by Qwillia Rain
Her tone was so matter-of-fact he didn’t doubt she had thought the situation through. Knowing her as he did, he should have expected her to throw a spanner in the works. “How are you supposed to understand what I’ll expect from you if you refuse to have sex?”
The flash of fire in her eyes tugged at the smile he repressed. She remained in place before him, her legs nearly shoulder-width apart, bare toes curling into the silk carpet. In a typical Lawrence habit, she’d abandoned her shoes sometime after entering the room.
“If you want me to be more specific, I will.”
Bryce dipped his head. “Please do.”
“No penetration. I understand some types of foreplay will be required for me to determine if I think I’ll be able to take on the role you want from me, but I want your promise that no intercourse will take place.” Her expression was nearly defiant, stirring his need to make her see the type of satisfaction to be found in sex during submission.
“Am I still allowed to use my tongue, fingers, and any toys?”
Mattie swallowed heavily. The heat in her cheeks returned as she responded, “What kinds?”
Give-and-take—that was always the way with her, and the thought of that tenacity and fire in his bed had him fighting the urge to demand her immediate surrender. Forcing back the response, he listed a few items, taking note of her body’s reaction. “Butt plugs and lube, of course.” She swallowed, and her toes flexed deeper into the carpet’s fibers. Definitely a yes, he thought. Aloud, he continued, “As I said before, clamps and chains for your nipples, cuffs and ropes for binding.”
A tiny shiver trembled through her frame.
Another yes. “My hand, a paddle, and a flogger for punishment.”
This time, the tension in her body hovered between fear and arousal. Remembering what he knew of her past, he assured her, “Right of refusal is still yours, Lawrence.”
She cleared her throat, her eyes shadowed and hard to read. “But will using the safe word negate our agreement?”
Although he disliked the thought of holding back with her, he also knew he would have to go slowly with the part of her training that dealt with physical punishment and its use in creating arousal. The idea of pain to stimulate pleasure wasn’t abhorrent to her, but as it related to anal penetration, not the application of hand or paddle to flesh. “The use of our safe word won’t end the agreement, merely alter certain aspects of what I’d like to introduce you to.”
She nodded, indicating her understanding, before adding, “What do you mean by punishment?”
Stepping closer, he stroked his finger along the side of her neck. “You are a stubborn woman, Lawrence.” He traced the edge of her dress from throat to the deep V between her breasts. Eyes holding hers, he continued, “I don’t expect this claiming to be easy for either of us.”
“Claiming?”
He smiled, enjoying the throaty tone of her voice as his finger continued to slide along the silk, absorbing the heat building in her skin, and noting the subtle swelling of her flesh. “I prefer to think of it that way. You’ll belong to me, Lawrence. As your master, everything you do or say when we’re at the Club will reflect on my training of you.”
“But…”
“No buts, Lawrence.” Bryce’s tone reflected his expectation of immediate compliance. “In effect, I’ll own you.”
He could see her fighting the need to argue. And losing.
“Only as it pertains to sex,” she snapped. “You don’t have any say in how I conduct myself outside the bedroom.”
“I don’t limit my play to the bedroom, Lawrence; you should know that.” The urge to paddle her ass then fuck her was difficult to overcome, especially when she stepped away from him and rolled her eyes at his comment.
“You know what I mean,” she grumbled.
He nodded. “And you understand that many of the men I conduct business with are men I’ve trained in the lifestyle. Even one of the board members.”
In her eyes, he could see comprehension dawning. With it, trepidation slipped into her expression; he addressed it before she could backpedal out of their agreement. He had no intention of wasting the plans he’d set in motion eight years ago because of some imagined fear. “I don’t need a twenty-four-seven D/s relationship. I never have. I’m not expecting you to become compliant in all areas of our relationship, Lawrence, just our sexual one.” He waited for the suspicion to clear in her eyes and then continued, “But, while you’re deciding if you can handle my ownership, there are rules you’ll have to agree to and follow.”
