by Mari Carr
She wasn’t sure what he meant. “Me?”
“You are a complete and unexpected surprise.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?” she asked, her voice teasing.
“It’s a wonderful thing.”
Her face flushed at his compliment. She’d never had anyone look at her as though she was beautiful, but Travis treated her as if she was the most special person on earth. After a lifetime of being practically invisible, it was a heady feeling.
“Well,” she put her food back on the coffee table, “it looks like it’s getting close to show time. I suppose we should clean up.”
Travis tossed her food and his back in the plastic bag and walked over to the mini-fridge to put it away. “All clean.”
“You’re the epitome of a professional bachelor. Takeout food and two-minute clean ups. I suppose you’ll eat the leftovers for breakfast.”
He rejoined her on the couch and topped up their cups of wine. She’d already had two glasses and was feeling the relaxing effects. She was warm and almost tranquil. Shea wasn’t sure when she’d ever felt so calm. There had always been too much to worry about, to think about. When she considered it, she’d spent the majority of her life under stress, taking care of her mom, the family bills and home. Even when she moved in with her boyfriend, she’d been the primary provider—earning the money while taking care of the house. She didn’t feel any of that never-ending pressure right now and she let herself enjoy the unfamiliar sensation.
“I usually don’t wake up in time for breakfast,” Travis confessed. “But chances are those leftovers will be lunch.”
She gave him a knowing nod, laced with laughter. “Figures.”
“I’ve had years to perfect my bachelor status.”
She was reminded of his earlier question and decided she wanted an answer too. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-five.”
She didn’t reply. Wasn’t sure how to reply. Twelve years separated them, but she’d learned a long time ago she didn’t fit with men her own age. Travis was right—she had an old soul. Clearly the product of having to raise her own mother from the time she was big enough to figure out how to use the microwave and run a vacuum.
Emma walked out on stage to introduce the show and the cast. Travis picked up a remote that turned on speakers, allowing them to hear what was happening. “Mind if I dim the lights? Makes it easier to watch the show.”
She shook her head and he pushed another button on the remote that lowered the lighting. “This place is unreal. Tech city.”
“I’m a guy. We like gadgets.”
“You like remotes,” she corrected.
He winked at her playfully. “So what do you think of the fetish shows?”
“They’re okay.”
He frowned. “Okay?”
Obviously he took her response as an insult and she tried to backtrack. “I mean, I was blown away the first night I saw one. They’re pretty hot.” Then, like a dumbass, she added, “I guess.”
“You guess?”
She could tell from his face he was amused by her answers and she felt compelled to explain. “I can see where some people would find them exciting. Especially if the fetish is one of your hot buttons.”
“You’ve only been here two weeks, so you’ve only seen the Naughty Schoolgirl. I assume it’s safe to say that isn’t one of your hot buttons?”
She gave him a look that proved just how much it wasn’t. “No man is ever going to bend me over a table, spank my ass and expect to live for long.”
Travis laughed out loud at her pronouncement. “So noted. Thanks for the heads-up. So what are your hot buttons?”
She bit her lip as she considered the question. When the silence dragged on too long, she started filling it. She wished she’d kept her mouth shut. “I guess I’m sort of a vanilla girl. I’ve never really seen what all the fuss is about with sex. In my experience, it’s not all that great.”
He frowned. “Sex isn’t that great?”
She winced at her stupidity. She was working in Travis’ fetish club—a place that made money based on the idea that sex was the be-all, end-all of the world. “All I’m saying is…” She paused and looked at him. “I should stop talking now, shouldn’t I?”
“On the contrary, I find this fascinating. So if I understand you right, in your vast experience—”
“I didn’t say vast,” she interrupted.
“I stand corrected. In your experience—which may or may not have been substantial—sex is simply just okay.”
She gave him a dirty look. “You’re having fun, aren’t you?”
“More than I can say. You know, given the fact that I’m older and have much more experience in the sex realm, perhaps I could—”
“Oh my God. Really? That didn’t take long.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“A woman says she’s not impressed with sex and a guy immediately takes it as a dare, ready to prove her wrong, when in truth, all he wants is to get laid. Then once again, I’m left walking away in the morning thinking meh.”
“And because of that, you’re not interested in having sex?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t say I was never going to have sex. I’m just saying it’s not like you see on that stage. I’ve never felt compelled to scream my head off while I fake an orgasm or pass out afterward from exhaustion. In reality, it’s sticky, sweaty and sometimes physically uncomfortable. I have a tendency to get a cramp in my leg if I hold the same position too long.”
Travis was silent for a very long minute and Shea winced internally.
Way to go, big mouth.
“Interesting,” he said at last.
She suspected he’d say more, but decided it was time for her to get off the hot seat. “I take it you do enjoy the shows?”
He nodded. “I like watching people have sex.”
Shea wondered if this was the kink Emma had referred to. She looked at the out-of-place chair once again. Who sat there? And why? “But the actors aren’t really having sex.”
“I wasn’t talking merely about the shows.”
