Master Me (5 page)

A slight smile curved her lips as she headed toward his office. Her decision firmed as each second passed. Soul destroying aside, being with Max would fulfill so many long-held fantasies. The pain would come, yet she had to believe that somehow she’d survive it. The cards said she would.

“Miss Cooper, can I help you?” Max’s secretary, Rebecca, intoned through her nose as Ana approached. The ice princess didn’t like her and she made no bones about hiding it.

“I’d like to see Max.”

Rebecca wrinkled her nose at Ana’s familiarity. She didn’t seem to put any account in the fact Ana and Max had been friends since before either of them had worked here.

“Mr. Cress is in a meeting with his brother.”

“Well, great. Josh will want to talk to me.” She started skirting the desk. The icy gatekeeper wouldn’t keep her from Max. This was important. Especially since she’d avoided him all day.

“It’s a private meeting. You can’t go in there,” the secretary exclaimed.

“Look, Bec.” She knew Rebecca hated being called that. “Josh has known me since…well, forever. Max needs to see me and neither of them will care.”

“Miss Cooper—”

Ana ignored her protest, heading for the door. “Thanks. I knew you’d understand.”

Two dark heads turned toward her as she stepped inside the office and closed the door on Rebecca’s protests. Leaning against the door, she met first one set of laughing 34

Master Me

gray eyes, then the intense gray of her master. Max’s gaze seemed to devour her.

Caught in his web, she froze unsure what to do or what to say.

Her breathing quickened as she stared at him.

“You wanted something, Ana?”

You
.
I want you
.

She swallowed around the lump in her throat. Of all the scenarios she’d envisioned she hadn’t included anyone else. Even barging in here, she hadn’t thought through what she’d do with Josh in the room. Her eyes closed for a brief moment and she shoved away from the door. It didn’t matter that he was here. Max and Josh were close.

Josh would know the lay of the land with his brother.

She ordered herself to stay calm as she approached. This was right. This was Max.

Her cards supported this. She stopped a few feet from the desk. Fastening her gaze on the carpet, she lowered herself to her knees and clasped her hands behind her.

“Holy shit!” Josh exclaimed.

Max stood. “Shut up, Josh.”

“Man, I didn’t know this was how it was with you two.”

He ignored his brother and rounded the desk, coming to stand before her. Reaching down, he tilted up her chin. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He raised an eyebrow and she closed her eyes, taking a breath. “Master.”

“Josh, leave.”

A rustle of papers followed. She sensed rather than saw Max’s brother leave. Her eyes never left Max. Desire blazed in his gaze as he regarded her.

“You were very bad last night,” he said when the door clicked shut. She hoped Josh had locked it.

“I—” she stopped, unsure whether she could speak.

“Go ahead.”

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Brynn Paulin

“I didn’t…um…come,” she confessed, unable to believe she’d discuss this with him. “I stopped.”

He studied her, his brows coming together. “Tell me again.”

“I stopped. Like you said.” She bit her lip. “And I really need… Well, I hung up the phone by accident. Not because I didn’t want you to hear. And…and well…I just stopped.”

“You really need? What?”

She sighed. Had she thought this would be easy? “You. I really need you.”

He nodded and moved away. “Good.”

Good? That was all?
Good
?

She struggled to keep her body relaxed and her breathing calm. A display of her temper wouldn’t get them anywhere. Against all reason, warmth seeped into her pussy, making her want to squirm.

“That still leaves the question…why didn’t you call me back?”

“Tyler.”

“What?” he asked sharply. “He was there?”

She shook her head quickly. “No. He called. He was a jerk. Demanded I show up at his place today or else. I kept the phone off the hook.”

Silence followed. It was broken suddenly by the slap of a hand on his desk.

“I would have come for you. You should have called me,” he rasped. “He could have shown up and decided to hurt you. You know that, don’t you? Do you realize the danger you were in? I will not allow that. You’re mine now.”

She nodded, unsure what to say.

