Chapter 3
Chapter Three
J ayne looked up at the loud wolf whistle directed her way. Stephanie stood just inside the front door of the bar, studying her.
“Bit overdressed for a lousy Saturday night at work, aren’t you?” Stephanie asked.
Jayne tried to shrug off the obvious. She was way too dolled up for Books and Brew. Even so, she felt compelled to defend herself. “There’s nothing wrong with trying to look nice once in a while.” She pointed at Stephanie’s holey jeans and faded sweatshirt. “You might want to give it a try.”
“Hell no. Best part about owning our own business is that no one can tell me how to dress. I prefer comfort over fashion.” Stephanie walked behind the bar and stashed her purse in the cabinet beneath. “And you’re a shitty liar. There’s no way you dressed up for the hell of it, so spill. Who’s the guy?”
Sophie walked out from the back with a large package of bar napkins. “Guy? You have a date tonight, Jayne?”
Jayne tried to batten down her annoyance at Sophie’s obvious surprise. After all, her friends were right to be shocked. She hadn’t had a date in months. It wasn’t that she didn’t like going out. It was more like she had really shitty luck when it came to picking eligible men who weren’t annoying or boring.
“No. I don’t have a date.” At least, she didn’t think she did. After all, Elias hadn’t said anything about them going anywhere. He’d simply told her to dress nice, to wear a skirt. Chances were he’d show up like he always did, claim his chair and sometime during the evening she’d casually join him for some quiet conversation.
Of course, there was a very big part of her hoping she could convince him to remain after closing for a repeat of Thursday. After all, they still had four more nights.
A small part of her was trying to figure out if it had all been a dream. Every second of that evening had been perfect and so far out of her realm of imagination, she’d chalked it up to the fantasies of a sex-starved, exhausted crazy woman. There was no way everything they’d done could be real. She’d replayed it over and over again until her body was in a constant state of painful need. Elias had touched places inside her she didn’t realize were there.
No. That wasn’t true. She’d always suspected her physical needs were a bit stronger, different from the norm. She just hadn’t recognized how deep her desires ran. Elias had exposed them, pulled them out into the light and forced her to face them. And the worst—and best—part was there was so much more she wanted him to introduce her to. They’d only grazed the surface of her fantasies.
Sophie started stocking the napkin holders while Stephanie hung clean glasses from the rack above the bar. Neither woman pressed her for more details. Probably because they didn’t realize there were more. She said she didn’t have a date. Since that was always true, Sophie and Stephanie accepted her at her word.
Stephanie hung the final glass and looked at her. “Why don’t you date more?”
Jayne shrugged. “Do you really have to ask? It’s not that easy meeting men in this town. Besides, we’re always working.”
Sophie tilted her head. “I used to think that too, but that explanation doesn’t wash anymore, does it? Stephanie met Jarod, Jordan found Gabriel and Casey, and now I have Marc. There’s not a doubt in my mind there’s a man out there for you too. I’m just worried you’re using work as an excuse not to try.”
Jayne didn’t take offense at Sophie’s comments. It was hard to deny something that was true. “I’m tired of jumping through the hoops, tripping and falling flat on my face.”
Stephanie leaned her hip against the bar. “Ritchie wasn’t so bad. Are you sure you gave him a decent shot? You only went out with him a handful of times.”
Jayne was sure. She’d met Ritchie at the gym where she worked out and had endured five long, boring dates with him. While he was a very nice man, she’d felt no spark. After the fifth date and two bottles of wine, she’d decided it was time to piss or get off the pot. She’d invited him in for the evening and had the most lackluster sex of her life. Jayne had broken it off shortly after that, but she hadn’t told her friends why.
“He just wasn’t my type.”
Sophie frowned. “You always say that. What is your type?”
Jayne didn’t even have to think about her response. “Someone who’s intelligent and kind, who treats me as an equal and who doesn’t suck in bed.”
Stephanie laughed. “I knew it. You had sex with Ritchie, didn’t you?”
“You know I don’t like to discuss my sex life.”
While she’d spent years listening to her girlfriends share and analyze their sexual exploits, Jayne had never felt comfortable joining in. For her, sex was a very private thing.
“Maybe if you gave us some details, we could tell you where you’re going wrong,” Stephanie teased.
There was no way Jayne was going to explain to her friends that she dreamed of being bound in bed, that she masturbated while fantasizing about kneeling before a dominant man with a flogger in his hands. There were details and then there were details .
Her desires needed to remain in the fantasy realm. While Elias was offering to bring some of her racy dreams to life, she couldn’t let the kinks drift over into her real life—the safe, normal one she was determined to hold on to.
“What makes you think I’m the one who’s fucking things up? Maybe it’s the guys who are lame.”
Stephanie gave her a shit-eating grin. “So tell us about tonight’s guy. How does he rate between the sheets?”
The question caught her off guard, flustered her. “I told you, I don’t?—”
“And I told you , lying is not your strong suit. You blush and look away. Which you’re doing right now, by the way.”
