Chapter 7
It was Sunday. A day of rest, according to most people’s calendars.
Not Kate’s.
And definitely not Alex’s.
There was little traffic on the roads today, and she arrived at Alex’s house early, pulling into the driveway with five minutes to spare.
She sat in the car and chewed her bottom lip. Her pulse throbbed in her ears and she was halfway to arousal in anticipation of the lovely man waiting behind the door, waiting for her.
You’re too excited, she berated herself. Get it under control.
She drew deep, measured breaths, forcing herself to ignore the need building in her thighs.
He’s paying for a Domme. For you.
For whoever Hooded Pleasures sends out.
It’s not about you.
It’s all about him.
Kate put her hand on the car door handle and mentally threw on her armor.
All about him.
What is she waiting for?
Alex peeked through the curtains, watching Kate. He was already naked, having folded his clothing and placed it on the couch. The collar lay on the coffee table, ready to be unlocked and placed on him.
He looked at the clock on the far table.
It was 1:55 p.m.
Damn.
She isn’t going to start a minute early.
He shifted from one foot to the other, relishing the feel of the hardwood floor on his bare feet.
She hadn’t even come in the door and he was already hard, his balls aching for her touch. His back tingled with muscle memory, and he rolled his shoulders to shake the feeling.
He remembered his time against the door. The momentary awkwardness of being hung like a piece of meat disappeared the first time the flogger had landed on his shoulder. He’d arched inward, pressing his cock against the cool wood.
The shock had him flexing back, twisting him right into the next contact—the multiple tails of the flogger snaking under and up against his balls, the soft loose fabric not enough to leave marks but enough to startle him into full arousal.
He could swear he’d rubbed some of the paint off the door.
He was hard and aching, dying to wrap his hands around his cock.
No, his inner voice bellowed.
Not this time.
Don’t do it for yourself.
Save it for her.
For. Her.
Alex gritted his teeth and returned to his vigil, watching the vehicle as it sat in his driveway.
As soon as she moves—
The car door opened.
He didn’t wait to see if she got out.
It was hard to keep a steady pace, but he walked to the front door and unlocked it before dropping to his knees and placing his hands behind his head.
He wasn’t going to make a spectacle of himself twice in a row.
The doorknob turned.
A cool breeze washed over him, and he smelled her. It wasn’t a flowery scent, not perfume.
Fresh, clean—like a bar of soap.
His cock bobbed to attention at the scent.
He didn’t dare raise his head.
The door closed with a click, and he heard the dead bolt drive home.
He let out a ragged sigh of relief.
Yes.
Those legs, those glorious legs, stepped in front of him. He resisted the urge to drop down and kiss those luscious ankles.
No boots this time.
Just a pair of delicious high-heeled shoes.
The black leather straps crossed back and forth over her feet, and he imagined his body being bound just so.
“Hello, Alex.”
“Mistress,” he murmured. He felt his face burn at the memory of her last visit, the fantasy ending already pushing him close to the edge.
But he could control herself.
Until she told him he didn’t have to.
“Much better this time.”
He heard the humor in her voice, the silent laughter.
“Thank you, Mistress.”
“Were you watching me through the curtains?”
Alex paused, unsure of what to say.
Her fingers landed in his hair, stroking through the dark strands.
“I asked you a question.” The grip tightened.
“Yes, Mistress. I was waiting for you to get out of the car so I could present myself properly.” The words rolled off his tongue as if he’d rehearsed his response.
“I see.” The fingers disentangled themselves to resume caressing his hair. “Understandable.”
He sighed at the sensation. He’d had lovers play with his hair before—that was nothing new. But like this, with her…
“You have a bedroom upstairs.” It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded.
“Let’s get you collared, pick up some water bottles and go there.” The edge of the duffle bag moved within eyesight. “I think it’s time to test how strong your bedposts are.”
Alex heard the hint of laughter in her voice and couldn’t help smiling in return.
Yes.
The next six weeks and accompanying visits flew by in a frantic rush of pain and pleasure, each preceded by hours of anticipation wondering what Mistress Kate would do to him this time.
