On Your Knees (10 page)

She almost regretted leaving it. There was no way she could turn around and retrieve it. What was said was said and she’d given him her cell phone number.

* * * * *

Thank you. If this can be for more than one night…call me. J

Ryan watched the green-eyed minx settle gingerly into the chair across the conference room from him and forced back the need to order everyone else from the room. Anger he’d been shoving down since he’d woken alone this morning, pathetically clutching that leash, simmered just below the exploding point.

And that damned note. If this could be for more than one night? How had she missed his point and the many times he’d alluded to this being long term?

She glanced at her cell phone, burying a frown, then smiled at his brother Max.

Smiling, damn it! She should be smiling at him.

“Jessica!” he snapped. “Do you have something you want to share with the rest of us?”
Hell, Ryan,
he chided himself.
What is this? The third grade?

Startled, she spun toward him, wincing as her clothes slid against her stripes. She serenely smiled again, humor flickering in her eyes. “Sorry, Ryan. I didn’t know we’d started.”

She opened her planner and popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth as she scanned her notes.

“Don’t mind him,” Max said. “He and Theo have been in bad moods all day today.

I don’t know what the hell crawled up their asses but I hope it’s not contagious. We artist-types are broody enough without that.” 75

Brynn Paulin

Ryan glared at his brother. Max…brood? Right? He was surprised his brother had been serious long enough to make it through design school.

And he really didn’t like the way Max was edging toward Jessica.

He glanced at his phone before he jumped his brother for showing her conceptual designs for the upcoming subdivision project they’d just won.

“Sorry,” he lied, looking at the committee he’d gathered to discuss the upcoming work. “I have an important call I have to take. Let’s go ahead and reconvene on Monday.” He waved his phone ignoring how relieved everyone looked. “Sorry, it’s one of those life or death responsibilities.”

His life. Max’s death if he didn’t get out of here fast.

Stalking from the room, Jessica’s tinkling laugh followed him as she agreed to have coffee with the co-workers gathered there—all men. Damn it, he had to get her in hand quickly before he lost it.

All day, he’d watched the creature he’d unleashed—he almost groaned. She was magnificent. Beautiful and so full of life. And suddenly a magnet. Every time he’d ventured from his office, he’d seen her with some man or another glued to her side.

How the hell was anyone getting any work done? He sure wasn’t. All he could think of was how to get her to his side. He should have called her this morning when he’d woken. He should have told her who he was last night. He should not have—No.

No matter how many times the thought came that he shouldn’t have done what he had last night, he shoved it away. There was no way he’d ever regret what he’d done.

Jessica was his.

Now he just had to tell her. He didn’t want to wake up again without her in his arms.

* * * * *

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On Your Knees

“Jessica, something’s different about you today,” Max said, studying her as they stood beside her office door. “What happened to you last night? It’s like you’re a new person.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she laughed, ignoring how his gray eyes sent a tremor through her. She wanted to shove up the sleeve of his sports shirt and look for that commanding tattoo. That was silly. Max’s voice, his demeanor, even his build were all wrong to be her dungeon master. Close yet not even within sight.

“I have to get to work,” she said, entering her office. A few more minutes and she could leave for the evening. God, she felt good today. A little out of control. How many men had found reasons to talk to her today? “Have fun at that thing you’re going to tonight.”

“The club? Wanna go with me? You’d have to wear a collar—I’m sure you’d manage okay.”

Heat flooded up her cheeks. God if he only knew. “Um…” she stammered, backing into her office. “Maybe lunch or something another time. I’m…ah…kind of taken.” Not really. She couldn’t ignore how conspicuously silent her phone had been today.

A few times she’d even checked to be sure it was still on. If he didn’t call, she’d go on, strong in the discoveries she’d made last night. It wasn’t power inside her. It was strength. She didn’t need to prove herself to anyone, including herself. She was just great as-is. And in that alone, she had power—not control, keep that away. She was strong and in that she gathered power.

