by Lori Foster
Still, he thought of her nearly every day, and wanted her more often than that. At work, he couldn’t help stopping to chat with her whenever possible. She was so sweet, so open, damn near every man at the factory felt drawn to her, himself included. But Becky never seemed to notice.
And she never seemed to want male attention.
She’d certainly turned him down. She hadn’t been rude or inconsiderate about it, but rather she’d feigned misunderstanding. He’d tease, and she’d give him a blank look, then call him Mr. Westin in a way that made it clear she considered him a supervisor, a casual work friend, and nothing more.
In many ways, her youth, her fresh-faced candor, and her disinterest had made her more appealing, to the point he nearly felt obsessed with her. Of course, her body had helped in that, too.
He absolutely burned with the need to see beneath her conservative clothes.
Her long skirts and buttoned-up blouses couldn’t quite disguise a sweetly rounded figure ripe with curves. The way she tried to conceal herself only made his imagination go wild. More often than was wise, he’d fantasized about getting her into bed.
And now he knew the truth. Sweet, innocent Becky wasn’t into marriage. No, she was into bondage. She wanted to be tied down, she wanted to be vulnerable. She wanted to be at a man’s mercy.
Yet she still blushed, and she honestly seemed to be clueless about things sexual in nature.
What an intriguing conflict.
Becky Harte wanted to be dominated—and George was just the man to accommodate her. He sure as hell wasn’t going to let any other guy do it.
With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, Becky turned away from him to study the wall of blindfolds. George studied her ass.
He could hardly wait to get his hands on her.
Today she wore a beige denim skirt that hung clear to her ankles, but he could see that her feet were small, her ankles trim. Her bulky coat over a loose thick sweater hid her waistline, but couldn’t hide the thrust of her full breasts.
George’s palm tingled as he remembered slipping his hand beneath her coat to feel her heartbeat. She’d trembled gently, her heart thumping hard and fast, her breast a warm firm weight against the back of his hand.
He’d wanted to slide his fingers higher and cup her breast. He’d wanted to stroke her nipple until he felt it puckering tight.
She’d wanted the same.
But not teasing her now would get him further later, so George had controlled himself, and in the process, he’d controlled her, though she might not have realized it. All in all, sexual preferences aside, he was experienced enough to know that she was innocent, and that delightful mix of timidity and hot sensuality had him hard and more than ready.
And here he’d considered Cuther, Indiana, a dull place. He grinned. With Becky Harte wandering loose, there was nothing dull about it. Since first meeting her, he’d wanted her. Against his better judgment and her apparent disinterest, he’d wanted her.
Now he’d finally have her.
George watched her pick up and examine a black velvet blindfold with shaking fingers. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, then lifted her chin, tucked the box under her arm, and moved on to the handcuffs.
His thoughts mired in carnal speculation, George followed.
If she wanted to wear a blindfold, that was fine and dandy with him. He liked her big blue eyes, but it was her body he was dying to see.
Maybe it would help her to hide, to not see what he was seeing. He realized now that much of her past reticence was due to inexperience. Her shock at the items sold in Wild Honey had proven that.
Or maybe she liked the idea of being blindfolded because she thought it would heighten the sense of touch and anticipation. Maybe it would feed her need to be controlled. George shrugged. He would happily oblige her.
He’d leave her wanting more.
When Cameron, another supervisor at the factory, had first approached him with this bizarre plan, George had been skeptical. He assumed Cameron had seen his lust for Becky, and was pulling a joke on him.
Cameron was due to marry Becky’s friend, Asia, and he’d claimed the women had some goofy dare going that was centered around the porn shop. Cameron had refused to reveal the details behind his and Asia’s circumstances, but he had explained that it was Becky’s turn, and Asia wanted to make sure Becky wasn’t hurt.
George wanted to make sure, too.
Both Cameron and Asia thought that by ensuring Becky’s partner—him—they could protect her from other, more unscrupulous men. Smart. The thought of Becky going off with anyone else set George on edge.
She’d been unattainable, a fantasy, for too long. Now that he was part of this plan, he’d already begun to think of her in his bed, already begun to imagine all the carnal fun he’d give her. Until she indulged his craving for her, he damn sure didn’t want any other man touching her.
After they were through … well, he just didn’t know, didn’t want to think about that right now. The idea of Becky getting down and dirty with anyone else felt repugnant.
Cameron had told George that if he was willing—ha—he was to meet Becky at the shop and show an interest in bondage wares. That had nearly floored him, but Cameron, damn him, had been so blasé about the whole thing, George had refused to show his shock.
Becky Harte and bondage—a combination guaranteed to give any guy a steel boner.
Now he was beyond glad he’d taken up the challenge. Bondage wasn’t something he’d explored much in the past, but hey, if that’s what it took to finally get Becky into bed, he was willing, able, and ready. Actually, now that he’d thought about it—and he hadn’t been able to think about much else—having Becky tied to his bed appealed to him in a dozen different ways.
There’s so much to choose from.”
George watched the expressions flicker across her face when he asked, “Do you want it rough or gentle?”
Her eyes widened comically before she gathered herself.She cleared her throat and made a point of not looking at him.“I don’t think the idea is for anyone to be roughed up, do you?”
