RequiredSurrender (7 page)

He almost smiled because she kind of fell through the other
leg. Any minute she was going to cry off.

“Okay.”

His head shot back and he looked at her. She couldn’t be
seriously thinking she’d go through with this. He’d cheated and pored through
her private paperwork. Learning everything she despised. Playing some Dom’s pet
was at the top of her hate list. He’d thought that was a shame as this kind of
play did it for him on occasion, but what the hell was she doing by agreeing to
this? She must have it bad for him.

Shit, he hadn’t brought the full leather gear, only the
bottoms with attached tail, leash, collar and the mask. The latter of which was
fashioned after Cat Woman’s. Sexy as fuck. He’d left the bra, straps and
fishnet stockings in the box because he never imagined she’d go through with
it.

“Kneel.” And when she did and put her splayed hands on his
thighs he was going to order her to remove them. She shouldn’t touch him
without permission, but damn, the heat of her palms on him. The weight as she
leaned forward and let him put the mask on her felt good. “Next time you want
to put your hands on me you ask permission beforehand.”

“Oh.”

“No, put your hands back where they were until I get this
zipped. I have to be careful. I don’t want to catch any of your hair. There.”

He sat back and took in the sight of her. The mask came down
over a third of her face. You could just make out the bottom of her nose and
the eye openings were cut much larger than necessary and shaped in upward
pointy pattern. Add to this her deep red lipstick and he knew he was fucked…or
she was going to be if he didn’t get her to beg off the crazy notion that he
was the only Dom for her.

He reached for the collar and weighed it in his hands before
he held it up in front of her. “Once I put this on you you’re my pet. There’ll
be no more talking allowed from you. You’ll walk a step behind me if on two
feet and crawl when I tell you to. Your eyes are always focused on me. Is that
understood?”

“Yes.”

He was shocked she didn’t have more to say or something to
ask. “Do you have any questions before I buckle this around your throat?”

She nodded. “One.”

“Ask.”

“Why do I have to be a cat? I’d rather be a wolf or a—”

His lips twitched but he held back his grin. “Stop being
bratty.” Leaning forward, he waited for her to lift her hair and then locked
the collar around her elegant throat. He didn’t wait to attach the leash. He
snatched it up and clipped it on as hot lust thundered through him. Shifting,
he tapped on her hands so she’d release those silky locks and when she did he
watched as the ebony veil fell over her shoulders. “I love a little kitty who
likes to play and purr. One that idolizes me because I own her. The rest of the
world doesn’t matter to her when she’s with me like this because no one can
touch her. No one can pet her but me.”

Her eyes darkened and her face flushed. She liked this. She
was turned-on by it. How…? Suddenly he recalled his thoughts about her that
first night in his office. The “she doth protest too much” theory. Jesus fuck.
If she listed all her likes as dislikes…of course she’d list all her real
desires as undesirable. He gave himself a mental slap. She didn’t want to feel
pleasure and now this whole night was filled with those supposedly undesirable
things? Holy hell, she was going to be in sub-space before he knew it.

Maybe if he pushed her…

“You’re going to be my good little kitten, aren’t you?” He
barely curled his knuckles to brush them down the side of her cheek when she
closed her eyes and leaned into them. Moving her head like a cat does when
rubbing against its Master.

It was a moan, he told himself. Not a purr. It sure did
sound like one though. Light and husky coming from her throat and when she
opened her eyes and he saw how languid her look was he knew he was in trouble.
Serious, need-to-get-the-fuck-out-of-Dodge trouble.

Jo had come to the club prepared to do whatever it took to
get what she wanted and what she wanted was Ted Basel. She didn’t know why or
how this infatuation with him had happened, only that it had, and now that she
was feeling somewhat whole again and he was the cause, she wasn’t going to let
go.

It wasn’t easy. It was taking monumental effort to immerse
herself in the present situation, but once she did, she found she was managing
quite nicely. Especially when she focused in on doing it for him. Then it was
easy because she wanted to please him. The crowd was another matter. Getting
over the embarrassment of people watching them was difficult, but when he put
the mask on her she somehow became liberated. Like no one could see through to
the person she really was and strangely that opened the door for her to become
the woman she always hoped to be. Unashamed. Unapologetic. The woman who wanted
to be her Master’s pet. She wanted to be owned, cared for and loved and even if
this was only pretend she was going to go with it.

