Chapter Two
Chapter Two
What the hell just happened?
When Damien walked away, Catrina exhaled.
Damn you.
Who the hell do you think you are?
His outrageous proposition had stunned her, leaving her shaken, and she glanced around to be certain no one had overheard him.
As if I’d ever get on my knees for a man ever again.
Even you.
So why were flutter-kicks racing through her stomach?
Catrina prided herself on being a take-charge person.
From her time as class president in high school to editor of the college paper, and now, as the founder of her own company where she focused on the financial success of women, she’d always been outspoken and driven.
After the end of her engagement five years before, she’d gathered up the shattered pieces of her heart.
When she’d been ready to date again, a friend had introduced her to Todd, a nice, seemingly agreeable man.
In the bedroom, though, he’d bored her.
She’d realized she couldn’t live with unimaginative, he-finishes-first sex every night for the rest of her life.
One evening, after she’d stroked his ego, reassuring him he was an excellent lover, she suggested they try new things in the bedroom.
With a little skepticism, he’d agreed.
When she brought in a toy, he’d grabbed it from her and tossed it aside.
Then they’ had sex, and she’d been left unsatisfied. Again.
Later that night, he’d walked in on her masturbating in the shower.
He’d lost his cool, turning off the hot water while yelling that she was an insatiable freak.
His words and never-before-seen temper had left her reeling.
And worse, uncertain.
Then he’d forced her to her knees and brutally clamped her wrists, demanding she lick his balls.
By the time he’d let her go, bruises had been forming on her skin.
Shaking, stunned by this side of him, she’d demanded he leave, and she’d vowed she’d never be forced into a situation like that ever again.
The next day, when she’d arrived home from work, his few belongings had been gone from her apartment and his key had been sitting in the middle of the dining room table.
A few months later, she’d met a handsome gentleman at a party. After hearing about her previous, disastrous relationship, he’d said he’d be honored to worship at her feet.
He hadn’t been joking.
Ever since, she’d been involved with submissive men who catered to her every sexual need. In return, she catered to their desires.
What could be better?
At times, though, a horrible, niggling voice whispered that she was missing intimacy.
Anytime the awful thought caught up to her, she’d turn up the volume on her television or distract herself on her elliptical machine, music blaring from earbuds.
She’d remind herself she had plenty of friends for problem solving and conversation.
Her days were full in every way, and she didn’t need anyone to hold her or to share a life with.
Even someone like Damien Lowell.
As if reading her thoughts across the distance, he glanced over his shoulder.
With a tiny shiver, she turned away.
When she looked back, he was gone.
Thankfully.
No way did she need someone like the arrogant Dom bossing her around, taking his satisfaction, leaving her frustrated.
Definitely not.
Minutes later, Gregorio moved through the rooms, announcing the imminent start of Master Damien’s demonstration.
Now that Master Lawrence had claimed Bradley, Catrina was at loose ends.
Maybe she could avail herself of the services of a house sub.
Or perhaps Gregorio with his pirate-like looks, silver earring, and sexy body might be talked into playing with her.
She swept her gaze over the room and found him. But since he was deep in a conversation with a couple she’d never seen before, she’d need to wait until later.
More out of boredom than curiosity, and not because Damien had issued a challenge, Catrina snagged a sparkling water mixed with cranberry juice and wandered into the living room.
The usual furniture had been removed, and several rows of fold-up chairs had been arranged in a semicircle near the fireplace.
She stood toward the back where she wouldn’t be noticed.
From here, she had a clear view of Damien and the pretty sub on her knees, facing him, her head bowed. Catrina appreciated the woman’s lush, feminine form. She wore her hair in a blonde bob that shaded her face.
Since both were turned sideways to the room, their expressions and all Damien’s gestures were obvious.
Moments later, Gregorio entered and stood near Damien.
Without being told, the gathered crowd hushed as Damien touched the woman’s head.
In response, she trembled.
Catrina could only guess how much courage was needed to participate in a demo, especially with the house owner. The sub’s nervousness radiated through the room.