The fourth visit had thrown him for a twist. She’d come in and collared him as usual, then instructed him to stay on his hands and knees while she went into his kitchen and made a pot of coffee.
She returned and sat down, crossing her legs and displaying those long, luscious limbs he couldn’t not look at.
Big mistake.
“Are you staring at my feet?”
He coughed while trying to figure out what to say. “Yes, Mistress.”
“You like my shoes.” She stretched out one long leg under his face, displaying the black pumps. “I bought them especially for you. I’ve noticed what you like.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I know what you want. I know what you need. And I know when to give you what you want and need.”
He swallowed hard, studying the slick leather straps.
“But that’s enough of that for now.” The shoes moved out of sight, and he didn’t dare turn his head to follow. “Today we’re going to work on your obedience.”
Alex frowned.
Haven’t I done everything you asked?
“Yes, you have.” Kate answered the unspoken question, sending a shiver down his spine at her uncanny powers of observation. “But there’s more to being a sub than being able to take a spanking. A good submissive knows how to take orders without hesitation, no matter how odd it sounds. When I say jump, you jump. Understand?”
He nodded.
“Now, this is how it’s going to work.”
Alex felt a cool sensation on his bare ass. It moved to the base of his spine and upward, caressing his shoulders.
“You were concerned about how you looked at our interview. I appreciate a man who cares about his personal appearance. Let’s take that to a new level and teach you how to present yourself to a Domme.” The riding crop appeared in front of him. “Position one. Where you are right now. A perfect table for me to rest my feet on or place a serving tray.”
He felt a pressure in the center of his back. Not enough to bow him but enough to let him know it was there.
Alex grunted.
“Or for me to have my way with you from behind.” The hot whisper in his ear had him wallowing in the fantasy for a few seconds.
“Position two.” The pressure disappeared, and her hand landed on the back of his neck, on his collar. “Nose to the floor, ass in the air. For display and disciplinary purposes.”
Kate nudged him forward, and he leaned down, almost smacking his nose on the thin carpet.
Something nudged his ass cheeks apart, and he whimpered, trying to remember what he’d listed on the application.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going to go there.” A single finger ran down his spine and between his cheeks, stopping to tickle his balls from behind. “Yet.”
Breathe, he kept reminding herself. Breathe and remember what she’s teaching you.
“Position three.” Her hand slipped under the collar and tugged. “Standing up, hands behind your back, eyes on the floor.”
Alex scrambled to comply.
Kate stood behind him. “This is for inspection purposes or just to have you standing by, waiting for a new command. You may be left like this for hours, so make sure you’re relaxed and comfortable.” The crop traced up the inside of his right leg and stopped just short of his balls. “We’ll start with those three for today.”
Start?
“Position one,” she snapped, and Alex dove for the floor.
He froze there as her hand landed on the center of his back.
“Remember this. Eventually you’ll assume the position based on where I touch you. Here, it’s position one.” Her hand slid up his spine to the back of his neck. “And here?”
Alex dropped his head down, almost smacking his nose on the carpet.
“Excellent. Position three.”
He leaped to his feet, breathing heavily.
“Position three.”
Alex dropped down on his hands and knees before realizing she hadn’t ordered a change.
He shook his head, angry with himself.
“Stay there.” The riding crop caressed his shoulders. “Don’t move.”
The sharp tone froze him in place.
She stepped in front of him, her black shoes inches away from his fingers. “Don’t guess. Don’t try to anticipate anything I might say or do. Wait for the command.”
The crop snapped across his shoulders, and he gasped.
“Now let’s try it again. Position three.”
A half hour later, he was back at position one, sweaty and exhausted. She’d barked out commands for the entire time, punishing him with strokes of the crop whenever he’d screwed up. He imagined his back crosshatched with crimson stripes, the burning scorching the various positions into his memory.
An empty bowl slid across the floor in front of him, and Alex recognized it from his own cupboards.
The black shoes returned to stand by the bowl.
“You must be thirsty.”
Kate leaned down to pour a small amount of water into the bowl.
