“Did what?”
“You squeezed my sore butt so I’d look away from the mirror. That’s not fair.”
The rat.
“Sweetheart, I’m a Dom. Sometimes I don’t play fair. But I would suggest you keep your eyes on yourself before I add a fourth.”
Calling him all the names under the sun—in her head of course—Tara drew her gaze back to the mirror as Alex cupped both breasts. He pulled her back a little so she was totally flush against him.
“Lean back on me,” he said, his breath tickling her ear.
Every nerve ending was dancing to his tune as she leaned back against his firm body. It took quite a bit for her to trust him so much. Tara was used to relying on herself. She didn’t lean on other people, she was always the one others went to for something.
But with Alex it was different. He was very firmly in charge.
“Tara, that’s four. I can see I need to do more to keep your attention.”
Uh-oh, she really didn’t like that evil glint in his eyes.
“Sorry, Sir.”
“What were you thinking about that?”
“How sexy you are, Sir.” It was a little white lie. She
was
constantly thinking about how hot he was.
“Is that right? Well I guess I can hardly object to that, can I?” he said dryly.
She grinned. “It would be rather silly.”
“You’re still at four, brat.” He pinched her nipples sharply before rubbing them gently with his thumbs to ease the sting. Kissing his way down her neck, he managed to find every tender spot. Her legs shook so badly she was grateful of his support.
As though he sensed how shaky she was, Alex clasped her firmly around the waist once more, dropping his other hand down to her pussy. He ran his fingers through her folds. His fingers looked dark against her delicate pink flesh as he pulled her lower lips apart.
Her folds glistened with moisture and Tara found herself mesmerised as Alex strummed her clit with his finger. Back and forth. Round and round. He pulled his fingers up, placing them in his mouth.
“Yum,” he told her as she drew in a ragged breath.
Returning his fingers to her pussy, Alex tortured her for long, excruciating minutes, strumming her clit, pushing his fingers deep inside her pussy, in and out.
“Sir, please. Please, I can’t hold on much longer.”
“Neither can I,” he muttered.
He removed the stool and then held her until she was steady. Then he undid her wrists, rubbing her arms briskly.
“Go lie on the bed, arms above your head,” he ordered. He quickly stripped as she lay back on the bed. “Legs spread.”
Naked, he walked to his wardrobe and pulled out another silk rope. She watched him. He was muscular but not bulky. His skin was lightly tanned. All over. And his ass was a work of pure beauty. Tara’s mouth watered.
Alex turned, moving toward her. His thick cock stood at attention, bobbing as he walked. He tied her wrists together with one rope, then looped the other tie through and secured it to the bed.
Then he loomed over her with a grin. “Now for the torture.”
Alex held back his grin as Tara’s eyes grew wide, filling with trepidation. There was nothing quite like having a worried little subbie at his mercy. Of course, the fact that it was Tara made it special.
“Hmm, I wonder if I should gag you. I don’t want to scare the neighbors.”
Her mouth dropped open and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing.
“But maybe not. I’d quite like to hear you beg.”
“Alex…maybe we should…”
He glanced up at her, gauging her stress level. He didn’t want her truly frightened. This was meant to be fun.
“What is your safe word, sweetheart?”
She paused for a moment then shook her head. “Red.”
“Use it if you need to.”
She nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“Brave little subbie. Such a good girl.”
Pleasure filled her face at his words. There was definitely something there. Something that made her light up at the idea of pleasing him, of being a good girl.
He was seeing a softer, more vulnerable side to her. She was honest and funny and sweet. Everything he’d ever wanted.
Shit. Where had that thought come from?
Not only was this very new, but he’d sworn he would never fully commit to a woman again.
“Sir? Alex? Are you okay?”
He shook himself free of his thoughts, gazing down at Tara who was staring at him in concern.
“Fine, I’m fine. No talking.” He knew his voice was too harsh and he could see the hurt in her eyes. Idiot. He had to get himself under control.
He took her mouth with his, wanting to wipe that look from her face, not liking the guilt he felt.
Then he moved down her body, taking her nipple between his teeth and tugging lightly.
“Ohh,” she cried out.
“No coming until I give permission, Tara.”
He moved to the other breast, giving that nipple the same attention. Back and forth, over and over, he played with her breasts until her nipples were bright red and swollen and Tara was letting out low whimpers of need.
Alex kissed down her stomach and spreading her legs, lay between them on the bed. Using his tongue like a small cock, he speared her. He strummed his thumb against her clit. Back and forth. Round and round.
