MasterofVelvet (5 page)

And if she wasn’t submissive? What then?

Fuck it! He was a Dom. He wasn’t supposed to be confused
about what he wanted but Beth was making him ask himself some serious
questions.

She was naked in his bed and he couldn’t do a thing about
it. Teeth clenched in frustration, he turned to leave. The last thing she
needed was to wake up and find she was the victim of a Peeping Tom—he glanced
down—with a rampant hard-on. Where was that double whiskey that had his name on
it?

Jeans pulled back on, he was back on the couch, nursing that
Scotch and absorbed in thought until he heard the sharp intake of breath behind
him.

Beth wasn’t sure what woke her. She never slept well in
strange beds anyway and when the strange bed belonged to her employer—for whom
she harbored distinctly non-business-like thoughts—there was no chance she was
going to sleep soundly.

This was the third time she’d woken up. The first time was
because she was too hot to sleep and after tossing and turning and squinting at
the digital clock as it changed from one minute to the next with a slowness
that was agonizing, she’d finally resorted to removing the t-shirt Adam had put
out for her—only to find that being naked in his bed was just as disturbing.

Beth didn’t know what to do with herself. Had she been
unable to sleep at home she’d have gotten out her notebook and started writing
but that was impossible in the present circumstances so the next best thing was
reading. There were no books around in the bedroom so that meant braving the
room where Adam was sleeping. There were plenty of bookcases out there and
maybe if she was quick enough and quiet enough, she could grab a novel.

But not like this. Even if her body were perfect, she
wouldn’t be prancing around naked out there. Her breasts were still coping with
gravity, the appendectomy scar was old and faded but still visible—however,
without the camouflage of her clothing, anyone could see the areas where no
amount of dieting and exercise had been able to shift the few extra pounds she
carried. And it was too bad if a man was disappointed about that. Her legs were
probably the best part of her—she’d been blessed with long legs and even though
she was her own worst critic, she knew that they were in pretty good shape.

Beth reached for her glasses and then the discarded t-shirt,
a garment long enough to cover what needed to be covered and unbidden, a hot
shiver scurried down her spine at the memory of Adam deftly bandaging her
damaged ankle—or more specifically, the gentle touch of his firm, capable
hands. At the same time she’d wanted it both to stop and to last forever.

Enough. She’d procrastinated for long enough. It was time to
do something about trying to get some sleep. The first step with her right foot
was painful but manageable so maybe she could get away with this. There was
still light coming under the door but he couldn’t possibly still be awake. Hopefully
he’d just fallen asleep and left the lights dimmed.

As she left the bedroom her focus was on the bookcase
straight ahead of her. It was only as she drew level with the end of the sofa
that she realized that, far from being asleep, Adam was still awake, half-naked
and nursing a glass of something alcoholic between his knees as he leaned
forward, staring into the distance. The sight of him was perturbing enough but
when she saw the mass of scars across his back the gasp left her lips before
she could stop it. When he turned in her direction, she felt like the
proverbial deer caught in the headlights of a car.

“Beth.” He rose in one smooth movement, depositing the glass
on the coffee table before taking the most direct route to her—straight over
the back of the sofa. “What are you doing out of bed? Can’t you sleep? Is it
your ankle?”

The volley of concerned questions couldn’t initially get
past the impact of what she’d seen. She looked up at his face, the question
plain for anyone to see in her eyes. What had happened to him to cause those
scars?

Adam met her troubled gaze. Even in the subdued lighting, he
could see the threat of tears in her eyes—she must have seen the long-healed
wounds that stretched from his shoulders to the small of his back.

“It’s all right, Beth,” he said softly. “It was a long time
ago.”

She found her voice. “What was it?”

“IED. I was lucky—others not so much. Now what’s up? You
should be asleep.”

The IED was only part of the story. He’d been left with the
rest of the scarring after the incident that still had a terrifying nighttime
hold on him.

Beth was shaking her head. She still had that troubled look
in her eyes and he found himself wishing that he could kiss it away. A Dom’s
job didn’t always mean administering a sound spanking—it meant taking care of
his sub’s worries and problems too. It meant protecting her.

“Come with me. I think some warm milk may be in order.”

Damn, but she felt good in his arms, like she’d always
belonged there—he’d carry her anywhere. Somehow she made his incredibly sexless
t-shirt look incredibly sexy. Her mouth, with its perfect pink Cupid’s bow, was
just inches away from his and begging to be crushed in a kiss that she’d feel
all the way down to her toes.

He deposited her carefully on the sofa then tucked the
supersized lightweight blanket that had covered him around her. “Stay there,
love. I’ll be right back.”

