“This is called saving your ass, little girl. A little gratitude will go a long way with me, you know.”
“Gratitude?” she asked.
He closed the door and turned to her.
“Gratitude?” she repeated, tilting her head slightly, ready for a brawl.
He looked her over from head to toe and had to smile. She stood all of 5’2” tall, wearing a wrap that just barely covered her bottom, her thigh-high stockings visible from beneath. Her dark hair was tousled and looked like she’d been sleeping on it for two nights. At least she didn’t dye it blazing red anymore. Between the blindfold and her tears, her makeup had smudged so black lined more of her face than her eyes.
But even given the state she was in, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Are you listening to me?” she asked, her expression one of outrage.
“Sorry, were you saying something?” he asked.
“You are unbelievable!” she said and pushed past him to open the door.
As soon as she did, he put a hand over her head and effortlessly closed it. She tugged at it again, but when it wouldn’t give, she turned her back to the door and folded her arms across her chest.
“Are you ready to listen to me now?” he asked.
“No,” she said and scanned the room.
“Where are you going to go? It’s the middle of the night, you’re in the mountains, you have no mode of transport and you’re just about naked.”
She only stared back at him. She was stubborn, as stubborn as he.
“Besides,” he said, bringing her attention back to him by lifting her chin with just a little more force than necessary. “I own you for the next two days and I’ve decided to give you a taste of what you think you’re looking for. A little education in submission.”
“You can’t keep me here against my will,” she said.
“I don’t think I’ll have to,” he retorted, taking a chance.
“You’re a little full of yourself, aren’t you?” she asked. “But then again, it takes a big ego to do what you did, doesn’t it?”
He flinched, understanding the reference to that night six years ago. So she hadn’t forgiven him. He studied her, her gaze daring, taunting.
He took a moment before answering. “Do you want to go home, Emma?” he asked, his tone calmer. “Do you want me to take you home?”
* * *
Emma looked up into his dark eyes. She’d hurt him, but it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve her comment. After all, he had fucked her brother’s fiancée, or slut Julie as she liked to call her, when Nate, her brother, had thought they were best friends. What kind of a man does that?
A voice inside her head told her to calm down. She didn’t know the whole situation, she wasn’t involved and if Nate could forgive him, why couldn’t she? And besides, wasn’t there another reason she was so angry with him? One closer to her own heart? She narrowed her eyes at that thought.
“Well?” he asked, completely cool and detached, all the emotion of the previous hour gone.
“Well, what?” It was eerie how he could do that, just separate himself. He’d always been able to.
“Do you want to call it off? Shall I take you home and release you from your contract? I can do that, but under one condition.”
“What’s that condition?” she asked, hoping it would be something she couldn’t accept because more than anything, she wanted to stay. With him. She wanted Luke Roark like she had years ago when she was a teenager and he was a man.
“If I take you home, you give me your word that I will never again see you at a party like the one tonight, not to mention any BDSM clubs or gatherings of any kind.”
He didn’t want her in his world? “You can’t tell me what to do,” she said.
“Grow up,” he retorted, then opened the door and stepped aside. “After you.”
Crap.
“If Damien finds out, then I don’t get paid.” She hated to use that one.
“I wouldn’t tell him. And besides, from what I know, you got a healthy stash of cash after the accident,” he said.
Her mouth tightened and emotion bubbled up inside her. But there were enough years between that night and today that she could keep them at bay.
He watched her in those moments and she realized maybe she wasn’t as good at hiding her emotions as she thought. He dropped his head. “I’m sorry, that was out of line.”
“You’re damn right it was,” she said. Losing her parents like she had wasn’t worth the insurance money, not even close. And besides, she couldn’t touch it until she was twenty-five. Nate had full control over it and he had full control over her—until then. That’s how she’d gotten into this mess to begin with.
He closed the door. “Come inside,” he said, flipping on light switches as he led the way down the hallway to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”
Her stomach growled in response. “Yes,” she said. “I was too nervous to eat today.”
He pulled out a stool at the counter for her and went to the fridge. “Eggs?”
“Great,” she said.
He took out a carton of eggs and two beers. “You’re old enough to drink, right?” he asked, twisting the lid off and handing it to her.
“Not an old man like you but yes, old enough to drink.”
“Watch your mouth or I will spank you,” he teased, cracking two eggs into a pan.
“I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Her sex had reacted quickly to his words.
“Yep,” he said, turning to her. His eyes let her know just how much. “But I’m guessing I wouldn’t have to hold you down too hard,” he threw back at her.
She turned bright red and for once, didn’t have a comeback.
“How do you like your eggs?”
“Sunny side up. And the white should be crispy.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he said, sipping his beer.
“Nice house.” She looked around the ultra-modern kitchen. “Isn’t there a wife or girlfriend to keep it for you?” she asked.
“Fishing?” he asked.
“You wish,” she threw back.
“Louisa takes care of the house,” he said.
So Louisa, was it. Emma already hated the name.
“She’s my fifty-six-year-old housekeeper/cook/second mom. Otherwise, I don’t do relationships.”
