A Passionate Discovery (Self-Discovery Series) (15 page)

When he
sent her home the next morning he felt bereft for the first time in his adult
life. Watching her drive off forced him to realize that he cared more for Carla
than he ever had for any other woman who had entered his life.

Things
were definitely going to get complicated, he thought, shaking his head.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Carla
walked into her dorm room, glad that she had the day off. Her emotions were in
free fall as she thought about the previous night and she paced the room,
trying to understand everything that had happened, and the way she had reacted
to it. Jason had beaten her, literally beaten her, not only that he had
violated her, she should be angry at that, but she wasn't.

She could
have stopped what was happening at any time, she knew that, but in some strange
way she had enjoyed the pain and the humiliation. That made her wonder what
kind of person she was.

As if her
own confusion wasn't enough to keep her pacing, she didn't know what to make of
Jason's behavior. His treatment of her down in his dungeon bordered on abuse,
but when it was over he had bathed her with all the gentleness someone might
use with a child, and after that he had made love to her like she was the most
precious thing in the world.

Her head
ached with all the thoughts and feelings whirling around her mind. They
combined to overwhelm her and when Scarlett entered the dorm room a while later
she found her huddled in the middle of the kitchen floor, her arms around her
knees and tears streaming down her face.

"Hon,
what's wrong?" Dropping to her knees Scarlett pulled her best friend to
her. "Did something happen with Jason? Did he hurt you?" Stupid
question, she thought the moment she uttered it, that was what he did; Carla
shouldn't have been crying though.

Carla
tried to speak through her tears but she couldn't get the words out, they stuck
in her throat. Instead she held on tight to her friend, needing the comfort of
her presence.

Sensing Carla
was too emotionally distraught to talk, Scarlett did her best to soothe her.
She rocked her gently, as she would have done an upset child, and stroked her
hair, waiting for her to calm enough to speak. She was pissed, it was clear that
Jason was too intense for her friend; she just wondered what he had done to
upset her so badly. She resolved to have a few words with him just as soon as
she had an opportunity; no-one upset her friend like that.

After what
seemed like hours, though in reality it was just a few minutes, Carla's tears
subsided. Once they had stopped completely Scarlett let her go and made her way
into the bathroom, returning with a roll of tissue. "Here, hon." She
had never seen her friend so emotional over anything and the sight of her, eyes
red from her tears, huddled on the floor in a state of misery, only increased
her anger at Jason.

The
doorbell rang just then and Scarlett told Carla to stay put as she answered it.
She came back with a giftwrapped box and a small card. "You want me to
throw this in the trash?" She knew instinctively it was from Jason, and
wasn't sure if her friend wanted a gift from him at that moment.

"No, Scarlett,
let me have it." She wasn't really mad at Jason, despite everything that
had happened, she was just more confused than she could remember being. Taking
the package she tore off the wrapping to reveal a large jewelry box from
Tiffany's.

Opening
the box Carla gasped at the beautiful diamond choker and earrings set it
contained. Unable to take her eyes off the jewelry it was a short while before
she could bring herself to read the card that had come with it,
'You shine
brighter than the most precious gems to me, sweet girl. Truly, RH.'
The tears
fell slowly down her cheeks again.

"Honey,
you've got to tell me what happened so I can help you." She wasn't used to
being the caregiver, that was normally Carla's thing, but seeing her friend in
such a state was breaking her heart.

"I'm
fine, Scarlett, things just got a little intense last night and I refused to
give in."

"You
defied him?" Scarlett was sure that hadn't gone over well with Mr.
I-am-in-control-of-everything. At Carla's nod, she laughed. "I would have
loved to have seen his face." She couldn't remember any submissive ever
saying no to Jason. He had an overwhelming intensity about him that most subs
knew instinctively not to argue with. "How bad did it get?" Friend of
her master or not, she would kick his ass if things had got out of hand.

Carla
explained the whole sequence of events to a stunned Scarlett, and then waited
for her reaction.

