Master Class

by Carr, Cassandra

  “Come in, come in. It’s cold outside,” she called from the relative warmth of the foyer.

  He stepped into the house. “Is that long-wearing lipstick?”

  She nodded, a confused look playing over her face, and he grabbed her, hauling her to him.

  “Good.” With that he kissed her harder and longer than he had in weeks, not stopping until they were both in dire need of air.

  “Wow.”

  “Been a while since you’ve said that.”

  “I guess I need to more often.” She leaned back. “You look really nervous.” She reached around him and pushed the front door shut. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, I just”—he felt like such an idiot admitting this—“haven’t done a ‘meet the parents’ thing in more years than I care to remember.”

  “Come sit down.”

  “We need to go.”

  Lisette waved a hand. “We get there when we get there. My mom has plenty of other people to keep her occupied.”

  She laced her arm through his and pulled him over to the sofa. He sat heavily, and she plopped down next to him.

  “My family is pretty cool, and I’m sure they’ll like you.”

  “Yes, because a thirty-something divorced English professor is such a catch.”

  She smirked but hastened to reassure him. “They’re not judgmental, and even if they were, trust me, much worse men than you have been brought home between my sisters and cousins. Just the fact you don’t have a record puts you in good stead.”

  He must’ve looked shell-shocked, because she began to giggle. Ryan glowered at her.

  “Seriously, you’ll do fine.”

  Lisette rubbed the back of his neck for a moment and then went to her knees in front of him. Ryan was so surprised by her sudden change of position he drew back.

  “Nuh-uh, big guy, I need to be able to reach you.”

  “Reach what?”

  “This.”

  Before he could stop her, she had him unzipped and his cock in her hand. It perked up immediately as she gave the head a gentle squeeze. Then her warm, wet mouth was on him, and his head fell back against the cushions.

  “Fuck, that feels good.”

  She murmured something, her mouth still full of him, and he shuddered as the vibrations ran over his dick. It didn’t take long for her to bring him to the brink of insanity, and then he was tumbling over. Lisette neatly tucked him back into his pants.

  “See? Stress relief comes in all forms.”

  Ryan would’ve laughed, but the effort required to do that sounded like too much trouble. Hard. Hard. He snickered. “You’re amazing.”

  “Thanks. Let’s go, before you become a permanent man-shaped puddle on my couch.”

  The party wasn’t nearly as bad as Ryan had imagined it would be. He liked her family. They were as crazy as she was. By the time he’d pulled Lisette out of the vortex to leave, they’d had numerous offers for dinner and other activities lobbed at them, mostly by her sisters. Once back at her place, they exchanged gifts. She’d gotten him an expensive bottle of Scotch that he never would’ve splurged on for himself, and she squealed about the pedicure. As Ryan got in his car to head home, he was feeling good.

  Even his own family couldn’t bring down his good mood, though they were nowhere near as cool as Lisette’s crazy brood. During the next week, he found himself missing Lisette terribly. School was on its winter break, and she was still working, so he wandered around the house every day cleaning and organizing, read a bunch of books, and generally drove himself insane. He actually looked forward to going to her work every night.

  They spent a quiet New Year’s Eve at Jack and Callie’s house, just the four of them. Callie had spoken to Lisette a couple of times over the phone and suggested they do something at their house rather than battle the crowd at the club, and Ryan had readily agreed.

  Ryan and Lisette brought champagne, an appetizer, and dessert, and Jack and Callie handled the rest. It was a very pleasant, relaxing evening filled with good food, good friends, and good conversation. At one point Ryan felt himself grin and knew he must look like a maniacal idiot, but he didn’t care. Tonight was so different from this time last year, and he sent up a little thank-you prayer to whoever had decided to look kindly upon him.

