by Faith Starr
“In a drawer. When I woke up I was cold, so I helped myself to a T-shirt.”
“I like seeing you in it. But I would rather see you out of it. Come to think of it, maybe not. Get in the shower. I’ll join you in a minute.”
She didn’t budge, obviously unsure if she had heard me correctly. I nodded to indicate that she had.
“And here I thought the purpose of showering was to be naked.”
This was not the time for sarcasm. She would have to learn time and place. I wasn’t used to asking for something twice in the bedroom. She was proving to be a challenge in every facet of my life.
“Jordin, I asked you to do something for me. Now please get in the shower and keep the shirt on.”
53
Jordin
Yay! Dominant Noah was back. I liked him, a lot.
The glass-encased shower could probably fit four adults. I had plenty of room inside it.
Yikes! The water was freezing when I turned it on. I stepped to the side to let it warm up, but it didn’t help. The water sprayed at me from everywhere—the walls, the ceiling. It was incredible.
Now that was a sight to warm me up, Noah undressing. Hopefully he wouldn’t catch me staring through the steamy glass door. I would never get tired of seeing his glorious body.
What’s that in his hand?
I stepped closer to the glass but had a difficult time making out what it was.
The door opened, and he stepped inside.
Breathe.
My hands instinctively covered my chest since the white T-shirt I had on was completely sheer. It stuck to my skin too.
Clearly, Noah didn’t feel self-conscious at all. His little, I mean, big friend stood at attention.
“I like what I see, baby.” His eyes devoured me. That helped me to relax a little.
“I do too.”
What’s in his hand?
I again tried to get a better look, but he wanted no part of that. He pushed me flush against the tile wall and kissed me, his hand finding its way to my breast from over the top of my shirt.
He released his lips from mine and moved lower, sucking and nibbling on each of my breasts through the thin cotton material. I practically melted. I closed my eyes to relish the moment, when out of nowhere, a shot of pain ripped through my nipple. “Ouch!” My eyes sprung open, peering down to find a clamp attached to it. What the hell?
“Give it a minute, babe. You’re going to love this.” His eyes were wide with desire.
Love it? I wasn’t so sure about that.
I became so preoccupied with the uncomfortable sensation I didn’t realize he had moved on, affixing another clamp to my other nipple.
Dammit! And here I thought this shit was supposed to feel good. Right now I couldn’t argue that position, because it hurt like hell.
“Stop overthinking this.”
Really? Why don’t you let me stick a clamp on your privates, and then you can tell me to stop overthinking things?
“That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have S and M toys attached to your body.”
“They’re called tweezer clamps.”
Tweezer clamps? I looked down to see what he was talking about, all the while trying to ignore the discomfort in the hopes it would get better.
“This ring here allows me to adjust the tension. I have it on the loosest setting. I just want you to get a feel for them. If it’s too painful, tell me. This is meant to feel good.”
Good? How soon?
Before I could respond, he kissed me. I knew he was only trying to distract me from thinking about the clamps presently squeezing the circulation out of my nipples.
Well, well, well. What do you know? It started to feel good. I mean really good. Damn, Noah.
He continued to deliciously kiss me when out of nowhere there was a tugging sensation on my breasts. I broke the kiss and glanced down to find him gently pulling the chain attached to them. Was it possible to have an orgasm without any clitoral stimulation? If there was, I was about to have one, a gigantic one too. And my moans of delight only encouraged him to pull the chain slightly harder.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
The next thing I knew he had me facing the wall, my body bent forward. I instinctively reached for the built-in shower bench. But not before hearing the familiar rip of a foil packet.
He gripped my hips and swiped a few fingers across my opening. He probed me with them, a taste of what was about to come. Me included.
My back arched. His fingers glided in and out of me in a steady rhythm. If he didn’t act fast, he was going to miss his opportunity, because I was just about there.
“Yes!” My entire being welcomed that now too familiar out-of-body sensation.
“Not yet, Jordin.”
Huh? His fingers vanished. I mean abandoned me completely, causing the euphoric sensations within to slow down. No fair. I pouted. Did he not realize I was on the brink of insanity? If he didn’t get going soon, my own fingers were going to take charge.
Good man. There was pressure on my hips again. He entered me. I closed my eyes in relief. He leaned over me, his fingers digging into my hips.
Shit, it felt so intense.
Being that gravity had my breasts falling forward, the clamps pulled them more forcefully. It was almost as magical as his disappearing-finger trick from moments ago.
Sweet kisses grazed my back while rough thrusts entered me, my hands tightening on the step to help me keep my balance with every forward motion.
Heat from his breath against my skin and steam from the hot water caused a burning sensation so delicious to develop between my thighs. Of course the rhythmic glide of his erection in and out of me and his hand teasing my clit didn’t hurt matters either.
“Yes!” It was a silent, or in this case, an extremely loud prayer for more, even though mentally I wasn’t so sure I could handle it.
Noah grunted against my back, hardening inside me. Between that and the clamps tugging at my nipples, I was done for. I arched my back in release. Noah’s hands dug into my flesh harder as he pushed himself as deep as my body would allow.
