There were maps. Charts. Purchase requests. Mortgages. All from Nebraska. I flipped through the pages, reading through the summaries and proposals. It wasn’t the town that Luke was after; it was the resources beneath it. Untapped and previously unmapped oil reserves, easily worth millions. Maybe more. No wonder he wanted it so badly.
Millions to him, but potentially tens of thousands to me. A drop in the bucket for Luke, but more money than I’d ever had in my life. All I had to do was pass that information to George; recite some of the facts and figures I had read, maybe, and the money was mine. I carefully set the papers back where I had found them, ashamed at just how tempted I was. Ashamed, but tempted nonetheless.
When Luke came back, he was much calmer than he had been when he left.
“Sorry,” he said, his smile disarming and refreshing at the same time. “Business. Now, I believe we were talking about me?”
It took me a moment to realize he was joking. Once again, he made me laugh.
“I like your laugh,” he said, seemingly out of nowhere.
I felt myself blush. “Thank you.” I wasn’t sure what to say. I was in the presence of the wealthiest, most powerful man I had ever known, and he took time to complement me. It was a little bit overwhelming.
“In fact, I like a lot of things about you,” he continued, suddenly very serious.
A thousand responses flew through my mind- so many that I couldn’t choose just one. I hoped he would take my wide-eyed delight and reddening cheeks for what they were worth. He leaned in, prepared to take what he wanted to take. I leaned in as well, ready to give it to him.
And then my phone rang. That damned sound.
“What’s that?” Luke blinked. He didn’t seem upset. He just seemed disappointed.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, cursing silently. “My old boss.”
Tom Krenchaw. I had carried his office, in spite of his natural incompetence and frequent outbursts. I had stayed as long as I could, but the constant sexual harassment and aura of mistrust was more than I could handle even then. He still called me once in a while, alternating between begging and threatening to get me to return. It seemed he had trouble keeping good people, and I was certain I wasn’t the only one he was calling.
Even though I didn’t work for the man any longer, I still felt the same wave of nervousness every time he called. I started to put the phone back in my pocket, but Luke stopped me.
“May I?” he asked. There was a look in his eyes that told me that I wanted to be a part of whatever he had planned.
“Be my guest,” I said, handing him the phone.
Luke swiped to answer the call and put it on speaker before he spoke. “Emma Kerry’s Office, how many I help you?” He held his finger to his lips, indicating that I would listen only. That was a relief.
There was a brief, confused moment of silence. Luke said nothing, waiting patiently for the answer.
“Where’s Emma?” Tom demanded. He was still terrible on the phone.
“Who’s calling, please?” Luke asked in his very best receptionist voice.
“Tom. I’m her boss. Her old boss, I mean. Who the hell are you? Put Emma on the phone.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Sir. She’s unavailable at the moment. But this is her assistant, may I help you?” He was drawing out the conversation, subtly poking at the man. It was fun to watch.
“Just get me Emma,” Tom said again.
“I’m afraid she’s tied up with the board of directors for the afternoon.” He winked to me as he lied. I could imagine Tom fuming and pacing on the other end of the phone. I barely suppressed a giggled.
“How the hell did Emma get an assistant? Nevermind. Tell her she needs to come back; come back or we’ll sue her. I have no clue where anything is anymore, no one knows what they hell’s going on. We’re going to have to sell the place, and it’ll be all that bitch’s fault. You tell her I said that.”
I gasped. The wry smile disappeared from Luke’s face. There was something in his eyes- something that scared me. That word, that single word, changed Luke’s demeanor completely.
“I see. And what company shall I refer to? There’s so many that want to hire her, I’m afraid.”
“Longview Services,” Tom said finally, clearly upset with my reported success.
“Thank you,” Luke replied coldly, ending the call while Tom was still huffing into the phone.
“Luke, I’m sorry,” I stammered. I was embarrassed. Mortified, really.
“Don’t be. Do you want to work for him? It’s your choice, but-”
“Hell, no!” I replied, just a little bit more passionately than I had intended. The question would have been ridiculous, but Luke didn’t seem to be the type of man to make assumptions.
“Smart girl.” He returned my phone, then took out his own. A moment later, it ringing through the speakers.
“Business development,” a man’s voice answered.
“Mike, it’s Lucius.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Longview Services. What do you know about it?”
Mike paused for a moment, pulling something out of his memory. “Local company. Too small to be on our radar, but I’ve seen the fliers. What’s up?”
“Buy it. I don’t care what it costs, I don’t care about due diligence. Just buy it.”
“You got it,” Mike replied. He didn’t even hesitate. “Anything else, sir?”
“When you get it, keep everyone. In fact, give them raises. Everyone but some mid-level supervisor named Tom.”
I could hear Mike chuckle over the speaker. “He’s as good as gone. No problem.”
That’s when I realized just how powerful Luke really was. He was a man that could get anything he wanted. I wonder what else that might be.
...
That night was ruined, but the ones that followed more than made up for it. He allowed me to see a glimpse of his world and, more importantly, a glimpse of him. We had grown accustomed to sharing meals, and it was over dinner one night that I had a realization: I was in love with Luke Miller.
