Strictly Business: Hooded Pleasures, Book 1 (4 page)

Kate popped the last of the croissant in her mouth and felt the thin layers melt on her tongue.

There was only one way to find out.

She finished her coffee and gestured for the bill.

Alex nodded at the cab driver as he paid the man and got out. “Fine. Just remember I warned you.” He turned the phone off and stuffed it in a pocket of his jacket before looking around.

Downtown was downtown, no matter what city you were in. Plenty of tall office buildings filling the streets with character, the eye-catching architecture calling you in. Some others were lonely obelisks stabbing the sky.

All holding secrets.

Except this one seemed to hold more than the usual.

He walked through the door, noting the keen eye of the security guard on him.

No slouching mall cop here.

He strode up to the desk. “My name is Alex Hanson. I have a special appointment on the fifth floor.” He used the exact words as instructed to do in the email. Alex couldn’t blame them for trying to be subtle about their company and what it offered. He was sure the guard didn’t know what went on at HP or what the fifth floor contained—and that was just fine with both of them.

“Personal ID please.”

The security guard checked Alex’s driver’s license and scanned his clipboard. He drew a line through Alex’s name before sliding a visitor’s pass across the desktop. “Keep that visible at all times.”

“Thank you.” Alex clipped it to his left lapel.

“Only good for the fifth floor. Please don’t go anywhere else.” The guard jabbed a thumb at the elevators. “Have a nice day.”

The ride was only a few seconds, but it seemed like he was walking into a whole new world, his mind spinning with the reality of what he was about to do.

Alex stepped off the elevator. There was no choice of which direction to go. The lone reception desk at the far end of the hallway was the only thing in sight.

The redhead behind it eyed him as he approached, glancing down every few seconds to the magazine in her hand.

He could have sworn it was titled
Mercs for Hire
.

She put it down when he got closer and smiled. “Can I help you?”

“I have an appointment.” He tapped his visitor’s badge and straightened his tie, keeping his hands busy. “Two o’clock sharp. I’m a few minutes early. If you can fit me in—”

She cut him off. “Your name is—”

“Alex Hanson.” He glanced around as she murmured into her headset.

Framed photographs of skylines of various cities hung on the walls surrounding the reception desk, canned images he’d seen before. Two doors on each side offered entry to what he assumed was the inner sanctum of Hooded Pleasures.

He swallowed hard. The impulse to bolt was strong, the urge to run for the elevator and forget all this, forget it ever existed, almost overwhelming.

No.

You want this.

You need this.

Stay.

“Wendy will be out momentarily.” The woman smiled.

Alex looked around.

There was no place to sit, no comfortable chair for him to lounge in. Nothing but the bare wall, and he wasn’t going to slump against the wall like some slacker unable to stand on his own two feet for a few minutes.

The redhead returned to her magazine, ignoring Alex.

He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth.

Two minutes.

Five minutes.

Seven minutes.

He approached the desk. “Excuse me.”

The receptionist stared at him.

Alex showed her his watch. “My appointment is for two o’clock sharp. It’s now five of two.”

She didn’t flinch from his annoyed glare.

“I don’t think you understand. My time is valuable, and I can’t waste it hanging around waiting for someone to get back from their lunch break,” Alex continued. “If there’s some sort of problem—”

The door to his left opened. A woman came out and smiled at him.

“Alex? I’m Wendy.”

He instinctively smiled back, relaxing slightly.

She stepped back and gestured him in. “Third door on the left please.” She glanced over at the receptionist as Alex moved past her. “Thanks, Candy.”

Alex walked into the hall, feeling like an insect wandering into the spider’s web. The walls were painted a neutral cream, unmarked doors lining the way.

He counted off the doors and opened the third one, not looking to see if Wendy was behind him.

The boardroom reminded him of his first and only meeting with the Alexander brothers. They’d wanted a freelance programmer for their new
Brawltown
expansion and asked for an appraisal. He’d delivered a fine presentation about what they needed and what he could supply at his usual rates.

