When she refused, his fingers brushed the underside of her chin, lifting her face to his.
“Trust me. I promise no harm will come to you. I give you my word, you’ll be safe.”
She stared into his eyes. Sincerity burned in the deep-green pools. The intensity scared and excited her. Her mouth watered, body ached. She’d never seen such intensity in a man’s gaze. Not for her.
If she didn’t put aside her guilt, she’d always wonder what if. She needed to trust Jared. He offered her a perfect way to explore her desires. No commitments. No strings. If she didn’t like it, she could walk away without having her heart and ego smashed.
She had to trust him enough to give her pleasure and that meant letting him take the lead.
She had to leap into the unknown.
Nodding her consent, she gave herself over to him. Jared. Her sexual Dominant.
After this lesson, her Dominant was exactly what he would be. Could she handle it? Her heartbeat thundered around her body, beat loudly, throbbed against the flesh of her clit. She’d die of sexual frustration if he didn’t do something. Anything.
All the thoughts, doubts and emotions could wait. She wanted his hands on her. Any way she could get them. If he didn’t touch her, she might be reduced to begging on her knees.
She watched him raise the silk and gasped as the material covered her eyes. Although it was silk, the dark color blocked out her vision. No outline of Jared or the other restaurant patrons was visible. She was blind to the world.
The loss of one of her senses paralyzed her with fear. She resisted the instinct to tear at the material. Instead she took a deep, calming breath and lifted her hands. She wanted to touch the silk, reassure herself she wasn’t actually blind.
“Do not touch the blindfold, Tessa.” His tone was different, more authoritarian. It sent shivers down her spine. “Concentrate on your other senses. Trust them. Smell. Hearing. Touch. People often rely on sight too much. Trust in me.”
“It feels strange.” Her fingers itched to finger the silk but she resisted.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Although fear beat around the edges of her subconscious, the blindfold engulfed her with a sense of rightness. It felt good to have someone else take the reins.
Still, a large part of her wanted to touch just to see how he would react. Was Jared strict? Would he punish her? Was that something he was into? His control excited her, thrilled her senses. Her body came alive, throbbed, pulsed, pounded with a need to be taken.
“The strangeness comes from giving up some measure of control to me.” He tied the blindfold securely behind her head. As he did, her nose bumped against his chest. His solid, muscular chest. “You have no idea what I’m going to do. You’re at my mercy.”
Tessa caught a hint of amusement in his last statement, yet panic licked along her nerve endings. She swallowed her fear and gave him an uncertain smile. “Well, as long as you don’t start baring my breasts to the world.”
She definitely wasn’t ready for that.
“I think we’ll leave that ’til you get to know me a little better.”
Of course she’d been joking. A niggling feeling in the back of her mind told her he wasn’t. “So what—”
“Stop talking, Tessa.” Again the domineering voice was back. “Listen to the sounds around you. Inhale the scents. Concentrate on me. On us.”
She did exactly as he asked, losing herself in the spicy scents wafting from the kitchen, the quiet chatter of the other patrons. Her body became hyperaware of her other senses. It was so strange to experience the world this way. Enriching. She had never thought to focus on scents and sounds; she had focused on what she could see. The freedom was exhilarating.
She flinched from surprise when he ran a fingertip down her cheek.
“Stop thinking. Tell me how it feels.”
She resisted the urge to moan as his finger trailed down her left cheek. Lower. Lower. Tracing her jawline, lower still, running a soft path down the V in her shirt. It was a crowded restaurant, people would stare. Maybe they already were.
His lips followed the same path as his fingertips, and her thought process went awry. Soft and skilled, they trailed across her skin, leaving a blaze behind. His touch seared her, ignited the flame of desire to epic proportions. Not even in her wildest fantasies—and there had been some pretty wild ones—had she imagined it would be like this.
“It feels…” How did it feel? She’d never been asked to describe desire before. “Wet, warm, soft.”
