Dangerous (The Complete Erotic Romance Novel) (6 page)

That was just too high of a price to pay.

At least this early in the game.

He needed a new plan.

* * *

Mr. Stirling was incredible. Kendra spent the whole morning running after him, trying to keep up. The shoes were a liability in that, but not in the way she caught him looking at them every once in a while.

She had his attention, and she liked that.

She’d challenged him and he was considering it.

Kendra was desperate to know his decision.

At the same time, she was impressed. He seemed to have swallowed the company organizational chart whole. He knew the name of every employee and his or her job, remembering details of their work record with ease. It was as if he’d started the company and run it for twenty years instead of Leon. He showed appreciation of the workers’ skills and no small amount of charm, even as he kept to a relentless schedule. He made it look easy to be in charge, easier than Kendra knew it was, and she respected that.

She wondered why he’d gone to so much trouble, particularly if Ginger was right.

Had she made a difference in his thinking? Kendra couldn’t be sure. She doubted it was that easy to change his mind about anything.

Maybe they’d just been in agreement.

Because he made a definite effort to set fears at rest, assuring everyone that if there were changes to how the company was run, they would not be made abruptly. He convinced them all that their jobs were comparatively safe, even as he talked about the challenges of the market and economy. Kendra watched in awe as he started to build consensus amongst the staff. He solicited ideas from everyone in the place, and challenged the sales and marketing team to brainstorm. He insisted that the employees of the company knew its strengths better than he could, and shared his conviction that the building was filled with resources and ideas.

Their ideas.

By noon, there was a palpable sense of energy in the building, one that had been lacking for a long time.

And he hadn’t even taken off his suit jacket, much less broken a sweat. Leon would have had his sleeves rolled up and his tie loosened by now, but Mr. Stirling was as crisp as if he’d just stepped in the door.

“I regret that I must interfere with your lunch plans today, Miss Jones,” he said, pausing by her desk on the way to his office. “But I hope it will be an isolated incident.”

“That’s all right,” Kendra said with a smile, hoping he was making a reference to her lunch intervals with Leon.

He went into his office then, standing at the door as he waited for her to follow. She assured Ginger that she’d get the phone for an hour, and the other women in the office grabbed their purses to leave. She knew what they were going to talk about at lunch and wished she could have been there.

On the other hand, she couldn’t regret being alone with Mr. Stirling, even if it was all business. When she followed him into his office with her notepad, he flicked the door shut with his fingertips, then gestured to the chair opposite his desk. Kendra sat down and crossed her legs, wondering what he wanted to talk about.

And hoping that she knew.

He took his seat and waited, fingers steepled before himself and his gaze fixed upon her. He barely seemed to blink, and Kendra suddenly had a bad feeling about her employment future. When the shared office had fallen silent and still he didn’t say anything, she couldn’t stand it.

“Are you going to fire me?”

“Not unless you want me to. Do you?”

“I’m not sure.”

He smiled and reached into his briefcase. He removed a folder, opened it and set a photo on the edge of the desk closest to her.

It was the shot of Kendra in black and red, the fishnet stockings that she loved and the merry widow and red high heels she was wearing on this day. She was wrapped in a kneeling position with red ribbon that curled around her ankles. She was smiling and had her back arched, like a pinup girl.

Kendra swallowed, knowing there was nothing she could say to explain it.

He could only know she was wearing the shoes, couldn’t he?

He set down another photograph beside it, his movement deliberate.

It was the one of Kendra in pink lingerie, hogtied on the conference table with white cotton rope. It looked a little rougher, although it hadn’t really been. The sight of the rope knotted around her was exciting though and Kendra felt herself getting wet. She’d never considered that it could be hot to look at erotic pictures with someone else, but she was certainly getting turned on. She stole a glance at him and saw him swallow before he looked at her. Their gazes locked and held.

“It wasn’t even knotted,” she said half under her breath. Her chest was so tight that she could barely take a breath, and she knew her cheeks were burning. “It wasn’t like that.”

He said nothing, but put down another picture. The next photo showed Kendra naked except for the same shoes she was currently wearing. She was bound and gagged with black tape, in the very same chair she was sitting in.

Kendra swallowed and crossed her legs the other way.

“Was the tape tight?” he asked, his voice low enough to give her shivers.

Kendra shrugged. “Tighter than the rope had been, but I still freed myself. It wasn’t abusive.”

The fourth shot was of her wearing the leather blindfold. Her arms were bound to her sides with the red rope and her lips were painted a glossy red. Her mouth was slightly open as if she had just gasped, and her nipples were tightly beaded above the coiled rope. Just looking at the shot made Kendra’s puss hum with desire.

“Tight?” Reid asked.

Kendra shook her head. “I did it myself because he wouldn’t. I was holding the ends behind my back.”

He straightened then and looked at her. “Is that how you like it?”

Kendra didn’t know if he meant being in control or not. “How?”

“Tight.”

“Why?”

“I’m curious.”

“Why?”

He leaned his fists on the desk and bent toward her, his voice dropping even lower. “Because I like to bind women so securely that they can’t even shiver, and I’m trying to decide how personal of an assistant you might be to me.” He lifted a brow. “Since I’ve decided to take your challenge to make this company profitable, we’ll be spending a good bit of time together. I’d like to know exactly how.”

Although she’d guessed that he’d suggest something similar, Kendra felt her mouth open in surprise that he had. “Leon didn’t touch.”

“I would.”

“Leon didn’t . . . you know.”

“I would.”