His now. It shouldn’t have made her all trembly inside but it did. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. When Tyler had staked his claim, a heady excitement had filled her. Excitement at the unknown and the forbidden. This was different. There was excitement, but with it was an unbelievable calm. Sharp-edged curiosity and fear 36

Master Me

twined together, yet she knew she was safe. She’d never really felt safe with Tyler, just completely out of control. She didn’t like that. It scared her.

Still, Max had the control here. More power than Tyler had ever had. This was different. Unlike her experience with Tyler, she didn’t feel
out of
control. It took strength to kneel here before Max and accept what he offered. An underlying comfort supported her. If she said no, she knew he’d stop. Max wouldn’t harm her.

She trusted him. Even as the tension rose around them, dredged in deep silence, fear wasn’t present. Arousal was. Her position drew her shoulders back and pushed forward her breasts. The thin layers of lace and silk did nothing to disguise the thrust of her hard nipples against the fabric. She could barely stand their confinement. The need to rub them or have Max roll them between his fingers sent liquid heat rushing to her barely hidden pussy. It inflamed her beyond belief. Her skirt pulled across her thighs and if it shifted just an inch, he’d know she was bare beneath it.

He stopped before her and leaned back on the front of his desk, his ankles crossed.

Glancing up, she saw his arms were crossed as well, his face closed as he regarded her.

Sheesh.

“Have you eaten?”

Her head snapped up in surprise. What? That wasn’t what she’d expected. “No…”

“Me either.” He raised his eyebrows at her. “My lunch date canceled on me.”

She winced. “Sorry.”

“Hmm, well, you’ll make it up to me. Why did you cancel?”

“I was still trying to decide.”

“I want you naked.”

She blinked at him. Naked? Here in his very professional, perfectly decorated office? Challenge glinted in his eyes. He was trying to keep her off balance. He might know her well but she knew him too. He was testing her.

She glanced over her shoulder at the door then back at him.

37

Brynn Paulin

“Don’t worry about the door. It doesn’t matter who sees. You’re mine, at my command. Nothing else matters.”

Heat prickled up her back and her stomach knotted. Slowly, she reached for her buttons. She pushed one pearly button after another free of the holes that held them.

Her blouse gaped open, revealing her bra. Her breathing growing shaky, she pulled the tails free of her skirt. Shrugging her shoulders, she let it slide free, to pool over her ankles.

Max sucked in a breath at the sight of the bruises marring her shoulders and upper arms. “Did he do that?”

She nodded. “It’s not a big deal.”

“That bastard,” he growled. His face hardened, his eyes flinty. “Keep going. I want to see what else he’s done.”

Her womb jerked at his proprietary demeanor. Why hadn’t she seen this in him before now? He’d always been like this. Perhaps he hadn’t hidden as much as she had.

After all, she’d lusted after him all this time.

“This is it.”

“I want to see for myself.”

If she were in his position, she’d want the same thing. Biting her lip, she reached for the front clasp of her bra. A moment later, her breasts spilled forward and the garment landed atop her blouse. Her breasts settled high and firm against her chest.

His lips parted when he discovered she hadn’t quite told the truth. Five mottled circles marked one breast, testament to Tyler’s anger when she’d refused to go to the club. Max’s hands dropped to his sides in fists.

“I’ll kill him.” Max struggled to hold back his rage as he advanced on her. Ana was his woman and Tyler had done this to her. It didn’t matter that he’d just staked his claim. She’d been his since high school. Shit. This sucked. And he’d just offered her the 38

Master Me

proposition of training her. Being her
temporary
master. He couldn’t just change gears now.

What the hell was he going to do now? Yesterday, he’d truly only wanted to train her. She needed to be shown how to behave in the scene and how to navigate through the lifestyle. Staring at the blotchy purple marks on her creamy flesh, he realized he’d subconsciously had another agenda. He wanted her to be his.

Unfortunately, not only did Ana have a penchant for selecting losers, she had a commitment problem… She couldn’t make one. He’d been completely shocked to find she’d made a contract with Tyler. Max had never thought she’d do it. A contract meant long-term and as far as he knew the only long-term relationship Ana had ever had was with her pet turtle, Loki, who’d died several years ago. Ana didn’t do commitment, therefore he couldn’t come right out and say “I want you…forever”. If he said that, she’d run…forever.

