Bejeweled and Bedeviled Read online

  Until she’d met him.

  She wouldn’t be one bit surprised to find a trail of panties when she left the building tonight, hastily discarded by the women he’d passed on the way in. He was screw-the-preliminaries-come-here-and-fuck-me sexy.

  Hell no, wanting wasn’t the issue. She had no problem relinquishing her body. It was her vehemently protesting independence that was dragging its feet.

  “Kayden.”

  The distinct crack of command in his soft voice brought her gaze up to his.

  “You have much to learn in a short time. Attention is key. And although I have no intention of being a jailer to your thoughts, when I am with you, I expect your focus to be wholly on me. From today until the day we part company, our pleasure and displeasure are irrevocably linked. Do you understand?”

  She caught herself mid-nod. “Yes.” The word was clipped.

  His expression unchanging, he gave her ass a stinging taste of his hand.

  “Ow!” She flattened her hand over her left butt cheek to disperse the light burn.

  The intercom chimed. “Kayden, are you okay?”

  Hunter’s mask broke to reveal a hint of humor as his eyebrows went up.

  This time it was Kayden’s upper cheeks that flooded with warmth.

  “I’m fine, Shayla. Thanks for checking.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Feeling a bit more relaxed knowing reinforcements were only a closed door away, Kayden took a calming breath. “I’m sure.”

  “Okay.” A single bleep announced the connection closed.

  Hunter sighed and reached up to run a finger along the side of her face. “You can’t imagine how disappointed I am right now.”

  Sure she could. But she doubted he was half as disappointed in her as she was in herself. After all, she was the one who’d initiated all this. Wanting to experience, if only for a short time, what it felt like to give one hundred percent to a man. To expose herself fully. No secrets. No shame. Free to express her deepest needs and desires without fear of censorship.

  And now that she had the opportunity, she was blowing it—big time. Way to go, Kayden.

  “I’m sorry.” Ashamed of her behavior, she hung her head. “I don’t know why I thought this would work. Maybe we should call it quits.” Shaking her head, she took two steps back. “It will mean a setback for this particular article, but there were several other women interested in submission. Maybe…”

  “Kayden, enough.” Responding to the added authority in his voice, exactly as she had the last time, her gaze flew to his. Hunter fought a satisfied grin. “This agreement is between you and me. Non-transferable.” He clutched her shoulders. “Again, this is your fear talking. If you’re looking for the coward’s way out, say so and I’ll walk out that door. Think your answer over carefully, because this is the last time I’ll allow you this option. If you tell me to stay, it’s for the duration.”

  Her expressive eyes shooting blue flames, she stepped back, breaking contact. “I am not afraid and I am not a coward!” Her words went from alto to an impressive soprano.

  The intercom chimed again.

  She snapped her head in its direction. “I’m fine! Damn it.” She took a quick breath. “Sorry, Shayla. I’m fine,” she said more calmly. “And from today on, anytime Mr. Trielle is in my office, assume we don’t want to be disturbed,” she leveled a mild glare toward him, “no matter what you hear.”

  “You got it, boss.” The intercom bleeped.

  Her chest rose and fell with her agitation. “Answer enough for you?”

  “Pretty speech, but you know it’s not. Say it.” Reaching out, he again grasped her shoulders and pulled her close. “And you may want to think about what tone you use when you do.”

  She took several deep, calming breaths, tempting Hunter to look down at her luscious cleavage. With a stern reminder that there’d be plenty of opportunity to bury his face between her beautiful breasts later, he retained the needed eye contact.

  “Yes, Hunter. I—”

  “Master. Just so there’s no mistaking exactly what you’re agreeing to, this time, it’s Master.”

  There was a long pause, during which Hunter could see the struggle going on behind the glimmer in her mesmerizing eyes.

  “Yes…Master. I belong to you.” Another slight pause. “To do with as you will.”

