“Shut the fuck up.”
“Or maybe she was looking at me.” Daniel pushed off from the counter. “Wonder if she looks as good with that corset off? Only one way to find out.”
Damned if he was going to let Daniel have her. Though he probably should. They were both so much alike: blond good looks, wealthy, full of life.
“Sit down,” he said to his friend, surprised at how rough his voice sounded.
Daniel smiled in victory and sat on a nearby barstool. “About damn time.”
Jeff pretended not to hear him as he walked toward Dena.
She sat in the living room, a plate of cheese balanced on her knees and an open bottle of water on the floor by her feet.
“Mind if I sit down?” he asked.
“Master Parks,” she said, shifting the plate to one hand and attempting to stand up. “Please, have a seat.”
He motioned for her to sit back down and took a seat beside her.
“How’s your evening going?” he asked.
She glanced at the floor briefly, but he was pleased to note she looked up and met his eyes without being told. “Very nice, Sir. Everyone’s so friendly.”
“And yet you’re sitting here by yourself.”
“Not anymore,” she said with a seductive grin.
His cock hardened at her words, and he recalled what Daniel had said. Had she been waiting for him?
“You’re an attractive woman,” he said. “I’m sure you could play with just about any Dominant you wanted.”
She was a woman who knew exactly how desirable she was. She didn’t blush or brush off his compliment. Instead, she simply tipped her head in agreement. “I’ve never been one to play with just any Dominant, Sir.”
He decided to see if Daniel had been right after all. They were in the living room, where light play was allowed. “Take your shoes off and tell me how long you’ve lived in Wilmington.”
If she had no interest in him or playing, he knew she’d refuse. He braced himself for that possibility.
Ever so smoothly, she put her plate aside and unbuckled her heels, slid her feet out of them. “I moved into the area four weeks ago. I just took a new job.”
“Are you wearing anything under the skirt?”
Her eyes darkened. “Yes, Sir.”
“Good, because I didn’t ask why you moved here. Stand up and take the skirt off.”She didn’t hesitate at all. Moving quickly, she stood up, slid the skirt over her hips and down her legs, stepped out of it, and handed it to him. “I’m sorry for not following directions, Sir.”
Fuck, he wanted her. She was gorgeous and an experienced submissive. She moved with the self-confidence of a person unafraid to admit her needs and wants. And, quite possibly, she wanted him, too.
Still, he wasn’t one to jump into a scene without knowing a bit more about his partner. He fisted his hands against his thighs, forcing himself to take it slow and easy.
“Tell me about your worst experience as a submissive,” he continued.
For just a second, he thought she wouldn’t do it. He’d asked her something she wasn’t prepared for, and it unsettled her. She had a poker face a lot of the time, but every so often he could see hints of the woman underneath. A desire to seduce that woman and claim the submissive inside was growing within him quickly.
“My worst experience,” she said, “was the day I left my old Master. It was more than knowing I’d disappointed him. I actually felt his disappointment. It was like it burned me and weighted me down and picked me apart all at the same time. He was my Master, had been for almost a year. I’d lived to serve and please him. To knowingly do something he didn’t agree with? It killed a part of me.”
There was something more to the story, he could tell. Even if he couldn’t sense it from her expression, what he knew of her in the little time they’d spoken told she wouldn’t have left her Dominant without cause.
He had a feeling she’d tell him what it was if he asked, but he decided to leave that conversation for another day.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it wasn’t easy,” he said. “Now tell me about your best experience as a submissive.”
She gave him a seductive smile. “My best experience was the day I left my old Master.”
He covered his shock, or at least, he hoped he did. “How so?”
“I was new in the lifestyle when I agreed to wear his collar. I didn’t know my own limits and, more important, my worth. He was never physically abusive, but mentally, he wore me down. After a time, I discovered he didn’t respect me, didn’t value what I brought to the relationship.” She shrugged. “I’m a submissive, not a doormat. I deserved more, and I left him so I could find it.”
With every word she spoke, she impressed him more and more. He required honesty from anyone he played with, and she obviously understood its importance.
She crossed her legs and swung her foot. Once again, he was struck by her beauty. The outward aspects of it were obvious, but he had a feeling her inner beauty was even more stunning.
He realized she hadn’t taken a bite of anything since he’d sat down. He wouldn’t think she’d be waiting for him to give her permission to eat, but he should probably make sure. “Don’t let me keep you from eating.”
She took a block of cheddar from the plate and popped it in her mouth. His gaze was drawn to her red lips, and he watched as she chewed and swallowed. It was damn near the most erotic thing he’d ever seen in his life.
There was no use denying it: he wanted her. Badly.
But interestingly enough, he wanted to get to know her better just as much. He shouldn’t, though. He wasn’t meant for her kind. She was too beautiful, too wealthy, too much.
He didn’t care.
He scooted closer to her. “I see this going one of two ways. One, I take you down to the basement and put my ropes to good use. Or two, we call it a night, I take you to dinner tomorrow, and we see where we go from there.”
She leaned in to him. “Honestly, Sir, I’m a greedy submissive and I want them both.”
His cock stirred. Oh, yes, she was going to be a delight to master. He traced her lips. “But think of how much better it’ll be when I finally take you after you’ve been thinking about it all night.”
She kissed his finger. “Very well, Sir. Tomorrow night it is.”