Damine’s biceps flexed as he made tiny, massaging motions. To soothe or reassure the sub? Either way, his silent communication was impressive.
“I’d like you to stand,” he said, his strong, baritone voice echoing through the space. “And tell us your name.”
“Susan, Sir.” She kept her eyes on the wooden floorboards, even as he offered a hand to help her up.
Warmth shimmied up Catrina’s spine as she remembered the sensation of his firm grip on her arm.
She didn’t normally accept help, and it surprised her how much she’d liked it.
Softly, he went on. “I appreciate your show of respect.”
Interesting.
Damien had not used that tone with her. Instead, he’d spoken to her as an equal, rather than a man intent on seducing a woman.
“Look up at me, Susan,” he continued.
She did, her eyes wide and unblinking.
“I want you to be completely comfortable with everything we do here tonight.”
“Yes, Sir.”
In that same, reassuring voice he went on, “Is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?”
“I’d like to leave on my panties, Sir,” Susan whispered with her head turned.
He took her chin and recaptured her gaze. “Of course you may leave on your panties. Anything else I can do to reassure you?”
She shook her head but started to fold her arms.
“It appears there may be something you’re reluctant to tell me?” His question was astute.
“Ah… I have very sensitive nipples, Sir.”
“Then I’ll treat them with all due respect.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She gave a tentative smile.
“And do you have a safe word, Susan?”
“Stop.”
“So, to be clear, stop means stop.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And a slow word?”
“Yellow, Sir.”
“Got it. We’ll take a break if you use the word yellow.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“You’re also aware that ‘halt’ is the house safe word?”
“Yes, Sir.”
In that instant, Catrina understood why Damien taught demos at the open house events. It was one thing to inform Doms that they needed to make their sub feel comfortable, but Damien was a genius.
He was repeating what Susan said, but not in parrot-fashion. With the way he spoke and used physical touch, he built trust and simultaneously soothed Susan.
His approach was as subtle as it was elegant.
Maybe he had been correct in thinking she could learn something from him, as much as that thought rankled.
Transfixed, she took a drink while he undressed his sub.
Damien could have ordered Susan to strip. Instead, he squeezed her shoulders and ran his fingers over the skin he bared. “Now I’d like to remove your bra.”
Catrina gulped. The seduction in his tone made her wish the words were directed at her.
“Yes, Sir,” Susan said.
He moved around the back of her to unfasten her bra.
Her shoulders were rolled backward so that the bra remained in place.
“Thank you for your trust,” he continued when he stood in front of her once more.
Slowly, he drew the straps down her arms. “Remember you can stop or slow down at any time.”
“Yes, Sir.”
When he’d removed the lacy black brassiere and handed it to Gregorio, Damien brushed her hair back and said, “You’re beautiful, Susan.”
As if a switch had been turned on, she smiled, and her cheeks flushed with color, making her look radiant. Hesitancy had been replaced with confidence.
Under his guidance, she’d blossomed.
Catrina couldn’t look away even if she wanted to as he cupped Susan’s breasts and eased his thumbs across her nipples.
Her eyes closed.
As he continued, she moaned and moved toward him, curling her fingers around his wrists.
Catrina clutched her glass tighter as shock tightened her throat.
Damien’s concentration seemed riveted on Susan. It appeared as if neither were aware of the dozens of people watching them.
For the first time, Catrina observed submission and dominance from an entirely unfamiliar perspective. For them, nothing seemed to exist outside of one another, and Damien’s attention didn’t wander from the woman under his command.
Catrina took care of her men, meeting their needs in a transactional type of way. In return, she had at least one magnificent climax. The lack of connection had been fine. Until now.
“Tell me what you want, Susan.”
“An orgasm, Sir.”
He smiled. “Oh, you’ll most certainly earn that.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Her knees buckled.
“Can you wait?” he asked.
“If it’s your desire, Sir.”
“You’re a very pleasing submissive. Tell me what we’re demonstrating this evening.”
“A flogging, Sir.”
“I’d like to make love to you with the leather strands.” Damien’s words oozed hypnotic appeal.
