Mastered: Ten Tales of Sensual Surrender (90 page)

“You can’t just expect me to keep having sex even if I’m sore!”

“Why not?”

“Because—” I gaped at him. “I thought you said you don’t play games.”

“I don’t.”

“So it’s either your way, or the highway.”

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand over his exposed chest. “If that means that I expect you to do exactly as I say, then yes.”

“And that’s not a
game
?”

“It takes two to play any game. In this scenario, there is only what I want.”

“No questions asked?”

He smiled. “You were the one who said she wanted to be told what to do.”

I put down my fork as my appetite deserted me.

“If you were able to ask for anything, Julia, anything that you wanted to be done to you sexually, would you have the courage to do it? Most of us wouldn’t. There’s no shame in being unable to articulate your desires and your fantasies, especially if you are a woman who’s told she shouldn’t have such thoughts in the first place.”

He sat forward, his hands clasped together on the table.

“What I’m offering you is a chance to explore those forbidden thoughts and desires that society tells you nice girls shouldn’t have. It’s quite simple. You tell me what you crave, and I’ll tell you to do it. Because we’ve already agreed that I hold all the power in the relationship, you’ll do what you are told without questioning me, or demanding limits, or punishments, or safe words, or whatever else you are used to doing.”

“Then what do you get out of it?”

“Power, Julia. That’s what turns me on. Finding a woman who trusts me enough to let me
own
her is incredibly erotic.”

“But what if you asked me to do something dangerous?”

“They’ll be your fantasies, not mine.” He shrugged. “I’ll just make them happen. We’re not talking about a happy ever after, two kids and a cottage by the sea here are we? We’re talking about a summer of sex where we’ll both get our needs met.”

I took a sip of my water, not because I needed it, but because I needed a moment to let my thoughts catch up with his words.

“I’ve never told a man what I really want.”

“Because you’ve been told that your desires are unnatural and that you should be ashamed of them. Society seems to have forgotten that there are all types of sexual personalities and that one size definitely doesn’t fit all.”

“But you could take advantage of me.”

“Yes I could. “ He met my gaze. “I can assure you that won’t happen, but only you can choose to believe me.”

“So I tell you my deepest darkest smuttiest fantasies and you make them happen?”

He inclined his head. “Yes.”

“And you don’t change them?”

“As little as I can.” He shrugged. “It’s hard, for example to recreate a medieval castle in California if you’ve a fetish for knights in shining armor.”

“I don’t have anything like that.” I hesitated. “We couldn’t do most of these things in Silversmith. I have a professional reputation to maintain.”

“I understand that.” He sipped at his wine and simply waited, his pale gaze never leaving mine. “We can go to one of the larger cities.”

“I’ll have to think about this.” I took a gulp of my wine. “It’s…weird.”

“Take all the time you like. After you’ve finished your dinner, I’ll take you home.”

“You don’t need to take me anywhere. I drove here.”

“As you wish, but at least allow me to see you safely to your car.”

I finished my wine and got to my feet. “I’m going to get dressed now.”

He inclined his head a slow inch. “You can use the shower if you wish.”

He didn’t stop me finding my way back into the living area and picking up my discarded clothes. After I’d showered, my nipples were so sensitive that even the old lace on my bra felt like roughened wool. As for my clit. I’d be coming every time my thighs rubbed together.

By the time I’d gathered all my stuff, Alex had also showered and changed into a pair of sweat pants and a tight gray t-shirt that hugged his biceps.

We didn’t speak on the way down to the lobby, I was still thinking and he seemed content to let me obsess. I led the way outside, where it was still warm and sticky, and threaded my way through the banks of parked cars to my ancient SUV. I’d parked under a light, which now shed a strange yellowish glow over Alex’s features.

I don’t think I’d ever met a man who was so still and centered. Assassin was the first word that came to mind, or sniper, someone who had endless patience and all the time in the world to achieve their goal. Which on this occasion appeared to be me.

I already had my keys out and turned to him, leaning back against the car.

