BegMe Page 3

  “She’s beautiful and intelligent. Vulnerable yet passionate.” He turned his hands over and studied them a heartbeat before meeting her gaze. “I touched her and she came alive. I could sense her need. Feel her desire. Taste her arousal. It was like the most expensive champagne bursting on my tongue. I wanted to swallow it, roll it around, devour it.”

  Tessa blinked. His passionate words made her cunt pulse. Who knew such simple words could sound so erotic?

  Licking her suddenly dry lips, Tessa managed to ask, “And who is this woman?”

  If he spoke another woman’s name, she would hunt the bitch down and scratch out her eyes. Sexual tension became palpable in the room as they stared at each other.

  “You.”

  Zings pinged, blood pounded and all manner of physical fireworks exploded in her body. Her nipples hardened to pebbled peaks. Her sex swelled, cream soaked her panties and she clenched her thighs to ease the heavy ache pounding in her clit. He neither spoke nor moved, just stared at her with those intense green eyes.

  Lost for words and painfully aroused, she made a playful doodle on her notepad, stalling for time, trying to construct a sophisticated and intelligent response. Even though her mind asked numerous silent questions, her body was intensely aware of his commanding, masculine presence.

  What was a gal to do?

  “Mr. Campbell…Jared…” She dropped her pen and clasped her hands. “What happened last night at Inferno… I don’t usually…it was…”

  None of the sophisticated responses or reasons for her behavior came out of her mouth.

  Slick, Tessa, real slick.

  Jared Campbell probably thought her a blithering idiot rather than an intelligent professional. No matter how hard she tried, Tessa couldn’t find an excuse for kissing him. There was only one reason she’d molded herself against him like a limpet, and that reason was pure animal attraction. She’d been drawn to his dominance.

  His smile was almost smug. “I know what it was, Tessa. I know why you came there.”

  Annoyed at his presumptions, Tessa raised an eyebrow. “Do, please, enlighten me to any revelations you may have.”

  “I can give you what you need.” He shifted in his seat and curled his hands over the edge of the arms. “You need to have your pretty little butt spanked. You need to be tied down. I saw it in your eyes at the club, you enjoyed what Karl did. Underneath all the panic, you enjoyed the feel of the paddle on your skin. I can give that to you. You have a submissive tendency and you’re in need of a Dominant. I have a dominant streak and I need a willing submissive. I’m offering my services. Call it a contract if you want, a business arrangement.”

  She widened her eyes with a mixture of fascination and disbelief. “A business arrangement? And how would this ‘arrangement’ work? Would you expect me to pay you?”

  Jared let out a rich laugh. “You think I’m some sort of gigolo?”

  Tessa shrugged. “The thought crossed my mind. Especially when you talk of ‘business arrangements’.”

  Her comment only made him laugh louder and with more gusto.

  Cheeks burning, Tessa managed to put on her don’t-mess-with-me scowl. Something she reserved for overzealous clients and unwanted advances in BDSM clubs.

  “I’m so glad you find my comments amusing, Mr. Campbell. But, forgive me if I misunderstood, you came in here offering me…sex…and then you mentioned contracts. So in essence, you want payment for having sex with me?” She couldn’t keep the dripping sarcasm out of her tone. “I really don’t see the humor in that.”

  There. She’d said it. Got it all off her chest.

  “Money is the last thing on my mind right now, Dr. Connolly.”

  Tessa frowned at his casual amusement. “Then what exactly is on your mind, Mr. Campbell?”

  He removed a speck of lint from his pants. Tessa tapped her foot with impatience as she waited for him to say something. She had a full schedule the next few days and if Jared was here just to play games, he’d picked the wrong female.

  “Sex is on my mind, Tessa. Specifically, sex with you. As I’ve already said, I’m a guy who likes to play dominant. I’m in need of a partner. You, to be precise. You bewitched me last night at the club, with your soft little moans and your defiance.”

