At Your Service: Tammer (2 page)

“Sweetheart, why don’t you come out and we’ll talk about this,” the man said, clearly back at the door. For someone who claimed not to be
in
the service, he sure could move with stealth.

What would Joel tell her to do? Well, the first thing he’d have told her was to use the peephole and ask for ID before opening the door. Surely that would be followed by lock the door once it was shut in mystery man’s face. Of course, Nina hadn’t expected anything more than a Girl Scout. No matter, she now had a stranger in her house she wasn’t entirely sure how to get rid of. So what now? She’d broken three rules of thumb and he was already in. Maybe the next step was ID even if it was sort of way too late for formalities.

“Do you have any ID?” Nina said, retaining her post on the side of the tub.

Only mere seconds passed before a driver’s license and a business card slid under the crack beneath the door. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she crept to where the two items lay and snatched them up before sitting back down.

Tammer J. Weston,
the license read.
Height 6’ 4”, Eyes BL, Hair Black, DOB 5-11-1975

He was an organ donor which spoke of compassion and there were no restrictions which meant those blue eyes were perfect. Nina picked at the edges of the plastic looking for signs of tampering. It appeared real. She slid it behind the business card.

At Your Service…Providing all your kinky needs with none of the strings. For more information or to schedule a consultation...

“I’ll be damned,” Nina mumbled. “He did hire a…”

“I’m not a prostitute,” Tammer said, sounding very close.

Nina’s eyes darted up to find the door open and his hulking frame lodged against the jamb. When the hell had he jimmied the lock and let himself in? “If you aren’t prior special ops, my ass is purple.”

“It could be if we could just get on with what your husband ordered for you.” Tammer grinned at her again and for the first time all night, Nina was tempted to believe him.

“This can’t possibly be legal,” Nina accused, waving the glossy black card with silver lettering etched on it in the air.

“It’s perfectly legit,” Tammer assured her. “We’re listed under escort services. The definition of that, of course, is pretty broad and generalized, a little bit gray. But I can assure you, I’m not sex for hire.”

Nina swallowed hard against an extremely dry throat then scratched her head. She simply couldn’t fathom Joel handing her this man on a silver platter. Not that he was totally against sharing. He wasn’t. He’d shared her before on a temporary basis with strict rules attached, but this was an animal of a different color. His temporary sharing rules list was a mile long. And he’d just sent a more than willing Dom to the door without telling her or leaving any guidelines? And she was allowed to be alone with him?

Unbelievable.

Chapter Two

“Do you have a computer on somewhere? I think I hear a live chat program of some sort ringing,” Tammer said, cocking his head to the side.

Nina bunched her eyebrows up and strained her ears. He could hear that all the way from her office? “Delta, SEAL, or Recon?”

“Don’t you think you should answer it?”

“Avoidance. How clever,” she snapped, hopping to her feet and hurrying across the bathroom only to be stopped by Tammer’s stance as he refused to move, forcing her to turn sideways and graze his arm with her braless breasts. Her throat and cheeks heated as it dawned on her all she’d worn all day was a baggy, knee length shirt, a pair of panties, and her scrunch socks. “Arrogance. How asinine.”

Halfway through her trek back downstairs, her computer quit ringing. “Damn it. Fuck,” she clipped. “It was probably Brinkley wondering where the hell his speech is.” She raced the rest of the way down and slid around the corner. “No cookies, a pissed politician, a Liege who’s clearly lost his damned mind and an arrogant as hell fill in Dom.”

“That potty mouth isn’t very attractive,” Tammer said from right behind her.

“Shit,” Nina yelped and jumped. “Do you mind? Although I’m fairly certain you have no sights on my life, I’m busy. And I’m not convinced My Liege made the decision to hire you, if in fact he really did, in a completely coherent state. It’s very out of character for him to have done such a thing.”

“I’m quite sure he had his reasons.” Tammer dropped his bag on the floor then made himself at home right in the middle of the love seat in her office, spreading his arms along the back and stretching his legs out. He made the piece of furniture look like it’d come out of a dollhouse.