Her hips thrust up and down. A light sheen of sweat covered her skin.
A sob escaped her as Alex rose and rolled a condom onto his shaft. He rolled her over onto her stomach. He’d purposefully tied her so he’d have the flexibility to move her around.
“Up on your knees,” he commanded. As he pushed inside her, she contracted around him, sending ripples of pleasure through him.
“Remember, no coming,” he warned.
Tara let out a low groan, but she didn’t argue with him.
Grabbing her hips, he slowly pushed inside her. He bit his lip as her velvet warmth surrounded him. Once he was fully inside, he paused. God, it felt good. Addictive. He drew back then drove forward quickly. Faster and faster he moved, building up momentum. Orgasm built its way up from the base of his skull. His balls tightened and he gritted his teeth, determined to make himself last a bit longer.
There was another contraction around his cock. He paused, nearly seeing stars as he strained to keep himself under control.
“You can come whenever you’re ready,” he told her through gritted teeth. He continued to drive himself in and out of her, determined to wait until she came before he let go and found his own relief.
Tara screamed as she came, pulsating around his rigid shaft. Alex could no longer hold himself back—he drove himself into her warmth then crashed over into bliss.
Chapter Eight
Tara looked around her new apartment. It didn’t feel like hers, it was too new, too slick and it lacked personality. But she didn’t feel like adding her own touches. As soon as Alex grew sick of her, she’d have to leave.
She’d only been here four days, perhaps she just needed some more time to adjust. Right now it felt like she was staying in someone else’s house.
With a sigh, she sat back on the sofa. It squeaked under her.
“Seriously, just listen to yourself,” she muttered. “You’re whining because you’re staying somewhere nice with new stuff. Anyone in your situation would be damn grateful for everything Alex has done.”
Alex had arrived each night around six with dinner, not leaving until the early hours of the morning. She hadn’t really expected him to stay for most of the night. It made her feel a bit better about this whole situation. A little less like a paid mistress and more like a girlfriend.
And yet she couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely.
“I need a job.” Sitting around here was just making her more and more depressed.
She’d grabbed a paper that morning and circled a few jobs. She still had her work laptop, so she’d quickly updated her resumes and emailed them off to a few places.
She’d left a message on Tim’s cell phone about the laptop a few days ago. It was the coward’s way out, but it was easier than talking to him. She knew she needed to return the laptop before he accused her of stealing it, but she really wasn’t in the mood to see him. Let him make the next move.
Tara glanced around the apartment, looking for something to do, but it was all so clean and sparkling. She had some dirty laundry so she chucked it in the laundry basket she’d found in the apartment. Grabbing her keys, she made her way down to the basement where the shared laundry was located.
She’d need clean clothes if she got any job interviews. She really needed to make a good impression. Even though Alex was paying the bills, she still needed money to help out her brother. She hadn’t told Alex that she was assisting Ben financially. She knew he’d offer to help and she didn’t want to feel more indebted to him. She intended to pay him back for every cent he spent on her. Her pride wouldn’t allow for anything else.
In fact, she hadn’t told Alex a lot of things. Like how her apartment had been broken into. There didn’t seem to be much point. The police had no leads about her apartment or the mugger. There really wasn’t anything that Alex could do.
Putting her laundry basket down, she started going through everything, checking all the pockets. She drew something hard out of her black pants pocket and stared at it in dread.
Damn it. Tim’s pen drive. Crap. Crap. Crap. Now she had a company laptop and a pen drive with files he probably needed. It was a wonder he hadn’t called the cops on her. She shoved her laundry back in the basket and made her way upstairs.
Grabbing some of her fast disappearing cash, as well as the pen drive and laptop, she made her way to the bus stop.
Forty minutes later, Tara’s stomach clenched in dread as she exited the elevator and made her way to her old office. She looked around but couldn’t see anyone.
“Tara?”
She glanced around to find Eloise standing there.
“Oh, Eloise, hi,” she said. “I was looking for Tim.”
“He’s in Chicago on business. Can I help?”
Tara could leave the laptop and pen drive with Eloise, but it didn’t feel right. She’d rather give them to Tim and then her conscience would be clear. She’d often told Tim she didn’t like carrying important documents around on a pen drive.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll wait until Tim returns.”
“Tim won’t be back for a few days. You need to leave that laptop with me. It is company property after all.” Eloise’s voice had turned icy. Tara’s hackles rose. What right did she have to look down on her?