  He laughed softly. “The conflict on your face drove me insane. Panic and desire and need. Beneath the fear, the thought of what if. I saw it when you looked at me. I felt it when you kissed me. I haven’t been able to get your taste off my tongue. Your scent is inside me.

  “You know what I’ve thought about since last night? I’ve thought about you on your knees, kneeling for me. Offering yourself. I thought about the fire in your gorgeous blue eyes. I thought about what it would be like to take all that fire, all that passion and have it directed at me. I thought about running my hands over your skin. Tasting you. I thought about having you over my knee, your ass bare, ready for the slap of my hand. Do you know how it feels to be spanked properly, Tessa?”

  She shook her head.

  “I know you want to. I want to give that to you.”

  He placed his palms on the desk and stood, leaning into her. She swallowed the lump of desire in her throat. Her heart rate hitched, beat rapidly. He invaded her space, crowded her senses. She could smell his breath, minty fresh mixed with a hint of coffee and cigarettes. Her aching nipples strained against the confines of her bra, begging to be plucked.

  “I want you.”

  Her jaw dropped at his outrageous words. No man had ever been bold enough to give her such a command. By the look in his eyes, she knew he was an alpha male. One who always got what he wanted, no matter what.

  “And how are you going to get what you want?” Her heart pounded, banged against her rib cage. Surely, he could hear it.

  His body, his scent and his presence played havoc with her hormones. Her body, ripe for the taking, begged silently for him to take and take.

  The predatory grin returned, curling his lips upward into a coy smile. “I’m offering you a deal, Tessa. A deal of sexual mastery. Give me one month of your time to teach you, train you and show you exactly what a Dominant/submissive relationship involves. Give me one month and I’ll show you just how good sexual submission can be.”

  Her mind reeled. He offered her everything she desired on a platter, gift-wrapped in a pretty package. From his spiky dark hair to his toned legs, from his sexy Southern accent to his commanding presence, she found everything about him appealing on a base level. Her body responded to his in a way it had never responded to her previous lovers.

  Could she really sleep with a total stranger?

  Tessa frowned. “What would you get from this arrangement, apart from the obvious, of course?”

  He shrugged. “I get a willing submissive. A partner. Someone to share the experience with.” He grinned. “I’m all about the experience.”

  It was Tessa’s turn to laugh. “You must want something more than that.”

  He returned her smile. “I’m going to be getting great sex. What more could any guy want?”

  A blush darkened her cheeks. She’d been fighting the desire to experiment in this area for years, fighting the will to give into her needs. After college, wanting someone to dominate her hadn’t been high on her list of priorities.

  Until recently, until her last sexual partner failed time and time again to bring her to orgasm. He left, claiming she was frigid. An ice queen. He failed to realize he couldn’t fulfill her needs.

  She began thinking about her repressed desires. She knew her guilt was irrational but she couldn’t find a way to disassociate herself from the humiliating experience. In the darkest corners of her mind, she wondered if maybe her college boyfriend had been right. All her years as a sex therapist, advising other people to embrace their desires, and she still hadn’t been able to confront her personal hang-ups about BDSM. It was time to practice what she preached.

  She wasn’t even sure she was a true submissive. A little su
bmission in the bedroom she could handle but being forced to submit in the real world was a tough cookie to swallow.

  She’d spent ENOUGH time wondering what if?

  The time for self-doubt was over. Jared Campbell offered her the perfect deal. He didn’t know her. They didn’t have any emotional attachments. With him, she could be anonymous, a faceless submissive. She wouldn’t have to deal with any humiliating explanations. Maybe this was a way to overcome her fears. Sex with him would allow her to explore the what if and move on with her sex life. There would be no more wondering.

  Moistening her lips, she decided to go for broke. “So, if I decided to accept, there would have to be ground rules. I would expect you to be discreet.”

  He nodded. “Of course. Goes without saying. We both have a professional façade to maintain.”