While he worked in the kitchen, Adam kept a surreptitious
eye on his houseguest. At least she wasn’t in any hurry to move from where he’d
deposited her. He was also remembering her reaction to his scarred back—gentle
concern and something he was hesitant to name.

He poured the warm milk into a glass, then added a little
honey and a touch of vanilla extract. Warm milk on its own might do the trick
but it didn’t taste very interesting.

“There you go, try that,” he said when he returned to her
side. She accepted the glass and took a delicate sip, followed by a slightly
less ladylike one that left her with a subtle but visible milk moustache.
Before she could do anything about it, he produced a clean handkerchief and did
the honors. “Like it?”

She nodded. “Delicious. Thank you very much, Mr. Granger.”

They were both half-naked and she was still addressing him
formally. For a potential sub, she was exhibiting some very strong-minded
tendencies. “You’re most welcome, Miss Harrison,” he replied, formality masking
the hint of unexpected amusement.

He watched her finish the milk, a glimmer of a smile
appearing in his eyes as her eyelids began to droop. She didn’t react when he
took the almost-empty glass from her. He wished he could say the same for
himself when she leaned against him with a sigh, her breathing relaxing into
the easy rhythm of sleep when his arm went around her. If he could get a
hard-on when she was just around him in the office, he stood no chance with her
snuggled against him—and the evidence was there, pushing against the fly of his
jeans.

He should have taken her back to bed immediately but now
that she was settled there was no sense in waking her up. He just hoped that
the nightmares wouldn’t come again. Once in a night was enough but his main
concern was that she didn’t witness their effect on him. She didn’t need that.

Neither did he.

Most nights, Adam was reluctant to close his eyes—but not
tonight. Beth felt good beside him. She felt right. He pulled the huge blanket
over both of them and then let himself relax, his feet up on the coffee table.
Whether her ankle was better or not, she was spending the weekend here. Tomorrow
he’d talk her into letting him collect some clothes and anything else she
needed from her flat but tonight he could pretend that she was his.

With the start of a slow stretch, Beth’s return to
wakefulness was unusually languid—until she realized that the pillow beneath
her head was moving. She sat up with a start, her recollection of the previous
day’s events almost instantly crystal-clear as she looked round at her employer—who
was looking back at her with a totally inscrutable expression on his face.

A kaleidoscope of visual and physical impressions hit her
all at once—there was the way Adam looked, stubble on his chin and a chest he
really needed to put away, the heat emanating from his body, the hard strength
of that body against hers. Wearing just the faded jeans, bare feet on the
coffee table and legs crossed at the ankles, he looked very masculine and very
dangerous, especially to a woman who had been without male company for far too
long. His elbow was resting on the back of the sofa, his fist providing support
for his head.

He was still looking at her and not saying anything.

Beth couldn’t have said how long they just looked at one
another. She was concentrating on not letting herself give in to the urge to
kiss him good morning, so it was Adam who finally broke the silence, to give
her bathroom privileges first and let her know that there would be another t-shirt
for her to wear when she was ready.

“And there’s a hairdryer around here somewhere—I’ll dig it
out for you,” he promised.

“What about my clothes?” Beth asked. Why she hadn’t thought
to ask about them before now, she had no idea.

“In with the dry cleaning, and due to be picked up,” he
glanced at his wristwatch, “any time now.” He checked the time again. “It’s
nearly 10 a.m.”

“Is there something wrong with that?” She was puzzled by his
reaction to the time. He looked as if he couldn’t quite believe what his watch
was telling him.

Adam frowned. “I haven’t slept this late at the weekend
since…I don’t know when.”

She was still confused. “Is that a good or bad thing?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about.” All of a sudden his
attitude lightened up. “So, Beth, how’s your ankle this morning? Feeling any
better? If you need more aspirin for it, I’ll get you some toast and coffee for
now, then we’ll see about lunch later.”

Beth flexed the joint. It was still painful but not so much
that it required medication.

“Good. And your hands and knees?”

She offered her palms for inspection. The light grazes were
already healing and were thankfully only slightly sensitive. Her knees had
borne the brunt of the damage but they too were recovering.

“Now what about you? You were pretty shaken up yesterday.”

As if she weren’t shaken up by the way he was curling a
stray strand of hair round her ear. “Yes. I’m sorry about that, Mr. Granger. I
don’t know what came over me. Thank you for looking after me and Mr.
Chesterfield for checking my flat. I should really be getting back home.”

