Office Intrigue (Office Intrigue Duet Book 1)

by Nicole Edwards

I nodded. “Yes. I disobeyed him.”

  “Did he leave any marks?”

  “No. Of course not.”

  “If you have any questions at all, I want you to know that you can ask me or Langston. We’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

  “I know that.” And that was the truth. I felt as though I could ask them anything and they’d be honest with me. It was one of the reasons I wasn’t freaking out more than I already had.

  Landon nodded toward the door. “I won’t keep you. You can go back to work.”

  “Thank you.” I got to my feet and hurried back to my desk, wanting something to distract me from all the thinking that they had me doing.

  Master showed up a few minutes shy of nine. He nodded to me, then headed right for his office.

  My heart sank in my chest.

  I wasn’t sure why, but I’d been hoping for some sort of greeting from him. At least an acknowledgement. After what had transpired yesterday, I was looking for reassurance that things were okay between us. It was a needy feeling, one that I wasn’t familiar with. One I didn’t particularly care for either.

  Master did accept my offer of coffee, but when I brought it to him, he didn’t look up from his computer. As I was walking away, the deep timbre of his voice echoed from behind me.

  “Please ask the others to join me in my office.”

  “Yes…Master,” I said hesitantly before slipping out of the room.

  I went to Ben’s office first.

  “Master…uh…Langston would like to see you.”

  Ben’s eyes held something that looked like sympathy as he nodded. I then told Justin and Landon before returning to my desk. A few minutes later, the three men went into Master’s office and closed the door.

  Once again, my heart sank.

  Thirty-Five

  BOSS MEETING

  ——————————————————

  Justin

  I KNEW WHEN I LEFT the office yesterday that something significant had changed in the dynamic between the five of us. More importantly, between Luci and Langston. Something I wasn’t all that happy about, quite frankly. It had become evident when Langston took it upon himself to punish Luci for not obeying his rules.

  He had played his hand.

  Not that I disagreed with how he had handled it. I would’ve done the exact same thing had I been in his shoes. Luci actually got off easy with Langston. I would’ve been much harsher with her, but I was far stricter than Landon and Langston.

  Unfortunately, the rest of us could do nothing but sit back and wait to see how things would play out, because the man had practically staked his claim. And when a Dom staked his claim on a submissive, a certain protocol was followed.

  The only good thing was the fact that the man had the decency to call a meeting so we could at least discuss it. Granted, it was a little too late, but there was still time for us to talk.

  Once we were all settled in Langston’s office, we waited patiently for him to speak.

  “Get on with it,” Landon said roughly.

  Okay, maybe patient was the wrong word.

  “Care to tell us what happened?” I suggested when it was clear Langston was having a hard time coming up with words.

  Langston sighed. “It was time.”

  I barked a laugh. “Time? Are you fucking kidding me? Time for what? Time to pull the alpha card and take control? Or time to blow everything for the rest of us?”

  Yeah. I sounded as angry as I felt. But I didn’t care because I was pissed. I’d spent the entire night practically mourning the damn opportunity that Luci had presented for me and Ben.

  “Are you planning to collar her?” I asked when no one else spoke up.

  “Fuck no,” he snapped.

  That had the rest of us pretty much flinching.

  “What do you mean, no?” Landon questioned, a deep groove marring his forehead.

  “It means I have no intention of collaring her.”

  Again, everyone was speechless.

  “Look. I had a moment of weakness.”

  “Fuck you,” Landon hissed, his tone harder than I’d ever heard it. “It’s one thing to play with the submissives at the club, Langston. Something else entirely to fuck with a girl who doesn’t even understand the world we live in.”

  For the first time since I walked into the room, Langston actually appeared somewhat remorseful.

  “It was a moment of weakness.” Langston’s eyes went hard. “Now, I’m not apologizin’ for what I did, because I don’t regret it.”

  “Personally,” Ben said, “I think you handled it rather well.”

  Langston didn’t say anything, but he nodded curtly.

  “I agree,” I admitted. “But I need you to be clear. You’re telling us the rules haven’t changed?”

  “The rules haven’t changed.”

  “Does she know this, Master?” Landon snarled at his brother.

  Another sigh escaped Langston. He obviously hadn’t expected the rest of us to call him on this. He should’ve known better. Granted, I hadn’t seen Landon react quite like this. Not in all the time I’d known him. I’d seen them interact with plenty of submissives at the club, but neither of them had ever developed feelings for any of them. Not that I’d seen, anyway.

  And fine, it wasn’t like I hadn’t suspected what was going on. The four of us kept in contact, and we made certain to share our plans. Maybe not all the details, but we did let one another know when we intended to spend time with Luci. Those two had spent far more time with her than Ben and I had.

  However, that girl had become important to all of us. And not merely for sex. Sure, we were probably riding the high of having her eager and available, but that wasn’t unexpected. That didn’t mean we were willing to walk away. Not anymore.

  “I plan to talk to her,” Langston finally said. “I asked her to do some research on BDSM. And when the three of you get back to work, I intend to have a lengthy discussion with her.”

