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Blind Obedience
An Ellora’s Cave Electronic Publication in association with author
Brandi Michaels
ISBN # 1-84360-006-4
All Rights Reserved. http://www.ellorascave.com
© Copyright Brandi Michaels, 2001.
Ellora’s Cave
P.O. Box 28041
Edinburgh
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Scotland, U.K.
This book/e-book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by email forwarding, copying, fax, or any other mode of communication without author and publisher permission. Edited by Tina Engler.
Warning:
The following material contains strong sexual content meant for mature readers. “Blind Obedience” has been rated NC-17, erotic, by three individual reviewers. We strongly suggest storing this electronic file in a place where young readers not meant to view this e-book are unlikely to happen upon it. That said, enjoy…
CHAPTER ONE
“I’ll be happy to buzz Mr. Carver for you, Thea dear. I know he wouldn’t want to keep you waiting. We have this little code I use when I know he won’t mind being interrupted.”
Thea smiled at Vivian Holmes, whom she’d known most of her life. The secretary had been one of her father’s devoted employees for years. Now she worked for his successor, Blake Carter.
“Thanks, Vivian, I really don’t mind waiting. I’m lunching with a client at noon, but I’m running early for a change.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Positive.” Thea insisted. “Besides, Blake is just a tad bit annoyed with me right now.” God, what an understatement! “There’s no sense to hurry just so I can get chewed out sooner.”
Vivian chuckled. “Oh, Dear, I don’t think you have much to worry about there. It’s clear as day that man dotes on you. And knowing what a model of decorum you’ve always been, it’s hard to imagine you doing anything too terrible.”
How about spending the night in her ex-fiancé’s apartment? Vivian was probably the only one in the company who hadn’t heard the gossip. Her new love was more than a little ticked. He’d called earlier, asking her to come to the office, and he’d sounded absolutely furious.
The phone rang, distracting Vivian and leaving Thea with her own turbulent thoughts. She and Blake had met when he’d taken over the reins of her family’s firm six months ago. Their attraction had been fierce and mutual. They’d been dating every since. She fell more deeply in love with him each time they were together, but he seemed to be growing more indifferent.
Normally attentive and affectionate, Blake’s gradual withdrawal scared her badly. This past month, he’d canceled several dates. They hadn’t spent a night together for two weeks.
It was driving her crazy. She couldn’t eat or sleep or even think straight. She didn’t understand what was happening. Had he grown bored with her already? Was there another woman? Their sex life seemed okay, but then she didn’t have much experience to judge it by.
When he’d canceled their dinner plans two nights ago, she’d retaliated by spending the night at Ted Johnson’s apartment. Her plan had been to prod Blake, not humiliate him. But the gossip had spread like wildfire, taking on a life of its own. Thus this summons to his office.
Thea shifted restlessly in her seat, crossed her legs, then immediately uncrossed them when her skirt rode to mid-thigh. She’d dressed for lunch at the country club, pairing a short denim skirt with a lightweight blue blazer.
The outfit was trendy, but a far cry from her usual power suits. As an added bonus, blue just happened to be Blake’s favorite color on her. He insisted that it brought out the blue of her eyes and enhanced her fair complexion. He also seemed fond of her legs, so she’d left them bare. It would take considerable charm and maybe a little sex appeal to appease him today.
The inner office door opened, forcing all the air from her lungs. Blake appeared; a dark-haired, dark-eyed, corporate dragon who held her family’s fortune in the palm of his left hand and held her heart in the palm of his right.
He ushered a client from the room, shaking hands and saying good-bye. Then his unsmiling gaze settled on her.
“Thea.”
His tone and expression were devoid of emotion. His iron control always unnerved her. Rising slowly, she nodded a greeting while her insides churned. They didn’t speak any other greetings, but her pulse raced as she passed him in the doorway. The subtle woodsy scent of his after-shave put her senses on alert, as did the heat of his big body.
It had been the same since the first time they’d met. The tension between them was alive with sexual excitement and challenge. It vibrated between them, making the air sizzle when they were together. No other man had ever sent her senses into a tailspin or filled her with such deep longing.
“Please hold my calls, Vivian.”
The soft thud of the door shut out the rest of the world, effectively cocooning them in privacy. Thea walked across the room and took a seat in front of his desk, then watched as he sat down behind it. His catlike grace and supreme self-confidence fascinated her.
He wasn’t a particularly tall man, but his athletic build and tightly muscled body made him appear larger than life. The elegant navy suit paired with a brilliant white shirt added to the imposing, untouchable image.
“Rumor has it that you’ve been sleeping with Ted Johnson. You can’t imagine how many people felt the need to tell me.”
Thea cringed at the cold fury in his tone. It radiated from him in waves of tightly leashed emotion that made her pulse race. She searched the rigid lines of his face. Was he just furious at the thought of being duped or did he care enough to be genuinely hurt? If she knew his heart was involved, she’d confess the truth in an instant. On the other hand, he might be even more furious at her attempt to manipulate him.
