Laid Bare - Lauren Dane [20]
“Of course.” He felt as if he were in a job interview or something. He was supposed to be in charge, but right then she held it all in her hands. Which, given what he was prepared to ask—demand—of her, he supposed made sense.
She shrugged with a small, feminine sound and went back to eating. He wanted to laugh—hell, he wanted to spank her ass—but he just shook his head at her, amused.
Once they’d eaten, and Erin noticed he’d had three platefuls, he helped her clear the dishes and start the dishwasher.
Her body was on fire and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. She’d very nearly dropped to her knees to suck his cock when he’d suggested it before. But while she wasn’t looking for marriage or even love, she was looking for a man who was serious about the business of D/s. She and Jeremy had edged around it, but he’d never really gotten into it. She’d craved it, and his disinterest and halfhearted gestures had only left part of her unsatisfied and empty.
No one, in the time since Todd, had ever mastered her the way he had. He hadn’t even known it, which had frustrated her to no end. He hadn’t understood his own power because he was too busy running from it. But in those times when they were in sync, it was fucking marvelous. She’d never felt anything like it before or since.
She’d been in love with Jeremy, yes. Love for the man whom she’d had a child with. Love for the man who’d joined his life to hers. But that love hadn’t lasted the pain and tragedy of losing Adele. Although he remained a dear friend, she’d never burned for him, yearned for his touch, for the feel of his body against hers the way she had for those short two months with Todd ten years before.
And here he was, telling her what she wanted to hear, and from what she’d seen, he meant it. D/s wasn’t a game to her. It wasn’t something she played at. In the last few years she’d been able to admit her sexual submissiveness was integral to who she was. She hadn’t been with anyone since she’d left Los Angeles, and she’d never really thought she’d want anyone again. But now that her libido had sprung into action again, she wasn’t going to accept half measures. If he could admit the same, they might have a very fine time together. She just needed to know he meant what he’d said about being okay with his desires.
7
“Music?” she asked, moving toward the sleek media system in a cabinet near the far wall. Her walk was sure and graceful, feminine. He’d noted that she seemed more at ease here, less hesitant.
“Sure. And then how about a tour? This is really a beautiful place.”
Something smooth and female slid through the very swank surround-sound-style speaker system. She turned with a smirk. “No PJ Harvey today. This is Tegan and Sara. “
“Not bad.” And it wasn’t. He got up to check out the media center. “Damn, Erin, that’s some fucking sound system.”
She laughed. “It’s a far cry from the piece of crap we used to have back in the day.” She held out a hand. “Come on, let me give you the tour.”
He moved to her and took her hand, the connection singeing up his arm.
“You’ve seen the living room and the kitchen. This is my balcony; it wraps around the front here.” She walked him outside. The wind had kicked up, but it wasn’t overly cold. Still, he used that to put an arm around her, pulling her into his body, sliding a palm up and down her upper arm and shoulder.
The view was gorgeous. Clearly her music career had left her with some money in the bank if she could afford this place. Her furnishings and lifestyle didn’t seem ostentatious from what he’d seen so far, which was an important indication she’d not let fame or money go to her head.
They went back inside, and she led him around to the kitchen through a wide hallway.
“This is my office.” A big table with a large computer monitor on it dominated the back corner. A small area near the windows had a comfortable club-type chair and a table next to it, and across the room music stands, various electronic equipment and a variety of guitar cases