“What was your relationship with your professor, Prudence?” he asked.
She looked at him, staring into his eyes, and she knew. James had run a check on her. Prue knew she should be angry at him checking her out, but it made her pleased.
Prue loosened a hand and pressed her palm against the front of his shirt. She felt the coil of muscle tense against her touch. A chuckle escaped between her lips.
She took one step closer, closing the small distance between them. Her hand was the only part of her touching him. It was enough for her to feel the heat escaping from him.
“I never knew I was so important for you to check up on.” Her nipples were hard points, and her pussy was on fire, her need escalating in a short space of time.
“What was your relationship with your professor?” he asked again.
She didn’t speak a word only stared at him.
What did it mean for him to be checking up on her? In her heart she thought it meant so much. Did he care about her? Want her the way she wanted him? Her head, however, made her doubt herself.
He’d been with Veronica. She’d seen him happy and knew from the look on his face that he wasn’t happy.
“You’ve checked up on me, James. You find out what went on between the professor and me.”
She moved away taking a seat on her sofa. If she hadn’t been wearing her pencil skirt she’d have folded her legs under her. Prue picked up the remote and turned the volume up on the television. Her hand shook giving way to her nerves. She wanted to challenge James and show him she could give as good as she got.
“You fucked him, didn’t you?”
Her pulse leapt in her body. She’d never heard him be so crass before. Prue liked the way the word “fucked” rolled off his tongue.
Again, she didn’t answer flicking through the channels instead.
“He was older than you, Prudence.”
She smiled recalling the way the other man had shown her the delights of the body. It was a nicer and subtler way of saying how well the older man fucked.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the stress on his face from her lack of words. Why was she doing this to him? James had always been nice to her.
He ran his fingers through his black hair with the few specks of grey. She wanted to run her own fingers through the locks. How would they feel when she tightened on the length as he drove his shaft inside her?
James sat down on the coffee table in front of her. She saw the bulge in his pants and knew he wanted her. The signs she’d been looking for on Monday were present now.
What should she do?
Prue didn’t want to be another notch on his bed post. Or a guilty fuck the next morning. She’d hate for him to regret being with her.
He took the remote from her hand and placed her hand within his. She saw how much bigger he was than she. She wasn’t scared. His size comforted her. In the modern world they lived in, she knew she wasn’t supposed to need a man to keep her safe but she did. Prue liked the thought of being taken care of. Prue’s secret fantasy was to have a man who not only wanted to possess her, he also needed to own her.
****
James felt the smooth softness of her hand. Since the moment he learned she worked for Cadeon, alarm bells had been going off through his mind. He didn’t want her working for Cadeon, and he knew it was silly. He’d known Cadeon a long time. The man was completely devoted to his wife, Violet. All of James’s concerns were not founded. She was safe with Cadeon where at other offices she wouldn’t be.
No matter how many times he tried to talk himself out of it, he couldn’t stop the unease inside him. She shouldn’t be working for Cadeon inside that office. Then to top it off, the report that Tate had given him explained the rather dubious relationship she’d had with her professor in college, Michael Lovell. He recognised the name and the man. He’d been a frequent visitor to the dungeon at one time. Prudence’s name had never been mentioned once.
James knew something happened between them, and he hated it. She was sweet and young, and Michael should have kept his hands away from her.
Why are you here?
Why do you want to kill the man for touching Prudence?
Why do you want her to look at you and for her to tell you she’d go anywhere with you?
So many questions and he refused to answer any of them.
“I know Michael Lovell. I know what he likes.”
Her gaze went back to his. The blush in her cheeks was unmistakable.
“You have no right to question the men in my life.”
He knew she was attracted to him. James had always known the feelings he invoked in this woman before him. When she was younger he’d seen the admiration and the desire, the desire of a young girl who had no idea what real life meant. The woman before him knew true desire. She stared back at him. The fire danced in her blue eyes as she looked back at him.
James saw the challenge in her gaze, and what was worse was the fact the Dom inside him wanted to answer that call.
“I’ve never asked you about any of your conquests, James. The many women you’ve fucked.”
None of his conquests would come forward. The relationship he held with women was strictly business. He trained them in the art of submission until he found the right Dom for them. The time he spent with them was good but not ground breaking. He’d never felt any connection of souls like his two friends had described to him. Not even with Veronica. She was the only anomaly in his life. He’d never taken her or trained her. She’d been a passing fancy that only age had shown him the truth.
He’d never felt this need to keep her close. Staring at Prue, he felt the need.
“You can work for me,” he said, hating the words the moment he said them.
“Why would I work for you?” she asked.
She hadn’t taken her hand away. James held her hand close refusing to let go. He needed to keep her close, and the only way to do that was by having her near him at all times.
It was wrong of him. Veronica would probably kill him if she ever found out. He didn’t care. James was going to do whatever the hell he liked.
