The pain drew a gasp from her throat. Jared was on the attack. He wanted to make her body sing with pleasure. Her body hummed with every erotic caress, every stroke of his tongue against her heated skin. Gooseflesh rose, tickling his lips. She fisted her hands tightly in his hair. He smiled at her aggression and continued exploring her body. Mine. He wanted to possess her, mark her, claim her. Her nipples beaded, her breasts swelled into his touch. Her pussy throbbed with heat, searing his hand as she waited expectantly to be filled by something hot and hard. Her body ached with want, ached for him. Her responses made him feel wild and feral. “No stopping.” Blood pulsed around Jared’s body. All he wanted was to be inside her, have her wet pussy sliding against his cock over and over. But he wanted this time to be about her, a reward for her submission in asking him to stay. She hitched her legs around his waist and he palmed the backs of her thighs, supporting her weight. He dragged his tongue along her jawbone, nipping on her earlobe as her hands furiously pushed his jacket from his shoulders. He shrugged the material down to his elbows. When the jacket wouldn’t go any farther, he groaned, moved his hands from her thighs and shrugged it to the floor. She hooked her legs around him again. Her deft hands started on the buttons of his shirt. He stopped his assault on her body and watched. She couldn’t undo the buttons quick enough. A frown creased her brow and a low groan escaped from her throat. Jared smiled. Something flashed in her eyes, something dark and wild. His already-hard cock throbbed with excitement at her primitive need. Seconds later, she curled her hands in the material and ripped. The buttons scattered and dropped to the hardwood floor with tiny pings. They were immediately followed to the ground by the scraps of his shirt. She dropped her legs from his waist and ran her hands over his torso. The powerful muscles rippled, contracted at her touch. Tessa stared at Jared through hooded eyes and gave him a coy smile. Leaning forward, she swirled her tongue around one nipple. When he moaned, she caught the nub between her teeth and pulled. His moan turned into a sharp intake of breath, and she soothed the turgid bud with her tongue. His fingers wrapped in her hair and pulled. “You’re gonna pay for that, Tessa.” Lifting her gaze, she smiled, sweeping her tongue over her lips. “Really?” Dragging her mouth up to meet his, he stroked his tongue against hers and pushed her back against the door. Jared’s body throbbed with lust. This was a completely different side to her personality. She’d never been so playful. He liked it. He mirrored her movements and fisted his hands into the material of her shirt. He yanked and the buttons broke. He helped her slide out of the shirt, adding it to the growing pile of clothing. Tugging down her bra, tearing the flimsy material, he cupped her breasts, lifting them to meet his lips. As he swirled his tongue around the rosy buds, he watched her eyelids droop, her mouth go slack. He felt the sensation of pressure as her fingers curled onto his shoulders. Tessa tried to swallow and failed. Her mouth was parched. Her lips vibrated. They were raw and swollen from his kisses. Her whole body blazed with erotic heat, her skin sensitized to every small touch. Her skin burned with need. “Fuck.” She managed to choke out the word before her mind went blank. “Not yet.” His voice was heavy with lust. His tongue worked its way back to her breasts. “Now, Jared,” she growled back at him. Her hands roamed to the waistband of his jeans, unbuckled the belt. She grasped the zipper, eased it down and reached inside. Jesus Christ, she needed him. The sensitive flesh between her thighs throbbed as wildly as her pulse. She had an ache that only Jared being inside her could cure. Just as needy, Jared worked on the zipper of her slacks. When they pooled around her ankles, he roughly gripped her shoulders and turned her to face the door. Lifting her arms above her head, he slapped her palms against the wood and placed his own hands over hers.
“Not yet.” He licked the skin just beneath her earlobe. She shuddered. “I love how you taste.” He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled. “I love how you smell, like jasmine and vanilla.” Again, he nipped at her collarbone. “I need you, Tessa.” He fixed his lips onto the pulse beating in her neck and sucked. Tessa whimpered. Heat coursed through her, coiling in her pussy. One rational thought managed to slip through the haze. “No marks.” He smiled, the movement of his lips like featherlight kisses on her skin. “Mine, Tessa. I want people to know you’re mine.” His fingers linked with hers on the door. “Tell me what you want.” She turned her head slightly. As he leaned down, she passionately captured his lips. Their tongues dueled in a feral mating dance. “I want you to fuck me.” “Greedy, Tessa.” He sucked her skin between his teeth, inhaled her scent, imprinting it on his brain. So sweet. She tasted so fucking sweet. He sucked harder, leaving a mark on her delicate skin. Everyone would know she was his. She’d carry his brand. His cock twitched, throbbed. His balls tightened. He planned to tease, tempt her, take advantage of her playful side. A soft mewling sound escaped from her throat. He couldn’t wait any longer. Jared slammed into her from behind, his cock filling her to the hilt. For a moment, her world froze, the haze of desire lifted and everything swam sharply into focus. His breath tickling the nap of her neck, his strong, calloused fingers entwined with hers, their bodies joined. “Move.” It was more of an order than a plea, and she was surprised at how steady her voice sounded. He pulled out of her slowly, slowly, until only the tip of his cock remained inside. The featherlight stroke drove her crazy. It did nothing to ease the ache. Her pussy clenched, needing something more. Tessa clenched her teeth and growled. “Not like this.” He knew what she wanted. Tessa knew he needed the same thing, she could feel it in the fine sheen of sweat that covered his body, in the way his cock thrummed inside her. He was forcing her to ask. “How?” She licked her dry lips and turned away. She didn’t want him to see her blush. None of her other lovers had asked her to be so forthright with what she needed. Perhaps it was why sex hadn’t been enjoyable. Until now. “Rough. I want you to be rough.” His teeth bit down on the soft skin of her shoulder. He pushed back into her roughly, with enough force to slam her body against the door. They found a rhythm. Hard, fast, desperate. Each giving and taking. She matched his intensity, rocking her hips against his, riding his cock. Sweat dripped from his body onto hers. She didn’t care. All that mattered was the feel of his body. Jared drove inside her, stroking a delicate spot with the head of his cock, and she moaned. Still, it wasn’t enough friction. She swallowed hard. “Almost. Almost.” Tessa guided his hand between her thighs. As his nimble fingers worried her clit, her body tightened. Her pussy throbbed. The friction from his cock and his fingers was too intense. Dropping her head to her chest, she choked out his name. Her orgasm washed over her, and Tessa’s world went blank. Lights burst behind her eyes. She clenched around his shaft, drawing him. Moisture flooded her core, coating him in her juices. She continued to shudder around him, and Jared pumped into her a few more seconds, murmuring words of affection before he followed her over the edge. Hot jets of cum splashed against her womb. Her heart pounded. Her walls clamped around his cock, holding him inside. Her body refused to let him go. Tiny aftershocks of pleasure still zinged in her pussy, wrenching small mewling sounds from her throat. Jared slumped against her. Her pussy tightened around his cock, clenched and released, clenched and released. He managed to smile. Tessa was well and truly fucked. If he had the energy he might have teased her. But this wasn’t a time for teasing. His labored breathing matched hers, his heart beat wildly, pumping blood to his muscles. His body was alive in a way he’d never experienced before. He kissed her neck. “Maybe we should take this upstairs?”