  Having gotten exactly what he’d wanted, Hunter couldn’t help himself. With no desire to be gentle, he firmed his grip on her shoulders and yanked her up to meet his kiss. It was the first of many ways he intended to claim her, mark her, stamp out any lingering doubt that she belonged to him. And would stay that way. Her journey to reach the same conclusion began here…now.

  For several long moments, he devoured her mouth. It was the sweetest mouth he’d ever tasted, warm, wet and welcoming. He could have gone on kissing her forever. But they’d more important things to do.

  With one last long, slow swipe of his tongue, he broke the kiss and moved back. He dropped his gaze to her toes, inched it up her long slender legs, paused in the vicinity of her pelvis and, with a slow, crawling perusal, reconnected with her gaze. In silent command, he held out his hand, palm up.

  Without hesitation she reached up under her skirt and wiggled out of her panties.

  They were black, to match her skirt, a small bit of lacy fabric. When she got them past her knees, she latched onto the arm at his side. Catching his gaze momentarily, she balanced on one foot then the other, removing her underwear more quickly than Hunter would have preferred, and placed them in his hand. He drew some consolation in the fact that someday soon she would perform a striptease for his pleasure. A very slow, sexy one that would expose all her beautiful assets and give him time to appreciate each one the way they deserved. The thought of how many ways he would take her afterward made his cock so hard it threatened to shatter his control. And it was way too early in their relationship for that. He knew eventually she would learn exactly how much power she had over him. But it wouldn’t be today.

  “Are you throwing those away as well?” She glanced toward the trash can.

  “These, I’ll keep. I may want you to put them on for me some day. Just so I can have the pleasure of taking them off.” He tested the delicacy of the fabric between his fingers for several moments before bringing them up to his nose to inhale her scent. After a quick kiss to the crotch, he carefully tucked them into his pants pocket.

  Her eyes followed his every move, a good indication of her attentiveness. Since her awareness of his movements and body language were as important as hers to him, it was a pleasing step forward.

  “Your smell is positively intoxicating.” He smiled at the blush that dusted her cheeks. “But like the pantyhose, this is another item of clothing you will no longer need.”

  “So you can have access to my pussy?” she stated bluntly with raised chin.

  “No.” Capturing her chin between thumb and forefinger, he lowered it slightly. “So I can have access to my pussy.”

  To drive home his point, he stepped closer, slipped his hand under her skirt and indulged himself in a slow, sampling caress up one trim thigh and cupped her.

  “This,” he buried his finger between her folds, pleased by her soft gasp, pleased even more to find she was damp and slick, “and every other luscious inch of you now belong to me. And I believe in taking very good care of what’s mine.” He wiggled his finger.

  Just as she melted into his caress, he pulled out with a steady, quick glide over her G-spot. “Starting with a good, nutritious breakfast.” Ignoring her soft, needy moan, he clasped her wrist and, seating himself, pulled her sideways across his lap, cradling her back with his arm.

  “Breakfast? But I thought…”

  “I know what you thought.” He held back a smile at her bemused, slightly disgruntled expression. God, she was just all kinds of beautiful. Sexy as hell. Not the in-your-face sexy, but a combination of earthy sensuality and naiveté that brought men to their kne
es. And if he wasn’t careful, that’s exactly where he’d end up. “We’ll be getting around to this,” he splayed his hand over her lower thigh and, with a firm slide, pushed her skirt up high enough to graze her soft curls with his thumb, “soon enough.”

  Chapter Three

  Kayden sucked in a breath. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! Hunter’s long, hard cock cutting across the back of her thighs and his thumb toying with the hair between her legs. Her pussy throbbing in wanton need of either.

  She canted her hips. His thumb bumped her clit. Maybe if she moved a little more…

  “No.” His hand clamped her thigh, stilling her. “I’ll tell you when it’s time.”

  Now! Now would be a great time, she wanted to scream. Couldn’t we just forget all this in-between bullshit and get to the you-master, me-slave, tie-me–up-and-fuck-me part?

  A light pull on her pubic hair got her attention.

