by Dakota Black
Unable to breathe, he eased two inches inside, pushing against the ring of muscle. She was tight, her muscles constricting. Gripping her hips, he threw his head back and eased the entire length of his dick inside, groaning as her body shook. He swallowed and slapped her upper thigh as he began plunging in and out, every thrust in a perfect rhythm. Dear God, he wanted to devour this woman, take her to new heights of ecstasy.
Undulating, her entire body reacting as if in an orchestrated dance, she moved with him, accepting his hard thrusts, his thick cock.
He managed to see her look of raw ecstasy, a bliss unlike anything he’d seen before. Satisfied, he dug his nails into her skin as his orgasm rushed from his balls, rocketing up the length of his shaft. When he came, shooting his load into her asshole, he could hear her cries of glee. “You are the one!”
Chapter 9
Dani eased out of the shower, grabbing the towel Mitchell had left for her. While she could tell he’d wanted nothing more than to join her, he seemed to be able to understand she needed space. She wrapped the thick terry just under her arms and padded toward the counter, wincing as the material scraped against her backside.
You are the one.
She wasn’t entirely certain what he’d meant, but the words were stilling. Grinning, she looked over her shoulder as she lifted the towel. He certainly hadn’t whipped her with any vehemence, but she would have marks for a day or two. She exhaled and gazed at the steam covering the mirror. She swiped her hand in an arc and studied her reflection. “You’re out of your mind.” Perhaps, but she’d loved every second of the time by the stream. The moment had been so unexpected. Mitchell wasn’t the arrogant prick she thought him to be.
Rolling her eyes, she gripped the counter. The sex had been amazing. What now? The answer remained a concern, but she was determined to enjoy the time they had together. As she searched for a brush, a comb, anything to help her tangled mass of hair, she inhaled. He was cooking? The man was a business mogul, was incredible in bed and was exactly the kind of disciplinarian she craved and he could cook?
“Whew,” she said under her breath. She debated donning her jeans then an idea struck her. She eased out into his bedroom, heading for his dresser. She found exactly what she was looking for, an oversized tee-shirt. This would do for dinner. Teasing would be involved. After all, he deserved no less.
When she walked into the kitchen, he was standing in front of the oversized window, palming the glass. Then she realized he was on the phone. Noticing the open bottle of wine, she tiptoed to the island and poured a glass. Mitchell had already started without her, his glass half empty.
“Are you certain?” Mitchell asked as his shoulders slumped.
She took her wine and inched closer.
“No. I understand. Thank you for letting me know.” He noticed her presence and turned, the look on his face pensive.
Narrowing her eyes, she knew by his expression this had to be about the Steele site. She only wished she had the results back from her independent tests.
“Thank you very much and I’ll look for the email.” Ending the call, he exhaled. “Damn it!” Tossing his phone down on the kitchen table, he dropped his head and paced the floor. “God fucking damn it.”
“Bad news?”
“Same shit. The three wells are tarnished, unusable.”
“With what?” she asked as she moved closer.
“An unknown contaminant. They haven’t been able to identify yet. That’s why the tests took so fucking long. What the hell am I going to do?”
She wrapped her hand around his arm, concerned when he bristled. “We’ll figure something out. Maybe my guys can identify it and find a way of eradicating it.”
“Yeah? Too many maybes.” Mitchell pulled away and headed for his wine. “I’ll be ruined. Everything I’ve worked for down the drain. I’ll lose everything. After I do, I’ll be without a job and crucified in the papers.”
“Wait a minute. You have other sites, a half dozen if I remember correctly.”
Snorting, he took a gulp of wine. “I do and three of them are drying up. Two are showing signs. I can’t run a multi-million-dollar business this way. Plus, my Board of Directors will force a takeover. They’ll have to. Christ. A solid half of them have been waiting to oust me as the CEO.”
“What do you mean? Why would they do that? You had no idea this was going to happen. You have the tests to prove you did due diligence before purchasing the Steele site.” While Dani was no expert on the methods of running a corporation, the man had to have an iron clad contract.
“There are aspects about the company you don’t know about.”
“Tell me.”
He shook his head before turning to face her. “I have other endeavors, ones that cost millions of dollars. I waged a gamble on the Steele site to purchase a building, a complex. I wagered a deal with investors in order to do so. The ugly news will force the Board’s hand. In order to save face, they will immediately find another CEO, forcing me to step down.”
She groaned. “Christ. Cut throat. Can you get out of the other purchase?’
“I can. The deal isn’t signed, but the promise was made. If I pull out, that will only fuel the fire. The press will be all over the situation. Shit, the damn police will come back, certain I had something to do with the demise of the company. The company’s stock is already dropping in light of the earlier concerns. Once confirmed, you can say goodbye to Rush Enterprises as we know it.”
Allowing the information to sink in, Dani sipped her wine and tried to find the right words. What could you say to a man who had his balls in a vice? “There has to be a way.”