Her body tingled. When his lips reached the tender patch of skin between her neck and jawbone, Tessa whimpered. She felt him smile, and she murmured a curse. His teeth nipped, gently at first, then firmer. Hard enough to leave a mark? A brand? His brand?
His tongue soothed the spot and all thought stopped. Her body reacted on animal instinct. Her nipples beaded against the cups of her bra. Her clit throbbed, begging to be touched. Emotion took over. She gripped the table to keep from sliding to the floor. She’d become boneless, a mass of tingling nerves and throbbing desire.
“More, Tessa. How am I making you feel? Hot? Are you wet for me?”
She made a soft sound. She couldn’t think with his lips on her skin. “Yes, I’m wet. I’m on fire.”
She had to touch him, know if he was affected. Slipping a hand between their bodies, Tessa took her fingers on a voyage of discovery across uncharted territory. The material of his pants was rough against the palm of her hand. She squeezed, unable to resist, and felt the muscle as hard as steel. She wondered if the rest of him was as taut, as hard. Shivering at the thought, Tessa moved her hand up his thigh, slid it slowly across his groin.
He groaned against her throat and she felt it all the way to her toes. Finally, after an age, Tessa curled her fingers around the treasure she’d been seeking. His hard cock strained against the zipper of his pants. She cupped him and began sliding her palm up and down, up and down, adding more pressure with each stroke.
Wetness on the thin material, a sure sign of his heightened state of arousal, dampened her fingers. The fact that Jared wasn’t wearing underwear made her smile. Beneath his prissy, conservative suit he was naked as a jaybird.
She gave a throaty laugh. “Commando.”
Gripping her wrist, Jared removed her hand and placed her palm on the table. “Commando, yes. But you must not touch me without permission. Is that understood?” His lips moved to her ear, his tongue rimmed the outer shell. “Tessa?”
Moisture gathered between her thighs, and Tessa thanked God she wore pantyhose. Never had she been so wet, so turned on by kisses and a few heated words. By the touch, feel, scent of Jared. By her Dominant.
He turned away to murmur a request to the waiter. She blushed, her cheeks flamed and throbbed. A different kind of heat flooded her body.
What the hell must he think of her blindfold?
The doubts crept in. Jared had blindfolded her, touched her in a fairly innocent way, and she had lost all rational thought. She’d allowed him to tease her in a public place. She panted and salivated all over him like a bitch in heat. If he could do this with a blindfold, what could he make her do when they were both naked?
Fear of losing herself, of losing control, were rife. What had Jared said earlier—to submit was a gift? Could she give that gift to Jared? Could she ever be proud to submit?
Despite her embarrassment, she missed Jared’s heat. This guy was sex personified. What better way to awaken her sexuality than with the magnetic Jared Campbell?
Her emotions warred but desire won out.
“You’ve been good so far.” Jared stroked her hair. “A very willing student.”
A warm hand slipped under the hem of her skirt, caressed the inside of her knee and inched higher.
“Are you ready for the next stage?”
She was ready. More than ready. She was locked, loaded and ready to fire on all pistons. She needed this, needed him to touch her.
D
espite her readiness, doubts niggled. What could he want of her now?
She gave a nervous laugh. “Unless it’s full-on, down-and-dirty intercourse right here on the table, I think I’m ready.”
“Open your mouth. Part your lips slightly.”
She did as he commanded. The tone of his voice wasn’t a request. The taste of champagne and strawberries burst across her taste buds, tangy and sweet at the same time. The heady mixture tantalized her. The gesture was so simple, so erotic, it pushed her body into sensory overload.
She nibbled on the forbidden fruit while he cooed at her, “Very good. You learn quickly.”
She was dependant on him. She had to trust in him. Bizarrely, she trusted him implicitly.
Swallowing the fruit, she grinned, waiting expectantly for more approval. See, she could be a good submissive.
“Good girl, Tessa.” He nuzzled her neck again, kissed her collarbone, nipped at her earlobe.
A flush of pride added to the flush of desire. His praise made her want to dance on the tables. She wondered if her clients felt this way when they finally submitted a part of themselves to their partners, be they full-fledged Masters or kinky guys like Jared.
