Power Play [Pleasure Playground 2] (7 page)

Jennifer opened her mouth and gasped for breath. Her whole body tightened and grew hot.

"Punishment?"

"Yes, love. What punishment you receive will depend on what rules you break. Some are more severe than others."

Rules? Was he kidding? The only rules she lived by were of her own making and there were few. Always be professional. No one but she could drive her car. And never ever let anyone get too close.

Daegan kissed her hand and laid it back on the table. “Don't worry about that yet. We'll get to that when we get back home. For now, let's relax and enjoy dinner. You need to get as much rest as possible tonight."

She swallowed thickly, still stunned by his comments on punishment. She wanted to know more but was afraid to ask. Growing up in between two families she didn't exactly belong to had left her an outcast. She'd seen her father take a belt to her half brother and sister several times when they'd misbehaved, but he'd never done the same to her. And when she'd been with her mother's family, they'd barely acknowledged her, let alone ever punished her.

For many years, she'd wondered why she'd been treated differently until she'd asked a friend who'd easily supplied the answer with a shrug.
"It's what families do. Parents are expected to punish and reward their kids appropriately."

The statement had stunned her.
Families
. They took care of their own and kids like her were left alone. Always alone...

In an incredible bout of timing, their dinner arrived and the conversation changed. Daegan talked animatedly about the building progress on the Pleasure Playground, and she picked at her food, eating only enough to keep him from commenting on her lack of appetite.

The exhaustion of her day returned in full force, and it took everything she had not to fall face-first into her plate of food. With childhood memories threatening to drag her down, her thoughts turned to escape. That thought made her go stock-still. Maybe Daegan was right. She did have a habit of running away from situations that made her the slightest bit uncomfortable.

What the hell? If she got up and walked out now, what would she gain? She'd be walking away from a gorgeous, intelligent man with a wicked streak that intrigued her. For what? An empty apartment? More nights at the club that gave her just enough to get by? Was that all she wanted for her life? To get by?

Desolation pulled on Jennifer's resolve. If she wasn't careful, she'd slide into a deep depression and be back at square one all over again. Blinking back tears, she straightened her spine and focused on what Daegan had to say. She'd fought back at the age of sixteen and after more than a decade of getting by, she was going to take a risk.

"Jennifer, are you listening?"

When she finally snapped out of it, she found Daegan staring at her with concern. A hot flush spread across her skin. His shrewd gaze followed the line of heat. The way he looked at her always made her think he saw clear through to her soul. As if he, and he alone, saw her truths. She found it unsettling...and arousing.

"I think we should get you home now.” He hastily signed the bill she'd not even noticed be delivered and pulled her from the booth without waiting for a response.

Grateful for his take-charge demeanor, she followed his lead. She took his firm grasp of her hand as a further sign of his strength. Something she sorely needed at the moment. Her brain started to turn those thoughts over, and she forced it to stop. She was sick to death of analyzing every desire that entered her mind. So what if she wanted a man to take care of her sometimes. Was it really too much to hope for?

When they arrived back at the Playground, Jennifer stared wistfully at her car. She was still torn between the familiar and the unknown. Luckily for her, Daegan didn't miss her reaction, and he squeezed her knee in a comforting gesture.

"You'll stay with me."

It was a statement, not a question, and luckily for them both she didn't have the energy to argue. He led her inside and into a section where she'd never ventured. This hall had yet to be touched with construction and from the outside, it didn't look like much. “Your apartment is down here?"

Daegan smiled and nodded. “Don't worry. I'm not planning to keep you in a dump. A few of the new condos should be done within a couple of weeks, but those are earmarked for specific buyers already. So I took some liberties and upgraded this old place for me self. I'm going to be here for a while, so I thought I might as well make it comfortable."

He opened the door, and she looked around in shock. Comfortable didn't begin to describe what she saw. The living room was very small by most people's standards, but he'd filled it with dark, comfortable furniture, hardwood floors, large throw rugs and a lot of plants. The greenery in the space really shocked her.

