Enraptured (11 page)

But if she told them the truth and had to go back home to Denver, she’d definitely never see Roman Chase again. Maybe that was actually the worst part. She’d never been as attracted to another person in her life as she was to Roman.

“As much as I don’t like how Lauren handled things just now,” Roman said, “she did have a good idea. You could stay here, and train with me.”

Oh my goodness. Jessica didn’t dare smile, in case it was all a joke. “Stay here?”

“Perhaps it’s we who need to talk in private, Jessica,” he said. “Why don’t you stay here for a little while so we can discuss the matter.”

Lauren nodded. “Only if you want to, hon.”

“How will I get home?”

“I’ll drive you now, if you want,” she said. “Or if you stay here—”

“I will arrange for you to get home when you’re ready to go,” Roman said. “But, unlike last time we discussed your training, I will expect you to make your own decision about the matter. No one will take offense.”

There was nothing to think about. Absolutely, she wanted to be alone with Roman. She looked at Lauren. “You won’t be mad?”

“Jessica, I won’t be mad. Marc and I only want to scene with someone who’s into it. If you’re not, then we’re better off as friends. Besides, I have a feeling Marc might let me keep Tiff.” She winked at Roman.

“Tiff has been good for you two,” Roman said. “You just might want to work a little harder to convince Marc you’ll be able to keep her work as his secretary out of it.”

“Don’t worry, I’m on it.” Lauren gave Jessica a warm hug. “Thank you for giving me a chance to scene with you today. You did wonderfully. I’d love to take you out to lunch next week, if you’re up for it. As friends.”

“I’m still trying to figure out why you’d want my company, Mistress Lauren,” Jessica said. “Especially after I messed things up here like this.”

“Hey!” Lauren put her finger under Jessica’s chin, so she had no choice but to look straight into her pretty blue eyes. “Cut out the low-self-esteem crap. You’re supposed to get over that when you’re done being a teenager.”

Jessica giggled. “Okay. And lunch sounds awesome. Thank you.”

“Good.” Lauren gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and then stood on her tippy toes to give one to Roman. “I’ll let you know how my spanking goes,
sir
.”

She laughed and walked out the front door, leaving Jessica and Roman alone in the front hall.

Alone. With Roman.

“Do you think Marc’s really going to spank her?” she asked.

“No. He’s only her Dom in the bedroom. But if she were my submissive, she’d absolutely be spanked.” He paused. “How do you feel about that?”

Her feminist younger sister would have a heart attack. So would her parents. But Jessica kind of liked the idea of being taken in hand by a man like Roman.

“Well, if the woman consents, it wouldn’t be abuse, right?” she asked. “I only ask because, you know, some people would say spanking a woman for behaving inappropriately is terribly old-fashioned.”

“It is that,” he agreed. “Let’s continue this conversation in the living room.” He started walking without waiting for her to respond, so she followed.

Roman’s living room had huge floor-to-ceiling curtains covering one wall. Jessica looked at them wistfully, wishing he’d open them. It was so nice outside, and so gloomy inside. She walked over to the window and pushed the curtain to the side a bit, peering out.

“It’s a beautiful day,” she said, and left the curtain slightly open before sitting on the plush white rug.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?” he asked as he sat on the sleek black leather couch.

“It’s soft.”

“It’s a very submissive thing to do,” he said. The way he said it made it sound like a high compliment, and she smiled. “I’m going to be very up front with you, Jessica. Lauren was right, I do want to take over your training.”

“I thought you were trying to stop doing that?”

He smirked. “Yeah, I did say that, didn’t I? I think what I meant was I’m sick of the merry-go-round of girls. I’d like you to consider living here, with me, for a while, as my submissive.”

Living with him? She looked around at the luxury he surrounded himself with. His living room alone was five times the size of her entire apartment. But how could she be his submissive if she didn’t know the first thing about it?

“I’d like that,” she said. “I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’ve been thinking a lot about you, and wanting to get to know you better. It seems kind of extreme, though, moving into your home when we don’t even know each other.”

“We know enough. Think about all of the arranged marriages that work out because they’re essentially business decisions. I’m a Dom, and I need a submissive. Someone who will stay awhile and is willing to submit to me. You’re a natural-born sub who needs training to bring out your true self. And you’re attracted to me.”

Jessica didn’t bother to deny it. Who wouldn’t be attracted to him? He looked like a celebrity and he knew it. But . . . “Arranged marriage?”

“No, don’t misunderstand,” he said quickly. “I’m never getting married. I have no expectations of us . . . falling in love, or anything of that nature. I merely want a submissive. If you think it’s something you’d like to do, then I think we should jump in with both feet. You move in.”

Jessica raised her eyebrows. “I don’t even know what I’m signing up for, sir.”

“As my submissive, you would do as I say. You would respect me, obey me, and serve me. As your Dom, I would take full responsibility for your well-being. That includes paying off your student loans, incidentally.”

Another generous offer. Another way to sell herself for money.

“I don’t want to be your whore, sir.”

“Not my whore. My submissive. As my submissive, you will never again be allowed to speak poorly of yourself, and if you do I will spank you. Do you understand what I’m saying here? Because that’s a good example of the sort of rules you’d have to follow. Mistress Lauren was right that you need to get over your hang-ups and insecurities. I . . . can help.”

The rug beneath her had a stream of light across it from the curtain she’d left partially open. Did he notice? She put her hand in the light, watching the sunlight play across her skin. Roman wanted her. She wanted him. So what if he didn’t think he could fall in love with her? Did it really matter, as long as she got to be with him every day?

“Would this be a . . . a sexual relationship, sir?”

“Yes.” He stared down at her, not elaborating. He didn’t even look particularly lustful. It was if they were discussing having tea instead of negotiating sex.