  At close to midnight, Callie and Lisette left the room, and Ryan and Jack looked at each other, shrugging. A few minutes later, the women reentered the room, and Ryan swallowed his tongue as he took in his girlfriend’s wardrobe change. Lisette was clad in a waist cincher that ended right beneath her breasts, thrusting them forward as if in offering, a pair of black panties, and nothing else. She and Callie gracefully lowered themselves to their knees, and when Times Square went nuts at midnight, Ryan hardly heard it.

  Chapter Ten

  A few days later, Ryan brought their dinner into Lisette’s office and set it on her table. For that evening’s meal, he’d gone to the store and gotten those takeaway meals. They smelled fabulous, and she was starving. As they ate, Lisette asked him about his day, and he admitted he’d done more cleaning out. She sat back, studying him.

  “Why do you think you’ve gone on this cleaning bender?”

  Ryan shrugged but wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Not sure. Bored.”

  “Maybe. But you’re doing it with a single-minded purpose, so I thought maybe there was more to it than that.”

  “Like maybe I was trying to purge the last of my ex-wife out of my life?”

  “You wouldn’t be the first divorced person to do that.”

  “No, but I got her out of my system months ago. You’ve been a big help with that.” Ryan grasped her hand and squeezed before motioning to her plate with his fork. “Eat.”

  The food was great, and Ryan had been getting more adventurous with what he was bringing each night.

  An hour later Lisette sat up in her chair suddenly. “Huh.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Grace just e-mailed me. She wants me to go to Connecticut again. Apparently the executives have decided someone should stand over Marty with a whip”—her lips twitched—“and I’m the best person for the job, because I know the booth better than anyone else.”

  “Another there-and-back-in-one-day trip?”

  “No. She wants me to leave tomorrow and be there for the rest of the week.” Lisette shrugged. “I guess it’s not that bad. I can work from Marty’s office or the hotel room. It’s just a pain to travel when I’m not sure it’s necessary. Marty is doing everything he can. All his guys are working overtime already.”

  “Want me to come with you? I could help you keep an eye on this Marty character.”

  She turned more fully in her chair and gave him an assessing gaze. “Come with me? You’ll be bored out of your mind. Because I can tell you how this trip is going to go. I’ll ask Marty how everything’s going, and he’ll say, ‘We’re working as quickly as we can.’ Then I’ll ask him if I can help with anything or answer any questions, and he’ll say no, because we already talk two or three times a day. Then I’ll tell him to call me on my cell if he needs anything, and I’ll check in later or tomorrow.” She sat back as a thought occurred to her. “You don’t trust me with Marty.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You didn’t have to. Ryan, I am not your ex-wife, and I haven’t given you even a hint of a reason not to trust me.”

  “Look, my ex used to travel a lot for work, and I think that was one of the things that broke us up. It created distance. I don’t want distance from you.”

  His face was set in hard lines, and though she wanted to feel bad for what he’d gone through, he was taking it way too far if he thought he was going to follow her all over the country to her trade shows now that they were exclusive. A little possessiveness was okay; controlling was not.

  She tried to reason with him. “Me going away for a few days isn’t going to create distance.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “This is what I
do for a living, Ryan. I travel every month. You know that.”

  “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  “Of course not, but this relationship isn’t going to work if you don’t trust me.”

  “Humor me this time. Let me come with you.” He reached for her hands. “I’m trying, I really am. I swear it. I want to trust you. You have no idea how much. So let me come with you.”

  Lisette considered. “Well, like I said, I can do some work from the hotel, but let’s face it, there’s going to be a lot of downtime. I’d argue with Grace about the necessity of anyone going, but I’m afraid her head would explode. I know she’s under a lot of pressure from the executives, and I don’t want that on my conscience. Plus, it’s messy, and I hate blood.” Her lame attempt to lighten the mood appeared to have worked, as Ryan gave her a little half smile. “Fine. The only thing you’d have to pay for is your flight. I can expense everything else. I shower the financial center with ticker-tape parades of receipts every week; I’d be willing to bet they don’t look at even ten percent of them.”

