“It’s Roger, and I never thought for a moment that you were.” Roger also stood, meeting her growing outrage with a calm smile. “I’m not implying that I pay for your services.”
“Oh, so you thought I would put out for free?” Roxanne turned from him and walked to the table to grab her briefcase and laptop. “Do I come across as some easy slut to you?”
“Hardly,” Roger said with a laugh, and she turned to glare at him. The man had moved in behind her, and took her hands in a firm grip. “I see an incredibly intelligent and sexy lady, who shares common interests with me, and who could be a lot of fun to spend time with while I’m here on business.”
Roxanne blinked as hurt mixed in with her anger. She had seen interest in the man’s eyes from the first time they met, but hadn’t expected him to be so forward about his desires. Roxanne knew many men and women away on business often sought out a casual partner for sex. She wasn’t so naïve to think otherwise. And casual sex could be great. She realized his comment about wanting her over a prostitute had taken her off-guard, and she forced herself to relax. Men had propositioned her many times in the past. She took in a deep breath, and exhaled quietly before meeting Roger’s gaze.
“Well, thank you.” She managed a smile.
Roger’s grin broadened, making him look boyish. “I guess I should have approached the topic differently. One thing a paid escort can do is make you lazy when it comes to making arrangements, so to speak. The last thing I wish to do is offend you.”
Roxanne studied the man in front of her. His natural ease with people added to his good looks. She could see how he would do well in business with his ability to smooth his way through a conversation. She found her anger ebbing, and relaxed as she pulled her hands from his.
“Every now and then I run into a lady who has a natural fire like you do,” Roger continued before she could speak. “I see the spark in your eyes. And I imagine you would be the type of lady who would enjoy an alternative type of sexual play.”
Roxanne forgot to breathe. Alternative type of sexual play? The anger had abated, but she raised an eyebrow in question. “Alternative sex? Now what do you mean by that, Roger?”
Roger brushed her cheek with a finger, and then drew a line past her cheekbone, down her neck, and then ran his finger over her nipple. His boldness surprised her, but she managed to keep her expression blank as she stared at him.
“I can pay a lady to play with me. And many of them are very good. But there isn’t the electricity that can occur when I meet a lady who will abide by my wishes, and submit to me when I tell her to.”
“Submit to you?” Roxanne questioned. “You mean like you want me on my knees?”
“Oh yes.” Roger gripped her rib cage in excitement. “And when you don’t do as I say, then I can punish you.”
“You can punish me?” Roxanne didn’t smile, although for some reason she found Roger’s behavior amusing. “Do you mean you would spank me, or something?”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Roger gripped her hair with his free hand, although she could sense hesitation in his touch. He didn’t pull, but merely held on, as if the act were staged. “And maybe I’ll tie you up, and do nasty things to you. Have you ever tried nipple clamps? I brought some with me.”
Roger grew more daring, and his hand moved from her rib cage to cup her breast, gingerly, barely touching her, as if testing them for size.
She didn’t flinch, and she didn’t step away from him, although the look of excitement over sharing the news of his toys made him look like a schoolboy asking if she would come out to play. Roger lowered his head, as if he would kiss her, but Roxanne placed a hand on his shoulder, and wasn’t surprised that her gentle push had him taking a step backward.
“You’re an incredibly attractive man, Roger,” she began, and turned from him to pick up her briefcase and laptop. “And I’m sure we could have a wonderful time playing, but I really think we need to keep our relationship at the professional level.”
Roger let out a notable sigh, and turned from her toward the couch, then sat on the edge of the backside of it as he watched her. “We would have a wonderful time playing. Are you sure you don’t want to just try it?”
“I’m sure, but you flatter me with your offer.” Roxanne almost felt sorry for the crushed expression she now saw on the man’s face. He ran his hand through his brown hair, tousling it and allowing a few more gray streaks to appear.
