He’d instantly recognized the address on the invitation, and everything fell neatly into place in his mind. The address, her art…. Was she into the BDSM lifestyle, or did she just flirt on the edge like she did with him? Tom pondered if Emily was playing with him or waiting to see what would happen tonight on their date. He determined to make her feel safe. Instinctively he knew it was what she needed from him, safety and acceptance. Catching sight of the punched tin ceiling he’d resurrected from the old structure, he recalled updating and redesigning the house. While Lucian made no apologies for his lifestyle, discretion had been required for a particular part of the project. Emily had been tense and edgy, and he didn’t want to make her any more self-conscious by telling her he’d worked on this old mansion and knew of Lucian Wilkerson.
When Lucian had met with him privately and discussed the third floor of the house, he’d almost turned the project down. Fortunately, he’d spoken to Karen about it before saying anything. She’d told him not to judge and to create something spectacular. He’d never regretted listening to Karen. The third floor redesign had challenged his imagination and creativity, requiring a lot of research for an architect ignorant of the BDSM lifestyle.
What he learned sparked his interest. Nothing sounded unfamiliar. The concept of strict dominance and submission appealed to his inner military officer. The ideas called to him but he ignored the desire to pursue them further than the project required because he couldn’t discuss his newfound curiosity with Karen. She’d already started down the path of her illness and eventual death. He considered with some regret, it was the first time he hadn’t been able to talk to her about something that had grabbed his attention. There was no way they could experiment with that lifestyle with her health failing, so why even bring it up? He shoved his curiosity away and focused on her.
Tom walked through the gallery, studying each of the sculptures. Some of Emily’s work could be edgy and raw, then other pieces would demonstrate sensitivity and romance. He found himself drawn to a particular piece depicting two people, although the sex of each couldn’t be determined. The sculpture allowed viewers to place themselves in whichever role fit them best. One person was sitting, the other kneeling with their head in the first person’s lap. The seated individual’s hand rested on their submissive’s head. It was a touching, profound picture of loving dominance and submission.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Lucian said.
Tom nodded and gave his attention to the host. “She’s very talented.”
“Yes, Em is very talented and finally being given the recognition she deserves. I’m surprised to see you here, Tom.”
“Emily invited me.” Emily glowed with happiness, as she moved through the maze of people complimenting her, and he was pleased she basked in the spotlight. During their conversation the night before, she’d told him how hateful people could be about her art. She needed the success of this show for positive reinforcement. He focused on Lucian again. “I couldn’t say no.”
“Indeed,” Lucian said with a knowing grin. “I’m glad to see Emily found someone who’s supportive of her work. And I’m glad to see you’ve finally found your way out of grief.”
Tom frowned at the suggestive comment. “Emily’s very charming.”
“She’s also very intelligent and very… headstrong. She needs an iron hand in a velvet glove. Delicate balance is required with her,” Lucian said. “Don’t crush her spirit. It’s what makes her such a great artist.”
“I don’t think I could live like you do.”
“Yes you could and so could she,” Lucian said. “She seems to always dance around the edge of her curiosity with her art, and I think you’ve been dancing around it since you worked on Bel Mede.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Your questions when you were working on the third floor.” Lucian’s eyes followed Emily through the crowded room, “You need to be careful and be that iron hand, otherwise she’ll end up controlling you. On second thought, maybe it’s what you need.”
He returned to his guests, and Tom turned back to the sculpture he’d been studying. The more he stared at it, the more he had to have it.
“What do you think?” Emily slipped her arm into his.
“I love it. It’s my favorite here.”
“Is it?” He caught the mischievous spark in her eyes. Emily was up to no good. He found it amazing how swiftly he could be in tune with a woman who at first blush was his polar opposite. “Interesting….”