“Oh.”
“Your hair looks better this way. Natural.”
“Thanks,” she said, embarrassed by the compliment.
“Tell me about Damien. What the hell attracts someone like you to a boy like him?”
“He’s not a boy,” she defended, although in comparison to Luke, he was a toddler. “In actual age, that is.”
“Please,” he said. “I want to know if you were looking for a Dominant, how does he appeal?” he continued, serving their eggs and passing her a plate.
“I don’t know. I…he was the first person I met who wasn’t totally…vanilla. It’s not like I’ve had a ton of experience in this field, not like you, I imagine.”
“That’s a good thing. Eat before your eggs get cold.”
She took a bite and a big sip of beer. “Did you mean what you said earlier?”
“What was that?”
Oh, he knew perfectly well, but he was going to make her say it, wasn’t he? Fine, she could do that. “That you would teach me?” Heat flushed her neck and cheeks. Maybe she wasn’t so brave after all.
He smiled. “I quite like it when you’re embarrassed,” he said.
She waited.
His face grew more serious. “You’re Nate’s little sister, Emma,” he said. “And you’re a kid.”
“I’ll just find someone else if you don’t do it. And besides, I’m not a kid anymore,” she said, adding, “Sir.”
“Nate would kill me.”
“I wouldn’t tell him. We hardly talk anymore.”
“Why not?”
She shook her head and moved the last
of her eggs around the plate. “I’ll bore you with details another time.” She wasn’t interested in continuing that particular conversation.
“We’ll revisit later then,” he said, his eyes scanning her face, reading her, as if trying to understand the meaning behind the words. “Are you sure you know what you’re asking?” he asked, coming around to her side of the counter and taking her hands, raising her to her feet. He stood close, towering over her slight frame with his 6’2”. His body was lean, mean, and hard. “Are you sure you want to deliver yourself into my hands, Emma?” he asked, his hand caressing her arm as he moved even closer. “You aren’t afraid of me?” he asked, his voice quieter.
She nodded, but her answer was a quiet “no.”
He waited.
“No, Sir. I’m not afraid of you.”
But her body shivered when he lifted her hair off her shoulder and brought his mouth first to brush against her neck, then to whisper in her ear. “You say you’re not afraid of me, but your body is telling me something very different. I won’t go easy on you, you realize that?”
“Who said I wanted you to?” She tried to sound brave, but her voice broke in anticipation of submitting to him.
“Quite the courageous little girl,” he said, taking her earlobe between his lips.
She closed her eyes, holding her breath as her fingertips touched his chest.
“Let’s see how brave you’ll be when I take you over my knee the first time,” he said; this time his mouth found hers. Her body shuddered and she opened to him while he kissed her lips. Although his tongue never entered, it was the most erotic kiss she’d ever experienced.
He broke the kiss and stood back. The only thing that gave her some comfort was that he looked as aroused as she felt. “All right,” he began. “You clean up, I’ll go get you something more comfortable to wear. Then we can talk.”
“So you’ll do it?” she asked, both elated and terrified. Her attraction to him was something else entirely.
“I didn’t say that.”
Chapter Four
Luke walked upstairs, leaving her in the kitchen. He grinned at her reaction to him, her mouth’s easy submission. She’d softened as soon as he’d touched her. She trusted him, but she must have trusted Damien at one point too. Her judgment left something to be desired.
That aside, what was he thinking? He should take her home. If he were smart, he’d do just that, call Nate and be done with it. But he wasn’t smart, not when it came to Emma Lawson. He never had been. He’d met Nate some years back and the two had become good friends. Luke didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, he had a hard time maintaining any sort of relationship for any extended period, with the exception of his stepbrothers Jake and Alec. When Nate had introduced his girlfriend (and later fiancée) to Luke, he’d kept his distance. Luke was well aware what he was capable of and he was determined not to damage his relationship with Nate. She was his best friend’s woman and he needed to respect that. And he had, for some time. Until that one stupid night. It was a mistake that had cost him and although Nate had since forgiven him, their relationship had never been the same. Not that Luke could blame him. Nothing to build on without a firm foundation of trust.
Now here was Emma, Nate’s little sister. What the hell had she been thinking, signing a contract like that with Damien? Essentially selling her body? He’d have to ask her how much she’d gotten paid because he was sure it was a small percentage of the twenty-five grand he’d just spent to rescue her. Rescue her. He liked the sound of that. He couldn’t imagine she needed the money. The trust after her parents had died would have left her very well off. He imagined that was a part of the reason she wasn’t talking to Nate. He likely had control over the money for the time being.
The last time he’d seen Emma, she’d been eighteen years old and, as Nate’s little sister, off limits. He’d always been attracted to her and she’d never made a secret of her affections for him. But what she was asking for now was a whole other animal. She was searching for something; that was obvious. The world of dominance and submission attracted her, that too was clear or she would never have been in a position to be at that party tonight. She now wanted him to take her as his submissive, to teach her, at least for the weekend during the term of her contract. If she hadn’t been there tonight, he would likely have bid on another woman and been fucking her senseless right now. But he had to admit that at this moment, he couldn’t imagine being with anyone but Emma. And besides, wouldn’t it be better for him to be her teacher, someone who cared about her, rather than a stranger who might not?