“Please don’t get the impression that I think of you as a hired escort, but I would be willing to buy anything for you that you wished. Would you at least consider it?” His forehead wrinkled when he looked up at her. And she smiled at how defeated he looked.
“I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”
“I guess that’s fair.” Roger sighed and then pulled a cell phone from his shirt pocket. “I’ll call to have the limo ready for you. At least let me walk you to the lobby.”
Roxanne nodded, and allowed him to escort her to his car. She couldn’t help wondering how a man, who so easily accepted defeat, could be dominating during sex.
Either Roger didn’t tell Jordan about their luncheon date, or Jordan had decided not to rub the awkward afternoon in her face. Either way, she didn’t hear anything about it. The rest of the day flew as she focused on her accounts, and saw little of Jordan. Of course since she arranged his schedule for him, she knew he was with Roger most of the time, which was fine. Jordan was already distracting her dreams. It was a lot easier to get work done without him distracting her at work, too.
She was glad when the weekend arrived, and she could put work behind her for a while.
* * * * *
“And then you just left?” Joanie sat on the edge of her bed, with wedding apparel scattered around her, and appeared to glow as she grinned at Roxanne.
It was Saturday, and Roxanne had made time to stop by and visit Joanie in order to catch up on their lives. Joanie had eagerly shown Roxanne her bridesmaid dress, as well as invitations, napkins, and catalogs full of flower arrangements that Joanie had yet to decide upon. The two of them sat among the clutter, while Roxanne brought her best friend up to date on her own life.
“Roger walked with me to the lobby, and then to his limo.” Roxanne rubbed the lacing that trimmed one of the flowergirls’ dresses between her fingers as she rested against the headboard of Joanie’s bed. “He really didn’t strike me as the kind of man who would be into BDSM. He didn’t appear to have an aggressive bone in his body.”
“And you want aggression,” Joanie said, nodding as if concluding Roxanne’s thought.
Roxanne frowned and studied Joanie for a minute. “Why would you think I would want an aggressive man?”
“Oh, Roxanne,” Joanie laughed, and tossed the dress that she held in her lap to the other side of the bed.
She turned and crawled toward Roxanne, until Joanie was on hands and knees over her, with her face mere inches away. “Because you like it wild, just like me,” she whispered. “And because our men need to be strong enough to handle us, and keep us happy.”
Roxanne grinned, and ran her fingers through Joanie’s blonde hair until she had a handful, then held on. She watched Joanie’s eyes close then open again, this time appearing a brighter blue than the second before.
“Roger certainly didn’t have what it took to handle me,” Roxanne said. “I think he liked the thought of being kinky, but acting it out made him hesitate.”
“I hate hesitation.” Joanie made a face.
“So do I.” Roxanne tugged on Joanie’s hair, and then let it go.
The two of them sighed, collapsing on the bed next to each other. Roxanne stared up at the ceiling.
“My timing is always perfect,” David, Joanie’s fiancé, said from the other side of the room. “Two women lying on my bed—and beautiful women at that.”
Joanie giggled and Roxanne couldn’t help laughing as well. She’d known these two for years now, and also knew the two of them
enjoyed an adventurous sexual lifestyle. The summer before she’d been able to watch Joanie have sex with two men at once. It had been her best friend’s fantasy, and David loved Joanie enough to give it to her. Roxanne turned to see David leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, grinning at the two of them as they lay sprawled over ruffly dresses and catalogs.
“We haven’t seen much of you lately,” David said, moving into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed next to Joanie. He ran his hand up her leg. “You must have a new boyfriend.”
Roxanne’s old boyfriend, Jeffrey, had been David’s best friend. She wasn’t sure she was ready to share with these two her recent encounters with Jordan.
“I’ve just been swamped at work,” she said quietly, which wasn’t exactly a lie.
Joanie turned on her side to face her. “You are seeing someone, aren’t you?”
Roxanne studied her friend’s pretty face for a moment, knowing her friend earned her living counseling others, although that hardly made her a mind reader.
