MasonsRule-ARe (6 page)

He took three steps forward and peeled the strap of her bag from her shoulder, never taking his eyes off hers. Her breath hitched again. The little puff of air fanned across his neck and almost made him groan. He needed to get inside of her sooner rather than later. She was under his skin and he was dying to relieve the constant ache from thinking of her.
 

“Are you hungry?”

Rebecca shrugged. “I was too nervous to eat lunch and I’m not sure about dinner yet.”

“Well, come on in and I’ll show you around and then we’ll see about getting you fed. Not having enough energy because you skipped a meal is unacceptable.”

It was obvious she was nervous and he needed to get her over that initial fear of what would happen next. He held out his hand and she took the step forward to rest her palm on his. He closed his fingers and tugged her into his arms. With her eyes wide and her warmth close, he leaned forward and kissed her.
 

He groaned for a moment at the soft touch of her lips against his before quickly turning serious. He licked at the seam and coaxed her to open to him. She complied and allowed him entrance. He squeezed her hand and tried to damp down the need crawling up his spine. If nothing else, he needed to move at her pace for now.

With a quick nip of her lips that probably left behind a tiny sting, he pulled away and led her to the back of the apartment. Bedrooms are back here. Mine to the right and the extra to the left. Although the spare bedroom is no longer a bedroom.

She glanced at his and he answered before she asked. “Playroom.”
 

“Ahh,” she said in a husky voice.

He bit back the smile and pulled her into his room.
 

“Oh my God, that’s gorgeous.” She pulled free from his hand and rushed over to the floor to ceiling window wall that overlooked the western sky.
 

The setting sun shone through with a myriad of pink, purple and orange colors. It was pretty, but nothing compared to the woman standing at his window. The waning light clung to her curves and circled her currently tamed hair. He wanted to thrust his fingers in those locks and mess it up. He wanted to grab the strands and push her against the glass and make sure her hair never looked tame again. He wanted her wild.

As if pulled by a magnet, Mason moved forward.
 

“The view is the main reason I chose this apartment.” He brushed the hair from the side of her neck and placed a chaste kiss on her bared skin.
 

“When you said you lived in an apartment I didn’t picture anything like this. I didn’t even know places like this existed in the middle of the city. I thought most people like umm—”
 

He knew where she was headed with another reference to his fortune, but he wasn’t going to bail her out now.

“I mean—I thought or imagined the big corporate executives like you in one of the McMansions in the south end of town.”

He kissed her again. “The last thing I need or want is a giant empty house. The views meant more to me than the space.”

She nodded and turned away from the window. “I think my entire apartment would fit in this room alone.” She stared at the bed as she spoke leaving her looking a little mesmerized.

“It was my compromise. No 'McMansion' as you call them, but I did choose the largest unit available on the top floor.”

She laughed and some of the tension holding her rigidly upright melted away.
 

“C’mon, let’s eat.” He guided her from his room before he threw her on the big custom made bed and ravished her till the sun rose. Soon. Very soon.

Back in the open concept living space, he pulled one of the chairs from the dining table and seated her. “The view from here is even better.” Soon the lights of uptown Charlotte would sparkle against the background of the nighttime sky, but more importantly, from this vantage point he easily saw the comings and goings of Purgatory. He felt no need to watch over the place, but it gave him a comforting sense of connection to be so close.
 

Knight had been smart to warn him about preserving their private members identity. He and his brothers needed to keep their distance until the attention on them died down. He made a mental note to call a meeting tomorrow and then put it out of his mind. He had more important things that needed his attention tonight.
 

“The whole place is really stunning. I love all the shades of blue.”

“I can’t take any credit it for it. My secretary, who likes to think she controls my life, hired a decorator while I was away on a business trip.”

“She must really care for you.”

He shrugged. “I think she’s suffering from empty nest syndrome even though her kids have been grown and gone for many years now. I’m not sure how I feel about playing the surrogate son.”

She smiled. “That’s sweet. I think I would like her.”

Mason stopped and stared. When the silence stretched the uncomfortable point he finally replied. “I think she would like you too.” And she would. The woman spent a lot of time hinting about how he needed a wife and family. All of which he’d ignored until now.

“Do you like Italian?” he asked.

She blinked a couple of times before answering. “Yes, I love it.”

“Perfect. I’ve got a homemade ziti in here that is to die for.” He moved into the kitchen.

“You cooked?”
 

The surprise in her voice almost made him laugh out loud. “No. I can make a mean steak, but my culinary skills don't go much beyond that. I have a service that comes in and prepares meals for dates I will be here for a meal, which isn't often and I have a long list of take-out services who are happy to deliver. In this case, I share a butler with one other tenant and she is always trying to cook for me. So today I asked her to prepare something special."

"It smells delicious."

He walked over the table and served the food, taking the seat directly to her right. "I don't often allow wine on a night a scene may take place but I think tonight we'll make an exception for one glass."

"Okay." She had picked up her napkin and was now twisting it between her hands, making her nerves obvious to him. He hoped a glass of wine and some easy conversation would be enough to settle her."

After plating both their dinners he said, "Go ahead and eat. You need to get your energy up."

"You keep saying that..."
 

And he bet every time he did, her stomach knot twisted tighter. They had a lot of that to work through, but the best way to get through it would be the first scene. Until she got an idea of his expectations, she would continue to wonder.
 

