Re/Bound (Doms of the FBI Book 1) (11 page)

Abruptly he stepped away. The foyer opened to a hall with four possible escapes. To the right, a closed door hid the mess of her office. To the left, a wide opening invited people to a formal living room. Straight ahead, the space divided into stairs leading to the second floor and a hallway leading to the kitchen and dining room in the rear of the house. Theo perused his options, and she admired his broad shoulders and the way his dress pants hugged his tight ass.

“I didn’t want you to think last weekend happened because I wanted a contact with Snyder Corp. I got the interview on my own, though I think he used me to manipulate you into staying longer.” He turned back to face her and leaned casually against the bottom post of her banister. “I’m sorry for that. You didn’t have to stick your neck out for me.”

If she hadn’t agreed to stay with Vic for a little longer, he would have used that ammunition to say he didn’t need Theo’s services. Even though he’d been looking for a tech whiz to overhaul his systems, he would have turned Theo away.

“Vic just wants me close to him. He’s not interested in me except platonically.” She shook her head. “I can’t figure out why he wants me there, but he’s always offering me different kinds of jobs. Public relations, marketing, things like that. If he wasn’t able to use you to keep me, he would have found another way. He always does.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You don’t sound upset about it.”

She shrugged. “Being upset doesn’t get me anywhere. Besides, now I get to work with you.”

“And you’re happy about that?” For the first time, he didn’t look so sure of himself.

She grinned, happy to have the upper hand even though it wouldn’t last. “Yeah. I am. For some reason, I seem to like you.”

“For some reason?” Picking up on her flirty tone, he took one step closer.

“I haven’t figured out the reason yet.”

His gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips. “I think I can help you with that.” Closing the distance, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and planted a light, feathery kiss on her lips.

She liked the way his chest felt barely pressed against hers. It teased and promised, and she drew strength and comfort from his sheer solidity. His lips lingered for a moment, still and silent, a barely there caress. Then his mouth opened, almost as if he couldn’t help himself, and he stole her breath with his unrestrained passion. Heat rushed to all points, and she didn’t want him to stop.

But he did.

Darcy rested her head on his shoulder, her face buried in the warmth and certainty of his neck, and rested her hands on the front of his shirt. His kiss warmed her from the inside, and his body heat warmed her from the outside. He ran his fingers in little circles across the small of her back.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming today?”

The fingers on her back paused. When they started up again, the circular pattern extended up and down her back. “Because you would have got out of me why I was coming and where I was going. Even though I wouldn’t have asked you to talk to Snyder, you and your big, generous heart would have done it anyway, and then I wouldn’t get to spank you tonight.”

His almost baritone rumbled through his chest and tickled the palm of her hand. She lifted her head to meet his gaze.

“You’re right. I would have. But I also would have gone grocery shopping, and I would have shown you what an awesome cook I am. Perhaps I would have earned my way back to a spanking?”

Knowing him, even only for a few days, she didn’t think she could have earned back that kind of reward. Theo wasn’t a pushover. Darcy had known Scott’s weak points, and she had shamelessly exploited them. While he hadn’t been a pushover either, he hadn’t possessed the rigid rules Theo seemed to have. She only knew a handful of Theo’s rules, but she knew there were many more she would learn as she got to know him better.

Laughing, he lifted the roses and offered them to her. “I brought two because I was hoping they’d be in honor of our second date. I’d like to take you out to dinner tonight. If you’re so inclined and if you’re free, you can cook for me on Saturday.”

“I’m both free and inclined.” She closed her hand around the smooth, thornless stems and tilted the half-open buds toward her nose. The sweet fragrance had just begun to seep from the flowers. In a few days, they would open fully to release their heady scent. “But you should know I don’t like to cook alone. What kind of kitchen skills do you have?”

He released her and followed her into the kitchen. Under the sink, way in the back, she found a skinny vase that needed a good rinsing because it had been so long since anyone had brought her flowers. Scott had observed her birthday with a mixed bouquet every year, but she had been responsible for their appearance at any other time. It had been a long time since she felt like having flowers around.

Theo leaned against the counter next to the sink while she rinsed and filled the vase. “I have the basic man skills. I’m really good with anything that needs to be grilled. I cook a mean steak, and I can wrap potatoes in foil and throw them in the oven, though I do prefer to use a grill. Charcoal. I’ll use gas if nothing else is available.”

She gestured toward the hallway that led to the garage. “I have a grill, and I hate using it. You’re more than welcome to take control.”

Using dull kitchen scissors, she trimmed the stems and set the vase in the window above the sink. Light filtered through the window for most of the morning, so they should reach full bloom soon. She studied them in the weak glow of the early sunset. The lack of light left the petals with a dark red hue that appeared almost black in places. They were beautiful.

Theo took her in his arms again. “I prefer to think of it as assuming authority.”

Darcy liked the sound of that. Control was often a hostile thing, a violation of self, a thing taken or stolen that left a powerless victim. Authority was given, an invested trust that empowered a person and lifted the spirit.

Since she faced him, she placed her hands on his arms in the way he’d instructed her on their date. The position just seemed right. “You’re very authoritative. Where did you plan to take me for dinner?”

A brilliant smile accompanied his glance at her hands. He approved of her automatic submission. “If I were authoritarian, I would choose where we eat. Because I’m authoritative, you get to choose. I’d like to experience your favorite restaurant.”

Immediately the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction she’d derived from eating that meatball sub popped into her mind. She shook it away. Eating at that place once in a day was sin enough. She considered healthier options.

“Have you been to Seva’s?”

__________

It wasn’t until he sat across from her at the intimate table for two that she realized she’d chosen a vegetarian restaurant right after he used the term “man skills” to describe the preparation of steak and burgers.