“I’m sorry. I did spend a night at Ted’s place, but it was totally innocent. I had no idea it would start a flurry of vicious gossip.”
His features tightened even more. The hard line of his jaw went rigid. “I’m the new CEO who’s been shaking up the whole company, and you didn’t think anyone would be interested in my personal life? Especially since I’ve been dating the former CEO’s daughter?”
Thea licked her lips in a rare display of nervousness. “I understand how the grapevine works. I just didn’t realize my actions would be under such close scrutiny.”
“You thought you could sleep around and nobody would notice?”
“I don’t sleep around,” she snapped, irritation warring with contrition. “And even if I did, it’s nobody’s business but mine.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed, but his gaze never wavered from her face. “Not even mine?” he asked on a low growl.
“I’m not sure if it’s your business or not,” she replied testily. She crossed her legs, deliberately taunting him with a flash of thigh. “You’ve been noticeably absent these past few weeks. Are you seeing someone else?”
“Hell, no,” he grumbled, looking momentarily shocked by the question. “I’ve been working.”
“And avoiding me. I assumed you wanted our affair to die a natural death. Why pretend to care where I spend the night when you can’t make the time to be with me?”
There was enough hurt in her tone to cause a slight softening of his expression. Hope surged through her. He appeared intrigued
rather than annoyed, but his tone remained guarded.
“Clarify for me please. You’re complaining because we aren’t spending enough time together? You’d rather speed up the courting process a little?”
His question confused her. “Courting?”
“Isn’t that what it’s called in the polite society you call your social circle?” he asked. “I have to admit I’m not too familiar with the rituals.”
His rags to riches story fascinated her friends, but Thea had never considered him underprivileged in any fashion. He knew exactly who he was, what he wanted and how to get it. There was a core of steel beneath the corporate persona.
What she’d never taken into account was the idea of a little insecurity blended with the steel. Could he be intimidated by her family’s wealth and social status? Did he really think she wanted a formal, long, drawn-out courtship?
“I think we bypassed the usual dating ritual when we became lovers.”
“And you resent the fact that I pressured you into a more intimate relationship?” he asked, his steely gaze locked with hers. Then his tone grew rough again. “Is that why you decided to spend a few nights with the old socially acceptable boyfriend?”
That stung and spurred her resentment. She glared at him, her face warming as her temper simmered. “I’m not that desperate for attention,” she snapped, “but I am tired of arranging my schedule around yours and then having you cancel at a moment’s notice. If you don’t want to spend time with me, then you should just say so.”
He gave that some thought, and then said, “I thought you might need a little space. I just hadn’t figured on you turning to another man for attention.”
“I didn’t turn to anyone.”
“So you say, but you’re an incredibly passionate woman, and you’re obviously not happy with the status of our relationship. Are you ready to call it quits?”
“No!” Her breath caught in her throat. Her stomach rolled and panic surged through her. Pride kept her from begging, but she felt an overwhelming urge to cling to any hope.
“Then tell me exactly what you want. I’m not a mind reader. Do you want more of my time or less?”
She wanted forever, but she couldn’t even nudge him into here and now. “I want more.”
“Or you’ll just sleep with other men?”
His tone held such disgust that Thea felt herself blushing. “I am not sleeping with Ted.”
“You expect me to believe you spent the whole night with an old lover and nothing happened? Do I have stupid written across my forehead?” he demanded harshly. “I won’t be made a fool.”
Thea felt another jolt of panic. Had she risked everything, his love and his respect, with her ill-conceived scheme? What could she do to rectify the mistake?
“You are the only man I want in my life. I swear I didn’t sleep with Ted, but I don’t see how I can prove it. You’ll just have to trust me.”
His eyes flared with anger, and then became swiftly hooded. “Unconditional trust? That’s what you’re asking?”
She knew there hadn’t been many people in his life that he could trust, but she wanted to be the most special person he’d ever known. She wanted adoration, devotion, and undying love.
“Yes, I guess it is. Is that so impossible to accept?”
Blake returned her gaze steadily and more tension vibrated between them. Her heart thudded against her chest, trapping the air in her lungs as she awaited his reply. Finally, in a voice totally lacking in warmth, he replied.
“If you’re telling me the truth, there might still be hope for our relationship. I’ve come up with a plan.”
Planning was what he did best. He hadn’t become a corporate genius without highly developed organizational skills. Thea admired his talents, she just didn’t know if she wanted their private lives arranged by a pie chart.
“What plan?” she asked warily.
“A plan that’s a step beyond our usual relationship. In fact, it’s so unconventional I doubt you’ll agreed to it.”
Thea’s temper spiked again. He hadn’t even told her the terms, yet he was dismissing her ability to meet his demands. It irritated her to no end. She hadn’t become a top sales executive by dodging difficult challenges.