Alex licked his lips. He wasn’t fool enough to make a move for it until told so.
“Good.” Her approving tone stroked his ego. “Go to position two and drink.”
He found it difficult to slurp up the water but managed, licking the cold water off his face where he could. It only took a minute to finish off the drink.
“I know you want more.” Her hands moved through his hair, caressing him. “But I don’t want to make you sick. Not when we’ve got so much more to do.”
More?
Alex licked his lips as her slender fingers pulled the bowl out of sight.
“Now, let’s add on positions four, five and six.”
He was a sweaty, gorgeous hot mess.
And she loved him for it.
Kate reclined on the sofa and watched him snap through the various poses as she called out the numbers.
Alex was a fast learner. She put that down to the programmer part of him, the ability to grab ideas and hold on to them with a death grip.
He’d mastered the primary six with much less drama than some of her other clients. He was still making mistakes, but she expected that at this point, after over an hour of constant exercise.
But he wasn’t thinking on his own, and that was what it was all about. Not to think but obey.
She squeezed her thighs together as she called out position two and tried not to imagine herself behind him, squeezing that delectable ass as she drove home, sliding the strap-on deep into him as he bucked against her—
Kate forced herself to look at the walls, both to calm herself down and to give him more recovery time. They were almost done for the day.
She squinted at one particular picture, recognizing the image.
“Position one.”
Alex struggled to his feet and placed his hands behind his back.
Kate pointed at the image. “You worked on Dungeon Dive Dweller Four?”
Cover art from the computer game hung on the wall nearby. The game had shipped two years ago and was still a best-seller thanks to the complexity level.
It’d driven her mad for two weeks nonstop.
Alex drew a deep breath and smiled. “I did, Mistress. I worked on it.”
Kate stood and approached him, playing with the riding crop. She saw the fear in his eyes, the confusion at having said something wrong.
She walked behind him before drawing the riding crop down his spine and slipping it between his legs. “Did you put in the third trap door on Level Five?”
“I did, Mistress.” A smirk appeared. “And a sweet little bit of coding, if I do say so myself.”
Kate cursed under her breath. “That cost me more than a few characters.” She tapped his ass with the crop. “And it just earned you five strokes. Both for your insubordination for speaking out of turn and for that damned trap. Position two.”
As his ass rose in the air, she reached out and tapped it lightly with the crop.
Someday—
She drew back the crop. “Start counting.”
Alex sighed as he leaned against her on the sofa. He took the energy drink from Kate’s hand and took a sip before handing it back.
He felt like he’d run a marathon. Multiple marathons. And he hadn’t even left his living room.
His mind was a blank sponge, the repetitive exercises drumming the numbers and positions into his head. The question about the computer game had helped him refocus at the end, come back out of the fog she’d sent him into.
He chortled, thinking of how many characters she must have lost to be so angry about it.
Kate gripped the back of his neck. “What are you laughing about?”
There was no anger in her voice, and her smile said volumes.
“That trap, Mistress. Management told me they’d get plenty of flak for it, and I told them it was their problem. I never thought it’d come back to bite me in the ass.” He shifted against the couch, still feeling the burn. “Literally.”
Kate laughed and gave him the drink before unlocking his collar. He sighed as she stripped it from his neck and placed it on the table.
“You miss it,” she said.
It wasn’t a question.
He took another swig, enjoying the caffeinated rush. “I do. Every time when you take it off. It’s like dunking my head in ice water.” Alex reached up and rubbed his neck. “Are there subs who really wear it all the time?”
Kate shrugged, and he felt her tense up, her muscles clench at the question. “Some do, some don’t. It depends on the relationship.”
“I’m sorry.” The words slipped out before he could pull back.
She frowned. “Sorry for what?”
“For bringing up bad memories.”
He saw the flash in her eyes, the softness and pain showing through before the shutters fell.
Someone hurt you.
He ground his teeth together, the wave of anger surging through the exhaustion.
“Thank you.” She pulled him close and tugged the afghan over his shoulders. “Don’t forget anything you learned today. I will be testing you in the future.”
