Working_Out (17 page)

“You, Sir.”

“And who are you to me?”

“Your sub, Sir.” Maggie smiled, and then that smile faded.

“What’s wrong?” He had a feeling he knew. Maggie had gotten off like he had, sensing a connection, having experienced the ultimate in pleasure. And like him, she wanted to run for the hills and not look back. For that reason, he wouldn’t let either one of them escape. As scary as it seemed, he refused to cower or escape without seeing this through. Strength lay in discipline, and he decided to embrace their unexpected bond. Their new…
relationship
.

 “I like this. A lot.” She paused. “I don’t want it to end, Sir.”

He remained inside her, not willing to give her up. Mac stroked her belly and her breasts, toyed with the clamps and the chain. She bit her lip but said nothing.

“Tell me the truth. You don’t like the thought of me with Megan or any of the others.”

She scowled, and he hid a grin. His feisty sub excited him still. Even after experiencing the ultimate high, he wanted her again.

“No, Sir. I don’t like the thought of you with any of those skanks.”

He raised a brow, pleased when she blushed. “Did you miss me these last few days?”

She sounded miserable when she answered, “Yes, Sir.”

“Did you mean what you said last time? That I was too fast for you?” That still irked him.

“No, Sir.”

“What? I can’t hear you.” He jerked the chain, and she moaned. He felt a twitch in his balls, a need for more of his little sub.

“No, Sir,” Maggie said in a louder voice.

“Then why did you say it?”

She sighed but didn’t look away. “To needle you. You’re arrogant.” She smiled. “Sir.”

“True.”

Her lips firms and her eyes watered. “And I wanted you to come back to me again. But I didn’t want to ask you to.”

“Why not?”

“Because you might say no.” A tear slid down her cheek, and Mac felt his heart break along with hers.

“Oh, damn. Maggie, don’t cry.” He kissed the tear and wiped her cheeks. “Honey, if you can’t feel what you do to me, I must not be doing it right.”

Her short laugh tensed her body against his, and he sucked in a breath. He started to grow hard again. “This,
us
, we’re going to take it day by day, all right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want a relationship?” Funny, but it no longer hurt to say the word.

“N-no, Sir.” She didn’t seem sure, and he thought he saw longing in her eyes.

He thought about it. Maggie, for all that she was a bombshell, had been hurt in the past. Hell, the woman had been celibate for months in an effort to distance herself from losers. Sure she’d be scared about trying someone new. But Mac wasn’t just anyone. He was her master.

“Too bad, little sub. You have one now.”

Her eyes widened, and he continued, sure of himself and where this relationship needed to go. For now. Just for now, he told himself. Maybe he could help Maggie see that not all guys were fuckheads while pleasing them both in the process. A win-win.

“I’m your master, and you’re my sub. We don’t fuck anyone else while we’re in this
relationship
. At work and when not in bed, you’re you, I’m me. You call me dickhead, asshole, whatever floats your boat.” Her slow smile warmed his entire body. “I can’t promise not to take charge, because that’s who I am. But you’ll never be punished for something outside our zone. This, us together like this, Master to sub, that’s our zone. And when we’re in it, you’ll know.”

“Are we in it now, Sir?” she asked softly, no longer looking sad, but ecstatic.

“You’re damn right we are.” He wiggled his hips and grew harder. “You lied to me. You deliberately hurt your master’s feelings to manipulate me.” And nicely done. She’d had him committed to punishing her without having to expose herself at all. No rejection from him, because she’d goaded him into returning to prove a point. “You’re a tricky little sub, but I can handle that.”

She could keep up with him. He knew it.

“Yes, Sir.” She looked down, but the curl of her lips gave her away.

“You’re not upset you hurt your master’s feelings?” he had to work to still his own grin.

“O-of course I am, Sir.” She laughed. “Oops. I really am sorry.” She shifted, and he slid deeper inside her again.

Mac withdrew and stood, his erection at half mast. “Time to show you who’s really boss. I top, not you.”

She looked confused, but that was okay. He’d explain it to her one inch at a time.

Maggie stood under the spray and watched Mac out of the corner of her eye. Good Lord, but if the man know how happy she was right now, he’d probably paddle her. He’d been plotting and planning how to manage her for days, when she’d thought he’d tired of her.

Excitement spiraled through her, and she had to remind herself not to look like a kid at Christmas. As he stood there glaring at her, like a Greek god under the spray of water, she averted her gaze and continued to wash him. She loved touching him, and the soap made his skin feel silky, so that running her hands over his arms and chest and belly was like stroking pure pleasure.

“You’re a dirty little girl, aren’t you?” Mac rasped as she massaged his cock and balls. He was hard, and she got off making him so aroused.

“Yes, Sir.”

“You like getting me worked up, don’t you?” He gripped her by the throat, and she moaned.

“Yes, Sir. You’re so sexy.”

“Hmm.”

He stared at her while she masturbated him. His balls had grown hard, his nipples tight, and she knew it was a short matter of time before he came.

He shoved her against the wall of the shower. Mac used firmness to show his mastery, but he’d never hurt her. That balance of power thrilled her to no end. Next to her, he seemed so big. Massive and powerful, and he wouldn’t let her get away with anything.

“You’re shaking.” Mac sneered at her. “Turn around.”

She reluctantly let him go, then gasped as he bent her over and shoved hard into her pussy.

“Bad girl, getting your master all worked up.” He fucked her hard from behind, and his excitement intensified her own. “But you don’t get to come. Not yet.” He pounded a few more times before swearing as he came. “
Fuck.
Shit, that’s it. Yeah.” He pulled out, turned her around, and pushed her to her knees. “Lick me clean.”

