Beck And Call (4 page)

there were other ways of getting to sleep. She could

read a couple of those stories and do what she’d done

the night before.

Yoga first, then she’d read. Oh, yeah, she nodded,

pulling on her loose pants. That was definitely a plan.

She’d read, masturbate, get a good night’s sleep and go

in tomorrow ready to take on the world.

Her plan worked until she opened the desk drawer

to store her purse the next morning.

There was a brown paper-wrapped package with her

name in block letters.

Just then her phone rang. Jumping, she reached

out and answered it.

“Serena Traydon.”

“Good morning,” said a deep voice. “Is Keith in yet?”

“Not yet, Mark,” she said stiffly, sitting down.

Dammit! Why hadn’t she checked the caller ID? She

clenched her jaw. “I just walked in myself. You’re in

early.”

“Always,” he stated firmly with his usual superior

tone. “Is there room on his schedule to see me today?

About noon?”

“I’ll check with him when he comes in, to make

sure,” she replied coolly.

“I need to talk to him, Serena,” he pressed. “Just put

me down. For old times’ sake.”

“There were no ‘old times,’ Mark,” she said firmly.

“Serena,” he pushed.

“I’ll tell him you called and then give Claire the

time.”

Hanging up, Serena shivered. Never, ever be alone

with someone who makes your skin crawl! That lesson

had been well learned! How someone as sweet as Penny

Davidson could be engaged to a dog like him Serena

really couldn’t understand. Unless Mark was pulling

the wool over the younger woman’s eyes in a huge way.

Serena shook her head. She knew better than to

worry about the entire world. Her eyes went to the

innocent-looking package and she reached for it.

“Oh, Lord,” she breathed. Her trembling fingers

moved along the smooth surface of the paper. “What on

earth could this be?”

She was almost afraid to find out. Once let out of its

tightly locked box, her sexual awareness refused to be

put away. Already her dreams were becoming more

than she could handle. And it didn’t help that Keith

was the man in them!

“I’m worse than Pandora,” she muttered, putting

the package on her lap. “And just about as naïve to

actually open this thing. I’ve no idea who put the first

book on my desk.” Her fingers moved along the edge of

the paper and loosened the tape. “Much less this one.”

Serena’s hands stalled and she simply stared at the

package. “What on earth has gotten into you, Serena

Marie? You are doing things your mama didn’t raise

you to do. She raised you to be a good girl and you

are…,” Serena sighed. “God! I am so tired of being a

good girl. I want to live a little.” A small giggle escaped

her nervous lips. “And I liked the first book. What can it

hurt to open this one?”

With that, she pulled the wrapping off and saw a

note taped to the book. The words were typed.

Serena,

Do not be afraid of how the books make you feel.

I want you get in touch with a side of yourself that

you haven’t explored. The first book was to open your

mind to different erotic possibilities. I hope this second

book also arouses your senses even as it introduces you

to my world.

I am a sexual dominant and feel quite confident

that you are a sexual submissive. I want you to be
my

sexual submissive. A submissive is not a sex slave. I

respect your intelligence and your accomplishments too

much for that. I want you to fulfill your talents, Serena,

even as you enjoy the many erotic lessons I have planned

for you.

If you want nothing to do with this, then turn the

wrapper inside out, tape the book up and put it in the

recycling bin in the employee cafeteria during your

lunch hour. I will not contact you again.

If the possibility of such a relationship intrigues

you, however, then ask someone else to get lunch for you

and avoid the cafeteria so there is no confusion. Just

read the books and I will contact you. You will not know

who I am at first. I realize this may be alarming, and I

will do what I can to reassure you that your safety, as

well as your pleasure, will always come first with me.

Respectfully,

A dominant

Hands shaking, Serena lifted the note and stared at

the cover—a nude woman on her knees, with her hands

bound by a cloth in front of her, a blindfold over her

eyes, and a gold-link collar around her throat. And she

was smiling. Over her head, in discreet silver letters

—
Rights

and

Responsibilities

in

a

Dominant/Submissive Relationship.

Serena frowned. That didn’t fit with anything she

had ever heard about the lifestyle. Admittedly, what

she had heard was innuendo and denunciations by her

family, who collectively could have given the Puritans a

run for their money, but that had been augmented by

lurid stories and gossip from her college days. Turning

the book over, the back cover described the book as a

manual with a mix of erotic stories. Still of a mind to

reject it, she opened it and found another note on the

contents page.

Serena, I’ve crossed out the page numbers that are

more extreme than I go and circled those that would

apply to us. I’ve turned down pages to mark specific

things I want you to experience. Dominant/submissive

relationships are not all about whips and chains or

whatever

else

you

may

have

heard.

That’s

sadomasochism and, like sex slaves, something I have

never found of interest. The type of relationship I

envision having with you is quite different, as you will

discover by reading page eight.

Was there anything the man didn’t think of? Now

rather amused, Serena turned to page eight. Her eyes

scanned the page, picking up key words and phrases—

focus on physical discipline...submissives who have a

career and interests of his/her own...agree upon

submissive boundaries.

