“No, I should be the one apologizing.” He turned away, his shoulders stiff. “I’ll drive you home once you’re dressed; I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted.”
Tara’s need to soothe him overrode her need to retreat and she moved towards him before she could talk herself out of it, placing a hand on his shoulder. He was stiff beneath her touch.
“I don’t want to go home.” He turned around and she took a deep breath. “I’d like to stay.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Even though I was just a complete asshole?”
“Yes.” She got the feeling she’d hit a trigger with her teasing.
His shoulders relaxed. “Then shouldn’t you be naked?” He stared down at the sweatshirt she still held against her chest. Taking a deep breath, Tara dropped the sweatshirt. He needed her obedience right now. He needed calm and control.
She could give him that. She could sense he was hurting even if she didn’t know why and she wanted to help him.
Alex let out a deep breath.
“Strip me,” he ordered.
Damn, if her knees didn’t weaken with that order. She’d been dreaming of him naked for months, wondering what was beneath the pressed dress pants and shirts he wore. A lot of Doms wore leather, some dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts, but no one dressed as well as Alex. He always looked like he’d stepped out of a magazine.
Clumsily, she undid the buttons of his shirt. She had to get herself under control; she was acting like a teenager about to have her first make-out session. Taking a deep breath to get her nerves under control, Tara stripped his shirt off.
His chest was gorgeous, smooth and tanned. Although he wasn’t thick with muscle there wasn’t an inch of fat on him.
Even though she longed to lean in and kiss her way down his chest, she instead concentrated on undoing his pants. Kneeling, she pulled them down his legs. He stepped out of them and she folded them, putting them on top of his shirt. Next, she reached for his boxers. They were red silk. His cock was pressing against them. She eased his boxers over his erection and down his long legs.
He was magnificent. Even more magnificent than she’d dreamed he would be. And he was completely waxed down there. Beautiful.
Alex chuckled. “That’s the first time someone’s called me beautiful.”
She glanced up, blushing, unaware she’d spoken out loud.
He looked a lot more relaxed now. She put the boxers aside and stared up at him.
“Take me into your mouth,” he ordered. “Suck me deep inside you.”
Tara eagerly followed his order. She reached up with one hand to encircle the base of his shaft then she licked the top of his cock, slipping the tip of her tongue into the slit before taking him deep into her mouth.
“That’s right. As deep as you can, sweetheart. That feels so good.”
Pleasure infused her at his words. Tara enjoyed making people feel good. She wanted to please. She especially wanted to please Alex.
“Deeper. Faster.”
She loved the tangy taste of him, the feel of his silken shaft, the way he made small noises of pleasure as she took him deep.
“I can’t last much longer. Come here.” Reaching down, he drew her up against him, lifting her high. “Put your legs around my waist.”
He took her mouth with his as he strode towards the bed.
Alex gently placed Tara on the bed. He’d overreacted and let old demons color his reaction toward her. His wife had quickly grown disinterested in sex with him soon after they were married. Of course, he hadn’t known then that she’d been getting her needs met elsewhere. Things had grown cold and business-like between the two of them to the point where he’d moved into his own bedroom. Tara’s words had rubbed against old wounds he hadn’t realized were still so raw.
Now he had to make it up to her.
“Sit up for a moment.”
She sat up and he grabbed her braid, pulling the tie out. He undid the braid slowly, running his hands through her silken hair.
“That’s better. Lie back down.”
She lay down and looked up at him.
“I’ve always wondered what you looked like with your hair out. It’s beautiful.”
She blushed a little. “It’s plain brown.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s a mix of gold and brown and even some red. I like it down.”
“It’s so long it usually gets in my way.”
He lay next to her, ravishing her mouth with his as he cupped her breast with his hand. Sliding down her body, he moved his mouth over her silken skin, licking at the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder met before cruising down to her breasts. He took one nipple into his mouth, sucking strongly as he played with her other nipple, tweaking and pinching it lightly between his fingers.
Tara breathed deeply, her small whimpers filling the room.
He’d meant every word he’d said before. He thought she was beautiful, thin or curvy. As long as she was healthy, that was all that mattered.
Alex moved down her stomach to the tops of her thighs. Settling himself between her legs, he pulled her pussy lips apart so he could stare down at her in appreciation.
“This is one gorgeous pussy.”
She groaned and he grinned. “Bring your legs up, hold them against your chest.”
He waited until she’d done as he ordered before returning his attention to her glistening pussy.
“So wet and delicious. I think I’ve found my new favorite treat.”
