Bound to be Taken (Emergence) (10 page)

What was it about these two men that she lost all ability to concentrate in their presence? She’d slept like a log after her release last night and gotten to work at six o’clock this morning to get a jump on her assignments. Staying until eight thirty this evening lifted a huge weight off her chest. Being type A did have its advantages. With diligent concentration, she’d made great strides. Several of the accounts had needed much less attention than she’d expected. The stack had gotten shorter.

She couldn’t deny the rampant thoughts that had seeped into her mind from time to time, shocking her. Did she really kneel in front of two sexy men last night and let them teach her about submission? She squeezed her legs together, feeling the dampness that wouldn’t stop gathering in her panties.

“So, how was your day?” Aiden asked.

“Good. I got a lot done.” She gripped her knee to steady her leg. It wouldn’t stop bouncing. “Yours?”

“Slow. But Wednesdays often are. I’m glad though. Frees me up now to enjoy a late dinner with you.” He poured a glass of wine and set it in front of her. “I guessed red, since that’s what you wanted yesterday.”

She nodded. “I’m a dry kinda girl.”
Ugh, you sound ridiculous.
She was acting as if she were on a job interview.

Her knee tapped again when she released it to reach for the stem of the wine glass. She needed a long drink to calm her nerves. The lines in this arrangement were blurring. This was a business deal. And yet she felt warm and her stomach clenched at just the sight of Aiden smiling at her.

Dane approached and settled platters all over the table. She giggled. “How much do you think I can eat?”

“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I made a variety.” He sat next to her. With one man across from her and one next to her at the intimate table, she couldn’t breathe in without inhaling their scent. Of course, now the smells she was growing to recognize as belonging to these two men were mixed with the array of food in front of her.

Platters of pasta with a variety of red and white sauces covered the maroon table cloth so there wasn’t even space for plates.

Aiden handed her a cloth napkin that matched the table linens and she unrolled it to reveal a fork and knife. “Dig in.” He nodded to the steaming assortment.

Hmm, they weren’t going to use plates. The idea of sharing this meal straight off the serving dishes with Aiden and Dane gave her goose bumps. It was so intimate. She licked her lips, her mouth watering as she tried to decide where to start. “It all smells so good.” She closed her eyes for a second and inhaled deep.

“I hope you like it.” Dane stuck his fork into a bite of pasta con broccoli.

Stephanie went for the lasagna and couldn’t keep from moaning around the succulent bite. Perfect. Just the right amount of spices, tomato sauce and meats to make her glad she hadn’t had time to eat before she came.

When she stuffed a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth, a noodle sprung loose and dribbled sauce on her chin. Aiden reached across the table and wiped the drip away.

She swallowed. “Isn’t it a rule never to eat spaghetti on a first date?” Her eyes popped open after the question leaked out.
This is not a date.

Both men chuckled and ignored the implication.

“We aren’t particularly formal. Enjoy yourself. Relax.” Dane grabbed her hand where it rested on the table and squeezed. “It’s just food.”

“Really good food,” she added. “The best I’ve ever eaten. You’re gonna spoil me.”

“Good.” He beamed. “I hope so. I like my women satisfied.”

A burning flush spread across her face for the millionth time. What the…? The sexual innuendo between them was growing. Or was it just in her imagination?

“I love it when your skin turns pink like that.” Aiden wiped his thumb over her cheek. “You’re so…easily embarrassed. It’s charming.”

Stephanie grabbed her glass and hid behind the deep red wine. Holy hell this was intense. She had to keep her gaze down to eat, otherwise she couldn’t concentrate on the food. And it was damn good. She wasn’t kidding.

“Did you get enough done to leave early tomorrow?” Dane asked.

She nodded with a bite of meatball in her mouth and then swallowed. “I did. I told them I had an appointment at two.”

“Perfect. We’ll meet you in the lobby then and head out.” Aiden poured more wine into all three glasses.

“Where are you from? Your accent is…Midwest?” Dane forked a meatball and brought it to his lips.

She watched him open his mouth wide and couldn’t help thinking about what else he could probably do with those lips and that tongue.

“Steph?” Aiden interrupted her thoughts.

“Oh, yes. Indiana. I moved here three years ago when my mother died.”

“Ah, that explains it. You aren’t a born Southern girl.” Dane chuckled.

“You say that like it’s a crime.” She grinned at him. The banter they had was refreshing. It had been a long time since she’d had this with anyone, female or male. She didn’t usually develop close friendships. Besides Lisa at the office, she didn’t socialize much. Had always been more of a loner.

Dane took a drink and then winked at her. “Not a crime…unless you’re currently in the South, then yes. It can be hazardous.”

Stephanie looked around. “I’m definitely in the South now, but I’m not about to drink your tea.” She scrunched up her nose. “Do you even consider adding any actual tea to your sugar?”

“Nope. Why bother?” Aiden grabbed a roll. “So what made you move to the South?”

“I discovered my mother had been from here. I had a living relative I never knew about. Unfortunately, that was my grandmother. She wasn’t well and she died a year later. By then I was working for Seabring. I decided to stay in the area.”

“I’m glad you did.” Aiden smiled at her, a genuine interest in her life story.

She watched as he ripped a corner off his bread, dipped it in olive oil and lifted the perfect bite to his lips. When he caught her gaze, he pulled off another chuck of bread, sopped up the spicy oil and brought that bite to her lips.

“Hmmm,” she moaned around the flavors, not breaking eye contact with Aiden. Everything they did was so erotic. Maybe she was reading too much into it. But it could be these two men really did enjoy her company. She didn’t think they would go to this much trouble to wine and dine her just to ensure a date for Friday night.