  * * * *

  In a hotel room less than twenty-four hours later, his palms began to sweat as Ryan stared at the large bed. Why was the prospect of sleeping in that bed sending him into near hysterics? They’d done far more intimate things than sleep, and this whole thing had been his idea.

  She won’t see the person you want her to see; she’ll see who you really are.

  Ouch. Even his subconscious was against him.

  Lisette exited the bathroom after having dumped her toiletries off. “Will you be okay here while I go harass Marty?”

  “Oh yeah, sure.”

  She raised one eyebrow. “Don’t feel the need to come with me?”

  He sighed. Yeah, he deserved that. “I’m sure. I do trust you; it’s just hard for me sometimes.”

  “I know it is.” She grabbed his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “You need to remember. I am not your ex-wife. If I met her, I’d probably punch her for what she did to you.”

  “Strangely, that’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me.”

  “Nobody messes with my man.” Lisette stepped back and stared at a spot on the carpet before taking a deep breath. What was that about? “I’ll be back in a few hours, and we can find someplace for dinner.”

  He used the time Lisette was away to give himself a stern talking-to, and by the time she walked into the room a few hours later, he had convinced himself he wasn’t going to have a heart attack, either from worrying about what she was doing or from the fact that they were going to be sleeping in the same bed. Ryan had even been able to successfully find and watch a lame TV movie. Lisette plopped down beside him on the sofa as if it was nothing new.

  “How was Marty?”

  “Exasperated but understanding. Oh, and by the way, he’s married with four children. If he was any happier, I think he’d burst.” She nudged him. “Marty told me about a good steakhouse not too far from here. He also said he’d keep you as my dirty little secret, for a price.”

  “Great…”

  Scooting over, she turned her face up, and he obliged her with a quick kiss. “I just wanted to see your face when I said that.”

  “Need I remind you what happens to cheeky girls?”

  “Ow. No. My ass is just getting back to normal from Saturday.”

  “Then be good. You can be a good girl, can’t you?”

  “Why does your saying ‘good girl’ make me purr?”

  He laughed. “I have no idea. It’s good I have that kind of power, though. I will make every attempt to be a benevolent dictator. Okay, let’s go to dinner so we can get back here. I want to do unimaginable things to you.”

  “Oh, you do talk pretty.”

  They had a nice dinner, but when Lisette sidled through the door of their room afterward, Ryan was on her in a heartbeat. Pushing her against the wall in the foyer, he leaned his weight into her.

  “I want to fuck you.” Ryan did a slow roll of his hips, and she groaned. “Stay right there.” He grabbed a condom and was quickly back. “Hike up your skirt, and then put your palms flat on the wall.”

  She was already breathing hard, and her breath hitched at his order. Taking a moment to enjoy the sight of her panty-clad ass and incredible legs, he pulled her panties down to midthigh and unzipped enough to put on the condom. Feeling for her wetness, he groaned as his fingertips easily slid through her pussy lips. “Is my little slut ready for cock?”

  “Always, sir.”

  “That’s what I like to hear.” He bent his legs and, with one swift stroke, entered her to the hilt. Both of them moaned, and he immediately began to move, his hips snapping again and again as he kept up a litany of dirty talk. In front of him, Lisette was going crazy, moaning and shifting as she slammed back into him. Ryan sped up even more, grabbing one of her hips in a punishing grip while he found her distended clit with the fingers of his other hand and stroked in time with his thrusts. “Come for me, sub.”

  Lisette screamed out her release, and Ryan followed her shortly thereafter. They slumped against the wall, breathing like they’d run a marathon, but Ryan soon forced himself to pull away, both to take care of the condom and because he didn’t want to crush her. After quickly cleaning himself up, he came back with a warm washcloth. Lisette was still leaning heavily on the wall, and he helped her over to the bed, where she fell on her belly. Ryan cleaned her and threw the washcloth into the bathroom.

  “You okay?”

  “Someday you’re going to kill me.”

  Ryan grinned and sat down beside her. “But what a way to go.”

  She rolled to face him, hiking her panties back up and pushing down her skirt as she settled. “I wasn’t complaining. I was stating a fact.”