“I’m fine,” she whispered as he crouched in front of her.

“You call this fine? Angel, in this scene, bruises happen but not like this. This is…”

He trailed off, shaking his head. He reached out and stroked the back of his finger over the marks. Her skin was soft against his knuckles. He circled her wrists with his hands and pushed them behind her as he leaned forward and drew the nipple of her battered breast into his mouth. Gently, he suctioned and flicked his tongue over the hard peak.

Ana moaned, bowing into him. He tipped her back onto the carpet and settled between her parted thighs, easing his body upward until his cock nestled against her cunt. God, she felt good. She smelled good. This was just…good. Balancing his weight on his arms, he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers.

She squirmed against him, rubbing her groin against his. He’d come in his damn pants and lose his hard-won control if she continued. He’d not been a Dom all these years to lose himself at the first heated frenzy of his sub—even if she was the sub he desired to take permanently.

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Brynn Paulin

“Stay still,” he commanded, working hard to keep the signs of his arousal from his hard tone. She needed to know he meant business. These first encounters were paramount for setting the tone of their relationship. He would not let her try to dominate him from the bottom.

“I can’t,” she replied.

“You can. Stay still or I stop.” He trailed his lips over her collarbone and dipped his tongue into the indentation. She shuddered and he suppressed a smile. Lazily, nipping and licking, he worked his way up her neck until he reached her ear. “You were very naughty last night and you must be punished.”

“I didn’t come,” she protested.

“Was there pleasure?”

He pulled back to look into her revealing gaze. She couldn’t lie to him. She bit her lush lower lip and he was tempted to pull it free with his own teeth. Slowly she nodded.

“Then you disobeyed.”

She closed her eyes as she nodded yet not before he saw a glimpse of fear in them.

He didn’t want her fear. There would be punishments between them from time to time, perhaps spanking, perhaps flogging, perhaps something else, but still, she should never have cause to fear him. Obviously she didn’t trust him nearly as much as he’d believed she did.

“Yes, Master,” she sighed.

“In light of circumstances…traditional corporal punishment seems a poor choice. So instead you will endure.”

Her eyes went wide in surprise. “Endure?”

“Whatever I give you. Still and silent.”

“Whatever you wish,” she replied.

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Master Me

“I
wish
to taste your mouth. Open for me,” he murmured before covering her lips with his and consuming her. He stabbed his tongue inside, tasting her until she moaned and tilted her head to receive his kiss more fully. Methodically, he set about exploring, glorying in each suppressed sigh. Good lord, he wanted to feel the damp warmth of her soft mouth enveloping his cock as he worked in and out of her lips. To feel her sweet sounds vibrating down his length. His cock jerked in agreement.

He palmed her breasts while he kissed her, pulling at the hard tips and envisioning them clasped in the jeweled nipple clamps in his dungeon. Tonight he’d introduce her to that special space, the only part of his house she’d never seen.

She took shallow breaths the sounds turning to whimpers as he pinched and rolled her nipples. She was trying to comply…and failing. Miserably. He pulled back just enough to speak.

“Silence,” he reminded.

“Max,” she mouthed, then released a soundless sigh. Her breath feathered along his skin.

He had to move. At this rate he’d be reaching for his fly and plowing into her, control be damned. Shifting his hips away from the burning heat at her center, he slid down her body. His cock protested being pressed to the industrial carpet but that damn dick was getting him into trouble. A little discomfort wouldn’t hurt his situation.

Ana jerked as he laved his tongue over her pearled nipple, her fingers clawing the floor beside them. Damn, he loved that she had such a reaction to him. A knot formed low in his groin and pleasure radiated through him. She reacted as if she were the other half of him—

He shoved the thought away. Ana thought he would train her for submission. He might as well proceed on that path. If he failed to win her, she’d go to another.

Fuck the thought of her with another. His stomach lurched, twisting at the idea. He would not fail. He would train her for himself and his pleasure.

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Brynn Paulin

“Be still,” he reminded her. He spread her arms out to the side and laced his fingers through hers. Determined to torment, he returned to his feast, sucking her breast deep inside his mouth and pressing his tongue hard over the beaded peak.