She was stuffed. When she sat back in her chair, she grabbed her wine and continued to sip while she watched the men finish off the meal. Even with the amount of food on the table that had looked like a feast for a family of ten, they managed to polish off almost everything. Of course, Dane and Aiden were both tall and built. It probably took a lot of calories to keep them so fit.

A flash of them burning those calories off made her squirm in her seat again. She let images of both men lifting weights and running on a treadmill rush by in her mind in favor of them engaged in all manner of sexual exercise—everything from fucking her to fucking each other.
Ugh.

Someone popped out of nowhere and cleared the table. Stephanie had been so focused on the two men sucking all the oxygen out of the air she had forgotten they weren’t alone.

As the dishes disappeared, Aiden grabbed a new bottle of wine and resumed his place across from Stephanie. He poured and then leaned on the table with his elbows. “So, tomorrow we shop.”

Stephanie nodded. All she could do was hope to God she didn’t end up embarrassed and run out the door of the fetish store.

Dane grabbed her hand and held it. “Tonight I think we should pick up where we left off last night. Is that okay with you? The more you learn, the more comfortable you’ll be Friday night.”

She nodded again. Her brain screamed at her to say
no
, but her libido overruled it. If she could feel again with the intensity she had last night under their tutelage, she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. Hell, even if the entire charade was simply a swap of needs for these guys, for her it was way more. It was a chance to explore a world she’d only read about.

A chance to feel. A chance to want on a level she’d never expected to experience in her lifetime. She needed to jump in with both feet and go with the flow. Let these two sexy men lure her down a path of submission. Before yesterday she’d had no idea submission could be so fucking arousing. She never would have admitted it would turn her on instead of repulsing her. Maybe she could pretend it was all real and enjoy herself. If she was lucky, maybe she wouldn’t lose her heart in the process…

Chapter Six

Aiden stood and took her hand. It shook, but the moment he clenched her fingers in his palm she calmed. Something about his warmth soothed her, at least enough to trust he wouldn’t intentionally hurt her. She knew at this point neither man was going to injure her physically.

“Let’s go back to the apartment.” Dane grabbed her other hand, and both men lured her toward the door. “Maybe you’ll be more relaxed there.”

I doubt it.
She followed them, barely noticing when they spoke to a few employees left to finish cleaning. She let them lead her the two blocks back to the apartment building and tried not to shake as they rode the elevator to the fifteenth floor.

After they entered the apartment, the snick of the door shutting behind her made her jump.

“Relax, Steph.” Aiden had never released her hand. He kept tugging until they reached a long beige leather sofa. “Neither of us wants you to be uncomfortable. I swear to you we won’t do anything you don’t want.”

And there it was. The crux of the problem. She feared she wanted way more than she should.

He leaned closer and took both her hands in his, his face just inches above her as she tipped her neck back. His lips…oh God, he licked them.

She mimicked him. Couldn’t stop herself.

Aiden grabbed her chin and held it with his fingers. His gaze was deep, dark, serious. “I think you want to do this. I think you like it. I think you’re aroused even now by the thought of experimenting with submission.”

Stephanie swallowed. She didn’t dare move or even breathe.

Dane’s voice startled her an inch from her ear, directly behind her. “Is he right?” She felt his warmth even before he placed his hands on her hips. “Steph, answer me.” His voice was lower, gravelly.

She nodded.

“First rule of submission—always answer with ‘yes, Sir’ or ‘no, Sir’.” Dane kissed her neck.

Her gaze remained locked on Aiden’s. “Yes, Sir,” she mumbled, barely audible.

“Good girl.” Aiden smiled in approval. “Do you remember the first position? The one we taught you last night?”

Stephanie nodded and then caught herself. “Yes, Sir.” She spoke, but the words sounded foreign to her. Her brain scrambled to make sense of what was happening. She shouldn’t be doing this. It wasn’t right. Nobody allowed two men to order them around.

But holy fuck, she was aroused. The knot in the bottom of her stomach twisted into a full ache. Her pussy clenched. Thank God she’d worn her best bra and panty set today. She hadn’t considered anyone seeing them, but had decided on the lacey pale pink set so that she would feel sexy all day.

For the first time in her life she wanted to feel sexy. She craved having someone look at her the way Aiden was doing right now. The intensity in his gaze made her knees wobble. Who cared if it was all a game? It was hot.

Contrary to when she’d gotten dressed this morning, now she actually hoped someone might see her underwear tonight.

Dane pressed on her hips. “Show us what you remember about the kneeling position of submission, babe.”

Babe? Oh my…
Heat ran up her spine.

If this was “role play” these guys were the masters at acting.

Stephanie redirected her gaze and lowered to the soft plush rug in front of the sofa. She spread her knees a few inches and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Good,” Aiden said. “Now spread your legs a little farther.”

She inched them out, keeping her head tilted slightly toward the ground and her gaze on Aiden’s knees. She tried to concentrate on how sexy even his legs were in the expensive suit he wore again tonight. Anything to keep her mind off the growing need pooling inside her.

“Perfect. You learn quick.” Dane leaned down and whispered in her ear, making her flinch. “You are so fucking sexy. Do you know that?”

She almost moaned.
Sexy? Me?
He didn’t realize she was complete putty in his hands, and he didn’t need to add anything to make her submit, conform into the woman they needed for Friday night.

She sucked in a breath when it occurred to her that her bosses had also referred to her as sexy and made that word sound dirty and disgusting. Somehow when Dane said it, it sounded reverent.

“Answer him,” Aiden commanded.

She flinched. “No, Sir. I hadn’t realized that.”

Dane stood. “That’s what I thought. Tonight we want you to wrap your mind around that. We want you to feel, experience…know what you do to us just by being you. We know underneath your prim suits lies a sexy woman no one ever gets to see.”

She bit her lip. She couldn’t help it. And the moisture between her legs pooled into something more than dampness. God, he was good.