That was a relief. He wasn’t into manhandling women at all. Just the opposite. Once he had Becky bound, he’d worship her body until she cried with the pleasure of it. He could hardly wait.
“How about the velvet cuffs? They close with Velero, so they’ll be quick and easy to use.” And he’d have her snared before she even knew what he was doing.
His cock throbbed with that thought and the accompanying image of Becky spread-eagle, naked atop his mattress, taut, trembling, waiting for what he’d do to her.
Her chin lifted. “Good idea.” She snagged up the box and held it.
“Why don’t you let me carry those for you?”
Face averted, Becky thrust her packages at him. “Thank you.”
With every second that passed, George got more turned on, more eager. He rubbed his chin and thought about everything he wanted to do to her. He eyed her legs, then made another suggestion. “There are ankle cuffs too.”
She wore a considering frown. “Do you think they’re necessary?”
Oh yeah. “That’s up to you.”
“Yes, of course.” She bit her lip, snagged up the package, and tossed it at him.
“Anything else?”
“Like what?”
Her determination was adorable. “I don’t know. It’s your show, Becky. You tell me.”
That startled her, then she beamed. “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” She looked around, her brow puckered in a frown, then shook her head. “No, I think that’s it for now.”
“Becky?”
She peeked up at him.
“Do you want me to pay for these?”
Her shoulders slumped in relief. “Would you?” She dug in her purse and pulled out several bills. “I have to admit, the idea of getting caught at the register doesn’t exactly thrill me.”
George didn’t take the money. She’d be fulfill
ing a two-year long fantasy for him, so letting her pay didn’t seem right. “This’ll be my treat.”
His offer stiffened her spine. “Oh no, it’s my expense.”
Seeing that she wouldn’t change her mind, George shrugged. “All right then.”
“But aren’t you going to buy anything?”
He’d already given due thought to his own purchase. “Yeah, I think I’ll get the video we watched. We only saw a small portion of it. Wouldn’t you like to see the rest?”
Becky flushed. “If you’ll watch it with me.”
“Absolutely.” He’d watch her watching it. Seeing the fascination on her face was better than anything on-screen.
Her breath came fast. “When?”
George could see she was anxious, which fed his own urgency. “Friday night?”
It took her a moment before she screwed up her courage. “All right, yes. You can come to my place. I’ll order a pizza if that’s okay.”
He’d rather have her in his house, on his ground. But it wasn’t worth debating the issue. “Do you have a VCR?”
She bobbed her head. “Yes.”
They’d watch the movie, then get those restraints out of the box and break them in proper. God, he could hardly wait. Though today was Thursday, it felt like Friday was more than a month away.
George forced a smile. “Six o’clock?” They both got off work at five, so that’d give her an hour to get home and get ready for him.
“All right.”
By silent agreement, they started making their way to the register. Becky kept watch for other customers, and when they neared the front of the store, George took pity on her and told her to wait out front for him. She smiled and quickly ducked through the door.
When he joined her minutes later, he caught her waving to the factory. He looked up, but saw no one. “Your friends?”
She yelped and whirled to face him. “What? Oh, yes. I think I saw … uh … Erica.”
“Erica Lee?”
“Yes.” Becky frowned in suspicion. “Do you know her?”
He knew both Erica and Asia, mostly because Becky hung out with them every day during breaks and lunch. “Just in passing.”
“Erica’s dated nearly every guy at the factory.” She glanced up at him, then away. “You’ve never been out with her though.”
“Nope.” Erica Lee was a pushy broad, demanding and too damn independent. She epitomized what many men termed a ball buster. She was sexy, no doubt about that, but he liked gender women.
He liked Becky.
They walked across the street to the parking lot for the factory. When they reached Becky’s car, George handed her the bag. She took it, smiled up at him, and said, “Thank you.”
His gaze settled on her mouth. Damn it, he couldn’t wait another second. For two years he’d wondered what it would be like to kiss her, how she’d taste, how she’d fit against his body. “Friday is too damn many hours away.”
Becky gave him a look of confusion.
“I’m going to kiss you, Becky.”
Her eyes widened and she stumbled back a step. “You are?”
“It’ll be all right,” he murmured, leaning down slowly so he wouldn’t startle her. “Consider it a small prelude to tomorrow night, all right?”
Her lips parted. “But …”
He cupped her nape, turned her face up to his. Her blond hair was as soft as he’d always imagined. It felt warm against the back of his hand. “Just one kiss, Becky.”
Her eyes drifted shut. “Yes.”
She had one of the prettiest mouths George had ever seen, soft and full, always ready to smile. She never wore lipstick, but that was fine by him. He loved the way her naked mouth looked.
The moment his mouth settled on hers, he realized she tasted wonderful as well. She was breathing too hard and fast, as if she’d never been kissed before, but George decided it was anticipation that had her nearly panting. He understood that, because he wanted her so badly right now, he felt near to exploding.
Her bag dropped to the ground with a thump.
One of her hands touched his chest, fisted in his coat. The other curled over his biceps.