"Wow,
just wow." Scarlett wasn't sure how to take what she was told. From her
own experiences she knew that Jason had behaved the way any dominant would have
when their submissive was pushing buttons, as Carla clearly had. The only
difference was, the sub in the scenario was her best friend, and completely
naïve about the lifestyle. "Do you still want to explore this?" She
had to ask the question, it was clear that Carla had been pushed to her limit,
and perhaps even beyond it, by what had happened between her and Jason.

"I, I
think I love him, Scarlett." She lowered her eyes, knowing her friend was
going to freak out over her confession.

"Oh, honey,
no, we talked about this." Scarlett stood and began pacing. "You're
experiencing a whole shitload of emotions right now, but that's not really
love." She hoped like hell she was right, because if her heart was
involved then Carla was in for a lot more pain that just a sore ass. Jason
didn't do long-term relationships.

"I
know what I feel, Scarlett." She knew it was stupid, she'd only known the
guy for a few days, but she couldn't help how she felt.

"I knew
this wasn't right for you, honey; you need to call this off." Scarlett
knew that wasn't what her friend wanted to hear, but it was better for things
to end then, rather than have them drag on until she was totally crushed.

"No!"
The thought of never seeing Jason again was agonizing. She realized it made no
sense for her to want the man after what he had done, but she just couldn't
bear the thought of walking away. "I'm not leaving him!"

"You've
got it bad, honey." Scarlett shook her head, feeling as though it was all
her fault and she had to fix it somehow. It was clear from what she'd said, and
her entire demeanor, that Carla wasn't going to walk away, so she'd have to go
to the source. All she could do was hope her friend would someday thank her for
the intervention. "Okay, honey." She let out a deep sigh, sooner was
better than later, she thought. "I'm going to go pick up some breakfast,
will you be alright until I get back?"

"I'll
be fine; seriously, I just had a little meltdown." She gave a somewhat wan
smile, not wanting her friend to worry.

"I
won't be long." She hoped Jason wasn't too busy at the office, though even
if he was she was sure he'd make an exception to see her.

Leaving
the dorms she headed downtown to where Jason's office was located; he worked
mostly from the larger of the two law firms he owned, though his business
extended well beyond legal affairs.

Jason was
surprised when his secretary told him Scarlett was there. His first thought was
that something had happened to Carla and he quickly gave instructions for his
calls to be held, the upcoming meeting to be rescheduled, and for Scarlett to
be sent back immediately.

"Is
she okay?" he asked franticly as Scarlett entered his office, shutting the
door behind her.

"That
depends on your version of okay," Scarlett said, glaring at him as she
took a seat in front of the huge desk. "What the hell were you thinking
last night?"

"Watch
your tone, Scarlett." She might not belong to him, but he still expected
respect, especially from his best friend's submissive. "Tell me what's
wrong with Carla."

The
temperature in the office felt as though it had dropped ten degrees; Scarlett
had to resist the urge to shiver as she remembered who she was talking to. Daniel
would have her ass if he found out what she was doing. "I just spent the
last hour watching my best friend cry her eyes out over you, Sir, so forgive me
if I'm a little upset." As angry as she was, that was the closest she
could come to apologizing.

He didn't
think Carla would still be in serious pain; the spanking he’d given her was
harsh, but nothing she shouldn't have recovered from. "I didn't think I
was that rough with her last night," he said, speaking more to himself
than to Scarlett.

"No
offense, Sir, but it's not her ass I'm worried about, it's her heart."
Shaking her head she wondered if all men were as blind. "She thinks she's
in love with you; if you don't stop seeing her you're going convince her that
you feel the same, and that there is a future for the two of you.

"If
you do that she will only get hurt worse when she realizes that isn't the
case."

He was
floored by her words, the thought that Carla believed she was in love with him
was startling. They'd only known each other for a few days. He was prepared to
admit that he had strong feelings for Carla, even if he only admitted that to
himself, but love her, he smiled and shook his head, he didn't really believe
in love.  Still, the thought of keeping her did appeal to him.

"This
isn't something to smile about, Jason. Carla isn't worldly enough to understand
that love and passion aren't the same thing. I thought she would get it, but
she hasn't.