“I know the laptop is company property, Eloise,” she replied, standing her ground. “I’m going to call Tim and find out what he wants done with it.”
“I really think you should give that laptop to me.”
Eloise’s gaze narrowed and she took a step toward Tara. All of a sudden Tara felt threatened by the other woman.
“Back off,” Tara told her.
Eloise smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. “Of course. I’m only trying to be helpful.”
Tara wasn’t fooled. The other woman was angry. Tara just couldn’t work out why.
“Is Ryan in?” Maybe she could pass these things off to him.
“No, he’s with Tim in Chicago,” Eloise snapped. “Really, Tara, you were fired. You need to give me the laptop before I call the cops.”
“So call them. I’ll make it easy on you. I’ll even wait right here.”
There was something wrong with the other woman. Why the hell did she want the laptop so bad? All the documents were passcode locked on both the laptop and the pen drive and what would she want with them anyway?
But Tara had learned to listen to her instincts and they were screaming at her not to leave anything with Eloise.
“Fine,” Eloise said. “Leave. But I’m going to tell Tim about this.”
She turned and stormed away. Tara rolled her eyes at the other woman’s dramatics. As soon as she got home, she’d call Tim and see what the hell was going on.
Leaving the building, she headed toward the bus stop. She didn’t really feel like heading straight home, though. That encounter with Eloise had left her feeling unsettled. So instead of getting a bus back to her apartment, she decided to head over to see Tilly.
Tara got off at the bus stop closest to the diner where Tilly worked and walked the rest of the way. The smell of fried food hit her as she entered, making her stomach rumble. She glanced at her watch, surprised to see it was already four in the afternoon. She hadn’t eaten since dinner last night when Alex had brought over some Chinese. He brought dinner each night, always calling her first to make sure he got something she could eat, knowing she was gluten intolerant.
It was those little ways he took care of her that made her feel special, like she actually meant something to him.
She waved at Tilly who was serving a young couple. After taking their order, Tilly worked her way over to where Tara had grabbed a seat at the counter.
“Hey, how are you?” Tilly asked.
“I’m okay. What time do you get off? I need a drink.” She didn’t often drink but right then she really needed one.
“Give me forty.”
***
A few hours later, Tara made her way down the corridor to her apartment, feeling better and yet absolutely exhausted at the same time. She and Tilly had walked to one of their favorite bars. Tara only had one drink; she couldn’t really afford more, and then stuck to water while Tilly had indulged. She’d seen Tilly into a taxi before grabbing a bus home, still carrying her laptop.
She unlocked the door to her apartment and walked inside, shutting and locking it behind her. She frowned as she realized the lights were on.
Had she turned them on before leaving?
“Where the hell have you been?”
Tara screamed and jumped back, her heart racing. She stared over at Alex in disbelief as he glared at her from where he sat in an armchair in the living room.
Tears threatened as she struggled to pull herself together.
Do not cry. Do not cry. Get mad. Kick his butt.
“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” It came out shakier than she would have liked but Alex still looked at her in surprise.
“I’m waiting for you,” he said in a cold voice. “Where have you been?”
She didn’t like the accusing tone of his voice.
“That’s none of your business. I’m allowed a life, unless you expect me to wait here all day, naked and on my knees, in case you want to come over and get some.”
Wow, okay, where had that all come from?
Alex frowned and stood. “Well, that would be nice. But I know better than to suggest it. It’s nearly nine at night. You knew I would be coming over so I would like to know where you have been.”
She needed a moment to calm down. She placed the laptop on the other chair then sat on the sofa to pull off her shoes.
“Were you with another man? Have you found someone else?”
She gaped up at him. “We signed a contract less than a week ago and already you’re accusing me of sleeping around?”
“Well, are you?”
“No,” she said shortly. “Just because I’m not where you left me doesn’t make me a whore.”
His gaze widened and he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re right.”
“And I didn’t realize I had a curfew,” she continued. “You should have told me there was a certain time you wanted me to be home so you could fuck me. Here, I’ll start stripping now so we can try and make up for lost time.”
Okay, so she hadn’t been successful at calming down. She stood then dragged off her sweatshirt and t-shirt.
“Tara, stop.” Alex took a step toward her as she stood and pulled off her jeans. “I said stop.” He used his Dom voice and she froze.
Damn him.
She just stared at him, dressed only in her bra and panties.
“Sit. Please.”