“I said I’m busy,” Nina reinforced, sitting at her desk and accessing her chat box, agitated he’d made himself comfortable. “I’m still at work and now due to your little visit, I’m exactly…” She glanced at the clock on her desk then the one on the wall. “Thirty-two minutes behind schedule.” She glared at him with her lips pursed. “And you’re sure as hell no Girl Scout, thank you very much. On top of everything else, I don’t have any Thin Mints to take the edge off.”

“Oh, boy, Joel sure as hell wasn’t kidding,” Tammer said, rubbing a finger along his upper lip.

“About what?”

“Your anal retentive use of time.”

“Well, shit!” Slapping her palms against the desk, she frowned at the name lighting up in the missed calls box. “It wasn’t Brinkley, it was Joel. I missed the first video chat since he’s been gone.” Nina pushed back and crossed her arms over her chest, huffing. If she’d not been so pissed, she’d have cried. She missed Joel and here it was… “Thursday night,” she said flatly. “Play night.”

“Yes, it is.” Shooting her that unnerving smile she was getting used to all too quickly, Tammer sat forward. “Is two and two making four yet? Joel really did hire me.”

Nina put her elbows on the edge of the desk and put her head in her palms, thinking back over the past few weeks, recalling their conversation before he walked out, conjuring the emails he’d sent since landing. Had she really forgotten he’d told her a surprise was coming? She lifted her head then opened her Joel only calendar, flipping furiously through the pages. Her jaw dropped. Right there it was…a note he’d handwritten at some point and she’d failed to find.

Thursday, February 19

Look for a surprise to arrive this evening, kitten. Love, Your Liege

Before she could shut her gaping mouth, Joel was ringing again on video chat. She clicked connect and waited. What would he have to say when he found out she’d not only broken every safety rule he’d ever instilled in her, she’d accused his
gift
of being an assassin and failed to read her daily Joel calendar since he’d left.

“Hey, kitten. How are you?” Joel asked, his image pixelated and grainy, his voice tired.

“Quite frankly, My Liege, I’m a bit perplexed,” Nina answered, glancing at Tammer who seemed to be enjoying her discomfort way too much.

“So I take it your surprise arrived?” The edges of his lips curled before his words caught up with his mouth.

“Yes,
he
did.” Nina crossed her arms and twisted her nose up.

“Are you not happy with him?”

“I’m not exactly
unhappy
with him, I’m unhappy with the…
situation
. I mean really, My Liege…a
service
?” Hoping Tammer didn’t tattle on her for not knowing he was coming in the first place, Nina pouted. Pouting always worked, at least to an extent. Now would be a good time for it to work. “You didn’t even discuss this with me. This is absolutely not like you at all.”

“No, I didn’t discuss it with you,” Joel admitted. “I have my reasons, kitten. However, I’ve had several meetings with Tammer since I made my decision and I wouldn’t have allowed him near you if I didn’t think he was trustworthy or that he would be to your liking. He’s definitely to my liking. Where is he by the way? You didn’t try to make him leave, did you?”

“I’m right here,” Tammer answered, standing and coming to hover over Nina’s left shoulder. “And yes, she did. By way of the MPs. She mistook me for a, what was it you said, sweetheart? A not very smart gun for hire? And oh, yes, that was after she opened the door to me without so much as a moment’s hesitation thinking I might be a Thin Mint toting Girl Scout.” Tammer chuckled, snatching the Joel calendar from beneath Nina’s elbow and holding it up where Joel could plainly see it. “She apparently hasn’t checked this since you’ve been gone.”

After Joel composed himself following a good hearty laugh at Nina’s expense, his expression became completely serious. “It’s certainly unfortunate your first meeting with Tammer has to be a punishment rather than a pleasure,” he growled, although Nina doubted his sincerity in his dissatisfaction with her. He seemed to be entirely too thrilled with the situation.

“Yeah, right,” she snapped.

“Kitten, I’m entirely serious,” Joel said, his voice unwavering and his eyes steady. “Tammer, make that two punishments.”

“My Liege,” Nina gasped as realization struck. “You have
never
allowed another to punish me. For that matter, you’ve never allowed me to play with another while you’re away. Are there any rules at all? Or is that out the window along with everything else I’ve become accustomed to?”

