Chapter 10 #2
“You mean, is it going to be kinky up here?”
“Yeah.” He chuckles.
“Ninety percent of the time, it’ll be a regular restaurant. In fact, why don’t you bring her on opening night?”
“Sounds good.”
“Count me and Helena in,” Flex says over his shoulder as he inspects the finish of everything. This has been as much his baby as it has mine.
“Naddie and I will be here for sure. Wouldn’t miss it.” They’re regulars at Dulip, so I know I’ll be seeing a lot of them up here.
“Excellent. Tell her I’m going to put her favorites on the menu.”
“God, she’ll be here every night.” He laughs.
“Fine by me.” This place is perfect. The kitchen. The dining area. The ambience. It’s going to be great.
“Are the NDAs in place for the staff?” Dalton’s wife has been collating everything I’ll need for hiring here at Venom.
“I’ll be starting interviews next month. Aspen’s contracts are already signed, and she starts today.”
“You’re sure she’s trustworthy?”
“Yes. She’s amazing and so talented.”
“Are you dating?”
“She’s not a sub, Dal.”
“Not what I asked.” Dalton has a way of cutting through the bullshit. I’d say it’s something I admire about him, but at this moment, I don’t want him probing a situation I don’t understand.
“No, we’re not dating.”
“But you like her.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t date employees. Not like someone else I know,” I jibe. It worked out pretty great for him.
“Fair point. It’s not the employee part I’m concerned about. She’s not in the lifestyle, Ry. You and I both know we can’t deny who we are and what we want. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
“I know.” My heart sinks as I attempt to seem aloof.
I glance at my phone, seeing a text from Aspen.
Aspen: Just arrived. Are you here?
Me: Yeah. Come on up.
“That goofy smile on your face right now says it all, bro,” Flex declares. Apparently, I have no poker face when it comes to this girl.
“Fuck off. You all have your person. Quit sticking your nose in my business.”
“It’s what we do.” Carter laughs. “If you need any pointers on a ‘vanilla’ relationship, come find me.” He may not be a Dom, but I doubt he’s vanilla. I’ve seen him with his wife. Even after years together, they can’t keep their hands off each other.
“Well, Aspen is here, so I have work to do. Kindly all fuck off now and enjoy your wives.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Dalton says with a shit-eating grin. “Naddie’s naked in our private room right now, waiting in the position.”
“Lucky bastard,” I say it with a chuckle, but I’m serious as a heart attack. They have it all figured out. I don’t know that I’ll ever want that. How do I trust again? I’m scared I may have found someone who would be a compatible partner outside of the lifestyle. Just my fucking luck.
As they head for the elevator, it pings open, and Aspen walks out looking mouthwateringly sexy in jeans and a Yungblud T-shirt. God, I think I’d come like a horny teenager if I ever had her in the position I ask of my submissives.
“Hi,” the guys say in unison.
“Hey, everyone.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aspen. I’m Dalton.” He offers her a handshake.
“And I’m Carter, the only normal one around here,” he says by way of introduction.
I shuffle them into the elevator. Nothing to see here. I don’t want them around her. It’s dumb because they are my closest friends in this world, but I want to protect her from this side of me.
“As beautiful as ever, Aspen,” Flex throws out as the doors close.
“Sorry about them. I thought they’d be gone by the time you got here.”
She looks to me with uncertainty in her eyes. “It’s fine. They seem nice.”
“You don’t need to be dealing with a group of Doms when you come to work.”
“Then you hired me for the wrong job.” I am such a selfish asshole.
“Sorry, I just want you to feel comfortable.”
“I—” I cut her off before she has a chance to change her mind.
“Are you ready to see the finished product?”
“Yes! I’ve been giddy all morning.” She’s so cute.
“I went to the market first thing and got some great ingredients. I thought we could freestyle today.”
“Sounds like a plan. Oh my God, it looks amazing. I can’t believe I work here!”
“This is just the beginning of your story, Aspen.” I can’t take my eyes off her, delighting in her reaction to every detail as we walk the dining room before heading to the kitchen. “Now, grab your whites, and let’s get to work.”
“Yes, sir.” Why does the universe hate me? She’s fucking perfect in almost every way.
“Aspen, what have I told you?” It comes out more clipped than I intend, but I’m not prepared for the sly grin that spreads across her gorgeous face. She grabs the whites I brought for her and sashays past me.
“Sorry, Sir.” There’s no mistaking her intent, and it has me hard as a fucking rock. She’s playing with fire. I’m trying to be a good guy right now, but she’s making it incredibly difficult. She doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into.
Every day, I’m losing the war waging inside me when it comes to Aspen.
I want her more than my next breath, and the more I get to know her, the more stunning she becomes.
She’s a beautiful woman. Her gorgeous hourglass figure has me hard every fucking time I see her, but it’s so much more than that.
It’s different with her. I’ve always been a sex first, feelings-later kind of guy.
With Aspen, I look forward to walking her home, listening as she bubbles over with enthusiasm for the day we’ve just spent together in the kitchen.
I’m awed by her raw talent, and it makes me smile every time she nails a new dish.
So eager to learn. I can’t help but wonder how well she would respond to learning to be a submissive.
Her long black hair cascades down her back, and I imagine wrapping it around my fist. God, she’d be beautiful on her knees for me.
“Only working half a shift today, boss?” Aspen quips as I step into the kitchen. She gives me a sly grin, and it has me fighting the growing bulge in my pants. I need to fuck this woman. Maybe I can do the vanilla thing. The sex would still be fantastic.
Don’t do it.
