An Expert in Domination (19 page)

“What’s up?” Colby asked. “More work? Bring it on.” Staying busy was good.

“In a way. I looked over that last thing you wrote. I think it’s powerful, and Patty’s going to use it when she talks to Senator Balmer. Your skills and legal background and personal experience are valuable to us.”

“I’m here for another two weeks.”

“Even before you came, we were discussing adding a full-time lawyer. Paid. You’d be perfect.” He named a figure.

It was half what Colby made in LA as a lawyer. It was twice what he had made as a cop. He hadn’t made that many changes to his lifestyle, and he lived off a lot less than what he made. He stared at Adam for a moment. “Is that an offer?”

“Yes. I already talked it over with the board. I’m afraid that’s as high as they’ll go, because they didn’t expect to move this fast. If you wait, they’ll advertise the position and interview other applicants, but you might be able to bargain on salary. Could be a month, could be six. I’d not get your hopes too high, though, because this is a nonprofit, and we’ve got plenty of uses for the money.” He shrugged.

One of the things he’d noticed with Adam was that the man was unfailingly straight with everyone. The man could talk about sex or legal theory with equal seriousness and frankness. The salary didn’t bother Colby. He knew he could live off it comfortably, and the money he was forgoing would be, for all practical purposes, just like a donation to a worthy cause.

“Can I sit on it for a few days?”

“Yeah. A week, if you like. You can telecommute from LA, as long as you’re willing to fly back to DC four to six times a year. We need your brain, not your body.” A twinkle appeared in Adam’s eye, and then he was back to his usual serious self. “We do video conferences and the like for a lot of our meetings, and you could do the legal research you’re doing anywhere.”

Colby nodded. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”

Adam smiled. “Good.” Then he turned and walked away.

Colby leaned back and thought about Sophia. It was crazy to think of her the way he was. He hadn’t known her that long. He needed to think about this offer completely apart from her. It was less money, although enough, and he knew he wouldn’t be taking anything but pro bono work on the side if he took it. He felt he was doing more good with the foundation, but he did a lot of good in LA too. He didn’t like the idea of flying back and forth to DC, unless he included Sophia in the equation.

He concluded he wasn’t sure how he’d decide without her involved. Which, he reflected, was good enough. He turned his phone back on vibrate so he’d get notifications. Then he opened his personal e-mail on the desktop and sent Sophia a message before turning back to the work he was doing. It was funny in a way, thinking that he might be doing the same work and getting paid for it.

* * * *

He wasn’t sure she’d show. He could have given her a hint, but he preferred to share in person. He’d debated meeting her for lunch, but he thought they could have a better conversation in his hotel room, so he’d ordered room service. If she didn’t show up, he’d consider eating half of her steak as well as his own, but right now, they were staying reasonably warm beneath a metal dome. The bottle of wine would keep forever. The collar he had bought her sat next to the television. He paced.

Ten minutes late, she entered the room. He stood and watched as she took the belted red dress she had off, revealing nothing on beneath.
I should stop her. We should talk.
But instead he watched, mesmerized, because the sight of her was too luscious to resist. She didn’t look at him directly, but she seemed so perfectly in her element.

Then she looked up, and her confidence disappeared. She looked flustered. She’d obviously thought through her performance thus far and no further.

“Come here,” he said and pointed to a spot on the floor. She moved forward and knelt in front of him, accepting his meaning. Still she didn’t speak. She looked down at the floor.

He ran his fingers through her hair and tilted her chin so that she was looking up at him. “Just so,” he said.

She stared but said nothing.

“You still refuse my offer of a collar for a few weeks?” he asked. He’d be disappointed if she backed down.

“Yes, Colby,” she said. She glanced over at the collar. She must have seen it when she was walking across the room.

“Our food is getting cold,” he said.

“I’m not hungry, Colby.” Again the deliberate use of his name. Not Master—and right she was. Their agreement had expired, and it would have been presumptive of her to use it, but he craved it. And he craved her liveliness, even her bratty remarks. What he saw now was someone conflicted, nervous, trying so hard to be the perfect submissive that the spark was lost.