“I can double your salary,” he said. He’d seen all of her personal details. Tate had been thorough in his search. James expected the thoroughness, especially after the mistake he’d made with Violet.
“Exactly how much did your check go into? You know I’m paid well for my work.”
“I’ll make sure you can pay your student debts and own this house within the next five years,” he said. His wealth could keep her in the life of luxury for the remainder of her life. He didn’t want her to feel like a kept woman. Prudence was independent. He saw it, understood it, and would respect it, at least for as long as he could handle her independent streak.
“I don’t want to work for you, James. I think you should leave before we say something we might regret.”
James felt an excitement course through his body at her challenge. Did she not know what her words were doing to him?
“Are you sure you don’t want to work for me?” he asked.
“I’m positive.”
He stood, pulling his coat on. Another plan had already begun to form inside his mind. She’d refused to work with him, and he’d find another way to get what he wanted.
She followed him to the door. He turned, cupping her cheek against his palm. “You’ll be mine soon.”
Before she got chance to speak, he walked back to the car. The taxi driver was waiting for him. He climbed in the back seat waiting for him to drive to the club. While they were on the road, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Cadeon’s number.
Cadeon answered on the fifth ring.
“What’s the matter?” Cadeon asked as a way of greeting.
“I want you to do something for me.”
“What?”
“I want you to fire Prudence Star on Monday.”
Chapter Eight
The weekend couldn’t end fast enough for Pru
e. Her dreams over the last three nights had been filled with James and the last words he’d spoken before he left.
“You’ll be mine soon.”
Those few words were enough to send her heart-rate sky rocketing. She’d never been spoken to with so much possession before. Unfortunately, because of her dreams, she’d woken up late and was currently running toward the Ashwood building in the pouring rain and was soaking wet.
The moment she walked through the doors, she wrung her hair out then made her way to the elevator. Prue saw her reflection in the steel and groaned. She looked a mess. Opening her bag, she pulled out a hair brush and tried her best to make herself look presentable. Her skirt felt incredibly tight around her stomach, and her bra was digging into her shoulders and breasts.
The doors opened, and she walked over to her desk. Anya and Becky were waiting for her.
“Mr. Ashwood has demanded your presence in his office immediately, Prue. What have you done?” Anya asked.
She frowned. Prue had never met the owner of the building where she worked. There was no reason for her to be meeting him.
“I have no idea. I better go even though I do look like a lost cause.”
She ran her fingers through her wet hair then went back to the elevator for it to take her up to the top floor.
Prue walked across the office floor towards his office. Her heart was pounding. Cadeon Ashwood’s personal assistant asked her to wait. She took the time to gaze out of the window down to where people were getting wet from the rain.
Her thoughts drifted to James and his unexpected visit on Friday. She also recalled the swelling in his pants. His arousal had been hard to mistake. She crossed her legs on the spot trying to stem her own desire. Her needs when it came to James were getting harder and harder to ignore.
“Miss Star? Mr. Ashwood will see you now.”
Prue followed the woman. Cadeon was seated behind his desk. She recognised him from the photographs taken over the past year.
“Miss Star, thank you for seeing me.”
She nodded her head, taking a seat in front of him. Her hands were shaking as she looked at him. He was a handsome man. Not as handsome as James, but he could rival most men in the looks department.
“I don’t know what this is about, Mr. Ashwood.”
He paused, and she saw he wasn’t giving her direct eye contact. “I’m afraid we’ve had some difficulty of late, and we have to let some staff go. It is with great regret we inform you that your position here will have to be terminated.”
Everything clicked into place. Prue knew he and James were very good friends, and she also knew that James would do anything to get what he wanted.
She’d seen the intent and couldn’t believe the lengths he’d gone to, to get what he wanted.
Easing back in her seat she stared at him, seeing how uncomfortable he was. His friendship was being tested to the max.
“James put you up to this, didn’t he?”
Cadeon looked at her. His eyes were filled with the same kind of heat that James possessed. She knew this man was completely taken with his own wife. The possessive flare that the news had reported on was not a lie. She knew that now more than ever before.
“I’m afraid there is no stopping what he wants, Miss Star.”
“Please, call me Prue. Oh, he’ll get what he wants, just not in the way he thought.” She stood up and leaned over the desk to shake his hands. “Lovely to meet you, Cadeon. Give Violet all the best.”
She left his office moments later, walking back to the elevator that took her to her floor. When she was there, she walked over to her desk and packed the few personal items before walking out of the door.
Her anger was building with each step she took. She ignored the taxi waiting for her and insisted on getting her own. The taxi took her straight to Ravage. The club was closed. She saw Leo outside smoking a cigarette.
After paying the taxi, she waited to gain Leo’s attention.
“Where is he?” she asked.
Leo escorted her inside. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait in his office. James is a little busy at the moment.”