“Good girls always get a reward.”
Her pussy clenched.
Please let me come.
He slid his hand underneath her dress. His fingertips stroked her thighs. She held her breath in anticipation. He’d stopped before. She couldn’t bear for him to stop again. One small touch and she’d come.
“Part your thighs.”
She exhaled, let her thighs drop open slightly. His hand moved higher. His fingertips grazed the scrap of soaked lace covering her mound. If she’d been thinking rationally, she’d have been embarrassed at how wet she was.
Jared slowly ran a finger up and down her slit. “Someone’s very wet.”
Rationality gone, Tessa bit down on her lower lip. When he pressed the pad of his finger against her clit and rubbed in a circle, she whimpered.
He nibbled on her earlobe. “Ssshh. Not too loud. We don’t want to draw attention, do we?”
His husky tone, along with the illicit gesture, sent another rush of cream soaking her panties.
Her musky perfume scented the air. “Please…”
He rubbed harder and faster. Tiny zings of pleasure shot from her clit and lodged in her belly. Her nipples pearled, tightened and ached. She wanted his mouth on her tits, raking the aching buds with his teeth.
“Come, Tessa.”
With those two words, her world broke apart. Her pussy clenched. Her body stiffened. She let out a loud, mewling sound. Jared covered her mouth, muffling the noise.
Pleasure intensified and burst through her system. She rode the waves of her orgasm.
She’d never come so quickly or so hard.
Spent and sated, she sank back into the booth, breathing heavy.
He untied the blindfold. She blinked to accustom her eyes to the light and blushed, focusing on his smiling face. He literally beamed. His eyes, however, remained predatory, glistening orbs in the dim light.
“Kiss me.” The words came tripping off her tongue in desperation.
She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to feel his fiery heat, his velvet-soft lips against hers, his tongue in her mouth. Seeking, exploring, dominating.
Jared titled his head to the side and licked his lower lip. His gaze focused on hers. As he stared, she couldn’t resist the urge to moisten her own lips. Lifting his hand, he ran the pad of his thumb across the droplets of moisture, swiping them away.
“Not yet, Tessa. That’s a pleasure for another time.” He kissed the tip of her nose and flashed a wicked grin. “Here endeth the first lesson.”
Chapter Five
The shrilling phone woke her. She snatched it from the cradle and mumbled a groggy greeting.
“Morning, Tessa.”
Sitting up in bed, Tessa frowned. Excitement, fear and anger licked inside her stomach. Since their meeting at the restaurant, Jared hadn’t called. She’d begun to think she’d done something wrong, something to turn him off. Maybe she wasn’t attractive enough. Maybe she wasn’t submissive enough.
“And who might I be speaking to?”
His answer came as a rich, throaty laugh. “That’s good. I like that. A bit of fire in my women.”
The deep, smooth voice sent tingles all the way to her toes. Her nipples beaded. Her body became hot and squirmy. Moisture flooded her pussy. If his voice could do that, she was in serious trouble.
“Oh Mr. Campbell, what a pleasure to hear from you again.” Her icy tone would have made the Snow Queen proud. Her wounded pride wouldn’t allow her to let on she’d been thinking about him, waiting for him to call and berating herself for being so needy. Usually she didn’t care if they called or not.
“Believe me, darlin’, the pleasure is all mine.” His accent became pure Texan.
It melted some of the ice from her tone. Just a little. “What can I do for you?”
A pause. “Come over to my place.” He gave her the address. “It’s time for your next lesson.”
She lifted the receiver from her ear and glared at it. No call for days and then suddenly he expected her to drop everything and rush over? What was she, some kind of booty call?
Anger boiled in her blood.
“So, I’m just supposed to drop everything because you’re feeling horny and thought to yourself, ‘Hmm, which tasty piece of ass haven’t I tried? Oh I know, I’ll call Tessa’?”
She was nobody’s booty call.
“A submissive should never question her Dominant.” He spoke the words through gritted teeth.