Chapter Seven “I want you to come to a special party with me.” Wrapped in Jared’s arms, Tessa nuzzled his bare chest. She lay cocooned in the afterglow of great sex. Her bed was warm and comfy, more so with Jared in it. Over the past week he’d shown her tons of sexually enticing delights. Just the thought of them made her body burn. She’d gone further than she thought possible. Jared pushed her body and chipped away at her boundaries. After she’d opened up, they’d grown closer. The more emotionally attached she’d become, the easier it was to submit. Jared was nothing like her preconceived notions of a Dominant. He allowed her freedom and still exerted control. She’d stopped overanalyzing and started enjoying their sexual encounters. “What kind of party?” She placed a tender kiss on his chest before propping up on one elbow to stare at his handsome face. It still floored her how devastating he looked when he smiled. Her heart never failed to miss a beat, and her nipples tightened to the point of pain. Tessa was falling in love. She didn’t want to think about what would happen in one week when their agreement ended. Their emotional connection had deepened as they discovered more about each other. She found herself thinking of him often outside the bedroom. At the store, she’d pick up an item of food he liked without thinking about it. She’d search Amazon and find a review of a book he might enjoy. It was more than sex. Although Jared hadn’t voiced his feelings, the arrangement was affecting him too. He spent every night in her bed, every morning at her breakfast table. She combed her fingers through the fine thatch of hair on his chest. She didn’t want to think about what would happen in two weeks, a month, six months. She didn’t know. For once she was living in the moment. Consequences be damned. “It’s a private party. Just a few people I know.” Jared ran his hand up and down her arm. “It’s a BDSM thing. Like I said, a private one, so it’s discreet.” He tilted her chin upward. “I want you to go as my slave.” If it was that simple, she wondered why he looked so serious. Being a slave had never appealed. It was one thing she’d tried to avoid, one reason she’d stayed away from the BDSM clubs. Yet his request sent shivers of excitement through her. His slave had a nice ring to it. “Why do I feel like there is a huge catch?” “It’s not as simple as it sounds. First real public outing. There are gonna be certain expectations of me, of us. I just don’t want you to feel pressured into something you’re not ready for.” He captured her hand and placed a tender kiss on her palm. Her body reacted to his touch. Jolts of electricity surged from the nerve endings in her fingertips down to her toes. Her body heated. Her heart did a strange flip-flopping beat. She was falling for Jared Campbell big-time. Sure, Dominants and submissives could have loving relationships but this was…more. “It’s okay, Jared. I know I’m supposed to act like a good little submissive.” She rolled on top of him, straddling his waist. “And I promise I will.” She made a cross sign over her heart. “Scout’s honor.” “You were never a scout. Not even a Girl Scout.” Tessa batted her eyelashes. “And how would you know?” “Because I know you, Dr. Connolly.” He captured her lips in a passionate kiss. A few weeks ago, Jared asking her to be his slave would have resulted in a huge argument, one involving broken dishes and raised voices. Now things had changed. She no longer experienced feelings of fear and insubordination. Tessa knew she was his equal in every way that mattered. She knew he valued her as an intelligent, independent woman. He had taught her sexual submission could be completely different from a 24/7 relationship. If he wanted her to be his slave at a party, if he wanted to be with her in public, she could do nothing but agree. She found the whole idea exciting. “You know, I actually kind of like the idea of being a slave. You telling me what to say, what to do, what to eat. Like that scene from Secretary. You know—four peas, one scoop of mashed potatoes, as much ice cream as I can stomach.” A shiver of desire ran down her spine and made her pussy pulse. “Forcing me to worship your cock in front of an audience.” He grabbed her hips, jerking her forward, and she yelped. She fell on top of him and he flipped them over, changing their position so he was in the dominant spot. On top. “You are such a dirty girl. But that’s not what you need. I know exactly what you need, when you need it.” Naked hips brushed against hers. She could feel his cock harden. Her pussy heated and moisture slithered between her thighs. “I know when you want to be restrained. I know when you need to come. I know when you need for me to fuck your pretty, tight, wet pussy.” Jared punctuated each statement with an erotic slide of his hips. Skin still slick from previous mind-blowing sex sessions, they slid together easily. The head of his cock brushed against her clit, adding a delicious amount of friction. He pinned her wrists to the bed and thrust deep inside her throbbing sheath. His cock was hard and hot inside her pussy. He stretched her inner walls. The feeling of fullness was mouthwatering. Tessa groaned, raising her hips to meet his. He added just the right amount of pressure on her wrists. Teetering on the edge of the pleasurepain threshold only excited her more. Jared was right—he knew her needs more thoroughly than she knew herself. Surprisingly, it worked both ways. She knew how to touch him, how to arouse him to the point of pain, but she also knew how to make him laugh, how to soothe him. Surely that constituted something more than a business arrangement? He thrust into her with long, drawn-out strokes. Her body burned. Her nipples were tight little pebbles. His chest rubbed against them, abrading the delicate skin, causing frissons of pain to course through her. She gasped. His leisurely pace shattered her concentration. It was amazing how he could do that. She met him stroke for stroke, wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him. He pounded her into the bed. Her head banged against the