"I'm
sure this strokes your ego, but unless you really get off on emotionally
screwing with people you need to put an end to this." She knew she was
taking a risk, talking to him so directly, but she wasn't about to stand back
and say nothing when her friend was being hurt.

"I'm
glad she has a friend like you, Scarlett." Jason wasn't angry with her; on
the contrary, he was pleased that she had his girl's best interests at heart.
"I will talk to Carla when she comes over tonight."

Scarlett
nodded, relieved that he was being reasonable. "Thank you for
understanding, she's a really special person and I can't stand by and allow her
to get hurt any more than she's likely to be." She hoped that ending
things quickly would allow Carla to recover and move on with her life. Scarlett
was sure that once she was away from Jason, Carla would realize that she wasn't
really in love with him. "I need to get going, I'm supposed to be getting
breakfast."

Jason
nodded. "Please don't say anything to Carla about coming to see me. I
think it would embarrass her, and could hurt your friendship."

"As
long as you are going to handle the situation, I don't see there's any need for
me to let her know." She thanked him for his time and then left, hoping
that she'd done the right thing for her friend.

CHAPTER NINE

Carla felt
as though she'd been working all day by the time she got dressed to go to Jason's.
After breakfast she and Scarlett had packed up their dorm rooms for the move to
the condo, a job that had taken far longer than either of them had expected.

The
packing up had taken until late afternoon, with a break for lunch, and had left
them with only enough time to take a few of the boxes over to the condo before
they had to stop for the day.

Once again
she was forced to borrow a dress from Scarlett, which only emphasized how
desperately she needed to do something about the lack of good clothes in her
wardrobe.

Arriving
at the house she saw the limousine sitting in the drive, the chauffeur standing
by the side of it. She wasn't sure what the presence of the car meant and
wondered about it as she parked on the other side of the drive and got out.

When she
reached the house she was surprised to be met by Jason himself, instead of his
butler. "Evening, Sir." She smiled warmly, her eyes wandering over his
handsome physique. He was dressed more casually than she had seen him up to
then, and she found it strange to see him in slacks and a white cotton sports
shirt.

"Hello,
sweetheart." He shut the front door behind him and then bent to kiss her
cheek. "We're going out tonight," he told her. Taking her hand he led
her to the limousine, where the chauffeur was now holding the rear door open.

Scarlett's
visit that morning had forced him to give some serious thought to his
relationship with his sweet girl. He'd decided he wasn't willing to give Carla
up; she was his, so when their third night ended he planned on making her an
offer, one he hoped she'd be more than satisfied with.

He
motioned for her to slide into the car, and then got in beside her. "I
don't usually drink when I play, but I think one glass of champagne is
acceptable." He took a bottle from a bucket of ice and poured out two
glasses, handing one to Carla and raising the other in a toast. "Here's to
meeting you, because I think it was one of the greatest moments of my life so
far." He clinked his glass to hers as she blushed.

Carla felt
her heart do a somersault at his words; she hoped they meant he felt something
for her beyond his desire for her body. She wanted to ask him where he was
taking her, but after last night she had no intention of voicing a question,
not when he had made it very clear that he didn't appreciate them.

She sat
back in her seat as he put her seatbelt on and smiled. Scarlett was right, she
thought, she really had it bad for him. She couldn't take her eyes off him and
sipping at the champagne she squirmed a little in the seat, she was already wet
for him.

"Baby,
you have got to stop looking at me that way, I want to make it to our
destination before we make love." He grinned at her, feeling his groin
tighten. He couldn't help wondering how the girl could turn him on so much when
he'd been able to maintain control during the training of so many other young
women.

"I'm
s-sorry, Sir." Her face flooded with color, she couldn't deny how she was
looking at him; just being in such close proximity to him made her body ache
with desire.

Shaking
his head he chuckled and pulled her closer to him. His hand moved to her thigh
and slowly inched her skirt up. Her intake of breath made his cock twitch and
he wished they had more than five minutes before they arrived at their
destination.