Excuse and you know it, Roark.
He shook off that voice.
Grabbing a pair of drawstring shorts and the softest cashmere sweater he had, he headed downstairs.
* * *
Emma had settled herself on the couch, her feet up on the coffee table, flipping through a magazine, when he walked into the living room. Without a word he tossed the clothes at her and kicked her feet off the table.
“Hey!” she said.
“That’ll be the last ‘hey’ out of your mouth. Respect for me and for my things, Emma.”
“Ok, ok. Geez,” she said. “Dad.”
“Sir, not Dad.”
She looked at him and he held her gaze. He was trying to get her off balance, she knew it.
“Change into those things; they won’t fit, but it’s the best I can do. When you come back, we’ll talk, work out some details. Bathroom’s down the hall,” he said.
“I have a question first,” she began.
When he didn’t react, she added, “Sir.”
“Yes?”
She hesitated. “Um, actually, never mind,” she said. “It can wait.” With that she went quickly down the hall. Stepping into the bathroom, she switched on the light and put her hands on the sink, taking deep, calming breaths. She’d been about to ask him if they’d be having sex. What was she thinking? Sex with Luke Roark? It was something she’d dreamt of and masturbated to for many, many years, but the reality of it still sent her heart racing. She looked at herself in the mirror.
“Oh my god,” she said. Black rimmed her eyes and her hair looked like the morning after a very heavy night of partying. Possibly two. He’d been looking at her like this for the last couple of hours. Turning on the tap, she scrubbed her face until it was clean. Her hair was another story. Without conditioner, she was out of luck there. She stripped off the wrap, her stockings and her shoes and slipped on his shorts. She cinched them as best she could then folded them over twice so they would at least stay up. She then pulled the sweater over her head, inhaling the lingering scent of him as she did. She liked Luke Roark. And it was about more than her intense attraction to him.
It was now time to face him. Collecting her clothes and her courage, she opened the door.
The lights he’d turned on were dimmed and music played in the living room. She recognized the band: Mumford and Sons. It was their first album, Sigh No More, her favorite. Luke sat on the sofa. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear her come inside. She studied him as she tiptoed closer. He turned his head and ran a hand through his thick hair. His eyes looked shadowed, as if he were in a darker place.
“Luke?” she asked, hesitant. For a moment, it was as if he didn’t see her at all.
He blinked, his eyes slowly focusing on her. “Emma,” he said, his gaze traveling the length of her body. “You’re beautiful.”
“Yeah, right. The clothes are great, my hair looks like a bad night out and I’m wearing no makeup.”
“You’re beautiful,” he repeated, sitting back. “Come here,” he said, motioning to the space between his legs. “Kneel.”
That word sent heat straight to her clit and she swallowed. It was starting. Setting her clothes on the edge of the sofa, she moved to stand between his legs. Goose bumps covered her body and her nipples tightened into pebbles as she slowly began her descent. When she set her hands on his knees to steady herself, her
heart fell to her stomach. He kept his gaze steady on her wide eyes as she settled on her heels.
“Good girl,” he said, caressing her face. “When I ask you to kneel, you’re to sit on your heels, back straight, hands on your thighs, palms up. Unless I ask you to look at me, you’re to cast your eyes down. If ever you’re not sure what to do, kneel by my feet, do you understand?” he asked.
She nodded, dropping her gaze.
“For now, keep your eyes on me while we discuss the terms of our…relationship. And Emma, I don’t want to repeat this one again. When I ask you a question, you answer with words, not with a nod or a shake of the head. And after we have the following conversation, when we play, you’ll refer to me as Sir or Master. If you don’t use one of those references, you will be punished. Am I crystal clear?”
Punished. She should be terrified, shouldn’t she? “Yes, Sir. I understand.”
He smiled.
“Ok, you know that I don’t care about your contract. Whenever you want out, you just use your safe word and the scene’s over. I can take you home whenever you want me to and that isn’t a punishment. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“Speaking of safe words, what are yours?”
Oh, here we go. He was going to get a kick out of this, she was sure. “Pickle for close to too much and hamburger for stop.” She watched his expression change as he tried to contain himself, but couldn’t.
He broke out in a full-out laugh.
“Hey!”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Jesus…” He held up a hand when she rose up and shoved at his shoulders. “Ok, ok. Calm down.” Tears filled his eyes, he was laughing so hard.
She settled between his legs again, this time crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a look that could kill.
“I’m sorry. Were you hungry…” he started again. “Ok, ok. Do you want to keep them, then? Pickle for close to too much and hamburger for stop.”
“Not if you’re going to laugh every time I use them.”
“Hopefully you won’t ever have to use them,” he said, clearing his throat, serious again. “It’s my responsibility to take you to your edge but not beyond. But there’s always the possibility you feel something other than what I interpret.”
Taming Emma Page 3