Dangerous (The Complete Erotic Romance Novel) (17 page)

“Of course, sir.” Jackson was silent and Reid smiled, easily imagining the forces his butler was already mustering. He’d be standing in the hall, writing commands and handing them off to other staff, even as he awaited further instruction. “Shall I choose a house or let you select from the best available options?”

“Choose, Jackson. The sooner, the better.”

“Excellent, sir. I will leave tonight and courier whatever paperwork is necessary to your location.”

“Thank you, Jackson.” Reid paused and sipped his drinking, weighing the appeal of his sudden idea.

“Is there anything else, sir?”

“Yes. Sell the house there, please, Jackson. The price is less important than the speed of resolution.”

The butler’s uncertainty was audible to Reid, they’d known each other that long.

“It’s Alana’s house, Jackson. It always was. It’s time to admit that she’s never coming back.”

“Indeed, sir.” The older man’s approval was clear. “I believe you are right. So, you intend to relocate completely?”

“I won’t stay here more than six months, Jackson, but it’s simpler to move here for the short term. My future plans are still in flux.”

“Of course, sir.”

Reid felt lighter after making his choice, and realized just how much of a burden he had been carrying. Miss Jones’ affection for risk-taking might prove to be addictive.

Even as addictive as she was. Reid smiled, an almost-forgotten sense of optimism making him feel taller. He hadn’t realized that he’d been just going through the motions these past few years. If Miss Jones gave him nothing more than new hope and a few intervals of pleasure, he would call it more than a fair exchange “I hope you have a successful trip, Jackson.”

“Just as I hope you have one, sir.”

Reid ended the call and finished his drink. They were calling for business class to board, which was perfect timing. He gathered his garment bag, briefcase and coat, and headed for the plane, surprised by the buoyancy in his step. He felt invigorated and optimistic, faced with challenges on many levels and certain of his triumph in each one.

For the first time in ten years, Reid felt alive again.

And it was because of Kendra Jones.

He’d have to make sure he rewarded her appropriately for that.

Maybe his toy deserved a little gift. A reward. Reid smiled, knowing exactly what he’d bring her. As a bonus, he’d get to spend the week imagining exactly how to present it.

* * *

N

In which Reid gives Kendra her due. . .

Chapter Seven

Kendra stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom and wondered if she’d gone insane. Her body was marked from shoulder to mid-thigh with a crisscross pattern of reddened marks from the riding crop. Her breasts were untouched, most of the marks being on her back and buttocks with a few on her thighs. They were already rising to welts and tender to the touch.

But when she pinched one, a wonderful flood of heated desire passed through her body. It was almost orgasmic, so pleasurable she wanted to keep pinching them. She wanted to wear something so tight the welts were all compressed, all the time. She never wanted to lose this feeling, this intensity of desire and awareness.

It was easy to believe the interval today at the fitter had been the only real thing that had happened to her all day. Maybe, outside of the spanking the night before, it had been the only time she’d ever felt so vitally alive.

But it didn’t balance her disappointment that Reid had been so cool at the end. His refusal to give her a kiss made it seem as if he didn’t care, as if he hadn’t shared the same transporting experience she had.

Or was that just the illusion he wanted to give her?

Was he making it clear to her this was just a game?

Or was this what it meant to be a toy?

His comment that she’d never be completely trained, and thus never eligible to wear a collar, bothered her, too. It made her feel like a distraction instead of a focal point. She’d never even heard of a sex slave wearing a collar before this morning, and now she wanted one more than anything in the world.

But only if Reid locked it around her neck.

His attitude when they’d parted made her wonder how many similar contracts he’d signed. Never mind how many of them were currently active.

Was he really even going to Asia? And even if he was, was there another willing slave—or six—waiting for him there? It didn’t seem fair that she couldn’t stop thinking about him, but that he could so easily walk away.

What had she gotten herself into?

Kendra didn’t even know what she’d done for the rest of the day. She knew she had to get dressed, but the world that had been her reality seemed unimportant. The last thing she wanted to do was go out for dinner with Liv and her new guy, never mind get introduced to his friends. She didn’t want to laugh and eat and flirt.

She wished she were on the flight to Hong Kong with Reid.

Even if she’d been in his luggage.

Even if he was going to visit an entire harem of sex slaves.

She pinched a welt hard, obeying his command, and closed her eyes as desire rolled through her body. He was already becoming an addiction, this man, and she doubted she’d get enough of him anytime soon.

She pinched another welt, harder.

She didn’t know how she’d survive until he returned to the office on Friday.

Another pinch, really hard. That only seemed to make her yearn for him more, which was a particular kind of stupidity.

She opened her eyes and considered her reflection. Kendra Jones wasn’t stupid about men, and she wasn’t going to start now. She didn’t date men who didn’t appreciate her, and that meant all of her. That included her new boss. If he wasn’t going to fall for her, then she wouldn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t fall for him.

She had to spend this week getting Reid Stirling out of her mind.