She desperately wanted to sleep with him, but he was playing it so cool she had to play a little harder to get, so she raised her eyebrows at him.

“What if I don’t want to?”

H
e shrugged. “Then don’t move in. No hard feelings.”

But Roman didn’t feel as nonchalant as he sounded. He wanted Jessica, badly. If she agreed, he’d be able to finally focus his energy on something other than Elisabeth and his heartbreak. Focusing on Jessica would become his new priority.

Although, since he’d gotten to know Jessica, he’d been thinking less and less about Elisabeth. As far as he could tell, that meant he was on the right path.

“Would you like to discuss what a slave contract would entail?” he asked.

She looked up at him, a shy smile crossing her beautiful lips, all of her lip gloss licked off since lunch. He liked that she didn’t need to wear heavy makeup. Her natural beauty shone through.

“Okay. I suppose it would be a good idea to know exactly what I’d be agreeing to, sir.” She folded her knees up under her chin and waited.

“I’m looking to fill a job position.”

“A job?”

“It’s the best way to explain what I want, and how you can benefit. I’m ready to have a full-time collared slave, and I think you would fit the bill. I’ve never once said that to a submissive before training her, and only once after—”

“Elisabeth,” she interrupted.

“Yes.” He frowned. “The point is that this is a big step, and one that I’m sort of jumping into. But I like you, Jessica. And I want to get to know you better. To train you to be the perfect submissive for me, and to be the perfect Dom for you.”

“The perfect match,” Jessica mused, playing with a strand of her blonde hair. “Is there such a thing?”

“I don’t know. I used to think so. Now I think that as long as we are clear about what we need from each other, about what each of us gains from the relationship, then yes. We can make each other . . . happy.”

“Forgive me if this is out of line, sir, but you don’t usually seem happy. At the club, I mean.”

“I’m not a particularly extroverted person. When I’m in a good mood, all people notice is that I’m not in a bad mood. But I’m looking to change that. Everyone else is partnered up. Everyone else is happy.” Resentment had crept into his voice, and he forced himself to relax. It wasn’t Trevor’s fault Elisabeth had chosen him. Or Marc’s that he finally found love with Lauren. “So why not us?” He patted the leather on the couch next to him, and she immediately got up and sat next to him.

“This seems very sudden and scary. I don’t think I want to be a slave.”

“I beg to differ. You can’t know until you’ve experienced it. If you found yourself miserable then you’d be free to go. I would never keep you here against your will.”

“Then that means you could change your mind at any time. I could give up my apartment and my job and then be left with nothing.”

“That’s why there would be a contract between us,” he countered. “I’ve always taken good care of my submissives. I have excellent referrals, if you’d like to speak to some of the women who have trained with me. But those women moved on, and I want you to consider this a more . . . permanent arrangement. Which is why you should consider it a job, one with incredible benefits.”

“Benefits.”

Jessica laughed, as if being a slave with benefits was a crazy thought. But she was too new to understand. He had to make her see.

“I’ll pay for everything, of course. Your student loans, gone. And I’d like you to go back to school to find a major you do enjoy. Just because drama wasn’t for you doesn’t mean school isn’t for you. You need an education.”

“Why would a slave need to be educated?”

He noted that she’d dropped the “sir,” whether intentionally or not he couldn’t tell. But it was clear she was taking the conversation seriously, at least, to be asking so many questions. Good. He didn’t want her going into this uninformed.

“A slave doesn’t need to be a college graduate, of course. But my slave would. Just as we’re sitting here talking now, I imagine we will be talking quite a bit. I’d like you to know what you’re talking about.”

“Ouch.”

Roman sighed. “I apologize. Obviously I don’t think you’re dumb or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

She looked at the small strip of light coming in through the window. He’d noticed she opened the curtain earlier, but he enjoyed seeing the way the thin rays of sunshine played along her hair, so he let it be.

“It would take a long time,” she said softly, “but eventually I could pay off my own student loans, sir.”

“There are other benefits,” he said. “I can tell you are a natural submissive. In embracing your submission, you’ll find freedom. You’ll be able to let go of your self-esteem issues because you’ll be mine, and you’ll know that I always choose to surround myself with the best.”

“But that’s just it, Roman. I’m not the best. I’m not even particularly good. I’m just a girl who sells overpriced lemonade at a BDSM club!”

Roman frowned. He needed to start this off the right way. Without a word, he grasped her hand in his and pulled her over his knee.

The word “What—” started to come out of her mouth, but she stopped herself and merely looked at him in surprise.

“I told you I’d spank you if you spoke like that about yourself. Stop me now if you want to.”

A mixture of fear and desire glowed in her eyes. “I’m not stopping you, sir.”

Roman lifted her dress, revealing her white cotton panties, and pulled them down. Fuck, she had an amazing ass. It was still a bit red from her earlier paddling.

He brought his hand up and spanked her, a quick, harsh spank that let her know he meant business. Jessica gasped but didn’t move her legs, just tucked her cheek against the couch, looking at him as he spanked her again, once on each cheek. She didn’t make a sound.

But a spanking needed to hurt to make the point, so he continued until she started sobbing, dry, tearless sobs that sounded like quick, sharp moans. His cock hardened at the sound, at the feel of her pliable flesh beneath his hand.

When he felt she’d had enough, he pulled her panties up and sat her up again, wrapping his arm around her slender shoulders. He wanted to comfort her, but wasn’t sure how, so he held her close, feeling her body heat against his and breathing steadily, hoping his erection would go away.

“Thank you, sir,” she whispered.

His heart raced. She’d thanked him for the spanking. It was so clear that she would flourish under his care. Could she see that? Did she know?