George slipped an arm around her waist, pulled her up close against his body, and sank his tongue deep with a groan. Her mouth wasn’t only pretty, it was delicious, too. Sweet.
And damn, she was hot.
She went on tiptoe and kissed him back, awkwardly at first, but with enthusiasm. She stroked his tongue with her own, even sucked at his tongue a bit.
It was a caress guaranteed to make him nuts.
He wasn’t just kissing a woman, he was kissing Becky. And she was wild for him.
Finding himself overwhelmed with rioting sensation for the first time in ages, George hugged Becky closer until their bodies pressed from knees to chest, until he could feel the wild beat of her heart and the gentle cushion of her belly. He wanted to absorb her. He wanted to take her right here, right now.
Lost in the sensuality of the moment, he drifted his hand down to that curving bottom of hers. She was a sexy handful and Friday night she’d be his.
Her ragged moan brought him to his senses. George lifted his head and looked around. Thankfully the lot was empty, but it was still a public lot, still out in the open and visible to anyone driving by or coming in or out of the building. Cold wind blasted his face and tossed Becky’s hair, but it had little effect on his lust. He teetered on the ragged edge and knew it. “Jesus.”
Becky, still clinging to him, still burning hot, stared up at him with vague eyes and a damp mouth and rosy cheeks. “George?”
He wanted to drag her behind a parked car, lift her long skirt, open his pants, and sink into her. He just knew she’d be wet. And tight. And she’d groan ….
He had to stop. Now.
Damn it, he wasn’t a man who went crazy with lust. He wasn’t a man who took women in parking lots in the middle of cold winter weather. He was a man used to control, and Becky, more than most women, wanted his control. She wanted him to restrain her with velvet bonds.
He shook with that thought and the resultant carnal images.
“I’m sorry.” He drew a ragged breath and tried for a smile. “We’re out in the open, baby.”
Her eyes were large and dark and hungry.
George muttered another curse. “Look, Becky, maybe you should just come home with me now. We’re both free tonight, right?”
“Oh.” Becky stiffened, looked around in appalled awareness of their surroundings. The warm flush of excitement was replaced by the hot wash of embarrassment. “Oh no, I can’t. Not yet.”
“Why?” George was so tense he’d never live till Friday. He wasn’t sure he’d survive another two minutes.
“I’m not … ready.”
Not ready? The hell she wasn’t. She’d been clinging to him, all over him, with him every step of the way.
George drew himself up on an ugly suspicion. Did she have another date for tonight? Had he justwarmed her up for another man? No way in hell was she going to crawl into bed with another guy who’d get to tie her up and watch her burn.
The mere thought had George outraged, and that bothered him, too. What she did away from him shouldn’t concern him—but damn it, it did. He frowned. Maybe they should get a few things straight right now.
But Becky was back to blushing and she turned to fumble with her car door. The second she had it open, she slid into her seat and stuck the key in the ignition.
George picked up the bag she’d dropped and handed it to her. Leaning down into the car, eyes narrowed, he said, “Listen, Becky …”
She locked her hands on the steering wheel. “I have to hurry. Asia and Erica are, um, coming over tonight.”
Asia and Erica? Well, that was different. She could visit with all the women she wanted to. Then it occurred to George how close the three women were. They spent every break, every lunch hour together at work. Would Becky tell them everything? Would she share ever
y intimate detail? Would they know he intended to restrain her with hand- and footcuffs?
Women could be so damn gossipy. George wasn’t sure he wanted his private affairs discussed—especially before he’d even had the private affair. He frowned and rubbed his jaw. “Erica and Asia, huh?”
Becky nodded so hard, her curls bounced wildly. “Yes. But I’ll be ready Friday. I promise.”
She looked eager to escape him. George gave up. “All right.” But he added, his tone tinged with warning, “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
That idea seemed to horrify her. She gave him a sickly smile, slammed her door, and started the car. George stepped back and Becky, with an airy wave and unnecessary haste, drove away.
Friday. About twenty-four hours. He could wait, just barely.
But no way would he allow her to avoid him at work. Regardless of her kinky preference for bonds, Becky was naive, so she probably didn’t understand what they’d started. He’d have to let her know that they were now on a new footing. They had something going, and he expected to reap the benefits of their new association for as long as it lasted.
In fact, the sooner they got that straightened out, the better.
Becky barely got to the top of the stairs leading to her second-floor apartment when she felt the stairs shaking. She knew even before she turned back to look that it was Asia and Erica thundering up the steps after her. She unlocked her apartment door and waited.
Asia and Erica burst onto the landing. Asia looked ripe with curiosity, and Erica was grinning like a loon. They both saw her, grabbed her, and screamed together, “You did it!”
Becky couldn’t help but laugh. They knew how shy she was, knew that she never dated. For her to have actually gone through with her end of the pact was nothing short of a miracle. “Shhh. Come inside before my neighbors call the police. They’ll think you’re both accosting me.”
The women moved inside, still huddled together, and shut the door. The second they all hadtheir coats off, Asia enfolded Becky in a tight hug. “Becky, that kiss. Oh man. We watched from the window, and shew. Talk about a scorcher. Even Erica was impressed. That man’s ears were steaming.”