EroticTakeover (2 page)

Jodi didn’t do that. She was unbelievably levelheaded and
genuine. With her, Mac sensed a man could be himself. He wouldn’t have to put
on a show and prove he was more than he could ever be. Imperfect was good
enough. Being simply human would suffice. Her quiet manner and intelligence not
only comforted, it aroused.

Weird.

Many of the men Mac knew would have gladly chewed off one of
their balls in exchange for a few minutes with Krista. Fucking idiots. She seemed
perfect but was unbelievably boring. Talking to her about stuff he liked was
torture for both of them. At twenty-two, she was too young to have known real
heartache and had never heard the word no, at least not from her adoring
parents. They approved of whatever path she took, always cheering her on. Her
wealth gave Krista added protection against the frustrations of daily living.
She’d been born into money, as Mac had, and probably wouldn’t hurt too much in
this life.

His mom and dad hadn’t suffered at all. The moment they got
annoyed or uninterested with anything, they simply drifted to their next
diversion.

When Mac had been in his late twenties, he’d begun to crave
more than an endless good time, even though he hadn’t been certain what it
might be. At thirty-two, he still wasn’t sure.

He headed for the west wall, which was all windows, perfect
for the nudes he shot in natural light. Thankfully, the studio was on the
second floor, which kept pervs and the general public from peering inside from
the sidewalk. For those shots with studio lighting, he’d set aside a distant
corner of this space. Cait was finally there, perched on a ladder as she hung
the shackles on an exposed beam in the ceiling.

“Careful, babe,” Hilary called out.

“She’ll be all right,” Krista assured breezily. “She does that
all the time. I need you to finish my makeup.” She thrust out her chest, no
doubt wanting her pale-pink nipples rouged.

Rocco had his own problems. He’d shoved his hands in his
pants and was scratching his ass.

Mac glanced out the window. Jodi had just left the building.
Turning right, she headed toward the organic food store. The summer sun set
fire to her red hair, making him smile. With her pale skin and the splash of
freckles across her nose, she was appealingly wholesome. A woman you could
trust.

Her steps slowed then stopped. She looked up as though she’d
felt him watching her.

When their eyes met, a jolt of pleasure shot through him,
sapping his strength. Mac rested his hand against the window, needing its
support, and figured he should look away but didn’t want to.

Jodi’s hair danced in the mild breeze. The silken strands
framed her face and fell just below her chin. A kissable part of her, the same
as her milky throat and chest. She’d worn a pale-yellow tee that dipped low in
front and clung to her curves just as her jeans did. She had a figure like
those old-time stars Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe. Succulent female flesh.

Blood settled in Mac’s groin, giving him another monster
hard-on like the one he’d had earlier when he’d been eyeing her.

Jodi stared at him now as she had then, all movement
stopped, trapped in his gaze.

Damn, her unguarded reaction felt nice.

Mac wanted to smile but didn’t risk it. She might bolt
across the street to flee whatever scared her about him. Having her pulverized
by a passing car would certainly ruin both their days.

He decided to be a good boy and simply regarded her as she
did him. A long moment passed, time seeming to slow down then stop. Mac no
longer heard the deafening bass that roared through the room or the noise of
traffic zooming by. He imagined the soft hush of her breath and recalled the
few times he’d been close enough to catch her scent. Something powdery and
old-fashioned with the delicate hint of flowers.

He wanted to smell her now, ease off her cute glasses and
kiss the tip of her small nose, adorable freckles, rose-colored lips. After
that, he figured he’d get down and totally dirty.

Since he’d hired her, Mac had spent far too much time
imagining Jodi naked and bound, or cinched in a leather bustier, her breasts
barely contained by the cups, her outstanding ass uplifted for his pleasure. A
paddling then sex. Vaginal. Anal. Everything he craved and—

He started at a hand on his arm. Looking over, Mac caught
Krista’s inviting smile but didn’t return it, disappointed she’d interrupted
his fantasy.

She ran her manicured nail over his chin and spoke in a
whispery voice. “What’cha doing?”

Nothing now.
When Mac looked out the window again,
the walk was empty. Jodi had gone.

A stab of loneliness hit him in his gut, surprising in its
intensity.

Mac tensed at the feeling then frowned, damn tired of Jodi
evading him or taking off whenever they exchanged a glance.

