Erotic Takeover
Page 2
Her steps slowed then stopped. She looked up as though she’d felt him watching her.
When their eyes met, a jolt of pleasure shot through him, sapping his strength. Mac rested his hand against the window, needing its support, and figured he should look away but didn’t want to.
Jodi’s hair danced in the mild breeze. The silken strands framed her face and fell just below her chin. A kissable part of her, the same as her milky throat and chest. She’d worn a pale-yellow tee that dipped low in front and clung to her curves just as her jeans did. She had a figure like those old-time stars Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe. Succulent female flesh.
Blood settled in Mac’s groin, giving him another monster hard-on like the one he’d had earlier when he’d been eyeing her.
Jodi stared at him now as she had then, all movement stopped, trapped in his gaze.
Damn, her unguarded reaction felt nice.
Mac wanted to smile but didn’t risk it. She might bolt across the street to flee whatever scared her about him. Having her pulverized by a passing car would certainly ruin both their days.
He decided to be a good boy and simply regarded her as she did him. A long moment passed, time seeming to slow down then stop. Mac no longer heard the deafening bass that roared through the room or the noise of traffic zooming by. He imagined the soft hush of her breath and recalled the few times he’d been close enough to catch her scent. Something powdery and old-fashioned with the delicate hint of flowers.
He wanted to smell her now, ease off her cute glasses and kiss the tip of her small nose, adorable freckles, rose-colored lips. After that, he figured he’d get down and totally dirty.
Since he’d hired her, Mac had spent far too much time imagining Jodi naked and bound, or cinched in a leather bustier, her breasts barely contained by the cups, her outstanding ass uplifted for his pleasure. A paddling then sex. Vaginal. Anal. Everything he craved and—
He started at a hand on his arm. Looking over, Mac caught Krista’s inviting smile but didn’t return it, disappointed she’d interrupted his fantasy.
She ran her manicured nail over his chin and spoke in a whispery voice. “What’cha doing?”
Nothing now. When Mac looked out the window again, the walk was empty. Jodi had gone.
A stab of loneliness hit him in his gut, surprising in its intensity.
Mac tensed at the feeling then frowned, damn tired of Jodi evading him or taking off whenever they exchanged a glance.
He hadn’t done anything wrong. He hadn’t even touched her.
Yet.
That sure as hell was going to change.
Chapter Two
Jodi returned to the studio and stopped so abruptly the front door hit her butt. She tried to swallow her mouthful of strawberry smoothie but the icy-sweet slush wouldn’t go down.
What’s he doing?
Rather than shooting the models, Mac leaned against the lip of her desk, facing the door and her. His ass was precisely where Krista’s had been a short while before, his arms crossed over his chest. Ropy veins adorned his forearms and biceps. His tat’s swirls seemed even wider, deliciously dangerous.
Jodi’s arm tightened around the bag holding Krista and Rocco’s drinks, along with what was left of hers. The paper crinkled loudly given the relative quiet in there. Static, rather than music, crackled from the radio.
Jodi wondered if Mac was pissed because she hadn’t been there to get better reception on the station. He was certainly disturbed about something and looked incredibly hot because of his intense mood…his piercing stare.
The way a Dom would behave because his sub hadn’t performed to his expectations.
Her belly fluttered and her thoughts raced to places they shouldn’t go. Submission. Punishment. A strap or a palm smacking her bare ass. The surprising sting. Incredible warmth. An achy, juicy cunt wanting a cock.
Intense heat crept up Jodi’s belly to her chest, the sensation disturbing and exciting.
“No,” Cait suddenly barked from the far end of the studio. Despite her five-nothing height and waiflike body, she was one mean mother when people didn’t listen to her. “A little more over here, just like I keep telling you.”
Jodi guessed Cait was positioning Krista and Rocco for the shoot per Mac’s meticulous instructions that he always detailed on his storyboards. Hilary was probably flitting around the models, daubing makeup on areas she’d previously missed. Like the small birthmark on Krista’s belly and the dark mole on her—
“Yeah, yeah yeahhhhhh,” a singer suddenly screeched from the radio, followed by ear-splitting bass.