“Dressed like that?” He raised an eyebrow, looking her up
and down. “I don’t think so. First thing, you need to get your behind under
that shower, because I can’t until you do and when we’re both done, you can
tell me what I need to collect from your flat today.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re staying here this weekend,” he directed in a tone
that brooked no argument, “then we’ll see how you’re doing on Monday morning.
If necessary, we can both work from here. Dan’s a key holder. He’ll open the
office for the staff.”

She’d clearly missed the memo—the one where he’d informed
her that he was taking over her life. She was still trying to think of a
suitable rejoinder when he spoke again.

“Beth, adorable as you are and as much as I could sit here
looking at you all day, I need you to get in that shower now and if you don’t
move in three seconds, I will put you under the shower myself.”

Adorable. He’d called her adorable but there was no time to
deal with that now. Four seconds later she was being dumped rather
unceremoniously on the bed so that he could remove the bandage from her ankle.

“Will you be all right on your own now?”

Stunned into silence, she managed a jerky nod and then the
human whirlwind disappeared.

Fifteen minutes later she was all freshened up, wearing the
clean t-shirt he’d left for her and was perched on the edge of the bed, drying
her hair and aware that Adam was just a few feet away under the shower. Without
a brush or a comb, the best she could do was run her fingers through it and
there was no way she was rummaging around Adam’s personal space.

She was so wrapped up in what she was doing that she didn’t
notice that the sound of the shower had stopped. What she did notice was
movement on the bed behind her, the sudden heat of Adam’s body at her back and
his strong, muscular—naked—legs on either side of hers.
Oh Lord.

“Give that to me.”

The hairdryer was taken from her and with infinite
gentleness Adam began to dry her hair, the sensations he created causing yet
another internal riot. It would be so easy to lean back against his strength
but instead she focused on the powerful thighs that framed her more slender
ones, the way the muscles moved…and more scars. Without thinking, she touched
the long-healed puckered scar on the left one.

“I was lucky with that one,” he said, his tone
matter-of-fact. “Half an inch to the right, and it would have been the bullet
with my name on it.”

Her fingers involuntarily squeezed his thigh. “Oh God!” she
sighed softly.

It was the most natural thing in the world to slip his arm
around her waist and draw her back against his body. When she turned slightly
to lay her head on his shoulder and cling to his arm as if it were the only
safe haven in a storm-tossed ocean, he laid the hairdryer aside and wrapped her
in his embrace…and experienced a sense of homecoming the likes of which he’d
never felt before. She was his—no pretending this time. She might not know it
yet, she might take some persuading but she belonged to him. She was his Beth.

“Don’t fight it, love,” he urged softly, his voice as tender
as his touch. “Let me take care of you.”

She lifted her face to him. His heart twisted at what he saw
in her eyes. Tears? For him? Holding her head so she couldn’t turn away, he
lowered his head and pressed his mouth to her soft lips. His self-control had
been tested to the limit and beyond. It was time to let something go.

“I told you—it was all a long time ago, in another life,” he
murmured, stroking her hair to comfort her, his urge to protect her almost
overwhelming.

As if she suddenly realized what she was doing and who she
was doing it with, Beth jumped up, dashing the giveaway tears from her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Adam—Mr. Granger. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

In one swift movement, a muscular arm around her waist
captured her and returned her to her former position—seated between his thighs.
“Hallelujah!” he breathed into her hair. “She finally called me Adam.”

He swore he could feel the radiating heat of her
embarrassment. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

Adam groaned.
Sir.
Dear God, didn’t she realize she’d
just made it a thousand times worse? How could she? “Why not?” he demanded,
using the same tone of compulsion that he would with a recalcitrant sub.

“I can’t.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper, as if
saying the two little syllables of his name was the worst thing she could ever
do.

“Say my name, Beth,” he commanded. His voice was quiet but
it held a core of steel.

She shook her head slowly.

“Say it!”

This time, she couldn’t resist it—that something in his
voice that subs responded to every time. “Adam…”

“Again.”

“Adam.”

How could something as simple as a name be so potent? The
way she said it sent a bolt of lightning through every cell in his body. “See,
it’s not so hard is it?” Unlike his cock. He fought down the urge to divest her
of her clothing, tie her to his bed and give her a first lesson in submission.
“How about if we finish drying your hair, then I get dressed and we talk?”

The talk happened while they ate. At first, Adam just
watched Beth pick over her food. She was clearly deeply troubled. This talk was
going to be pivotal to their future. He had to coax her out of her comfort zone
and show her that life outside it wasn’t so scary.

“Now then, Miss Bethany Harrison, we have a mystery to
solve. I’ve let this slide for far too long. Why are you using my name to
maintain this distance between us? You and I are a team, we work well together—I
have friends who aren’t as close to their wives as I am to you—so please, tell
me what’s going through that pretty head of yours?”