“Thanks for an…interesting evening, Alex.”

“You’re welcome.” He glanced around the deserted parking lot and then took a step closer to me. Bending down he kissed my swollen mouth. “Good night, Julia.”

I couldn’t stop myself kissing him back, and then I was slammed against the car and he took control of the kiss, one hand buried in my hair, the other clamped over my ass grinding me against the swell of his cock. The kiss went on and on and his hand slid under my skirt and inside my panties to cup my mound.

He murmured against my mouth. “Shall I make you come here, Julia? You’ll do it if I want you to. Would you like that? Everyone seeing you climax?”

Instead of telling him to stop, I moaned into his mouth and he slid his fingers inside me, one pressing hard on my clit until I shattered and gasped his name. Pain stabbed my hand and I realized I’d clenched my fingers on my car keys.

He stepped back and casually licked his fingers clean of my juices. “I’ll be out of town for the next two days. Call me when you make a decision.”

I nodded and managed to open the door and get inside my car, my mind a seething mass of possibilities. Alex waited, his gaze on mine until I managed to remember how to start the engine and made sure the lights were on. The last thing I saw as I drove away was him walking toward the hotel without a backward glance. But then why would he need to look back? He’d made it very clear what he wanted. Whether he
go
t what he wanted was entirely up to me.

Chapter Three

As soon as I got home I intended to call Holly. She knew about the dinner date, so she would be anticipating my call. In fact, I was surprised she hadn’t phoned me already, as it was almost midnight. I’d explained about my attraction to Alex Logan, and she’d given me her cautious approval for the date. Because that’s what friends do for each other when you’re conflicted and confused by the sudden rush of excitement for a man outside your normal dating pool.

I took off my dress and sat cross-legged on my bed. Despite my shower, I could smell Alex all over me. Holly and I shared the two-bedroom apartment. She was off on a geological assignment with her job for an oil company, so I’d have to make do with the phone. The apartment was modern, safe, had its own laundry facilities and was fifteen minutes to the hospital if I got called in suddenly.

Holly and I shared a passion for house hunting shows on T.V. and often rhapsodized about our ideal home. But when it came down to it, neither of us were ready to settle down. Holly’s job took her all over the world and mine didn’t make men happy. Most of them resented my crazy work schedule and turned a sickly green color if I really told them how my day went. Most doctors ended up marrying other doctors, medical professionals or police officers who understood both the pressure and the shift work.

Of course, most of those marriages didn’t last because having two people working in highly pressurized environments created a lot of stress and rage.

Just as I was about to press Holly’s number my phone rang.

“I was just about to call you!” I protested.

“Yeah, right. Where have you been? Where did you go to eat a twenty-course state banquet or something?”

“We ate at the hotel.”

“In Silversmith?”

“It seemed the safest bet.”

“So what happened? Did you spend hours talking over coffee?”

“No, I—” I hesitated too long and she was on me like a rash.

“What?”

“I went back to his suite and had sex with him.”

Silence until I was biting my already swollen lip.

“
You
did?”

“Yup.”

“On a first date?”

“Yup?”

“Did he slip something in your drink?”

“
No.
I was a willing participant.”

“Was he any good?”

“He was…incredible.”

“Then why did you come home? He kicked you out? What an ass.”

“I kicked myself out. He asked me if I wanted to have a relationship with him. I said I needed to think about it.”

“Honey, if you fucked him that fast, what is there to think about?”

“A lot!” I hesitated. Even though Holly was my closest friend there were still some things I’d never shared with her. “He’s a complete Alpha.”

“Like romance novel Alpha?”

“No, more…real.” I shifted my grip on my phone. “I’m kind of scared, but excited at the same time, you know?”

Holly sighed. “Whatever you do, just be careful okay?”

“Of course I’ll be careful. I always am.”

“That’s true. You
are
the original control freak.” The sudden sound of yelling in the background made it hard for me to hear her. “Gotta go. They’re about to start test drilling. Love you babe, keep in touch.”