Then they revealed they weren’t willing to pay what Alex wanted, but the experience of working on a popular game would give him great exposure. After all, they were a young company and they couldn’t afford his fees. Maybe if he dropped it by half—

Alex had appraised the boardroom table and furniture at over five thousand dollars, easy.

He’d walked out.

This set put that one to shame.

The slick leather chairs were soft and supple to the touch, easy to sink into. He wished he had one of these at home for those all-night sessions crouched over the keyboard. He sat down and rubbed his palm over the armrest.

Wendy stood in the doorway. “Someone will be with you in a minute. Thank you.”

Alex watched her leave, the door sliding shut with an almost silent click.

Really? I have to wait again?

He took a deep breath to calm his jangled nerves. There was nothing worse than dealing with inefficient personnel.

Maybe he could file a complaint with management for wasting his time.

Alex smiled, imagining how Hooded Pleasures would deal with bad employees. A little bondage, a little spanking. Maybe some of them did it on purpose, wanting to be caught and punished.

He frowned.

Not Candy.

She was most definitely not a submissive from the way she’d glared at him. If anything, she’d be in one of those action films, packing that huge pistol from the cover of the magazine.

Just what you wanted in a receptionist.

The analysis calmed him down, reminded him why he was here.

Okay.

Now what?

He looked around the room. No wide-screen, no phones, no filing cabinets. Nothing but a jug of water at the far end of the table and empty glasses.

At least they were crystal. Good ones, from the look of them.

Alex drummed his fingers on the desk.

He glanced at his watch. The email had made it very clear tardiness would not be tolerated.

On his part.

Obviously this type of time mismanagement was common for Hooded Pleasures.

It was now two-twenty.

Two more minutes and then—

Any thoughts of leaving vanished as the door opened.

He got to his feet automatically.

A woman walked in, carrying a file folder. She smiled at Alex and put it on the table at the far end before leaving.

The door shut behind her.

Alex sat down again, scowling.

If this is some sort of scam—

Before he could finish the thought, the door flew open and another woman entered.

He got to his feet a fraction slower than before, taken off guard by the abrupt entrance.

The brunette strolled toward him. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail that curled over one shoulder. Her white blouse was crisp and pressed, as was her short black skirt.

The long black leather boots made him catch his breath. He’d always been a leg man, but this—

Her blue eyes locked with his. “Alex Hanson?”

“Yes.” He smiled and extended his hand. “You must be Kate.”

Her handshake was firm, her long, slender fingers lingering a second too long against the inside of his wrist.

“Please sit.” She gestured at his chair.

Alex sat.

Kate did not. She strolled to the far end of the table and poured two glasses of water.

He was mesmerized, watching the swish of her hips. All the questions he’d pondered asking slipped out of his mind as he imagined her in leather and lace, the archetypical Domme from his dreams.

He shifted in his chair, his cock straining against his briefs already.

This is going to be one hell of an interview.

She turned back and smiled at him. “Before we get started, I’d like to ask you a few questions. Get a better picture of who you are. If you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Alex replied. “What do you want to know?”

She picked up the folder and opened it, reading as she walked around the table. “You program computer games for a living and make good money doing it. You’ve worked on some of the most popular games out there.
GoldHunter Online
, for one.”

There was a flicker of something in her tone, something like—envy? Curiosity? Familiarity?

It came to him in a flash.

She’s a fellow gamer.

He nodded, unsure if the fact reassured him or increased his anxiety. “I work independently for a number of companies. Freelance.”

“Interesting.” She let the single word hang in the air between them.

Alex licked his lips, wondering if he’d come across her in any of his online personas.

And if she’d been half as beautiful kicking butt and taking names.

She walked behind him, moving out of sight.

“Let me be blunt, Alex. You can have any woman you want.” The words slapped him in the back of the head. “Right now, geeks are hot. You could go to any convention, announce your job and have your pick of women willing to go to bed with you, no questions asked. So why are you calling Hooded Pleasures?” She stayed invisible. “Why do you think you’re a submissive man, one who would like me to dominate you?”