"Do you have a green thumb or something?” She marveled at the trees and potted plants that dotted every surface. When Daegan didn't answer right away, she turned back to him and caught the flicker of unease across his face.

"It reminds me of home."

"Ireland, you mean?” She wandered over to an enormous pot of sweet potato vine and wondered how the heck he got it to grow like that indoors.

"Yes."

"If you love it so much, why did you leave?"

"I needed a change."

His abrupt answers left her with more questions than answers, but tonight wasn't the night to push. She'd sensed a change in him the moment they walked into his domain. A current of tension filled the room.

"Take off your clothes, Jennifer,” Daegan demanded.

She whirled on him to find his dark gaze boring down on her. The smart-ass response she'd been prepared to fling his way died on her tongue.

"You should know that I expect obedience from a submissive. You'll not be using me like the men at the club. If I ask you a question, I'll expect your honest answer. If there is something you don't like you can tell me, but it will be up to me to decide if you need it or not. Is that understood?"

Instinct made Jennifer want to fight against what he said. But deep down he'd accessed a part of her so intrinsic to who she was, that she knew not to fight him on this. She didn't want to. “Yes, Sir."

"Good. But, Jennifer.” He hesitated. “You aren't removing your clothes yet."

With trembling hands, she began to remove her blouse. With each button, the tension grew. This nervousness didn't make sense to her. How many times had Daegan already seen her without clothes? He'd attended every one of her demonstrations since they'd met months ago. She eased the blouse from her shoulders, and Daegan held out his hand for the garment. She repeated the process with her small skirt and shoes until she stood in front of him in a tiny thong and matching plum-colored bra.

"That color suits you. The creamy color of your skin against the dark, rich color.” The husky tone of his voice sent a shiver racing along her spine. One minute she felt confused, and the next ready to melt at his feet.

He stepped into her personal space and brushed a finger along her collarbone before slipping underneath her bra strap. She shivered under his touch. Daegan had a way of turning every inch of her body into an erogenous zone with a simple touch.

"You play at the club a lot. Do you have sex with them?"

"Rarely,” she whispered.

"When was the last time?” He pulled the strap from her arm.

"I-I'm not sure. Maybe a few months or more.” Her head buzzed from his attention.

"And protection?” His hand caressed the underside of her bared breast.

"Always. Birth control shots and condoms. And Chase requires I get tested every month because of the work we do.” She struggled for air. His finger had begun tracing circles around her areola.

"Do you want me to fuck you, Jennifer?"

Her eyes widened. “Why do you keep asking me all these questions? I thought you wanted me to get some rest."

His fingers pinched her nipple in a vise-tight grip. Pain exploded across her senses. “A question is not an answer. I hadn't planned on punishment tonight, but I won't hesitate if you persist."

Warmth flooded Jennifer's sex despite the unbelievable pain he administered to her nipple. She imagined him bending her over his knee and spanking her again. Her stomach trembled.

"Now answer the question."

Her sex squeezed. “Yes, I want you to fuck me.” It made her a little crazy to admit it. Like saying it could make it happen.

"Was that really that difficult?"

She lowered her eyes. He had no idea.

Daegan sighed. “Take off the rest of your clothes and get up on the bed, in the middle and on your back.” He disappeared into another room, and Jennifer moved to follow his commands. She entered the sparsely furnished small bedroom. Where the living room had been decorated and made as comfortable as possible, it seemed this room held little importance in comparison. Other than the queen-size bed and a small wooden dresser against the wall, there was no other furniture.

She spied a stack of books on the floor next to the bed, but in her haste to follow Daegan's request, she opted not to check them out. There would probably be more time later for her to get to know the man behind the Dom.

With her undergarments removed and placed on top of the dresser, she scrambled in place in the middle of his mattress. The cool silk sheets felt heavenly against the hot flush of her skin. She didn't know where to place her arms and legs so she chose to fold her arms across her waist, close her eyes and wait.

"Good girl.” Daegan's breath brushed across her shoulder, very close to her ear. “Now spread your legs wide for me."