The throbbing of his length locked inside me only enhanced the pleasurable sensations overtaking over me, tingling in my hands and feet, the rapid beating of my heart echoing in my ears, euphoric spasms shooting throughout my entire being, moans escaping my lips, causing me to lose sight of everything around me in the best way possible. I didn’t want it to end. I embraced every second of the wave as it crashed over and through me.
He pulled out and carefully raised my torso to an upright position.
Oh. I was so light-headed. I bent over, my hand again reaching out for the step.
Once the darkness in front of my eyes passed, I stood up to find a waiting god ready to take me into his arms and kiss me passionately. And while he did so, he removed the nipple clamps one by one.
Whoever said men couldn’t multitask had never met Noah Dorian.
54
Noah
“Good morning.”
Mitch bumped into us while exiting the elevator. Jordin and I were getting in.
“Where were you?” He looked like he had just come home from a long night.
“Darla’s. Where are you two off to?”
It was difficult to hide my disgust about him being with Darla.
“I’m taking Jordin home. She has to go to work.”
“It’s good to see you. Now maybe my brother will smile again.” He winked at her and was on his merry way.
“Prick.”
“I heard that. See you guys later.”
Good. It was meant for him to hear.
“What was that about?” She waited until the elevator door closed before following up on his comment.
“Nothing.” I wore my best poker face.
“Uh-huh.” She nudged me with her elbow.
“What?”
She smiled at me, definitely seeing through it. “Same reply as I got. Nothing.”
> I confined her to the corner of the elevator and kissed her. I just couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
“What’re your plans for the day, Mr. Dorian?” She was out of breath when I released her. Her eyes filled with desire. Too bad we didn’t have time for a little elevator action. Not that we could anyway. I didn’t have protection with me.
“I’m going to the publishing house after I drop you off, then it’s back to the club to work.”
“Sounds hectic.”
“And your day?”
“After the women’s center, I have a dissertation committee meeting to attend. Then I have a date with my computer.”
“I’m jealous. I hope I gave you some valuable hands-on experience to write about.”
“I think I’ll keep that information to myself.”
Her shyness and flushed cheeks did that funky thing inside me.
“I’m glad. What we share together is nobody’s business but our own.”
The door opened, and I allowed her to exit first. Hand in hand we walked to my car.
55
Jordin
“You’ll be seeing a new client today, Jordin. Her name is Leah. She’s a product of domestic abuse from her father, uncle, and husband. She has no children and is in recovery from alcohol abuse. She’s been sober for ninety days, the length of time she was in a treatment facility. Fortunately for Leah, her family could afford what insurance wouldn’t cover. She’ll be living in a halfway house for the next few weeks before returning home to the situation that brought her here to begin with. She’s willing and open-minded. I think you’ll enjoy working with her. How’re things progressing with Karina?” The eyes of Dr. Symons, Dr. Reddy, and all the other therapists zeroed in on me.
I sat forward, leaning my elbows on the conference table. Karina was still a big challenge, and they needed to know that, especially since they were the ones who agreed to cut her days down to once a week. “She seemed a bit agitated during our last session. She admitted to having sexual relations with a man who she’s not involved with. We discussed how it was recommended to her to refrain from that type of behavior, at least temporarily, but she didn’t want to hear any part of my rationale against it.”
“Sadly, most of the women here find it difficult to abstain when starting out in recovery. Since they don’t have alcohol or other substances to dull their emotions, sex can become an outlet for that energy. Just keep reiterating that important concept to her. You’ve done a tremendous job with her so far, and we’re all impressed with her progress. We know you’re interested in fulfilling your internship requirement with the university in the fall, but we’ve all talked and agreed that we would love for you to remain here with us and possibly join us permanently after you graduate. Please keep in mind we usually don’t offer full-time internship positions, so it speaks very highly of your abilities. Feel free to think about it. If it’s something you’re interested in, we can discuss more specific details at a later time.”
This was so unexpected and great. I shifted in my chair, trying to withhold my excitement. “Thank you so much. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and really appreciate your faith in me. I’ll seriously consider it.”
Whew, sweet relief. I now had options, which was totally reassuring.
After that brief aside, Dr. Symons moved on to the next therapist to discuss her clients.
The rest of the day I floated on cloud nine. Leah had been a joy to meet with. She seemed hungry for recovery. It was such a pleasure to work with clients who wanted to improve the quality of their lives.
Karina, on the other hand, was still agitated. She admitted to having sex again but this time with a different man. I emphasized the importance of focusing on her recovery and attending her twelve-step meetings. She rebutted by saying she was working the steps with a sponsor and going to meetings, but she also needed a bit of fun. I also spoke about the importance of safe sex to which her reply was, “I’m not an idiot, Jordin.” I sighed in frustration. All I could do was offer suggestions. I couldn’t force her to take them.
With my workday complete, I headed to the university for my meeting. Casey happened to be in the offices, which was great. I couldn’t wait to tell her about the possibility of working for the clinic full-time as an intern.
