Beck And Call (29 page)

up. Rereading the letter, she sighed.

Master wanted to take care of her sexually and

every other way. A smile curved her lips. Nothing in

the books had mentioned a sub being permitted to

touch a dom the way she had last night. That had been

more like something from a romantic movie. Not once

had he tried to stop her. In fact, he’d enjoyed and

encouraged her, which made her more confident in how

master would treat her.

That give and take during… She frowned. Sex?

Making love? Fucking? Whatever, she decided. It was

important to know that that aspect of their relationship

would be pleasurable for both of them. More

importantly,
she
knew. Master deserved her complete

loyalty. Otherwise their relationship as Dom/sub

wouldn’t work.

She groaned. How could she contemplate a Dom/sub

relationship with a man whose name she didn’t know?

Could she really think of being with a man when their

relationship centered on sex?

“Arrgh!” she howled, pounding the mattress with

her fist.

She remembered the emotions that had whirled

through her after he’d pulled her off the bed. Her

tongue wrapped around his cock. Her cheeks hollowed

as she sucked on him the way he had taught her. Above

her head, she could hear him moan. She felt her own

juices running down her thighs as the taste and smell

of his lust affected her. She drew on him with all the

hunger and need she’d felt since she’d left him the

previous Sunday. All the fear during and after Mark’s

attack as she struggled to understand what had

happened. Everything in her now centered on the cock

in her mouth.

Her entire world had been him.

She didn’t know if she loved Master, but it was clear

he wanted her. Publicly. But her heart was torn

between the two men in her life. One professional and

the other personal. It would be best, she sighed, to make

a clean break with Keith and see how things worked out

with Master. If they didn’t, well, she had quite a bit

saved and invested that she could live on for a while.

She could always go back home, never telling her

family about the relationship, and find a job through

one of her relatives. Reaching out, she slapped the

snooze off and closed her eyes. She would have to

resign. There was simply no other way.

Slowly, she slipped off the bed and went to the

bathroom. The glint of something catching the light

reflected in the mirror and she stared at her reflection.

Who was this wild woman? Pale hair flowed around her

shoulders, brushing the tips of her breasts. Her eyes

were glowing despite the fading bruises on her face, and

her lips were soft, ready to be kissed. What held her

attention was her neck. And not the remnants of Mark’s

fingers. She still had the collar on. And just below,

barely the size of her thumbprint, was the faint

purplish-reddish mark his mouth had made on her. She

couldn’t believe either thing she saw.

Leaning forward she fingered the collar. As thick as

her thumb, gold links surrounded glittering diamonds

and rosy pearls alternating around her neck. It was

large enough to make a statement, she grinned, like

when they went to the club he’d mentioned. Or in

public, to remind her that she was his submissive, even

if no one else understood what it meant. And just below

was the physical mark he’d left on her. Never having a

hickey before, she studied it almost as much as the

necklace.

“Serena, what is happening to you?” she shook her

head.

In the reflection, she saw something on the back of

the bathroom door. Turning, she read the store name

on the dress bag hanging on the hook. Unzipping it, she

stared. Everything was there—lingerie, shoes, and a

note telling her not to wear anything but what he had

given her. In awe, she touched the dress’s material. It

was finer than anything she’d ever owned.

Tears flowed as she leaned back against the vanity

and glanced over her shoulder at her reflection. The

diamonds sparkled and the pearls gleamed. She smiled,

lifting her hand to touch them. This wasn’t what

mattered most, she knew. Her fingers traced the mark

made from his mouth.

That meant more. It wasn’t the
things
Master could

give her, but something Keith never had. Himself.

Even if she didn’t know Master’s name, or what he

looked like,
Master
had given her himself. They had

talked, laughed, and shared. He’d given her time,

respect, and tenderness. And passion.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed away from the

counter and went to the shower.

Two hours later, she entered the office and was

surprised to see Keith’s door already open and the

coffeemaker percolating contentedly. Although she

tried to be quiet, he heard her as she hung up her coat.

“Serena!” he called.

She closed her eyes briefly. That tone was his I’m-

in-a-bad-mood-and-heads-will-roll voice. She so did not

need to deal with an irritated Keith. Yes, she knew he’d

had a bad week dealing with last Monday’s fall-out.

Well, she straightened her shoulders, her week hadn’t

exactly been entirely bucolic either. Except for last

night.

“Serena!”

She sighed. Handing him her resignation her first

day back was
not
going to go over well. What was she

supposed to tell him? She was resigning to be the

mistress of a man whose name she didn’t know?

“Serena!”

He appeared at his door. As she’d expected, there

was a scowl on his face.

“Where’s the folder for the Brown contract?”

“Unless someone moved it, that file should be in

your in-box,” she replied, putting her purse in the

drawer. When he didn’t answer, she glanced up into his

piercing gaze. “Is it not there?”

“What did you say?”

“The Brown file should be in your in-box.”

Master’s words came to her and she flushed,

turning away.

“Serena,” Keith said in a low voice. “Could you come

in my office a moment?”

“Of course,” she nodded, glancing at the coffee

which was finishing its automatic cycle. “Do you want

coffee?”

