When he looked into her eyes and watched her orgasm for him, she had found it exciting. It also surprised her that there had been no hesitation on her part to take his cock in her mouth. She had wanted to taste him and then when he came, she had wanted to swallow it because she knew it would pleasure him. And now, she liked his taste and even craved it to some degree. He made her forget herself and why she was here and that wasn’t something she could afford to do.
She had no idea why he cared about her pleasure or even her welfare except that possibly this was his way to keep her off balance. From what she had read in the books she had been given and the movies Mistress Adams had supplied to her, dominants could be kind when it suited them but they could quickly change into their punishment mode with little provocation.
She wished she had paid better attention when she had been in classes and asked the other girls questions. They had pretty much left her alone because she wasn’t like them and had no desire to become one of them. However, sometimes at night, she had heard them giggling and laughing about how they couldn’t wait to find a Master. She was pretty sure that none of them were there because they owed Mistress Adams a debt.
In fact, she had been told by one of the girls that they had all auditioned for Mrs. Adams to admit them into her training program. To Rose, it was incomprehensible that anyone would want the life of a submissive. She had told herself there had to be something very wrong with them. But now that she knew Joshua, she could see how they might be convinced to give themselves to someone who made them feel the way Joshua made her feel. He was a stranger to her and yet she had submitted to him in every way and he not raped her. She had wanted to feel nothing, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own where he was concerned. She had not been prepared for someone like him and it scared her that she wanted sex with him. She detested her weakness for wanting him the way she did and knew it could be her downfall if she didn’t get a handle on it.
Regardless of his kindness, he was a dominant. He hadn’t hesitated to spank her when he thought she needed it. The spanking had been hard but not unbearable. Maybe he was trying to control the urge to bring her more pain again until…until when, she wondered. She would do well not to be lulled into complacency. He was not her lover or friend. He was the equivalent of a snake that could appear to be sleeping, and then would strike when she least expected it.
Taking a breath, she pushed herself away from the vanity. She hoped she was dressed appropriately and wouldn’t anger him. She left her room and headed for the kitchen. She liked to cook now that she knew how. She wanted him to enjoy her cooking. She wanted him to enjoy her. The thought made her uneasy, but it was necessary. She needed to keep him happy for a number of reasons, one being so he would not want to punish her painfully.
She sat down at the kitchen counter and put her head in her hands. No matter what he said or did now, the time would come when he would decide to do things to her that would make her scream in agony and she had to be prepared. She tried to concentrate on the grocery list she needed to write and not the cold fear that was a reminder of why she was here.
She was still working on the list when she heard a knock at the door. She wasn’t sure if she should ignore it or if she was expected to answer it. Smoothing her hair back, she got up and looked around the corner. Joshua had taken his computer and probably gone into his bedroom or study. She looked toward the front door. Funny, she hadn’t heard the buzzer to announce him. The knocking persisted.
Rose opened the front door and pasted on a smile. The man standing in front of her blinked and stared back at her.
“Hello,” she said, holding out her hand. “You must be Joshua’s friend, Kevin.”
“And you,” he said, not hiding his admiration, “must be Rose.” He took her outstretched hand in his and held it a few seconds longer than necessary, his eyes roaming up and down her body.
She pulled her hand back and stood aside. “Please come in, Kevin.”
He walked past her and into the foyer. “Where’s Joshua?”
“He’s working. I’ll get him for you.”
“No need. He’s probably in his study. I know where it is.” He winked at her and walked toward Joshua’s study.
She went back in the kitchen and pulled out some pretzels and chips and put them in bowls. There was beer in the refrigerator as well as the pantry. At least Joshua didn’t have to worry about running out of beer. His old housekeeper had kept him well supplied.
She put everything on a tray and thought she would just leave it on the coffee table in the living room before she went to the grocery store. They had both eaten enough prepared food in the last few days. She wanted to make an actual meal. However, when she entered the living room, Joshua and Kevin were already there talking.
“Whoa! You’ve got this one trained, Buddy,” Kevin said, watching Rose approach them. He grabbed a beer from the tray and twisted the cap off.
“Rose promised she’d take good care of me if I let her stay for the summer,” Joshua said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
“Hot damn, I’m thinking maybe Rose would like to spend part of the summer with me. I got a nice place and I could use some taking care of.”
“That’s up to Rose,” Joshua said dryly. “Think you’d like to fuck Kevin for part of the summer?”
Rose stopped dead in her tracks and Kevin practically spit out the beer that he had just gulped. He looked startled and then shamefaced.
“Hey, I’m sorry, Rose. No disrespect intended. I was just kidding around. Me and Joshua go way back to grade school. He’s usually not so uptight,” he said, glaring at Joshua.
Rose remained silent. She couldn’t believe Joshua would say something so vulgar and hurtful. But then again, she reminded herself, she didn’t know him. She placed the tray in the middle of the coffee table and backed up as if to leave.
“Sit with us. I think Kevin would like to get to know you better.”