  Tessa wondered what profession he meant. She filed that question away for a later date. “And if I accept, I want you to know that the Dominant/submissive thing goes as far as the bedroom. I will not be your…bitch. I will not wear a collar or be led around on a leash and made to eat out of a bowl on the floor. Our relationship will not extend outside of the bedroom.”

  “Of course. Our relationship will be based purely on sex and sex alone.” The amused tone crept back into his voice.

  “This is not a joke, Mr. Campbell. I’m merely discussing the terms of our arrangement before embarking on anything.”

  “Very shrewd of you, Tessa.” He reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a pen and searched for a piece of paper on her desk. He scribbled a few sentences. Finishing off, he signed the paper and handed it over. “The terms of our arrangement. A discreet, sexually experimental relationship that does not extend beyond the bedroom. Signed, sealed and delivered by yours truly. I can assure you it’s a legally binding contract, ma’am.”

  Despite the embarrassment of the situation, his quirky sense of humor made her smile.

  He held out a hand. She stared at it intently. Decisions were a pain in the ass. Should she make a deal with the green-eyed devil? Should she embark on this dance?

  Taking a deep breath, Tessa slipped her hand into his and shook, sealing the deal.

  What the hell if he turned out to be some kind of sick pervert? Well, she just might enjoy it. “You have yourself an arrangement, Mr. Campbell.”

  “First things first, you will call me Jared.” His gaze glittered mischievously.

  Tessa gulped. The man was astoundingly sexy. “So, where do we start, Jared?”

  “We start with dinner, tomorrow night at eight.” He handed her a business card. “I’ll pick you up at seven-thirty.”

  The plain script was printed on a dark-gold background. The only things printed on there were Inferno, Jared Campbell and a phone number.

  Dinner was the last thing she expected. Leather, whips and a seedy motel maybe, but not dinner. A little stunned, Tessa fingered the card and nodded.

  “Tomorrow it is then.”

  * * * * *

  Jared stood in front of the glass window of his office. Inferno pulsed with music and people. He loved his club and he was lucky to have such a successful business. Hopefully his personal life would soon be heading in the same direction. He thought of Tessa and grinned. He couldn’t wait to see her.

  He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an invitation.

  It was to a small, exclusive BDSM party organized by an old friend. He’d gotten one in the mail every few months for the last year but never considered going. He’d been out of the scene too long. There would be too much pressure on him and his partner.

  Could he handle that?

  Walking over to his desk, he pulled out a chair and sat down. He turned the invitation over in his fingers. The party might be a way to announce his return.

  Jesus.

  Return? It sounded like a goddamn coming-out party.

  He dropped the card and rubbed his palms over his face. Maybe he should go. It would give him a goal to work toward. Maybe he needed to reconnect with old friends in the scene. Maybe it would ignite his enthusiasm. Maybe things had changed.

  Jared’s intercom buzzed. He pressed the button and spoke to his personal assistant. “Yes, Carly?”

  “I think there is a situation you need to come deal with down here.”

  “Be right there.”

  He opened a drawer and stuffed the invitation inside. He’d make a decision later.

  Chapter Three

  Driving through the lush neighborhood, Jared contemplated his surroundings. The streets were lined with picket fences and oak trees. It was a far cry from his humble beginnings in Texas but he couldn’t think about that now. Shaking off the thoughts of his past, he lost himself picturing Tessa.

  Tessa at the club—feisty, fighting her own desires.

  Tessa sitting behind the desk in her office—cool, calm, collected. Professional. The look on her face when she mistook him for a gigolo.

  Tessa pliant in his arms—the taste of her innocence, the reaction of her body to his touch.

  Already there were so many images of her in his mind. Jared grinned. He looked forward to beginning their lessons. She would make a poor student, constantly fighting him. He knew from the way she resisted him at the club, she’d be bratty at first. He’d be gentle, allowing her to adjust. His punishments would be swift and necessary to overcome her innate reaction of disobedience.

  He imagined Tessa kneeling, breasts bound tightly with Japanese rope bondage. A spider gag clamping open her mouth. He’d run a pinwheel over her tight, pink nipples. He shifted in his seat. His cock throbbed.