The heated whisper on the back of his neck almost had him rising out of the chair to turn and face her.

But he didn’t.

Let her ask her questions. I can deal with it.

Until it’s my turn.

“Okay. Good question. I could. And I have. But after a while, it’s just sex, it’s just getting off, and I can do that with my hand and a bottle of lotion. I want more.”

Kate stepped into sight on his right side. She gripped his chin and tilted his head up to face her. “And what would that be?” She locked eyes with him. “Tell me.”

Alex blinked, his heart surging into overdrive.

“If you can’t say it—” She released him and began to turn away.

Don’t go. God, don’t leave me.

“I want to be dominated.” He spoke without censoring his thoughts, not wanting her to move an inch more. “I want a woman to make me her slave. I want to make her happy by letting her do whatever she wants to me, because that’ll make me happy. I want to worship her body and give myself totally to her to do with as she wishes, because that would give me pleasure, almost more than getting off. I want to show her I’m strong enough to be hers and endure whatever she does to me, because I love her.”

He panted, out of breath and out of words, waiting to see her reaction to his confession.

She didn’t react. She didn’t flinch or screw her face up in the disapproving stare he’d imagined any woman would make when confronted with his deepest desires.

Kate smiled.

She sat next to him and leaned in, the sudden intimacy startling him.

“Tell me, where did you learn about this from? Where did you get this idea of being a sub?” Kate whispered.

Alex felt a nervous itch run across his shoulders.

“It started back when I was in high school.” He squirmed in the expensive leather chair, unable to stay still. It was like being in a confessional. “My buddies, they had some magazines. We passed them back and forth, our own lending library.” He couldn’t help smiling at the memory. “A whole lot of girls tied up and so forth. Some spanking, a little rope play, but nothing too hardcore.” Alex laughed. “At our age, we weren’t too sure what was going on, but the magazines had hot girls, and that was enough.”

“And you liked it?” Her tone wasn’t judgmental, just curious.

“Not all of it,” he admitted. “I liked the naked women, but I wanted to be the one who was spanked. Restrained. Tied up.” The confession lightened the weight on his chest even as he felt his cheeks begin to burn.

“I see.” She gestured him on. “And after you left school?”

“I went to college, got laid the mandatory number of times I was supposed to.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Started my own business and, yes, met women just the way you described. Took them home, had my way with them and made sure to make them breakfast in the morning before calling a cab.” He couldn’t help the note of pride in his voice. “Never left one of them wanting.”

Kate gave a slow nod.

Time for the other stuff.

“Found a few kinky women in my wanderings, but it was one-sided. Pretty mild stuff.” He shrugged. “Fuzzy handcuffs and maybe a blindfold, tie them to the bedposts. That sort of stuff. I did what they wanted, but it wasn’t working for me.”

Suddenly, the expensive leather chair was uncomfortable to sit in.

“I still got turned on, but it wasn’t the same. I wanted to be the one in the cuffs, the one tied to the bed. I tried to explain it to one or two of them, but they wanted to be spanked and not return the favor. The one who did thought I was a pervert and left at three in the morning after finishing off the last of my expensive whiskey. Didn’t even leave a note.”

She didn’t say anything.

Alex shifted again in his chair.

“After that, I wasn’t sure what to do, so I threw myself into my work. I went on blind dates and picked up women at bars and screwed whoever said yes. I didn’t ask for what I wanted, because I knew I wasn’t going to get it.” The words felt harsh rolling off his tongue. “I fucked and got fucked, played by the rules and still wasn’t happy.” He pulled in the strength to say it. “I even applied to a club. A BDSM club here in town. Passed all the security checks, but I don’t have the guts to go. Sort of like going to a fitness club—you get the membership, but you don’t want anyone to see how out of shape you are, so you don’t go.”