It was incredible and it bolstered her great mood. Who’d have thought? A submissive having power? She’d never understood the possibility before. But the Dom from the Pleasure Palace had taught her. She had worth and great power in her femininity. She had inner strength she’d never imagined.

Confidence flowed through her and today she’d handed over work to her administrative assistant, work the assistant was supposed to do anyway. Jessica had just never let her.

77

Brynn Paulin

She didn’t have to oversee
everything
. She’d never understood that before.

The discipline and pleasure she’d received at Pleasure Palace last night was never far from her mind. She reveled in and wanted more. She liked belonging to the dungeon master. It had been a mistake to leave. She should have stayed to see what he said. Maybe negotiated something for the future… Now what? She didn’t even know his name. How would she ever find him and throw herself at his feet, if need be? She suspected that might be necessary. The fact that her phone remained ominously quiet said to her that he was pissed. This wasn’t a blow off… this was anger.

He’d shown her so clearly that she craved being beneath him. She needed to be his—charge and control taken from her. The relief she felt today was unbelievable.

Though she’d spent the night strenuously fucking, she was more rejuvenated than when she’d returned from her vacation last month.

Of course on that vacation, she’d worried constantly about her projects. The mental vacation at her master’s hands was refreshing. Except it wasn’t just that. Knowing the pleasure she gave with her obedience to him, knowing she had the power—yes, the power—to fill his needs with only her willingness to literally and figuratively go to her knees healed years of poor self-worth. She didn’t fool herself into believing all her self-image problems had miraculously disappeared. Some things took more time.

Hopefully, it could be with his tutelage.

Swinging around her desk, she decided to look up Madam Zelda on the internet and see if she could get another reading. Accidentally, she came across a site on tarot card meanings. Well, maybe before she scheduled that reading, she’d verify what the psychic had said. When looking for answers, meanings could be attributed to anything.

Hadn’t she learned to have faith by now?

Shaking her head at her persistent pessimism, she opened the web page for the Three of Wands. It was all as the woman had said…learning to have faith, okay she was working on it. New partnership, well hopefully. Exploration, was there ever. Peace with the past, emotional calm…

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On Your Knees

She stared at the last two interpretations, again reminding herself that no card stood alone—that’s what Keera said—and that it wasn’t common for every possible meaning of the card to be fulfilled.
Successful conclusion and informed courage to make a difficult
decision.

She needed informed courage to achieve the successful conclusion she wanted most. And she might need a little luck too. Closing the website, she reached for her purse and a card she’d snagged from Pleasure Palace. She’d contact them and find him.

Yes, he was probably angry about how she’d gone but she’d beg forgiveness. She’d do whatever he ordered because she knew he wouldn’t do anything to harm her. She’d given him everything, even that power, when they were alone in private. She’d do it again.

He’d forgive her. She knew it in her core.

Pulling out the card, she lifted the phone to dial Pleasure Palace.

The sound of the lock on her office door engaging startled her, quickly she hung up the phone. Ryan stood just inside the closed door, his hands on his hips as he stared at her with his mesmerizing gray eyes. A bolt of recognition shot through her and she started to tremble.

Ryan! Her dungeon master was Ryan. Her psyche threw a triumphant fist into the air as joy flooded her. Yes!

A slow smile curved his full lips as he realized her reaction. His eyes smoldered.

“On your knees,” he growled.

She hesitated. Oh God, it
had
been Ryan in the dungeon? What the hell must he think of her? Her boss? She’d fucked her boss. How had she not known it was him?

Confusion speared through her happiness. What had she done? Yet given the opportunity, she’d do it again.

Wasn’t this the opportunity?

“Jessica,” he prompted. “Do you want to earn another punishment?” 79

Brynn Paulin

Another? What had she done? Well, yeah, he was pissed about her leaving. There was that.

Without regard for where they were, she left her chair and knelt before him, her hands behind her back and her head lowered as she knew he wanted. She stared at his black wingtips.