She tasted more water than herself around him as she serviced him, but it was the thought of being on her knees, of having to bow to his command, that gave her true pleasure. That and he’d come inside her again. Maggie loved when he did that, when he shared that physical part of himself. If she weren’t on birth control, she had a feeling they’d have made a baby. The thought of carrying his child simultaneously delighted and scared her. She was falling hard for Mac with no way out. She didn’t know if it was healthy, but she didn’t want to stop her rollercoaster of emotions.

“Tsk tsk.” He gripped her by the hair and pulled her up to her feet. “Not paying attention to task. More punishment. I swear, it’s like you’re begging for another spanking.”

Maggie moaned.

He laughed. “Man, you’re just full of surprises. How about dirty talk? You want me to call you a whore? Want me to put you down and fuck you like the dirty slut you are?” he asked, his voice thick, and kissed her hard.

“Yes, Sir.” With anyone else, she wouldn’t have had the courage to ask. No one else had ever offered to fulfill her naughty fantasies. Her need to be bossed around, owned, even denigrated to an extent. Shelby would stare at her in horror if she knew what Maggie desired.

“It’s okay, little sub,” Mac whispered. “I know what you feel. Is it wrong if I get off calling you a whore while I fuck you? If I like half choking you while I take you?” He stroked her throat instead of holding her. “I like the fantasy. But you need to know I’d never truly hurt or rape you, Maggie. And I for sure don’t think you’re a slut.” He snorted. “It was damn hard getting into your pants in the first place.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “I just don’t want you to think I’m a pervert or freak or anything.”

“Maggie.” He kissed her hard and gripped her throat again. “With me, you’re safe. I’m your master. Say it.”

“You’re my master.”

He shook his head, and with the water washing down his face, his lashes glistening, his eyes bright and clear and so dear to her, he buried himself in her heart. “Say it like you mean it, little sub. Show Master how much he means to you.”

He met her gaze, and as he stared at her, something in his expression seemed to give.

“Show me, baby,” he whispered.

She kissed him, so softly it was a whisper of breath between them. And then she continued, caressing him with her mouth, all over his body.

Until he was moaning her name, praising his little sub, and holding her tight as he came and all through the night.

Chapter Twelve

Maggie didn’t know how it had happened, but somehow, she found every minute of every day accounted for until Christmas. Mimi and Ron, Shelby, and even Shane dominated her free time. Kim had been ecstatic with the rest of her pieces, so at least Maggie had her deadlines covered. But honestly, her friends had become needy for attention lately.

Her time at the gym passed the way it normally did. She and Mac sniped at each other. She felt him watching when she wasn’t looking, but no one commented on anything between them. She made sure to treat him the way she always did, with irreverence and an attitude just shy of disrespect. He was the boss, but it didn’t help to pander to his ego. She’d seen the many presents he’d received from an assortment of women.

She’d secretly fumed about it, then been more than grateful to receive her own share of candy and flowers from male admirers. Mac hadn’t been too happy about that.

They’d spent the past two days apart, and as Christmas Eve dawned, she had her day planned around a morning outing with Shelby and her evening with Mimi and Ron. The actual party would take place at Shane’s house on Christmas.

It irked her that her contact to Mac had been limited to texts, but the man wasn’t good about answering calls, so she could only do so much. His texts amused her. He abbreviated everything, half of which she barely understood. But from the gist of what she’d read, his uncle, Shane, and Geo were annoying the hell out of him.

She couldn’t wait to show him her Christmas presents.

A knock on her door startled her, and she looked at the time. Nine o’clock. Shelby had arrived for their morning together. Maggie opened the door and nearly fell under the massive hug from her giant friend.

“Oomph.”

“Merry Christmas!” Shelby danced around, swinging Maggie like a ragdoll.

“Put me down, you freakish giant,” Maggie pleaded, laughing at her friend’s lunacy.

When Shelby did, Maggie saw a rock on her finger. She glanced at Shelby’s beaming face, then looked back at the ring. “That’s an engagement ring,” she said stupidly. “You got engaged.” She blinked, then laughed. “Oh my God.
You got engaged.
” She squealed with joy and hugged Shelby back. “Let me look. Oh wow! He must really love you. That’s a friggin’ rock.”

She and Shelby went out for breakfast to celebrate. Maggie peppered her friend with questions, but Shelby remained surprisingly tight-lipped, her interest in Maggie’s life a little strange.

“Seriously?” Maggie stared at her best bud over her coffee cup. The waiter brought their breakfasts then left, and Maggie continued. “You’re engaged to be married. You and Shane are actually moving in together, and you have nothing better to talk about than my love life?”

“Um, well, no. I just don’t want to be all about me.”

“Hey, loser, this
is
all about you. I’m not the one getting married.”

“Who are you calling a loser, cat lady?” Shelby’s smirk told Maggie to be cautious. “But then, you’re not the cat lady anymore, are you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Though Maggie and Mac had agreed to be discreet, it wasn’t as if she was embarrassed to be with him. But she didn’t know where their relationship might take them, and she didn’t want to be pitied when, not if, they broke up. For some reason, Shelby always acted like Maggie should be coddled after a breakup, which made Maggie feel bad. Sometimes relationships ended, and normally, without smothering empathy from her friend, she accepted the termination, half expecting it anyway.

“I can’t say for sure, but I get the feeling you’ve met someone. There’s a look in your eye I recognize. But it’s different. It’s like you’re glowing.” Shelby paused. “You’re not pregnant are you?”

Maggie choked on the coffee she’d been in the process of swallowing. “No, you idiot.” At least, she didn’t think so.

“Oh my God. You turned pale. You’re having sex.”

“Would you shut up?” Maggie blushed when several people near them looked at their table. “First of all, my life is private. Second, this is not the place to talk about stuff like that. You’re turning into your mother.”