Tara sat again. But it was only because he said please, she consoled herself. Not because she wanted to do what he told her to.
“I’m sorry,” he said surprising her. She glanced up at him and he nodded. “Yes, I mean it. I shouldn’t have just entered your apartment without your permission and I really am sorry for scaring you.”
“It’s your apartment. You pay for it, you should be able to enter it when you like.”
He sat next to her. “No, that’s not fair. This is where you live. I want you to feel safe here. I scared you. I never wanted to do that.”
She nodded.
“And I don’t expect you to wait around for me. I was just…surprised when you weren’t home. I was worried about you.”
Her anger deflated at those words.
Alex took hold of her hand. “I don’t want you to hate me and I certainly don’t want to use you. Sometimes I steamroll over people to get what I want.”
She smiled. “Yeah, but you do it so politely and calmly. It’s kind of annoying actually.”
He barked out a laugh. “My politeness is annoying?”
Tara nodded.
“I’m sorry for jumping down your throat,” he said sincerely.
Her stomach grumbled.
“Shall we start over?” he asked.
“Okay, I’d like that.”
“I thought I’d order Indian, how does that sound?” he asked.
She placed a hand over her stomach. “Yes, please, I’m starving. I’ll just go get changed.”
“You can put a t-shirt on, but lose the panties and bra,” he commanded.
While he ordered the food, Tara moved into the bedroom and pulled on a long t-shirt. When she came out, he was sitting on the sofa. He’d poured them both a glass of red wine that he must have brought with him because she didn’t have any alcohol in the apartment.
Tara sat and took a sip. Alex pulled her close against him and turned on the T.V. They lay snuggled like that until the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” she said, jumping up and putting her glass on the coffee table before running to the door.
“Really? Dressed like that?”
She glanced down at herself and cursed as she realized she was dressed only in a t-shirt. Grabbing her purse, she thrust it at him.
“There’s some cash inside, use it to pay for dinner.” She moved back into the living area. She heard a low murmuring and then Alex returned with two bags and her purse which he handed to her.
She opened her purse, scowling as she saw all her cash was still there.
“I wanted to pay for dinner.”
Alex snorted. “I don’t think so. I’m an old-fashioned guy, sweetheart. When we’re on a date, I pay.”
“It’s just takeout. I’ll grab some plates.” She grabbed some plates from the kitchen and spooned some onto a plate for him. He took the plate with a murmured thanks. She filled her own plate then forked some up, practically inhaling it.
Tara paused as she noticed Alex watching her rather than eating, a small frown on his face.
She swallowed. “Something wrong?”
“You’re starving. When was the last time you ate?”
“Last night,” she said.
“Last night?” The disbelief in his voice had her turning to stare at him. “Tara, you can’t afford to skip meals, you’re losing weight.”
“Charmer,” she said, wrinkling her nose at him.
“I mean it,” he said sternly. “That’s another rule for you. No more skipping meals.”
“You know, I don’t think grown women need rules.”
“You do. And I will happily enforce them.” His grin was evil.
“I bet.”
They ate in silence then tidied up together. Alex sat on the sofa and Tara curled up beside him, tucking her head against his chest.
“I really am sorry I jumped down your throat before,” he said. “My ex-wife used to turn up at all hours of the night and would refuse to tell me where she’d been.”
Tara tried to sit up so she could see his face, but he held her against him. She figured he didn’t want any sympathy so she relaxed back against him.
“I was having a few drinks with Tilly,” she explained as he ran his fingers up and down her arm.
She inhaled the scent of him, her body growing warm and heavy with his closeness.
“Where did you go for drinks?”
She told him the name of the bar.
“How did you get home?” The question was casual, but Tara stiffened. Damn it, she’d forgotten his rule about taking public transportation at night. Well, not forgotten it exactly. Just discarded it, thinking he’d never find out.
“Umm,” she procrastinated, knowing she’d soon be in trouble.
He slipped his hand under her t-shirt, running it up her bare thigh and stomach to cup one breast. He pinched her nipple firmly. Tara let out a shaky sigh.
“Part your legs.”
She moved her thighs apart as he continued to toy with her nipple, making her insides light up like a sparkler.
Alex moved his hand to her other breast, pinching and tugging at the nipple. Tara dropped her head back, closing her eyes.
“It must have been dark when you left. How did you get home from the bar, Tara? Because the first thing I did when I got here and saw you were gone was call my car service. They had no record of you calling them.”