“Screw that, Mister Campbell. You treat me with some sliver of respect or this whole deal is off.”
Deep down, the sexually repressed part of her soul cried out for the deal to continue. She wanted to see him but Tessa Connolly was no man’s doormat. She was an independent woman with a busy schedule.
She heard Jared sigh. In frustration? Or because his booty call was over?
“I’m sorry. I have no excuse for not calling. I pushed past your boundaries. I didn’t want to rush you, especially after what happened at the club. I didn’t want to scare you away. I wanted to give you some space. Some time to digest.” Again he paused. “Please come over.”
Her heart pounded. From a few meetings, he knew her well. She needed time to analyze, to process. If he’d pushed her further she would have bolted. He’d considered her emotional well-being above his physical needs. The final sheet of ice around her heart melted.
But it was the please that undid her.
She sighed into the receiver. “Okay. What do you want me to wear?”
If this was her second lesson, she wanted to be prepared. Would he take her out? Would it be another restaurant for lunch? The club?
“You have an overcoat?”
She frowned. “Sure.”
“Wear that, nothing else.”
“What!”
“I said wear nothing underneath. Come to me now, Tessa. Don’t keep me waiting. This is your second lesson. What we agreed. Don’t disobey me.” His tone became more forceful. Commanding. Yet he couldn’t disguise the laughter in it.
She glanced at her open closet and located the overcoat—long, black and made of wool, with a hem that reached the floor. Despite her reservations, the idea of being forced to wear nothing underneath secretly thrilled her. It had always been a forbidden fantasy.
“I’ll be there.”
She replaced the phone on the cradle and sighed. He’d called. He’d apologized. He’d commanded.
Tessa steeled her spine and padded over to the closet. Excitement and nerves coursed through her. Her pussy throbbed, already dripping wet. Her hard nipples rubbed against the silk of her nightshirt, creating an ache that matched the dull pulsing in her cunt.
She wondered what Jared had planned today.
Pulling the coat off the hanger, she headed to the bathroom. Time to get
primped and primed for her next lesson. A smile twitched at her lips and she dashed into the shower like a schoolgirl on a first date.
* * * * *
Jared put down the phone and grinned. She was coming. Finally. One minute she frustrated the hell out of him with her stubborn streak, the next his cock was so hard he could barely walk.
He sat on an oversized chair and stretched his legs onto his coffee table. He picked up a glass of bourbon and sipped, wincing as the liquid burned a path down to his stomach. The clock hadn’t struck midday but what the hell, he needed a stiff drink. Shifting, he winced. The drink wasn’t the only thing stiff.
A voice on the radio sang about desire and a deep-seated lust. Jared could relate. Tessa Connolly was under his skin. At first she’d been a fascination, a challenge. After the dinner date, she’d become something more.
Closing his eyes, he pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead, hoping to ease the ache. Maybe the alcohol didn’t help.
Tessa. Tessa. Tessa.
The woman plagued his every waking thought, not to mention his every erotic fantasy. None of his other partners had affected him so quickly. He hadn’t wanted to possess them as much as he wanted to possess her.
He needed to break down her barriers, get beneath the surface, see what made her tick. He wanted her to think of no other man but him. He understood her struggle. He didn’t need to be a psychologist to know Tessa was representative of him. An abandoned father left him unable to get close to anyone. He couldn’t form lasting attachments.
Everyone leaves. Jared always wanted to be the one doing the leaving.
Sometimes he yearned for more, wanted to share his life with a woman. The concrete wall around his emotions wouldn’t allow it. In the past it didn’t matter. Until now. Until Tessa.
It wasn’t just her need to submit, it was everything. Her stubborn streak, the sexy way she toyed with strands of her hair, the small frown creasing her brow when she was angry.
Snorting in disgust, Jared took another hit of bourbon. Life always knew how to throw a curveball. Tessa was supposed to be a means to an end. A way to get back into the scene. A way to ignite his desire to dominate. He wasn’t supposed to feel for her.
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