Slapping Leather (5 page)

“You’re an excellent sub, Elizabeth.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Next time no panties or bra.”

No lingerie? Naked beneath her clothes? “But—”

“But you don’t argue with your Sir.”

She lowered her eyes. “No, Sir.”

He bent his head and took her mouth, lightly at
first then thrusting a marauding tongue inside. And she realized this was the
first time tonight they had kissed. He took a long time at it, too, sliding his
tongue inside her mouth and tasting every inch of the slick surface. Then he
moved his mouth to her tortured nipples, lightly sucking each one and licking
with his tongue to soothe them.

She turned her head to rake her eyes over his
naked body.

“Would you…Could I ask you to stand up, please?
Sir.”

He smiled and rose to his full height. His cock,
though spent, was still a powerful sight resting against his pubic curls. His
sac hung heavily against his muscular thighs. She looked up and took in the
hard wall of his chest and the dark hair covering it. She reached out a hand,
then quickly pulled it back, remembering his instructions.

He smiled. “It’s all right, Elizabeth. Touch me.
Go ahead.”

He was firm and warm, the power radiating from
him almost palpable. She touched everything she could reach before letting her
arm fall limply to her side.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

When he lifted her into his arms, she felt
completely limp. Depleted. And happier and more satisfied than she’d been in
ages. She looped her arms around Alex’s neck and rested her head against his
shoulder.

His laugh rumbled in his chest. “How lucky am I
that you chose tonight to come to Rawhide?”

He lowered his mouth to hers, touching her lips
lightly before increasing the pressure. His tongue licked the seam then slipped
inside and turned the kiss into a full blown assault on her mouth. His taste
was as sinful as dark chocolate and just as rich. Addictive, even. His tongue
melted against her like a rich confection, and she wondered if she could come
just from kissing him.

When she was completely breathless, he lifted his
head and smiled at her. “Are you together enough to drive home or shall I take
you?”

That jolted her. “Oh, lord, no. That’s all my
crew would need to see.”

He frowned. “Liz, you’re a woman. And a hell of a
one at that. Surely the people who work for you don’t expect you to live like a
nun.”

“You don’t understand.” She shifted in his arms,
and he lowered her to her feet. “They’re all just looking for one tiny sign of
weakness from me. The only place I can be me is here. I can give up control
completely.”

“That’s a hell of a way to live.”

“Trust me. It’s the only way.” She smiled at him.
“May I dress, Sir?”

“Of course.” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her,
licking the seam of her lips. “But I want to see you again. Are you good with
that?”

“As long as we keep everything here at Rawhide.”

He frowned. “What if I want to take you out to
dinner? Or for a drink?”

She shook her head, pulling on her clothes and
straightening them. “No. Please. Don’t push me.”

I can’t do that again. I can’t.

He sighed. “Fine. Okay. At least for now. Today
is Wednesday. Meet me here Friday night.” When she opened her mouth to protest,
he held up his hand. “Remember, in this room my word is still law. Friday
night, Elizabeth. Don’t disappoint me.”

For a moment, she was tempted to try protesting
again. Then she realized she really wanted to see him again. She wanted another
night like tonight and she wanted it with Alex Wright.

“All right. Will nine o’clock be all right?”

He grinned. “Nine will be more than satisfactory.
And no playing with toys at home. I want you hot and wet and hungry for me.”

Oh, lordy. Watch yourself,
Liz. Quicksand ahead.

Chapter
Four

For forty eight hours, Liz argued and debated
with herself, immersing herself in work so vigorously that Scotty actually
stopped her Friday at noon.

“Take a break, boss. I don’t know what devil’s
riding you, but you’re driving yourself into the ground and us crazy.”

She jerked her arm out of his grip and went back
to brushing the horse she’d just been working. “Maybe y’all just can’t keep up
with me,” she ground out.

“Uh-uh. Stop what you’re doing and look at me.
Come on, Liz. Just for a minute.”

She sighed, dropped the hand with the brush and
leaned against the tethered horse. “What?”

“First of all, I know you won’t agree with me,
but I’m as much your friend as your employee. If you’d let me be.”

She snorted. “Yeah, right. My best bud.”

“I said look at me. Please.”

She turned her face and saw such an expression of
concern on his face she wanted to cry. Who would have thought Scotty or any of
the others would care one whit about her?

“Good. Now.” He blew out a breath. “What’s got
your tail in a twist? You worked fourteen hours yesterday, and you’ve been out
here since six this morning. If there’s a problem, I’d like to help with it.”

Liz almost laughed. This was one problem that
none of her employees could do anything about. She’d spent nearly every waking
minute, despite working herself to death, convinced her visit to Rawhide had
been a mistake. And if she went back, she’d make another one. Alex Wright was
related to important clients. Establishing a D/s relationship with him, even if
they kept it to the confines of Rawhide, was fraught with every kind of danger.

“Liz?”

She blinked and focused on Scotty, who was still
waiting for some kind of answer.

“I’m sorry, Scotty. I’ve just had a little trouble
sleeping. I thought extra work would tire me out.”

He shook his head. “If you say so. Just…try to
take it easy, okay?” He walked away, his boots clicking on the concrete.

Easier said than done. And
what do I do tonight? Show up? Not show up?

She shivered at the memory of the session
Wednesday night. She and Alex had made an instant connection, one that was too
strong for her to deny. But her last two relationships had ended very badly. If
this one blew up it could affect her livelihood.

Shit, shit, shit.

Why had she gone in the first place? Damn Katie
and Reece for talking her into it. She sighed and went back to work on the
horse.

