His Contract: Legally Bound, Book 1 (9 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Jack glanced at the clock in the back of the classroom.

“Looks like it’s time to wrap up,” he said. His students began gathering their things. “I’m sure none of you need the reminder about next week’s reading. I’ll be expecting some lively analysis. If you have questions, you know when my office hours are.”

Although he wished they weren’t today.

Almost twenty-four hours had gone by since he’d seen Lilly, and the strain of waiting for her answer was driving him crazy.

He collected his laptop and the text he’d been reading from, then left the room and walked down the hall toward his office. The department secretary stopped him before he reached it.

“You’ve got someone waiting,” she told him.

“Already?”

He’d hoped to have a few minutes to himself before the parade of students arrived. He rounded the corner and froze. Lilly was standing outside his office. She was pacing, one hand tugging on a braid that spilled over her shoulder. Concern for her gripped Jack like a vise.

She went stock still when she saw him. Jack neared her and murmured, “This is a surprise.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I looked up your office hours online. I thought you might be free, and I…needed to talk.”

“Is everything all right?” Lilly nodded but said nothing else. “Let’s go inside.”

He opened the door and ushered her inside. Heat sputtered from the faintly hissing radiator, glare from the snow-glistening campus shining in through the windows. Jack placed his things on a small table by the door.

“You can put your bag here,” he told her. “Let me take your coat.”

She put down her bag, took off her coat and handed it to him. She’d been dressed for work—both professional and sexy as hell in a soft cotton sweater, stockings, a skirt and heels. He hung her coat on the back of the door, closed it behind him and locked it.

“What did you need to talk about?”

“I want to. I think—” Lilly blurted out, then winced. “The contract, I mean. I want to. With you.”

His cock pulsed, but Jack ignored his body’s reaction. He needed to focus on Lilly. “You think, or you know?”

There was a difference, one she had to be sure of.

She fingered her braid again, twisting it even tighter. That nervous habit of hers was out in full force. Jack wondered what it would be like to coil that silky rope around his own fingers, then beat the image back. She was anxious, and needed comforting right now.

He lifted a hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Relax.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not sure how to process everything.” She took a breath and released her hair. “It’s hard to believe you’re giving me so much freedom. My ex never did.”

“I’m not him,” he said simply.

She searched his eyes for a long moment. “I know.”

Jack encouraged her to take a deep breath, then another. When she finally seemed calmer, he lowered his hand.

“You read everything I gave you?” he asked. Lilly nodded. “Did you bring the checklist?”

“I did.”

“Good girl.”

She smiled briefly, a tiny curve of her lips. He put that smile on her face, and he wanted to keep it there. She liked being praised. He’d have to remember that.

Jack held out his hand. “Let me see it.”

Lilly went back to the door and retrieved the papers from her bag. When he took them from her, he let his fingers brush along hers, his touch lingering until she blushed.

“Have a seat,” he told her, and Lilly sank into a chair.

Checklist in hand, he strode toward the window and flipped the blinds shut. He started at the last page, scanning through some of the riskier stuff, relieved to see she’d put hard limits on all edge play. That had never been his thing. He continued flipping backward, his eyes drawn to the items he most wanted to read. She’d checked “curious” for flogging. Good. He’d love to introduce her to that, to hear her startled gasp at the heavy thump of the tails. It seemed she liked being restrained too, and he relished the image of her shackled in his cuffs.

Corralling his concentration, Jack scanned through the rest, noting her dislikes and limits. He stopped short, though, when he reached the first page.

She’d put a soft limit on sex?

That was a surprise, but then again, how much did he really know about her? No matter what she’d admitted in the diner, he was pretty sure he’d only heard a small part of her story.

Jack turned back to face her.

“I’m proud of how thoroughly you’ve gone through this, and I want you to know how brave I think you are.” He moved to a spot between where she was sitting and his desk, leaning against it. “Would you mind explaining the reasons for some of your dislikes?”

“Which ones?”

He glanced at the list. “The nipple clamps, for example.”