“I don’t know what that is. Even if we are able to find a method to clean the wells, there’s a chance, at least according to the firm in Houston, that the others are also contaminated. That would mean millions of dollars spent to bring the Steele site back to any usable concept. Forget crude oil. I’d be lucky to be able to sell the shit for any kind of fuel. Fuck!”
“Mitchell, you’re not a quitter. We’ll find a way.”
“How? You don’t know enough to be able to give me advice. God knows I pay a pretty penny for a group of engineers that didn’t see the possibility coming.” Mitchell gulped the rest of his wine and poured another full glass.
“This just doesn’t add up. I swear to you, nothing is wrong with those wells.”
“We had independent tests, Dani. There is no way both sources could be wrong.”
“They could if someone paid them for altering the test results.”
Mitchell shot her a look, his expression conflicted. “True. The right amount of money does buy silence as well as men and women who have no issue looking the other way. It would take some planning.”
“I have no doubt about that. This could have been in the works for months.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. “Distinct possibility.”
Dani had a gut instinct she was right. Even Nash’s behavior had seemed odd, as if the man was hiding something. “Did you find out anything about Mr. Waters?”
“Nothing to indicate he’s behind this. Yes, he took a significant pay cut to stay on with us, but I don’t think he had a lot of other offers. Besides, it would take a hell of a lot of planning and knowing the right people to pull something like this off.”
“Then who could do this. There has to be someone. I don’t think the sons are involved from what I learned.”
“You do care.”
“I do. I don’t like seeing anyone getting the shaft, especially when you try and do so much for your employees.”
Mitchell closed his eyes. “I’ve scoured the roster of my employees, checked on my enemies and I’m even having a friend of mine check with spiritual advisors. I don’t know what more I can do.”
She remained quiet, allowing him to process his list. “Don’t tell anyone yet. Did you find out if anyone died?’
“Not yet. I should hear something this weekend.” He paced and
gulped.
“Mitchell, who will be in charge if the Board or your investors force you to resign?”
Shrugging, he stopped and gave her a look. “My honest guess is they’ll bring in someone from the outside. Camden is next in line, but given we’re friends, I doubt the Board of Directors will allow him to take control.”
“Huh.” She swirled the wine, her thoughts rambling. “What will happen to you?”
“I honestly have no idea other than being pushed out. What little I’d have left in stock, there is no doubt they’d make a deal to buy me out.”
“You don’t have an exit package?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You do understand business. This is my company and I have certain stipulations if I’m forced out that will allow me to keep certain attributes, but if they aren’t worth anything, what does that matter?”
“You’ll have the house, your ranch.”
“True, but I leveraged both in an effort to purchase the new project. I would be spending close to four million dollars of my own money. The implied deal will be almost as difficult to get out of. Granted, I’m certain the sellers will race away, but then again, they may try and force my hand. I just don’t know.”
“Then sign the papers,” she suggested. She knew enough about tough business practices to realize he had to play hard ball.
“I think we need more wine for this conversation. What are you suggesting?”
“If you sign the papers, acquiring the new business, this will help your stock climb. Correct?”
Mitchell seemed to be thinking about her comment as he poured them both more wine. “True, but if I sign knowing that my business is going to fail, thereby not able to hand over the required dollars for the sale, then that’s fraud. Let alone the Board is on edge, no doubt searching for a way to oust me.”
“That won’t happen if you’re careful with the timing.” She gave him a heated look as he handed her the glass. “If someone is playing a game with you, as I suspect they are, you have to pretend like you don’t have a care in the world. Buy the company, go out to a fancy dinner, talk to the press. Make certain everyone believes you can get through this crisis unscathed. Your enemy will have no idea what to do and may show their hand.”
“Were you a poker player before you decided to become an engineer?”
Chuckling, she took a sip of wine. “No, but I understand evil, conniving men pretty damn well. Besides, I had a wonderful boss who just happened to be an entrepreneur and he taught me a thing or two about business. ‘Be careful but be bold.’ That was his motto.”
“I think I might like this guy.”
“He was an interesting man.”
“He was the reason you became successful as an engineer. Wasn’t he?”
She hadn’t thought about her brief love affair with the man in years or his training. Training. She laughed as she closed her eyes. “Let’s just say William was like a father figure in many ways to me. He encouraged. He taught. He nurtured. He disciplined.” She knew by his hesitation that he’d have additional questions later. When she looked into his eyes, she noticed nothing but increasing desire.
“Fascinating, just like the woman.” He held up his glass. “I’m so glad I have the opportunity of knowing the real you.”
“I’m complicated.”
“Aren’t we all? Tell you what. Let’s make a deal,” he said as he walked closer. “No more business tonight. Neither of us can do anything about the situation tonight or tomorrow. Let’s enjoy a nice dinner, a bottle or two of wine, and a conversation about anything else.” He grinned, his eyes shifting down from her neck to her polished toes. “Besides, you look good enough to eat.”
She wagged her finger, enjoying the playful side of the man, but there were too many ugly details sticking out in her mind. However, she wasn’t going to tell him about her concerns until she had the other results in her hands. No sense in either getting him upset or perhaps angry for no reason. “I would enjoy a lovely dinner. I’d love to see how and what you can cook.”