Kate stepped out of the shower and rubbed her hair dry with a towel. It’d been a good Sunday, a great Sunday appointment with Alex.
At least until the very end, when she’d thought about Carl.
The bastard had put her off every time they’d talked about collaring him at the club, announcing their dedication to each other in public. It was fine for them to live together and play together—but not make the commitment in front of everyone else.
In retrospect, it’d been like when she was a teenager and her mother warned her about living with a man who wasn’t willing to marry her.
Why would he buy the cow when he was getting the milk for free?
Her mother would be mortified to hear that the old saying also applied to D/s relationships.
She didn’t know he’d been going to the club on his own, letting himself be wooed away. He’d lied to her face and said he was working late, and she’d bought it. She hadn’t believed or wanted to believe he was capable of such duplicity.
She had been a fool.
Kate shifted her thoughts back to Alex with a loud grunt, forcing her mind to the present.
Damned trap.
She didn’t want to think about how many times she’d fallen through the floor to die a horrible death on the spikes below before figuring out the numerical algorithm to scoot on by.
Technically the question had been over the line, too personal for their professional relationship, but she had to ask after seeing the cover art framed and hanging on the wall. The image had nagged at her ever since she’d seen it on the first visit and the opportunity arose for her to ask about it.
She smiled as she remembered his response.
It was at the end of the session anyway and she needed something to finish up the lesson. He hadn’t made enough mistakes during the exercises anyway so—
She knew she was justifying asking about his personal life.
But it was Alex.
And Alex was—
Kate gave her head one last shake and hung up the damp towel.
She had to stop thinking about him when she was off the clock. It was fine to devote time to planning scenes, working out the details on how to fulfill his needs. That she owed to all her clients to deliver the best experience.
But Alex was different.
Her mind persisted in wandering back to him and him alone.
She’d considered interrogating him about his other projects, games she loved and played. Find out what was behind certain images, what storylines he had input in and what they’d discarded on the way to the final released game.
But it wasn’t what she was seeing him for. That would create an emotional connection, and that wasn’t allowed.
It was against the rules.
Kate tugged on her robe and went out to the living room to work on another sketch.
And to try not to think about Alex Hanson and his dastardly traps.
He’d fallen into a lovely routine of working hard Saturday night, pushing his mental limits to complete a project or goal. His productivity had increased tenfold, his ability to code and create working like a charm.
The reward was his weekly appointment with Kate.
Every week he earned it.
He still made mistakes, silly stupid mistakes he’d find later on and smack himself in the forehead about, but there were less of them than before.
Alex knew his life hadn’t really changed. He tried to eat healthy, tried to keep from overdosing on coffee and knew he loved candy bars way too much.
He’d found a part of himself he didn’t know he was missing.
His world was finally coming all together.
Every once in a while, Alex would pick up a book or visit a website, weighing them against his knowledge. Before, he’d only been able to watch as a voyeur, but now that he had real-time experience, it was different.
He understood now why during his interview Kate had expressed concerns about what he expected.
Some of the books were truthful, honest depictions of what she did with him.
To him.
Some…not so much.
But he couldn’t necessarily blame them. It was like capturing lightning in a jar, describing an elephant when you were blindfolded and had no idea what you were touching.
It wasn’t like the books or the movies.
It wasn’t like anything he’d expected.
It was more than the sexual experience; it was way beyond that.
But—
It wasn’t perfect.
There was something missing, something in his mind failing to make the final connection, push him that little bit further over the edge into perfect subspace.
He knew what it was called—the mental state when everything was perfect, the ecstasy of lines of codes falling into place, a mindless flow where it all came together and hitting the buttons was instinctive without any planning on his part.
It was so close, and with each visit seemed that bit closer. But there was something stopping him from reaching the final pinnacle. Alex was reminded of the theory about reaching the speed of light, the impossibility of getting there because every time you got close, the actual point would move farther away.
He wanted to hit the speed of light.
He just didn’t know what he needed to do to get there.
Kate smiled.
Eighth time was the charm.