He gazed into her big brown eyes. It would be easy to get lost in those warm pools. But she presented a dangerous trap. Lucian was right, and he needed to make a decision about the direction and the type of relationship he wanted with this complicated, intelligent, and charming woman. He could lose his heart to her without realizing what had happened to him. Emily leaned in closer and sensually whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.
“So tell me, which one are you, Tom? Are you the loving Master, willing to do whatever it takes to tame your wayward slave? To teach her and show her what she’s been missing in her life?” He swallowed hard. Damn what a picture she painted. His cock immediately responded to her words and her touch. He closed his eyes when her lips brushed his earlobe. “Or, are you the submissive slave, bowing to his Mistress, willing to do anything to please her? Will you give her your very soul?”
Tom spun toward Emily. She had his future hanging by a moment with her wicked proposition. Which would he be? Her slave or Master? One thing was for sure, he wanted and needed Emily in his life. In her, his muse had returned. She could give him the passion, color, and creativity he’d believed had withered and eventually died. When his grief dissipated, work had become routine not the passion it once had been. He stared at a new source of inspiration but this muse had a dark side, one that would explore self-imposed taboos. She’d bring things out in him he’d never imagined expressing. She would own his soul, and he’d give it to her, willingly. But unlike his relationship with Karen, there would be no vacillation in power. Tom made his decision and, being as in sync as they were, he conveyed it to her when their eyes met. The understanding that lit up her face reinforced his belief they were meant to be. From the way she drew slightly away from him, he construed she understood him immediately.
“Interesting…very interesting,” she said in a sensual purr.
Emily slipped away and flirted with the other guests. Tom dug out his phone. He needed to cancel his date with the other woman. He sent a quick text apologizing for not being able to see her tonight then sought Lucian out and asked for a private word. Lucian assured him he’d take care of everything, and of course Tom could count on his confidence in this matter. Emily caught his eye from across the room and sashayed over to him. He wanted to laugh. She’s so bad. His mind flashed a carnal image of them, a premonition of what was in store for him later tonight.
***
Emily waited on the terrace of her room, bathed in the warm sultry night that conjured images of the Old South. Her mind’s eye watched antebellum ghosts of Texas float over the lawn below. They strolled along the moonlit garden pathways in their pre-Civil War finery. She closed her eyes and heard the light laughter of flirting women playing an ancient game of cat and mouse with the men who worshiped them.
The mansion had seen so much history. Men, women, children, masters with their mistresses, servants, families who’d passed through time while this house stood sentry and watched. A warm, humid breeze swept over her and made her shiver with anticipation of what would come. Against her better judgment, Emily hadn’t told Tom she’d decided against having dinner with him. She shut off her phone in case her date tried to contact her. She had to regroup and reevaluate. Her eyes flicked open when the door clicked open behind her. Tom and Lucian must have finished their business. Her heartbeat increased in speed with every step he took.
The door to the terrace opened wider, and Tom stood next to her. They said nothing for a long ti
me as they watched the summer flowers and shrubbery in the Victorian garden dance in the sultry breeze. He moved closer to her and gently took her hand. Her outer bravado hid the truth—deep down inside she was scared. Tom unbalanced her, conjured fantasies of happiness she didn’t want to dream because she felt they were out of her reach. His quiet gentleness touched her on an emotional level, making her drop her guard.
She’d been merciless in her teasing tonight. Driving him crazy with the way she’d been talking and flirting with him. She’d done it on purpose, goading him to do what she’d expect a gentleman like him would do. Politely find an excuse to dump her.
But Tom Ryan wasn’t behaving according to plan. She recalled the tension that built between them when she’d asked him whether he was a slave or a Master. His steel gray eyes had kept her pinned with his answer and its implications until she’d dug deep and managed another smart-ass comment. Emily shivered again at the heat in his eyes.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She giggled nervously. “No.”
“So, where would you like to go for dinner? Are you hungry?”
“Are you?”
“I am.”
“What are you in the mood for?” She returned her gaze to the garden.