Jodi flinched at the deafening noise, her arm squishing the drinks. Mac didn’t even blink. The force of his gaze continued to bore through her.
Every bone in her body went soft while she swallowed convulsively, forcing the smoothie down too fast. God. It felt like an ice cube the size of a boulder had caught in her throat. Jodi wheezed in a small breath, choked it out and coughed.
“Hey.” Mac pushed away from the desk, his arms falling at his sides. “Are you all right?”
She nodded vigorously despite her gasping coughs.
Frowning, he moved toward her. Jodi stepped back. Mac halted immediately, his frown deepening. He studied her as if looking for an answer to a question he hadn’t asked then strode forward again. With nowhere left to go, except back through the metal door, she didn’t move.
Mac took the bag from her. “Do you like it here?”
Blood drained from Jodi’s face so quickly her cheeks felt icier than the smoothie had in her throat. Her brain went muzzy except for one horrible thought. He was going to fire her. Oh shit.
“I wasn’t gone that long,” she blurted, unable to keep her voice from shaking. “I would’ve asked if you wanted something but you were busy with the strap, shackles, all that BD-BD-BD—” God, she couldn’t even remember the term. “Whatever you call that stuff. I didn’t want to disturb you.” She spoke so fast her words ran into each other, sounding slurred. “I’ll pay you for my drink. I brought back the change.”
Jodi dug the money out of the front pocket of her jeans and offered it to him.
Her hand shook like a ninety-year-old’s would.
Mac’s unmistakable frustration turned to obvious confusion then what looked to be tenderness, which was nuts. Jodi was so unglued she suspected she was hallucinating.
“Go on,” she said, waving the cash at him. “Take it, it’s yours.”
He considered her for a moment then wrapped his fingers around her hand.
Her legs went watery at his intense heat, the comfort of his dry, calloused palm, his gentle strength.
Mac leaned close, delivering a whiff of his fragrance. The hint of leather and his musk was more obvious now. Jodi blinked wildly.
He murmured, “Do you like it here?”
She would have gladly died at this moment if her last memory could be of his big body, the sweetness of his breath, his stunning eyes. Jodi could drown in that gorgeous blue color. “You mean working?”
He smiled unexpectedly then sobered. “Yeah.”
“Uh-huh.”
With her hand lightly imprisoned by his, he led her to her desk. “Sit.”
She dropped into her chair, grateful for it since her legs refused to hold her any longer. Mac kept stroking her thumb, sending tingles up her arm to her throat and the top of her head. Jodi stopped herself from grinning like a horny loon because she couldn’t imagine why he was touching her at all or what was going on. She must have missed something huge while she’d been gone…like Krista rejecting him.
Yeah, right. Krista was self-absorbed, not insane.
Mac’s torso blocked Jodi from seeing whatever was going on in the rest of the studio. Not that she cared. Mesmerized, she watched his thumb running lazily over hers. Lord that felt good. She sagged in her chair.
He stroked her for a moment more then put the bag on her desk. With his thigh propped against the edge, Mac crossed his arms
over his chest. His biceps and tat were bulging again.
Dizzy, Jodi pressed back in her chair so she wouldn’t fall out of it.
Mac noted her movement, a look of bewilderment crossing his handsome face. “You really think I’d fire you because you paid for your drink out of petty cash?”
Remembering his money, Jodi released her stranglehold on the change. The crumpled bills tumbled to her desk; the coins clattered. At least she suspected they had. The bass was really loud now, drowning out all sounds except for Cait’s exasperated orders to her charges.
“Left, Rocco,” Cait growled. “Not right. Left.”
“I don’t know,” Jodi finally answered, wanting to be honest with Mac about her work.
When it came to her feelings for him, she was prepared to lie through her teeth.
Mac scratched his jaw with his thumbnail. “I’m not that kind of man or boss, all right?”