  “Don’t you dare lead her on,” Landon insisted. “No matter what she says, she’s confused. Yes, she’s read a little bit of fiction that glamorizes the lifestyle, but she has absolutely no idea what it is you truly want from her.”

  “I understand that. And I’m not leading her on.”

  I had to disagree. “You are if you’re asking her to call you Master yet you have no intention of collaring her. She doesn’t even understand the significance of that term, does she?”

  Langston shook his head. “Doubtful. But as we all know, there are no steadfast rules in this lifestyle. We’ll implement them as we go along.” His gaze cut between each of us. “I have no intention of monopolizing her time or trying to keep her all to myself.”

  For some reason, I didn’t believe him.

  Oh, wait.

  Maybe that was because he’d gone all territorial on her and insisted that she call him Master.

  Thirty-Six

  THE LONGER MY BOSSES WERE in Langston’s office the worse I felt. It wasn’t like they’d included me in their ad hoc meetings before, but I knew this was one that involved me. Justin had mentioned that they would discuss the change in dynamic this morning. I assumed that was what the meeting was for. As far as what the change was he had referred to, I had no freaking clue.

  Since I had nothing else to do, I decided to continue my lesson on BDSM, scouring the Internet for as much information as I could retain. Truth was, I was fascinated. I found several websites that highlighted the attributes of a submissive. Many of which I could associate with on a level deeper than I expected.

  Needless to say, by the time Master’s door opened, I was enlightened about a lot of things, including my own feelings. No, I didn’t think I’d simply turned into a submissive because Master wished it. I felt as though I was submissive on many levels, and truthfully, I was hoping to explore this in depth.

  I got the feeling that was what Master wanted as well, but I wondered how the others felt. Most specifi
cally Landon. I had yet to spend much time with him alone—aside from our impromptu dinner two days go—and the idea of not having that opportunity did not make me feel good.

  I looked up as Justin approached my desk.

  “When you get a moment, please contact Mr. Daniels about today’s demonstration. Let him know that the five of us will be in attendance, but any of his assistants will need to remain outside the room.”

  I frowned.

  “He’ll understand what I mean.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Thank you.” Justin turned toward his office. “Oh, and once you do that, Langston would like to see you in his office.”

  My heart instantly felt lighter, so I grabbed the phone as I pulled up Mr. Daniels’s contact information, then dialed his number.

  I was greeted by his secretary, then the call was sent to him directly.

  “Good morning, Miss Wagner,” he greeted kindly.

  “Good morning, Mr. Daniels. I was calling about today’s demonstration scheduled for one thirty. Jus—uh…Mr. Parker asked that I inform you that the five of us will be in attendance today, but he’s asked that your assistants not be present in the room.”

  There was silence for a moment, then I was almost positive I heard a smile in his voice when he said, “I completely understand, and I look forward to it.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I said kindly.

  When the call disconnected, I placed the phone receiver in the cradle, then got to my feet. I slid my sweaty palms down the front of my skirt and tugged my sweater down a little before lifting my chin and heading for Master’s office.

  “Good morning, Master,” I greeted formally when I stepped into the room.

  “Good morning, pet.” His eyes slowly lifted to mine as he got to his feet and moved over to the sofa, motioning for me to follow him.

  I stopped in front of him, waiting for his direction.

  Master placed a pillow on the floor by his feet and nodded toward it. “Please kneel.”

  I did so without question.

  “Some Doms have their submissive sit in their lap. I prefer mine to kneel before me, touching me in some small way at all times.”

  I placed my hand on his thigh as he peered down at me. I noticed there were lines around his eyes, as though he hadn’t slept well last night. I wondered if that had anything to do with what happened yesterday; however, I didn’t ask.

  “Were you able to research any information regarding BDSM like I requested?” His eyes locked with mine.

  “Yes, Master. After you texted me last night, I got online and researched many sites.”

  “What were your initial thoughts?”

  I considered that for a moment, thinking back on my first gut reaction. “I was intrigued by the idea that there’s an entire lifestyle dedicated to Domination and submission. I mean, I’ve read plenty of romance novels depicting it, but I realize that’s romanticized.”

  “Did what you found frighten you?”

  “I would be lying if I said no,” I admitted. “However, it also fascinated me.”

  “How so?”

  “I felt as though I connected with many aspects of a submissive.”

  “I thought you might.” His smile was warm and sexy but didn’t last long. “I want you to know that reading about it and experiencing it firsthand are vastly different. A lot of people believe their various kinks, such as the desire to be tied up or commanded to do something, will translate into submission. It doesn’t. Not by a long shot.”

  “So how does one know if they’re submissive?”

  “It’s a desire far deeper than merely sexual. It’s a deep-seated need to please and to serve their master. Where his needs are more important than their own.”

  Okay, so I wasn’t as certain as I’d thought I was about being a submissive. But I wasn’t put off by that explanation. I did have a deep desire to please my bosses. Not only sexually but in the workplace and in the relationships that we were developing.