“Rules? What kind of rules?”
“Just like any trainee, you have to learn what is and is not acceptable during this trial period.”
Her furrowed brow smoothed. “Like what I can and cannot say?”
“Not that confining, but things to keep in mind in order to keep you safe.”
Keeping her arms crossed, Mattie followed his progress toward her. “And who was in charge of making up these rules?”
Bryce didn’t bother responding to her question. “Rule number one, no being alone with other men.”
“Don’t you mean men or women?” Mattie demanded. “If you’ve agreed to fidelity, I think it’s important that these rules apply to you, at least during the trial period.”
Bryce shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way, Lawrence. I’m not the one wanting a trial run, remember?”
Drawing a deep breath, Mattie reluctantly admitted he was right. “True, but…”
“No buts. Rule number one, no spending time with, or allowing past lovers or other men to touch you.”
“Agreed.” She knew her resentment at having to put up with such one-sided restrictions was apparent in her tone, but she wasn’t about to hide it from him.
“Rule number two, no self-stimulation unless given permission.”
Mattie seemed to think about it for a moment. It wasn’t like she lay in bed every night masturbating. Going without self-stimulation shouldn’t be that hard to deal with. With that thought in mind, she gave an absent shrug. “Okay.”
“Rule number three, there are no restrictions on where or when I can give instruction to you.”
Shaking her head, Mattie again objected. “I’m not sure about that one. I have to work with the different people in the various departments. If we’re seen by employees…”
“I told you I don’t restrict my sex to the bedroom, Lawrence, but I can see your point.” Taking a moment, he seemed to debate the best way to alter the directive before voicing it. “All right, during the trial period, there are no restrictions on where or when I can give instruction as long as, while we are at work, there is no risk of another employee seeing us. Will that satisfy you?”
“Why not say no touching at work?”
His laughter was both arousing and sinister. The gleam in his eyes should have warned Mattie, but the words that followed stole her breath. “Because I have every intention of bending you over my desk and making you come at every opportunity.”
Images flashed through her mind, making her sway on her feet. The heat flooding her pussy and the gush of juices soaking her panties only made matters worse. Maintaining rational thought after his comment seemed unlikely, but she shook it off. Moving to the sofa, she settled onto the arm and took a deep breath. “I… Okay. I’ll agree to rule number three.”
“Rule number four.” He began taking the few steps necessary to close the distance between them. Bryce took a seat in the wingback armchair that sat at an angle to the sofa. “No climaxing without my permission.”
“Now wait…” she began to protest.
“There’s no negotiating this one, Lawrence.” His tone was firm, implacable. “If I’m to be your master, I own your body and your orgasms.”
“But…”
Leaning forward, his eyes darkened to jade. “Trust me on this. No coming unless I say you can, agreed?”
Despite the protests she was all set to voice, Mattie wasn’t surprised to
hear herself agreeing. “Yes, Bryce. Okay, no coming without your permission.”
“Good. Rule number five, use the safe word whenever the situation is too much for you.” He held her gaze. “This one is the most important rule. You will not go along with something if you don’t think you can handle it. If you think you need to use our safe word, do so. We can stop, discuss what’s going to happen and how you feel about it, and then you can decide if you want to continue or not.”
“All right. I’ll use the safe word if I feel I can’t handle something.”
Leaning back in the chair, Bryce watched her carefully for several seconds. The intensity of his gaze had a part of her desperate to jump off the sofa arm and run out to her car. A little voice in her head demanded to know what bit of insanity had her contemplating agreeing to his rules, but her heart overruled it.
“Those are the rules, Lawrence.” Bryce watched her closely as she squirmed in her seat. “Do you agree to follow them?”