  “Have you ever shaved here?”

  “No.”

  “We’ll take care of that tomorrow. Are you aware it heightens the senses?”

  If her senses were any more heightened, there’d be a new skylight in the roof. “So I’ve heard.”

  “After tomorrow, you’ll know it for a fact. One more thing before we get started on breakfast. Have you chosen a safe word yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Good. Because after some serious thought, I’ve decided to choose for you.”

  “Isn’t that against some sacred BDSM rule or something?”

  “I think it best we clear something up so you don’t go into this with another misconception. There are no hard-and-fast rules. This is not a board game, which comes with an instruction manual. There are, however, many tried-and-true guidelines with respect to safety and comfort. All to cultivate trust. As I said earlier, without trust this relationship will fail. Have I given you reason to distrust me?”

  Kayden was surprised to find her answer required little thought. “No.”

  “Excellent. Then your safe word will be Diamond. Do you know what Trielle stands for?”

  “A triangular cut of a diamond. Trademarked by the Trillion Diamond Company, the word Trillion is also sometimes used to describe the diamond’s shape.” She looked into his eyes. “Everything about you revolves around the gem. The name of your club, the month you were born.”

  “And Triangle, what does that symbolize?”

  “Point up, male power. Point down, female power.”

  “Diamond?”

  “Passion. Energy. They’re believed to enhance relationships, increase inner strength and provide the wearer with balance, clarity and abundance.” She paused, wary of the road he was leading her down.

  “Don’t stop there.” His lips eased into a knowing smile. “I’m curious to see if you’ve discovered something I’m not aware of.”

  Kayden sighed. “The word diamond derives from the ancient Greek adamas, meaning impossible to tame. And they’re renowned for their superlative physical qualities, especially their hardness.” Deciding to share some of the discomfort she was experiencing, she shifted her hips over the huge erection she was sitting on.

  If not for the slight tightening of his thighs, she would have thought he was impervious to the gesture. Miffed at his iron control, she vowed to crack it before their agreement came to an end.

  “Hard, as in durability and strength,” he clarified. “The perfect safe word for you.”

  “But all that relates to you. Not me.”

  “Precisely. Through me, you will find your strength. Your balance. With me, you will find your safety. The indestructible rock behind your back.” With his free hand, he tucked her hair behind her ears and cupped her neck to bring her lips to his. “Your safe haven.” The promise was a warm breathy whisper. “What’s your safe word?”

  Kayden swallowed the lump in her throat. “Diamond,” she murmured softly against his mouth.

  “Diamond,” he confirmed, the low, strong tones sending a tingle across her lips.

  The pressure of his hand was light, non-threatening. His lips, when they met hers, soft and requesting—demanding nothing. So why in hell did Kayden feel compelled to give him all?

  Unnerved by the thought, she broke the kiss and turned her head. “I can’t…” She bit her lip.

  He dropped his hand to give her thigh a light squeeze. “Can’t what?”

  Thankfully her stomach chose that moment to growl, saving her from answering. “Can’t…wait to eat. I’m starving.” She reached for the silver dome covering the plate.

  His hand covered hers. “Look at me.”

  Prepared to be chastised for her lie, she turned.

  “Running from the truth won’t change it.”

  “What truth?” she asked tentatively, assuring herself the queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach was the result of hunger, not that he was intuitive enough to have guessed her secret longings.

  “The truth you will come to terms with sooner or later. The one you’ll willingly share when you’re ready. But as I doubt very much it will be this moment, I think we should proceed with today’s training session. Lean back.”

  Relieved to be let off the hook, Kayden relaxed into the curve of his strong arm.

  “You are not to lift a finger unless instructed.” Hunter reached over and uncovered the plate. “Spread your legs. Keep them open,” he instructed, setting the lid aside. “You’re mine now. I expect to have easy access to your pussy whenever I want it, however I want it. First we’ll appease your hunger. Starting with a bit of cream.” He skimmed a healthy dab of white fluff from the top of the waffle and brought it to her mouth. “Some for you.”