He hadn’t done anything wrong. He hadn’t even touched her.

Yet.

That sure as hell was going to change.

Jodi returned to the studio and stopped so abruptly the
front door hit her butt. She tried to swallow her mouthful of strawberry
smoothie but the icy-sweet slush wouldn’t go down.

What’s he doing?

Rather than shooting the models, Mac leaned against the lip
of her desk, facing the door and her. His ass was precisely where Krista’s had
been a short while before, his arms crossed over his chest. Ropy veins adorned
his forearms and biceps. His tat’s swirls seemed even wider, deliciously
dangerous.

Jodi’s arm tightened around the bag holding Krista and
Rocco’s drinks, along with what was left of hers. The paper crinkled loudly
given the relative quiet in there. Static, rather than music, crackled from the
radio.

Jodi wondered if Mac was pissed because she hadn’t been there
to get better reception on the station. He was certainly disturbed about
something and looked incredibly hot because of his intense mood…his piercing
stare.

The way a Dom would behave because his sub hadn’t performed
to his expectations.

Her belly fluttered and her thoughts raced to places they
shouldn’t go. Submission. Punishment. A strap or a palm smacking her bare ass.
The surprising sting. Incredible warmth. An achy, juicy cunt wanting a cock.

Intense heat crept up Jodi’s belly to her chest, the
sensation disturbing and exciting.

“No,” Cait suddenly barked from the far end of the studio.
Despite her five-nothing height and waiflike body, she was one mean mother when
people didn’t listen to her. “A little more over here, just like I keep telling
you.”

Jodi guessed Cait was positioning Krista and Rocco for the shoot
per Mac’s meticulous instructions that he always detailed on his storyboards.
Hilary was probably flitting around the models, daubing makeup on areas she’d
previously missed. Like the small birthmark on Krista’s belly and the dark mole
on her—

“Yeah,
yeah
yeahhhhhh,”
a singer suddenly
screeched from the radio, followed by ear-splitting bass.

Jodi flinched at the deafening noise, her arm squishing the
drinks. Mac didn’t even blink. The force of his gaze continued to bore through
her.

Every bone in her body went soft while she swallowed convulsively,
forcing the smoothie down too fast.
God.
It felt like an ice cube the
size of a boulder had caught in her throat. Jodi wheezed in a small breath,
choked it out and coughed.

“Hey.” Mac pushed away from the desk, his arms falling at
his sides. “Are you all right?”

She nodded vigorously despite her gasping coughs.

Frowning, he moved toward her. Jodi stepped back. Mac halted
immediately, his frown deepening. He studied her as if looking for an answer to
a question he hadn’t asked then strode forward again. With nowhere left to go,
except back through the metal door, she didn’t move.

Mac took the bag from her. “Do you like it here?”

Blood drained from Jodi’s face so quickly her cheeks felt
icier than the smoothie had in her throat. Her brain went muzzy except for one
horrible thought. He was going to fire her.
Oh shit.

“I wasn’t gone that long,” she blurted, unable to keep her
voice from shaking. “I would’ve asked if you wanted something but you were busy
with the strap, shackles, all that BD-BD-BD—” God, she couldn’t even remember
the term. “Whatever you call that stuff. I didn’t want to disturb you.” She
spoke so fast her words ran into each other, sounding slurred. “I’ll pay you
for my drink. I brought back the change.”

Jodi dug the money out of the front pocket of her jeans and
offered it to him.

Her hand shook like a ninety-year-old’s would.

Mac’s unmistakable frustration turned to obvious confusion
then what looked to be tenderness, which was nuts. Jodi was so unglued she
suspected she was hallucinating.

“Go on,” she said, waving the cash at him. “Take it, it’s
yours.”

He considered her for a moment then wrapped his fingers
around her hand.

Her legs went watery at his intense heat, the comfort of his
dry, calloused palm, his gentle strength.

Mac leaned close, delivering a whiff of his fragrance. The
hint of leather and his musk was more obvious now. Jodi blinked wildly.

He murmured, “Do you like it here?”

She would have gladly died at this moment if her last memory
could be of his big body, the sweetness of his breath, his stunning eyes. Jodi
could drown in that gorgeous blue color. “You mean working?”