The color drained from her face. “They hurt a lot when my ex used them. The Wartenberg wheel too.”

“Did he use them for punishment?”

“No. I think he just liked hurting me.” She laughed softly. “In a multitude of ways.”

It was obvious there was more to it than that, but he didn’t want to push. “What about blindfolds?”

“I just haven’t had good experiences with them.” Her shoulders curled inward. She took a shaky breath. “I don’t like being in the dark like that.”

The look on her face was so heartbreaking that Jack wanted to pull her into his arms.

“And the limit on sex?”

She cringed. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I just want to know why.”

“I didn’t think it was a good idea, since this isn’t a relationship.”

“Hmm.” That wasn’t quite an answer. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Did your ex ever force you?”

“No, Damien did a lot of horrible things, but he never raped me.”

Damien. What a perfect name for someone who sounded so evil.

She picked at her skirt. “I understand if it makes you not want to do this.”

Jack put the paperwork down and reached for her hands. He pulled her up to stand and looked her in the eye.

“I want to.”

She awarded him with another tiny smile. “I can get you the results of my last STD test. But you should know I left a few things blank on the contract.”

“Like what?”

“I didn’t pick someone for a safety call,” she said. “I think I’d rather keep this between us.”

That was a relief. He’d have given her the option if she needed it, but telling someone would make this a hell of a lot more complicated.

“Me too.” Jack rubbed his thumbs over the tops of her hands. “What else did you leave blank?”

She shifted her weight and looked at the floor again. “The safeword. I didn’t know what to write.”

A deep V had formed between her brows, a frown on her lips that spoke of shame. Jack slid his hands up her forearms and stroked her shoulders, her hair, the sides of her neck. Cupping her cheek, he moved in close and kissed her softly. Slowly. So slowly that when he pulled away, Lilly’s eyes were still closed, her mouth open, her body leaning into him for more.

“Let’s figure one out for you then.”

She opened her eyes and smiled, big and wide and bright, hope like a ray of light on her face. The sight did things to him that it shouldn’t have, tugged at an empty space inside him.

He put that thought aside.

“Colors are commonly used,” he explained. “Green to tell me you’re okay and you like what I’m doing. Yellow to tell me you’re nearing your limit. Red for stopping the scene entirely. Do those work?”

“I like that.”

“Good. I also think it’s important we don’t use our names in my playroom. It will help to keep us in the right frame of mind. I liked calling you little girl. Are you comfortable with that, and with calling me Sir?”

A tiny tremble was coupled with a quickened breath. A rush of pink colored her cheeks. “I’m comfortable.”

Jack grinned, enjoying the high he got from her reaction. Now that she felt more secure, it was time to push her a little. To make her hungry with anticipation. He needed her desperate, not only to be in his playroom, but to crave giving over power to him.

“Do you want to put a date on the contract?” he asked.

“Sure…I guess? I mean, when did you want to do this?”

“As soon as you’re ready. Because you know what it means when you are, don’t you?”

Lilly hesitated, an even deeper blush covering the freckles on her cheeks. He’d love to see where else those adorable little marks ran across her flesh.

“What does it mean?”

He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, “It means for one day, your body will be mine. Your skin, your moans, your scent, your taste. They’re all mine.”

Lilly inhaled sharply. Seeing her so turned on was a delicious image, one he wanted to savor. But there was something he needed to take care of first.

Jack clasped his hands behind his back and began walking around her.

“First, however, we have to discuss the error you made.”

That startled her. She turned back to look at him, her brows high and pressed together. Jack raised his chin and pointed to the floor. Her gaze obediently fell to the carpet.

Perfect.

“Do you want to tell me what you think your mistake was?”

“I—” She halted. Jack watched her closely as he continued to circle her. Underneath the soft fabric of her sweater, her nipples had stiffened. She was confused but not scared, turned on even in her uncertainty.

To help her understand, he grabbed her braid and tugged her head back. “I don’t like surprises, Lilly.”