headboard but she didn’t care. All that mattered was his cock inside her, filling her, fucking her. “Jared…more.” She clung onto his shoulders, dug her fingernails into his skin. He groaned, gripped her hair and shoved hard. She screamed. Lightning burst behind her eyes as his cock rubbed her G-spot. “I’m going to come!” Her cunt clenched, tightened around his shaft, locking him inside her. He roared into her ear. His seed pumping into her womb. His body collapsed on top of hers but she didn’t mind his weight. She enjoyed it. The sensations of their combined orgasms made him twitch, sparking tiny shockwaves in her pussy. She ran her fingertips up and down his muscular back, tracing the contours. She reveled in her own power when he shivered. She really loved his body. He nuzzled her collarbone. “So you still want to go to that party?” His words were muffled, his face buried in the crook of her neck. Tessa laughed. “How can I say no after that?”
***** “Well, it’s certainly…” Tessa raked her gaze over the flimsy material of the outfit Jared had purchased for her. “Interesting.” When he said he’d pick her clothes for the party, she’d expected leather. Never in her wildest dreams could she have conjured up this outfit. He called it a “submissive slave princess” costume, specially tailored for parties like this one. The outfit comprised a bustier gown with a brown skirt. The bustier was gold-toned with a halter neck, lace-up sides and underwire cups that pushed her breasts up to Everest proportions, leaving her nipples on display. The skirt had numerous slits, and the material was so opaque you could see her underwear. If he’d given her underwear. Jared held up the dress and swept a glance over her body before offering her the material. “We have an hour or so before we need to leave. Go put it on.” Tessa knew it wasn’t a request. It was another step on the ladder of submission. Insubordination would only result in punishment. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of showing defiance. She lifted her chin. Slowly, she reached out and took the dress. He smiled, and she resisted the urge to bob her tongue in his direction. “Do I get to wear underwear with this, Master?” She couldn’t stop the biting tone from creeping into her voice. Jared raised an eyebrow. “Do you need punishing, slave? We have time for a spanking.” Her mouth watered at the image. She’d always had a wild fantasy of him dressed in leather, spanking a paddle across her soft ass cheeks. In fact, she had some sort of leather fetish, especially where Jared was concerned. She sighed. “Not right now. I have to work out how to get my breasts into those cups.” He gave her a self-satisfied grin. “I’m your Dom, it’s my job to take care of all those li’l things for ya.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks.” She headed for the stairs. “Oh, one more thing. What are you wearing?” He rummaged around in the various shopping bags scattered over the couch. Pulling out a pair of pants, he held them up for inspection. Tessa gripped the banister for support. She was sure drool dribbled from her open mouth. The pants were leather, complete with lace-up sides and crotch.
Yowser. “Does it meet with your approval?” It took a few minutes to get her mind out of the gutter and her mouth to function enough to speak. “You are soooo wearing those when we get home.” Turning on her heel, she ran up the stairs, Jared’s laughter following her every step. The party was set in an average, upscale town house. Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t this. Jared was changing her expectations of the whole BDSM scene. In fact, Jared was changing her expectations on a lot of things. She’d started out willing to explore her submissive streak. What she found was a man she cared deeply about and a situation she had no idea how to resolve. Should she tell Jared she cared for him? The indecision was eating her alive. “Ready?” Jared gave her arm a gentle squeeze. Tessa stared up at the town house, marveling at its ordinary façade. She shivered. He’d allowed her the small courtesy of wearing a slim, black thong. Underneath the thin shawl, her nipples were bare, hard points. She didn’t want to think about the amount of people in attendance. She only hoped she wasn’t the only “submissive” on display. She nodded and managed to give Jared a small smile, swallowing the knot of apprehension lodged in her throat. As they entered the house, the husky tones of rock singer Chris Cornell wafted through the air. People milled around, drinking, talking. It was like any normal party if you ignored the outfits and the people walking around attached to collars and leashes. “Remember, you’re a submissive tonight. You do what I tell you, when I tell you. No arguments.” He turned to her, his green eyes boring into hers. He looked lethal, dangerous, commanding and dominant. She was glad he’d allowed her to wear panties. Cream flowed from her pussy, and Tessa was left in no doubt about her sexual attraction to a dominant, alpha male. He eased the shawl from her shoulders, baring her breasts to the cool air. She hissed as her nipples tightened. Jared ran his palm down her arm. “You are mine, Tessa. Don’t ever forget that.” Stunned at the conviction and passion in his voice, she shook her head. “I won’t.” Taking her hand, he led her through the small crowd. Tessa looked around. She couldn’t help it. There was a variety of people in an assortment of costumes. Just like Inferno, there was a lot of leather. One submissive female wore a halter bra and leather panties. Her puffy peach nipples were exposed to her Master’s touch. Every few