“Oh. I’m not sure I get the appeal in porn movies. Never been my thing.”
Travis leaned closer and she tried to ignore the slight twinge in her pussy. She might not have had great sex in the past, but she’d never met a man who made her want to try for it as badly as Travis did. Sitting close to him had her wanting to attempt all sorts of new things.
“I wasn’t talking about movies either. Watching someone masturbate can be very exciting if you open your mind to the experience.”
Suddenly the chair made sense. Did Travis invite women to masturbate for his pleasure? The idea didn’t squick her out as much as she might have thought. “Oh.”
He ran his finger down her cheek, a sweet, innocent touch, but it weaved its way to every part of her body. Her nipples tightened, her pussy became wet.
Travis seemed to understand the effects his words had on her. “Look at the actors down on the stage. Study their faces.”
Shea turned to watch the performance. The “professor” had his student bent over his desk. Ordinarily, Shea would have seen this scene from the other side. The actress’s ass was bare except for her thong, and it was directed at the audience. From this angle, she could see the woman’s face. She looked blissful, nearly out of her mind with arousal.
Shea felt the need to stand up for her earlier assessment. “She’s acting.”
“Is she?”
It was a simple question but Shea refused to answer it. The actress was completely into her role. So much so it didn’t look like acting at all. Emma had confided in Shea that she often forgot the audience was there when she and Jack performed. She told Shea that after performance nights, Jack was a like a wild man in bed and the sex was off the charts.
Was it possible to feel that much pleasure? She began to understand how watching someone in the throes of an orgasm could be a turn-on. As she watched the woman writhe b
eneath the man’s spanking, Shea imagined she was feeling the same intense arousal as the actress.
“I’m attracted to you, Shea.”
Travis’ voice jarred her from her thoughts. She turned to look at him. Saw the truth written there. She suspected it hadn’t been easy for him to make the confession.
“I feel the same.”
“I don’t have relationships, don’t date, but I find,” Travis paused and she could see him struggling to find his words, “with you, I want that. Very much.”
“I’d like to see you again too.” She’d wanted to talk to him ever since the kiss they’d shared.
“In order to do that, we may both need to take a step outside our comfort zones.”
She was confused by his comment until she considered his aversion to being touched. Was that what he was referring to? That fact certainly fit with his voyeuristic tendencies.
“Comfort zones?” she asked.
“You don’t think you’d enjoy an erotic spanking. I disagree.”
She swallowed heavily. “Sounds painful.”
“Look at that actress.”
Shea reluctantly turned her head. The woman was squirming on the desk, begging for more. Shea wanted to say she was being paid to act that way, but the woman’s face stopped her from uttering the lie. She wasn’t acting. That much was painfully clear.
“So I let you spank me and you’ll…” She paused, waiting for him to fill in the blank. “What?”
Travis grinned. “I’ll take you out for a proper dinner tomorrow night.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And this seems fair to you?”
“No. What do you want?”
“I’ll take the dinner, but—”
“Aw crap. Buts are never good.”
She gave him a shit-eating grin. “I want to come back here after dinner and kiss you. I want to run my fingers through your hair and rub my hands all over your body. In other words, I want us to make out like a couple of naughty teenagers in the back of the movie theater.” The devil had prompted her request, but she couldn’t shake the idea that Travis had definite issues with intimacy. Her demand had been a test to see just how deeply his aversion ran.
Travis looked at her as if shell-shocked, and for a moment it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. The silence stretched for an interminable time and Shea wondered if she’d pushed him too far. It seemed preposterous, given how simple her request had been. She’d asked for next to nothing compared to him.
Finally she couldn’t stand it any longer. “Maybe I should leave.”
Her words shook him from his trance.
“No. Fine. One spanking for one make-out session. It’s a deal.”
* * * *
Travis made certain none of his servants were around when Shea arrived the next morning. He’d exhausted every excuse, every argument he could possibly think of yesterday and still Shea refused to change her mind. The damn woman was relentless when she made her mind up about something. She was determined to learn about sex and resolute in her assertion that he would be the perfect teacher. He didn’t think she’d follow through on her threat to ask someone else to deflower her if he refused, but with Shea, he couldn’t be certain of that fact.
She arrived dressed in a simple morning dress with a high collar and long sleeves, and he found her attire more provocative than a low-cut ball gown. He’d devised a plan during the night, come up with a scheme he hoped would convince Shea to change her mind.
Unfortunately, he was concerned about his ability to carry it out. It would certainly strain their friendship as well as challenge his willpower. Ever since her scandalous request, he realized exactly how much he’d like to bed Shea in truth.
Of course he would never do it. To sleep with a gently reared woman, the daughter of a viscount no less, was a one-way ticket to matrimony. That was a trip he had no intention of taking. Ever.
She smiled at him. “Good morning. What lovely weather we have today.”
He resisted the urge to shake his head in disbelief. She was walking into his house with every intention of indulging in immoral conduct and she still managed to conduct herself as if she was paying a social call.
“Good morning.”