The stud in his lobe caught the light bleeding in from the outside. The rays glanced off his hair, so black the thick, silky waves had a whisper of blue in them that brought to mind Superman’s hair in those old DC comics.
Mac’s was far better.
Forcing down a swallow, Jodi nodded obediently to his question. No different from her fantasies when he asked if she needed discipline. God, did she. And if she wanted him to mount her. Was there any doubt of that?
“Hey, Mac,” Cait yelled. “We’re just about ready for you. Finally.”
Rocco said something that sounded nasty though Jodi couldn’t be sure. The booming music obliterated his words.
“Be there in a sec,” Mac hollered, not bothering to turn to Cait. His full attention remained on Jodi.
She blushed, aroused by his quiet scrutiny but also worried about what he was thinking. How he saw her.
Studying her, he said, “You don’t have to be afraid of me.” He lifted his shoulders. “Why are you? Have I done something I’m not aware of?”
Only in her dreams. “I’m not afraid of you,” she answered truthfully. Jodi was terrified of never fulfilling her desire for him or experiencing what women like Krista did. Not that she could tell Mac about her X-rated fantasies with him as the star.
He had his pick of women. One of them was waiting for him right now and not liking it.
“Mac,” Krista called out as the music faded. “We’re ready. These bracelets are uncomfortable.”
“They’re called shackles,” Cait informed the other woman.
“Whatever,” Krista shot back. “Mac, please. Let’s get on with this.”
He ignored her cranky plea with surprising indifference. The kind parents show their kids who’ve been bugging the crap out of them.
Jodi figured if he kept up that attitude, he wouldn’t get laid tonight.
She was still uncertain what was happening. Why he’d taken this moment to grill her about job satisfaction. Why he’d watched her from the window when she’d left for the drinks…his gaze searching hers, touching her soul.
In that magical moment, Jodi had wondered if he’d felt the same connection between them that she had. Their hearts and bodies exquisitely aware of each other’s needs, making words unnecessary. Once they were together again, they’d simply fall into each other’s embrace and go at it. No questions asked. No restrictions allowed.
An intoxicating prospect until Krista was suddenly at his side, magnificently naked. Too easily, Mac’s attention had moved to her, just as any sane man’s would—assuming he was straight.
Given that, Jodi wondered if Mac had watched her because he’d been worried about her quitting and taking off. Oh right. As if she were that indispensable. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of others who’d do just as well here. Probably for a whole lot less than Mac paid her.
Worried suddenly, she asked, “Are you satisfied with my work?”
He smiled. A slow, lazy grin that made her pussy wet.
“Very much.” He studied her eyes then her mouth where he lingered. “I like having you here.”
“Yo, Mac,” Rocco bellowed. “Can we get a move on? These fucking pants are killing me.”
“Coming,” Mac hollered. With a sigh, he pushed away from the desk then turned back to her. “I want you to be happy here. I want you to stay. You need anything, you let me know. Got it?”
Jodi did and didn’t. What she needed, he wouldn’t be able to deliver. Like a good assistant, she nodded meekly even as her heart kept slamming into her throat at his remembered words.
“I like having you here.”
* * * * *
Once Mac was in the zone, even a magnitude-nine earthquake wouldn’t have broken his concentration. The man didn’t need food, water or a bathroom break the way his crew did. For hours, he shot Krista and Rocco, ignoring their repeated gripes as he and Cait staged them in countless poses, each one more provocative than the last. Krista naked and chained. Krista’s ass offered up for punishment. Krista on her knees before Rocco, her expression begging him to use her.
Jodi shoved her glasses up her nose and stared at the newest images she’d downloaded from Mac’s memory card. In several, he’d used techniques known as high-speed and motion-blur. Some of the shots captured the strap as it connected with Krista’s uplifted butt, the leather curling around her beautifully rounded cheeks, very nearly caressing them as a guy’s hands would. The pictures were surprisingly sensual. The longing expression on Krista’s face the stuff of Jodi’s wet dreams.
