Playing for Real: Paolo's Playhouse, Book 5 (18 page)

“Dominant men are programmed to…”

“Control us?” Julianne completed.

“I was going to say cherish,” Ingrid said softly. “They want to take care of us. They need to. I’m certain Paolo didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. He thought he was helping you.”

Julianne sighed. “I know. How do you run a business without Richard interfering?”

“Ours is a different situation. We’re married. He’s bankrolling the business, I’m running it. So he has every right to a say in the way things are run. You and Paolo, if you want to work things out, are going to have to figure out your own way to make it work.” Ingrid paused, then asked, “Do you want to work it out?”

“Of course I do. But what if he keeps wanting to interfere? What if he keeps wanting to take control?”

“Julianne. If you get involved with a Dom, he’s going to take control. It’s who he is. But maybe it would help if you didn’t think of it as interfering. That’s not what it is. It’s cherishing. It’s loving. It means you matter to him. It means he’ll take care of you.” She paused. “As you will take care of him.”

That cool sense of calm spread through Julianne at Ingrid’s words. In the few days that she’d been staying with Paolo, she’d automatically taken care of him. Cooking. Cleaning. Serving him. Sitting at his feet. While a few months ago, she would have been horrified to think of herself doing those things for a man, it felt right to her now. It didn’t mean she wasn’t still an intelligent woman. It didn’t mean she wasn’t an interior designer. It meant she was more than that. Paolo had helped her become more than who she was before.

“You’re right. I do take care of him too.”

“Of course you do. You love him. Forgive him for overstepping the boundaries this one time. He’s learning as he goes too, remember.”

Julianne hadn’t thought of that. Maybe this was new territory for Paolo too.

“I need to find him. Now. Thanks, Ingrid.” Julianne disconnected and ran down the long, narrow stairs. She tripped on her heels and nearly fell the last few steps. Why had she been so determined to stay in this old place? Why had she defended this lousy staircase?

Somehow she wasn’t surprised to see the limo parked at the curb, Jack leaned up against the side. He looked up from the electronic tablet he’d been concentrating on and smiled at her. “Good evening, Miss Barnes.”

“Hey, Jack.” She peeked at the screen. “Tetris? So this is how you keep yourself occupied when your boss keeps you waiting.”

He shrugged. “It passes the time. I’m not doing so well tonight though. Too many pretty girls in short skirts walking by.”

She laughed. “Distractions, huh?”

“Afraid so.” Jack opened the door for her. “Where would you like to go?”

“Take me to Paolo, please.”

“It will be my pleasure.”

Julianne leaned back against the soft leather seat and did her best to ignore the nerves twisting in her stomach. It was a good sign that Paolo had sent Jack to look out for her. But he’d sent her away so coldly. Had he been keeping tabs on her?

Jack pulled the car up in front of Scandals. She’d find out soon enough.

The bar was busy tonight. Piper saw her walk through the door, gave her a smile and pointed her to the bar. Paolo sat at the far end. Julianne rounded the bar slowly, still unsure what her reception would be.

Now that she could see him more clearly, she saw Paolo staring into the rocks glass cupped in his hands. She glanced over and caught Ben’s eye.

He nodded, waited until she was almost at Paolo’s stool to say, “Hey, Julianne.”

Paolo’s head jerked up. When his dark gaze locked on her, she could see he looked as miserable as she felt. She slid onto the stool next to him. “Hey.”

“Julianne.” He lifted his hand slowly, cupped her face carefully.

His hand was cool from the glass. She leaned into his touch. “I’m sorry.”

“No. It is I who am sorry. I should never have made any plans concerning your business. I told you I would not, yet I did.”

She covered his hand with hers. “You thought you were helping me.”

“I did,
cara
.”

“I know. I was afraid. Afraid of how much I felt for you. Afraid I was going back on that promise I made to myself.”

“To never let a man have control over you.”

“Yes.”

“But,
cara
, surely you know that you have just as much power over me. You have a hold on my heart and I hope you will never let go.”

“I won’t.” She picked up his glass, tossed back the rest of the golden liquid, felt the burn of the whiskey. “Why didn’t you tell me about Holly?”

He took a long, deep breath before he spoke. “I would have eventually told you that I had been married at one time,” he told her. “I was very young. I was learning how to be a Dom and she seemed like the perfect sub. We were both too young. And she craved drama too much. She would have rather been at a club, being flogged and fucked in front of the crowd, than submitting to me at home. She was not happy and she blamed me.”

“Ingrid said she heard Holly wanted you back.” She wasn’t used to feeling jealous.

“No. She wanted to stir up trouble. And that was why I did not say anything to you about it. I did not want you to get drawn into all her drama.”

“You still should have told me. I was blindsided today when she came in, telling me all this stuff about you. About you and her. If I’d known I might have been able to handle it better. I probably wouldn’t have freaked out as much when we talked at the restaurant. You should have told me.”

“You are right. Another mistake I made tonight. I hope you will forgive me.”

“Of course I will. And I was wrong to tell you I couldn’t live with you. Or to say what we had together wasn’t real.” She took his hands in hers, met his gaze. “It was too real. As real as the rest of my life. I was wrong to try to keep things separate. I can’t live without it now. I can’t live without you.”

Paolo threw some bills on the bar. “Jack is outside?”

“Yes.”