  Imagining it to be his cock, Kayden dutifully, slowly sucked the cream from his finger. His amber gaze heated as it tracked her lip’s progress.

  “Very nice. Now some for me.”

  Expecting him to help himself to some whipped cream, she couldn’t stop the gasp when he stroked his hand up her inner thigh and slid a finger deep inside her.

  “Wet and warm,” he said, swirling his finger before pulling it out. His eyes locked on hers, he inserted it into his mouth and sucked it clean. “Just the way I like it.”

  Next he fed her a plump red strawberry, and while she chewed, marveling at the sweet juice that exploded over her taste buds and trickled down her throat, he took one for himself.

  Kayden almost choked on a swallow when he ran his strawberry between her pussy lips in a long, slow stroke before popping the berry into his mouth.

  “Another?”

  She wet her lips. “Yes, please.”

  His gaze warm and intent, he dipped the very tip of the small plump fruit inside her wet channel. Rotated.

  Kayden fought to hold back a moan, losing the battle when he brushed the textured berry up, over her clit, circled once, twice, and then rode it through her swollen folds. After several tantalizing moments, it found its way into her mouth.

  If he kept this up, she’d expire before they got to the waffle.

  “Open your eyes, sweetheart.”

  Open? Crap, she hadn’t even realized she’d closed them. When she lifted her lids, it took a moment for his smile to come into focus.

  “Here,” he said, pressing a fork into her hand. “I think you can manage the rest on your own.”

  “You’re done eating?” she said, trying not to let her disappointment show.

  “Not entirely. I have every intention of stealing a little nibble now and then.” He shifted sideways slightly to allow her easier access to the plate. “Go ahead and eat.”

  The first bite of waffle hit her palate at the same time he drove two fingers deep inside her. She caught the fork between her teeth and his hand between her thighs. One look at his stony expression had her releasing both.

  “You expect me to eat while you’re doing that?”

  “Yes.” Applying more pressure, he rotated his fingers, slightly withdrew them. Added a third.

  Moaning, Kayde
n caught her legs mid-close.

  “I’ll expect that of you. And much more. I’ll slip my fingers…or anything else inside you whenever the mood strikes me. And you’ll not utter a single sound of complaint. Not because you’ll be afraid to. Because you’ll come to love it. Open your legs wider and continue eating. Close them again and you’ll find yourself face down over my legs.”

  “I—”

  “No more talking. The only times I want to see that pretty mouth of yours open is when you’re putting food into it or when I ask you a direct question. I’m running out of both time and patience.”

  He was running out of patience? He could have fooled her. The man must have King Kong restraints on his temper. Some day, when she knew him better and was feeling more courageous, she’d test his limits. Running her tongue over suddenly dry lips, she cut off a generous portion of waffle and stuffed it into her mouth. The quicker she got this over with—

  His thumb brushed her clit.

  Stomach muscles knotting, she whimpered around the food in her mouth.

  He nipped her shoulder.

  She gasped.

  Hunter smiled against her arm and kissed where he’d nipped. “Women have no idea how much those sexy little feminine sounds turn a man on. A breathy gasp, a throaty whimper. Especially when he’s caused them. You do it especially well. I’ll have to make sure you do it often. Keep eating.”

  Keep eating? She could barely keep breathing. All she wanted to do was toss down the fork and concentrate on the delicious sensations spiraling up from between her legs. But determined to stick to their agreement and be a good little sub, she cut and speared another piece of waffle.

  As it touched her lips, his fingers curled inside her.

  Screw it. Tossing the fork onto the plate, Kayden leaned back into his arm and spread her legs. Not the least deterred by his knowing chuckle, she thrust her hips, impaling herself deeper.

  “I can see we’ll need to work on your self-control.” He used his thumb to toy with her clit. A light, gliding tease. “But since this is your first day and I’m feeling magnanimous, I’ll give you what you want.”