Bound to be Tamed: Emergence, Book 2 (3 page)

“I want to explore this to its fullest. Not so much because of my desires, but hers. She gravitated in that direction. I want her to examine that about herself.”

Lori spoke again while Stephanie stared at Dane. “Aiden?”

Wait.
She hadn’t even wrapped her mind around the first man’s words. He wanted so much from her.

“I agree with Dane. We’ve discussed this a lot. Especially in the last two days while she wasn’t with us. It was painful. I missed her terribly. I do want what’s best for her, however. We didn’t go into this expecting a full-time sub. We weren’t looking for one. We don’t even have all the ammunition to handle such an arrangement. Dane and I will do everything in our power to ensure she gets what she needs out of the relationship. If that means her submitting twenty-four seven, we’ll readjust to accommodate that. Giving her up isn’t an option.”

God. Aiden was firm. Sure of himself. Stephanie didn’t have half the certainty he had.

“Stephanie?”

She twisted her gaze to the sweet voice of Lori.

“What do you think about what the men are saying? You have to stick up for yourself. This is the perfect opportunity. Think of me as an impartial mediator.”

Stephanie ducked her head a moment. “I do have some concerns.”
Ooh, bold, Steph. Good job.

Lori smiled. “And what are those?”

“I need to work. I don’t think I can give that up. I’ve worked too hard for financial security to toss it all away. It makes me very uncomfortable.”

Dane stroked her thigh again. Maddening. “Could you take some time off while we train you?”

Stephanie shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’d be constantly worrying about the future. I need the money. No. That’s not entirely true. I do have savings, but every day I dip into that stash will make me more nervous. I need to feel financially secure by myself.”

“She has a point,” Lori stated. “I can’t blame her for feeling that way. You’ve known each other a week. That’s a lot to ask of someone after such a short time.”

Aiden stroked her hair. “What if we cover your rent for a few weeks, and expenses?”

Stephanie shook her head. “I’d feel like a hooker.”

Aiden’s brows shot up and his head bobbed back. “That’s crazy. You’re not a hooker.”

“I know. So don’t make me feel like one. I’m not a kept woman.”

Dane released her thigh, blessedly, and wrapped his hand around her waist. “That’s kind of the entire point here. We want you to be a kept woman.” He shook his head. “No, that didn’t come out right. It’s you who wants it. You crave the control we have over you.”

Lori spoke. “Don’t put words in Stephanie’s mouth though, Dane. Let her speak for herself.”

Dane kissed her forehead. “Sorry. Can you deny it?”

He knew her so well. How had that happened so fast? She flushed deeper than she had earlier, her face burning with the heat of his stare as her blood flooded her cheeks. He pegged it. And she had to admit it out loud. “It’s true,” she whispered. “But I’m not sure I like the feeling. You have to give me a chance to consider it for more than a few days. It’s a huge step.”

“Again, Stephanie is right. She’s not a pushover. And you wouldn’t want her to be.” Lori leaned forward onto her knees. “You just quit your job, right?”

Stephanie nodded.

“Are you willing to take some time off before looking for another place of employment?”

She shook her head. “I can’t do that. It’s unsettling. I would have the weight of it niggling in my mind the entire time. I need at least a few hours every day to myself to hunt for a new job.”

“And this is negotiation, boys.” Lori lifted her face to meet the men’s eyes. “Can you give up a few hours a day so Stephanie can relax for the other twenty?”

Aiden squeezed her neck where his fingers lay tangled in her hair. “I have an idea. We touched on this last week. Dane and I are in need of someone with her skills at the restaurant. The website is a mess. The books are a disaster. Neither of us has the knack for that end of the job. We squeak by every month doing the bare minimum and it’s beginning to catch up with us.

“We have to hire someone soon anyway. It would work out perfectly if Stephanie took that job for us and managed the business end.”