“Love you, too.” I ended the call and stared at my reflection in the screen before automatically smoothing out my frown lines.

Alex was only here for the summer.

And he was offering me the chance to live out my most private sexual fantasies. All I had to do was trust him unreservedly…

That was all.

I took a deep breath and looked up his cell number and was put straight through to voicemail.

“Alex? I’m in. Tell me what to do next.”

I’d forgotten he was out of town for two days and cursed myself for calling him so fast as if I was way too eager. Work got busy as tourists added to the casualties at our ER I often asked myself why did tourists do such stupid things? Did they think being on vacation made them invincible or something? If you’re seventy and decide to try zip lining for the first time shit will happen…

I patched up my fourth sunburned dehydrated teenager for the day and tried to see the clock above the staff station before remembering it was deliberately angled so that the patients couldn’t see it. After giving instructions to my intern about what to tell the boy’s parents and how to fill his prescription, I snuck away to check my cell in the break room.

There was a text from Alex.

What do you want me to do to you, Dr, Reed?

I stared at the stark words as a thousand possibilities ran through my brain. My fingers were trembling as I texted him back.

Can we talk about this face-to-face?

That café in the mall? Five o’clock?

I checked the time.
The Pink Plumeria. I’ll meet you there. My shift ends at four-thirty
.

Which gave me enough time to shower, brush my hair and put my filthy scrubs back on. I’d stopped leaving clothes at the hospital. I always ended up giving them away to poor souls in the ER who didn’t want to go home in a paper gown.

I looked down at my rumpled pink and blue Hawaiian print scrubs. Maybe a paper gown would be better. It was easy to tear off and left you ass-naked at the rear. He’d probably like that.

I was nervous meeting him this time. I suppose it was because he’d shown me how vulnerable I was to his particular brand of ruthless charm. He was sitting in the same booth, a mug of tea in front of him, his wintery blue eyes fixed on his phone.

“Dr. Reed.” He stood as I approached, his gaze moving down from my face to my body. “Nice trousers. Very…tropical.”

“Very funny.” I collapsed onto the padded seat. “While you’re up there. Coffee please.”

When he returned with my coffee and a plate of pastries, I gave him a grateful glance and proceeded to stuff my face with sugar and caffeine as he sipped his tea. After a while, I dabbed at my mouth and sat back.

“That’s better.”

“You don’t have a particularly healthy diet for a medical professional.”

“I don’t smoke and I’m not an alcoholic, which means I’m doing better than most.” I scowled at him. “I don’t eat like this all the time. Only when I’m stressed.” Which was basically all the time because of my job, but he didn’t need to know that.

He wrapped his large capable hands around his mug. “So what can I do for you, Julia?”

“I’m not sure.”

His slight smile made me stiffen. “Yes you are. You dream of these things, you use them to get yourself off. So what’s it to be? What’s your number one fantasy?”

“You’ll probably think it’s stupid.” I muttered into my coffee not wanting to meet his eyes.

“I doubt that and it’s not like you to be coy.”

“
Coy
? What the hell does that mean? Who uses words like that anyway?”

He remained quiet simply waiting my babbling out.

“Tell me.”

I heaved a sigh and then leaned closer toward him, inhaling an expensive waft of lemon aftershave.

“I want to be taken out to dinner and then to a club or somewhere…” I almost faltered. “You get to touch me inappropriately.”

“By inappropriately, do you mean have full-on sex with you in public?”

I licked my lips. “It depends, I don’t want to be arrested or anything. It would have to be kind of private yet public.”

“Like a BDSM club?”

“No.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve lived that scene, and that’s not what I want this time because…it’s okay there, to do that, to allow that, which is great, but I want to be someplace where it isn’t so safe and structured.”

“Ah, I understand.” He stirred his tea and removed the tea bag. “Public yet private.”

“I don’t suppose there are any places like that around here are there?”

“You’d be surprised. We might have to drive into the city, but I’m fairly certain I can find somewhere.” He raised his gaze to meet mine. “Would you let me pick out your clothes for this adventure?”