Training the Help [Hedon Falls 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (11 page)

“Fuck,” he said aloud. He didn’t know how much longer he could go without doing just that. The worst part of it was that he knew she wanted him, too. The evidence was clear in the way she looked at him and the way her pussy was dripping before he even started spanking her. How could he be expected to hold off when it was clearly what they both wanted? But then he thought of Kendra. His beautiful, loving wife. They had been very happy together. She let him take the dominant role in bed…most of the time, and she was willing to do some playing in their playroom, but she just wasn’t a sub. Maybe he just needed to talk to her about it.

He looked at the clock. It would be late afternoon in New Zealand. He took a chance and dialed her cell phone number. It rang several times before she picked up.

“Hey, sexy,” she said in that purr that still made his cock twitch when he heard it.

“Hey, yourself,” he replied. “I miss you. What are you up to right now?”

“I miss you, too. I’m just eating dinner in my trailer. We’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s too hot to sit outside. What are you doing?”

Jack took a deep breath. “Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He paused, unsure how to continue. At last he just blurted it out. “I’m training Sophie as my sub.”

The silence on the line lasted so long that he thought perhaps she’d hung up. But then she said quietly, “When did this happen?”

Jack explained how he had come home to find her reading, how they talked about it, and how Sophie decided to give it a try. More silence followed his explanation.

Finally, Kendra sighed. “There’s no sex involved?” she asked.

“Well, not exactly,” he said. “But when she does well, I reward her with an orgasm.”

“How do you do that?” she asked.

“The first time, I hit her pussy with the flogger. The time after that it was the riding crop. And tonight I made her masturbate for me.”

“Wow,” Kendra breathed. “That’s actually kind of hot. And she’s okay with all of this?”

“So far, so good.”

“I guess I’m okay with it, too. If it’s making you both happy…”

“It is,” Jack said quickly. “Thank you for understanding.”

They talked for a while longer before Jack heard someone knock on Kendra’s trailer door, and she signed off. He felt better, knowing that Kendra was aware of what was going on. Now he just had to figure out how he could keep training Sophie without succumbing to his desire to fuck her senseless. He stood and went into the shower, no closer to a solution than he had been before.

* * * *

The day of the gallery opening, Sophie went back to The Remington Salon to get her hair done. The man who had booked the appointment, Remy, was there to greet her when she walked in.

“Sophie, sweetie,” he cried when she approached the desk. “It’s fabulous to see you again! Let me take your coat.” He came around the desk and helped Sophie out of her coat before taking it to the closet. Then he led her to a station where a coffeemaker was set up. “Would you like coffee or tea?”

Sophie looked over the selection and decided on a peppermint tea. Remy popped the disc into the brewer and led her to a chair. When she was settled, he retrieved her mug and handed it to her.

“So, you want an elegant, sexy updo for the gallery opening tonight,” he said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“I don’t know about sexy,” she replied. “But elegant, yes.”

“Oh, sweetie, you want sexy, too. Trust me. What does your dress look like?”

As Sophie described it to him, he ran a brush through her hair and began sectioning it off. He quickly set it in rollers and then escorted her to the dryers, where he gave her a selection of magazines and her tea. Sophie sipped the tea and looked around. The salon was very upscale and it was quite busy. As the timer went to signal that Sophie’s time was done, she noticed two women walk in, one of them extremely pregnant. Remy led them to side-by-side chairs and then came to get Sophie. As he worked on her hair, they chatted. Sophie found out that Remy was the owner of the salon and Remy was short for Remington. There was a picture stuck in the side of the mirror at his station, which showed Remy, another man, and a little girl.

“Who else is in that picture?” Sophie asked him.

Remy grinned broadly. “That would be my husband, Seamus, and our little girl, Ainsley.”

Apparently Sophie’s instinct that Remy was gay had been correct. She smiled. “You make a lovely family.”

“I know,” he said. “Seamus is the head chef over at Oracle and Ainsley is nine years old. She keeps us pretty busy.”

“I went to Oracle for dinner the other week!” Sophie said as she remembered Jack mentioning Seamus to the waiter. “The food was fabulous!”

“That’s my honey,” Remy said. “He found his way into my heart with his mad cooking skills.”

“My boss loves it there,” Sophie replied.

“Who’s your boss?” he asked conversationally as he pinned another section of hair to the top of her head.

Sophie hesitated for a minute. She wasn’t sure if she should tell him or not. Then she remembered Kendra going on about it at the mall that day and decided it would be okay. “Jack and Kendra Sullivan,” she told Remy.

Remy froze and his jaw dropped. “No way! You work for the Sullivans?”

“I’m their housekeeper.”

“That is fantastic! I just love Kendra. She’s a doll. She’s had me to the house a few times to do her hair. Isn’t she going to the opening tonight?”

“No, she’s in New Zealand on a movie shoot,” Sophie said. “So I got volunteered to be Jack’s date.”

“Lucky girl!” Remy said. “If I weren’t already married, I’d be all over that man. What a hunk!”

Sophie giggled again. “Apparently, that’s why he needs a date. To fend off the crazy singles.”

They laughed and chatted some more. When Remy had finished, Sophie was amazed at the transformation. Her hair was swept back and into a knot with curls arranged around it. Tendrils curled down at the sides of her face and near her ears to soften the look. The whole style had a loose look, as though it might come tumbling out at any moment, but it was held securely with dozens of bobby pins.

“Remy, it’s beautiful!” she said.

“You’re going to make me blush, sweetie!” he said with a smile as he helped her out of the chair. “You just have a good time tonight, and say hello to Kendra for me when she gets back into town.”