That same night, I began to wonder if a man like him could somehow love me, too. Over dinner, I had my answer. I was telling a story that really wasn’t going anywhere, and that was when he leaned in close and kissed me. The sensation took me by surprise. I had hardly even noticed that he had moved, but very suddenly his warm lips were pressed against mine. I melted into it, giving myself over to him.
“Did you just do that to shut me up?” I teased.
Luke smiled and shook his head. “No. I did it because I haven’t been able to think of anything else since the moment I met you.”
That was true for me, too. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking of him since I first laid eyes on him. I smiled, losing myself in the way he looked at me.
Not a word was spoken. It wasn’t necessary. Everything that needed to be said was found in each other’s eyes.
“Come with me.” He stood and held out his hand, which I took without any doubt or hesitation. I followed him to the one place in the home I had never seen: his bedroom.
His bedroom wasn’t the massive, stately room that I had expected it to be. Instead, it was relatively simple- even spartan. There was a bed, several over-filled bookshelves, two small chests of drawers, and an upright armoire. Other than that, not much else. Luke was a paradox.
He stood in front of me, taking both hands in his. He kissed me again, which was somehow even more intense than the first time.
“Emma...” he began. “I want you.”
“I want you,” I echoed. Somehow, I knew that he would never take me- no matter how badly he wanted me. I could only freely give myself over to him.
He smiled. “Good.” Another kiss. The kiss was deep and passionate, and it made my head swim and my stomach start to flutter.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the revelation that I was about to share. “Luke,” I began. “I want you to be my first.”
Luke didn’t appea
r surprised by that. He did, however, look pleased. “I’m afraid I won’t be gentle.”
I looked at him quizzically, but I wasn’t afraid. Far from it.
“I want to show you a part of me,” he explained. “It’s a part that I can’t share with most people. But I want to let you into my world.” For a brief moment, I could see that he was worried about my reaction. Luke Miller was worried.
I nodded. “Whatever it is, I want it.”
I meant it. Ever fiber of my being wanted what Luke was offering to me. If it was a part of him, I wanted it all the more.
He smiled, pleased by my eager acceptance. I wondered if he could see the desire in my eyes. If not, he would certainly be able to feel it in my body. He stepped back, suddenly a very different man. He stood up taller; his voice boomed; his jaw was squared and firm. He had transformed into a different man- a very dominant man, that a previously unexplored part of me wanted to follow.
“Your dress, take it off. You won’t need it here,” he said simply.
I nodded, hesitating for only a moment. No man, aside from my childhood doctor, had ever seen me naked. It was the biggest of steps and there was no going back once I did what he said. I took a deep breath, finding my bravery in him, and pulled the dress over my head. I did it very slowly, allowing him to examine and enjoy my body as I revealed it inch by inch.
Finally, the dress was gone. I folded it neatly and placed it on the dresser- a fact that Luke seemed to appreciate. “Like this?” I looked at him with my deep blue, innocent eyes.
“Yes. Good girl.”
Something about those words affected me in a way I couldn’t begin to explain. It was as though he were speaking to a different Emma, one buried somewhere deep within me, that I hadn’t known existed until now. I sighed deeply and happily. “Thank you.”
He circled me, studying my body with the same patient intensity that an artist would study his canvas. I was glad that I had worn my sexiest pair of panties and a matching bra, although I suspected that my definition of sexy and his would differ slightly. All the same, I could see that he appreciated the effort for what it was.
He ran two fingers down my neck, tracing my body delicately. I shivered when he ran down my stomach, and my needs nearly buckled when he reached my waist. He broke away right before he reached the elastic of my panties.
I closed my eyes, savoring the sensations. That only made it more surprising, then, when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the bed. I lost my balance, and it was only Luke’s careful coordination that caused him to land on his lap rather than the ground. When I saw exactly how I was positioned- with my ass up in the air, just over his knee- I realized that it was intentional. I also had an idea as to why he had me that way.
I could feel his bulge resting against my arm through his pants. It was warm. I wanted to reach down and grab it, or maybe move my body so I could wrap my lips around it. To study it. I wanted to sit upright, slide my panties to the side, and take him deep into the untouched parts of me. But I waited. He would do with me as he wished. After all, I couldn’t deny that I was already his. It was instinctual; I knew my role just as well as he knew his.
He ran his hand over my body, savoring the sensation of the soft fabric of my panties. He grabbed the waistband and pulled it down, just enough to expose my skin.
“What are you going to do?” I asked, even though I was already sure of the answer.
“You’ll see.”
There was a long pause. The world stopped. And then, suddenly, a flash of pain. The first spanking was completely unexpected. I couldn’t help but cry out, and again when he repeated the spanking on the other cheek. Over and over, alternating from one cheek to the other until I was left stinging and raw. I wondered if I would be able to sit comfortably after a spanking from Luke’s heavy hands.
He slid my panties back over my ass cheeks. That hurt, too, but I could also feel the familiar sensation of moisture on the fabric. With his prompting, I stood once again. When my bra stayed behind, left on his lap, I realized that he had unclasped it so deftly that I hadn’t even noticed.
