by Sasha White
“Do you always get what you want?”
Her head cocked to the side and she grinned at him cockily. “Pretty much, yes.”
A chuckle escaped and he shook his head at her. “I think you’re a very beautiful and sexy woman, Teal. I just think we wouldn’t fit together well.”
“Really? You’ve never seen me outside of this building, yet you can tell we wouldn’t hit it off?” She licked those luscious lips suggestively and his cock twitched to life. “I think we’d fit together very well.”
Zach pushed aside the mental image of their bodies fitting together perfectly and forced a light chuckle. “You really do go after what you want, don’t you?”
“I do. And right now, I want you.” She took a small step back and planted her fists on the curve of her hips. “But maybe I was wrong. Maybe you’re just not man enough to handle me?”
She looked at him from under those long, dark lashes, the challenge in her eyes clear. His heart thumped and he mentally shook his head. Taking up the gauntlet she’d thrown down would be a real mistake. This woman was dangerous to more than his peace of mind. He knew it in his gut.
But he’d never been one to back down, so he opened his mouth and jumped in with both feet.
“There’s nothing wrong with you that some time in my basement wouldn’t fix.”
A delicate eyebrow lifted. “So you admit there’s something wrong with me?”
“I wouldn’t really say wrong. But I do think you’re a bit too cocky. Yes.”
Her eyes narrowed briefly then she stepped forward again. Now she was close enough that the pointed nipples of her breasts brushed lightly against his chest and her breath heated his lips when she spoke. “It’s not cocky when you can back it up. And I guarantee I can make you feel things no other woman ever has.”
Hot blood roared south and his cock hardened fully behind his zipper. Damn, she was hot! He met her gaze and let her see the desire that was burning inside him.
“I don’t doubt that a bit.”
Wow!
The heat in Zach’s gaze almost lit Teal’s panties on fire. She’d seen lust before, but it was nothing compared to what she saw in his gaze. Standing in front of him, breathing in his earthy scent, her sex moistened and throbbed, and her self-control flew right out the window.
“Is that a yes for dinner then?” Please be a yes. If it wasn’t a yes, she was afraid she might do something really rash. Something like strip her clothes off and ask him to fuck her then and there.
She held her breath as he stepped back and pulled a business card from his toolbox. He wrote something on the back of it with the pencil form his shirt pocket and handed it to her before picking up the toolbox. “I’m cooking, be there at eight.”
Teal waited until the door swung shut behind him to fan herself with her hands. That man was more than confident, he was intense…and boy did he get her juices flowing!
CHAPTER FIVE
It was five minutes to eight when Teal turned into the driveway of Zach’s house. She double checked the address on the back of the business card and looked back at the house in surprise. She didn’t know what she had expected, but it wasn’t the sprawling ranch style house in front of her.
The house itself wasn’t fancy or posh; it was quite simple, really. Elegant. The neighbourhood was pretty high-scale though, and with the placement of the house, she knew he had to have an amazing view of the river valley from the backyard.
Teal looked down at her casual t-shirt and long skirt and cursed Brina Jo. When Teal had called her to ask for an opinion on what to wear to Zach’s for dinner, Brina had suggested something casual, since it would be at his house. It seemed neither of them had thought that a carpenter would live in such style. Not that she’d expected a dump. The address would’ve given her a bit of a clue if she’d paid attention. And he did own his own business…
Teal gave herself a mental head slap. She knew better than to judge people on their looks or occupation. Her only excuse was that she’d been too focused on his body and the possibility of what was likely going to be for dessert.
She also should’ve known better than to ask someone else what to wear. It was unusual for her to doubt her own taste in anything. But she was a bit unsure of herself where Zach was concerned. Shrugging her shoulders, she climbed out of her car and strode up the brick walkway that led to the door. None of the trappings mattered, it was the man himself and the fire he put in her belly that she was interested in.
And she was going to put that fire out tonight, once and for all, so she could get her mind back on business.
The doorbell chimed at three minutes to eight and pleasure flowed over Zach. She was on time.
He put down the knife he was using to chop vegetables and wiped his hands on the dishcloth as he strode to the door. When he opened it, his breath caught in his throat. Standing on his doorstep, smiling for him, she looked…right. Like she was right where she was supposed to be.
He was definitely in trouble.
He took a deep breath and tried his best to sound normal. “Come on in, Teal. You didn’t have any trouble finding the place?”
They made small talk while she followed him to the kitchen. He already had a pitcher of cider on the table and he poured her a glass. “Make yourself comfortable. Dinner’s almost ready.”
He expected Teal to take a stroll around the main rooms of the house, at the very least, the patio. But she didn’t. She seated herself at the center island in the kitchen, propped her elbows on the counter next to the waiting plates, and kept him company.
Despite the erotic tension that kept him on edge, their conversation flowed quite smoothly as he tossed the veggies into the skillet. Their talk of music shifted to movies and he confessed he didn’t even own a television; he was addicted to movie theaters. When she asked him where he learned to cook, he told her.