Sophie paid the hairdresser and made her way back to the house. Jack had planned to take her for dinner before the opening and she didn’t have a lot of time left. He had asked her to be at the front door for five o’clock. She quickly applied her makeup, intentionally making it more dramatic than she normally would have, and then dressed in the new lingerie and the gown. When she looked in the mirror, she could hardly believe she was seeing herself. She had never had a reason to get so dressed up before and she enjoyed it. When she was satisfied, she grabbed the clutch purse Kendra had gotten her, and headed to the front door just before five.

As she approached, her heels clicked on the floors and Jack turned to look at her. They both froze as they stared at each other. Jack was dressed in a simple black tuxedo, but it hung perfectly on him, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow hips. He was stunning and Sophie couldn’t take her eyes off him. She noticed that his eyes were traveling over her body, and they paused for a few extra moments on her chest, which was pushed up significantly by the bra. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he stared. Finally, she closed the last few feet between them and looked up.

He licked his lips and swallowed before saying, “You look dazzling.”

Sophie’s face grew warmer and she looked down. “Thank you, Sir. So do you.”

He reached out and lifted her chin. “Do you have a coat? It’s chilly tonight.”

“I have a wrap, Sir,” she said. He nodded and she retrieved it from the closet. Jack opened the door and held out his arm to her. She took it and they walked down the front stairs to the limo that waited in the drive. As they approached, the chauffeur opened the door and Jack helped Sophie to climb inside, then slid in beside her. They rode in silence to the restaurant. Sophie was keenly aware of the heat from Jack’s body beside her and her stomach couldn’t seem to unclench itself. Every time he moved, a new thrill shot through her.

Their dinner was also a very subdued affair, with only a few mumbled phrases passing between them. Sophie could barely eat because the tension had her stomach in knots. When they finished, the limo drove them to the mill, which was lit up brightly, both inside and out. They stepped out and she took Jack’s arm again as they entered.

The restoration of the building was beautifully done. The floors looked like originals, and the large wooden beams and stone walls lent an antique feel to the place, while the gleaming lights and fixtures accentuated the modernity of the facility. At the entrance to the exhibit floor, they stopped for the receiving line. Jack leaned close and whispered that the woman they were waiting to talk to was Melanie Hynes, owner of the gallery. Sophie recognized her as one of the women who had been getting her hair done at the Remington Salon that afternoon.

“Thank you for inviting us,” Jack said to her as he shook her hand. “This is our good friend Sophie LaPlante. She graciously agreed to come with me tonight since Kendra is away on a movie shoot.”

Melanie shook Sophie’s hand. “I’m so glad you could come,” she said warmly.

Jack led Sophie onto the exhibit floor and she sucked in a breath as she looked around. Directly in front of them was a life-sized statue of a naked woman. She could see other statues scattered through the middle of the room that were decidedly sexual. Paintings hung from the walls and Sophie realized with a thrill that some of them featured BDSM acts. Her pussy clenched slightly and her hand tightened on Jack’s arm. He looked down at her and chuckled, the sexy sound causing her to become even more aroused. He began to lead her around the room, introducing her to so many people, she was sure she’d never remember them all.

They walked to one of the BDSM paintings, which showed a naked woman strapped to a spanking bench with two large handprints on her ass while her Dom raised his hand in the air. Sophie was becoming increasingly turned on and she imagined herself in that painting with Jack.

“Do you like this one?” Jack asked her. “The woman reminds me of you.”

Sophie looked again and realized that the woman’s hair and eyes looked similar. As she studied the painting, she realized that Jack was speaking again, but it wasn’t to her.

“I thought I recognized your work,” he was saying. Sophie turned to see a man close to Jack’s age standing with him. “Is this one for sale?”

“For you, I’ll charge double,” the other man said and they both laughed.

“Sophie, this is Garrett Anderson, the artist of this painting,” Jack said and Sophie held her hand out.

“Glad to meet you, Sophie,” Garrett said as he shook her hand.

“Sophie is our housekeeper,” Jack said. “Among other things.” He smiled at her, and she blushed furiously as she looked down.

“Oh, I see,” said Garrett. “Not going to the club much anymore?”

“Not as much, no,” Jack agreed. “Sophie, look at me.”

She looked up automatically and saw Garrett’s smile widen. “Sophie, Garrett is a member of the club I go to in Toronto,” Jack said. “I already have several of his paintings.”

Sophie’s brows drew together. She had never seen any paintings like this, and she was sure she’d remember something like that.

“They’re in the playroom,” Jack replied. “You haven’t been in there yet.”

Sophie’s cheeks flared again and she looked down, as the two men chuckled.

“Seriously, though, Garrett, I’d like to buy this one.” He turned to Sophie. “Why don’t you look around while Garrett and I talk business.”

Sophie nodded and began walking around to survey the artwork. It was all very striking, even though it made her think of all the things she’d like to be doing with Jack. She picked up a glass of champagne from a table near the café at the back of the gallery. It was a nice touch. People could stop in for a coffee or a bite to eat while they toured the gallery. Sophie was looking at a beautiful piece, which showed a woman standing on a balcony while a man stood behind her with his arms around her. When Sophie looked more closely, she realized that the woman was naked and the arms were merely painted on.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Jack said behind her.

Sophie turned and smiled. “Everything is so wonderful. I love the contrast here between the man’s dark skin and the woman’s pale complexion.”

“That is what I thought, too,” said a voice with a heavy French accent.

Sophie looked to her right and saw a young man standing there.

“I am Justin Gauthier,” he said as he extended his hand.

“You’re the artist,” Sophie said, as she shook his hand. “
Je m’appelle Sophie. Êtes-vous québécois
?”

Justin’s eyes lit up. “
Vous parlez français!
Oui, je viens de Québec!
Et vous
?”

“
Montréal
,” Sophie replied. “Justin, this is Jack Sullivan.”