“True. But he has told you now.”
Jenna shook her head and took another drink. “My parents don’t define me. They aren’t who I am. Mason’s secrets were an integral part of his life.”
“I’ll give you that, but I’m not so sure your parents have as little influence on you as you suggest. In spite of or because of them, you are who you are today as a result of being raised under their roof.”
The woman had a point, but Jenna couldn’t imagine a day she’d want any man to find out prematurely about her family. As long as she could keep that side of herself hidden, she would.
•●•
Sunday Jenna spent most of her waking hours scouring the internet for information on fetish lifestyles. By the time the sun went down, her eyes were crossed, and her brain swam with far too much information.
She had more questions than answers.
What were Mason’s specific tastes? Did he like to inflict pain? Would he hurt her? He’d said otherwise, but what about mentally?
How often did he go to Extreme? Weekends? Both days? Every night? Were they open that often?
Would he share her with others? She cringed at the idea and knew she had some hard lines she would never cross.
Would he expect her to expose herself to other people? Probably. Nearly everyone at Extreme had been in some state of undress, especially the submissives.
Was there something inherently wrong with a man who spent all his free time fighting men and dominating women?
The idea frightened her, but she couldn’t help the niggling intrigue she felt also, and the titillating sensation that ran down her spine every time she pictured herself in any of a number of scenes she’d witnessed Friday night.
Plus, Rafe led a parallel lifestyle, and Jenna knew he was an upstanding citizen. Katy loved him.
•●•
By late Monday afternoon, Jenna was a ball of nerves, so preoccupied she kept staring into space and dropping the flowers she held in her hand onto the counter.
“Earth to Jenna. Come in.”
Jenna whipped her gaze up to find David leaning over the counter from the other side. He held a gorgeous bouquet of red roses. Tied around the vase was an enormous wide, white ribbon with far too many loops. It was too big for the vase and gaudy as hell. Jenna scrunched up her nose. “What the hell is that?”
David grinned. “Hey. I don’t question the customers. I just make the arrangements.”
“But that’s awful. You can’t deliver that to anyone.” What was the matter with him?
He grinned wide. “Thank God you agree. Coincidentally I don’t have to go far for this delivery.” He held out the vase. “They’re for you.”
“What?” She set the arrangement on the counter and stepped back. Nope. Even at a distance it was ridiculous. Why so much ribbon? “It’s not my birthday, and I’ve never been a huge fan of eccentric arrangements.”
“Like I said, I just fill the orders when they come in. There’s a card too.” He pointed at the tiny envelope protruding between the loops of the bow and sauntered from the room.
Jenna stared at the roses. The flowers themselves were gorgeous. Fresh from this morning. They would last a long time if she fed them.
Her fingers shook as she reached for the card.
She knew before she opened it they were from Mason. “I’m not a roses and chocolates kind of guy.”
She smiled, unable to stop herself. The miles of ribbon probably had some meaning.
In tiny handwriting, the card was filled with a script that didn’t belong to David or Mariel. Mason himself must have filled it out.
Her cheeks flamed wondering if David had read the card.
Jenna, please accept my apologies for the way I handled things Friday night. I might have been rash in my decision to fling you into the mix without a word. Both mixes. I realize it would be a huge leap of faith for you to give me a chance with your heart. However, I’m hoping you will consider doing just that. I know I can be an overbearing ass at times, but I can’t seem to get you out of my head. Your purity in all things humbles me. Please accept these gifts as a token of my sincere desire to get to know you better. Yours, Mason
Gifts? A bell chimed in front, indicating a customer had entered the shop. David was manning the register. He had everything under control. Jenna stood rooted to the spot, holding the tiny card in her shaky fingers.
A minute later the bell rang again, and David ducked into the back holding a rectangular box wrapped in silver paper and covered with another gaudy white bow far too large for the box, a mile-wide grin splitting his cheeks. “Another awful delivery for you. Someone has been holding out on me.” He handed her the box. “Details please.” He looked at her face and sobered. “Never mind. I’ll wait until later.” He turned and fled the back room.
Do I look that stunned?
Jenna tore the silver paper from the box and dropped it to the floor with the ribbon. Chocolates. Of course. Hence the plural gifts.
A card on top read:
You’re holding my heart in your hands. Please give me a chance to demonstrate some of my finer skills.
M
Holy shit!
When did Mr. Bullfighter become so eloquent and thoughtful? The door to the back room opened again, and she almost stumbled onto her ass. She gripped the side of the counter and lifted her gaze. What now?
She swallowed her tongue.
Mason stood there with a giant smirk on his face. “Hey.” He leaned casually across the counter and toyed with the bow wrapped numerous times around the vase of roses. “I was hoping this would be enough ribbon that I might be able to put it to good use.”
Jenna swallowed again. “Doing what?” she mumbled.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
She stared at him. He was in her shop. David would have seen him. Now she would have to explain herself to her friends. Mariel and David were going to have a field day with this development.