Leaning in, he took a deep lick, starting at the bottom and working his way up to her plump clit. He flicked the sensitive bundle of nerves until she was moaning, her pussy soaking with her juices.
Alex drove two fingers deep inside her, moving them in and out as he continued to lap at her clit.
She let out a throaty moan, thrusting her hips up and he knew she was close. Her thighs were trembling, her breath coming in fast pants.
“Come for me, Tara,” he ordered.
Her body arched up as she screamed in satisfaction. His wife had barely made a whimper when she came, she’d have thought screaming the height of bad breeding.
Alex quickly shoved Simone from his thoughts. She had no business here.
Kneeling, he flipped Tara over onto her stomach and gave her ass a slap. “On your knees, sweetheart.”
She raised her ass into the air as she got up on her knees. She kept her upper body resting flat on the bed. Alex knelt between her open legs and drove himself inside her. He stiffened as she let out a small sound.
“Fuck! Did I hurt you?” He cursed himself for being too rough.
“What?” Tara glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes glassy, her eyelids heavy. Satisfaction and contentment oozed from her. “No. Please, keep going. I need to feel you move. Please…”
With a sigh of relief. Alex moved out then pushed back inside her. This time far more gently.
“Harder,” she demanded. “Please, Sir,” she added as an obvious afterthought.
As his movements grew faster, heat spread through his body. His balls tightened and he gritted his teeth to hold himself back, to keep his orgasm at bay. Reaching around her, he found her clit, squeezing it lightly.
Tara let out a low moan as he tapped her clit.
“You’re coming with me, Tara,” he ordered.
“Can’t,” she panted. “Too soon.”
“I have command of this body, baby. Not you.”
He swirled his finger around her clit lightly, just brushing against it before flicking it again. Harder this time.
Alex felt her whole body tense beneath him, clenching as pleasure built inside her.
“Sir, please,” she cried out.
“Come now, Tara.”
She shuddered, her breath coming in hard pants as she came, her pussy clenching down on his cock.
It was enough to make him see stars. His world spun, black spots dancing in his vision as he gave a final thrust then let go, his orgasm stealing all his control, firing through his veins.
He collapsed, quickly rolling to his side so he didn’t suffocate her.
“Wow,” Tara said.
Alex grinned. That was about all he was capable of doing right now.
“I didn’t think I could come again so quickly.”
Leaning up on one elbow, he ran his fingers lightly over her body.
“Sounds like you’ve been running around with the wrong kind of Doms, sweetheart,” he told her, ignoring the jealousy that pumped through his veins at the thought of her with another man.
“I’ve never really dated a Dom before.”
“You haven’t?” He was surprised. He knew she hadn’t dated anyone at the club since she’d been working there, but he’d figured she must have dated a few previously.
Tara shook her head. “All the guys I’ve dated have been vanilla.”
“How many were there?” he asked, trying not to sound too jealous.
“Not many.”
“Tell me.”
She raised her eyebrows but obligingly held up one hand, ticking off each finger as she went.
“First there was Marcus Stuart. We dated for all of two days before we got married.”
She was married. He drew his hand away from her.
“We were eight. He broke my heart when he called it quits three days later. That’s when I learned that men are a fickle bunch. He immediately started dating my best friend, Dana. The tramp.”
She grinned up at him, a sparkle in her eye and he relaxed, returning his hand to her breast. He loved this playful side of her. The sense of humor. The way she could laugh about herself. It was something he’d lost after his divorce.
“He sounds like a real ladies man.”
“Oh, he was,” she joked. “I think he’s on his third or fourth wife now.”
“Please tell me you’re not still suffering from a broken heart.”
She placed a hand over her heart. “He’ll always have a piece of me.”
Alex nodded solemnly. “I can understand why.”
“Then there was Damian. He was my teenage crush until he moved away. I was fifteen and crushed.”
“Sounds like you’ve had a rough love life.”
“Oh yes. Truly tragic, that’s me.”
“What about after high school? You must have broken a few hearts.”
There was that wall again. She closed up on him. “I haven’t really had time to date.”
He raised a brow. “Are you saying Damian was your last boyfriend? That you haven’t dated in what, twelve years?”
“I had a boyfriend, we were together two years. I broke it off a few years ago. We didn’t want the same things.”
“What did you want?”
She shrugged.
“Tara,” he said in a low voice. She glanced at him then quickly away.
“I wanted love, the white picket fence, two kids and a dog. Brad wanted to be free. Or at least that’s what he said. Apparently I was holding him back from his true potential.”
Ouch. That must have hurt.
Alex realized he’d rejected her for much the same reason.
“I like you, Tara.”
“Uhh, that’s nice. I like you too.”
