The bell over the front door jingled and a male voice called, “Hello?”
She locked her tablet, tucked it under her arm and strode out into the main part of the bakery to meet the interviewee.
And stalled in the doorway.
Her heart thumped and her breathing hitched as she stared at the gorgeous blond hunk leaning casually against the empty display counter.
Bastien was just as hot as she remembered. Six feet plus of muscle, dressed in a similar outfit to the one he wore in Decadence—dark jeans, tight white t-shirt and black boots.
Dana mentally whimpered. Her body responded to the mountain of muscle by quivering slightly. Her mouth hung open as she gaped at him. What the hell was doing in her store?
Realizing she was making a fool out of herself, she forced her shaky legs to move.
Get a grip. Be professional. She had a prospective employee coming in a few minutes, she didn’t want him to see her drooling over Bastien.
“What can I do for, Bastien?” A million questions raced through her mind.
He pushed away from the counter and folded his arms. “You’re Ms. Adams?”
“That’s me, Dana Adams.” Wait, how did he know her surname? A sick feeling lodged in the pit of stomach.
No freaking way.
Bastien. Sebastien.
Shit.
He flashed her a devastating smile that almost melted her panties before sticking out his hand. “Sebastien Berkley. I’m here for the job.”
She closed her hand around his. His grip firm and commanding. Sparks of electricity whizzed up the nerve endings in her arm, leaving a hot tingling sensation behind.
Surely this couldn’t be happened. She’d stepped into some fucked up version of the Twilight Zone. In what universe would the guy she’d let spank the shit out her apply for a job at her store? What were the odds?
Apparently pretty fucking high as Bastien caressed her palm with his thumb. Adrenaline raced around her, sparked her libido into overdrive. She needed to bring this back to a professional footing quickly.
“So,” she released his hand and took a small step back, “Welcome to Bitter Sweet. I was impressed by your email and some of the photos of your creations.” She motioned to one of the tables but he shook his head.
“Thanks for giving me a chance.” He’d taken her lead and not mentioned their night at Decadence. “I know my resume doesn’t exactly scream ‘pastry chef’ but I’d like to show you what I can do.”
The last few words burrowed into her brain. The mental flash showed her exactly what he could do. Things involving a flogger and her naked ass.
As her cheeks heated, she said, “Look, this is really awkward. Let’s just get the elephant out of the room.”
“And what elephant would that be?” Amusement danced in his whiskey colored eyes.
“The one where you’ve seen me naked. I’m not sure how this would work. Us working together professionally. You know I’m a submissive, but if I gave you the job, you’d be taking orders from me.”
He shrugged. “I’m fine with that.”
It was her turn to frown. “You are?”
“I’m man enough to know how to listen to women. I don’t need total control over them if they don’t want it. Only assholes do that. I can separate my work life from my personal life. And I’d really like this job.”
He sounded sincere. She searched his face for any indication of lies. When she found none, she opened her tablet and looked over his resume again. “Okay. So you don’t have any actual experience as a pastry chef?”
“No, but I bake a lot. It calms me.”
She refused to meet his gaze. Images of him dressed in nothing but an apron working at a stove, her at his feet, crept out of her subconscious and into a startling color daydream.
Instead of throwing herself at his feet like she wanted, which would be extremely embarrassing not to mention psychotic, she pointed towards the kitchen. “Probably a little unconventional for an interview but how about you make something, if you don’t mind?”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” He beamed. “Okay if I get started?”
“Sure.” She got up and gave him a quick tour of the kitchen and pantry, pointing out various things he might need, completely aware of his imposing presence with every step she took. “Is there anything else you need?”
“No, I think I’m good.”
He washed his hands before pulling out earthenware bowls, ingredients and spoons. Warmth spread through her. It felt good to see her kitchen finally being used. Although she had some limited baking skills, the space needed a real baker. Someone passionate. Someone like Bastien.
It didn’t hurt that he looked like a Norse god.
When he started separating eggs a shiver of heat danced along her spine.
Crack. Separate. Discard. Repeat.
He began beating the egg yolks and his biceps flexed. Dana suppressed a whimper. Watching him cook was downright sexy. She wanted to wrap her fingers around his muscles and feel them tense under her touch. She’d bet her life savings they were rock hard. Although they’d spent time together at Decadence, the night had been about her. She’d never really got to touch him. One of her biggest regrets.
Bastien raised his gaze to hers as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
She coughed to clear her throat and to disguise the fact his culinary skills were sending her hormones into overdrive. “I’ll leave you to it. Yell if you need anything.”
Without waiting for an answer, Dana headed back into the main café area and took a deep, calming breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this physically attracted to a man. Maybe it was his size calling to her submissive side. She associated brawn with dominance. Logically, she knew this wasn’t always the case. Physically imposing men could be submissive, but she knew for a fact that Bastien was dominant.
What did he like? They’d spoken about her kinks, but what turned him on? Was he into bondage? Breathe play? Threesomes? Group sex?
She shook her head. Jesus, she really needed to focus on something other than Bastien. If they had any chance of working together she needed to quell the erotic thoughts.