The question was how.

“You ready?” Jade shouted and Kendra’s eyes flew open.

She eyed the red welts, then shook her head. What was the matter with her? She didn’t want to just be a sex toy. She wanted a relationship, an emotional commitment, a future.

She pulled out the contract and scanned it, remembering what Reid had said about no emotional involvement.

It was right there in black and white, in Clause Fifteen.

The Master reserves the right to terminate the arrangement if he believes the Slave is in violation of the fundamental tenets of the contract, i.e. that this is shall be a purely physical relationship with no commitment or expectation of more.

This was about sex, not love.

It always would be.

She was surrendering everything in exchange for nothing.

There was still time to make a change.

* * *

There was something about the realization a trap was closing that prompted most victims to make a last play for freedom. The man in the apartment smiled as he watched the video feed from the apartment across the street.

She’d left her clothes on and kept the lights low, presumably to hide the marks of the riding crop on her body. He halfway wished she’d shown them to her partner. It would have been interesting to see his response, although it was easy to predict. The young man’s technique wasn’t very inventive, pure vanilla missionary position.

The watcher was surprised the little beauty hadn’t fallen asleep out of boredom.

She did lie awake long after her date had departed, staring at the ceiling.

He chose an image from the video for the still, one that showed her face clearly as her date worked away on top of her. The image left no doubt she was in violation of Clause Four of the contract she’d hidden earlier in her closet.

Which reminded him that a little proof beyond the time stamp might make his presentation more compelling. He went back through the video footage to her consideration of the welts Reid had undoubtedly put on her body. There was one of her reviewing the contract, even as she fingered a welt. He took another image from the sequence to add to his collection. The position of her clock on the nightstand was fortuitous—along with the light coming through the window, it elegantly reinforced the chronology of events.

He checked the feed and saw that she’d flung off her clothes and was lying nude on the bed. Restless. Dissatisfied.

He saw her pinch a welt.

He saw her touch herself.

He watched.

Then he chose a third image and printed out all three, putting them into an envelope already labeled with Reid’s home address.

* * *

Monday was a harsh return for Kendra to the reality that Reid was her boss.

She’d read the entire contract four times by Monday morning. Some of it was mundane and some was surprising, but mostly it was incredible to read a legal agreement about sex. Kendra had never seen a contract agreement with an entire clause about oral sex, never mind a listing of all possibilities for binding and penetrating. The intent of the contract was clear: she surrendered all control to him and was to be completely obedient and submissive outlet for his desire—or pay the consequences.

Kendra didn’t know how a man on the other side of the world could generate so much work for her. By the time she turned on her computer Monday morning, she’d already received enough emails from him to keep her busy all day, and they kept coming. She even had to work through her lunch. She stayed late but still couldn’t get it done. Clearly the man didn’t sleep, because the onslaught was relentless.

No doubt about it, he was an exacting and demanding boss, and a man who always expected to have his orders followed immediately. Kendra found it interesting than his attitude was the same in business as in sex, but her situation made her more than usually determined to get everything right.

In a way, Kendra felt as if he were actually in the office, standing behind his desk with his arms folded across his chest, tapping his toe for something to be done.

By seven that night, she couldn’t face another problem. Kendra knew she wasn’t just tired from work. An impulsive hookup on Saturday night had done nothing to drive Reid from her thoughts—in fact, she’d spent the whole interval fantasizing about him and imagining how he’d have done it better. She also had had to be careful to ensure Blake’s friend—whatever his name was—hadn’t caught a glimpse of the welts on her body. That had been distracting, too.

No wonder she’d had to fake her orgasm.

Despite that, her body was on fire. She was consumed with thoughts of sex, sex and more sex, but only sex with Reid would solve that. She relived their kiss a thousand times, and treated herself to another replay.

She paused, then pinched a welt. The surge of heat that rolled through her body weakened her knees. It would have made her panties wet, but she wasn’t wearing any. What would she do if Reid walked through the door of the office right now?

Anything he wanted.

Maybe she
was
losing it.

She definitely needed some sleep. Kendra was shutting down her computer in the empty office when her phone rang.

Kendra eyed it for a moment, long enough to hope it was him, before she answered it, impatient with her own fantasies.

“Do you have patterns drafted for the sketches in your business plan?” Reid demanded. That he sounded grim and impatient did nothing to keep Kendra’s hopes from leaping.

“A few.”

Before she could continue, he did. “And fabrics in stock?”

“I can get them delivered overnight.”

“And the ladies have the skills to make them?”

“Of course. . .”

“Then order the fabric and get samples made. I have lingerie buyers coming into the office next Monday for a presentation about our new abilities. Three so far, but I have calls in to a few more.” He rattled off their names and companies, and Kendra scribbled on the pad beside her phone, impressed despite herself. “I told them to have their admins call you about travel arrangements. Most of them are making a day trip from New York. We’ll do a presentation late morning, offer a catered lunch, then a tour of the plant afterward.”