Keeping a close eye on her as he spoke, Adam frowned a little
as he sensed her withdraw from him even more. She was as taut as a bowstring.
He could have sworn he could actually see her pulling together her courage,
knitting it into a shield. There would be none of that nonsense if she were his
sub. In time, he told himself. In time.

“I can’t,” she murmured, refusing to look at him. “You’re my
employer. I can’t… Please.”

“No one else I employ seems to have a problem calling me by
my given name, Beth. Why is it so difficult for you to do it, I wonder? Could
it be that there’s the potential for more to our relationship than just work?
Is that what has you running scared?”

“Mixing business and pleasure never works. Never.”

“Calling me by my given name in the office hardly
constitutes a blazing affair, Beth. Trouble is, a blazing affair is what I want
with you—and you know it.” His gaze narrowed, assessing her reaction.

Her eyes went wide, her voice little more than a hoarse
whisper when she spoke. “We can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Adam, I’m not stupid. I’ve seen the way women go through
your life—I don’t want to be one of them. I can’t risk getting into that
situation. I need my job.”

Adam stiffened. She thought her job was under threat if they
had a personal relationship? Suddenly he knew what was going through her mind—a
brief affair with him would make it impossible for her to continue working for
him after it ended. He swore silently. His choice of words could have been
better—a lot better. Time for him to take control.

“This has nothing to do with your job, Beth—that’s yours for
as long as you want it—but this won’t be just an affair. That was a
spectacularly bad choice of words. I told you I would protect you and I will.
You’re not like the women you mentioned—you’re so much more to me than they
could ever be. You’ll be mine to take care of and I will take care of you.”

He was waiting for the objections but none came. She did,
however, look scared to death and clearly didn’t know how to respond. He knew
he’d taken her way out of her depth but he wanted her to learn that she could
trust him to keep her safe.

“Why me?” Her eyes lifted to meet his at last. “Why do you
want me?”

“A man would be crazy not to want you, Beth. What man
wouldn’t want an intelligent, sensual, beautiful woman in his life and in his
bed?”

* * * * *

After lunch, still dazed by the turn of events, Beth handed
Adam the keys to her flat. The situation she now found herself in was even more
unreal—she was Adam Granger’s girlfriend.

Girlfriend. She almost laughed out loud—a misnomer if ever
there was one. He’d left her in no doubt that she was his woman, a declaration
that had held a possessive edge that sent a shiver down her spine. She still
couldn’t work out how she hadn’t said no to him.

Perhaps it was because she simply hadn’t wanted to say no.
He had seen what she had tried to deny for so long.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be, love—once I’ve picked your
belongings up I have a meeting with Dan about the security inspection but I’ll
be back as soon as I can. In the meantime make yourself at home, help yourself to
anything but try not to use that ankle too much. And if you do need to take any
aspirin,” he pointed to the coffee table, to the pack sitting beside the glass
of water and the plate of biscuits, “don’t have it on an empty stomach.”

And with that he was gone. The apartment fell silent and
Beth was left alone with her thoughts. It hardly seemed possible that so much
could have happened in so short a time.

All her determination to keep him at arm’s length had been
rendered futile in the space of a few moments. She’d fought so hard not to fall
into the trap of letting herself get close to a man who couldn’t possibly be
interested in her, only for him to sweep her efforts aside as easily as if they
were a house of cards.

Events had overtaken her and overwhelmed her. Adam had
completely dismantled the boundaries of their employer/employee relationship
and was building in its stead something that could give her everything she’d
ever desired.

Beth felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff,
about to dive headlong off it. The strangest thing was she felt like she wanted
to make the dive but at the same time it was the most dangerous thing she could
do.

* * * * *

Adam’s visit to his assistant’s home had been illuminating
as was the meeting with Dan Chesterfield. There had been something weird going
on at the office for quite some time, hence the sweep. Dan’s team had found
several bugs scattered through the office, not to mention a handful of
concealed cameras, but nothing that would incriminate any particular member of the
staff.

Finding the devices had answered one question, but gone on
to generate more, not least of which were who, why and how. Adam had a gut
feeling that it wasn’t as simple as plain old industrial espionage but until
Dan came back with more information, the answers to those questions would
remain elusive.

His visit to Beth’s home had disturbed him slightly. It was
as clean and tidy as he’d expected but it was the location that concerned him—the
neighborhood wasn’t unsafe, it just wasn’t what he would have preferred for
her. Hell, what he preferred for her was his neighborhood, his apartment and
his bed. That would come soon enough.