He grinned. “Well, I’m glad we’re on the same page. In case it wasn’t obvious I find you very attractive and I’d like to spend more time with you.”
Tara frowned slightly. “What exactly are you saying? That you want to date me?”
After you rejected me?
She didn’t say it out loud, but he knew that was what she was thinking.
“Not exactly,” he said, moving his hand up to cup her face, turning her toward him. He knew he had to say this carefully. “I’ve really thought hard about this. About us. I don’t want forever after, Tara. I can’t offer you a commitment. I’ve been married once before and I don’t ever intend to do that again. I’m not looking for long-term.”
“Well, this isn’t exactly the most romantic offer I’ve ever had,” she attempted to joke.
“I’m sorry; I don’t know how to say this without sounding harsh. I want to be honest and upfront so that neither of us gets hurt. I can’t offer you love, because I don’t intend to ever love anyone again. I don’t want you thinking that I’m offering that picket fence. I’m not. I want to have fun, enjoy each other’s company. I want to be your Dom. I want to fuck you and dominate you for as long as we want to be together. I don’t want a messy break-up with hurt feelings.”
She was silent for a long moment. “For how long? A few weeks? A month?”
“I thought we’d start with two months. I have the club contract. We can amend it to suit us. What do you say?”
She sat and moved to the side of the bed. Her face was cold. He’d screwed this up.
Alex sat and quickly grabbed her before she could stand, pulling her onto his lap. “Wait. I’ve fucked this up.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said coldly. “You’ve just told me what you want.”
“What I want is for us to explore this attraction we have. I want us to enjoy each other’s company. I’m too serious. You make me smile. You’re fun and sexy and while I can’t promise forever, while we’re together I will protect you and put you first. Just think about it. A no-strings relationship, would that really be so bad?”
Chapter Five
Well, it wasn’t a marriage proposal. But then she hadn’t been expecting one. In fact, she’d half-expected to be kicked out of his bed as soon as the fun was over. Oh, he’d do it very politely, of course. But she figured she’d be shown the door.
She could say no. She could walk out of here and never do this again. Part of her couldn’t help but feel rejected. Was there something written on her forehead that only men could see?
Do not commit.
There had to be. Either that or she was falling for the wrong guys. But you couldn’t help who you were attracted to, right? And it seemed like she was attracted to men who were commitment-phobic.
She didn’t expect a real relationship from Alex, not after one night. But this seemed so unromantic, so cut-and-dried.
Two months. She’d have him for two months. Surely she could stop herself from getting her feelings hurt. She knew what he wanted. A no-strings affair. Friends with benefits, wasn’t that the term?
Sounded so cold when she thought of it that way. But what was the alternative? Say no and always be pining after him? She’d always wonder what she was missing out on. This way she could get him out of her system. Fuck ‘em then leave ‘em.
Maybe that could be her new motto.
She nearly snorted. Yeah, right. Somehow she didn’t think it would be that easy to say goodbye. So at the end of the two months she’d invest in a whole lot of ice cream. Because she was going to say yes.
“All right.”
“What?” He looked at her in surprise.
“I said okay. I’ll sign a contract.”
He grinned.
“But I have a condition,” she added.
His grin faded and he looked at her suspiciously. “What?”
“For the time that we’re together, we’re exclusive. No sleeping with anyone else.”
“Agreed.”
Well, okay. That was quick.
Alex took her mouth in a deep kiss. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”
Somehow she wasn’t so sure.
He rolled her over onto her back and kissed his way down her neck to her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue.
“I’m going to take very good care of you, Tara,” he murmured before circling her clit with his tongue.
Tara sighed, moving her legs further apart as he thrust two fingers deep inside her, his lips and tongue expertly playing with her clit.
Reaching over into a bedside drawer, he pulled out a condom. Ripping open the packet, he pulled it onto his firm cock.
Then he slowly licked her slit from bottom to top.
Over and over again.
His tongue raked her clit, stirring her insides, pushing her higher and higher.
Just as she started to orgasm he rose, and placing her legs over his shoulders, drove himself deep inside her.
Tara arched up with a cry at the feel of him filling her. Immediately, she clenched around him as he paused, breathing deeply.
“You’re so hot and tight,” he said through clenched teeth.
She panted, trying to catch her breath as she thrust her hips up against him.
“Feels. So. Good.”
He nodded before drawing back then thrusting forward. The angle meant that he rubbed directly against that spot inside her. It wasn’t long until she felt her orgasm building again.
“Alex. Alex, please.”