  “Good, because you’re not getting rid of me. I’m your Dominant.”

  Lisette smoothed a hand down Ryan’s cheek and neck to his chest, where she stopped over his heart.

  “I don’t want to get rid of you.”

  He held her hand to his heart between them and kissed her, their tongues dueling for a time before the kiss gentled into a lazy exploration of mouths. When they broke apart, he touched his forehead to hers and looked deep into her eyes. “I don’t want to get rid of you either.”

  Ryan could swear he saw some deep emotions lurking in her gaze, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to acknowledge them, so he kept silent, instead choosing to kiss her again. They made out like teenagers for a while, rolling around on the bed, but Ryan wanted Lisette to get some good sleep while she was here, so he insisted they go to bed around eleven. Her breathing leveled out after only a few minutes, and Ryan was glad she was getting some much-needed rest. He wasn’t so lucky, lying awake for hours and staring at the popcorn ceiling as he tried to figure out what he felt for Lisette. At this point, would he even recognize love?

  The thought of her being with anyone else made him see red, and that had to mean something. She’d made him admit he considered himself her Dominant, which by itself was huge. He wanted to take care of her, to give her everything she needed. She was a perfect match for him in so many ways, both in and out of the bedroom. But did he want to get serious so soon? Did she? The thoughts churned around his brain like a demented Tilt-a-Whirl until finally Ryan fell into a fitful sleep.

  * * * *

  Lisette pulled herself out of sleep when her cell phone alarm rang. After groaning and turning it off, she bumped into something warm next to her when she stretched, and a smile bloomed on her face. Ryan, her Dominant. Ryan was here with her. Rolling over slowly so as not to disturb him, she watched him sleep for a few minutes until she started to feel like a creeper. He turned onto his back, one forearm slung over his eyes, and an obvious erection tented the sheet.

  She was well aware of the concept of morning wood but hadn’t spent the night with a lot of men in her lifetime. Master Taz was her first serious relationship, and she never spent the night with him. He didn’t feel it wa
s proper for a Dominant to sleep with his submissive. Peeking under the cover, she saw it looked exactly like an erection Ryan would get at any other time.

  What a pain, to wake up to that every morning, especially since most men can’t do anything about it.

  He was naked, and his copper-colored nipples were calling to her. Lisette tried to recall if he’d ever let her play with his nipples and whether or not he’d liked it, but her sluggish precoffee brain wasn’t much help with recollection. Stealing closer, she reached a hand over his body to steady herself and licked one of his nipples with quick, firm strokes before sucking it into her mouth. It was obvious the moment he came to consciousness, because he stiffened, and she was about to pull back when his heavy hand landed on the back of her head, holding her to his chest.

  “You weren’t thinking of leaving, were you? Tease. Oh, and good morning.”

  She pulled off long enough to quickly confirm that yes, it was morning, before bending to her task once more. Lisette left off the “good” part. Morning was never good before the caffeine spread through her system.

  “What a way to wake up,” Ryan mused.

  “I wanted to play a little.”

  He looked down at her and smirked. “Far be it for me to refuse you, but I think you should straddle me upside down so I can have my way with you while you suck my cock.”

  “Sixty-nine? What a great idea.”

  “I’m full of them.”

  “Full of something. Ow!”

  “That was for being cheeky. Don’t make me redden your ass before you go see Marty. He might wonder what’s got you so squirmy.”

  With a soft tsk she rearranged herself.

  “Much better.”

  Lisette concentrated on driving Ryan crazy while he no doubt was attempting the same to her. Much as she loved BDSM and doing scenes, there was something to be said for vanilla sex. When Ryan gave her a sharp nip, she glared at him. “Ow.”

  “Sorry.”

  He didn’t look sorry. Of course it hadn’t been enough to bruise or break the skin, but still. This early in the morning, she wasn’t ready for erotic pain. Ryan didn’t know that, though, since they’d never spent the night together.