seconds, he pinched them and a look of pure rapture appeared on Halter Woman’s face. Her jaw slackened and her eyes closed. “Why, Jared, darling, what have you brought us this evening?” Jared stopped. His hand tightened around Tessa’s. “Lydia, you know I always bring y’all something tasty.” Jared blocked her view. He leaned down and Tessa heard the smack of kisses on the other woman’s cheeks. She resisted the urge to growl. She narrowed her eyes and tried to get a glimpse of the woman attached to the voice. Jared had reverted back to his heavy Texan twang, and Tessa wondered if it was part of the gameplay or if he did it to charm the ladies. The woman, Lydia, clucked her teeth, and Tessa wished Jared wasn’t so damn broad. “Let me introduce you.” He finally stepped out the way and she got a good look at Lydia. The woman was a tall, knockout redhead. Legs up to her ass, perky round breasts encased in a sexy midnight-blue corset, long, curly auburn hair and dazzling green eyes. Tessa hated the woman on sight. Jared pulled her forward. “Lydia, I’d like you meet my new partner, Tessa.” Lydia eyed her up and down, lingering on her nipples. Tessa fought the urge to shift her feet, her cheeks heating with embarrassment and fury. “Well, she is a tasty thing.” Lydia stroked Jared’s arm intimately. “But you haven’t had her long.” Jared raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?” “She still has that…defiant look in her eye.” He gave her a wicked grin. “Sugar, you know that’ll change.” Tessa wouldn’t have thought it possible but Lydia blushed. Oh yeah, she really hated this woman. A scathing comment lingered on the edge of her tongue. She stopped herself from speaking it. This was Jared’s night. She would be what he needed. And he needed her to be quiet. A blond man crawled up to Lydia. He nuzzled her ankles and offered up a metal chain attached to a satin collar tied around his neck. Her gaze never left Jared’s, but Lydia reached down, took the leash and patted the blond guy’s head. “This is my latest. Gorgeous, isn’t he?” Tessa shuddered. She could never be reduced to that level of submission. To her it was humiliation. Degradation didn’t appeal to her on any level, let alone sexually. “He’s certainly something.” Excusing them, Jared led them to a quiet corner. He sat in a plush white-leather chair and pulled her into his lap. “You doing okay?” She wanted to scream, shout and tell him no, she wasn’t okay. Her fears clawed at the surface, demanding attention. She felt way out of her depth. Uncomfortable at being on display, she wanted to go hide in a cupboard. Could she ever be that submissive? Panic warred with the need to support Jared. Jared, the man who broke down her boundaries, weaved his way into her heart. He needed her to do this. Pushing aside her doubts, she focused on him. She remembered walking behind him minutes ago. The way the leather cupped his ass cheeks, making his rear look pert and biteable. Desire replaced fear. She’d come a long way in such a short time, partly due to Jared’s steadfast influence. Tessa’s heart swelled with pride at her own achievement. She could do this for him. She fixed him with an intimate smile and leaned down, whispering in his ear, “I know you’re supposed to be the Master, and I’m the good little submissive, so I guess I can’t feel your cock through those pants?” Jared growled, his hands tightening on her body. “You, my girl, are in for a spanking.” She loved the thrill of anticipation, more so with Jared. He was exciting, enticing, sensual and seductive. In one week their arrangement would come to an end. Tessa couldn’t imagine being without him. Taking her hand, he pushed her gently. She stood and looked down at him, puzzled as to what he wanted. They’d only just arrived. “You’re in for a spanking. Right now.” Her pussy heated, clenched and released a gush of moisture. Juice trickled down her thighs. Her heart pounded. What did he have planned? A public spanking? No, he wouldn’t do that to her yet. She wasn’t ready. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t be able to handle that. She kept her eyes downcast. He led her through the small crowd, whispered something to Lydia and drew her into a large, ordinary bedroom. “Look at me, Tessa.” His finger lifted her chin and she met his warm, green stare. Such intensity, such passion and adoration. It took her breath away. “I’m going to spank you. I’m going to paddle your pretty little ass until the cheeks are on fire. Would you like that, Tessa?” Her nostrils flared as she inhaled. It lifted her heavy breasts. She wanted him to reach out and touch them, pinch her nipples, ease the ache in the tight little buds. She nodded. “Yes, Master.” His eyes widened, his pupils dilated. She knew he was pleased with her answer. Pleasing him sent tiny shivers of pride down her spine. She was learning to be a good submissive. “Do you trust me, Tessa?” The question was more of a plea. Desperation flashed in his eyes. Despite the niggling doubts, she did trust him. He would never hurt her or humiliate her. Needing to soothe some of his discomfort, she pressed a hand to his cheek and smiled. “I trust you, Master.” The door clicked open. In walked Lydia and her slave. Tessa blinked. Panic bubbled to the surface. So it was going to be a public spanking. Shit. The only public spanking she’d received had been at Inferno and she’d run. What if she couldn’t handle it? What if she embarrassed Jared, and herself? Her pulse rate spiked. Her breathing hitched. “Tessa.” His hand slipped over hers and she forced herself to look at him. “For me, Tessa. I promise no one else. Lydia is a friend. It’s part of your submission. I want you to do this for me.” She blinked, unsure. “Why?” “Because this will be your final act of complete submission.” She would do this for him. And herself. She’d spent years craving something and now she had it. She had Jared. A kind, caring Dominant who made her insane with desire.