Tom dropped her hand, drawing her full attention. He turned toward her and came close, very close. A subtle transformation came over him, again. The same one she’d seen in the gallery when she’d posed her proposition. It was powerful, tangible, and made Emily’s pussy gush with desire. As close as they were, she had to raise her eyes up to him.
His voice became demanding and hard. “What I want, I can’t get at a restaurant. Do I need to feed you before we go any further?”
She froze because he’d managed to take her completely by surprise with his tone and sudden change, “W-What do you mean?”
Tom came nose to nose with Emily as she tried to process what the hell had happened to the most predictable man she’d ever known.
“Just preparing you, honey. This is going to be a long night.”
“Tom—”
“You asked me to make a choice earlier. I’ve made it. The question is, do you know what you want?”
“W-What do you mean?”
Emily stood in mute shock as Tom’s lips brushed hers, his voice dropped to a feral growl, “I’m calling your bluff, slave.”
***
Tom wanted to lose himself in Emily’s scent. Standing so close to her made him go weak. He had to maintain his wits because she was cunning and Lucian had warned him, if he waivered for a second, it would be over. So he let his inner officer surface. He’d had to chew some ass on more than one occasion. And commanding the respect of his troops was second nature. It also came in handy when he was dealing with difficult contractors during a project. But when he took off the uniform and went through the door at night, he’d bottled up the officer and set it on the shelf until the next time. He continued his invasion of her space, watching confusion and sexual need merge on her lovely features. Lucian was right about what it would take to tame her.
“I can give you what you need, Emily. But it’s your choice. Tell me to stop now, and I’ll walk away. We can still be friends.” He chose his tone carefully so she’d her understand there was no room for hesitation or fucking around with him. “If you want me to continue, then pick a safe word.”
“Poinsettia,” she whispered quickly.
“When I ask you a question, I expect an answer. If you don’t make a choice, I will make it for you. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Yes? What?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Are. You. Hungry?” he demanded firmly. She hesitated. “No? Well, I am.”
Tom moved fast to cut off any reaction or objection that Emily could give him. Her silence and hesitation told him he’d managed to thoroughly throw her off her game by his transformation. She whimpered as he latched his mouth onto hers and kissed her with all the passion and desire that had been building since he’d seen her. He grabbed the back of her neck and tightly wrapped his arm around her. His tongue slid into her mouth as he reached down and grabbed her perfect ass. She tasted better than he’d imagined. He pulled her hips against him as she reached for his arms and gripped as if her life depended on it. He made damn sure he communicated through touch she was his to command. Tom released her and stepped back.
“All right, honey. Let’s move inside for a little while.”
Chapter Three
Tom closed the terrace doors behind him as Emily moved toward the center of the room. As he followed her, he recalled the look of uncertainty etched on his little temptress’s beautiful face when he released her. He was able to mask his own doubts better only because of his experience as a commanding officer in combat situations. It was never a good idea to let your troops believe you didn’t have a damn clue about what you were doing. He was making this up as he went, but she sure as hell didn’t need to know that information.
Luckily he had a skilled mentor in Lucian, who’d spent over an hour giving him a crash course on what to do as a Master, focusing on how to handle Emily. This game he was about to play wasn’t so strange, just a different sort of drill. Tom believed Emily’s outward bravado was a defensive wall she’d thrown up to protect herself from being judged so harshly and the hurt she’d suffered as a result “Stop.”
“Tom—”
“Do you have a question?” he asked.
“I-I…what are you doing?”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“I don’t know. I don’t understand where this sudden change in you is coming from.”
“What makes you think I’ve changed? You don’t know a damn thing about me other than what I’ve told you and wanted you to know. Is there a problem? Did I misunderstand you earlier?” Tom circled around in front of her and leaned in, narrowing his eyes as he growled, “When you were teasing me?”
Emily shifted away from him, her body language speaking volumes. He’d managed to take away her offensive edge but was on dangerous ground and needed to make sure he didn’t push her too far.