“Come on, sexy. I have a game of poker to play with the guys
and you’re going to decorate my side of the table.”

When she stood up the heavy tail swished against her naked
thighs. The leather bikini bottoms were tight fitted but the fact that there
was no material between the legs, which left her intimate flesh exposed to the
air, had her tingling. Then when the excess chain from the leash lifted off her
stomach then chest as Ted led her away, every nerve ending in her body started
thrumming.

She was so caught up that she nearly forgot about her things
until her spiked heel caught on her t-shirt and she stopped. Not being able to
talk, she pointedly stared down.

“Eyes on me.” She saw him wave toward the front entrance.
“Cam will take care of all this.”

She was sure to keep her eyes on him as she walked nearly a
full step behind him until they got to a set of French doors. Then he shortened
the leash and brought her through the exit with him. Beyond those doors the
place was like a maze. So many hallways and doors. It was darker too, but it
smelled great. Like orange and cinnamon.

“Hey, Basel. It’s about time you showed up. Maybe you’ll
change my luck.”

The man who spoke was a large bald guy who had a body like
Buddha’s. On either side of him were two men who were of average size while the
last guy was huge, probably as big as Ted. He had sandy-brown hair and eyes
that drilled into her.

“Nice pet you got there. Kitty out for a play?”

“Not tonight, Dillon. She’s got eyes only for me.”

Oops, she’d forgotten she shouldn’t be looking at these
guys. She was supposed to have her eyes glued on him.

“Yeah, well you know what they say about curiosity.”

Ted looked down at her and she looked up. She was sure her
eyes couldn’t get any wider as she repeated the silent mantra, “Don’t call me on
it, don’t call me on it…please don’t call me on it in front of them.”

“Is that true, sexy? Were you a bad little kitty? Did
curiosity get the best of you?”

He came around behind her and gathered her hair that she’d
managed to strategically place to cover her breasts and pulled it back. Now she
was left bare and exposed to the four guys at the table.

“So you’re not tempted again, let’s have done with the
curiosity.” He slipped the hand that held the leash around her waist while his
other hand came around and he played with her nipples. “The big brute is Dillon
Montgomery. He’s my general manager. Next to him is Jason Lander, he’s an old
college buddy who has more money than sense to come and play poker with us. The
big dude is Charlie Hart. He’s one of our bouncers and last is Zach Mayor. He’s
bipolar and a complete fuck-up but we love to take his money.”

“Screw you, Basel.”

She was half listening to the exchange. Her breasts ached
and the feel of Ted, the obvious thickness beneath his pants pressing into her
bottom made her breathless for more of his touch.

“This way. Let’s get you set so I can take their money.”

He pushed an upholstered lounger with his knee over to the
table. Positioning it beside his chair, he indicated for her to lie on it. She
had ideas about curling up on her side with her head up in the palm of her hand
while she watched, but he other ideas for her.

“Flat on your back. That’s right. Arms up, wrists crossed
and palms open. Very good.” He brushed his knuckles down her cheek and she couldn’t
help her automatic response to him. She nuzzled up against his hand and purred.

“This is supposed to improve our game night?” She thought it
was the brute Dillon who spoke but wasn’t sure.

“I’m not complaining.” She knew for sure that was Charlie.
He had a funny twang to his voice.

“Ignore them, sexy, they’re just jealous.”

She closed her eyes and decided that this wasn’t too bad. It
was kind of scintillating, lying there with her arms stretched and her legs
crossed one ankle over the other. It was like a sensual pose until…

“Uncross your legs.”

She was quick to do it, hoping her straight-as-a-die
position would be okay for him. If he made her spread her legs there was no
material covering her—

“Open your legs.”

She opened her eyes instead.

