Just One Taste
Page 4
Eric pulled up a chair and sat himself down. Even sitting he looked like a strong soldier, the type of man other men followed. The type of man women who were looking for an upstanding man would melt over. Not that she was doing it or anything.
She gave him a bright smile to try to make him feel more comfortable. He was likely feeling weird about spanking her. “Let’s get this over with. I do promise I’m going to be sweet as pie from now on.”
“Some of my favorite pies are spicy, sweetheart, so don’t think you always have to be sweet. Do you want to pull the skirt up or down?”
So he wanted to get a little saucy. Good thing she had on a pretty pair of panties. “Pull it up. Sorry. Hope you’re not embarrassed.”
His lips turned up in the sexiest grin and his eyes heated in a way that made her breath catch. “I’m not embarrassed, sweetheart. But I am eager to get through this. When we’re done, you will sit in my lap, as you will for the rest of the class. There is no chair for you. There is only my lap. Am I understood?”
Whoa. He had the Dom thing down. No doubt about that. He’d deepened his voice and his eyes were steady on her. She found herself nodding and unable to stop herself from moving toward him. He was waiting for an answer. She tried to remember the question. Understood? Did she understand? Nope. Not at all. She’d dreamed about this day for over a year and the last thing she’d expected would happen was being told by her work crush that she wasn’t allowed to sit anywhere except his lap. “I understand.”
She could handle all of this. She was strong and brave and she could handle a spanking and sitting on a guy’s lap. That was the whole point of this exercise. She was in control. It would all be fine.
When he patted his lap, she made the decision that she wasn’t going to drag it out. She was going to prove to all of them that she could hack this lifestyle. She moved with what she hoped was some grace and placed herself over his lap. She squirmed as she tried to find a comfortable place. She nearly gasped when she felt him pull at what little material made up her skirt. He was looking at her backside, at her silky black undies. At least they were the nice ones.
“Oh, this won’t do,” he said as she felt his fingers slide under the band of her bikini panties. “Here’s another rule. None of these. No panties. Tonight I’ll give them back to you at the end of the session, but if I catch you with them again, I’ll cut them off you. Is that understood?”
Cool air hit her skin as he dragged them down and over her cheeks. He was now looking at her ass, her too-big ass. Damn it. The man really liked to be understood. “Yes, Sir.”
Eric dragged them down to the knees. She could feel them there, almost binding her. One of his hands found the small of her back and held her there.
“Have you spanked a woman before?” Master Alex asked in an academic voice.
There was nothing intellectual and academic about this. This was visceral and real and more intimate than she’d expected.
She was laid out over his knee and waiting. She could barely breathe as she felt the warmth of his big palm cover her cheeks. He stroked her as he answered Master Alex. “Yes. I had a girlfriend who was into the lifestyle. I acquainted myself with BDSM. She was more of a masochist than I liked. I prefer the D/s end of the spectrum. I’ve been to several clubs but never had any formal training.”
He’d been to BDSM clubs? Eric Vail had spanked women before her. She always wondered how he wasn’t married with two point five kids to a woman who made apple pie and sewed all her children’s clothing herself. Now she knew. He was busy being a big old perv.
“Then proceed,” Master Alex said.
They were all watching. Anxiety knotted her gut and then she couldn’t get a breath in because Eric’s hand slammed down on her butt. The sound hit her first, a crack that split the air around her, and then fire licked her flesh. He brought his hand down again, four more times in rapid succession. Holy hell that hurt.
He kept his hand on her cheeks, holding the heat there. “How are you doing, Deena? Are you green, yellow, or red?”
In the homework she’d had to do before today’s session, she’d learned about the stoplight approach to Dom/sub communication. Red meant she couldn’t handle any more, needed the play or discipline to stop immediately. Yellow meant she needed to slow down and green was all is A-okay.
“Deena, I require an answer.”
She didn’t want him to know she was close to crying. She took a steadying breath. “I’m a yellowy green.”
His hand stilled on her, cupping her right cheek even as he steadied her over his lap. “Can I continue? Or do you need a break?”
She could likely get out of this. It was too intimate. She hadn’t expected the pain to be so…painful, or the fact that it was Eric giving it to her to be so meaningful. She could feel tears squeezing from her eyelids. How long had it been since she’d allowed herself to cry? She had to be strong. Since the moment Eddie had walked out, she’d told herself she wouldn’t shed a tear over what had happened, and she hadn’t.
“Please continue. I’m fine.” She’d held back for so long she wasn’t sure she could let go now.
His hand came down again, and she held on to his leg. The pain flared, flashing through her and making her shake.
“That’s right, sweetheart.” His voice was calm and flowed over her, reminding her that he was here with her. This wasn’t something she was alone in. This was the intimacy of D/s. “Hold on to me. You’re doing beautifully. Do you have any idea how gorgeous your ass is? It’s beautiful and round and now it’s a lovely shade of pink.”
He spanked her again and again and finally she felt the tears begin to flow.
She was crying and holding on to the very man who was making her weep. But it wasn’t a bad thing. He was giving her something she needed. The tears wouldn’t come without this fire and they felt good. The pain she felt somehow opened her up. She lost count, though she suspected Eric hadn’t. He wasn’t counting out loud, but he was measured and controlled.