A slight frown formed between her eyes as she read

about safe words and how the well-being of the

submissive was the priority of the dominant. A

submissive could refuse certain sex acts and

punishments, but focused on the dominant’s needs in

return for protection. Communication and trust were

key. Without those two things, the relationship

wouldn’t work.

Serena frowned. In many ways, that one paragraph

described a ‘normal’ relationship. A couple taking care

of each other in and out of the home. Well, except for

the punishment, discipline, and all. She shook her

head. Okay, she understood that he didn’t intend to

beat her or anything. She snorted. As if she’d let

anyone do that to her. But then, just what did it mean

to be submissive? And what might this man want from

her? Just sex? Or possibly, something more? Checking

the turned-down corners, she skimmed over the marked

sections.

After reading several paragraphs, she sat back in

her chair and considered them. There was some

physical discipline, mostly in the form of light

spanking, if the submissive back-talked or broke their

rules. There was some bondage, some use of sex toys,

but mostly simple obedience. Hers to his commands.

Serena realized she was indeed intrigued by the

relationship the unknown Dominant outlined.

Closing her eyes, she groaned. That was it. She’d

definitely lost her mind. How could she even consider

such a thing? From the book she’d devoured the past

two nights, she knew it was because she was tired of

being a vanilla girl with a vanilla life. She had been

willing to go on a blind date or meet a man at a bar, so

how much farther down the spectrum was this? In

many ways, this dominant was giving her all the power,

at least initially, by giving her a way to stop all further

communications.

Her eyes flew open. He’d gotten to her desk, into her

desk. That meant he had to work in the building. That

meant she probably knew this man! Then why go to all

this trouble? Why not just ask her out? When he

‘communicated’ with her next, he had a few questions to

answer.

Serena realized she’d made up her mind. She

nodded slowly. As crazy as it might sound, she would

see just what this dominant wanted with her. If she

didn’t like the answers, then she would put his promise

not to communicate with her to the test.

Feeling settled, she tucked the book and notes

safely in her tote and closed the drawer. Starting her

computer, she printed Keith’s schedule and pulled out

her notes from last night’s conference call.

“‘Morning, Serena,” Keith greeted her as he came

in. He unlocked his door. “How’s the day look?”

“Good morning,” she smiled, taking the paper from

the printer. “Meetings as usual. Mark Hammond called

to see if you were available at noon.”

He scowled. Keith appreciated his Senior VP for

Public Relations’ media savvy and ability to keep the

company at the top of the list the Fortune 500

companies turned to for computer solutions, but lately

something had been rubbing Keith the wrong way.

After the conversation on Serena’s birthday, Keith just

didn’t want to think that more of his perceptions of

people were wrong.

Mark had left MacLauren Industries, run by his

father and brothers, several years earlier saying the

computer arena offered more of a challenge. Mark was

still good friends with Keith’s older brother Kevin. The

brothers had had chilly relations for over ten years and

hadn’t spoken in months. The rift was public even if

very few knew just what it was about. Briefly it crossed

Keith’s mind that Mark was a corporate spy, and

dismissed it.

Shit, but he needed to focus! He realized Serena

was waiting for a response from him. He tried to

remember if Mark had mentioned anything the last

time he’d seen him but couldn’t.

“Any idea what it’s about?”

Keith had quickly found that Serena, with her

administrative contacts, gave him a leg up with his

employees. Claire was Mark’s assistant and her

penchant for gossip meant she usually called Serena

within seconds of her boss calling Keith. Serena would

scribble a hasty note and hand it to him as he talked.

“Not this time,” she shook her head. “But then, I

haven’t had a chance to check with Claire.”

Nodding, Keith gave her a tight smile.

“See what you can find out. And make it...” he

glanced at his schedule. “Twelve-thirty. That way I can

eat lunch today.”

At the word ‘lunch,’ Serena’s head jerked slightly.

Get a grip
.

“I’ll call Claire,” she managed to reply.

****

buttoned the cuffs before pulling on his coat. It was

time to see if Serena had made a decision. Given her

reaction when he’d said ‘lunch’ earlier, he wasn’t sure.

Walking out of his office, he glanced at Serena.

“Mark still scheduled for twelve-thirty?”

“Yes,” she nodded, not having had a chance to

confirm it sooner. “Claire has no idea what it could be

about. She hasn’t heard about any earth-shattering or

eye-opening issues.” Serena smiled slightly. “She

seemed rather miffed that she didn’t have the

information. Knowing Claire, she’s doing everything

possible to find out.”

“Good,” he nodded. “I’m going to get some lunch.

You need anything?”

“Oh, no,” she stammered. “That is, um, could you

pick up a sandwich for me?”

Bingo!
Keith shouted mentally. He barely managed

not to smile.

“Sure,” he replied. “What kind?”

“Chicken salad, please,” she said, reaching for her