Slowly, he circled her. He prodded her knees further apart with his toes, forcing her skirt to ride up her thighs. The lacy tops of her stockings peeked from beneath the hem.

Much higher and he’d discover she’d forgone panties this morning. Even a thong had seemed too much for her swollen flesh.

“You’ve been a very bad girl today,” he told her. How had she not recognized his voice?

“I haven’t,” she replied.

“Did I give you permission to speak?”

She shook her head absolutely bubbling with joy that she knew who he was and
he’d come to her
. He wanted more, otherwise he wouldn’t be here, demanding her obedience.

“You
have
been bad. I’ve watched you tease every cock in this office today. They all want you.” He caught her hair in his hand and tilted her head back so she was forced to look into his eyes. “But you’re mine.”

She nodded.
Yes, yes, yes, she was his!
How could he think any differently?

“So what should your punishment be, hmm?” He released her hair and circled her while the possibilities filled her thoughts. Would he flog her again? Surely not
here
. She wasn’t sure her body could withstand it. She’d try, for him, if he insisted. Heat flooded through her and she fought the urge to squirm.

“No, not after last night,” he continued, once again on the same page with her thoughts. “I had intended to take you to dinner tonight. Perhaps I should take you to 80

On Your Knees

the Palace and let you be dinner for the crowd. Either way, you’ll spend tonight shackled to my bed. I was not impressed by your disappearing act.” Her eyes went wide and her fingers clenched where they were joined behind her back. Resolutely, she kept her lips pressed together to keep from protesting. She didn’t want anyone other than Ryan but she’d given up her power to him. She knew if she said the word, he’d stop. He wouldn’t force her to let other men touch her. She could stop it.

If she really wanted to. She wanted to please him. She’d already failed in that this morning. Whatever his choice, she’d comply. Her insides trembled knowing she was at the mercy of his decision.

Quietly, she waited while her breathing accelerated. Her heart pounded. Her cleft flooded. She was so wet for him. The scent rose around her and she was sure he could smell it too. More than anything, she wanted him pounding into her like he had last night. Bent over, impaled from behind. All day, she’d thought of little aside from the ways he’d touched her and the ways he’d fucked her.

“Stand,” he instructed.

As gracefully as she could with her hands laced behind her, she complied, thankful for strong thigh muscles. She kept her feet the requisite shoulder-width apart. In her heels, with her arms in this position, her breasts pushed forward slightly straining the buttons on her blouse. The thick silk concealed enough that it wasn’t apparent that she wore a demi-bra which lifted and cupped the underside of her breasts but covered nothing. The brush of fabric over her nipples had kept her on edge all day.

Ryan flicked open the top button. His finger stroked the upper curve of a breast, nodding when she sucked in a breath. She loved his hands on her.

“So sensitive. Good.” Going to her desk, he pulled something from his pocket and set on the surface. She tried to see around his shoulders but couldn’t without moving.

She didn’t dare. She quickly returned her focus to the geometric patterns on the carpet when he turned.

81

Brynn Paulin

She wouldn’t worry. Ryan wouldn’t harm her. She knew that and she trusted him.

“Take off your clothes,” he instructed.

She looked around. The office door was locked. That wouldn’t stop the cleaning crew nor did it obstruct the view from her huge outside window, though she was fairly sure no one could see inside.

“Stop delaying,” he ordered sharply.

She swallowed hard, knowing she was close to earning a second punishment. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Would another punishment be so bad?

It had turned out well for her last night.

Her fingers went to the buttons on her shirt. In moments, she stood in only her bra, stockings and shoes. His eyes turned smoky as he surveyed her. “Perfect.” Taking her hand, he led her to the desk. He’d laid out a jumble of wires, a remote and a tube of gel. “Do you know what this is?” She shook her head.

He unscrewed the cap on the gel and dabbed a bit beneath each nipple. She gasped at the icy cold sensation when he applied it to her burning clit. “These are electrodes,” he explained holding up the wires. Studying the y-shaped wires, her stomach sank as apprehension filled her. Each end had a small, flat metal tip.