She nodded her consent. Lydia sat in a corner chair, her slave at her feet. Tessa threw her a glance and the other woman rewarded her with a small smile. Grateful for the encouragement, Tessa smiled back. Maybe Lydia wasn’t as much of a bitch as she’d originally thought. “I want you to climb on the bed and kneel on all fours. Stick your ass out.” Jared’s voice dragged her away from her thoughts. She did as he commanded. Sticking out her ass for an audience made her feel vulnerable. Heat flushed her face, yet her body burned. Her nipples tightened, beaded into tight pearls. Her clit swelled. She locked eyes with Lydia. The woman stroked her slave’s hair. Was that anticipation etched on her face? Jared caressed her ass cheeks. His fingers kneaded the flesh. His rough touch sent licks of fire burning in her pussy and she let out a small keening sound. His fingers dipped inside her pussy, spread her juices around her lips, and she pushed back against his hand. “Good girl, Tessa. Already wet for me. Just the way I like you.” She was unprepared for the sharp slap that cracked across her ass. Pain lanced through her nerve endings, setting them alight. Her body stiffened. She sucked in a huge gulp of air and held her breath, riding out the pain. When the sting lessened, she exhaled, released her muscles. Pleasure and a dull ache replaced the hurt. A wooden hairbrush came into her view. “This is what I’m using, Tessa. A plain old hairbrush. Every time you brush your hair, I want you to think of me. I want you to imagine me doing this, spanking your tight little ass. I want you to touch your clit, rub your pussy and get nice and wet for me. Every time, Tessa. Every time.” She nodded. Jared moved behind her again and rained blow after blow on her delicate skin. Her mind blanked. Her pussy pulsed with every smack.
Crack. Crack. Crack. She wanted him to stop. She never wanted to him to stop. Emotions raged, warred. Her body burned with need. All that mattered was the sharp sting of wood on her ass. She rode the pain, her body flooded with adrenaline and endorphins. Her mind floated, caught up in the sensation. All her thought processes vanished. She wasn’t Tessa, just a conduit for pleasure. A thing to be used any way her Master saw fit. His fingers on her skin, soothing the fire. Rubbing something cooling onto her ass. She gasped, blinked, inhaled. Lydia licked her lips and tightened her hand in her slave’s hair. “Beautiful.” Was she talking about the man at her feet? Or her? She didn’t care. She was Tessa Connolly. Sex therapist. Submissive. She wanted to cry, to sing with joy. Ahhh. Subspace. She’d read about this. Jared’s hand touched her pussy, gently caressed the lips. He avoided her clit, which made Tessa moan with frustration. His erotic ministrations were rewarded with a rush of cream. She teetered on the edge. Her clit throbbed. She needed relief, needed him to soothe the hardened bud like he had her burning ass. “Please, Master. Please, I’m begging you.” His fingertip worried her clit, hard and fast. She squeezed her eyes closed and concentrated, focused on the tingling sensation between her thighs. “Come, Tessa. Come.” Three words were all it took. His rough, commanding voice telling her to come tightened her pussy and pushed her over the edge. She rode the orgasm. Shudders racked her body. Her arms gave way and she collapsed onto the bed, mind and body numb. “Good girl. You’re my good girl.” The bed dipped as Jared climbed up beside her. He wrapped her body in his and placed gentle kisses on her forehead. His words soothed her soul and she smiled. All her fears had been pushed aside. She was a submissive. She was his. “Jared, great to see you again. And what do we have here? You found a little something to whet your appetite again?” Tessa looked up into the eyes of a dark-haired man. His smile wasn’t sexy, it looked predatory. After the spanking session, Jared had taken her back downstairs to the party. Looking at this man, she wished he hadn’t. “Nick, good to see you again.” From the forced joviality of Jared’s tone, Tessa doubted this was true. “We were beginning to think you’d given up the scene for good. What’s it been, almost a year?” Jared nodded. “Sure has.” Nick’s gaze swung to Tessa’s breasts. His tongue snaked out to touch his upper lip, making her cringe. “Always the best for you. Although, would you be willing to share this one like the last? I remember how she squealed and begged for more when I fucked her.” Tessa’s heart sank. Jared had shared his last partner? Was this a regular occurrence? Her mind ran through his earlier comments. She was supposed to do everything he asked. He wouldn’t ask her to have sex with this man, would he? “She looks like a fiery thing. What say we teach her what BDSM is really about?” Nick ran his hand across her shoulder, down her arm. Tessa flinched. “What say you loan her out to me for the evening, like you used to? Huh, Jared? What do you say, do we have a deal?” Nick’s words floored her. Waves of nausea rolled through her. She looked at Jared, willing him to speak. His silence made panic bubble to the surface. Why wasn’t he telling this asshole where to go? Deals. Arrangements. Had Jared been grooming her for this? For some double-time fuck with his friend? Hurt and outrage overwhelmed Tessa as she waited for Jared’s reply. He’d humiliated her, just like her fiancé. She looked at Jared. He refused to meet her gaze. He looked guilty.