“Hey, did you call him yet?”
“Hello to you too.” Did I tell her now she was right in her assessment of the Noah situation? Nah, she already exuded confidence. I would wait. “He actually called me. We went out to dinner last night, and it was amazing.”
“That’s my girl.” She suffocated me with a hug.
“How about Rich?”
“We went out last night too. It was also amazing.” Her spirits seemed much higher than the last time I’d spoken to her. She also had a glow about her.
“Yay.” I clapped. “It seems like you two have been spending a lot of time together.”
“He’s been very supportive with all the shit I’m going through with school and all. He also told me he doesn’t want me to see anyone else.”
Close your mouth.
“Really? How do you feel about that?”
“I agreed.” Double yay! “Right now the last thing I need is more drama in my life. He’s so laid-back and easygoing. He’s good for me.” It was my turn to hug her. This was good. Rich was a respectable guy. “How about Noah?”
“What about him?” Who was I to kiss and tell?
“Any relationship talk?”
“I don’t think he’s the commitment type.” Sadly.
“Give him time. He’ll change his tune.”
“I don’t count on it.”
With my frown fully intact, I spotted my committee chair enter the conference room. That was my signal it was time for my meeting to begin. I said a quick goodbye to Casey and left, leaving my frown in the hallway when I entered the room.
It was unusually warm. I rolled up my sleeves. One of my group members must’ve noticed me twirling my hair and tying it up in a knot. I’m glad it was long enough to do so because I didn’t have a clip with me. He winked at me and rolled me a bottle of water from the stash set up at the end of the table next to him. I graciously smiled and opened it, taking a well-deserved drink.
Almost an hour and a half later, the meeting was adjourned. I stepped outside and bumped into Casey, again.
“Fancy meeting you here. How was your meeting?”
“It was great. What’re you still doing here?”
“I had a session with my therapist and then needed to make some photocopies.”
“Want to grab a bite to eat?” I wanted to talk to her about the internship.
“Sure. I’m starving.” We agreed on a meeting place and began our short hike to the parking lot. “Oh shit.” She stopped in the middle of the walkway, browsing through the stack of folders in her hands. “I knew it. I forgot my binder in my dad’s office.”
“So go back inside and get it. It’s no biggie.”
With that, her cell rang.
“Hold on a second,” she said into her phone. “Jordin, please do me a favor. I have to take this call. Will you go get my binder from my dad’s office for me? I left it on the coffee table. Here are the keys.” She flipped my hand over and dropped them in it.
“Casey, I don’t feel comfortable going inside his office if he’s not in there, especially if you’re not with me.” This would definitely not go over well with Dr. Sloan.
“Please. It’s fine. This call is important.” She nudged me away and turned her back toward me.
Dammit. At least we were still close to the department building. Luckily I was wearing flats. It came in handy when I jogged back to the building. I wanted to get in and out of there as quickly as possible.
Agitation filled me. I didn’t appreciate Casey putting me in this position. I wasn’t Sloan’s daughter, and I certainly didn’t feel right about entering his private space.
Inside the building I waved to the secretary and made my way
to his office. I was already sweating. Guess I had run faster than I thought. I knocked on his door and waited for a response. I looked from side to side in the hallway to see if anyone was around. It was empty. I had a difficult time standing still. This was so wrong.
Again, I knocked but there was no reply.
Ugh! Here went nothing. I jiggled the knob to see if it was unlocked. It wasn’t. That meant he wasn’t in there. I let out a sigh of relief and inserted the key into the lock. When I stepped inside, I literally dropped Casey’s keychain on the floor.
“Oh my gosh! I’m ssso sorry!” My heart fell into the pit of my stomach, beating a mile a minute.
“What’re you doing with keys to my office?”
I had never seen Dr. Sloan this angry. I whirled around. The image of his ass now forever stamped in my mind.
“Casey asked me to get her folder. She received an important call and asked me to run inside and grab it for her. I didn’t know you were in here.” I literally spoke to the door.
“Next time, why don’t you try knocking?”
Hello? I faced him and placed my hand on my hips. Fortunately, he already had his pants pulled back up. The young girl was still snapping hers closed.
“Serena, go on ahead. I’ll see you in class.”
She didn’t look at me. She simply grabbed her backpack and scurried out of his office with her tail between her legs.
“For the record, I did knock. She seems a little young to be applying for the internship.” I saw my target sitting on the coffee table, so I seized it along with Casey’s keys off the floor and began my exit.
“Listen here, Jordin, you don’t know who you’re dealing with, so I would quit with the attitude. You saw nothing in here. Are we clear?”
Freeze. I stopped walking and whirled around. He had officially reached my boiling point. I took two steps forward so I stood right in front of him, the two of us eye to eye. Well, not actually. He was quite tall. “You know what? I know exactly who I’m dealing with. What does that make, two women now? Not that I’m counting or anything. I’m sure there are others I don’t even know about.” If Noah was here now, he’d be so proud of me. I could be dominant too.