“Suppose you tell me what you want, and I’ll decide whether or not I’m willing?” she snapped.
Tension escalated, heightened by her loss of temper. An instant of utter silence pulsed between them.
“Blind obedience,” he drawled softly. The deep, daring tone of his voice danced over her skin as he continued. “You want unconditional trust? I want blind obedience.”
Thea studied him intently. She’d always sensed a dark, primitive side to his nature. His iron control and the innate ability to harness that aspect of his personality both intrigued and unsettled her. Did she really want to unleash it?
“What kind of obedience?”
“It’s simple. I command, and you obey. At least until I’ve worked through this anger or you decide that you can’t live with my demands. If you’re willing to put all your trust in me, it might just renew my faith in you.”
She’d never been very good at obedience. He knew her strong views on women’s lib. “Just how long do you expect me to be subservient?”
“I don’t really expect you to last the hour,” he taunted, making the bold challenge sound like an insult.
That didn’t set well with her, either. “So you’ve come up with a plan that’s doomed to failure?” she grumbled in irritation. She was determined to prove him wrong, and prepared to do anything he suggested.
Well, nearly anything, she mentally hedged.
“It’s only doomed if you let your straight-laced social conditioning take priority over your innate sensuality.”
Sensuality? Thea wrinkled her brow in consternation. Was he talking intimacy—the personal, physical aspects of their relationship? Not just revenge for initiating the gossip? That sounded more palatable.
Another thought popped into her mind. “Just how public a plan is this?” she asked warily.
“Private. Very private,” he swore softly, his eyes going dark. “It’s strictly between you and me.”
His words and the sudden huskiness of his voice chased some of the chill from her blood. She loved it when his eyes darkened and his eyelids grew heavy. Maybe she was finally getting closer to learning what really made him tick. She badly wanted to share those intimate secrets.
“I guess we’ll have to put your plan into action and see what happens,” she said, clasping her hands together to still her sudden restlessness. “Should I assume we have a date tonight? One that you won’t cancel in a few hours?”
“Not later. Right now,” he insisted, his face a mask of control again. “The plan goes into effect right now and continues until one of us calls it off.”
She watched in stilled silence as he rose, shrugged out of his suit jacket and tossed it across the end of the desk. Then he held her gaze as he slowly loosened the knot of his tie and unfastened the top button of his shirt.
The office was in the penthouse of a high-rise. The wall of windows behind his desk faced several similar walls of windows. They were practically on display above the city and to all their neighboring business associates.
Was he into exhibition sex? Or was he just testing her? Just seeing how far he could push her? She’d missed him and badly wanted to be with him, but making love here and now would really push the limits of acceptable behavior.
“I said just between the two of us,” he reminded, adjusting the window blinds at an angle that afforded more privacy without blocking the bright morning sunshine. Then he turned his full attention to her again.
“Why don’t you get rid of your jacket, too?”
The first command was politely disguised, but easy enough to accept. Thea studied his tight expression for another long moment, and then decided to play along with his game. She silently prayed that he wouldn’t initiate something that would cau
se even more scandal.
She rose, pulled her arms from her blazer and draped it across the back of the chair. She was still standing when he issued the next order.
“Take down your hair.”
Her hand went to the chignon at her nape. Her hair was long and fine and incredibly difficult to control. It had taken forever to get it pinned just right, and she was meeting her client in less than half an hour.
She looked at Blake, trying to gage his seriousness. The wicked gleam in his eyes taunted her. He could read her mind so damned easily. He knew she’d balk at the request. That’s the reason he’d expected her to fail. He already thought he knew her so well.
Unwilling to let him win so easily, she began pulling the pins from her hair. She steadily returned his perusal as she shook it free of confinement. It fell in a heavy blonde swish past her shoulders.
His mouth tilted in a faint smile. He had such a full, sensuous mouth. And his smile, even a hint of one, made her stomach do a little flip-flop. He was undoubtedly the sexiest man she’d ever known. A shiver of anticipation ran through her body.
“That’s nice,” he praised, his gaze roaming over her face and tousled hair. Then he issued the next order. “Now give me your underwear.”
That brought a surprised gasp from her lips. A different sort of quiver raced through her. He’d never made such an intimate request in private, so why here and why now? Thea squirmed at the thought of removing her underwear and exposing herself so much. Where was he going with his demands? Was he bent on humiliating her the way he felt she’d humiliated him?
She glanced around nervously. “I don’t think this is the right time or place to start shedding inhibitions,” she argued, yet knowing it wouldn’t make any difference. He could be incredibly obstinate once he’d set his mind on a course of action.
“I don’t want to argue about it, Thea. If you’re not willing to cooperate, I won’t keep you. You’re free to leave anytime you don’t want to obey.”
But that would be the end of their relationship. He didn’t have to say the words. He continued to dare her with his arrogant expression. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited with his usual maddening patience.
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