Kendra licked her lips and looked at the pictures again, realizing this man could make her fantasies come true. It was incredible to be having a talk like this with a man she barely knew. On the hand, she was never going to forget that kiss.

And she wanted another. Badly.

She flicked a glance at him, not surprised by his intensity or his focus. He would be good at this game, she was sure. He liked control. He liked power. He knew what he wanted and was prepared to ask for it. She remembered a quote from him that she’d found when she did that report:
never let an opportunity walk away.

She was suddenly sure she shouldn’t let this one pass. He’d met her halfway on giving the company a chance. If she declined, would he close up the shop? Did she have that much power? Even if the company’s future had nothing to do with his suggestion, she loved the idea of exploring her fantasies.

Especially with him.

Kendra took a deep breath and met his gaze. “Tell me more.”

He reached into his briefcase again and pulled out a manila envelope. “Why don’t you just read the contract?”

“A contract?”

His tone was cool and more impersonal than Kendra wanted it to be, but she already knew he was a man whose thoughts were hard to read.

Probably on purpose.

What would it be like to crack his polished exterior? Kendra wanted very much to know.

“Contracts protect the interests of both involved parties, regardless of the nature of the transaction,” he explained. “Contracts ensure that we understand each other.” He handed her the envelope and Kendra stared at it, unable to believe it could be that specific. Did people really write down the terms of their sexual games? “Take a late lunch, Miss Jones. I’d like an answer before close of business today.” With that, he gathered up the photographs.

“Can I have those now?”

His smile was quick and surprisingly wicked. “No. They’re mine, either way.” That look nearly stopped Kendra’s heart. How could a man be so sexy?

But, wait. He was keeping the pictures? Kendra opened her mouth to argue with him, then saw from the glint in his eyes that he would have liked an argument very much. She waved the envelope, trying to sound nonchalant. “Is discipline part of this deal?”

“Read the contract,” he said flatly, then turned to his laptop. He looked pointedly at the door, and Kendra understood. She got up to leave, but his next words stopped her on the threshold. “I like the shoes, Miss Jones.” His voice was no more than a purr, pitched low enough to make her shiver.

She glanced back but he wasn’t looking at her, apparently engrossed in whatever was on his computer screen. She couldn’t resist the urge to provoke him. “You should see what else I’m wearing.”

He grinned then, his expression making Kendra’s heart leap. He looked like a different man, one just as dangerous but a lot more unpredictable. He pointed to the envelope with his pen. “Sign the contract and I will.”

Kendra made her decision in a heartbeat, right then and there. She marched back across the office and seized his pen from his grip. She loved how surprised he looked by her move. She pulled the contract out of the envelope, turned to the last page, signed and dated it with a flourish. There were two copies, presumably one for her and one for him, so Kendra signed the second and dropped them both on his desk in front of him.

“You didn’t even read it,” he murmured. He might have been horrified but his eyes were gleaming.

“I want to be helpless,” she said. “And that means finding someone to make me so. I think you’ll be good at it. The details are irrelevant.”

He caught his breath and looked out the window for a moment. A muscle ticked in his jaw and Kendra felt triumphant that she’d gotten to him already. “Are you always so impulsive, Miss Jones?” His voice was tight, now, maybe as tight as his pants must feel.

Kendra nodded, knowing her own weakness well enough. She leaned on his desk and smiled at him, knowing full well that he’d be able to see down her shirt. “Yes. My mom always said it would get me in trouble one day.” He looked, flicked a glance at her face, then turned back to his laptop.

“Consider that day to have come,” he said, his tone crisp again.

“I don’t believe it.” Kendra smiled when he looked up at her again. “I researched you for a school assignment. I know you keep your word and that you aren’t mean.”

“I’m tough, Miss Jones.”

“That’s different. You won’t hurt me and I know it.”

He spun back in his chair, studying her again. “You trust me? Already?”

Kendra nodded. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t have signed otherwise.” She was pretty sure she’d astounded him.

“You are a remarkable woman, Miss Jones.”

Kendra laughed. “Not really. I want to explore this fantasy and you’re my chance. How else does anyone find out what they like, without trying it?”

He eyed her for a moment, as if she’d said something that shook his world, and when he spoke, his voice was husky. “What happened to that red rope, Miss Jones?”

“In my desk.”

“And the black tape?”

“Yes, sir.”

His glance was so hot that it nearly singed her. He plucked the pen from the desk and signed both contracts, putting one back into the envelope and handing it to her. The other disappeared into his briefcase. “Find them both, Miss Jones. I fear we are going to have to work a bit late tonight to get everything tied up before I fly to Hong Kong.”

Including her.

Kendra wanted to laugh out loud. She hadn’t been so excited in a long time, and she wondered how she’d get through the afternoon. “Of course, sir.”

“Don’t take advantage of me now,” he said softly. “It would be unfortunate for me to have to fire you for poor job performance before the real test even began.”

Kendra pivoted with her hand on the door knob, doing it fast enough that her skirt flared up. He was watching her legs. “How late do you think we’ll be tonight, sir?”

He gave her a long slow appraisal, one that went from her lips to her toes and left her burning with desire. “It could be a very late night. Is that acceptable, Miss Jones?”

“Yes, Mr. Stirling. Whatever you want, sir.”

“Now there’s a promising beginning,” he murmured and his smile made Kendra impatient for the end of the day.

* * *

Chapter Three

Reid closed the blinds at five. Presumably he was blocking out the hot rays of the setting sun, but in reality, he was preparing for his first scene with Kendra. Anticipation had his fingers tapping, even as he tried to review her business plan.