He smiled unexpectedly then sobered. “Yeah.”

“Uh-huh.”

With her hand lightly imprisoned by his, he led her to her
desk. “Sit.”

She dropped into her chair, grateful for it since her legs
refused to hold her any longer. Mac kept stroking her thumb, sending tingles up
her arm to her throat and the top of her head. Jodi stopped herself from
grinning like a horny loon because she couldn’t imagine why he was touching her
at all or what was going on. She must have missed something huge while she’d
been gone…like Krista rejecting him.

Yeah, right. Krista was self-absorbed, not insane.

Mac’s torso blocked Jodi from seeing whatever was going on
in the rest of the studio. Not that she cared. Mesmerized, she watched his
thumb running lazily over hers. Lord that felt good. She sagged in her chair.

He stroked her for a moment more then put the bag on her
desk. With his thigh propped against the edge, Mac crossed his arms over his
chest. His biceps and tat were bulging again.

Dizzy, Jodi pressed back in her chair so she wouldn’t fall
out of it.

Mac noted her movement, a look of bewilderment crossing his
handsome face. “You really think I’d fire you because you paid for your drink
out of petty cash?”

Remembering his money, Jodi released her stranglehold on the
change. The crumpled bills tumbled to her desk; the coins clattered. At least
she suspected they had. The bass was really loud now, drowning out all sounds
except for Cait’s exasperated orders to her charges.

“Left, Rocco,” Cait growled. “Not right. Left.”

“I don’t know,” Jodi finally answered, wanting to be honest
with Mac about her work.

When it came to her feelings for him, she was prepared to
lie through her teeth.

Mac scratched his jaw with his thumbnail. “I’m not that kind
of man or boss, all right?”

The stud in his lobe caught the light bleeding in from the
outside. The rays glanced off his hair, so black the thick, silky waves had a
whisper of blue in them that brought to mind Superman’s hair in those old DC
comics.

Mac’s was far better.

Forcing down a swallow, Jodi nodded obediently to his
question. No different from her fantasies when he asked if she needed
discipline. God, did she. And if she wanted him to mount her. Was there any
doubt of that?

“Hey, Mac,” Cait yelled. “We’re just about ready for you.
Finally.”

Rocco said something that sounded nasty though Jodi couldn’t
be sure. The booming music obliterated his words.

“Be there in a sec,” Mac hollered, not bothering to turn to
Cait. His full attention remained on Jodi.

She blushed, aroused by his quiet scrutiny but also worried
about what he was thinking. How he saw her.

Studying her, he said, “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
He lifted his shoulders. “Why are you? Have I done something I’m not aware of?”

Only in her dreams. “I’m not afraid of you,” she answered
truthfully. Jodi was terrified of never fulfilling her desire for him or
experiencing what women like Krista did. Not that she could tell Mac about her
X-rated fantasies with him as the star.

He had his pick of women. One of them was waiting for him
right now and not liking it.

“Mac,” Krista called out as the music faded. “We’re ready.
These bracelets are uncomfortable.”

“They’re called shackles,” Cait informed the other woman.

“Whatever,” Krista shot back. “Mac, please. Let’s get on
with this.”

He ignored her cranky plea with surprising indifference. The
kind parents show their kids who’ve been bugging the crap out of them.

Jodi figured if he kept up that attitude, he wouldn’t get
laid tonight.

She was still uncertain what was happening. Why he’d taken
this moment to grill her about job satisfaction. Why he’d watched her from the
window when she’d left for the drinks…his gaze searching hers, touching her
soul.

In that magical moment, Jodi had wondered if he’d felt the
same connection between them that she had. Their hearts and bodies exquisitely
aware of each other’s needs, making words unnecessary. Once they were together
again, they’d simply fall into each other’s embrace and go at it. No questions
asked. No restrictions allowed.

An intoxicating prospect until Krista was suddenly at his
side, magnificently naked. Too easily, Mac’s attention had moved to her, just
as any sane man’s would—assuming he was straight.

Given that, Jodi wondered if Mac had watched her because
he’d been worried about her quitting and taking off.
Oh right.
As if she
were that indispensable. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of others who’d
do just as well here. Probably for a whole lot less than Mac paid her.

Worried suddenly, she asked, “Are you satisfied with my
work?”