With a singular exception. While he might have total control over the rest of his body, she could feel his cock. It had gone hard, and the man had a supersized dick. He had an erection. Her body responded to the feel of that cock against her belly. For the first time in forever, she felt herself get soft and wet even as her ass seemed to be on fire.
One harsh thwack ended her punishment and she found herself being lifted up like she weighed absolutely nothing. He set her on her feet and she was happy she hadn’t been able to afford to buy new shoes. Subs were given the option of bare feet or stilettos. She was fairly certain if she’d sprung for the heels, she wouldn’t have been able to stand. As it was she wobbled a bit.
Eric was right there. He towered over her, his hands coming out to steady her. When she looked up, she was caught by the heat in his eyes, the rigid line of his jaw. Maybe he wasn’t as controlled as she’d thought. Maybe this had meant something to him, too. After a moment, he released her and held out a hand. “I’ll take those now.”
It took her a moment to realize he was talking about her undies. Hell, she’d been so caught up in staring at the man and trying to process what had just happened that she hadn’t pulled down her skirt. She tugged it down before stepping out of her undies. Though it seemed such an odd thing to do, she handed them over. He took them and stuffed them in his pocket.
“Do you need a moment, Deena?” Master Liam asked in that lyrical, oh so sexy accent of his.
“He’s asking if you need aftercare,” Eric explained. He didn’t have an Irish accent, but the deep tones of his voice seemed to do something to her insides, making them soft and mushy and willing to do anything the man wanted her to do.
Which was bad. She wasn’t sure she could handle aftercare from this man. “I’m good. Let’s continue.”
He nodded and before she could move back to the rest of the class, he swept her up into his arms. She was cradled against that big chest of his, looking at the scarred side of his face.
He sat down in one of the empty chairs, settling her on his lap. His arms forced her to curl into him. His big body was so warm, the skin covering his muscles so damn smooth and silky. “You did beautifully, sweetheart.”
She let herself relax against him. This was definitely not so bad. When she’d thought about finding a Dom, she was looking for someone who would fulfill her needs to explore her sexuality. Maybe that man could be Eric. If she was careful and didn’t get overly involved.
He leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Next time, we’ll go somewhere private and I won’t let you up until you’ve had a proper cry. I think you need that, sweetheart. I hated stopping before you got what you needed.”
She went stiff in his arms. Yes, this was why she’d stayed away from him. He saw too much, would want far more of her than she would be willing to give.
He was the deep end of the pool and she wasn’t ready to jump in.
Master Alex began talking, but all she could think about was the man whose arms surrounded her.
CHAPTER THREE
Eric looked over the boxes that were being sent to McKay-Taggart. Sure they were sandwiches, but they were for Chef’s older brother and not so silent partner, Ian Taggart, and his crew. Well, the ones who were at the office. Eric had been overseeing the weekly catered lunches for months, and he knew the names and typical orders by heart. Simon Weston and Jesse Murdoch were apparently on assignment in LA. The only regular orders he hadn’t made were Simon’s smoked salmon on rye and Jesse’s turkey and Swiss. It looked like everyone else was home for the week.
When they catered anywhere but McKay-Taggart, he allowed the line chefs to prep the meals, but that team was special to Sean so he made sure to do it himself.
“Did you pack up the salads?” Javier strode in. He’d made the potato salad himself. It was a special recipe with a nice zing of red pepper. It had been waiting for Eric in the fridge when he’d gotten in this morning. Though Javi was a hot mess when it came to his relationships, the line chef was more than ready to take over for Eric when he left in a few months.
His own place. His own space. He couldn’t wait, and after last night, he had some hopes that he wouldn’t be going alone.
“I’ve got them and the soup ready to go.” He’d made a chicken tortilla soup and packed individual condiments to go with it. Details were important in his line of work.
They were important in every aspect of his life. Paying attention to details was critical when it came to being in a relationship. Even more important when that relationship included D/s.
Deena had responded beautifully to him the night before. She’d been obviously surprised at first, but then she’d taken that spanking with grace and need. She wasn’t playing around as he’d worried. She needed the safety of a D/s relationship and she needed the discipline. She’d been on the edge of a breakthrough and he’d hated to stop. If they’d been alone, he would have spanked her longer. She hadn’t fought him at all, hadn’t squirmed and begged him to stop. At the end her hand had been holding onto his leg, stroking him and squeezing in a way that encouraged him. She’d needed it, been desperate for it.
He wanted so badly to be the one to give her what she needed.
“So how did it go after the class last night?” Javi asked, his eyebrows waggling salaciously.
Oh, he was shutting that shit down now. “I didn’t see her after the class broke off, and I swear I will put you on your ass if you make her feel the slightest bit uncomfortable.”
Javi’s hands came up. “I promise. I swear on my honor…well, on something else that’s way more important. I’m not going to treat her any differently now that I’ve seen her butt. Same with Tiff. I’m going to pretend like I haven’t seen either of their boobs. But seriously, they have great boobs.”