Ben called out a goodbye as they slid off the bar stools. Paolo wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her from the bar. He waited until they were in the car and the privacy glass raised to drag her into his arms. His lips claimed hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened to his searching tongue.

The arousal that swept through her body was fueled by the awareness of this second chance, as much as it was from his hot lips and roaming hands. She pressed up against him and moaned into his mouth.

Paolo broke off the kiss and brushed his lips along her ear. “Hands behind your back,” he whispered.

Her sex clenched. “Yes, sir.” She lifted her arms from around his neck and settled them into the small of her back.

He slid his hands beneath her full skirt, his hands hot on her bare thighs. “I am so pleased you dress with my access to your body in mind.” He cupped her ass. “No panties,
cara
? How delightful.”

She realized she rarely thought about it anymore. She automatically chose clothing that was easy to remove or had easy access for his eager hands and mouth. She laughed lightly, shifted on his lap to settle more fully on his erection.

He slapped her ass lightly. “No squirming.”

She froze. “No, sir.”

Delicate snaps ran up the bodice of her dress. Paolo grabbed the neckline with both hands and pulled the snaps open in one long hard tug. He brushed his hands over her breasts, skimming his knuckles over their fullness before giving her nipples his complete attention. His fingers were rough as they twisted the sensitive nubs, the perfect contrast to the previous gentle strokes. She moaned and arched into his touch. “Ah,
cara
, I am so lucky.”

She risked leaning in for a quick kiss. “I’m the lucky one, sir.”

He cupped her face, held her close and deepened the kiss. “Take off my belt,” he ordered when the kiss ended.

A quick shiver danced over her skin as she unbuckled the belt and tugged it through the loops. She handed it to him and waited. Instead of tying her wrists together as she’d expected, he stretched her face down over his lap. He pushed her skirt up to her waist, baring her bottom completely.

“Yes. I like you this way,” he murmured. “Rest your head on your hands.”

She did as he directed. She turned her head to the side so she could see a little of what he was doing. When he swatted her ass with the leather, it stung like hell.

“You like a warm bottom, don’t you?” he asked slyly after she’d lost track of the strikes.

“Yes, sir,” she managed through her quick pants. Her ass burned but her clit throbbed and she knew it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge.

“I do as well. You can sit up now.”

He helped her up and she couldn’t stop a long hiss from escaping as she put pressure on her sore bottom. He kissed the tips of her fingers. “Hands behind your back again.”

She nodded and tucked them into the small of her back. He produced a condom, unzipped his trousers and covered his erection. Paolo rose onto one knee on the seat and pulled her down so that she fell back across the long seat, her arms now beneath her.

“This is my body, yes?” he growled.

“Yes,” she murmured.

He grabbed her hips and plunged into her. “This is where I belong, yes?”

“Oh yes.” He belonged with her. She belonged with him. They made each other happy. Everything else they could work out.

It seemed only a few seconds before she was climaxing, her body dancing beneath his. He groaned as his orgasm hit and he gathered her close, crooning her name. Her heart swelled even more.

Julianne placed her hand on Paolo’s chest. “This? This is mine, yes?” she asked.

He covered her hand with his. “Yes. For always. My heart is yours.”

About the Author

Natasha Moore fell in love with the written word as soon as she could read. As she grew up, she discovered romance and now enjoys the chance to add some extra sizzle to her stories. She lives in New York State with her real life hero who is happy to tell everyone that he’s her inspiration. They travel in their RV whenever possible. The great thing about writing is she can take it anywhere.

To learn more about Natasha, visit her website
www.natashamoore.com

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Look for these titles by Natasha Moore

Now Available:

The Ride of Her Life

The Passion-Minded Professor

Bound by Design

Binding Ties

See Me

Silken Canvas

Paolo’s Playhouse

Flaunt It

Risk It

Birthday Girl

Plaything

He can work with her body…as long as he doesn’t touch her heart.

Silken Canvas

© 2012 Natasha Moore

Brendan Cole burst onto the art scene in a blaze, creating erotic works of art from beautiful women. Recently, though, reviews suggest that his brilliance is burning out. He knows what’s missing—inspiration. He lost it the day his ex-lover and muse, Ashley Mancuso, walked out on him.

Together, they can once again create the erotic images that will silence the critics forever.

When Ashley runs into Brandon at an art gallery, their attraction is as hot as ever. Though she swore to never again take second place to his art, she finds herself agreeing to an impromptu photo shoot. Once in front of his lens, five long years of suppressing her kinky side melts away—and shakes her resolve to keep it strictly business.

One spellbinding session after another makes it impossible to resist talking of fantasies and long-buried desires. But once the images hit the gallery walls, all the fears and insecurities that drove them apart create a rift wide enough for danger to find its way in…

Warning: Contains a sexy, tortured artist, his gorgeous muse, and a string of pearls that creates one very erotic BDSM fantasy.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Silken Canvas:

She was magnificent. Her skin was so smooth and soft, luminous in the light from the spots above them. He laughed, low and dark, at her denial. She was perfect. This was perfect. Those reviewers would be knocked on their ass when they came in here and watched an exclusive Brendan Cole photo shoot. The anticipation had to be driving them almost as crazy as it was driving him.

“I have to go get my camera,” he told her. “It’s in the office. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” It was harder than he thought it would be to turn his back on her and walk away, even for a few minutes. He had to get the camera, had to put the next part of this plan into action.