She did as she was ordered. She felt Joshua’s arm sneak around her waist possessively as he hauled her closer to him. “So, Rose, you never did answer my question?”
Kevin put his hands up in the air. “Ignore him, Rose. I get the message loud and clear. You’re off limits. Now, can we talk about something else, like tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Joshua said, his body relaxing.
“I really want you to give her a drive tomorrow. The crew’s put a lot of extra work into her. Think you can work it into your schedule?”
She could feel Joshua’s body bend forward as he suddenly became animated. “I’m really anxious to get behind the wheel. I swear I’m going to buy my own race car one of these days.”
“I keep telling you that you should. There’s nothing like it.”
“You both race cars?” Rose asked, glad that Joshua had calmed down and this was a subject he seemed to enjoy.
“Joshua didn’t tell you?” Kevin asked. “It’s his passion as well as mine. It’s almost as good as sex, and if you win, it can be as good as sex.”
Joshua laughed. However, his hand tightened around her waist. “It’s awesome, there’s no doubt about that.”
“Have you been racing long?” Rose asked, hoping to keep the conversation on racing and nothing that would make her uncomfortable.
“Since what”—he looked at Kevin—”summer after high school?”
“Yup. Your mother had a coronary. But your Dad came through for us. He convinced your mom and my parents that it was safer than driving a car on the highway and a great way for us to become skilled drivers.”
“Dad has a way of convincing people to his way of thinking, I’ll give him that,” Joshua said as he drained his beer. Rose made a move to get up and was relieved when Joshua released her.
When she turned the corner to the kitchen, she let out a ragged breath. She belonged to him. He wanted his friend to know it even if he humiliated her in the process. Kevin seemed nice enough, but she knew he only saw her as a challenge. It was
obvious these two men were very competitive. Joshua’s cruelty had been the wakeup call she needed. The man had a mean streak a mile wide.
She took two more beers from the refrigerator and headed back to the living room. She placed them on the table and turned to see that Kevin was blatantly staring at her. She could feel Joshua’s heated gaze.
“If you don’t mind, I thought I’d go to the grocery store and pick up a few things.”
“Sure.”
“Kevin.” She turned. “It was nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you again sometime before the summer is over.
“Aren’t you coming to the track tomorrow?”
“I didn’t know I was invited.”
“Of course you’re invited. Don’t you want to see hotshot over there drive at 180 miles per hour and upwards. We’re talking Formula One here.”
Rose had no idea what Formula One meant, but if he was talking about going 180 miles an hour, it had to be a very serious hobby. “I guess. It sounds a bit scary.”
“Has he taken you out on his motorcycle yet?” Kevin’s eyes shot between her and Joshua.
“No. Not yet. I’ve never been on a motorcycle. I’m not much for speed.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Joshua loves having a woman hang on to him for dear life when he’s riding his Harley. The faster, the better, right Josh?”
“The Harley’s at my mom’s.”
“Is she still in England or wherever it was she went?”
“Yeah. She’s due back at the end of the summer.”
“Well, maybe you lucked out on two counts,” Kevin said to Rose with a smile as his eyes dipped down to her breasts.
Rose looked away, not wanting him to think she was encouraging him. “I should go,” she murmured.
Joshua settled back in his chair and started talking to Kevin, who reluctantly turned away from her. She had been dismissed.
Rose slipped out the front door without bothering to say good-bye. They were deep in conversation and seemed to be getting along better now that she wasn’t there. The elevator took her down to the ground floor. She saw Tony, the doorman, and they talked for a couple minutes about the weather and nothing in particular. He was friendly, and he didn’t look at her like she was on the dessert menu. She liked him.
Monroe’s Market wasn’t large, but it had a lot more than the basics. The meat and vegetables looked great. She wheeled her cart around the store trying not to get more than she could carry. She had come to the last aisle when she reviewed her list to be sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.
“Are you new in town?”
She looked up to see a man had materialized beside her. He appeared to be somewhere in his late thirties or early forties wearing a white shirt and black tie. His name badge said Ben.
“I’m staying with a friend for the summer. We needed a few things. You have a nice store here.”
“Thank you. I’m Ben Lowery, the manager. We get fresh produce in every morning and we have an excellent organic section. And if you don’t see what you want, let me know. We have other stores in the area and we can get it for you pretty quick.”
“That’s good to know. I’m Rose and I’m shopping for Joshua McArthur. He told me he has an account here.”
“You’re the new housekeeper?”
She could tell by his voice he was shocked. “No. I’m a friend. You knew his housekeeper?”
“Not well, but she seemed nice enough. She was a bit older than you are.”
“I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Lowery.”
“Please call me Ben and when you cash out, just have the cashier call me and I’ll approve your purchase under Mr. McArthur’s account since it’s your first time here.”
“That’s nice of you. Thanks.”
She finished her shopping and proceeded to the checkout where Ben was waiting to approve her purchase. She thanked him again and grabbed her bags. They were heavy. She had bought more than she intended. Luckily it wasn’t a very long walk to Joshua’s. She would just take her time.