They’d returned to his bedroom for another session, keeping to her mental system of rotating settings. The living room for the lovely leather couch, the hook set on the kitchen door for a proper flogging, the bedroom—
Ah, the bedroom.
Kate knew he’d had more than his share of erotic dreams here, compounded by the memory of her disciplining him on this very mattress, these very sheets.
And it was time to add to them.
She looked down on Alex.
Spread-eagled on his bed, facedown, collared and hooded. The sensory deprivation would allow his imagination to run free.
“Today, we’re going to play with your senses.” She drew the feather down his spine and saw his muscles twitch as he tried to process the feeling.
Kate leaned in, imagining the confused look under the hood. “You’re used to the hard math of numbers, of a computer screen grinding out images. Let me show you what else is out there. What other pleasures you can experience from the simplest objects if you slow down and pay attention.”
His mouth opened as if he were about to say something, but he stayed silent.
Kate smiled and reached for the rabbit-fur mitten.
His world was on fire.
She hadn’t slapped him or spanked him, flogged him or beaten his ass.
She’d stroked his arm with something so soft, so delicate that it confused his senses, the gentle touches driving him to immediate arousal. It continued as she moved across his shoulders and down, down his back. The feeling, the sensation brushing between his thighs, had given him goose bumps.
The object had disappeared to be replaced with a familiar touch—the deer-hide flogger trailing over his skin. He couldn’t help flexing away from the tails, his muscle memory calling up the pleasure and pain they delivered.
The smell of sandalwood filled the air.
Incense?
Next, a cool object pressed against his thighs. It began to vibrate, and he shuddered, the oscillations shooting through his balls and straight to his cock.
She has a vibrator.
Here.
Now.
Alex whimpered as it crept up between his ass cheeks and then moved to dance from one side of his ribs to the other.
Time expanded and stretched, snapped back like a broken elastic band as she moved on to other items, some of which he could identify and many which he couldn’t.
“Open your mouth.”
He did so, unable to refuse.
Something brushed his lips, pushed its way inside.
Alex automatically closed his mouth and sucked on the creamy treat.
Chocolate.
The sugar rush hit his system just as something jabbed him in the back of his right leg, starting at the ankle and working its way up over his ass, over his spine.
It felt like a thousand tiny needles rolling on and through his skin, leaving their marks behind.
A Wartenberg pinwheel?
His mind called up an image of the tiny wheel lined with sharp edges being drawn over skin.
The chocolate dissolved in his mouth as the wheel stopped.
He couldn’t see her, barely heard her thanks to the thick leather over his ears. All he could do was lie there and let her have her way with him. Do whatever she wanted.
Alex moaned as something tickled the bottom of his left foot.
Oh no.
He wriggled his foot, trying to shake her off.
The tickling shifted into pain as he strained at the cuffs, trying to pull away from her.
Suddenly, it stopped.
He went limp on the mattress, relief surging through his body.
Something cold dripped on the base of his spine, and Alex brought his head up sharply, the collar jangling as he reacted.
The cool sensation moved across his shoulders.
Ice cube?
The chill crept down his back, ending at his ass crack. He reflexively tightened up as the cool liquid slipped down and over his balls.
If he died right here and now, he’d be a happy, happy man.
His mental clock was all screwed up. He’d been here for minutes, hours, days. He couldn’t hear Kate’s clock chime, had no way of knowing when this beautiful torture would end.
Or if it ever would.
Kate glanced at her phone. It was almost time to bring him down, bring him out of his dreamlike state.
But not before she gave him something to remember this by.
She climbed on the bed and straddled him.
The answering moan made her smile.
Kate ran her hands along his shoulders, the damp skin warm under her touch. The muscles twitched as she dragged her fingers down his spine with her nails leaving crimson valleys in their wake, the oversensitized skin rising at her application.
Not enough to bleed but enough to mark him. Every time he looked in the mirror at his back for the next few hours, he’d see the welts and know who put them there.
Mine.
The soft chime went off.
Kate slid off the bed, mentally throwing up the walls. She focused on undoing the leather straps holding Alex’s hands and feet, letting her emotional high wane.