She gasped when he let her go. “I came to your office without contacting you first.”

He let that sit for a beat. “And why might that be a problem?”

“You could’ve been busy. Students could’ve been here.”

She knew the answer now but didn’t realize he was simply testing her, employing the same method of questioning he used with his students—another question for an answer. Only with her, the game was much more fun.

Moving to her side, he clasped her chin in a grip just shy of rough and drew her face up. “And what could you do differently in the future, so as not to displease me?”

“I should get your permission first, Sir.”

Smart girl. And fuck, he loved it when she called him that.

“Yes. You should.” He caressed her cheek, then stepped behind her once again and leaned in close. “How to punish you.”

She stiffened, her arousal edged out by sudden fear. Jack clucked his tongue.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He tugged down the edge of her collar and ran his lips over her neck, biting below her jaw line. She went up on her toes, breath hitching. “You’ll be in pain, all right, but not the way you think.”

He gripped her by the hips and pushed her toward his desk. Seizing her wrists, he locked her hands down on the surface.

“Stay,” he whispered, nipping at hear earlobe. Lilly moaned softly. “Oh no. We can’t have that. Can’t have everyone hearing you.”

He covered her mouth with one hand, and the beast within him yanked on its leash at the sensation of Lilly held captive. But Jack was in control. Nudging her lips apart, he gave in to the pleasure of sliding the cage door open, of letting his dominant side take over, and plunged his thumb into her mouth.

“Show me,” he ordered, grazing it along her tongue. “Show me what you are.”

He waited, needing to break her down, to see her give in and become the submissive he knew she wanted to be. Lilly groaned and licked once along the intrusion before sucking hard, rhythmically drawing his thumb deeper until her cheeks hollowed out.

“Good girl.” Jack kissed the side of her face. “Such a good little girl, sucking my thumb like it’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever tasted.”

He slid his other hand around to her belly. Pressing the heel of his hand into the soft hollow above her pelvis, he gently increased the pressure until Lilly’s hips flexed and she panted out a sharp breath through her nose. Unable to stand the inch of space that remained between them, Jack brought his hips flush against her ass. She was all heat and lush curves, and he let himself have a moment to feel it, to let the pleasure roll through him.

Lilly groaned again and pressed backward, seeking more.

“So needy. Are you wet?”

She whimpered around his thumb. It was a pitiful, wonderful sound.

“I bet you are. I bet you’re dying for more. I bet you’re aching for it.”

Jack dipped his middle finger over her pubic bone and searched for the top of her slit through the thin fabric of her skirt. He found the cleft with a practiced touch and rubbed it in a tiny, teasing circle. Lilly sagged toward his desk even as she kept working herself against him.

“That’s right. I know what you need. You need my hands on you, holding you down. Making you come.”

She was shaking so hard she was probably close to coming already. Jack withdrew his thumb from her mouth and cradled her throat with one hand, continuing to stroke her through her clothes with the other. Pulling her upright, he tilted her chin back. Her eyes were pinched shut, her mouth open as she writhed against the movement of his hand.

“Do you want to come, little girl?”

“Yes, Sir.” Her answer came out in a high-pitched whine of pure, unadulterated need. Which was exactly where he wanted her.

He released her and stepped away. Lilly whipped her head around. Her face a mask of agony, her hands gripping his desk. Jack smirked. Sure, it was torture for him too, but leaving her like this had been his plan all along.

“Your punishment will be no orgasms until you’re in my playroom.” If she was this wound up, he could only guess what a few days without any relief was going to do to her. “I think that will be suitably painful, don’t you?”

Her mouth opened in protest, but she said nothing.

“Good girl. Now, did you want to put a date on that contract?”

Chapter Fifteen

Jack drove home with an energy he could barely contain, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel. He was still buzzing off everything that had transpired in his office, off Lilly, off the fact that in two days he’d have her on her knees in his playroom.