Instead of obsessing about the sexual tastes of the man in her kitchen, she lost herself in preparing the promotional package for the grand opening. If Bastien worked out, she could open in a few weeks. Excitement and fear beat like butterflies in her stomach. She was finally living her dream and although it had been hard work, it was going to get even harder. She just hoped she didn’t fall flat on her ass.
The scent of baked apples and cinnamon wafted in, and made her stomach growl. If his food tasted half as good as it smelled, Bastien was a winner. A hottie and a baker.
Be still my beating heart.
She really needed to get her hormones in check. Since uploading her ad and her night with Bastien, she’d been optimistic about finding a Dominant. She’d been excited about the prospect of starting a new journey of discovery. So far it hadn’t worked out as she’d expected. She was no further forward.
Logging into Kinky Singles, she checked her messages again.
Desperation thy name is Dana.
Two new messages. Hope blossomed in her chest. Maybe this time they’d be from someone she could connect with.
Message number one came from ‘Kinky4u’. She tried not to roll her eyes. Some people on the internet weren’t very creative. She clicked on the message and read a few lines before hitting delete. The guy used text speak for every word. Definite no-no. The second message came from the username ‘DominantKnight’. This was more appealing. She repeated the process. This guy seemed okay. No immediate “I want you to be my slut” overtones—just a regular conversation. She filed this one as a maybe.
Bastien’s voice rumbled in her ear. She jumped when he whispered, “Food’s up.”
She’d been so engrossed in the message, she hadn’t heard him come of out the kitchen and stand a few inches behind her.
In a rush of embarrassment she slammed the cover on her tablet and prayed he hadn’t seen her Kinky Singles account. She didn’t want him knowing she trawled the internet for a Dominant.
Dana swiveled around. He stepped back and held a plate with a mouth-wateringly good looking muffin. Her stomach growled.
Bastien smiled and offered her the plate. “Here, have a bite.”
She broke off a piece of moist sponge and popped it into her mouth. Her taste buds exploded with sweet spice and sugared apple. The light and airy cake dissolved on her tongue. Her saliva glands burst into overdrive. She moaned. It was one of the best muffins she’d ever tasted, and she wanted to devour the whole thing.
“I take it the groan is a good sign?”
She nodded before breaking off more of the sugary goodness. “Oh yeah, this is amazing.” As she chewed she made her decision. “You’re hired. Trial basis for six months sound okay?” It was rash but deep down she knew it was the right choice.
She stuck out her hand.
Bastien flashed her another of his panty melting smile and slipped a warm hand into hers before curling his fingers.
Sparks zinged up her arm from the brief contact. Excitement raised gooseflesh on her skin. No man should have that amount of power over a woman. Bastien Berkley should come with a hazard warning.
She snatched her hand back a little too quickly and watched a lazy, knowing smile curl his lips. Jeez, working with him on a daily basis was going to be a nightmare. Maybe once the novelty wore off she’d get used to being around him. She just needed her hormones under control.
“Take a seat. We just need to get some paperwork complete. Are you sure this isn’t going to be a problem?”
He pulled out a chair and sank into it, folding his long lean legs under the table. His foot brushed against her ankle sending shockwaves of pleasure surging through her. The briefest touch from him and she was primed and ready.
“No problem for me. How about you, Dana?”
It wouldn’t be. She was a professional business woman who could put her personal life on a backburner. She had to if she wanted the business to work.
“No problem for me either. Can you start next week?”
“Shall we say Monday?”
She beamed, today was Friday and she planned to open the store in one week. They’d have some time to try out various products.
“Perfect,” she said.
And so began her professional working relationship with Bastien Berkley.
* * * * *
They spent an hour completing official documentation. Bastien had copies of all the relevant information. One thing he’d learned from being in the Marines was to always be prepared.
Dana printed off the contracts and said, “Give me a few minutes. Need to grab this and scan a couple of your documents.”
“Take your time.”
She headed into the back. As Bastien watched her go, her ass swaying in her A-line orange skirt, his jeans pulled tight across his crotch. His brain immediately went back to their night at Decadence. Her naked ass blushing pink as he cracked his hand against the luscious globes.
Down boy.
He couldn’t stop thinking about curvy brunette he’d spent an evening with a Decedence. She’d gotten under his skin. He still jerked off thinking about her reactions to his touch. Although she’d been inexperience, she’d been so damned responsive. He’d wanted to push her, see how far he could take her submission, but he hadn’t wanted to scare her. He’d kept it light, hadn’t even given his own pounding dick any relief.
Dana intrigued him. But when she didn’t return, he understood it was one night thing.
And now here she was—his new boss.
The world really did work in mysterious ways.
Even more intriguing when he’d walked out of the kitchen, she’d been looking at the Kinky Singles. He’d been on there a few times in the past. Found a few submissive dates on there.
He glanced into the kitchen, made sure she wasn’t coming back. He couldn’t see her so he swiped open her tablet. It wasn’t password protected. Careless, but fortunate for him. He scrolled through a few open windows and tried to avoid the word ‘stalker’ screaming through his subconscious.