Stephanie sucked in a breath. They had mentioned that last week, but she was still not convinced it was a good idea. What if things went south? It was always bad to sleep with the boss.

On the other hand, technically, neither man had slept with her. A fact that never left her mind. She longed for them to take her pussy. Craved it with every ounce of her being. What the hell they were waiting on was beyond her.

“Stephanie?” Lori dragged her attention back to the present.

She cringed. “I’m not fond of the idea. If we don’t work out, what a mess.”

Dane stepped in. “How about this? Think of it as a two-week trial period. No matter who we hire, that would be the arrangement anyway. You work for us for two weeks while we explore this relationship. That way you make money and you haven’t wasted any time when you could have been job hunting.”

She scrunched her face. “That’s a lot of togetherness. What if we get tired of each other?”

Aiden laughed. “I can’t picture ever being tired of you in this lifetime, but if we do, no harm, no foul. You look for a job somewhere else.”

She stared at Dane and then Aiden. “So I would go to work with you and we’d be like normal people there?” She glanced at both men again.

Dane lifted his chin and tilted his head. “I don’t think quite that normal. Aiden?” He looked over her head.

“I’m going with Dane on this one. In fact, you could do a lot of work from here without even coming into the restaurant. Maybe a few hours a day you would be with us there, but we’d want you to be submissive. If you break the role, you won’t have the full experience.”

“I don’t like the idea of the other employees knowing I’m your sub. I’d be uncomfortable.”

Aiden pondered that a moment, chewing on half his lower lip. “How about we keep anything submissive between us? We’ll ask things of you in public, but nothing that would give you away. Unless you can’t control yourself,” he added with a grin. “That challenge would be yours.”

Could she do it? Work at the restaurant and maintain some sort of form? “What would you ask of me in public?”

Dane touched the tip of her nose. “If we told you that, where would all the fun be?”

“I think this sounds perfect for you three. Stephanie works for full-time pay with benefits as a trial. You three can figure out the hours and locations and times. When she isn’t working, she lives as a complete submissive. When she is, she still follows the rules set in place for public decency.” Lori nodded at all three. “Is this agreeable to everyone?”

Stephanie hesitated. “You will not expose me at the restaurant. Pun not intended. I don’t want anyone to know. I’m not ready for that. Make sure your requests allow me a level of modesty that won’t turn eyes in my direction.”

Dane agreed. “Okay, but the same rules will not apply in a club situation. We want you to explore deeper when we’re at the dungeon.”

“Did you guys get membership to Emergence?” Lori asked.

“Not yet, but we’re hoping. We applied on Saturday.”

Lori waved a hand. “You will. I’ll call them myself. That’s the perfect place to explore. Relaxed. Quiet. Dark. You’ll love it, Stephanie.”

Riiight. I’m going to love the idea of being at the mercy of two men in front of other people.
“So you’re planning to let other people see me naked at the club?”

Dane leaned in and kissed her lips this time. “As much as you contest, the idea arouses you. That’s what I love about you. Your heart rate is elevated.” He set a hand on her chest between her breasts. “Your face is red.” He dragged his hand up to touch her cheek. “Your hands are sweaty.” He grasped her palm and flipped it over. Releasing her fingers, he pressed his hand between her legs and rubbed. “Your pussy is hot and wet,” he murmured.

Stephanie gasped and wiggled backward. She grabbed his wrist. It unnerved her to have him touch her like that in front of a total stranger. It also aroused her beyond compare. And that unsettled her even more.

He wouldn’t release his clutch on her crotch. His fingers stroked her brazenly. Even through the material of her jeans she could feel him as though she were naked.

She moaned and then bit her lip, gathering her wits and losing the battle. How could she be this aroused with Lori watching?

“It’s okay, hon.” Lori’s voice penetrated the haze surrounding her. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. Your entire thinking is skewed by society’s norms. I have a few books you can read that will help you get through this time period.” She patted a bulging bag next to her that Stephanie hadn’t noticed until that moment.