“No. Not exactly.” She chewed her lips, suddenly at a loss of words at how to explain Jordan.
I’ve just been fucking my boss hardly sounded good.
“Not exactly,” Joanie prompted.
Roxanne looked at the two of them while they stared at her expectantly. She knew they both only wished the best for her. Sighing, she looked back up at the ceiling.
“My boss is giving me a bit more attention than usual,” she conceded, not wanting either of them to think less of her for having sex with her boss.
“You’re fucking your boss. Way to go, girl,” David said, laughing easily.
Joanie made a face at him, and Roxanne couldn’t help but roll her eyes. But she smiled. David had such an easy way of looking at things.
“Okay. Yeah. I’m fucking my boss.” It was surprising how easy it was to say it. She grinned at the two of them.
“I’ve seen Jordan Hall.” Joanie wagged her eyebrows. “You could do a lot worse.”
“How many times have you done him?” David asked. “And don’t leave out any of the kinky details.”
“David!” Joanie sounded horrified, and gave her fiancé a playful punch in the arm. She then turned to Roxanne, raising her eyebrows. “Well? How many times have you done him?” she asked quietly.
Roxanne couldn’t help but laugh. “Twice. Once at work, and once at my house.”
“At work! Woo-hoo!” David laughed along with her. “We might have to have this guy over for dinner.”
“I don’t think we’re at that point.” Roxanne chewed on her lip, not sure what point she was at with Jordan. “I’m not sure he’s right for me,” she added, and then hesitated. Her friends waited silently, allowing her to sort her thoughts. “He’s trying to control me, and that is definitely not what I want.” There. She’d said it.
“I see,” Joanie said quietly.
She turned to look at her friend. “I hate it when you say that.”
But Joanie didn’t smile. “You’re more serious about him than you want to admit.”
“I am not.” Roxanne shook her head adamantly. “He tries to tell me who I can see. If I give him an inch, he’ll turn me into his slave or something. I don’t want that.”
Roxanne gasped and jumped when her phone, still clipped to the waist of her jeans, rang once.
Joanie collapsed on Roxanne as she started giggling. “Saved by the bell.”
Roxanne unclipped her phone and looked at the number as it rang a second time. Her gut twisted at the sight of Jordan’s number. Why would he call her on a Saturday? She wondered if he wanted to see her, and then immediately chastised herself for having such thoughts. The man was trying to control her life, and that wasn’t what she wanted.
“What’s wrong?” Joanie looked concerned.
“Nothing.” Roxanne realized her expression must have shown her feelings. She pushed the button on the phone and then brought it to her ear. “Hello.”
“What are you doing?” Jordan’s baritone sent chills through Roxanne.
“Nothing,” Roxanne said again, and then cleared her voice when it cracked. She also moved to a sitting position, and began straightening her clothes.
“Oh? Where are you?” Jordan’s tone sounded challenging, as if he suspected she was doing something wrong.
Roxanne licked her lips. She couldn’t be doing anything wrong, because she had no rules to follow with this man. He didn’t own her.
“I’m at my girlfriend’s house.” Roxanne sucked in a breath, and glanced at Joanie and then at David. Both watched her with serious expressions.
“What girlfriend?” Jordan asked.
“I’m at Joanie Anderson’s house. I think you may have seen her in the office once or twice.” Roxanne closed her eyes, and realized she had just tried to gain an approving response with this man.
“I’m leaving a business luncheon now, and thought I would stop by your house. When can you be there?”
Roxanne swallowed as her heart fluttered with the knowledge that she would see Jordan. She wondered if Jordan would fuck her. Of course he would, he always fucked her when they were alone.
Dear Lord. She was turning her boss into a fuck buddy. She was out of her mind!
“I can be there in about thirty minutes.” Again Roxanne realized she had just submitted to Jordan. She needed to quit doing that if she didn’t want him to control her.