She knelt by the side of the bed and turned his head to face her as she carefully undid the ties keeping the hood secure, making sure not to get them tangled in his hair.
The gentle tug brought it off and left her eye to eye with him.
A sweaty, exhausted Alex stared at her, wide blue saucers filled with contentment and softness.
Kate smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.
“Good boy,” she whispered, the emotional storm whipping her almost to tears. “When you’re up to it, we’ll go downstairs and cuddle.”
She had been tempted to do it here, but the bedroom was too much of a minefield, too much of a temptation to take things further.
Alex slid off the bed and wobbled for a second, unsteady on his legs. He grabbed one of the bedposts to balance himself.
“Whoa.” Alex paused for a second before dropping to his knees with a grunt. His hands shot out and grabbed Kate’s legs. A short tug pulled her close, fully into his embrace.
She didn’t resist. Her pulse pounded in her ears as Alex nuzzled against her thighs, eyes closed.
He wrapped his right hand around the back of her left knee, caressing the soft flesh through the dark stockings. She’d worn fishnets today, with the black leather shoes she knew he loved.
“Thank you,” Alex whispered. “My Mistress. My beautiful Kate. My Katherine.”
Oh God.
Kate bit down on the inside of her mouth to keep from gasping at his touch. The heat burned through the sheer fabric, searing her skin.
Carl never said it like that.
Her mind conjured up images of an ancient Greek praying to his goddess, the soft whispers sent up to Olympus in adoration. On his knees worshiping Athena or maybe Diana.
She laid her hand on his head and stroked the fine black hair.
He pressed his lips to the dark nylons, the moistness soaking through to her skin. Shockwaves rippled out from his kiss, and she was lost, her senses overwhelmed.
A sigh escaped as she closed her eyes and sank deep into her own space, her own acceptance of his adoration.
They paused there for a second, a minute, an hour.
Her phone shouted from the nearby table. The angry chime vibrated through the room.
The emergency alarm.
Oh God.
“I’m sorry.” Kate untangled her fingers from Alex’s hair. She took a shaky step forward, feeling his hands fall away from her legs. Another few steps, and she was at the phone, silencing the alarm. She tapped the speed dial button with trembling fingers.
“Kate—speak to me. You okay?” Tracy’s voice shot out of the tiny speaker.
“I’m fine.” She looked back at Alex, who hadn’t moved. Still on his knees with his head bowed, his hands on his thighs, waiting for further instruction.
“Say it.” The tension remained in her words.
“Apple sauce,” Kate said.
Her own safe-word. The company used a double safety system in case she’d been taken captive and made to answer the alarm. Any deviation from her safe-word, and the police would be dispatched to her location.
“You didn’t send the code.” The disapproval scratched her ears. “You know the rules, Kate. Don’t scare me.”
“Sorry.” She dragged her eyes off Alex. “Lost track of time.”
“Yeah. Sure.” From Tracy’s tone she wasn’t buying the excuse. “That’s why you have an alarm. To make sure you don’t lose track of time.”
Lose track of yourself, the unspoken words hung between them.
Tracy knew her job. She was the anchor for the office, keeping everyone where and when they should be.
Safe.
“Sorry,” Kate repeated. “It won’t happen again. Thanks for calling.” She hung up without waiting for Tracy’s response.
Kate drew a shuddering breath, annoyed with herself.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
She walked over to him and unlocked the collar with the key she’d placed earlier on the side table.
Alex didn’t move as she pulled it free. A thin red band around his neck showed where he’d struggled against the leather earlier. It’d fade in time as the memories would.
For both of them.
Kate relocked the collar and tossed it on the bed.
Done.
“I need to go. You need to pay me, and I have to go.” The second sentence stung her mouth as if she’d swallowed a handful of needles.
Alex nodded, eyes fixed on the floor.
She waited.
The sinking feeling in her stomach told her they weren’t going to make it to the couch this time.
A minute later, he let out a ragged sigh and got to his feet. “My wallet’s downstairs.” He gave a chuckle that turned into a soft cough. “In the back pocket of my jeans.”