“A few?”

“One of the things you should really concentrate on will be studying and learning about the lifestyle. As you study, if you have questions, or just want to talk, call me, okay?”

Stephanie nodded.
Maybe.

“Also, you need a safe word. Have you three discussed this?” Lori glanced at each of them.

“Not yet,” Aiden said. “Unless you count cannoli.”

“Cannoli?” Lori asked.

Dane laughed. “We used it last week. I think it’s a bit of a mouthful as a permanent safe word though.”

Lori shook her head. “I don’t even want to know this story. Stephanie, do you have a preference? If not, red is always easy to remember. It’s also the universal safe word you’ll use in a club, including Emergence.”

“Red is fine.” Stephanie cringed imagining having to use it.

Lori smiled. “Well, I have to get to work. Let’s do lunch in a few days. Alone. So we can talk without these men leaning over us.” She stood and picked up her purse, leaving the bag of reading material behind.

“I resent that statement,” Dane joked as he stood and led her to the door. “But I think it’s a good idea. Maybe you can get her to open up more in a few days, and when you two are alone.”

“I’m betting on it. Oh, and I’ll call Emergence and make sure you have membership ASAP. A simple recommendation is all they really need.” Lori winked at Aiden and Dane. What was that about?

“Thanks, Lori. I appreciate the help. We heard the waiting list for Emergence was long.”

Lori winked. “It is. But I’ll get you fast tracked.”

Stephanie breathed deeply. Would she be prepared to enter that realm so soon? She was going to hyperventilate with everything happening so fast.

Aiden tugged her hair to lift her face toward him. He kissed her lips gently. “It’s going to be fine.”

Chapter Two

Jason Garwood stepped through the front door of Seabring Inc. fifteen minutes early. Ever since he’d decided to hire an IT company to handle his company’s computer system, he’d been on a path to craziness.

And it kept getting weirder.

The proposal he’d gotten was from a Stephanie Parkins. That name jumped out at him and made him drop the pages on the floor when he’d opened the file. Could it be her?
The
Stephanie Parkins? He’d never expected to see her again. What were the chances? The name was common enough it could be anyone, but he wondered if this was the woman he’d known years ago when she’d been just a child.

As Jason stepped into the office, a cheery voice spoke to him from behind the front desk. “Welcome to Seabring. How may I help you?”

“I have an appointment with Mr. Cane and Mr. Reeves.” The owners themselves were meeting him this morning. He had no idea why. His needs weren’t really big enough to warrant such an act, but he’d received an e-mail over the weekend that the gentlemen would be handling his account.

He’d thought he’d come face-to-face with Stephanie Parkins, and hell, he still intended to, but first he had to make the owners’ acquaintance.

“Right this way, sir.” The perky woman from the front desk bopped out from behind and led him down the hall, her blond ponytail bouncing and swaying with her hips as she walked.

When she reached a door halfway down a long hallway, she pushed it open and held it for Jason to pass. “Mr. Cane and Mr. Reeves will be right with you. Please have a seat. There’s coffee on the counter. Help yourself.” With that, she was gone.

Nice place.
He held back a whistle. Mahogany table, leather chairs, fancy coffeemaker that dispensed a single serving of whatever flavor a person might desire.

Jason headed straight for the coffee. The caffeine might perk him up.

No sooner had he set his briefcase down on the table and pulled out a chair than the door opened once again and two gentlemen slightly older than himself entered.

“Mr. Garwood.” The first man reached out his hand and shook Jason’s firmly. “Nice to meet you.” He motioned to the chair Jason had been about to plop down in. “I’m Jack Cane. This is my partner, Harold Reeves.”

All three men sat at the end of the long table. It could accommodate twelve people. The room was large.

Mr. Reeves opened a file he’d been carrying and spread out the papers as though seeing them for the first time. “Let’s see, you’re looking for some general IT work to bring your system up to date. Is this correct?”