“I said legs. Come on, be a good girl.” He was staring at
the apex of her thighs as if he was going to judge just how open he wanted her
to be. “Wider,” he whispered. “A little more. More,” he said and when she did
he dragged a hand down her inner thigh. “Perfect.”

She let out a breath once he was seated. Thanking the powers
that be that he didn’t touch her between the legs because if he had he would
have discovered she was soaking wet. She couldn’t help it. She was so in lust
with him. Add to this the mask and it was the perfect storm for her to be his
anything. For tonight she was going to forget everything. She had one
opportunity to get what she wanted and this was it. Maybe her rotten luck was
turning. Hadn’t she gotten lucky with the situation with Anjay? He’d been
scheduled to go to her parents’ for dinner on Friday night and they were
insisting she be there, but then he called and cancelled. Something about an
emergency. Now she’d only have to see him Saturday and there’d be a whole pile
of people around so it wouldn’t be so bad.

Ted’s hand wrapped around her ankle and every thought
scattered as the aching commenced. She closed her eyes and tried to keep her
breathing steady. Her heart was pounding and those flutters were back
full-force. She didn’t care who was in the room. If he asked her…no, if he told
her to screw him right now she would.

Ted kept one eye on his poker hand and the other on her. He
was digging through his mental files trying to recall the list. If he
remembered correctly she said she didn’t like people to watch her, which
probably meant that she did.

He rubbed his thumb over her ankle bone and noticed her
nipples get harder. Gripping her tighter, he pulled her leg toward him just a
little, so that she’d know he was looking at her and, God, when he did tilt his
head and see her slit it was glistening. So much so he knew if he traced a
finger down her he’d slide right into her.

He licked his lips and held his breath when he squeezed her
ankle. Watching and waiting to see if her body reacted to his touch. It did.
Jesus fuck. He had to adjust himself better in his chair. His hard-on was lying
heavy down the side of his one thigh while her pussy clenched and contracted.
She was primed and he hadn’t done anything more than touch her ankle?

“Your turn, buddy,” Dillon whispered.

Ted nodded and let go of her. He forced himself to pay
attention to the game. He was supposed to be turning her off him. Another hand
was dealt. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her cocoa-cream skin. The
rise and fall of her beautiful breasts. No. He needed to keep his distance.

He rolled his shoulders and sat up straight. Did she make a
sound? He turned and those henna patterns drew him like metal to magnet. The
hardened peaks trembled with every breath she took. And with her taut stomach
and curvy hips wrapped in the black leather? He could no more keep his distance
from her than a drowning man could cast off a life preserver. He looked at his
cards from right to left and back again, silently swearing. He had nothing. He’d
have to fold. Not only with this hand, but with his plans to deny Jo as well
because right now there was no way he could deny himself. “I’m out.”

With nothing to do while the others played their hands, he
picked up her little kitty tail and stroked her with it. Starting at one knee,
he inched the ridged furry appendage up her thigh across her slit and down the
length of the other thigh. He loved how her mouth opened as she panted and her
hands clenched into fists.

“Open palms,” he whispered near her ear. “I like all of you
open to me. Especially down here.”

He tapped the tail against her hard enough that she parted
and the end slid in to hit up against her clit.

She shivered and hissed in a breath. And she wasn’t the only
one to make noise. Dillon groaned and Jason whispered, “Fuck me.”

Ted forgot about the game and leaned over her. “You like
that, don’t you? Be a good kitty and purr for me.”

A chair creaked, then another and Ted knew the guys were
adjusting to get a better look. He could practically feel the elevated levels
of testosterone filling the room.

With careful precision he beat the tail against her. Holding
one of her knees and opening her even more, he whispered, “Flex into it, sexy.
Come after it. You want it.”

She moaned and the erotic display was getting to him. He
fought the sweat off but he couldn’t hold back the drop of hot pre-cum that
slipped out of him and wet his thigh inside his pants.

“That’s right. Faster. Palms open. Breathe.”

“Ahhh…”

“Almost there, kitten. Come on, stretch up for it.” Slowly
he moved the tail higher and higher until she had to lift her hips off the
lounger. “That’s a good little pet. So good, here.”