The Principles Of Lust (6 page)

Teal watched as Brina Jo hung up with her husband and then dialled again. Fifteen minutes later they had a new caterer that would provide full service for the opening. At a family discount, no less!
 

“Done.” Brina waved the scissors in her hand at Teal and hopped off the desk. “Now, let’s get to work. You have a gallery to open.”

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to run with scissors in your hand?” Teal teased as they made their way to the backroom together. With only four more days until Lush opened they needed to get the rest of the stock unpacked.
 

“I haven’t listened to my mother since the day I met you. You’re a bad influence, you know?”
 

The women continued to joke around and soon Teal’s heartbeat was normal again. Determined to stay on track, she did her best not to ask about the lack of Zach’s presence. He still had one more podium to stain before he was done there. She’d sort of been prepared to see him when she walked into the gallery, and even though she hadn’t said it to Brina Jo, his absence had been another of the things that had put her in a mood that morning.
 

The two women had worked out a good system for unpacking and cataloguing items so they worked smoothly for a couple of hours. When lunchtime hit and Zach still hadn’t come in, Teal started to worry.

“Did Zach come in this morning?”

Brina looked at her steadily. “Yes, he did, actually. He didn’t stay long, though, and said he’d be back later this afternoon.”

Relief and panic hit her at the same time. She didn’t like the look in Brina’s eyes, so she tried to change the conversation.
 

“Sushi for lunch?” she asked brightly as she brushed bits of Styrofoam from her blouse.

“It’s okay, you know?”

“What’s okay? Sushi?”

“It’s okay that you like the guy. That you might want more than sex with him.”

“Sushi it is,” she said, and headed out to pick up lunch.

By 4 o’clock, Zach still hadn’t called or made an appearance at the gallery. Teal didn’t know what to think, and she was pissed off at herself for caring. After all, she’d really only wanted a good fuck from him, and she’d gotten it. That should be the end of story.
 

Should be.
 

Yet, somewhere, somehow, she’d developed a desire for more.
 

One of the benefits of having hippies for parents was that she knew herself very well. Both she and Dominick were taught to analyze their own emotions and responses right from the start. So she knew that her own need to be commercially successful and to be her own boss came about as a form of rebellion against the laid-back lifestyle her parents still retained. And, she knew that she was scared of the intensity of her feelings for Zach.
 

Especially scary was the urge to relax and let him take care of her.

The only time she’d ever let someone cook for her without getting up and taking over was when she was in a restaurant. She liked being independent and self-sufficient. Too many years of being dependent on her parents lackadaisical lifestyle had made her into a bit of a control freak. She knew that.
 

But when Zach had been cooking, there’d been such an air of pleasure about him that she knew he was doing it because he truly enjoyed it. So, she’d relaxed and enjoyed it, too.
 

When he showed her his basement, he’d surprised her. But the shock wore off quickly, and she was surprisingly turned on by it. As much as the thought of giving up control scared her, the though of giving it up to him intrigued her.

A sudden thought had her spinning on her heel and heading out into the gallery. There, on the far wall behind the reception desk, was the photo that had started her on this path.

The whole gallery was painted a very light cream shade. A classy, yet neutral color that blended well with the natural wood shelves and display podiums Zach had built for her. Everything was set up to show all the pieces equally.
 

Except the wall behind the reception desk.

It was painted a rich deep burgundy that drew the eye.
 

Teal stepped closer and thought back to what had enthralled her so about that photograph. It was subtle, but it was there. Even when she’d used the word masterful in her mind before, it hadn’t clicked. But the position of the woman, bent over and exposed…and the way the hands were both gentle and commanding…

The photo had aroused her, but it wasn’t the explicit nature of it, or even the naughty details that had done it. It was the sense of complete openness.
 

The sense of complete trust.

Zach parked his truck in front of the gallery and sat there for a minute. It was almost six. He’d meant to be there long before then, but it had been one of those days. The good thing about the day being so busy was that he hadn’t really had a chance to think about Teal and what he was going to do. Should he bring everything up and out into the open with conversation? Should he tell her that he thought he was falling for her? Or, should he just pretend that nothing had happened? That she hadn’t knocked his world off its axis and then snuck off without a word.

With a sigh, he got out of the truck just as Brina Jo was exiting the gallery. She saw him coming and waited.
 

“A bit late to start work isn’t it?” The smile she gave him was friendly, but a bit reserved.

“Busy day lining up the next couple of jobs. This one is almost done.”
 

She nodded. “Does that mean you’re almost done here?”

Zach wasn’t sure how to answer that. What was his next step? May as well be honest. “Done with the work? Yeah, I’ve only got a couple more hours and everything should be good to go. But I’d like to think that there’s more for me here than the job.”

Brina Jo’s smile brightened. “A word of advice?”
 

He nodded.

“Don’t give up, and don’t give in. She’s not as strong as she pretends to be.” She patted him on the shoulder and walked away.

Figuring that for good advice, he pulled open the gallery door and went looking for trouble.

He found her in the back room, surrounded by unpacked crates and a variety of shimmering glass pieces. The one in her hands looked like a glass dildo. A very large glass dildo. “Teal?”

She jumped and spun at him, dildo raised above her head like a weapon. When she saw him, her arm dropped and her other hand went to her chest. “Jesus, Zach! You startled me.”