“I was hoping you’d consider letting me take you to dinner.”
Jenna cleared her throat. “Now?” She glanced down at her clothes. White jeans. Pink blouse. Matching pink flip flops. Not what she would wear on a date, but then again, Mason was casual in his jeans and designer T-shirt.
“Well, if you can get away. Your coworker told me he had things covered.”
You spoke to David?
Jenna glanced around at the messy room. She’d accomplished little today except to scatter flowers, stems, and ribbon all over the place in her discombobulated state.
“Did you have other plans?” His mouth dropped.
“No.”
“Then let’s go.” He lifted his elbow for her to accompany him.
“I need to talk to David.” She stepped past Mason, leaving him in the rear of the store.
David was finishing up with a client, and she waited for the door to shut behind the woman before she addressed him. “You told Mason you would close?”
“Yes. Is that a problem? I often close.” He lifted a brow, smirking at her. “So, Mason is his name? Nice. Why haven’t I heard a word about this Mason?” He glanced behind her to make sure they weren’t being overheard and lowered his voice. “He’s hot. If it doesn’t work out, give him my number.”
Jenna swatted his arm. “Be nice.” She straightened and brushed a hair from her face. “Okay then.” She glanced around and couldn’t think of a single reason she shouldn’t go with Mason. Except for the small detail of him possibly smashing her heart to pieces when he was done with it.
“Go.” David pointed to the back. “There’s a stunningly hot man waiting for you. Why are you still here?”
He was that. Stunning and hot. Maybe too much so.
Chapter Ten
Mason drove slowly toward the steakhouse. He’d booked a reservation before arriving at Ribbons and Bows. He felt like a gangly teenager on his first date. In fact he’d been a teenager the last time he’d been on a real
date.
He’d never been lacking in women, and he’d serviced plenty over the years, never failing to get what he needed from them whenever the urge arose. But dating was not his thing. Or it hadn’t been.
When he pulled to the curb and then helped Jenna from the Camaro, he felt calmer than expected. Her tiny fingers wrapped in his made him settle. His chest pounded at a slower pace.
The hostess seated them promptly, and Mason ordered a bottle of wine. He leaned on his elbows and stared at his good luck as soon as the waitress left them. “What?”
Jenna grinned at him. “You don’t realize how domineering you are, do you?”
Uh oh. He gritted his teeth. “What’d I do already?”
“How do you know if I like chardonnay?”
He smiled. “You drank it at the rehearsal dinner.” Ah ha.
She laughed. “Okay. I’ll give you that. But what if I want something different tonight?”
“Do you?”
“No.”
“Well then.” He reached across the table and took her hands in his. “I’m gonna fuck up. I’m far from perfect. I don’t know if I can do this. I’m only asking for a chance.”
She squeezed his hands with her fingers. “I’m not perfect, either. And you don’t have to do all the work. Perhaps we could meet halfway. I could attempt to fit in to your world, and you could give mine a try?”
“A truce. Hmmm. I’ve never done a truce before.”
“No time like the present.” She released him as their wine appeared.
The waitress removed the cork, poured a splash, and handed it to Mason, who nodded his approval after a small sip. “May I take your order?”
Mason opened his mouth and then thought better of it. “Give us a minute, please.” He turned to Jenna. “See? I can be so accommodating. What sounds good to you?”
Jenna perused the menu. “The fillet, I think.”
“Good choice.”
The meal was easy going, not as stressful as Mason had anticipated. He found he liked sitting across from Jenna, being able to watch her expressions as she ate. They engaged in a bit of give and take. She told him about her floral business, and he told her about his accounting office.
He knew her better after they’d eaten. He didn’t usually know much about a woman besides what made her tick sexually. Hell, he barely knew more about himself than what got his rocks off.
When they strolled back to the car, Mason took her hand. “Would you like to come back to my place?”
She lifted her gaze to his. “I shouldn’t. I think I like you too much.”
He laughed. “That’s the weirdest line I’ve ever heard.”
“True, though. I need more time to process this…thing…we have. If I go home with you, you will have my head spinning before we shut the front door, and the next thing I know, you’ll have me on my back. And I’ll like it.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” No wonder he didn’t date. Women were too complicated.
“It’s a confusing thing. Besides, my car is at the shop. Can you take me back there?”
“Of course.” But it might kill me to leave you.
He drove slow, saying little. He didn’t want the evening to end. Even if they didn’t have sex, he liked being with Jenna. Having her in his car was a wonder in and of itself. He didn’t want her to get out.
When he pulled up, it was dark. “You don’t have lights in the back?”
“No. I’m not usually here in the dark, anyway.”
Mason got out and came around to her side of the car. He didn’t like the idea she might ever be behind her shop in the dark. “I’m going to wait for you to pull away,” he said as he helped her out.
“I have to go in first. I left a mess.”
“Then I’ll go in with you. You shouldn’t be here alone. It’s not safe.”
“Okay, bossy.” But she smiled.