When Jared failed to tell Nick a flat-out no, Tessa had her answer. He’d planned this, planned exactly what she’d always feared. How could she have been so stupid? Her heart broke. Tears prickled at the back of her eyes but she refused to let them flow. She refused to let the bastard know she cared. She’d been so damn stupid, thinking this arrangement could work out between them. He’d used her and she’d fallen for it. Her desires had clouded her judgment. She’d allowed submission to get in the way of her common sense. Stupid. She needed to gain some control, forget this whole sorry mess. But first she needed to leave. She straightened her spine and spoke one, solitary word. “Pandora.” Nick gave her a puzzled glance. Jared shifted in his seat. “Tessa?” She repeated her safeword. “Tessa, look at me.” She wouldn’t. Jared gripped her chin and forced her to look his way. “It’s over. I’ve used my safeword. I’m going home.” The wounded look in his eyes almost brought her to her knees, yet she knew it was an act. If he even thought for one second she would consider screwing his friend, he wasn’t the man she thought he was. “Tessa, it’s not what you think.” Gathering her resolve, she glared at him. Inside, her heart became a crumbling mess of betrayal. “Goodbye, Jared.” She rose as gracefully as her shattered emotions would allow. She wove through the room, not once looking back. He called her name but she ignored him. Lydia stepped in her path. “Your Master calls your name, slave.” Tessa’s anger rose full force, aimed directly at the woman in front of her. All she wanted was to go home and lick her wounds. “Look, Lydia. Get out of my way before I bitch-slap you.” Lydia raised her eyebrows. “A slave never talks to a Master like that.” She was tempted, oh so tempted, to do exactly as she pleased, but half-naked and tired, she didn’t have the energy. Instead, she sidestepped the woman. Lydia grabbed her and Tessa yanked her arm back. “I’m no person’s slave.” In the hallway, she pulled on her shawl. She needed to get out of the house, away from all the people, away from Jared. She was mad as hell but it was Jared’s betrayal that pierced right through to her heart. Her head ached, her body was numb. She could barely stumble outside, into the cold night air. Hailing a cab, she let her resolve crumble. The tears slipped down her cheeks in silent rivulets. How could she have been so stupid, so naïve to believe a man like Jared could ever want something more meaningful than sex? She cursed herself. And him.
Chapter Eight Jared stood on the steps and watched Tessa’s cab drive away. He’d been surprised at her abrupt departure and the cancellation of their partnership. For a few moments, he’d been too stunned to react. Rousing himself into action, he’d pushed past the onlookers and rushed after her. But he’d been too late. She’d left him. He stared into the night. There was a chill in the air but he didn’t feel it. The pain of losing Tessa made his body numb. It had been a mistake to bring her here but he’d wanted to show her off. His woman. He wanted everyone to know she was his. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been ready. Nick snorted. “Your new submissive appears to be a real bitch.” The pounding in Jared’s ears became a roar. No longer able to contain his anger, he turned and pointed a finger at Nick. “Don’t ever, ever, talk about Tessa in that tone again, you hear me?” The urge to crush the conceited son of a bitch’s larynx was almost too much to resist. The bastard had forced Tessa to leave him. He’d driven away the one woman Jared cared about. Thinking he had enough time to confess his feelings in the future, Jared had never approached the subject with Tessa. Now it was too late. She was gone, and Nick would pay for his indiscretion. The look of disgust and contempt Tessa had thrown at Jared was etched into his mind forever. Granted, she’d started out as just a challenge. She’d fascinated him on a number of levels. Now…now she was much more. “You son of a bitch.” Jared clenched his fist and took a step toward Nick. He wanted to cause pain. He wanted Nick to bleed. “Jesus Christ, Jared! What the hell has gotten into you?” Lydia’s high-pitched screech assaulted his eardrums as she stepped outside. Taking a deep breath, Jared stopped. He dragged huge gulps of air into his lungs. The force of his feelings for Tessa swam into startling focus. He loved her. He loved her fiercely. Completely. And he would do anything to get her back. “I’m sorry. He just… She left me.” All the adrenaline seeped from his body. Nick mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and beat a hasty retreat into the house. Deflated, Jared sank onto the top step, dropping his head into his hands. Finally, his past had caught up with him. He wasn’t ashamed. What happened in the past with his previous lovers had been purely consensual. He would never force a woman to do something she was uncomfortable with. But the way Nick made it sound—seedy, sordid—Tessa had gotten the wrong idea. She couldn’t have been further from the truth. He’d never share her. The thought of another man touching her made him want to kill someone. He almost had. “I’ve told you taking inexperienced partners would get you into trouble. They don’t understand the game. And you…” She slapped him across the head. “You obviously brought her here before she was ready. You haven’t talked about your previous lovers, you haven’t explained, have you?” Jared shook his head. He hadn’t wanted to sully what they had by describing his past in detail. It seemed tacky, tasteless. Especially when she was so fragile, so defiant about giving into her own needs. Usually he was a good Dominant. He was good at sex, at teaching women to embrace their needs. With Tessa, he’d done everything wrong, yet he didn’t regret a single moment until now. When he didn’t say anything, Lydia stroked his hair. “Oh my god, you’ve fallen for her, haven’t you? I mean, really fallen for her?” Jared nodded. “I think I love her, Lydia.” She frowned. “You think? Boy, me and you need to have a talk. Now.” A cough sounded from behind the partially open door, and Lydia’s slave stepped from the shadows. He walked on two feet, and not tied to a leash. Jared glanced up at Lydia, noting the gentle smile playing on her lips. Lydia placed a hand on his arm. “Ben, can you see to the guests? I’m sure the melodrama has caused a stir but I need to talk to Jared.” Ben gave her a small smile. “Sure. Are you okay?” Lydia returned his smile and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. “I’m fine, baby.” Ben nodded and returned to placate the guests. Jared startled with surprise. Lydia had fallen in love. Something he never thought possible. She lived for the chase, for the thrill of breaking in a submissive and moving on to the next. If only Tessa had been here. He could have shown