She glanced out the front window, noted all the other good restaurants in walking distance, and leaned forward. “We can go someplace else if there’s nothing appealing here.”

With a quick glance up and a fleeting wink, he said, “Oh, there’s something here that appeals to me quite a bit.”

Heat crept up her neck, and she didn’t know why. “I meant
to eat
.”

Now he nailed her with the direct and licentious stare. “So did I.”

She’d walked right into that one. He had warned her about his dry sense of humor. Still, she couldn’t help but laugh.

He flashed a crooked smile that didn’t hide the sudden tenderness in his eyes. “I like hearing you laugh. You have a very inviting, sexy kind of laugh.”

The blush spread farther, enveloping her body in a delicious warmth. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand, the simple gesture communicating a wealth of feeling. A look passed between them, and deep feelings slammed Darcy hard in the gut.

Theo went back to perusing the menu. “Seriously, though, can they get away with calling something a burger if it’s made with portobello mushrooms? And what the hell is an organic bun?”

“I think that means they didn’t use pesticides when they baked it.”

He blinked at her for a moment before a slow smile stretched his sensuous lips. “I like your wit, Markovich. Have I told you how sexy I find your brains?”

“Well, since you avoided looking at my breasts, I’m glad you find some part of my anatomy sexy.” She followed up with a cheeky grin. Something about Theo made her feel uninhibited, despite her blushes, and she liked that he saw her as a person, not as an easy target.

He laughed again. “Be a good girl and one day soon I’ll show you exactly how sexy I find your anatomy.” He frowned down at the menu. “Wait. That sounded better in my head. It was suave and sophisticated, even a little witty.”

It sounded okay out loud, but she wasn’t about to feed his ego. Doms could easily acquire an inflated sense of themselves. Men as alluring as Theo had the same problem. Together, this combination put him at risk. She wasn’t going to chance tipping the scales.

She sipped her water, waiting for him to restate his thought.

He didn’t. “I think I’ll have the pasta alla bosca. Seeing the word ‘sausage’ in quotation marks makes me a little leery, but I’m willing to try new things. What are you going to order?”

The subject change took her a little by surprise. She liked flirting. As she thought about it, she decided she liked how he didn’t push it too far too fast. It was best to pull back a little right now. “The grilled pesto pizza sandwich. Anytime pizza and sandwiches are combined, I have to get them.”

“You take me to a vegetarian restaurant and order the least healthy thing on the menu.” He folded the menu and set it on the edge of the table. “Nice irony.”

Darcy fidgeted a bit. “A lot of the appetizers, like the yams, are fried. That’s less healthy.”

“Fried yams?” His brows lifted as he considered them. Their server approached the table. “Sounds yammy.” Without waiting for her reaction, he grinned at the young man waiting to take their order. “Let’s begin with the fried yam appetizer. The lady would like your grilled pesto pizza sandwich, and I’ll have the pasta alla bosca.”

She sat quietly and let Theo handle things. He consulted her on what dressing she preferred and which soft drink she wanted, but he clearly expected her to tell him what she wanted because he repeated everything to the server.

When the server left, Theo flashed another one of those smiles that melted her spine. “I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for you. I’m not sure if I’m old-fashioned or if it’s because I’m a Dom, but I like to do those kinds of things.” His hand closed around hers on the tabletop. “There are a lot of things I prefer to do for you.”

His warning washed through her system like soothing music. Scott hadn’t been this dominant, and she hadn’t minded one way or the other. She liked Theo’s declaration. Even though he hadn’t asked permission, and he likely would never ask, she didn’t feel he did it for control. Authority. That’s what he had. His confident authority greatly appealed to a soft vulnerability she didn’t let very many people see.

She returned his smile. “I don’t mind.”

They went back to her house after dinner. She thought he would want to call it a night because he had a long drive home, but when he walked her to the door, she invited him to stay anyway. “Do you want to come in and have some coffee?”

He had turned her down at the hotel, and she liked his reasons why. Part of her wanted to know if he meant what he said, and part of her saw it as a challenge to her femininity. The paradox of her intentions couldn’t help but confuse him.

“I can stay for a little while. I have a surprise funeral in the morning, so I have to get back home tonight.” He took the keys from her hand and unlocked her front door. Pushing it open, he indicated she should enter first.

“A surprise funeral?” That was a new term.

“Yeah.” He slipped his arms around her and brushed a kiss over her lips. “My dad called this morning to tell me that my uncle, my mom’s brother, died. Heart attack or stroke. He wasn’t sure which.”

Theo sounded remarkably unaffected by the passing of his uncle. She needed to be diplomatic about how she asked about his relationship with the man. “Were you close?”

Theo shook his head and released his hold on her waist. He followed her through the hallway to the kitchen. “No. I haven’t seen him in twenty years. Even before then, I barely knew him. I’m going to support my mom. Her only brother is gone. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I’d feel bad if I skipped it.”

Theo’s phrasing made her laugh. “I’m sorry. I’ve never heard anyone point out that death was a once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s so obvious, but it sounds funny to say it that way.”

After putting food down for the cat, she rinsed and filled the coffeemaker, but Theo stayed her hand when she reached for the coffee. His strong fingers closed around her wrist, and his solid chest brushed against her shoulder. “Not yet. I’ll give you that spanking first. Close the curtains and take off your shoes and underwear. Leave your skirt on.”

The insides of her thighs quivered, and cream rushed to her pussy. He spoke clinically, his matter-of-fact statement betraying no romantic intent or evidence of sexual desire. That turned her on too.

He hadn’t signaled the start of a scene by running his thumb over her brow and lip, but she knew how to respond. “Yes, Sir.”