“Remember that there’s a difference between work boobs and club boobs.” It was perfectly fine to look at boobs in the club. It would be a bit rude not to, but there was a time and place.
And Javi wasn’t Deena’s Dom. Or Tiffany’s for that matter. “Did you talk to Mia afterward?”
“She’s a nice girl.” Javi leaned against the prep table. “I don’t know much about her yet.”
“I didn’t think you needed to know much.”
Javi shrugged, giving in on the point. “I don’t in order to go to bed with her. This is a little different.”
Wow. He sounded serious for once. This was the man who was known for hooking up with three different women in one night at the same club. That had started the single greatest catfight Eric had ever seen, complete with hair pulling and scratching. “Are you actually taking this seriously?”
“I’m not looking for a permanent sub, but I do want to be a good Dom.”
“I guess I thought you were doing this for sex.”
Javi’s lips quirked up. “I’m definitely doing this for sex and that’s why I can say with complete confidence, it ain’t happening between me and Mia. I know when a chick is into me and she’s not. She had all these questions about the lifestyle, and I swear the girl was disappointed when she found out I work at Top and not McKay-Taggart. I think she likes her men on the dangerous side. But I am interested in changing up my sex life. If I keep on the way I am, someone’s going to shoot me. Besides, I’ve got more than enough chaos in my life. I need less and this is a way to organize my social life, so to speak. If I go in with a contract, then a woman is going to know what I can and can’t give her. Everything’s up front and honest. I think I need some of that in my life.”
Javi’s home life was completely chaotic. It made sense that he would want the comfort of Sanctum and its contracts.
It wasn’t that different from the reasons Eric wanted them or Deena needed them. Like all humans they were damaged and trying to adapt.
He meant to help Deena find that place she needed to find.
“So don’t worry that I’m going to make things uncomfortable,” Javi finished. “I have to admit I am glad I got Mia and not Tiff. That would be hard, man. Are you sure you can handle working with your sub?”
If he had his way he would do more than work with her. He would spend all his time with her. “We’ll be fine.”
Javi shook his head. “Really? I’m not a fool, man. I know you’ve had a thing for this girl since the minute she walked in the door. You think you can make it through training without getting inside that?”
“First of all she’s a woman, not a that, and I do not intend to avoid getting into bed with her.” He moved the last sack to the table. “Though she did manage to avoid me last night. After tonight’s contract session, she’s not going to be able to hide anymore.”
He had plans. After he’d realized she’d left with Tiffany the previous night, he’d known it was time to set some ground rules.
He had six weeks to convince her. They’d made a great start the night before. It might not be as hard as he’d thought it would be.
The door swung open and the object of his affection walked in. She was in jeans and a T-shirt that hugged her breasts. There was zero chance of him forgetting how pretty she’d been at the club, despite what he’d warned Javi about. The minute he saw her, a picture of her gorgeous ass floated across his mind. And stuck there.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
Deena frowned. “Please don’t call me that. It’s not professional.”
Javi backed toward the door to the dining room. “I’m going to go do something else now. Good luck with all that.”
Deena looked over the bags. “Is this everything?”
She wasn’t looking at him. She hadn’t even taken off her sunglasses.
“Deena? Should we talk?” It looked like he’d spoken too soon.
“No reason to talk if you’ve done your job. I’ll do mine and get out of your hair.” It appeared the sexy kitten from the night before was gone and in her place was a Deena he’d never seen before.
“Is there a reason you’re being so rude?”
Her head finally came up, her mouth a little O. “I wasn’t being rude. I’m in a hurry.”
“You’ve got thirty minutes and McKay-Taggart is only fifteen minutes away. And I’ve called you sweetheart before.”
“Only yesterday.”
“Fair enough. What’s really going on? Is this about last night?”
She flushed, her face turning the sweetest shade of pink. “I don’t think we should talk about that at work. Other people could hear. It’s why I was shocked to see you and Javier last night. I don’t think it’s a good idea to mix work and play. Things can get confusing.”
“The club is owned by the man you’re about to deliver food to.” He felt the need to point out a few facts she was overlooking. “Chef is a member of that club. For that matter, Macon and Ally go there, and you’re in a class with Tiffany. So I must assume it’s only the lesser male employees you object to.”
“I don’t object,” she argued. “I simply think it’s going to be weird.”
“Do you find me so distasteful?” He was confused. She watched him and not with wary eyes. She doodled his name when she thought no one was looking. What was the problem? He knew she’d been burned, but the training class seemed like the perfect way to bring them together. Unless he’d misread her. “Is it my face?”
He didn’t think about it much. He’d gotten torn all to hell during a firefight in South America. His team had been extracting a high-value target when they met with resistance. They’d saved the target but he’d thought for a while he would lose half his face. His whole team had called him Frankenstein for a good six months. Now the scar was simply part of him, but it put some people off.
He thought she’d seen past that. He ached at the idea of Deena thinking he was a freak.
She softened immediately, taking her sunglasses off. She stepped in, her hand drifting up to almost touch his face before she seemed to realize what she was doing. “Don’t be ridiculous. The scar is nothing. You’re gorgeous and you know it. I’m talking about the fact that we have to work together.”
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