"Is it a big deal for you to leave your apartment for thirty days? Do I need to have someone care for anything?"

She shook her head a little too strongly while she chewed her food. "No. It's not a big deal and I'm sure if any issues come up my landlord will contact me. He's a
very
good communicator."

The soft downturn of her mouth at the landlord comment did not sit well with him. There was definitely more to that story. "I'm serious, Miss Adams. Anything and everything that can or will affect you over these thirty days is my responsibility. If something needs to be done, I expect you to tell me."

Her forehead wrinkled and her nose scrunched up. "I'm fully able to handle any issues outside this relationship. I don't expect anything to come up, but if it does I'm capable of taking care of it." She didn't quite snap at him, but her tone was chilly.

Time to set some more ground rules.

"You're not understanding me. I'm absolutely sure you can take care of whatever needs taking care of. But that's not the point, is it? I am your Dom, no matter how temporary, and it's my job to see to your comfort and happiness."

She started to interrupt and he held up his hand.
 

"This is not negotiable, Miss Adams. I need this. I don't want to waste any time worrying about what you are doing or what you might need. You tell me what you need in any aspect of your life and I decide what needs to be done. Maybe you take care of it and maybe I do. Either way, I don't step into a scene with you and not know what's on my submissive's mind that might make things go bad. Because things going bad is not an option."

She set her fork down next to her plate and steepled her hands below her chin and stared at him. He could practically see the wheels turning as she thought about what he said. He enjoyed the different emotions playing across her face, including the slight blush of her anger. It gave him all the confidence he needed that she would not only stand up for herself as a woman but as his submissive as well. If she submitted to him it would be of her own choosing.

"I don't know what to say, Mason. On one hand you sound like a brute of a control freak and on the other it's almost sweet."

"If it makes you feel better then go with sweet. Either way, you give me what I need and I will give you what you need. It's all part of who we are as submissive and Dom. Now pick up your fork and finish your food. I'm getting quite concerned you aren't taking care of yourself.

"Oh trust me. Under normal circumstances, I eat just fine. And I have the butt and the stomach to prove it."

Mason clamped his lips together and counted to five before he responded. "I know you aren't trying to insult yourself right in front of me. If that were the case, I'd have to introduce you to my wooden paddle after dinner."

Her mouth dropped open and he raised his eyebrows in response.
 

"I should have known you'd be this bossy. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Not bossy, Miss Adams. Confident. Not only in what I do but what I want. And I want you just as you are.”

She rolled her eyes. “You aren’t some kind of chubby chaser are you?”

He nearly choked on his wine. “Chubby what?” Mason shook his head and clamped down on his waning patience. Never in his life had he wanted to turn a woman over his knee so badly as this one. The stupid shit that came out of her mouth sometimes amazed him. But more importantly than his satisfaction at seeing her ass turn red and watching the cleansing tears fall from her eyes was his urge to do this right for
her.
And that meant something a little slower.
 

“Don’t mistake me for some college aged boy who will fuck any pussy he’s offered, Miss Adams. If I didn't like the package you came in or if I didn't think we could enjoy dinner and a conversation together, you wouldn't be here. I don't do pity fucks and I sure as hell don’t play stupid douche bag games. So you need to remember every time I strip and fuck you, it's because your perfection makes my dick hard.”
 

He watched her mouth drop open and her eyes go wide. A moment later she closed her mouth and picked up her fork.
 

“Perfection, Rebecca. If you get nothing else through your head tonight it will be that. I. Love. Every. Fucking. Curve.”
 

As much as he wanted to know what she thought, he was happy to let his words sit and resonate before she started to argue again. It was interesting to watch her absorb what he said. Every nuance of her expression twisted his insides as his thoughts turned to how beautiful she’d be when she came, staring out at this same view.
 

Except there was so much going on in her head he wondered if they could get through a scene in one piece. Tonight would be an interesting test to see how compatible they were.
 

After a few minutes more, he decided to break the silence and change the subject. "One of the reasons I chose this apartment with this view is because I can see Purgatory from here."

Her head popped up. "Really?"

“Yes, downtown is a gorgeous sight, especially at night, but the fact I can look out and see what's happening at the club and the restaurant is a special bonus.

She turned to look out the window and he leaned toward her. Follow the sidewalk to those three large trees. See them?"

"Yes, Sir," she said.

His muscles tightened at her use of Sir. It was quickly becoming a habit with her. So far she thrilled him and didn't seem to notice. He made a mental note to make sure she understood how much he cherished her submission. “Just beyond those three trees is the parking lot to Purgatory and the adjacent restaurant Fire and Ice. On the nights when the club is open to the public a lot of people spill out into those areas by the trees and I get a sense of what's happening and how busy it is. I avoid those nights.
 

"Why? And how come the ownership of Purgatory is such a secret? I wouldn't think anyone would care in this day and age."

"I'm sure many don't. However, this is still the Bible Belt and the company I run is as conservative as they come. The stockholders I answer to are scared of even a hint of scandal." He placed his hand over hers because he couldn't stand not to. He wanted to touch her.
 

"So you really do have a secret life."

Mason laughed. "Doesn't everyone?"

Her face changed. The intrigued curiosity gave way to an expression he almost called sad. Maybe even wistful.