Pleasure like that wasn’t just for men. Jodi was living proof of a woman’s insatiable needs, her ecstatic moans waking her more than once as she’d come in her sleep, snuggled within Mac’s arms in her dreams.
In the motion-blur shots, Rocco and Krista were in sharp focus while the strap was a smear of white-and-gray movement that whispered across the scene. Ghostlike. Ethereal. Certainly some of the best work Mac had ever done.
Almost as if he was showing off.
For Krista? Had to be. Hilary definitely wasn’t his type. A happy lesbian, she had a boyish build and a pixie haircut, the strands dyed blonde, green, pink, purple and blue with the ends pointing in all directions. Currently, she was dead to the world, asleep on the overstuffed sofa as Cait waited to call it a day or even a night. Poor Cait kept bunching her thin shoulders, no doubt wanting to go, if Mac would only let her.
He didn’t.
Rocco was finally nude, his rod and nuts a little chafed but swinging free as he pretended to dominate Krista for the camera. As exquisite as she was, Krista had begun to look like a zombie a short while ago. Her expression flat. Eyes unfocused.
“That’s almost what I want,” Mac said to her. “Dig deeper for what you should feel. He’s offering you water for the first time since punishing you. Your throat is so dry you can barely swallow. You certainly can’t speak, not even to beg him for a drop or to tell him you’d do anything to get it.”
Krista spoke through her teeth. “I’d do anything if he got the stupid stuff in my freaking mouth.”
“Hey,” Rocco growled. “I’m doing my goddamn best.”
Jodi checked the time again. Already, she’d stayed two hours past her usual schedule and was getting uncomfortable about sticking around. It wasn’t that she had anything special to do or anywhere else to be. With gas costing so much and her clunker on its last mile, she didn’t drive around for fun, visit malls or eat out. However, there wasn’t any reason for her to sit tight except to rack up more overtime or drool over Mac without him noticing. For the last several hours, he hadn’t even glanced her way.
Sighing, she finally powered down her computer, gathered her things and debated whether she should say goodbye because he’d said he liked having her here.
Will you get real? When he’d been at the window, watching her do a smoothie run, he’d most likely been worried that she’d take off and never return, forcing him to train someone else. For a man as busy as he was, that would be a definite hassle. It was easier for Mac to pretend she was important to him.
Rocco and Krista didn’t seem to notice the noise, even though Cait had turned down the music when Hilary had fallen asleep. Mac didn’t appear to hear the sounds either. He continued directing the models, his back to Jodi.
She indulged in one last, longing look at his shaggy locks, outrageously broad shoulders and slim hips before she took off to go home. Alone.
With the back of his arm, Mac wiped perspiration from his brow. The last shot of Rocco pouring a trickle of water into Krista’s open and willing mouth—a Dom’s gift to his slave—had been a bitch to capture. Rocco’s aim was crap, with all of the earlier drops hitting Krista’s chin, cheek and worse.
“Ow,” she’d yelped when he’d gotten her eye. “That fucking hurt.”
“Yeah?” Rocco had said, sounding somewhat pleased.
“Will you two shut the fuck up,” Cait stormed. “You’ll wake Hilary.”
“Too bad,” Krista snarled. “My makeup’s ruined. She’ll have to fix it.”
“Not a chance.” Cait got in her face. “I’ll do it.”
That hadn’t pleased Krista at all.
Finally though, they’d all settled down and Rocco had nailed his target, getting a few drops of water between Krista’s lips.
Pleased, Mac wanted these images on Jodi’s screen. He turned to her desk and frowned. A quick glance at the opened bathroom door told him she wasn’t in there. He headed to his office. Empty. She wasn’t in the small kitchen either.
He went to the window, surprised the sun had already set. It was that late already? Mac glanced at the walkway. No Jodi there either.
Krista moaned, “Are we through finally?”
Ignoring her, he went to Jodi’s desk and saw her note. A wave of disappointment rolled through Mac before he could stop it. Shoving his frustration aside, he crumbled the paper in his fist. “Yeah, we’re through for the night.”