“I’ll pack up here. Meet you in a few minutes at the door. I can’t stay any longer.”
He nodded and headed for the stairs.
Kate watched him go. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that she began packing up her toys. It took a few seconds to extinguish the incense, a few minutes to grab the rabbit-fur mitten and stow the last of the chocolate in her duffle bag.
Damn it.
She tapped the palm of her hand with the riding crop, enough to sting.
What’s wrong with me? I don’t react like this with the others. Why him?
Why now?
By the time she came downstairs, Alex had managed to pull his pants on, although from the bulge, it’d been a somewhat trying experience. He’d already drained one iced coffee, the crushed can lying on the coffee table.
He offered his credit card.
She went through the procedure automatically and handed him the phone for his approval.
“Thank you.” He tapped the tiny screen, jabbing at the number squares. It took a few seconds for him to scribble his signature.
She waited, wanting nothing more than to grab the phone and run out the door.
Alex handed the phone back. “I have a question.”
“Ask away.” Kate forced herself to sound nonchalant and almost bored despite the growing panic in her heart.
She needed to get away from him.
“If we weren’t, you know”—he lifted his hands to make air quotes—“‘on the clock,’ ah—” He licked his lips, looking both adorable and maddening. “What would you have done? I mean, instead of us doing this.” Alex pointed upstairs. “If we were together—” He broke off, unable to finish the sentence.
It shattered her last bit of resolve, the temptation too delicious to turn down.
She leaned in, enjoying the heat surging through her veins at the prompt. “Whatever you wanted me to do. Even if you didn’t know what it was.”
There was a hitch in his breath, enough to get her heart surging.
Alex puffed his bare chest out and drew a deep breath. “What if I wanted to date you, see you outside of this business arrangement?”
There it was.
The Question.
“You can’t.” Kate forced herself to step back and pick up her bag. Her raincoat lay on the back of one chair. She couldn’t wait to put it on and leave.
She’d gone too far, and she was going to pay for it.
She had to get out of this house.
Now.
“Why not?” Alex moved toward her as she grabbed her coat and headed for the doorway. He stopped just shy of blocking it, hovering around the edge of the doorway.
“Because the rules don’t allow it.” She scribbled the air with an unseen pen, grateful for the easy way out. “It’s right there in black-and-white. Two-hour appointments no more than once a week. Everything laid out and agreed to before I come in, and nothing more than that. No personal contact outside of our meetings. In. The. Rules.” Kate swept by him toward the door.
“But why? If we both agree—”
She stopped to pull the coat on. It was unlikely anyone would see her head for the car, but there was no point in taking chances a nosy neighbor might be around searching for a reason to cause trouble.
It was also in the rules. Full covering before leaving a client’s home.
Just in case.
The rules were tough, but they would save her, let her escape here and now before she said or did something she’d regret. “We’re not supposed to get emotionally involved with a customer. No more than we should, I mean. It’s enough to give you what you want but without any commitment. If you want more, you have to go to a club or seek out a more permanent arrangement with someone, anyone. Not me.” It was like talking through cotton balls stuffed in her mouth.
“But why?” Now Alex was between her and the front door, and she felt the power transfer away from her, settling on his shoulders as he shifted from being the submissive to the professional man, the game designer calling the shots and designing the traps. “Who set this limit? Who did the studies to figure an hour here and there wouldn’t make someone want more?” He frowned, the Alpha in him coming out. “Why not break the rules?”
“Why not cheat to get past your traps? The rules keep both of us safe.” She stepped next to him and reached out for the doorknob. “If you don’t like it, you can cancel your contract.” The harsh words burned her throat, but they had to be said.
His hand fell atop hers, startling her into silence.
“Please don’t be mad at me. I had to ask.” The tenderness in his voice shredded her self-control.
She couldn’t turn to look at him for fear she’d break all the rules and some she hadn’t even thought of.
He squeezed her hand before pulling away. “Please understand.”
She ground the words out even as they shredded her soul. “I understand.”
Kate left, cursing under her breath.