He smiled. A slow, lazy grin that made her pussy wet.

“Very much.” He studied her eyes then her mouth where he
lingered. “I like having you here.”

“Yo, Mac,” Rocco bellowed. “Can we get a move on? These fucking
pants are killing me.”

“Coming,” Mac hollered. With a sigh, he pushed away from the
desk then turned back to her. “I want you to be happy here. I want you to stay.
You need anything, you let me know. Got it?”

Jodi did and didn’t. What she needed, he wouldn’t be able to
deliver. Like a good assistant, she nodded meekly even as her heart kept
slamming into her throat at his remembered words.

“I like having you here.”

* * * * *

Once Mac was in the zone, even a magnitude-nine earthquake
wouldn’t have broken his concentration. The man didn’t need food, water or a
bathroom break the way his crew did. For hours, he shot Krista and Rocco,
ignoring their repeated gripes as he and Cait staged them in countless poses, each
one more provocative than the last. Krista naked and chained. Krista’s ass
offered up for punishment. Krista on her knees before Rocco, her expression
begging him to use her.

Jodi shoved her glasses up her nose and stared at the newest
images she’d downloaded from Mac’s memory card. In several, he’d used
techniques known as high-speed and motion-blur. Some of the shots captured the
strap as it connected with Krista’s uplifted butt, the leather curling around
her beautifully rounded cheeks, very nearly caressing them as a guy’s hands
would. The pictures were surprisingly sensual. The longing expression on
Krista’s face the stuff of Jodi’s wet dreams.

Pleasure like that wasn’t just for men. Jodi was living
proof of a woman’s insatiable needs, her ecstatic moans waking her more than
once as she’d come in her sleep, snuggled within Mac’s arms in her dreams.

In the motion-blur shots, Rocco and Krista were in sharp
focus while the strap was a smear of white-and-gray movement that whispered
across the scene. Ghostlike. Ethereal. Certainly some of the best work Mac had
ever done.

Almost as if he was showing off.

For Krista? Had to be. Hilary definitely wasn’t his type. A
happy lesbian, she had a boyish build and a pixie haircut, the strands dyed
blonde, green, pink, purple and blue with the ends pointing in all directions.
Currently, she was dead to the world, asleep on the overstuffed sofa as Cait
waited to call it a day or even a night. Poor Cait kept bunching her thin
shoulders, no doubt wanting to go, if Mac would only let her.

He didn’t.

Rocco was finally nude, his rod and nuts a little chafed but
swinging free as he pretended to dominate Krista for the camera. As exquisite
as she was, Krista had begun to look like a zombie a short while ago. Her
expression flat. Eyes unfocused.

“That’s almost what I want,” Mac said to her. “Dig deeper for
what you should feel. He’s offering you water for the first time since
punishing you. Your throat is so dry you can barely swallow. You certainly
can’t speak, not even to beg him for a drop or to tell him you’d do anything to
get it.”

Krista spoke through her teeth. “I’d do anything if he got
the stupid stuff in my freaking mouth.”

“Hey,” Rocco growled. “I’m doing my goddamn best.”

Jodi checked the time again. Already, she’d stayed two hours
past her usual schedule and was getting uncomfortable about sticking around. It
wasn’t that she had anything special to do or anywhere else to be. With gas
costing so much and her clunker on its last mile, she didn’t drive around for
fun, visit malls or eat out. However, there wasn’t any reason for her to sit
tight except to rack up more overtime or drool over Mac without him noticing.
For the last several hours, he hadn’t even glanced her way.

Sighing, she finally powered down her computer, gathered her
things and debated whether she should say goodbye because he’d said he liked
having her here.

Will you get real?
When he’d been at the window,
watching her do a smoothie run, he’d most likely been worried that she’d take
off and never return, forcing him to train someone else. For a man as busy as
he was, that would be a definite hassle. It was easier for Mac to pretend she
was important to him.

Knowing she wasn’t, except as a faithful employee, Jodi
scribbled a note saying that she’d see him in the morning. After taping it to
her keyboard, she left her chair. As always, its springs squeaked.

Rocco and Krista didn’t seem to notice the noise, even
though Cait had turned down the music when Hilary had fallen asleep. Mac didn’t
appear to hear the sounds either. He continued directing the models, his back
to Jodi.