As if she were the one standing on the stage in front of him, Catrina’s insides melted.
“Yes, Sir.”
Catrina had never looked at a man the way Susan was looking at Damien, eyes wide with trust and reverence.
Damien led Susan to the hearth and placed her hands on the mantel. “Legs farther apart for me,” he said, his words like a caress.
Susan moved into position.
“I can secure you in place, if you’d like.”
“I’ll remain as I am, Sir, if that’s okay with you?”
“Certainly,” he replied.
“Thank you, Sir.” Though she’d been trembling earlier, Susan was now still.
Damien had said he wanted to make love to Susan with his flogger, and that’s exactly what he seemed to do. He started with tender leather kisses, licking at the woman’s shoulders and back. He let the strands fall in gentle waves.
Catrina had never wielded a handle with such skill. She told herself it was because a man’s skin was much tougher than a woman’s, but now she questioned whether she’d assumed too much.
As the scene unfolded, holding her spellbound, he brought Susan’s body to life. He increased the intensity of his blows on her panty-covered buttocks. Her cries were whimpers of desire, not of distress. She appeared to surrender not only to Damien but to the flogger.
Goose bumps rose on Catrina’s arms, and her skin tingled with anticipation.
Suddenly, she didn’t want to watch Damien please another woman.
Confused by the irrational thoughts, she gulped the last of her drink then slammed the empty glass down and headed toward the foyer.
“I’d like to be on the next shuttle to Winter Park,” she told the submissive at the door.
“It will be about twenty minutes, Milady. Jeff’s just on his way back now.”
Catrina nodded, said thanks then strode purposefully to the women’s locker room.
The place was empty, and she exhaled in relief.
For several moments, she struggled to rein in her wayward emotions, smoothing her hair, straightening her skirt, and splashing mountain-cold water onto her face.
All that done, she felt more in control.
Finally, exhaling deeply, she pulled back her shoulders and opened the door.
As if he’d been waiting for her, Damien stood at the end of the hallway, arms folded, overwhelming the space, blocking her way.
She started to take an instinctive step back but managed to stop herself.
Power cloaked him.
For a wild moment, before sanity plowed back into her, she wondered what it would be like to play with him.
In front of him, she stopped.
“You were there,” he said. “At the demonstration.”
She lifted a shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. “I missed the shuttle and had nothing better to do.”
At the half-truth, he grinned.
How did he see through her so completely?
“What did you think?”
“You seem to know what you’re doing.”
“You were curious, weren’t you?”
When she didn’t respond, he continued, “You were wondering what it would be like to be in Susan’s helpless, submissive position?”
After her experience with Todd, she’d told herself she’d never again be subject to a man’s bigger, stronger demands. And yet… “Why would I? I can have a gorgeous man at my feet and tell him exactly what to do.”
“Is that what you want?”
Catrina refused to consider his question.
“Or do you want a man who will concentrate all his efforts on pleasing you?”
“I have that now.”
“Do you?” he countered. “Do your men give you the attention I gave Susan?”
“Of course.”
“You ought to be taken to task for your complete lack of honesty.”
She shivered. With a stubborn tilt of her chin she snapped back, “How dare you?”
“You looked down and to the left before answering.” Then, in a softer tone, seducing her with his voice, despite the nature of their conversation, he continued, “When was the last time anyone cared enough to watch your movements so intently that they knew you were lying? Do all your relationships exist strictly on the surface? Do you crave something more? Deeper?”
Intimacy.
He’d asked the same damn question that she continually tried to outrun.
“Aren’t you curious about what you’re missing?”
“No.”
“Another lie?”
She shook her head quickly. Too quickly.
He dropped his arms and took a step toward her.
“Damien…”
“You know the house safe word,” he told her. “You can use it at any time. But you aren’t going to, are you?”
Jesus. What the hell is happening here?
This close, his masculine scent and determination consumed her.
His blue eyes were as dark as a midnight sky. A tiny pulse in his jaw mesmerized her.
“Is your pussy wet, Milady?”
His words suffocated her, and she struggled to infuse her words with a dismissive tone. “From what? Being near you? Watching your little demo? Not at all.”