her what a truly loving experience dominance and submission could be. He didn’t want any other woman. With Ben gone, Lydia walked down a few steps and sat. It felt strange to be here now. The silence of the night echoed in his ears. There was a big, gaping hole in his heart and he didn’t know how to fix it. “You think you love her?” He raised his gaze to Lydia’s. “I am not having this conversation with you.” She snorted. “Why? Because we’ve had sex a few times? Please, Jared. You know how this works.” She leaned over and patted his arm. “You love her. You wouldn’t have brought her here before she was ready if you didn’t.” Jared frowned, confused. “How did you figure that one out?” “Female intuition.” Before he could make some snide remark, Lydia held up her hand. “Let me finish. You haven’t taken a woman in months. When you do, it’s obviously one who is into the game but not into the lifestyle. It’s obvious in the way you look at her, the way you touch her, she’s someone special.” She leaned back, resting her elbows against the top step, and pushed her long legs out in front of her. “You’re scared of
commitment.” “Excuse me?” “You’re afraid of commitment. You’re afraid of hurting her like your father hurt you.” “My father left.” “Exactly my point. You have severe abandonment issues. Now that this woman has taken your heart, you’re afraid of what could happen if you let yourself love her.” Jared rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the psychoanalysis, Dr. Phil.” Lydia’s face became serious, almost grim. “You are not your father.” “If you added my name after that sentence, you would have sounded like Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Jared tried to jest but deep down he knew she was right. He did fear commitment. He did fear that, somewhere inside him, he was exactly like his father. A no-good lowlife who would abandon his wife and kids. “Look. I know what you are going through. Ben and I…well…” It was the first time in many years Jared had seen a blush color Lydia’s cheekbones. “I love him. He loves me.” Jared gave her a whimsical smile. “I kinda guessed that.” Shaking her head, she continued, “I don’t think you understand. You know me, you know I need to be the Domme. Ben allows me to be that person but he also fills a hole in my heart. If you’d asked me six months ago, I’d have said you were crazy. Love and me don’t mix. Seems we do. We mesh. We just mesh so well.” “I’m happy for you, Lydia.” His heart felt like it was breaking, his chest tight, making it difficult to breathe, but he was happy for his friend. “Thanks. But Jared, you have to go to her. You have to explain to Tessa a Dominant and submissive can find an equal, fulfilling relationship in the real world, outside of the bedroom. You have to explain you’re not into the lifestyle. Yeah, you like a little Dom/sub sex play, but you don’t live the lifestyle 24/7. You have to give each other a chance.” He raked a hand through his hair, contemplating her words. “I don’t know what to say to her.” “The truth. You have to tell her the truth.”
***** Tessa slammed the door with such force, they probably felt it down in Mexico. Anger, hurt and betrayal surged through her body. She wanted to scream, lash out and cut off Jared Campbell’s dick with a blunt knife. On the other hand, she wanted to lock herself away and sob uncontrollably for a month. Or two. Jared had done a real number on her emotions. Losing herself and her dignity was what she’d been afraid of. She hated him. More than that, she hated herself for thinking they could share something other than lust. Someone who loved her would never give her to another man. Running up the stairs, she stripped off her shawl. The slave outfit repulsed her. She unhooked the skirt and let it pool on the floor. She stepped out of the material and tried to undo the eyes of the corset, fumbling with the laces. Tessa clawed at the fabric, not caring if she ripped the garment. Frustrated, she grabbed a pair of scissors from her dresser and cut. Small sobs escaped her throat as she worked. Finally out of the offending material, she balled it in her fists and threw it against the wall. Once she bundled herself into an old pair of jeans and a baggy sweater, Tessa sat on the bed. She hugged a pillow to her breasts. Closing her eyes, she let emotions wash over her. Jared had wanted to share her, her body, with another man. She imagined them laughing about it, high-fiving each other. Tears spilled over and she dashed them away. She would not cry for that bastard, not ever. Yet her heart ached for what could have been. She was a fool to think in terms of emotion, of love. To Jared, she’d been an amusement. Icy shards of pain stabbed into her heat. It was irrational to be so involved. As a rational person, she knew it was impossible to consider herself in love, but there was no denying it. It hurt so much. She mumbled a string of swear words. Jared had never once given any reason to indicate he cared about her. Sure, there were times while having sex when he’d mumble words of affection. There were times when they shared a meal or a conversation and she would catch him looking at her with something like rapture. It meant nothing. He’d never actually spoken of love, of his feelings. It was all in her poor, deluded mind. A thumping at her front door broke her gloomy self-pity routine. She scowled, wondering what the hell could be so urgent. “Tessa! Open the goddamn door!” Her foot froze on the stairs. How dare he? She narrowed her eyes, imagined heading into the kitchen for a meat cleaver and burying it right between Jared Campbell’s thighs. “Tessa! I know you’re in there. Open the door and let’s talk about this. I have some things I need to say.” Her fury boiled over. “Oh you have some things you need to say, huh? Some things like, ‘Get your panties off, slave’? Some things like, ‘Fuck my friend, slave’? Yeah, those are things I really want to hear right now.” Jared stopped the thumping. “Please, Tessa. Just open the door. We need to talk. Nick was an ass. He was wrong. Please.” “Fuck off, Jared.” Yeah, the comeback was real big of her but she didn’t have anything else to say. Maybe if she ignored him, he’d go away. She could go back to her room, bury her head in the sand and eat ice cream. Maybe she’d cry a few tears… Who was she kidding? She’d need to do a major repair job on her heart. No way in hell would she ever let him know that. “I’m countin’ to ten. If you don’t open this fuckin’ door, I’m gonna break it down.” His Texan accent was heavy and thick. Her heart clenched as she remembered it was just another thing she loved about him. “Touch that door, and I will call 9-1-1.” An empty threat, just like his threat to kick down the door. No sane man would kick down the door for a conversation. As the wood splintered, she realized Jared Campbell was not quite sane.