“Tom, I don’t believe for one second you’ve done this before. You’re too…nice and…predictable.”
“Oh, baby, you don’t know me very well.” Chuckling, he took her face in his hands. He rubbed his nose against hers and watched as her eyes slightly glazed. What a relief to know she desired him. Yesterday, he’d dared to hope he’d be able to touch her someday. Now he was about to command the woman who’d haunted him since he’d laid eyes on her. She shrank back but he held her fast as he kissed her. “But you’ll learn, and I’ll have a lot of fun teaching you.”
Emily reeled from surprise at his sudden change in personality. She had to think and think fast. While she’d been teasing him all night, she’d never imagined he would call her bluff in such a way. Tom Ryan had managed one hell of a shock and awe. It was overwhelming and sexy as hell. His gray eyes were like steel when he grabbed her face and spoke to her, making her juices soak her thin panties. She’d almost come without him laying a finger on her pussy.
“Are you ready?
“I think so....”
“Not think so, you’d better know so. Do you have more questions? Once we start, unless you say your safe word, you belong to me, and there will be no doubt about what I want. So you’d better be damn sure this is what you want.” When she hesitated, he pulled back and sighed. “You’re trying my patience.”
“Yes. I mean no. What was the question?” Emily was too tied up in figuring out what the hell he had in store for her to remember.
“I hate repeating myself, Emily. You’re not slow. Are. You. Ready?”
“Yes,” she snapped. He narrowed his eyes, indicating his displeasure. “Sir.”
Tom turned around and opened the Victorian armoire built into the wall in front of the bed. He swung the clothes rack out of the way then slid a partition forward and opened the panel. Her
jaw dropped when he revealed a velvet lined toy box with all sorts of whips, paddles, floggers, restraints, blindfolds, and the like hanging inside. Holy crap!
“How did you know…?” she started.
“Did I ask you to speak?”
“No, Sir.”
“I remodeled this house, remember? Who do you think designed this closet? I know every little nook and cranny, better than Lucian does.” He tossed items from the chest onto the bed. Her eyes widened at the choices. When he was finished, he returned to her, “All right, honey. It’s playtime.”
Emily’s nipples beaded and her pussy clenched. Gone was the timid, shy man she’d tormented and poked. Now she faced a hardened Master about to rock her world to its very foundations. A huge red flag should’ve gone up in her head when he didn’t dump her after hearing what sort of art she’d be showing today. Oddly enough, it hadn’t, her instincts failing her for the first time. Even now, she was off-balance and a little confused but not scared. He sauntered to the large leather chair in the corner of the room, the one she’d enjoyed while reviewing her layout, and sat.
“Come here, Emily.”
She dragged her feet on the way, her mind racing with ideas to get out of what he had planned for her. With his choice of toys, it wasn’t a mystery. She’d gone too far with her wanton teasing. Would he make her pay for all she’d put him through yesterday and today? Her safe word danced on the tip of her tongue, but she trusted her initial assessment of him. He wouldn’t have asked her for a safe word if he intended on doing damage. Still, she stopped slightly out of his reach.
“If you make me repeat myself, I will blister that sexy ass of yours tonight. Here. Now.” Tom pointed to the space between his open knees.
Emily’s pussy clenched. His touch would be like igniting dynamite. She eased her way in, shivering as he slowly ran his eyes up and down her body. He wrapped his hands around her lower thighs, glided them upward to cup her ass. Why had she worn such a short dress? Tom’s gaze never left her face as he pulled her toward him, kissed her belly, and squeezed her ass. A low moan escaped her. How could he know her so well without knowing her? She quivered with raw desire as he mapped her, grabbing his shoulders to steady herself. He took one of her hands and kissed her palm before standing without warning, sending her stumbling backward. He caught her before she could fall.
Hanging by a Moment (A 1Night Stand Story) Page 3