“Come again, baby. Come with me. Now!” The last word was said on a roar as he came. Two more thrusts of his cock and she joined him, spiralling over into bliss.
***
Tara woke groggy and disorientated. She’d slept deeply, more deeply than she had in months. The mattress beneath her wasn’t her own thin one with springs that dug into her back. This one felt like a cloud. She rolled onto her back and looked around her slowly.
Where was she?
She sat up suddenly.
Oh shit.
She was at Alex’s house. In his bedroom. She looked down at him as he continued to sleep beside her.
Damn, he was gorgeous.
He had a five o’clock shadow. She liked it. It made him look rugged. Like a pirate from the cover of one of the books she liked to read.
She wished she could stay in bed with him all day, but she had to get to work. If she still had a job by the time she managed to get home and dressed then into the office. She carefully moved from the bed, growing still when he rolled over. Tara sighed in relief as he continued to sleep. She wasn’t quite ready to talk to him. Last night seemed a bit surreal. Had she really agreed to sign a contract with him?
As she grabbed her clothes and crept into the bathroom to dress, she couldn’t help but feel sad. It wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t sweet, it wasn’t even friendship.
Just sex. And domination.
Well, she knew where she stood. If she got hurt then she had no one to blame but herself.
Her clothes hastily pulled on, she tiptoed out of the bedroom with her sneakers in one hand. Alex didn’t even stir. She smiled. He must be tired. She grabbed her backpack from the living room, taking another look around her in the daylight.
Tara shook her head. She didn’t belong somewhere like this. Alex’s apartment was beautiful. Everything gleamed. But it didn’t feel like a home. She glanced at the clock on the wall and swore under her breath. She was going to have to take a taxi or she would be horribly late.
***
Tara rubbed her eyes, hiding a yawn. She’d stayed late at work every night this week, plus she’d worked all weekend to get these damn spreadsheets finished.
She’d needed to get back into Tim’s good graces. He’d had a fit when she was late last week, and had actually given her a verbal warning. She’d been horrified. She’d panicked a little. She couldn’t lose this job.
“I’m going home now,” Tim said as he walked past her desk. He glanced down at her coldly. “I trust that we won’t have a repeat of the other morning.”
“No, sir.”
How long was he going to milk this? She’d worked for him for over a year and she’d been late once. She’d more than made up the time.
Damn, she’d love to tell him where he could stick his job. She’d worked long hours this last week, but he still looked at her with contempt.
“Good.” He handed her a pen drive. “Here are some files I’ve been working on. I need these tidied up and formatted. Why don’t you take it home and work on it.”
He walked out the door without another word. How the hell did his wife put up with him? Tara had met his wife, Gemma. She was a lovely woman. Sweet, quiet and totally undeserving of an asshole like Tim.
Sighing, Tara slipped the pen drive into her pocket so she wouldn’t lose it. She really wished he wouldn’t use pen drives, they were so easy to misplace. But Tim stubbornly insisted on using them.
“Hey, Tara, what are you still doing here?”
Tara glanced up to see Eloise standing in the doorway. Eloise was the personal assistant to Tim’s business partner, Ryan. She’d only worked here a few months. She was nice enough, but a bit quiet.
“I could ask the same of you,” Tara said with a smile.
Eloise attempted a smile back, but she looked nervous.
“I thought I’d stay back and finish some work. I just saw Tim leave and thought I’d head home.”
Tara often wondered if Eloise had a crush on Tim. She kept track of his whereabouts better than Tara did. She’d noticed Eloise watching him closely a few times. The other girl had to know that he was happily married.
“I’ll be here a few more hours yet.”
“Anything I can help with?” Eloise asked.
“Not unless you have a mad desire for formatting. Tim just gave me a pen drive full of work to do at home.” He was so generous.
“Including the Henderson bid?” Eloise asked.
Tara looked up at her. “Could be, I haven’t looked. Why?”
Eloise was acting odd. Odder than usual.
“Oh, no reason.” She laughed, but it sounded fake. Tara had grown good at reading body signals and Eloise seemed nervous and out of sorts. “I just heard Tim and Ryan talking about the Henderson bid earlier and it sounded interesting.”
The Henderson bid was a big one. If they won this it would mean work for the next three years.
“I could do that formatting for you if you wanted,” Eloise offered.
Tara had a really uncomfortable feeling about handing over the pen drive to the other woman.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll get it done. Thanks though.”
Eloise’s face tightened up. “Sure. No problem.”
Eloise left and Tara returned to the spreadsheet, working for another two hours to get it finished. By the time she was done, she was so tired she was practically seeing double.
She grabbed her work phone and put it in her bag. She pulled out her personal phone. She’d put it on silent and hadn’t had time to check it.