“If I haven’t burned everything,” he said as he laughed. “We might be ordering take out Chinese.”
She wasn’t certain she’d mind anything having to do with this man.
“Answer me a question.” Mitchell’s words were demanding.
“Okay,” Dani eased back in her chair, surprised she’d eaten as much as she had. The man was a consummate cook as well as all of his other talents.
“What do you enjoy about discipline and a commanding man?”
The question hung in the air. She lifted her wine glass, hiding behind the dense crystal as she tried to figure out how to answer him. “I enjoy knowing that a man cares for me enough that he wants to make certain I’m adored, loved in a way most men don’t understand. I’ve always gravitated toward powerful men; perhaps given the way my father was. That’s why I was attracted to my ex. He was demanding in all aspects of his life.”
“Then you follow the practices of domestic discipline?” He fingered his glass, his eyes remaining locked on her.
“I appreciate the lifestyle, although I know very little.” She thought about the radio show, the comments and questions.
“A man as the head of household, making the majority of decisions?”
“Yes, I understand. I think many powerful women long to live in a situation in which they feel comfortable letting go.” She wiggled in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation.
He exhaled and took a sip of wine. “I don’t mean to push any buttons or dig into your psyche. I was just curious.”
“And you?”
“That’s an interesting conversation. I think men are designed to be in charge.”
“Hunters and gatherers?”
Laughing, his eyes twinkled. “Exactly. When you find the right woman, someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, you should protect her at all costs, loving and nurturing no matter the situation or challenge you must face.”
“You’re talking from experience?”
“A little. I haven’t found the right woman, at least as of yet.”
The imploring way he was looking at her, even his body language was far too appealing. She looked away, fearing he’d see right through her. “I haven’t found the right one either.”
“But the man you mentioned before, William, introduced you to the lifestyle?”
She opened her eyes wide and nodded. “Yes. I had no clue what I was doing. I was his employee, hired right out of college. He was larger than life, fascinating and so intelligent. He was also dominating in every aspect of his life. He refused to take any misguided behavior from his friends or his employees. I found that out the hard way.”
“Let me guess, he called you into his office one day, closed the door and issued a spanking for bad behavior?”
Dani knew she was turning red. “He did. At first, I thought he was out of his mind. Then, after we spent time talking about the event, I knew that’s exactly what I craved in my life, a firm hand. We became lovers shortly after that. I adored him, hung on every word and he was a marvelous teacher.”
“Did you enjoy the discipline?”
“Very much so at first. I was at a crossroads in my life, raging against the machine. I had no personal discipline, no organizational skills. He was an excellent mentor and I became a much stronger woman. Then he became possessive, obsessive in a way I wasn’t used to. I was forced to call him Master William, becoming subservient to the point I no longer had a voice. He demanded everything to be his way from my attire to my perfume. I was suffocating.”
“So, you broke it off?” he asked as he leaned forward.
“I did.” She’d never forget the moment, the rainy day that she finally made her decision. “He was so angry, accusing me of sleeping with another man. The situation got very ugly. I even filed a restraining order.” Dani exhaled as she clenched her fist. She’d pushed the ugly memories as far back in her mind as possible.
Easing of
f the chair, he walked closer, holding out his hand. “All of us involved in the lifestyle aren’t like that. Submission of any kind is a rare and precious gift.”
The words were exactly what she needed to hear. She allowed him to intertwine his fingers with hers, pulling her into a standing position. “Mitchell, I don’t know where this is going.”
Pulling her into the heat of his body, he cupped the back of her head. “Let’s not worry about next week or next month. I want to enjoy the time we’re sharing without trying to place a label. Does that make sense?”
“Yes. I’m not certain I can be that girl any longer. What William did was squelch the woman inside. Every relationship after that was jaded. I was looking for the wrong kind of man and I found every asshole in the book. Just don’t push. Okay?”
“Fair enough.” Lowering his head, he pressed his lips against hers, the kiss intimate yet a gentle reminder he wasn’t going to hurt her in any way.
Dani wrapped her arm around his neck and closed her eyes, erasing the ugliness from the past. This was a chance at a new beginning, setting her free of her personal confines.
As the kiss became a passionate embrace, their tongues entwining, he eased his hand down, kneading her ass and lifting her off her feet.
His throbbing cock pushed against her groin, the sensation dazzling, driving her into a heated frenzy. She slid her leg around his as he swayed them back and forth, the friction driving her mad.
When he broke the kiss, he licked around her mouth, nipping her lower lip, then took a step back, breaking the connection. “Stay with me tonight.”
Hesitating, she knew if she did, this would change the course of their budding relationship, but she was only thinking about tonight. This was right. This was exactly where she wanted to be. “Mitchell, I want to stay with you, but...”
“Trust me. Please, just trust me.”
She hesitated, but in her heart, she knew what she wanted, perhaps for the first time in her life. “Yes. I’ll stay.”