Impossibly, he took another step closer.
“Shall I find out for myself?”
“No.”
“Use the house safe word.”
She should.
But she couldn’t.
“Last chance, Milady.” With exquisite care, he cupped her shoulders. “Tell me to stop.”
“I…”
His grip was loose, and she could escape at any moment, yet the fierce, independent part of her was nowhere to be found.
He turned her slightly and backed her against the wall.
Then, ever so gently, he captured her wrists in one of his hands and pinned them above her.
Her chest rose and fell as emotions tumbled through her. She shouldn’t want to interact with him.
But this seemed natural.
Right.
With the same kind of intensity that he’d watched Susan, he studied Catrina, as if searching for clues about what she wanted.
He touched the knuckles of his free hand to her throat.
She kept her eyes wide, pretending she wasn’t affected.
Continuing, Damien skimmed down the center of her chest, bare skin to bare skin.
Then, unblinkingly holding her gaze, he traced beneath her breasts.
No one had ever showered her with this kind of attention, and it left her dizzy.
Even though she was covered by the material of her corset, her nipples responded when he moved over them.
There wasn’t a part of her that wasn’t aware of him.
“Open your mouth.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to kiss you.”
No.
While she started to protest, he dove inside her. She expected him to coax her. Instead, he consumed her.
He forced his way in, tasting of an intoxicating blend of persuasion and dominance, making her weak.
She was helpless to him.
Yes.
Damien insinuated a thigh between her legs, and despite her resolve, she began to rub herself against him.
The woman in her recognized his mental as well as physical strength.
The realization should frighten her.
But it didn’t.
He was sure of himself, powerful enough for her to trust.
While he might demand that she hold nothing back, he wouldn’t push her too far.
For a moment, he pulled back. “You’re exquisite.”
When he reclaimed her, he deepened the kiss.
She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
And suddenly she didn’t want to.
Shockingly, an orgasm began to unfurl deep inside her.
A couple moved past them, but Damien never allowed his attention to wander.
On and on the kiss went, until she began to shake.
Gently, he released her mouth. “I won’t be satisfied until you climax.” He adjusted their positions, moving a hand between her legs to slip his fingers inside her thong. “Your pussy is wet, Milady.”
She shook her head, and he laughed. It was a satisfied, rather than triumphant sound.
His focus entirely on her, he pressed a thumb to her swollen clit.
“I…”
“It’s just you and me. I’ll keep your secret. No one will have to know that you came for me.”
Catrina had never known a desire so debilitating. Even if she found someone else or went somewhere to satisfy herself, it wouldn’t be the same.
She needed him.
He made maddening circles on her clit, and he had one finger teasing her entrance.
“Do it,” she instructed.
But she’d forgotten who she was dealing with.
“Ask.” He shook his head. “And be grateful I’m not making you beg.”
Beg?
Fuck you.
Relentlessly, the awful, skilled Dom kept her on edge.
“Shall I stop?”
Searching for self-control, she squeezed her eyes shut.
When she didn’t respond, he stilled.
“Damn you, Damien.”
“Ask for it, Milady. Tell me what you want.”
She hated this. Loved it. “I want to come.”
When he didn’t change the tempo, she closed her eyes.
He allowed her the time and the space to wage her internal battle. Sensations assailed her, forcing her body to relax. She became a puddle of feminine hunger.
“Ask.”
Catrina was lost in the moment, in him. “May I come, Damien?”
“Look at me.”
With a deep swallow, she did.
“One more time.”
Much as she hated this, she understood him. He wouldn’t let her escape or pretend she hadn’t been aware of what she was doing. “Will you give me an orgasm?”
“The pleasure will be all mine, Milady.”
He circled her clit and slid two fingers deep inside her pussy.
At the blessed relief, she cried out.
As he finger-fucked her, he continued to tease her clit.
Her legs shook with the force of his movements.
There was nothing sweet about this, and it was beyond hot.
“Is this what you want?”
But he already knew the answer because he studied her and responded to her reactions.