Shea started to show herself to the parlor but Travis intercepted. “I thought perhaps it would be best if we conducted our lessons in a place more conducive to our needs.”
“Oh?”
He nodded. “My bedchamber should suffice.”
He studied her face, hoping for a glimpse of fear or reluctance, but Shea’s smile grew. “Perfect.”
Travis led her to his bedroom, shutting the door and locking it behind him. Though he’d sent most of his staff away on errands, he was desperate to make certain they weren’t discovered. With any luck, today’s lesson would encourage Shea to give up her scheme to explore the pleasures of the flesh and no one would be the wiser in regards to this folly.
He leaned against the door and decided it would be best to proceed with haste. Get it over with. His plan was to push Shea too far, too fast, proving to her she wasn’t ready for that which she was asking. He hoped to have her back on her way home within the hour.
“Take off your clothes.”
Shea didn’t respond, didn’t move. “But I haven’t told you what I want to learn about. Haven’t given you any specific scenarios.”
“I think I can figure out what you want well enough. Undress, Shea, or give up this foolishness and go home.”
His words were callous, hard. She needed to understand exactly where this would lead. If she couldn’t take her clothes off in front of him, her experiment was destined to fail. Hell, he needed it to fail. It would be far too easy to give Shea what she wanted. And that would be a mistake of epic proportions.
The war had destroyed every bit of humanity left in him. He refused to drag Shea down into the darkness that consumed his soul. She was light and music and happiness. Regardless of her foolish assertions she would never marry, Travis knew better. She was born to be some lucky man’s wife. He wouldn’t steal that opportunity away from her because of some mistaken belief on her part that she would die an old maid.
She hesitated for only a moment, and then—God help him—she began to unbutton her dress.
He remained perfectly still as she worked each button free, sliding the material over her shoulders and shimmying it down until she could kick it off. There was a slight flush to her face he attributed to embarrassment before he noticed the distinct outline of her nipples pressing against the cotton of her chemise.
Arousal?
Impossible.
Incredible.
“Continue.”
Her jaw rose haughtily at his command but she didn’t refuse. Reaching for the hem of her chemise, she pulled it over her head. His breathing halted, arrested as she stood before him naked from the waist up. A gentleman would look away, would call a halt now. Travis did neither. Her breasts were full, firm and his fingers itched to touch them. His cock had been half hard since Shea’s arrival. Now it was full, erect and aching to find relief inside her body. He couldn’t give in to that need.
He clenched his fists, forcing himself to continue with the plan. “And the drawers.”
She’d remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout her disrobing. He kept waiting for the one order that would push her too far, but she offered no protest. Pushing her pantaloons and stockings off, she was finally revealed to him in all her gloriously naked beauty.
He took a deep breath and prayed for strength. Lifting a finger, he turned it, indicating he wanted her to spin. She stiffened her spine and turned her back to him.
Her arse was as perfect as her breasts. If he didn’t convince her to leave soon, didn’t manage to drive her away, he suspected he’d never let her go.
“Bend over and place your hands on the nightstand. Spread your legs apart.” The position was meant to demean her. Shea was a very real threat to all the defenses he’d managed to b
uild since returning from the war.
She leaned over, responding more quickly to each command. He couldn’t determine if it was sheer stubbornness or if she was truly aroused by this game.
Time to up the ante. He crossed the room until he stood directly behind her. Lifting his hand, he spanked her. His blow caused her pale skin to flush. She gasped with surprise but didn’t try to escape.
“Give up this game, Shea.”
“No.” She maintained her position.
He slapped her other cheek then the first once more. He peppered her ass with a series of light taps and strong slaps. Through it all, Shea remained on display, bent over before him.
Unable to resist, needing to know, he ran his fingers along her slit, amazed by the undeniable wetness he found. Before he could think better of it, he pressed a finger into her tight opening—no more than an inch or so. It was a heady feeling to realize no man had touched her before. He could teach her to please him—only him. He had no doubt she’d make a passionate lover.
He dismissed the idea. Good Heavens. He’d thought his plan would convince her to give up. Instead it felt as if she was dragging him along with her. His temper snapped at the exact same moment as his nerves. He grasped her upper arm, pulling her upright and turning her to face him. “Goddamn it, Shea. Enough is enough. It’s time to stop this game before it’s too late. As it stands, your maidenhead remains intact. Put your clothing on and go home. Do it now before we cross a bridge that will only burn to ashes behind us.”
She shook her head. “You said you would teach me.”
“Don’t you have a care for your well-being? Don’t you see where this path will lead?”
“I’m not leaving.”
He’d made a deal with the devil in an angel’s disguise. “Perhaps you need it spelled out for you.” He reached for the clasp on his breeches, unhooking and pushing them to his knees. Gripping his cock in one hand, he took a handful of her hair in the other, forcing her to look down. “Do you see that? It’s my cock. I’ll put it inside you and it will hurt. This is what you’re inviting, Shea.”
She attempted to dislodge his hand but he refused to loosen his grip.
“I’m not dimwitted. I understand how coupling works.”