He left her inside James’s office. She took in the space around her. Prue knew where he was, and she was going to confront him. The dungeon may be off limits to her, however, James had just cost her her job. He was going to get a piece of her mind, whether he liked it or not.
She listened to the door to see if Leo was standing guard. Prue opened the door a little to peer outside. No one was hanging around. She closed the door after her and decided to find the dungeon. She walked to the far end of the corridor and found a door leading to a waiting room.
Prue knew if it was night there would be guards on the door so no one could gain access. She opened a set of doors that led to a flight of stairs. For a split second, she doubted herself. She shouldn’t be doing this. James wouldn’t like her going down there.
He’s just lost you your job. He deserves to get what is coming to him.
What he had coming to him, she didn’t know.
Taking the steps slowly, she descended to the last one until she came to another set of doors. Prue opened the doors and looked into a whole new world. She’d been to BDSM clubs before. Those clubs were nothing like this. This whole place was like being immersed into a different world.
“You need to show her that she can trust you. You’re the one in charge of her. She’s your responsibility.”
She heard his voice giving instruction. There was another man and a woman in the middle of the club. The woman was bound to a table with her ass in the air. Her pussy was on display for them all to see.
Prue couldn’t help herself. She gasped. The last BDSM club she’d been to had been a long time ago. The lifestyle hadn’t been part of her because none of the Doms appealed. She’d done it for the current man in her life and because being told what to do turned her on.
Her small gasp caught James’s and the mystery Dom’s attention.
“I told Leo to put you in my office,” James said.
“Too bad for Leo that he had a pissed off woman on his hands.” She walked over to where James stood. His chest was naked, and he wore a pair of leather pants. He looked so damn good. She wanted to stand there and admire him. Instead, she forced herself to storm over to him.
James came toward her. He bent down, putting his shoulders against her stomach and lifting her. The move was so unexpected that she left out a squeal.
“Continue with your training. Lucas will supervise you,” James said, pointing to another man who’d entered the room.
“Put me down, you fucking ape. You poor excuse for a fucking man.” She wriggled on his shoulder in an attempt to make him put her down. Nothing she did budged him.
“Watch your head,” he said, walking out of the doors she’d just entered through. She curled up the best she could while he took her back up to his office. Prue took the time to thump and slap his backside with all the anger she felt directed at him.
“Sorry, Boss. I can’t keep her in one place,” Leo said when James passed him.
“No problems, Leo. I’ve got her sorted.”
She hit him, cursed him, and did everything in her power to try to get him to put her down. The door to his office closed, giving them much needed privacy. Only then did he put her down on her feet.
The moment her feet hit the floor she tried to slap him. He caught her hand pulling her in tightly against his body. “Don’t even think of trying to hit me.” He warned her.
She stamped on his foot as hard as she could. His facial expression didn’t change once. Prue stared down at his shoes. They looked like hard working boots.
When she glanced back up in his face and saw the gleam in his eye, she knew she was right.
“Stop being such a hell-cat,” he said.
“You got me fired, James. I liked that job. Okay, it was just a job, but it was one that meant I was able to keep a roof over my head and food in my stomach.
”
“What makes you think I took your job?”
She punched him in the arm with her free hand. “I know you and Cadeon Ashwood are friends. I read the papers, James. I’m not stupid even if you do like to treat me as if I am.”
He captured her cheek with his palm. The action was filled with such tenderness it made her stop. Prue stared at him shocked by his move.
****
Her lips were in the shape of a heart. James thought they looked so damn good. He wanted to kiss them, desperately. Cadeon had kept his word. He didn’t know why it was important to him for her to be close, only that he needed to keep her there.
“What more do you know?” he asked.
He knew there was more knowledge behind her eyes. The report he’d gotten from Tate last Friday showed him how much Prudence knew. James cut off all other thoughts. He didn’t want to think of her with another man.
His hand remained against her cheek. Her skin was soft. He refused to let go of such beauty. Gazing down her body, he saw her nipples were rock hard pointing up at him. What he would give to feel them in his palm?
Her lips tempted him. James wanted one taste, just one taste. He lowered his head, cutting off all thought.
James claimed her lips. Prudence didn’t fight him. The instant his lips were on hers the fire ignited inside him. He moved his hand from her cheek, sinking his fingers into the locks of her hair. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her curves against his body. His cock filled and threatened to rip out of his pants.
Still, he sank his tongue between her lips, tasting her for the first time. Heaven was all he could think about.
Prudence was pure heaven. Her body accepted him as if she’d been made to be his and his alone. He kissed her like a starving man would devour his last meal.
Even as his body went up in flames, his mind settled as he knew he’d found the right woman. Prudence Star was the one for him, and she’d just turned his carefully designed world upside down.
James came up for air, and he stared down into her face. Her eyes were closed with a small smile playing along her lips. He moved his body closer, and she melted against him.
Owned by the Dom: Part One (The Owners) Page 7