Jenna pulled out her keys, and Mason took them from her. “Which one is it?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve been known to open this door by myself from time to time.”
“Yeah, but this time you don’t have to. Which one is it?” He dangled them in front of her.
“The gold one next to my car fob.”
“See how easy that was?” he teased. He opened the door and flipped the switch inside the shop. The back room illuminated, and he led her inside.
The place was pristine. “I don’t think you need to worry. I guess your guy took care of things.” The only thing on the counter was her vase of roses, the box of chocolates, and two enormous ribbons that made him chuckle.
“Yeah, David would do that.” She shook her head. “He’s a keeper.”
“David, huh?” A spurt of jealously, the likes of which he’d never experienced, climbed up his spine and deposited itself in his brain. He leaned on the counter and fingered the ribbon, trying to ignore his unusual emotional state. “How long have you known David?”
“My entire life,” she responded from the other side of the room. She opened a tall glass refrigerator and then closed it, seeming satisfied. “We grew up together.”
He stared at her backside, wishing he could run his hands over her fine ass instead of just looking. “So you’re friends?”
“The best.”
“Were you ever more than friends?”
Jenna turned around and stared him down. “Yes.” She ambled toward him. “He’s like a brother.” She stopped when she got in his space, and she grabbed a fistful of his T-shirt with both hands. “And he’s gay.”
Mason exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“Do I need to add incurable jealousy to the list of quirky things about you?”
“Perhaps.”
She released his shirt with one hand and pulled a long length of ribbon from between his fingers. “What was the point of this exactly?”
“The ribbon?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Ribbon has many uses.”
“Yes, it does. I know this. I work with it daily. But what were your thoughts on the subject?”
Mason breathed heavily. Jenna took up too much space. Ironic since she was half his size. Every time he breathed, he inhaled her scent. Roses predominated. She must have them under her skin from working with them so much. She stared at him with lust in her eyes, and her face flushed, probably from her assertiveness.
She said she didn’t want to come home with him, but now she was pressed against him and turning her away was so not an option.
Jenna lifted the length of ribbon between them and went onto her tiptoes to pull it around his neck. “If I’m remembering correctly, you’ve seen me naked more than once, and I’ve yet to be given the reciprocal pleasure.” She ran her hands down his chest, making his heart skip a beat under her caress.
“You saw my chest fine while I was fighting.”
“It’s not your chest I’m so much interested in. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s the most glorious expanse of muscle I’ve ever seen,” she squeezed his pecs with both hands as she spoke, “but I’m quite curious about what lies inside your jeans.”
“Is that so?” He was tongue-tied, completely rendered stupid by her hands on him. His cock had been hard all evening, but now it swelled unnaturally larger, and he feared he would come on contact if she touched him. “You specifically told me you wanted to go home and wrap your mind around this. Now you want me to take my pants off?” He grinned.
When she dragged her hands lower to his waist and splayed them over his six pack, he flinched back out of her reach. “I changed my mind.” She lifted her gaze. “What?” She pouted. “Don’t tell me you’re never going to let me see your cock.”
Her language was bold. He was surprised and pleased all at once. “I’m not in the habit of letting women control my responses to them.”
“There’re a lot of things you aren’t in the habit of, apparently. You’re as full of firsts this month as I am.” She reached for the button on his jea
ns.
Mason grabbed her wrists. The surest way to embarrass himself would be to let her fondle his cock right now. It wouldn’t end well. Or perhaps, better stated, it would end too quickly. “Somebody is very bold.”
“You like that about me,” she hedged.
“I’ve never liked that about any woman.” Though he couldn’t deny she had him twisted in knots around her pinky.
“I’m not like any other woman you’ve been with.”
Mason pulled her wrists behind her and held them with one hand. He reached for the ribbon around his neck and let it stream in a long length over her shoulder and down her back where he proceeded to use it to tie her wrists together.
He worked from her front, chest-to-chest, so he heard every little noise she made into his neck as he wrapped the ribbon around her wrists several times. She flinched, stiffening when she realized what he had in mind. Her breaths came heavier, and her chest pounded against his.
“Mason, I—”
“Shh. I’ll let you see me, all of me, but on my terms,” he whispered. He tied the ribbon in a knot and then trailed his hands up her arms and cupped her face with both hands.
She gave a little tug and then sucked in a breath.
He watched her face as she realized he didn’t tie her up symbolically. When he wanted his women immobile, he made sure they were indeed secure.
She struggled again.
“Look at me,” he whispered. He didn’t need to raise his voice. He knew the affect his commands had.
She lifted her gaze, and he stroked both her cheeks with his thumbs, holding her head steady.
“I’ll do my best to wine and dine you because I know it’s what you expect from a man, but when it comes to sex, I need to be in charge. I’m still a Dom, through and through. You can’t change that.”
She nodded.
“Besides, if you’d stop struggling for a second, you’d realize how aroused you are.” He lowered one hand down to her breast and cupped the globe. Keeping his gaze locked on hers, he covered her breast and squeezed.
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