“Good. See you soon.” And with that, Jordan terminated the call.
Roxanne lowered the phone slowly, and then pushed the button to end the call. She glanced up at Joanie who watched her warily, and Roxanne offered a reassuring smile.
“I’ve got to go,” Roxanne offered.
“That was your boss, wasn’t it?” Joanie asked.
“Yeah. He wants to meet me at my house.” Roxanne shrugged and then finished straightening her clothes. “I guess he needs to see me about something.”
“Hey, Joanie, let’s go peek through the windows.” David nudged Joanie, a shit-eating grin on his face.
Roxanne felt her cheeks flush as heat raced under her skin. She quickly slid to the side of the bed, not able to look at either of them at the moment.
“Did you see how she jumped when he called her?” Joanie spoke to David behind Roxanne’s back.
“Yup,” David said, standing also and moving to the doorway. “If you’re seeing him, we need to have him over. You realize I need to approve of this guy.”
Roxanne looked at David and realized he was serious. “I’m not seeing him,” she insisted.
“You’re not seeing him, and he already has you this trained?” Joanie giggled and slid off the bed, then moved to cuddle into David.
“He does not have me trained.” Roxanne put her hands on her hips, and stared at Joanie and David, who both stood grinning at her. She forced herself to remain calm and explain the situation to them. After all, she considered these two good friends, and knew they only wanted the best for her. “He told me he had just finished a luncheon meeting and that he wanted to stop by my house. I’m sure there’s something he needs to discuss with me. That’s all.”
“Uh-huh.” Joanie offered her a friendly grin. “I think you like him more than you want to admit.”
“I…” Roxanne fully intended to deny again any type of relationship with her boss, but she met Joanie’s gaze, and then looked at David. “Our relationship really is just about business. It’s not like I’m falling in love, or anything.”
Joanie left David’s side, still grinning that stupid grin, and gave Roxanne a hug. “If it doesn’t mean anything, then why are you running when he calls?”
“I am not running,” Roxanne said, and heard the whine in her voice and cringed. She sighed and patted Joanie’s back. “Well, maybe I am,” she admitted. “And I don’t know why. It’s just something about him. He demands things.”
“Like what?” David asked.
“Like wanting to know what I’m doing, and who I’m with.”
“David does that.” Joanie released Roxanne and stood facing her. “But he does it because he cares, and is watching out for me.”
“I don’t need to be watched out for.” Roxanne scowled at both of them.
“Sounds like this Jordan Hall thinks differently,” David said, and then moved back from the doorway, gesturing with his hand that the ladies should exit the room. “I think you should get going so you aren’t late.”
“Yeah, I better,” Roxanne said, but then hesitated. “And what does it matter if I am late? He can just sit and wait for me.”
“It matters because you want to please him.” Joanie followed Roxanne out of the bedroom, and spoke from behind her. “Sounds like maybe you have finally met a man who is strong enough for you.”
“We’ll see,” Roxanne muttered, sighing, and then hugged her friend goodbye.
She hadn’t been home since that morning, and guessed she wouldn’t have much time before Jordan showed up. Just thinking about the fact that she would see him soon sent electric tingles through her.
“Jordan Hall, you’re going to make me crazy,” she said, shaking her head while driving home.
She couldn’t wait to see him, and didn’t want to see him all at the same time. The closer she got to her house, the more her body screamed with need.
God! The last thing she needed to do was beg him to fuck her the second he walked through that door.
Roxanne didn’t know whether to be relieved, or disappointed, when she made it home, and Jordan wasn’t there.
She kicked off her shoes in the direction of her bedroom closet then turned toward the hallway to check her messages. Thoughts of changing into something a bit more revealing entered her mind—show a little cleavage, maybe a tighter pair of jeans.
No. She wouldn’t do anything to imply she wanted him. But damn, did she want him.
Chapter Five
Torrid Love - Caught! Page 6