Five
minutes was just enough time to get her a little more worked up though, and he
took full advantage of the opportunity. His fingers slipped under her panties
and stroked her silken flesh, teasing her sensitive bud.

Carla
caught her breath as Jason teased her. She glanced toward the driver, and was
relieved to see that his attention was focused on the road ahead, rather than
what was going on in the rear of the car. Her hips lifted slightly, making it
easier for Jason as he pushed a finger deep inside her, then with agonizing
slowness he withdrew. "Sir," she moaned softly, already close to
coming undone.

His finger
plunged in again and pulled away, not wanting her to cum yet. Lifting his
finger to her mouth; he pushed it against her lips until she opened them and he
was able to slide his finger inside.

She had
never tasted herself before, not even on the few occasions when she had played
with herself. The taste was strange, but not unpleasant and she suckled at his
finger, licking it clean, knowing that was what he wanted her to do.

When she
was done he pulled his finger from her mouth, making her groan with the need to
be fulfilled. She wiggled her hips in an effort to encourage him but he simply
chuckled, "Insatiable girl," and pulled her dress back down to cover
her. "We're here," he told her; she hadn't even noticed the limousine
had come to a stop.

Opening
the door he got out and bent to reach back in, offering his hand to assist Carla
out. "Let's take you shopping, sweetheart," he said once they were
both out of the car.

He was
taking her shopping; she looked in amazement at the exclusive boutique they
stood in front of. Her brain protested at the thought of him giving her more
gifts after the car and the jewelry, but she realized that declining would only
bring out the more extreme side of his Dom personality.

Seeing the
look on her face Jason threw his head back and laughed. "My sweet little Carla,
I have never known a woman who didn't want to shop for clothes before."

"I
would rather you take me to bed, Sir," she spoke without thinking and
quickly turned scarlet at her bold words.

Her
comment only fueled his amusement and again his laughter rang aloud. "Sweetheart,
don't ever let it be said that you don't know how to make a man feel good about
himself." Still holding her hand he led her into the stylish store.
"Maybe we'll find a little excitement while we're here," he whispered
in her ear once they were inside.

There was
no chance for her to ask him what he meant for a gorgeous saleswoman walked
over just then, a huge smile on her face. The saleswoman was dressed like a
runway model and Carla instantly hated her for the way she was looking at her
man.

"Mr. Portland,
it's a pleasure to see you again."

"A
pleasure to see you again as well, Delilah; please, lock up the store, my
companion needs a completely new wardrobe and we don't wish to be
disturbed."

"Absolutely,
Mr. Portland, I'll be right with you."

While Jason
and Carla moved further into the shop they heard Delilah behind them, locking
the door and pulling the heavy blinds, so no-one on the street could look in.

"Delilah,
my beautiful girl here should be dressed in the finest of everything," Jason
said when the saleswoman returned. "Please select some items so she can
model them for me." He trusted Delilah completely; she knew exactly what
he liked to see his women dressed in, and what outfits would best bring out a
woman's natural beauty. That was one of the reasons he employed her as
manageress of his boutique, not that many people knew he was the owner; with
the exception of the two law firms he had inherited, he preferred to keep his
business dealings quiet where possible.

"Size
three I believe," Delilah said, running a professional eye over the young
woman at her employer's side.

"Yes,
wow, how did you know?" Carla was amazed.

"It's
my job to know, Ma'am." One of the things Delilah had learned over the
years was that keeping her boss' companions happy, made him happy, and that
made her job easier.

Leaving
the pair Delilah made her way around the store, selecting dresses she knew Jason
would approve of, and which would bring out the best features of the slightly
built young woman he'd brought. "If you would care to follow me to the
dressing room, you can try these on."

"Hang
them up beside me, Delilah; she'll be trying them on here."

Delilah
wasn't shocked in the least by her employer's request; it wasn't the first time
she'd watched the strange games he liked to play with the women he brought to
the boutique. She wouldn't ever have allowed a man to treat her the way he
treated his companions, but she kept that opinion to herself. It was none of
her business how he and his companions enjoyed themselves, and she was paid too
well to make the mistake of voicing an unwelcome opinion.