As keen as his gaze was, Mattie prayed he wouldn’t be able to guess at just how arousing the thought of his punishing her for breaking one of his rules was. If she was very lucky, not to mention very naughty, maybe she’d be getting one of those spankings he’d been threatening her with for years. Shaking away that disturbing but erotic thought, Mattie took a deep breath before responding. “What kind of punishment are you talking about?”
Bryce merely looked at her. “One appropriate for the situation and the rule broken. When it happens.”
“When? Are you expecting me to intentionally break one of your rules?”
“Lawrence, you’ve been pushing boundaries and skirting the rules since the day we met.” Rising, he moved closer and tugged her to her feet.
The heat of his body almost distracted her from hearing the rest of his statement.
“Not only do I expect you to break one rule, I anticipate you breaking all five of my rules, simply because they’re my rules.” In a move too smooth and quick for her to counteract, Bryce secured both her wrists behind her back in one hand while the other cupped her cheek, holding her gaze with his. “Do we have a deal now?”
Heat flared in his eyes when she dampened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I…” She cleared her throat and began again. “I let you show me what’s expected of your sub for the next week, follow the five rules, with your promise there won’t be any intercourse, and at the end of the week I decide whether or not I’ll take on the role during our marriage.”
“In a nutshell.”
Mattie tilted her head without breaking eye contact. “Okay, it’s a deal. I agree.” She let a wry smile curve over her lips. “So, do we shake on it? Bec—”
The wicked smile crossing his lips barely registered before Bryce shook his head. “Oh, no, Lawrence. This type of agreement requires something a little more personal.”
The feel of his lips sliding over hers stilled the breath in her lungs.
In all the times she’d contemplated what his kiss would feel like, she had assumed it would be similar to his take-charge approach to business.
And she was wrong.
Instead, Bryce’s kiss was a soft caress. Coaxing a response by easing over her lips, pressing and rubbing against the sensitive tissues before she felt his mouth open just slightly to allow the tip of his tongue to trace the seam sealing her lips.
The heat of his body, the patient teasing of his mouth on hers, had her head spinning. Without thinking about it, she arched closer to him, her breasts desperate for the feel of his firm, broad chest. The grip of his hand around her wrists didn’t deter her motions in the slightest. The difference in their heights forced her on her tiptoes when he began to draw away.
The hand at her cheek slipped aside to drift down to her hip before he released her hands and set her firmly away from him. His grin at her throaty groan of protest had Mattie flushing and forcing herself to slow her breathing. The soaked silk between her thighs could be ignored, just as the obvious protrusion of her hardened nipples could. If Bryce wanted to tease her with kisses, she’d let him. There was no telling, based on what she’d gleaned from rumors and overheard over the years, to what lengths he was going to go to test her suitability.
Meeting his gaze with what she hoped was a serene expression, despite the heat flooding her body, she waited.
“A safe word,” he prompted, his arms folding over his chest.
She didn’t stop to think, only blurted out the first word that came to mind. “Pirate.”
Laughter erupted from the doorway to her left, drawing her gaze and making Mattie curse beneath her breath until she recognized the sexy figure lounging against the frame. “Michael.” She grinned, pushing past Bryce as she moved to give the other man a quick hug. “I’m so glad you made it back. When did you get into town?”
“I got in last night. Did you miss me?” Mike teased, returning her hug and urging her back toward Bryce, his left arm draped around her shoulders.
“Please.” Mattie groaned and shook her head. “You had us freaking out when we saw the report about the journalist held by terrorists.” Leaning back, she smacked his shoulder and glared up at him. “Don’t do things like that anymore. Next time leave a number or tell your brother and dad where you are.”
“Ow,” he teased, rubbing at his shoulder. “I’ve already gotten the lecture, thank you.”
“Well, this time pay attention.” She huffed but gave him another hug. “I’m getting tired of watching your dad worry and your brother grumble and growl about your gallivanting all over the world to take pictures.”
“Hmmm.” He shifted his gaze between her and his brother before raising his eyebrows in curiosity. “Do tell, darlin’.”