When he’d asked if she wanted to put a date on the contract, she’d grabbed it and asked if Saturday was too soon. She’d agreed to the rest of his terms—that she wear her hair loose and down, her body prepared by either waxing or shaving, and arrive at noon with her schedule cleared until five. All his concerns that she might not be ready were eradicated, and now Jack’s mind was full of the things he wanted to do to her.

He cut the engine in his driveway when his cell rang. Hoping it wasn’t Lilly having second thoughts, Jack looked at the screen. Not her.

“Yes, Brady?” he asked once he’d answered the call, both relieved and annoyed.

His brother started to answer, but female shrieks in the background cut him off. “Hope, let go of your sister’s hair right now!” he bellowed, then resumed a normal decibel. “Jesus, how long until these two are in college?”

“You’ve got a while.” Jack climbed out of the car. “Was there a reason for your call?”

“I can’t make it to Barrel ’n’ Flask tomorrow night. Sammy’s planned a family campout in the basement.” Brady sighed dramatically. “She’s already got me pitching a tent.”

“You love it.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, you good on your own?”

Jack let himself inside and set his things down. Brady being a no-show fit in perfectly with his plans.

“Actually, I was planning on staying in.”

Lilly had said she wouldn’t be going to the pub tomorrow either, which was a relief. It would’ve been difficult to stop himself from joining her, and he had preparations to make.

“Aw, come on, Jack. You were finally getting out. Don’t bail on that now.”

“I’m fine. I just have some things to do. I’ll go next week. Promise.”

Mollified, Brady let it go. After they hung up, Jack went to the basement. Anticipation rolled through him as he walked downstairs through the darkened apartment and pushed the playroom door open. He expected to be greeted by a cold, stale wall of empty air, but was enveloped by warmth instead. Jack flipped on the light switch and checked the thermostat, remembering how he’d always set it higher in here than the rest of the house. Nudity and chilly temperatures weren’t a friendly combination.

He turned and surveyed the room. It wasn’t like the dungeons he’d seen advertised online with everything ensconced in black, nor was it similar to the playrooms he’d read about in novels, walls and linens swathed in red. It was painted a creamy beige, with drapery on the rectangular, high windows set to match. A simple queen-sized bed dominated the middle of the room, bookended by nightstands. A mirror and a tall armoire sat across from it. With the hand and foot restraints tucked under the mattress, and the armoire full of toys locked, no one would’ve guessed that this space was anything more than a guest room.

He ran his hand over the bed, then headboard. The pads of his fingers came up with a thin layer of dust. He grabbed a towel from the neatly folded pile in the closet and cleaned it off, then did the same to the panel for the built-in stereo tucked away on a shelf. He flicked the power on, testing the speakers, then checked that the mini-fridge was still running and stocked with bottles of water.

After cleaning off the remaining surfaces, Jack found the key to the armoire in its hiding place, hanging on a ribbon behind a piece of artwork. His pulse quickened as he unfastened the lock and opened the doors.

Wrist and ankle restraints hung from hooks on the left side, followed by chains to link them, then a furl of silk rope. He touched the smooth wood of his paddle next, then his long, black riding crop. The memories stirred by the woodsy scent of leather and the tinny chime of metal made his body stir. He pulled open the drawer at the bottom, where the smaller objects were kept, most notably the items Lilly disliked. Jack fingered the blindfold, then the clamps. It was a shame she had such a strong distaste for them. He’d love to see her senses heightened from lack of sight, to watch her reaction as he tugged on the chain.

His gaze was drawn to the opposite door, the one with all his floggers. Jack fingered each one with reverence: first the fur-tipped and velvet ones, then deerskin and suede, followed by heavy leather. Jack smiled at his beautiful arsenal. He knew these instruments well—what reaction he could get from the lightest touch with some, how much force to use with others, and the surprising pleasure the littlest ones could bring.