"Sir?"
Carla was shocked at his request. Did he really want her to change in front of
the saleswoman?

"The
black one first, Carla," he told her, not answering the unvoiced question.

Oh god!
That was exactly what he expected of her, she realized, her heart racing.
Knowing how upset he got when she made him wait she quickly pulled her dress
over her head and crossed to the rack where the black dress hung. She was
relieved she still had her bra and panties on; otherwise it would have been
completely humiliating.

Once Carla
had the dress on Jason moved forward and walked around her, his finger tapping
his lip as he took note of how the dress fit. Finally he stopped in front of
her and reached out to smooth out the dress over her stomach, he then slid his
hands up until they were cupping the underside of her breasts through the soft
silkiness of the dress. "I think this accentuates her well; what do you
think, Delilah?"

Did he
seriously just ask if her boobs looked good in the dress? Carla groaned,
feeling her face burn.

"Her
body looks very lovely, Mr. Portland."

Jason
nodded and caressed her bare shoulder lightly. "I do believe we'll take
this one." He looked over at the rack Delilah had hung her selections on.
"Try the white one next," he instructed.

The white
one was a strapless silk mini-dress; it looked very elegant, on its hanger, but
Carla could tell that it would show off an almost indecent amount of skin.
Doing her best not to think about it, Carla removed the black dress, returning
it to the hanger it had come from, and took down the white one.

"Take
off your bra," Jason told her. "You won't be able to wear one with
that dress."

If Carla
had thought her face was red before, it was nothing to how it was then; she
could feel cheeks burning, and was sure they must be glowing incandescently.
She wanted to protest his request, to refuse, but she wasn't sure he wouldn't
take her over his knee right there in the store, and she wasn't about to risk
that. Trembling, she removed her bra and put it on a nearby chair before
quickly sliding the skimpy white dress over her head, wanting to get covered up
as quickly as possible.

"Now
this definitely has appeal." He smiled, knowing just how embarrassed she
was. He wondered if she was also getting turned on. Showing her off was all
part of night three, and to his mind she was doing exceptionally well; despite
her embarrassment she hadn't hesitated or refused to do as he asked.

Once again
he walked slowly around her, admiring both her and the dress from every angle.
When he stopped it was behind her and his hand traced down her back, sending a
shiver through her as it came to rest on her ass, cupping a barely covered
cheek. "This one shows off that beautiful ass I love so much. What do you
think, Delilah?"

"Yes,
Sir, I couldn't agree more. She has the perfect figure for this dress. Many
women wish they could look as good in it."

Carla was
mortified by the way the two of them were talking about her body; it was as if
they were talking about a car, or some other possession that didn't have a mind
or feelings. Looking at the two of them, she couldn't help wondering if Delilah
had ever slept with Jason; that thought pissed her off and she glared at the lady.

"Try
the red one next, sweetheart, it matches the color of your cheeks," Jason
said with a chuckle, seeing the look Carla was giving Delilah.

Carla took
off the white dress and hung it back on the rack, seething at his humor.
"Perhaps you'd like Delilah to try on a few of the dresses for you as
well, Sir." As with the previous night, she knew she shouldn't have spoken
the moment she did, but the words were out before she could stop them.

His eyes
widened at her outburst and a look of anger crossed his face, he controlled
himself however as he turned away from Carla. "Delilah, would you give us
a moment please?" he asked politely, his voice giving no hint of what Carla
had seen.

"Of
course, Mr. Portland." Without hesitation she left them alone, heading for
the break room to give them some privacy.

"Delilah
is not one of my submissives, Carla, and your attitude toward her is very
displeasing to me. You will apologize for your behavior when she returns."
His tone left no doubt in her mind that if she didn't apologize she would be
punished as severely as she had been the previous night.

"Yes,
Sir," she whispered softly, feeling more than a little guilty for her
outburst. Since she knew from Scarlett that Jason didn't have vanilla
relationships the news that Delilah was not a sub, or at least not one of his,
reassured her that they hadn't slept together.