He changed his angle slightly, finding the sensitive spot inside her that no other man ever had.
With a whimper, she jerked against him.
“Come for me, Catrina.”
He pressed his fingers against her G-spot.
Mindless of her surroundings, she screamed as the climax crashed into her. He helped her ride it, keeping his grip tight on her wrists, pressing her against the wall, supporting her body.
“So, so perfect,” he said.
She screamed a second time, shattered.
Her body went limp, but she wasn’t worried, he was there, holding her in a firm but tender grip.
It seemed like minutes later when she blinked and looked at him.
“Welcome back,” he said.
“That was…” She clamped her mouth shut, desperate to be on firm footing again.
“Yes, it was. For me, as well.”
She blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“I adore a woman who is so responsive. I appreciate you playing with me.” He moved his hand from between her legs and straightened her thong and skirt.
“What just happened…” She pulled her wrists free from his grip. “It changes nothing.”
“Maybe not for you.” He tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear, and she caught her own scent on him. “As for me, I’m intrigued. I want to know you on a deeper level.”
His words terrified her.
Then she told herself he truly was a master in all ways. Which meant he used his words to great effect. “Not all women swoon at your lovely statements.”
A flash of temper seared his eyes. “You know better than that.”
“Do I?”
“I had a demo with Susan. I didn’t say anything of the sort to her.”
She hadn’t stayed until the end.
“This was different.”
“Was it?”
He took her hand and placed it on his crotch. “You tell me.”
“So?” So hard. Big. Firm. She struggled not to be impressed or to let him know how much she appreciated him. “You have a hard-on.”
“Were you born a cynic?”
With an exhalation, she shook her head. “Life taught me.”
“I can teach you other things, show you a different perspective.”
“Is that what this was about? Proving something to me?”
“Partially.”
She recoiled.
How stupid to think, to hope, that he wanted her as a woman. “At least you’re honest.”
“The bigger truth is, I did that because I wanted to get you off, because I’m attracted to you.”
“More pretty words, Damien?”
“Give me two weeks.”
“What?”
“I’m challenging you. Spend two weeks with me, submit to me, see if the experience transforms you.”
“I’m not sure this matters to you, but in case I wasn’t clear earlier, hell fucking no.”
“What are you scared of?” His tone was soft, challenging.
“Nothing scares me.” Another lie.
“Then agree to it. You’ve got nothing to lose. You’ll experience new things, get to spend a few days up here, have a chance to relax.”
“Relax?” she scoffed.
“What would it be like if you could be yourself and let go, turn over control to someone else for a while?”
“I can’t,” she said, her heart thundering. That was as honest as she’d been with anyone, ever.
He inclined his head, showing he’d heard the fear in her voice. Damn him.
“Was it scary when I brought you off?”
She shook her head.
“When I made you ask for it?”
“No.”
A woman on her way to the locker room continued by without disturbing them.
“I will demolish your barriers, Catrina.”
A traitorous part of her wanted to say yes.
Instead, she met his gaze. His eyes were dark, probing. She was afraid he saw too much.
He brushed a strand of hair back from her face.
“I’m not a sub.” She had to go before her resolve crumpled. “Thanks for the orgasm. My shuttle will be here soon.”
He moved aside.
As she walked past, he swatted her, catching the bare flesh above her stockings and below her buttocks.
Shock stole her breath.
Then, fury blazing, she rounded on him.
Before she could speak, Damien had her against the wall once more, overpowering her with his scent, his presence.
The sting receded, leaving a tantalizing warmth that stunned her and made it impossible to weave coherent thoughts together. “That was unacceptable.”
“Of course it was.”
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are.” Despite herself, she grabbed his shoulders and held on tight.
What the hell is happening here?
He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her forehead before moving lower to graze her neck.
His gentleness surprised her, obliterating her defenses.
“Be at my place in Denver tomorrow night at eight,” he whispered in her ear. “Just the two of us, Catrina.”
“I can’t.” I won’t.
“If two weeks is too frightening, start with one night. Eight o’clock,” he repeated. “What could it hurt?”