  “In the same sense,” he continued, “being a Dom isn’t only about control either. It requires the ability to understand what his submissive needs. To know her limits, her desires, as well as push her boundaries. It’s not an absolute power exchange, though. There is a give and take.”

  Well, that made me feel a little better. The thought of not having my concerns considered was bothersome.

  “May I ask you a question, Master?”

  He nodded.

  “Are you a Dominant?”

  “I am.”

  “Do you live this lifestyle?”

  “I do.”

  “Full time?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do the others?”

  “They do.”

  Well, that explained a lot about the dynamic around the office. I noticed that, although Ben was independent in his work, for the most part, he did often take instruction from Justin and not merely when Justin was ordering him to suck his cock. Although, there were those times as well. I’d picked up on the little things but hadn’t put two and two together until last night when I was reading.

  “Is Ben a submissive?”

  “He’s a switch.”

  I’d read that term last night. “That means he’s both a Dominant and a submissive?”

  “That’s correct.”

  “And he’s submissive to Justin?”

  “He is. And only to Justin. Those are the terms they’ve agreed upon.”

  Okay, so at least I was on the right track with my thinking.

  I knew my line of questioning was venturing into the personal realm, but I felt compelled to ask. “Are they a couple?”

  “I think that’s something you’ll need to ask them.”

  Figured he wasn’t going to gossip. I should’ve known better.

  Master seemed to be waiting patiently for me to continue asking questions, so I racked my brain for another.

  Master chuckled. “You don’t have to ask everything right now, pet. But I do expect you to ask questions.”

  I liked that he referred to me as his pet. It felt special. No one other than him and Landon had called me that. It was similar to the way Justin referred to Ben as pup.

  “What else intrigued you about what you read?” His eyes narrowed. “Keep in mind, there’s a lot of information on the web regarding the lifestyle. A lot of it is sheer and utter bullshit. Some people don’t understand the true meaning of a D/s relationship. They merely get off on the power trip they’ve mistakenly believed is at the root of it.”

  I nodded. “I read that. I was able to discern some of the...uh…crap.”

  He seemed pleased by this.

  “I think what intrigued me most was the idea of a submissive freely giving her will, trust, and love to her Dom.”

  “How does that make you feel? The idea of giving so much of yourself?”

  “Free, I guess. If it’s to the right person. It seems natural in a sense. For me, anyway. That someone would be able to give all of themselves to another, knowing they would keep them safe from harm, yet push their boundaries in an effort to help them grow.”

  “How is that different than a regular relationship?”

  Hmm. That was a good question. I considered it for a moment.

  “It’s not in many ways. However, a submissive puts her Dom’s wants and needs above her own. And she derives pleasure from it.”

  “Do you derive pleasure from putting our needs above your own?”

  “I do.” That was the one thing that made the most sense to me.

  Master smiled. “You did do your homework. I’m impressed.”

  My heart soared.

  “One thing you need to know is that someone can’t simply claim to be a Dominant. Just because you have a desire to submit doesn’t mean he’s earned it. A Dom must prove himself to those he expects to submit to him. Trust is not to be given blindly. It’s the reason it has taken us so long to work up to this point.”

  I thought back to my time in the of
fice, to the way my bosses had treated me. Day after day, week after week, we had established a bond between us. I had come to trust them naturally and I’d never felt as though they had pushed their dominance on me.

  “What other questions do you have?”

  “They’re regarding how things will work here in the office,” I admitted.

  That was what confused me the most. I’d been hired to do a job. Yes, things had changed and I’d been shared by these four men, but even I knew something was different after last night. I’d been commanded to refer to Langston as Master. I did not want to make assumptions about what that meant though.

  “How do you want things to work here in the office?” Master asked.

  I met and held his gaze. “That’s up to you, Master. And the others. I want to do…whatever pleases all of you.”

  Something sparked in his eyes and I got the sense that was the answer he’d hoped for; however, I don’t think he was expecting it.

  But it raised another question. “Am I supposed to refer to them differently?”

  “I have requested you to call me Master. That’s still in effect. As for the others, that will be up to them. Some Doms prefer honorifics, others do not.”

  “Like Ben and Justin? Ben calls him Mr. Parker because that’s what they decided upon?”

  “Yes, pet. That’s an agreement between them.” His hand rested on my head. “For right now, nothing has really changed except for how I prefer you to refer to me.”

  “I understand, Master.”

  “The reason we had you contact Mr. Daniels about today’s demonstration is because he’s a respected Dom in our community. His assistants are not. Nor are they his submissives. Had they been, I would’ve allowed them to attend. Under normal circumstances, we would not be sharing you with anyone outside of this office. But in this instance, we will allow Mr. Daniels to demonstrate on you as he deems necessary. But as our original agreement states, intercourse is not allowed.”

  That eased something inside me, but I wasn’t sure why.

  “May I ask another question, Master?”

  “You may.”

  “Do you have any other submissives?”

  “In the past, I have. For the time being, I do not.”

  His response sent a pain through my chest. I didn’t like the idea of Master having another submissive and the way he said it sounded as though he expected to have additional ones in the future.