“Clever,” I smiled.
Luke didn’t say a word, but his grin spoke volumes.
He stood and pulled me towards the armoire; he could barely contain his excitement as he opened it. Whatever was in there was exciting to him, which meant it would be doubly so to me. I, for my part, could barely contain my curiosity and my arousal.
The inside of the antique wooden armoire didn’t match the outside of it. The interior was lined with a deep red felt, which was punctuated by shelves and hangars full of black leather and shiny metal items. Some, like the leather riding crop, I could recognize. Others, like the spiked wheel at the end of a long, slender handle... I could only imagine.
“What’s this?” I gasped.
That grin again. God, I loved that grin. “This...” He paused for emphasis. “Is my toy chest. It’s also our evening.”
I took a deep breath. It was going to be quite a night. “It’s intimidating,” I admitted with a nervous laugh.
“Don’t worry. You’ll learn to love it.” We both knew that he was right. “Your panties.”
It wasn’t necessary a question, nor was it a demand. But there was no question about what he wanted from me. I stood proud and topless before him; my firm breasts felt desperate for his touch. Even my nipples seemed to respond to his approving gaze.
And so also went the panties. I grabbed the waistband and pulled downward- slowly, to build up to the reveal. His eyes traced my body, traveling from my breasts to my hips and taking in everything in between.
First, the gentle rise of my mound. Closely trimmed hair that stopped at the top of my pussy. A little bit further gave him everything. It felt liberating to show him that most sensitive part of me.
My panties fell freely to the floor I kicked them away. I waited, nude and vulnerable, while Luke took off his own clothes. He had a greater sense of show than I did, and I watched entranced as he undressed. When his dick sprang into view, my jaw dropped.
“It’s... big,” I gasped.
He smiled; I suspected that he already knew that. He grabbed my hand. Instinctively, I intertwined my fingers with his in a gesture that was more affectionate than it was erotic. He didn’t protest, but instead allowed our fingers to remain as they were until we reached the bed.
“Put your hands on the bed,” he said gently.
I did as I was told. This left my ass very exposed; my pussy parted and vulnerable. He could do anything to me then; the idea was intoxicating.
“Do you know what a safe word is?” he asked. We could have had that conversation while I was dressed; I had a feeling that he had chosen this specific time for a reason.
“No,” I admitted.
“It’s a word that you can use to tell me if you’re overwhelmed or hurt. It stops everything- it’s to keep you safe.” He thought for a moment. “Red. That will do nicely.”
It was comforting to know that such a thing existed, but I was committed to pleasing Luke. I wanted him to know that I was much stronger than he knew. “I won’t use it,” I said proudly. “I can take it.”
Luke sighed. “Then we’re done here. Take your clothes.” His voice changed as he walked away. I knew he was leaving without even having to look.
I spun around. “What do you mean? I thought you’d be proud.”
Luke shook his head. “Using a safe word isn’t about weakness,” he explained. “Your body reacts to pleasure and it reacts to pain. I’ll be subjecting you to both. No matter how strong your mind is, your body has limits. If you won’t tell me when we find them, we won’t proceed. I’m going to hurt you, but I refuse to damage you.”
I nodded. It all made sense when he put it like that. I had so much to learn, and I was grateful to have Luke to explain it to me. “I understand. I’m sorry. My safe word is ‘red.’”
“You’ll use it if you need to?”
“Without hesitation
,” I promised. I meant it, too.
He seemed to think for just a moment. He gestured towards the bed; it was a simple flick of his fingers, but I knew what it meant. I turned, wondering if he could see my broad smile as he did. A moment later, I was in the exact same position I had just moved from.
Something heavy and cold brushed against my skin. The sensation disappeared- I knew what that meant. When it finally came back down, I couldn’t stop myself from crying out. Nor, I suspect, did he want me to hold it in. I cried out again with the next one as well, and the ones that followed. Whatever he was using was heavy, and it hurt. He stopped just as my mind started to cloud over with the pain and something else that I couldn’t quite understand.
“You’re already wet,” he noted, touching my pussy lips; I knew he was right, I could feel it.
I blushed, and then nodded. “I like it,” I replied. Or tried to, at least- the word ‘it’ disappeared beneath a deep moan when touched me. The stinging of my ass was still sharp and distinct, but the pleasure that he was bringing gradually started to overshadow even that. He kept teasing me until I started pushing back against him.
I could feel my first ‘real’ orgasm, the first one from someone other than myself, building deep inside my stomach. I was right on the edge- so close to release. I started moaning as his finger slid in and out of me.
That’s the moment when he abruptly stopped.
I groaned. “I liked it,” was all I could think to say. It was both a statement and a question, and the best I could manage through the fog of my mind.
“I like it, too.”
He stood and walked to the bed. I turned my head to see what he was getting, but his body blocked my view. I was sure that was intentional, as the anticipation was far worse that whatever pain he was planning for me. He returned with a blindfold, which he placed over my eyes. I lifted my head to allow him to secure the strap in place, leaving me in total darkness.
Regency Romance Omnibus 2018: Dominate Dukes & Tenacious Women Page 76