“No. Now.”

He went to the hall door, closing and locking it.

Puzzled, she nodded and moved ahead of him into his

office. He turned the lights off as he followed her.

“Keith,” she started, deciding to bring up her

resigning now. “I need to tell you something.”

“Nice necklace,” he commented. “New?”

“Thank you,” she replied, touching the collar. “Yes,

it…it was a gift.”

“By someone with excellent taste and who knows

what suits you.”

“Yes,” she nodded, pausing between the leather

chairs that faced his desk. She heard the door lock

behind him. “Keith, there’s something I need to tell

you.”

“You told me what you need,” he whispered, coming

up behind her. “You told me you were all right and

desperate to be submissive and taken by me.”

Serena whirled, eyes wide as she stared at him.

“What did you say?”

But she could see the truth in his eyes. Keith was

Master
? She felt her legs tremble and threaten to give

out on her. He caught her shoulders.

“Yes, sweet Serena,” he murmured, gathering her

close. “Yes.”

“I don’t understand,” she breathed, shaking.

Keith was
Master
? How? Why? Her mind spun as

she tried to understand what was happening. One thing

suddenly blazed across her mind like a falling star

streaking across the sky. He’d tricked her!

“Don’t think,” he told her. “Just feel what I do to

you.” His hands moved up to frame her face. “Feel how

we are together.”

His mouth brushed hers lightly, before claiming her

in a full hard kiss that spread heat through her until

her toes curled. His arms went around her and cradled

her to him. But she was still shaking, with love, with

desire, with exhaustion, with anger. She’d been through

hell the past week—physically, mentally and

emotionally. She wasn’t about to just fall into his arms.

He had some
major
explaining to do. Bringing her

hands up, she planted them on his chest and pushed

him far enough away to see his face.

“How could you do that to me?” she demanded.

“Why? And last night? Was that some sort of test? Did I

pass?”

“I didn’t know how to approach you,” he said

quietly. “Not after what you’d said about Charlotte and

the socialites. I…I didn’t think you’d be interested in

me that way.”

“Only since the first day I saw you in the elevator,”

she shook her head. Dammit, that would make him

think he didn’t need to do anything. “Actually after

that conversation, I was convinced you’d never look at

me because I wasn’t a socialite.”

“Whereas I started to truly see you,” he replied,

fingers brushing over her forehead to her temples.

Cradling her jaw in his palms, he kissed her gently. “I

couldn’t get you out of my mind or the things I wanted

to do with and to you. I stayed up all night working on

how I would seduce you,” he whispered, gathering her

close again. “When you didn’t throw that book away, I

took a chance at putting the second one in the drawer. I

was fairly certain you were a submissive, but there was

always the chance you would not accept it.”

“Keith, do you realize the risk you took?” She stared

up at him. “The books in my desk? Even thinking of

seducing me? Much less coming to my apartment last

night? Especially after everything that happened last

week?”

“Yes. That brought it home quite vividly,” he

nodded. “Do you know how much last night meant to

me?”

“Tell me.”

Her voice was barely audible.

“Let me show you,” he smiled.

He tugged loose the tie belt for the wrap-around

dress and in seconds pulled the dress from her body.

Leaving her dressed in a black lace bra and thigh-high

stockings, along with the impossibly high heels that

were the most comfortable she’d ever worn. And her

collar. His clever hands flipped the front clasp of the

bra.

She reached for his head and searched his eyes. She

still didn’t know what he wanted from her. Would the

passion be enough? He didn’t give her any time to

think. His hands roamed her body, finding the nerves

he’d discovered and exploited so well before.

“Gorgeous,” rasped his voice. “And mine.”

“Keith,” Serena breathed, finally relaxing at his

familiar touch.

“Mine,” he murmured several times.

As if it was his new mantra. As if it would make it

true. As if it was what he wanted more than anything

else. He demanded her response and she gave it to him.

Hands clinging to his shoulders, she let her head fall to

the side. He bent her back and feasted on her neck and

breasts.

“Master,” she sighed.

It was as if she’d said a magic word that unleashed

the animal within the man.

She’d been able to feel his cock as he’d held her

close. She’d known he wanted her. But now, now, he

made sure she had no doubts as to his intentions.

His hands braced her upper back as his mouth

lavished attention on her breasts. One after the other,

he suckled until she was crying out in her need. He

caught one nipple in his mouth and slowly drew as

much of her in as possible. Her head fell back as her

body caught fire. When his tongue circled just before

his teeth closed on the hardened tip, she moaned. Her

hips shifted desperately against him.

“Please, Master, please,” she begged.

He laid her on the desk he’d already cleared. Firm

hands held her thighs wide apart. For a long moment

he stared at her dripping pussy.

“You’re wet,” he observed, tracing her folds with a

finger. “But are you hot?”

“Yes!” she panted, wriggling her hips. “Please!”

“What do you want, Serena?”

“In-box.”

“Tell me.”

“You inside me,” she managed.

Two fingers slid inside her. With a moan, she

arched off the desk. He hooked his fingers as his thumb

went to her clit.

“So wet for me, sweetheart,” he said approvingly.