I remember Dalton’s warning not to put myself in a position where I have to deny myself as a Dominant, but I’d try for this girl.
It’s not like we wouldn’t have kinky sex.
Everyone has a kink or two, but could I go without having my partner kneel for me, trusting me with every facet of her pleasure and pain? The answer is, I don’t know.
I’m consumed by her. Enchanted.
“I was picking up one of the ingredients for the dessert you’re going to make today.”
“Please tell me it’s your tiramisu.” Her face lights up, brightening the room.
“You mean my age-old family recipe that is reserved for family and a select few?”
“I’ll marry you if you give me that recipe.”
“So that’s all I’m good for? You’d put up with me for my food?” I move to her side, setting down the bottle I brought with me.
She turns to look up at me. “Maybe.” If I dipped my head right now, our lips would meet, and I crave that perfect pout.
“You couldn’t handle me, baby girl.” The words are out before I catch myself.
Her eyes find mine.
“I think it’s you who couldn’t handle me, Sir.”
“You’ve got to stop that. I only have so much self-control.” I pull back, going in search of everything I need for this recipe. When I return with an arm full of ingredients, Aspen bounces up and down. “Tiramisu!”
We pull out the necessary bowls in silence, the tension in the room palpable as I attempt to calm myself, but having her so close is torture. Walking her through the steps, I can see the rapid rise and fall of her chest, making it all the more difficult to resist.
“You’re doing it wrong.” I move to her back, placing my hand over hers. “It’s got to be lighter. You’re too heavy-handed with it.”
The soft scent of her perfume tantalizes my senses. “I…”
“You need to slacken your wrist. Relax into it as you whip it.” Fuck, the thought of this girl and a whip has me hot under the collar.
“Like this?” Her voice betrays her, echoing the tremble of her fingers against mine.
“Yes.” My pulse quickens as I stand at her back, the urge to kiss her long, elegant neck getting stronger with every passing second.
I pull back, letting her continue with the egg whites. “What next?”
“Once they are soft peaks, mix in the yolks and sugar.” I struggle to keep my breathing level.
“Yes, Sir.” Fucking hell. I force myself to walk away, adjusting myself, my cock aching for some action. I’ve busied myself with work, but Jesus, this girl is making me want to do things she’d never agree to.
I grab the mascarpone cheese from the refrigerator and the bottle of Vin Santo I picked up on the way here. “I was impressed that you knew amaretto wasn’t the best choice for this dessert.”
“I’m obsessed with the simplicity of Italian food, but the complex flavors take everyday basic ingredients and elevate them. The right oil and a dash of the perfect herb become a taste sensation.” I’m intrigued.
“Okay, so we’re going to add the Vin Santo to the mascarpone and gently whip them together.” I set the ingredients down, then grab a small shot glass and a biscotti from the pantry. She watches as I pour a little and dip the biscuit in the wine.
I step closer, holding it out to her. “Taste it.” Instead of taking it from my hand, she leans forward, wrapping her lips around the biscotti, and my mind goes to all the wrong places.
“Mm.” Her eyes flutter closed as she experiences the different flavors on her tongue, and it’s such a turn-on.
“Mix in two tablespoons with the mascarpone, and then we add the eggs.” I stand behind her, trying to think of anything else to calm my erection before she notices I’m hard as a rock.
As she whips the mascarpone, a little flicks up onto her face, her cheeks blushing as she tries to wipe it off.
She turns to look at me, her proximity overwhelming when we are face-to-face. “Did I get it all?”
“You still have a little on your cheek.” She rubs it with the back of her hand but manages to miss a spot.
“Now?” She looks up at me with her big, beautiful eyes, and all restraint goes out the window.
I lean in, pressing a ghost of a kiss to her flawless skin, removing the last of the mascarpone. I drink her in, the rapid rise and fall of her chest letting me know she feels it too—the palpable attraction in this moment.
“You smell good enough to eat,” I whisper in her ear.
Her arms slip around my waist. “Then take a bite.”
The second the words leave her lips, I grab her face in my hands and kiss her with a hunger so fierce it takes over all coherent thought.
Her hands roam my back as she pushes up onto her tiptoes, so I reach for her waist and lift her onto the countertop, her legs splayed on either side of me, one of the bowls behind us crashing to the floor, but I don’t give a fuck.
I want her. I fucking need her in this moment.
My lips crash down on hers, needing more. Ready to devour her.
She tastes like heaven—after weeks of denying my attraction to her—a soft summer breeze on my tongue.
The scent of her hair and the subtle aroma of her perfume are a heady cocktail as I claim her lips, harsh and unforgiving, begging entrance, which she welcomes, her tongue darting out to stroke mine in a sensual, devilish caress.
My hands find their way up into her hair, tugging her head back to give me the perfect angle to kiss her with everything I have. It’s been a long time since a woman has disarmed me and I’m completely lost to the sensation.
Our tongues twist and tangle, her hands clawing at my back as she wraps her legs around my waist, grinding against my rock-hard erection. She moans at the feel of my cock, and it’s enough to send me into a tailspin.
“Take off your panties.” She doesn’t question the command, pushing me back just enough to close her legs and remove them. When she lets her legs drop open again, there’s a dark, sultry smile on her face. Fuck, she looks amazing.
Without another word, I drop to my knees, grip her thighs, and splay her legs as wide as they’ll go before leaning in to take her with one, long, languorous lick, and she’s fucking soaked. She wants this just as much as I do.
“Oh, God, Ryder. Fuck! Yes.” That’s it, baby girl, moan for me.