“My mother wasn’t much for cooking, even when she was home. Cooking started out as a matter of survival for me then grew into something I enjoyed. I even toyed with the idea of becoming a chef.” He placed the grilled chicken breasts on the waiting plates.
The sautéed veggies were already on the plates and she was eyeing the food hungrily. “Really? So I’m in for a real treat tonight then, eh?”
Desire flared deep inside at her words. He set aside the honey glaze he’d made for the grilled chicken and met her gaze head on. “You have no idea.”
The hunger in her eyes shifted and the air vibrated between them. Oh yeah, she was in for a treat, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he wanted to skip all the niceties and give it to her immediately.
The woman threatened his much-valued control.
He watched her pink tongue dart out and slide across her bottom lip before she spoke in such a husky voice that he knew the tension was getting to her, too. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”
Reining in his desire, he picked up the plates full of food and slid them into the oven to keep them warm. “I’d rather show you.”
Taking her hand in his, Zack led her down to the basement where she gazed around in wonder. He’d been full of surprises from the moment he greeted her at the door in threadbare jeans, a black button up dress shirt and bare feet, but this basement topped everything.
It was sectioned off, each corner housing a different set-up. The nearest corner had a chain hanging from the ceiling and a wall unit with various ropes and cuffs displayed. The next section had a huge wall-mounted mirror in front of a low wooden bench with a padded top - sort of like a gymnastics horse, but a bit wider.
Wide enough for a persons torso to blanket the top.
The next corner, the one to her immediate right, held a large, dark, wooden X-cross with padded restraints on all four points. The wood was polished to a high gleam that showed such pride and workmanship that she just knew Zach had built it himself. Then she noticed the matching armoire next to it and wondered what surprises it held.
When she turned
to peek around the staircase into the last corner, she saw no kinky bondage furniture, but two closed doors.
“What’s in there?”
“If you’re good, you might find out.”
Teal’s head snapped around and she looked at him. She’d felt those words like a finger stroke between her thighs.
“If I’m good?” A light bulb went on in her head and a surprise jolt of desire washed over her. “So that’s what you meant when you said there was nothing wrong with me that some time in your basement wouldn’t cure?”
His slow lazy blink sent a shiver down her spine. Dinner was forgotten as her skin tightened everywhere and she imagined herself naked and strapped onto the X-cross. How delicious would his big, strong workman’s hands feel working her over?
The idea was appealing, more appealing than she’d ever imagined, but… “I admit I’m surprised. You don’t strike me as the type of man who needs to dominate a woman to get pleasure.”
His eyes flashed and his lips lifted at one corner in a half smile. “For me, it’s not so much about domination as it is about being in control.”
She shrugged. “Control, dominate, what’s the difference?”
He led her over to the X-cross. “There’s a big difference. I like to test the limits of my control as well as a woman’s. Giving her pleasure, watching her respond to stimulation, seeing the desire build inside her mind, in her body … it’s an amazing thing. And even though I like to restrain my playmates, my dominating them is an illusion. Thy are ultimately the ones in charge of the situation.”
She reached out and touched the padded leather cuff attached to the cross. “How is she in charge if she’s tied up?”
“Trust.” His eyes met hers and she saw the truth in them. “It all comes down to her trusting in me. Trusting I’ll stop when she says to stop, or give her more when she begs. Trust in my control and my ability to give her the release she needs. Sensual, emotional or physical release.”
The world narrowed and all her attention focused on him and the excitement coiling low in her belly.
“Okay.” She patted her hand against the polished wood of the cross. “I want to try this one.”
Zach threw back his head and laughed. When he looked at her again there was something else mixed with the banked heat in his eyes. Something like … affection.
“How about we eat first?” he said with a smile.
Zack struggled to keep things light as he put the plates on the already set table and pulled a chair for Teal. She sat down, and unable to not touch her, he let his fingertips skim across her shoulder as he pushed her chair in. Heat zipped up his arms and spread though his body at the contact and he kicked himself in the ass for inviting her over for dinner.
They should’ve gone out. If they were in public, she wouldn’t know about his basement set up and she wouldn’t have offered to get on the cross for him. An offer that bothered him.
Zach wanted to show her it was okay to let someone else be in control every now and then. He wanted her to experience the joys of letting go, to know that trusting someone wasn’t a weakness. But her quick offer to submit made his radar hum. It had been her way of maintaining control, not giving it up.
“Wow.” Her softly uttered exclamation brought him back to the present. “This is amazing! I can’t believe I watched you prepare it, and it took you less that 15 minutes!”
“I’m glad you like it. Often, I find that when it comes to the basic needs in life, the simpler things are, the better they are.”
“You sound like my mother.” They continued to eat and she told him a bit about the way she was raised. He was a bit surprised to find out her parents were modern day hippies. “They believe in natural foods, holistic healing and free love.”
“Free love?”
“That’s not to say they screw around on each other, just that they could if they wanted too. They’ve never formally married and Mom says that by restricting peoples desires, they’re restricting their souls, and she wouldn’t dare to do that.”
Interestingly enough, he understood what she meant. “And you? Do you believe that?”