Just to frost the cake and add to her personal
turmoil, she had been in a state of constant arousal since her session with Alex.
Every time she remembered being in that room with him, her cunt quivered and
cream gushed into her panties. She could have relieved her itch with one of her
battery-powered toys, but his words kept echoing in her head and her submissive
nature wouldn’t permit her to disobey his final instruction.

By the time six o’clock rolled around, she was a
bundle of nerves, edgy enough that she took herself off to the house. She had
enough problems with the staff. She didn’t need to keep taking her attack of
nerves out on them.

She wasn’t the least bit hungry, but she made
herself eat a sandwich standing at the sink and swallow a soft drink. Then it
was decision time. The real problem was, she actually wanted to go. She’d
forgotten how arousing and satisfying D/s play could be. With the right person.

Liz stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. How
was it others found that one right person to share the lifestyle with
permanently, but the two times she’d tried had been a disaster? Was she
destined for noting more than interludes until she was past the point of being
wanted? Desired?

You’re scared because Alex
Wright touched something inside you.

Damn right I am. People who
touch you emotionally have the power to hurt you. Reject you.

“No!” She smacked her closed fist on the vanity
countertop. “Quit overthinking everything, Elizabeth Gillibrand. You wanted a
good time. Sexual release. Go and embrace it. And when you see Alex Wright in
public, you can just be smoothly polite to him. You know how.”

Shoving her doubts back into a deep corner of her
mind, she stripped off her clothes, turned on the shower, and stepped under the
hot spray, letting it wash away the dirt and stress. An hour later, lotioned
and perfumed and dressed in her best sub outfit she nervously pressed the bell
at Rawhide.

“Good evening.” The hostess swung the door open
to admit her.

Liz pulled the tiny gold card from her purse that
Reece had given her, but the woman waved it away. “Mr. Halliday has put you on
the permanent list. Go right in.”

The permanent list? Well,
thanks, Reece, but—

Stop it! This time will be a
different. Just enjoy.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“I believe someone’s waiting in the lounge for
you,” the woman said. “On one of the corner love seats.”

Alex! He was here already. Now she was twice as
nervous. What if when he saw her again, he changed his mind? Decided he didn’t
want her at all?

Since when did you let all
these insecurities consume you?

Since—

“Good evening, Elizabeth.”

She found herself standing in front of the love
seat, Alex rising to take her hand.

Liz bowed her head automatically. “Good evening,
Sir.”

“Your hand is trembling.” He sat and drew her
down next to him. “Let’s sit here for a few minutes. Is something bothering
you?” He frowned. “Have you changed your mind? It’s all right, you know.
Sometimes people just don’t click. Although I thought last time—”

“You thought right,” she said hastily. “I haven’t
changed my mind.”

“But you’re nervous.” His hand lazily stroked the
bare skin of her arm. “Did I do something to cause that?” He frowned. “Did I
give you reason not to trust me?”

“No.” The touch of his hand was soothing, easing
her nerves. Her body, tuned again to the role of submissive, began to relax.
Her nipples were so sensitive the leather vest felt scratchy against them, and
her pussy was already incredibly wet, moisture dampened the inside of her
thighs.

His hand trailed around to the nape of her neck,
gently massaging the muscles she knew were tighter than tight. He leaned close
to her, his mouth directly at her ear. “Elizabeth, are you afraid of me? Tell
me the truth, darlin’, because if you are we need to stop this now.”

Afraid of him? No, it was herself she was afraid
of. Afraid of losing her head and maybe her heart and ending up a mess like the
last time. Because Alex Wright definitely struck a chord deep inside her. It
was more than the fear of meeting him on different turf and hoping no one would
catch any silent messages between them. It was the terrible fear of being cast
aside. Again.

She shook her head. “No. Not afraid.”

Of you. It’s me. I’m afraid of
me.

“Tell me what it is,” he urged, “or we’ll just
have a pleasant drink and that will be the end of it.”

The end of it? Not have a session together? Now
that she was here, that was all she wanted. To be stripped naked and dominated
by him. To feel the pleasurable sting of the flogger. Maybe even the
short-tailed whip. To have him strip away everything but her basest emotions
and drive her to the peak of erotic fulfillment.

Why am I being such an idiot?

“Forgive me, Sir,” she whispered. “I’m still…I
just haven’t been in the scene for such a long time. Until the other night.”

“I understand.”

How could a man have such a warm Texas drawl and
still sound so dominant?

“Well, then. Let’s see if you followed my
instructions. That’ll tell me a lot about what happens next.”

One warm hand slid beneath the hem of her short
leather skirt, up the surface of her thigh until he reached her cunt. A slow
smile crept over his face.

“No panties. Good for you. And that sweet little
cunt is dripping wet. Just the way I like it.”

His praise warmed her but not as much as his
fingers at her wet folds, just barely brushing her clit. Liz did her best not
to react to the charge of electricity that surged through her. Alex licked the
edge of her ear as he lightly pinched her clit.

Liz forced herself to sit still, not to move
except on his command. All the anxiety that had plagued her for two days
disappeared like smoke. She could focus only on the man who controlled her
pleasure for the evening.

“Let’s see your breasts, Elizabeth.”

Okay, he was definitely in Dom mode and she felt
herself automatically slipping into subspace. His fingers were warm on her
flesh as he tugged the zipper of the leather vest down partway. His hand
slipped past the fabric to touch and caress her skin, his palm cupping one
breast, his thumb rubbing the nipple.