Ten missed calls from Alex. Crap. This last week they’d only managed to spend two nights together at his place. They hadn’t even gotten around to signing a contract—all of their time together had been spent in bed. The sex was amazing. He was sexy, dominating and hot. Very, very hot. Tara knew she was going to find it hard when this ended.
“Hello?”
“Tara.” Alex’s deep voice came through the phone. Despite his grumpy tone, she immediately relaxed at the sound of his voice.
“Alex, how are you?”
“Impatient.”
She raised her eyebrows. Alex was one of the most patient people she’d ever met.
“I’m not used to sitting by the phone, waiting for it to ring.”
No, she didn’t suppose he was. She wasn’t avoiding him on purpose, still she felt kind of guilty.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been really busy at work.” She knew how lame that sounded. If some guy said that to her, she’d be certain he was brushing her off. “I’m free now.”
Alex had promised her a punishment for sneaking off after that first night they’d spent together. Thoughts of that punishment had kept her awake at night, wondering, dreaming. She wasn’t into a lot of pain, but she knew that Alex would never push her past what she could take.
“Where are you?” he demanded.
“At work. Well, I’m about to head home now.”
“At work? Still? What the hell kind of job do you have?”
“The kind I need to keep,” she said dryly. “My boss wasn’t thrilled that I was late the other day.”
“It’s ten at night! Surely you’ve made up for that. Give the taxi my address. I want to see you.”
She didn’t bother to correct him, but there was no way she could afford a taxi. She exited her building, smiling at the security guard. She immediately started walking toward the nearest bus stop. This was a good part of town and she wasn’t worried as she wandered down the street.
“Alex, I’m tired. I need some sleep—hey! Watch where you’re going!”
She turned to glare at the person who’d bumped into her, only to freeze at the knife she saw in his hand.
“Give me your phone and bag, lady.”
“I don’t have any money.” Losing her phone was going to suck. Plus, Tim would kill her since her company phone was in her handbag.
“Tara? What’s happening? Where are you?” Alex demanded through the phone.
“And I thought Lavaca was a safe street,” she muttered, trying to give Alex a clue.
“Hang up and give me your phone, lady.” The man swung the knife around, making her gulp in fear. He briefly stepped into the light from a building and she could see how crazy he looked. Drugs. He was on something. She handed over her phone without saying anything more to Alex. With shaking hands, she dragged her handbag off her shoulder and handed it over. The guy grabbed it and took off, leaving her shaking and scared.
She clasped her hands together, trying to warm them. Despite the warm evening, she was freezing. What the hell was she going to do now? She had no way of getting home. No way of contacting anyone. She looked around her. No way was she hanging around here. She ran back to her building and pounded on the door until the security guard opened it with a frown.
“I was mugged,” she said, panting even though she’d only run a small distance.
***
Alex cursed as he cruised down Lavaca Street, searching frantically for Tara. He couldn’t see her anywhere. He tried calling her phone again. It went straight to voicemail.
Cursing, he called Roarke.
“Hey, Alex,” Roarke answered.
“Do you know where Tara works?” Alex asked quickly. He had no time for social niceties. How the hell did he not know where she worked? “It’s important, Roarke,” he said urgently.
“Let me check my files. Here it is.” He named a building that was close by. Alex sped towards it. He barely managed to park safely before he was out and running. Fear filled him, stirring his temper.
What the hell was she doing working this late anyway? She had no business wandering around late at night on her own.
He pounded on the door until a security guard appeared on the other side. The skinny guard shook his head and pointed at his watch.
Alex glared at him. He had a tentative hold over his temper and it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge. Luckily, Tara walked up beside the guard before he could explode. She said something to the guard and Alex watched as the younger man unlocked the door.
He barrelled inside as soon as the doors opened and grabbed Tara by the shoulders, running his gaze over her body.
“Are you okay? What happened? Did that bastard hurt you?”
Tara looked at him slightly shell-shocked. “I’m fine. You didn’t have to come down here.”
“Of course I did.” Did she really think he could just sit at home after that phone call?
“Well, I’m fine as you can see, you can go home now,” she said dismissively.
Alex frowned. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly. He glanced over her head at the curious security guard.
“Have you called the police?” he asked the guard who looked to be in his twenties.
“Tara didn’t want me to,” the kid replied.
Alex frowned down at her. “We’re calling the cops.”
“No,” she replied.
He gave her a stern look. “You were assaulted and robbed.”
“He didn’t touch me and all he got was my cell phones and an empty wallet. Thank God my laptop is at home.”