There. Kinky Singles messages.
He made a mental note of her username but stopped short of actually reading her personal messages. That would be too fucking creepy.
Dana Adams was ‘submissivecupcake’. Was Dana searching for a Dominant online?
He’d told Dana they could keep their relationship professional, but the thought of her bound and chained at his feet made his cock rock hard. Ever since he’d left the Marines he’d been searching for a special submissive. Since Joshua and Alex recently found their soulmates, Bastien had upped his search. He wanted a life partner and a submissive.
Maybe Dana was the woman he’d been searching for.
Chapter Five
Back in the privacy of his apartment, Bastien fired up his laptop and logged into his Kinky Singles account. He wanted to find out more about “submissivecupcake”. Coincidentally, his username was Sir Ambrosia, the same as Dana’s safeword.
Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to be ‘stalking’ his new boss but curiosity hounded him. He’d become jaded with casual. All the women he’d met recently either didn’t match his personality or wanted something he couldn’t give them.
Looking for a vanilla relationship was hard enough, throw dominance and his kinks into the mix, and it became a minefield. What he wanted was a woman who could be his submissive and his life partner. He was getting too old for casual.
Bastien searched for Dana’s username. When it came up he clicked on her profile. Her picture was simple yet elegant—a black and white photograph of a woman on her knees, hands cuffed behind her back, the curves of her ass covered in delicate lace shorts. Long hair spilled down her spine so you couldn’t see her face.
It wasn’t Dana. She’d taken the picture from the internet but her choice spoke volumes.
This was the woman Dana wanted to be.
He read her bio. She’d given her age and hobbies. She hadn’t revealed too much and she’d set up an email account similar to her username. Good girl. Although ninety per cent of people were legit, these kind of websites always attracted some weirdos. He scrolled down and read some of her posts on the message board. They ranged from generic to BDSM themed threads. She’d posted a few comments on oral servitude pictures. The comments confirmed what she’d told him, she was a submissive with no real life experience of BDSM.
Finally he came across her ad for a Dominant. When he finished reading, he shifted in his seat. His cock pressed against the zipper of his shorts. Oral servitude, bondage, and power play interested her. She wanted a nurturing Dom, someone to teach her, instruct her and bring out her submission.
He imagined Dana dressed in plain black lace panties, a lace bra, thigh-highs and heels, sitting on her knees, lips parted, eyes wide, begging to service him. His cock jerked. He rubbed the heel of his palm across his crotch and groaned. He hadn’t been this turned on since the night with her at Decadence. Before that, it had been over a year.
Shit, was it really that long? He’d had dalliances with a number of women, but they’d never gotten him this hard. He felt like a fucking teenage again, sprouted an erection as soon as a woman licked her lips.
Trying to distract from his aching cock, he clicked on the ‘private message’ function. This was probably one of the worst ideas he’d ever had, but what the hell. He was attracted to Dana and he wanted to know more about her. He couldn’t rock up at work and start grilling her about her sexual preferences. He’d promised to keep things on a professional level. She’d shut him down or fire his ass. He wouldn’t jeopardize his new position or his boss’s integrity.
He really wanted to work in her patisserie. Although he had enough money from investing in Joshua’s defense company after he left the marines, he wanted to do what he loved, and he loved cre
ating delicate pastries. The others ribbed him incessantly, but he loved the feel of dough, the scent of something he’d created from scratch.
Unable to stop himself, he typed out a message and hit send. He leaned back, the leather desk chair groaning under his weight, and threaded his hands behind his head.
He was playing a dangerous game, but the ball was in her court. All he could do was wait and hoped she’d respond.
* * * * *
Dana switched on the lamp in her living room and threw her purse on the desk. It had been a long day. She flopped down on the couch and kicked off her shoes. Her feet throbbed so she gave them a quick rub. Although it had been hard work, she’d finally hired a pastry chef.
Sebastien Berkley.
Bastien. The man who’d given her the most intense orgasm of her life and he hadn’t even been naked.
If his test bake was anything to go by, he was a real winner. Not to mention he was real easy on the eyes.
Real. Easy.
A man that masculine should be outlawed.
Even now her heart did a minor flip-flop as she thought of the size of his biceps, of the way they flexed when he’d smacked her bare ass. She squirmed as her pussy heated. She hadn’t seen him without clothes, but she could imagine what lurked under his shirt from the way it pulled across his chest. He looked strong enough to carry her, and with a generous ass and breasts, that wasn’t easy.
She could already feel his wide hands cupping her buttocks and lifted her off her feet. She’d wrap her legs around him and feel his cock rubbing against her clit. She’d seen the hard outline of his erection through his jeans in the mirror. From what she remembered, Bastien was hung. What would it feel like to have all that hardness pushing inside her, stretching and opening her, bringing her pleasure?
Dana shivered and shook her head to dispel the sexual image. She couldn’t think like this anymore. He was her employee. The last thing she needed was to be hung up on her new pastry chef. Office romances could be awkward at the best of times. With only the two of them it could get downright messy.
Enslaving Dana (Mission Pleasure Book 3) Page 4