The intentional deepening of his Southern drawl had Mattie chuckling. It still surprised her that the same dropping of the ending of a word and drawing out of the vowel sound from Mike didn’t cause the breath-stealing, panty-creaming effect that Bryce’s use did. Then again, she wasn’t in love with Mike, whereas Bryce…
She turned her attention back to the man she’d been bartering with. The heat surged up her chest and into her neck and cheeks at the wry amusement tilting his lips and darkening Bryce’s green eyes. Realizing she’d nearly broken the first rule, Mattie shifted out from beneath Mike’s hold and casually stepped away from him and closer to Bryce.
“Was there something you needed, Mike?” Bryce asked.
“Yeah.” Draping his arms along the back of one of the wing chairs, he nodded. “I wanted to know if you were familiar with the warehouse over on Bridgerton.”
Mattie stayed quiet. Excitement stirred at the thought that Mike might actually be thinking of settling down in San Diablo. Permanently. His career had taken him all over the world, and although Bryce was proud of his younger brother’s accomplishments, she knew he was also uneasy at some of the places Mike ended up. After the last scare they’d gone through two weeks earlier, she was beginning to be afraid for his safety. If he was looking at property in town, she reasoned, he was probably thinking of setting up a studio of some sort, which would mean less time on the road and in war-torn countries.
“Yes, in fact, the owner is a Club member. Would you like me to set up an introduction?”
Mike shook his head. “No, I was just wondering if you thought the area justified the price.”
That had Bryce chuckling. “No, but Charles has a tendency to overinflate everything.”
The grin on the younger man’s face acknowledged the advice. “I’ll keep that in mind when I get my agent to look over the offer.”
“Do you need…?” Bryce began.
His brother waved him off. “No, I can handle it. Thanks for the help.” Glancing toward Mattie as she perched on the arm of the sofa again, Mike added. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Oh, you wer—” Mattie started, but Bryce overrode her comment.
“We’ll talk later.”
“Of that I’m sure.” Mike again chuckled as he smiled at Mattie
before leaving the room.
“You didn’t have to—” she protested.
“Come here, Lawrence.”
There it was again, Mattie noted, even as she immediately followed his directions and moved to stand in front of him.
“You chose ‘pirate’ as our safe word.”
“Yes.”
“Then ‘pirate’ it is.”
Chapter Five
Leaning over Dana’s desk, Mattie didn’t pay attention to the door opening behind her until the receptionist’s expression warned her that the visitor was one neither of them welcomed. Standing up and turning to face the man smiling at her, Mattie fought the urge to move away from Victor. After the one date she’d had with him, she knew not to trust him to be a gentleman.
“Good afternoon, Miss Lawrence.” His greeting was polite enough, but the way his cool blue eyes slid over her silk blouse and skirt made it seem anything but appropriate.
If it hadn’t been for the heat that had filled Bryce’s eyes when she walked into his office this morning, she’d have ditched the stockings and heels for her more comfortable flats. But look at her was all Bryce had done. After tossing and turning most of Saturday and Sunday night following their discussion, Mattie had assumed he would have made some kind of move or gesture to begin testing her. Instead he did nothing. Nada, zip, zero. Nearly forty hours since she’d agreed to let Bryce instruct her, and he’d left her alone.
Now she had to endure Victor’s scrutiny. “Was there something you needed, Mr. Prommer?” He was a slime, but he was still an employee of the company. With Bryce out of the office and Richard in San Diego dealing with a client, she was the most logical choice for him to bring any concerns to.
“I needed to speak to you.” His gaze moved from her to Dana, then back. “Alone.”
Mattie forced a smile to her lips. Just what she didn’t need. Motioning toward her office, she met Dana’s gaze over his shoulder. When the younger woman held up her hand with three fingers spread, Mattie gave her a quick nod. Three minutes would be more than enough time for her to have to deal with the melodrama Victor had dreamed up this time.