Seduced by the urge to feel its power, Jack picked up the suede flogger. It fit perfectly in his hand, spots worn into the leather handle from frequent use. He practiced twirling it, easily picking up the motion. Stepping back and facing the wall, Jack dragged the tips back with his other hand and snapped the falls out across the wall. The thumping sound of the impact gave him a rush. He could almost see Lilly’s body rolling as the stinging strike bloomed into pleasure. The idea thrilled him to the point of being painfully hard. Jack retreated to the bed, flogger in one hand, the other drawn to the stiff shape in his pants.

He closed his eyes and pictured Lilly waiting for him on all fours, her legs spread, ass on display, rising up to him as he palmed each rosy cheek. She’d be so perfectly vulnerable, so open to him. He could trace her spine with the riding crop. Listen to her sharp intake of breath as he swatted it against the swell of her bottom.

No, if he was going to spank her, he’d rather feel her flesh against the palm of his hand.

Fuck.

Jack unbuttoned his pants and freed his cock. Dragging a tight fist over his hard flesh, he replayed the sounds of Lilly’s desperate whimpers in his mind. She’d broken down so beautifully with his thumb in her mouth, but he wanted more. To hear her cries of pleasure as he stroked her bare slit. He pumped harder, imagining climbing on the bed behind her and the blissful slide into wet flesh as he drove himself inside her.

But sex with her wouldn’t be happening. Not with a soft limit on it.

Jack squeezed his erection with a groan. He’d gotten an idea of how to push Lilly’s buttons, and had a feeling he could get her worked up enough that she’d be willing to go past it, but that wouldn’t be right. No matter how badly he wanted her, he told her he’d respect her limits, and pushing this one was no way to treat her. Not after what she’d been through.

Jack blew out a breath and looked up at the ceiling, staring at his surroundings to ground his thoughts. An empty planter hung from the steel hook he’d soldered in the corner, planning to experiment with suspension before Eve got sick.

Eve.

He’d been so overcome with wanting Lilly, he didn’t think about the fact he was bringing her here, the space he’d created and shared with his wife. His hard-on subsided as guilt stabbed, but he fought back the feeling of betrayal. He and Lilly were only going to be doing this once, and they definitely wouldn’t be having sex. He wouldn’t even let her touch him.

Satisfied with the justification, Jack buttoned his pants, stood and tucked the flogger back in the armoire.

He was ignoring her again, and she hadn’t even done anything wrong yet.

“I’m not ignoring you,” Damien had insisted, his tone distant and cold. “This is the way it has to be if you want to keep doing this. No one can know.”

This was the way it had to be, if she wanted to be his.

Lilly’s nightmare woke her up early on Saturday. She sat up and thumbed her phone to check the time. She wouldn’t be meeting Jack for hours, but she couldn’t go back to sleep now. That particular memory of Damien stung more than all the others, although she couldn’t put her finger on why. There were a million more painful things he’d done to her than pretend she didn’t exist.

At least she didn’t have to worry about Jack casting her aside like that, because what they were about to do was totally different. It was consensual, all the rules written down on crisp pieces of paper. She knew what was expected of her, and in return she was going to get five hours of Jack’s undivided attention.

Lilly touched her lips, remembering his thumb inside her mouth. The pressure of his hand below her belly, and the sweet agony of his almost-there caress. It was the most aroused she’d ever been, and he’d barely even touched her.

Yes, today would be totally different. And she couldn’t wait for it to start.

She got up to shower, unprepared for how the rush of hot water would feel on her recently waxed skin. Her appointment Friday night had been her excuse to get out of going to the pub, although she could’ve used a cocktail afterward. She hadn’t had to withstand that particular brand of torture in a while. It had been months since her skin was this exposed, and after the initial pain subsided, she lingered under the stream, letting the water tease her smooth, bare crevices. An ache quickly flared, the same restless, frustrated desire she’d felt since she left Jack’s office. The need for release clawed at her.

He wasn’t kidding about her being in pain.