He battled his way through the flying wood and chippings. Looking around, he searched the hallway and adjoining rooms. In a heartbeat, his gaze fixed on hers. His face set in a grimace, lips slashed thin, eyes blazing with fury. Tessa took a step back, up the stairs. She’d never been afraid of Jared, not once in all the time they’d spent together, but now, now was different. “Get out.” The tone she used was laced with venom. She might be afraid but she would never show Jared. As if sensing he wasn’t going to get anywhere playing the bully, he took a deep breath and stopped. He raised his hands slowly in surrender. “I just want to talk.” Moving forward, he sank onto the bottom step, back against the wall, and looked up at her. “Just hear me out.” Tessa stared down at him from the top of the staircase. The pinched features, the lines on his furrowed brow, made him look years older. Her heart ached for him. Ached for what they could have had together. Mirroring his actions, she sank down, perched on the top step and held onto the banister. She wanted a firm grip on something solid if she needed to bolt for the bathroom. It was the only door in the house that locked. He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. Moments ticked by. “Nick was telling the truth. In the past, we have shared partners. He was a good friend. We used to be inseparable until I grew up and finally realized what an arrogant prick he is.” His eyes opened and he fixed his intent gaze on her. “But that was all in the past. Years ago. Every one of my partners was willing. I would never make anyone do something they are uncomfortable with. Ever. Things change, Tessa. People change. I hadn’t taken a woman in months. Everyone and everything in the lifestyle bored me. Women treated me like a plaything. Something to show off. A rich, successful Dom as a play partner.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I wanted more. I wanted a woman to be my equal outside the bedroom.” Tessa sighed. Her head pounded. A heavy feeling of despair lodged in her stomach. Words were just words. Sure, he would say that now. Now that he’d been caught out. “So you weren’t expecting me to have sex with him?” She shrugged. “You weren’t grooming me to share with your buddies like some sordid sex toy?” “No. I never want to share you with anyone.” The conviction and longing in his voice made her want to believe. “I don’t believe you.” He raked a hand through his hair. A gesture she’d come to associate closely with Jared when he was nervous or contemplative. She wondered which one he was now. “Tessa, you have to believe me…I…” “You what?” She spat out the words. “What were you going to say, Jared? Surely the big, bad playboy isn’t lost for words.” Before she had a chance to blink, he launched himself off the stair and scrambled toward her. He grabbed her arms, and they struggled for dominance. Tessa clawed her way out of his grasp and clamored up the last step, away from him. He tackled her, pinning her to the floor. His hands on her body were rough. Blood rushed to her head, pounded in her ears. Adrenaline surged. She had to get away from him. “Fuck, Tessa! Stay still! I was gonna tell you I love you!” She went pliant in his arms. Completely still. “You can’t love me. You don’t know me.” Jared turned her over and she stared up at his face. His brow was furrowed, his eyes stormy-green orbs that danced with conviction. He placed his palms on the floor. “I know enough about you. You’re driving me insane. You’re under my damn skin.” Her chest heaved up and down and she felt like she’d been slapped. Her muscles ached, her cheeks burned. “That’s called lust.” He laughed. “You drive me fucking crazy, you know that?” He couldn’t possibly love her. She lifted her chin defiantly. “Screw you.” “Oh no, sugar. We already did that.” A hopeful smile appeared on his face. Tessa scowled. “I don’t know when it happened, but I love you.” He caressed her cheek. “I love your fire and your intelligence. Your passion. I love you, and I have no fucking idea what to do about it.” The look of desperation, of confusion, in his eyes made her reach up and touch his brow, smoothing away the lines etching the skin. All the fight seeped out of her. Relationships confused her. Sex, she understood. Basic human desires, she understood. When it came to emotions, her own emotions, she had no clue. Jared dropped his forehead against hers. “What do you want me to do about it?” Make love to me, sweep me off my feet, stay with me. She made a mental note to beat the crap out of her subconscious once the situation was over. He sighed. The sigh spoke volumes, like he held the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I want you to give us a chance at a real relationship.” Her heart skipped a beat. “And if I say no?” “Then you are gonna find a stalker on your ass from now ’til infinity.” She gave him a wry look. “Don’t jest about such things.” “I’m deadly serious.”
Gulp. “You’re killing me here. Give me a chance. Give us a chance. Let me make it up to you. Put the kink aside. Give me time and I know you could grow to love me too.” Was that vulnerability written all over his face? Yep, it sure was. She was a sucker for vulnerability. The ironic part was, she already loved him. Total, flat-out, full-blown beating heart, head over heels in love. Now he offered all her secret desires on a platter. Maybe it was time to fess up. “I don’t have to grow to love you,” she whispered. “I already do.”
He tilted his head and frowned as if he hadn’t heard her right. He studied her face. She smiled at him. A broad smile that curled her lips, that made her jaw ache. A slow smile replaced his frown. “Say what?” “I love you.” The smile turned into a grin. “Say that again.” She thumped him lightly on the chest. “See, I knew this would happen. Dance with the devil, and you end up stroking his oversized ego.” He rolled his hips against hers. “Not the only thing that’s oversized.” Tessa groaned at his bad pun. Flipping onto his side, he rolled Tessa with him so she lay pressed against his chest. “Does this mean we’re a couple?” She reveled in the feel of him against her. Warm, solid, sexy as hell. It was a cliché but maybe love did conquer all. Nah. A grin tugged at her lips. Jared had a lot more groveling to do before she could forgive him. A hell of a lot. “This means we are a couple.” Deciding it was time to turn the tables on Jared, she straddled his waist and flashed him a wicked smile. “For now.”
The End
About the Author Multi-published author Scarlett Sanderson is a librarian by day and an erotic romance novelist by night. She lives in suburban England with her significant other and dreams of having Lara Croft-type adventures. As a reader, she loves to immerse herself in sweeping tales of romance, fantasy and, most of all, tantalizing erotica. Those are the elements she tries to weave into the stories she creates. When not writing, Scarlett has a burning passion for history, good chocolate, fine wine and anything supernatural (especially if it includes the hunters Dean and Sam Winchester from the TV show Supernatural!).
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