She complied, a fresh wave of warmth pooling between her thighs. Daegan lifted her foot, and she immediately recognized the sensation of soft leather being wrapped around her ankle.

"I'm going to restrain you, and then once I have your full attention, we'll talk some more."

Jennifer whimpered. It wasn't talk her body ached for at this point. Like her scenes at the club, the cuffs restraining her legs and now her arms worked as a trigger of anticipation for the sweet pain that would soon follow. She craved it to the point her stomach clenched and her heart beat wildly.

"Look at me, Jennifer. I want to see your eyes. They are the windows to your truth."

Jennifer turned her head and met his blazing blue gaze. The stern expression on his face made her shake, not in fear, no; something entirely different.

"It's time to set some rules, Jennifer love."

A small tip of leather touched her inner thigh, reminding her of... She raised her head and saw that yes, Daegan did indeed have a crop in his hand. The long black implement extended from his hand like it belonged there. She sucked in air and exhaled nice and slow. She needed to calm her racing pulse. Unfortunately nothing stopped the subtle shake of her legs as he trailed the leather strip along her flesh to her ankle.

"Are you listening?"

She met his gaze. “Yes, Sir.” Normally she had to force herself to use the expected term of respect at the club during play, but with Daegan it seemed to roll off her tongue almost naturally.

"Good girl.” He switched legs. “I'm very excited that you've agreed to my original offer. But there's something you need to keep in mind. Many things actually. This isn't going to be easy. I can tell you're pretty set in your ways of how you like things done. In both work and play. I have different ideas, however. There will be rules for you to follow. Not many, but they are absolute. And in case you have it in your mind that rules are made to be broken. Trust me these are not."

Daegan began a steady tap of the crop on the inside of her thigh. Not even a slap, but it made damn sure he had her undivided attention. While her outside remained mostly still, her insides shook uncontrollably. He was going to kill her with anticipation.

"Rule number one. You will live here with me for the duration of our contract."

Thwap.

A sharp sting bloomed on the inside of her thigh, shooting a blessed pain across every inch of her burning skin. Jennifer gasped in delight. When the initial shock of the first strike began to fade, she noticed the heat and moisture gathering between her legs. Immediately she craved more.

"Rule number two. There will be no more visits to the club unless it's under my direction."

Air whipped across her flesh a mere second before two successive blows rained down on the inside of her opposite leg. This time she moaned at the immediate mixture of pain and pleasure. Her gaze settled on his full, sensual mouth. Her nipples tightened and tingled as she longed to feel his lips surround them. More heat burned inside her.

Daegan walked to the head of the bed and hooked his thumb in her mouth, drawing her gaze to his. “Are you still listening?"

She nodded as much as his grip would allow.

"Good. Three more rules. Are you ready?"

"Yes.” She tried to calculate in her head how many more swats with the crop that would be but gave up the minute he touched that little scrap of leather to her stomach. He teased and twirled it around her navel while she held her breath.

"You are a very beautiful woman, but you are too thin. Even for a model."

"I have to be like this."

"No, you don't. Which brings me to rule number three. No more dieting."

Her eyes flew open in shock a breath before the crop landed along the outside of her leg. She cried out, twisting in her restraints. Hunger for more of Daegan burned inside her despite his outrageous demand. To make matters worse, he'd begun fondling her breast, circling one nipple, then the other until her mind swirled with want and need beyond what she thought she could handle. In the blink of an eye, she forgot why she'd been shocked.

His fingers tightened on one rigid tip, giving it a rough pinch that sent a stab of desire straight to her clit. Nerve endings fired to life, and a throbbing between her legs joined the ache in her breasts. Moan after moan fell from her lips as he continued to work her sensitive peaks. First a pinch of pain, then a rub of pleasure. Repeated over and over.

When he bent to bring his mouth to her breast, she noticed the matching hunger and determination in his eyes. He doled out rules and threatened her with punishment, then drove her completely wild with pleasure. She didn't fully understand why he wanted things this way, but she'd begun to see his points very clearly.