“Rose.” She heard a voice calling after her. It was Ben.
“Would you like me to carry your bags home? We usually have a boy who does that sort of thing, but he hasn’t arrived for his shift yet.”
“No. I’m fine. Honestly. Thanks so much.” She walked out the door and turned right. She had only walked a few feet when a car pulled up to the curb beside her going in the opposite direction. It was a sporty-looking black Mercedes. The window rolled down automatically and she heard Kevin’s voice before she saw him lean over the passenger seat.
“Hey there, Rose. I’ll give you a ride back to Joshua’s.”
“That’s okay. I can walk.”
“Don’t be silly. Now get in.” The passenger-side door opened and the trunk lid automatically lifted.
“Very good,” Ben said, taking her bags from her and placing them in the trunk of the Mercedes. She had thought he had gone back into the store. She hadn’t realized he was watching her.
Warning bells went off in her head as she stood, knowing she had little choice but to let Kevin drive her back to Joshua’s. He would not be happy about her being alone with Kevin, but the decision, like most things in her life of late, had been taken away from her. She thanked Ben and then slid into the passenger seat.
“I was hoping I might run into you.”
“You were?” Rose hoped he wasn’t going to make a pass.
“We didn’t get much of a chance to talk and I wanted to apologize again for what I said.”
“That’s okay. I think maybe Joshua overreacted.”
“Maybe just a little,” he said and then laughed. “I think he must like you. He’s usually not this possessive of his women friends. Don’t let him know that guy at the grocery store has eyes for you or you’ll have to find a new place to shop.”
She felt like saying his women friends weren’t graduation gifts that had been purchased solely for his use either. She was a possession not a friend. She was glad that Kevin didn’t know her true status.
“Think you’ll come to the track tomorrow?”
“Maybe. We’ll see.” Joshua would tell her whether he wanted her to be there or not.
“I hope you decide to come. It’s one of Joshua’s favorite things to do.”
He pulled up in front of Joshua’s building.
“Thank you for the ride.”
“You’re welcome. You need help getting into the building and up to Joshua’s? I have a key.”
“No. I’m fine. Thanks.” So that’s how he got up to the apartment without being buzzed in.
Kevin pulled up closer to the entrance. She quickly got out and grabbed her bags from the trunk that he opened remotely. There was no way she wanted him to come up to the apartment with her. However, to her dismay, he jumped out of the car and put his hand on her shoulder to stop her before she could reach the doors to the building.
He looked down at her with a smile. “You’re very beautiful, Rose. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you.”
“I’m with Joshua.”
“I know,” he said, placing his finger on her chin. “And believe me, I’m not going to make the mistake of flirting with you in front of him again. But just so you know, I’d like to get to know you better when you and Joshua split.”
“You seem so sure that we’ll split.”
“It’s a given.” He laughed, lowering his head as if he were going to kiss her.
She wished she didn’t have her hands full. She took a step back, but he only smiled and took a step forward.
“Joshua doesn’t stay with one woman for long. I’d be surprised if you don’t find yourself looking for a place to live well before the summer is over. If that happens, call me.” He stuffed his card in her jean pocket.
He was totally overstepping his boundaries. “Don’t count on it.” She turned on her heel and walked quickly toward the building’s entrance. Tony opened the do
or for her and was about to help her with her bags when she saw Joshua crossing the lobby toward her. His mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes were furious. How much had he seen?
Chapter Six
Joshua grabbed her bags. “Thanks, Tony. I’ll get these.”
“Yes, Sir, Mr. McArthur.” Tony stepped back quickly. He gave Rose a sympathetic grin.
Ignoring her, Joshua turned abruptly and walked through the lobby to the elevators. Rose ran to catch up with him. He pressed the button. They waited in silence.
When the elevator arrived, always the gentleman, he waited for her to enter. The doors closed. Still he didn’t speak to her.
“Thank you for coming down to get the bags.”
He simply nodded.
The elevator door opened onto the foyer. He walked out ahead of her and took the bags to the kitchen. She followed. She could tell by the stiffness of his gait that he was using all his willpower not to throw the bags and start yelling at her. She hadn’t done anything wrong except let Kevin bring her home. He knew she belonged to him. Did he really think she was going to encourage his friend and his wrath?
Joshua placed the bags on the island in the kitchen before he turned to her. “Stop right there,” he said.
She stopped a few feet from where he stood. What was he going to do?
“I want you naked and on your knees in front of me by the time I count to ten.”
“Joshua,” she breathed, with tears in her eyes. He was punishing her. Anger brought out his dominance. She hated that they couldn’t work through his anger issues like normal people. But their relationship was anything but normal. She wasn’t his girlfriend, she was his submissive. She had no rights. She was his to do with as he wished, and right now, he wanted her on her knees and naked.
Deception, Dominance, Desire (Siren Publishing LoveEdge) Page 5