My job is to relight the fire.
He tried to figure out how best to do that, and spoke to stop the silence from being awkward. “It’s steak.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Well, Colby, maybe I should have said that’s not what I’m hungry for.” She looked meaningfully at his crotch.

Or maybe she can relight it all by herself.
He mentally wrote the cost of dinner off. “You can have what you crave, but, first, well—” He picked up the collar.

She set her jaw. That, he realized, was another part of her fire. And her maturity. She knew what she wanted, and she had no intention of settling.

“On
your
terms. Not for weeks, but indefinitely,” he said as he held it out to her. “I’ve been offered a job that will bring me here on a regular basis.”
Or would let me stay. Which is what I intend to do if things go as well as I hope.

Her eyes widened, and her jaw relaxed. She reached up to take the collar in her hands. She ran her finger over the leather and then touched the cold steel of the ring on the front of it.

“Just like this, then? You in a hotel, me coming to you for a few hours during the day?”

“Perhaps. If it’s that, it’s enough. But I’d like to see if it can develop into something more. Maybe it’s best—assuming you’d let me meet them—to see what your kids think of me before we make plans. But I don’t want to be your dirty little secret, and I don’t expect you to be mine either. Although obviously some aspects of our relationship we have to be careful about who we tell.”

“We will have to see about all that, and how it all works out. All I can promise for certain is that I will come to you to serve when I can. In public, then—you’ll be my boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

She looked down from him, looking at the collar, which she held in her hands, cradled in her lap. This time he didn’t make her look up at him. His heart beat hard as he waited for her to process.

She looked up. “You wouldn’t be taking the job just for me, would you?”

“No,” he said honestly. “But you are a factor. And I can make more trips out here or fewer—and the more will be entirely because of you.”

She lifted the collar up to him, her eyes full of adoration. “Then, Master, collar me, please. And make love to me. And use me as you wish, because I am yours.”

“For a very long time, I hope.” He took the collar from her hands. As she held her hair back, he fastened it around her neck.

“Yes, Master.”

Loose Id Titles by Sindra van Yssel

A Haunted Romance

Submissive by Moonlight

Take Me With You

The Barbarian and the Witch

Too Hip for Love

* * * *

The BONDAGE RANCH Series

Roped In

Pushing Limits

Moving On

His Little Tart

His Little Treasure

Taming the Mistress

An Expert in Domination

* * * *

The EXCESS Series

Blonde and Owner

Brat and Master

Dom and Domme

* * * *

The LE PETIT MORT Series

Blue Desire

Purple Passion

Red Lust

* * * *

THE MENAGES Series

In the Middle

Secretary for Two

Sindra van Yssel

I’ve been writing all my life, but I published my first book in 2009 and since then have published over twenty romances, all with some element of BDSM in them. Along the way, I’ve received five star and top pick reviews from a wide variety of sources, and have had the pleasure of hearing from many readers.

I write about hot, dominant men and strong, submissive women. I have a soft spot for happy endings but I love torturing my characters. It’s fun to watch them overcome obstacles, and enjoy some hot kinky sex along the way. Hopefully you’ll enjoy watching them squirm as much as I do.

I’ve developed a passion for rope and all its kinky uses, and have enjoyed visiting play parties, clubs, and munches—all in the name of research, of course! It all helps to make my books as authentic and as sexy as I can possibly make them.

When I’m not writing, I enjoy playing disc golf, and board games with friends. I’m a fan of Australian rules football (go Eagles!) and travel to Australia occasionally. I’m also a big fan of European soccer, especially the English Premier League. I don’t like my men in helmets. I currently live in Virginia with a son who is just about to go off to college, and work a day job in the public library.

Having readers is what makes writing worthwhile. I still get a shiver out of knowing that readers are reading my books.

For more about me, check out my Web site at
http://www.sindravanyssel.com/
.