“Yes, I do.”
He nodded and they ate some more in silence. Zach knew then why he hadn’t taken her up on her offer downstairs. It was because he’d come to like her. Not just be attracted to her, but to like her, the woman. His instincts had warned him she’d be trouble, that she was dangerous to him, and now he knew why. Because for once in his life, he looked at a woman and wanted more than a playmate.
He wanted a partner.
He wanted her for a partner!
Dumbstruck, he stared at her across the table. She was strong, smart, driven, and clearly a very sexual creature. He didn’t want to just play with her. He also didn’t want her to give him her trust, she would never give something so valuable away. He had to earn it … he wanted to earn it. Because, if he earned it, there would never be any doubt about it-–for either of them.
He sat back in his chair and just watched her. Contemplating his epiphany while enjoying her company. When she told him about taking business in college, but never mentioned art, another thought occurred to him. “You don’t have an artistic background do you?”
Teal hesitated, taking his measure before answering. “Nope, not at all.”
“Is that why Lush is going to specialize in erotic works?”
“Exactly!” She beamed at him. “It’s about more than art and more than sex. It’s about the principles of lust.”
“And those are?”
“Recognize it, then embrace it. People are too wrapped up in what’s wrong or right, what they’re taught is appropriate and what is dirty or bad. I want to show the many different levels of eroticism there are, from subtle to explicit. And that it’s okay to desire any and all of them. That these emotions are gifts to us that shouldn’t be denied or restricted, but embraced.”
The pleasure in her expression and passion in her words made his heart pound. There was so much more to her than he’d originally thought!
He waved a hand at her almost empty plate. “Are you finished?”
“Oh. Yes, I am.” She looked down at her plate, as if she’d forgotten it was even there. When she looked back at him her eyes sparkled wickedly. “So, what’s for dessert?”
CHAPTER SIX
“You are.”
When Zach stood up, pulled her chair back for her, and took her by the hand, she expected him to lead her to back to his basement. There was no doubt in her mind they’d end up naked that night, and she was pretty certain he had the same plan in mind, so when, instead of leading her downstairs he led her to the living room sofa, she was surprised.
He settled into the center of the long leather couch and gave her a steady stare. “Why don’t you sit on my lap?” he asked, his husky voice stroking her insides. “And we can get started.”
Blood heating and pulse pounding, she straddled him with her flowing skirt bunched up on her thighs. The soft denim of his jeans against her skin a delightful contrast with the hard muscles of his legs. She hummed her pleasure and leaned forward to kiss him, only to have his hands tighten on her waist and hold her back.
Zach shook his head slowly and began to slide his hands over her ribs, then around and down her back. She watched him watch her, as he slid his hands over her hips to her thighs. One hand slipped under her skirt and she gasped at the skin on skin contact.
His hand was rough and calloused, but his movements were gentle, and the heat from his touch spread quickly up her thigh to her pulsing sex.
“I think it’s best if we take things slow, don’t you?”
A pang of disappointment went through her. But she found herself nodding, almost as if the movement his thumb rubbing lazily at the inside of her thigh was hypnotizing her. Calming her, yet arousing her at the same time.
“Kiss me, Teal.”
Without a second thought, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. The kiss started out gentle and
seductive. Lips rubbing together, breath mingling. She gripped his shoulders and slipped completely under his spell.
Their breathing got louder, replacing the Celtic music in her ears as tongues danced and teeth nipped. She slid one hand around his neck and up to cup the back of his head, her fingers delving into the softness of his thick hair as her other hand slid from his shoulder to his chest. Muscles twitched beneath the palm of her hand and she felt his heart beat. It matched hers.
She shifted on his lap, trying to get closer to him. She wanted more… she needed more.
His fingers tightened on her thigh, but that was it. He didn’t slide his hand higher or try to move things along. Impatience mixed with the arousal swarming her senses, and she tore her mouth from his, gripped the hem of her shirt and tore if off all in one move.
When she leaned forward to kiss him again he pulled his head back slightly.
His hands gripped her hips, stilling her unconscious rocking. “Shhhh,” he crooned. “Slowly. Let’s learn about each other.”
“You’re hot and hard, I’m soft and wet. We’ll fit together real well. What more is there to learn?”
“Remember what you said at dinner? Recognize lust, then embrace it … try to do that for me, Teal.”
She groaned and ran her hands restlessly over his shoulders. Leaning in, she whispered in his ear as one hand started to undo the buttons on his shirt. “I’m trying, but you’re going too slow.”
His husky chuckle filled the room. He tangled one hand in her hair and pulled her head back gently to expose her throat. He scraped his teeth across her neck, sending a shudder rippling through her.
Her fingers made fast work of his buttons and she finally got her hands inside his shirt and against his skin. She weaved her fingers in to the light dusting of hairs there, searching for and finding his little male nipples.
They were already hard and she played with them, tweaking and rolling them between her fingers the way she wanted done to hers. His gasp of pleasure was music to her ears. “You’re not embracing it Teal, you’re rushing it.”