“Sorry.” He gestured to the oversized phallic toy in her hand and chuckled. “I, uhmm, hope you don’t plan on using that on me? In any way.”

“What? No.” She laughed and held it up for him to see. “With a price tag of almost a thousand dollars, it’s a little out of my price range for a sex toy. Not that I’d want to use it on you. Or myself for that matter.” By the time she was done talking color had flooded her cheeks and her eyes darted about the room. She was looking anywhere but at him.
 

“You don’t use sex toys?” Her almost shy behavior made it impossible for him to not tease her.
 

Her color deepened, but she rallied fast. “I admit to having a toy chest of my own at home, but its nothing compared to yours.”

His heart thumped at her sassy smile and quick recovery. Never mind that she’d just given him the perfect opening. “Did you like my collection?”

She put down the glass and leaned against the nearest crate, folding her arms across her chest. Everything about her body language said she was backing away, putting up walls between them. But when she lifted her head, she met his gaze head on. “It was impressive, and pretty surprising.”

“Impressive is good,” he said as he walked closer to her. He didn’t stop until he was close enough to see the dark flecks in her amber eyes. “Why so surprising?”

“I didn’t peg you as the real kinky sort. Lusty for sure, just not kinky.”

“I’m not kinky a hundred percent of the time. As you learned, I’m quite capable without all the toys, too.” One more step and he placed his hands on the crate behind her, bracketing her hips.
 

He knew he was crowding her, but he didn’t care. He’d gotten a good glimpse of something real and deep in her gaze, and he was going for it.
 

“Last night was a good time,” she agreed.
 

Although her stance hadn’t changed, Teal’s eyes had darkened and her voice had taken on a breathy quality that made his cock throb. “Just a good time?”

“Okay. A very good time.”
 

He watched as the tip of her little pink tongue darted out and dashed across her bottom lip. He leaned in until his lips were almost touching hers and spoke softly. “I want more.”

He heard the hitch in her breath, felt it against his lips. Unable to hold back, he gave her a soft kiss. When he felt her leaning into it, he pulled back slightly and pressed his advantage. “Do you want more from me, Teal?”

Her eyes widened and her hands pushed against his chest. “More what exactly, Zach? I get the feeling you’re not talking about just another night of naked wrestling.”

He took his hands off the crate and backed off a little. “That’s because I’m not.”

“You want what? A relationship?”

His raised his eyebrows. “Is that so surprising?”
 

“Well, yes, it is. We barely know each other.”

“That’s what a relationship is. Getting to know each other better, in every way.”

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t think so, Zach. You’re super sexy and I like you, but I just don’t think I could ever be what you need.”
 

It was his turn to fold his arms across his chest. That way he could be sure his pounding heart wouldn’t jump straight through his ribs. This was it. He knew that if he didn’t handle this right, he’d never get another shot with her. In thirty-six years he’d never wanted to have a serious, lasting relationship, but by damned if she hadn’t suddenly become the most important thing to him.
 

“Just what is it you think I need?”

“Someone who’s a lot more submissive than I’ll ever be.”

“You don’t think you’d enjoy being submissive for me? You were willing to get on the cross last night.”

She shivered and her nipples became twin points pressing against her thin blouse. It wasn’t cold in there so he knew the thought of her being on the cross was as appealing to her as it was to him.
 

“I’ve never been tied up,” she shrugged. “I figured why not give it a try? But the urge has passed.”

“Really?”

“Um, hmmm.”

A grin tried to escape but he held it back. He couldn’t get too cocky. “You don’t strike me as someone that would let her fear rule her.”

“What fear? Just because I enjoy my independence and don’t want to call some man Master, you think I’m scared?”

“No. I think you’re scared because you do enjoy your independence so much. Then last night, you got a taste of what it would be like to relax and let someone else be in charge once in a while and you liked it.”

“It was just good chemistry and good sex, Zach. Don’t make it out to be more that it was.” Her words were firm, but she knew, she knew deep inside, he was right. He had cooked for her, talked to her about everything and anything, and then teased and pleased her more than any man had ever before.

“You’re wrong and I can prove it to you. If you’re brave enough to let me.”

Damn it. He made it sound like a dare!
 

“How’s that?” Teal leaned back against the crate and used crossing her legs as an excuse to press her thighs together. Everything inside her was heating to the melting point at the prospect of being with him again, even while her brain screamed at her that the submission thing was a slippery slope.
 

“Tonight, my basement, when you’re done here.”
 

He was backing away from her as he spoke and something like panic tightened her muscles. “I’ve got a lot to do, I might not be done until late.”

“I’ll still be there.” His expression got intent for a minute. “It’s your choice, Teal.”

Then he was gone. And Teal was alone and wound up.
 

It took just over an hour for Teal to admit to herself that Zach had been right.
 

The way she’d felt when just sitting in his kitchen watching him cook for her, and the way he’d teased her and made her plead for her orgasms… she’d loved every minute of it. She knew she wasn’t, and never would be, a submissive person, but she couldn’t deny she’d felt a certain intoxicating freedom with him. The thought of never experiencing it again wasn’t something she wanted to contemplate.

So before she could think any more, she grabbed her purse and headed for his place. She wasn’t going because he’d dared her, either.
 

The drive to north side of the river went by surprisingly fast and it was still light out when she pulled into Zach’s driveway. Without slowing down, she marched up the walk and rang the bell. When the door swung open and she caught sight of him, any ability to think rationally fled.