“No, I’ve never allowed another to punish you or shared you outside my presence, but I am now. Beginning tonight, Tammer’s in charge while I’m away. What he says goes. There are only three restrictions. No kissing on the mouth, he can’t come inside you, and he has to be out of our bed before the sun comes up. Anything else is to be decided between the two of you.”

“And what if I say no?” Nina demanded, her heart thundering her body’s protest of this insane plan.

“I’m Your Liege, kitten. Say no. What was the first rule I established before I collared you?” Joel said, twisting his wedding band around his finger then steepling his fingers under his chin.

“I would never say no. I would always at least try what you asked of me before asking for reprieve or further negotiation.” Recollecting her acquiescence, she wished now she’d have asked reprieve then. “My Liege,” she gritted out as an afterthought.

“Do you
really
want to risk the consequences?

Nina didn’t answer, just sat with her eyes averted and her nostrils flaring with every frustrated breath.

“Nina? Answer me now,” Joel bellowed.

“No, My Liege. I don’t wish to risk…” Her voice hitched over the lump swelling in her throat. “I don’t wish to risk it.”

“I don’t wish you to either.” His expressions softened. After a nod toward Tammer, he smiled at Nina. “I love you. This is for the best. You might not believe that now, but before I come home, you’ll know I was right. My time’s up, I’ve got to go for now, kitten.”

“I understand,” Nina said, her heart aching over the time restriction. “Same time next week?”

“We’ll see,” Joel said.

“But, Thursday…” Nina started, not understanding what had happened to her husband at all.

“Now belongs to Tammer,” Joel explained. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered, running her fingertips over the screen as Joel’s image disappeared.

“You’re going to need to put on something warmer,” Tammer said, squeezing her shoulders and turning her chair away from the monitor.

“I have work to do,” Nina argued, setting her lips in a firm line.

“It will wait.”

“For what?” Nina answered, flatly.

“Your punishment.” He ran his hands under her arms and pushed her up. “Something warmer. Go. Now. Meet me at the door in ten minutes.”

Rolling her eyes, she stood and barely moved one foot in front of the other before Tammer started hammering her. “Hurry up, Nina. When I tell you to do something, I expect immediate results.”

Nina’s middle finger itched to fly up and defy him, but her instincts told that finger to shut the hell up and urged her to move faster.

Chapter Three

“A total stranger in charge? For the best?” Nina grumbled as she thumbed through hangars. She’d been told to dress for her punishment yet she had no idea what that was going to entail, so just how the hell was she supposed to decide what to wear for this event? Warmer wasn’t exactly sufficient description. “Some Dom.” She pursed her lips, twisted her nose up, and bobbed her head from shoulder to shoulder. “I expect immediate results,” she mocked. “A full run down of what results you want would be most helpful…” She hesitated and scrunched her eyebrows together as she pulled a pair of jeans from a shelf. “Try and flog me through these,
Sir Ass
.”

“We’re at minute eleven.” Tammer’s voice reverberated through her as he spoke directly into her left ear. “And my name is
not
Sir Ass.”

“Sniper,” Nina said firmly, turning and glaring at him as her heart pounded her ribs. “I’m still not certain which branch, but definitely a sniper.”

Tammer’s gaze never wavered from hers as he reached out and grabbed a sweater from another shelf then poked it out at her. “I like this one. Now get dressed. I think my pet name for you is going to be defiance. Are you this difficult for Joel?”

“Absolutely not,” Nina insisted. “I’m perfectly obedient to My Liege.”

“If that were true, you’d be perfectly obedient to me since that’s what he instructed.”

“He did no such thing.” Tugging the jeans up, Nina bounced on her toes a couple of times as the fabric eased over her hips and she slid her feet into a pair of clogs. “He said you were in charge, but the word obedient was never mentioned and everything but his three rules is negotiable between us. Thus far there have been no such negotiations.” She pulled the sweater over her head and glared at him again. “Therefore I don’t recognize your authority.”

The look on Tammer’s face said Nina was toeing a fine line and being as she had no idea what this punishment was, she thought maybe could bend to him just a bit until she found out what kind of Dom he was. Past that there were no guarantees and being a brat was still optional.