  He glanced at the lilies on the passenger seat. Usually, in a situation such as this, he would bring roses. A dozen red ones. But in Tessa’s office, he’d seen a number of lily paintings. The flower suited her. Elegant, regal, virginal—at least to the BDSM scene.

  The woman fascinated him on a number of levels. Beautiful, intelligent, yet she fought her desires. He would enjoy the challenge her initiation provided. In one month, Tessa would be ready to live the sexual lifestyle of a submissive. If she chose to.

  After their arrangement ended, she could choose any Dom she wished.

  The thought of her with another man, another Dominant, a Master who commanded her body in every sense, set off stabs of jealousy.

  Why should he be jealous? She was just a way for him to get back into the scene. There would be no lasting relationship between them. They had a contract, nothing more. He didn’t want to get involved. Relationships were messy. He avoided mess. He liked his nice, comfortable life without entanglements.

  Yet Tessa had an innocence he wanted to exploit, a glimmer of submission he wanted to keep to himself. He wanted to be her first. He wanted to strip away the veneer of control and civility she wore like protective armor and show her just how liberating submission could be.

  Not wanting to analyze such complex emotions, especially not tonight, he switched on the radio. Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns blared out, the moody yet seductive tones fitting.

  Seeing Tessa’s house, he slowed down and pulled into the driveway. Jared knew she was surprised at the dinner invite. She’d probably expected him to take her back to the club, a “conventional” BDSM environment.

  He smirked. He was going to enjoy breaking down her preconceived ideas. Reaching for the flowers with one hand, he slipped the other into his pocket and fingered the black-silk blindfold.

  Tonight he would gain her trust. It was his duty as a Dominant. If she didn’t trust him, this exchange would be worthless. He wasn’t into forced submission.

  Tonight he would tantalize her senses.

  Tonight was just the beginning.

  * * * * *

  Tessa lifted up a stray bang and sprayed. She was aiming for sultry, funky and sexy. What she got was bed hair, messy and very unsexy. Letting out a squeal of frustration, she started again.

  She hated this, the nerves of a first date. Glancing at the clock, she smoothed down the fron
t of her black shift dress. He would be here shortly. If he made it on time.

  After Jared’s proposal, Tessa had changed her mind a dozen times. She couldn’t give herself sexually to a complete stranger.

  Could she?

  The question had plagued her dreams and every waking moment since making the deal. What the hell was she doing? She was a professional. A sex therapist, at that. If a client came to her with this situation, she’d tell them to think deeply about the decision. As long as they were safe, Tessa usually encouraged clients to pursue whatever made them happy.

  She realized now how much that advice was a crock of shit. Making the jump from fantasy to reality wasn’t easy. What if Jared got beneath the surface? What if her desires disgusted him? Her ego couldn’t risk another humiliation.

  What if she gave up control and hated it? Was she even a submissive? Sure, she fantasized about spanking and pain and being on her knees, but what was the reality?

  The doorbell rang, invading her thoughts. Too late to back out now, he was there.

  After taking a deep breath and one last look in the mirror, she walked downstairs and opened the door. Jared stood on her porch, leaning casually against the railing, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a bunch of white lilies. The grin lighting up his face melted her body into a pool of swooning-female jelly. Heat unfurled low in her stomach. A dull ache pulsed between her thighs, dampening her pussy.

  She almost let out a sigh. Almost.

  Silently chiding herself for acting like a lovesick teenager, she stepped out and joined him. “Hi. I guess those are for me?”

  “Actually they’re for the nice old lady next door, but since you got to me first, I guess you can have them.” He handed her the flowers. The mischief dancing in his eyes made them sparkle and she laughed despite her nerves.

  She led him through the house. “Mrs. Madison is more of a roses girl.” After filling a vase with water, she set it down and unwrapped the flowers before arranging them. It felt good to have something to do with her hands. It stopped her from reaching out, fisting his shirt and dragging his lips to hers.