Keeping her mind busy with getting ready, she dried her hair, then donned the nicest lingerie she had, covering it with a pair of black leggings, an oversized ivory sweater and her sheepskin-lined boots. After eating breakfast and spending some time working through briefs she’d brought home, Lilly poured extra food for Rumbles and went out into the day. Jack had offered to pick her up, but she’d insisted on getting there herself. Too edgy to sit, she stood as the T rolled its way toward Cambridge. The doors opened at Harvard Square, and she followed the directions Jack had given her. The temperature was barely above freezing, typical for Boston in the dead of winter, but the sun made it feel less bleak outside, snow shining in the midday light.

A few blocks up Massachusetts Avenue, Lilly turned down a side street and stopped in front of a sprawling Victorian home. A wraparound porch hugged it close, each window framed by dark green shutters. It looked so safe, so sturdy and welcoming.

Just like Jack.

“I see you found the place.”

She jumped at the sound of his voice and found him standing at the door. It was obvious from his smirk that he’d been watching her, and Lilly’s cheeks heated as she went up the walkway, half at having been caught gawking and half at Jack’s appearance. He was barefoot, dressed casually in worn jeans and a white tee. A long sleeved flannel was halfway buttoned over it. He’d rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, showing off the cords of lean muscle that flexed as he held the door open for her.

God.
God.

“Did you have any trouble getting here?” His voice blanketed her as much as the breath of heat she felt in the foyer as he closed the door behind them. She shook her head. “Good. Let me take your coat.”

Jack lifted it from her shoulders, and she shivered from the contact when his fingers brushed over her neck. He hung her coat in a closet, then showed her where she could toe off her boots, stowing them in an entryway bench that was lined with cubbies. The sight of their bare feet on the dark wood floor together was oddly intimate. Jack held out his hand and smiled.

“Let me show you around.”

Lilly slipped her hand into his. His fingers were strong and reassuring as they curled around hers. He led her past a staircase, pointing up to where his bedroom was on the second floor, his office on the third. Next was an inviting living room, filled with cushy sofas, bookshelves and a fireplace, then an archway leading into a grand kitchen. It was filled with natural light, windows everywhere. An island sat in the middle, with enough counter space to prepare food for a dozen people.

For a moment, she felt unwelcome, like she was intruding on the space that his wife spent long hours in. The table where his son might have done his homework.

One day
, she thought to herself and the ghosts she imagined around her.
I’m only here for one day.

Jack pulled out a barstool from the island and gestured for her to sit. “Can I get you anything? Coffee?”

“No, thank you.” She was jittery enough.

He sat down next to her. “You could have let me pick you up at the T, you know. You didn’t have to walk.”

Lilly smiled. It was nice how he wanted to look after her. “It wasn’t that far. And I used to run, so it was good to get some exercise again.”

Jack cocked his head to the side. “You ran…marathons?”

“Hah. No, I was never that good. But I was a pretty valuable member of my high school track team. I kept up with it all the way up through law school.”

“But you said ‘used to’.”

Lilly confirmed his verification with a quick nod. She didn’t want to get into all that right now. “I work crazy hours. I don’t have time for it anymore.”

He studied her for a beat longer. “Got it. How’s that case you mentioned going?”

“Still frustrating.” Giving him a sideways glance, she added, “The last two days have been
especially
frustrating.”

“I’m guessing you don’t mean with work.”

“Nope.”

Jack laughed. His voice was husky when he added, “If it helps, I’ve felt the same way.”

Desire rushed over her, and Lilly shifted on the stool. The idea of Jack as frustrated as she’d been was too much to handle, as was his gentle touch when he stroked her lightly up her arm.

“Before we start, I want to make sure you’re comfortable with what we discussed.”

“I am.” Gooseflesh rose and spread in the wake of his touch. “Do I get to see your checklist?”

“You can if you want, but I assure you they match up. Perfectly.”

She was probably supposed to reply, but the movement of his hand was distracting her. Jack smirked and her cheeks went hot again.

“I’ll take your word for it,” she said, embarrassed. Jack was all too capable of making her blush. And by the pleased smile quirking up his lips, she was pretty sure it was a fact he was aware of.

“Good. I’ve planned a scene within your limits. We can discuss it beforehand, if you’d like.”