She hadn’t mentioned her encounter with Elias to her friends because she wasn’t sure what to say. Elias was their favorite customer and a good friend to all of them. She was taking a risk entering into a short-term sexual affair with him.
Jayne had been serious when she’d insisted that she and Elias limit the relationship. She was terrified of letting things go too far and potentially losing Elias as a friend. Apart from Sophie, Jordan and Stephanie, he’d become one of the most important people in her life. She couldn’t lose him, and she didn’t want to run him out of her friends’ lives either.
“Fine. There may or may not be a guy. And now I’m going back to work.”
She was saved from further questions when the bell above the door rang and several customers came in. Thursday’s brief snowstorm had come and gone quickly, most of the white stuff melting away by Friday afternoon. Today had brought sunshine, luring folks out of their houses again. The bar soon filled, keeping Jayne mercifully busy and too distracted to fret over Elias’s imminent arrival and her friends’ responses when they realized she’d dressed up for him.
In fact, she missed him showing up altogether. One minute she was ringing up a book for a lady and the next, he was there in his usual chair, Scotch in hand. However, rather than reading a book or the newspaper as he normally did, his gaze was focused solely on her.
She felt heat rise in her cheeks at his steady perusal. She’d taken great pains choosing her outfit, wanting to appear sexy without crossing over into the slutty domain. In the end, she’d selected a short, tight-fitting black skirt and silky white blouse. She’d intentionally left two buttons free at the neckline, instead of her usual one, revealing a healthy amount skin and the occasional peek at her lacy bra.
From Elias’s hungry look, she decided she’d selected the right ensemble. She smiled at him, lifting her hand to wave. She expected him to merely offer his usual friendly nod. Instead, he beckoned her over.
She went without a moment’s hesitation. No doubt if she’d told Sophie and Stephanie about her tête-à-tête with Elias, their first instruction would have been for her to be careful. They’d teased her about her crush on him, but for some reason, they’d never pressed her to pursue him. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe, like her, they’d sensed Elias’s darker edge, his strength and the undeniable power that seemed to emanate from him. It had overwhelmed her for years.
Could it be Stephanie, Sophie and Jordan had noticed the same thing and decided she wouldn’t be able to handle it and should therefore steer clear? That idea rubbed against the grain, so she shoved it away.
“Hi,” she said, silently cursing her sudden breathlessness.
“Jayne.” The way he spoke her name sent a shiver through her as she recalled standing before him, naked, totally exposed in this exact spot just two nights earlier. “Do you have time to join me for a moment?”
She nodded, sitting down. The bar was actually quite crowded, and there were at least four people perusing the bookshelves. Time was one thing she didn’t have. Even so, she didn’t give a shit. He was here.
“You look lovely.”
She smiled, wishing she could find some clever conversation starter. Usually talking to Elias was simple, but tonight she was tongue-tied.
“Did you follow all my instructions?”
She knew exactly what he was asking about. She nodded.
His gaze drifted lower, taking in her primly crossed legs. “No panties.”
It wasn’t a question but she answered him anyway. “None,” she said, cursing the slight quiver in voice.
He leaned forward and took one of her hands in his. “Jayne. It’s just me. I’m the same Elias I’ve been for years.”
She laughed nervously. “I’m acting like an idiot, aren’t I?”
“No. Not at all. Thursday was a departure from the norm. Pretty intense.”
“It was amazing.”
He squeezed her hand. “It was definitely that. I know you’re busy and this isn’t an ideal time to talk.”
She glanced around the bar, sorry to see his observation was true. Sophie was rushing from table to table, taking orders, while Stephanie mixed several drinks at the same time. Even Jordan had come in when Stephanie called an hour earlier to say it was a full house. The holiday season was quickly approaching, and everyone seemed determined to make merry.
“I was hoping that maybe…after we close…” She struggled to say what she wanted.
“You’re coming home with me tonight.”
She tilted her head, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “I am?”
He nodded. “I’m claiming my second night. And I want you to tell the other girls you’ll be late tomorrow. If you make it at all.”
“Okay.” Her answer was too quick, too excited.
Elias chuckled. “I won’t keep you from your work. Get your customers drinks. Help them select their books.” He glanced at his watch. “Then meet me outside that storeroom near the restrooms in an hour. I have a present for you.”
She brightened. “Really? A gift for me?”
He released her hand. “One hour.”
The clock taunted her, each second lasting an eternity. Jayne hurried to make sure all the patrons had full glasses and rang up three purchases on the bookstore side. She wanted to buy herself as much time as she could.
Finally, the sixty minutes were up.
She told Stephanie she was taking a break, then walked down the hallway that led to the restrooms and a large storeroom.
Elias was waiting for her, and she noticed a small bag in his hands.
“Hi,” she said as she approached.
He nodded once, then gestured toward the ladies’ room. “Do you need to use the restroom?”
She shook her head. “No. Why?”
“Because you won’t have another opportunity for a little while.”
God. Jayne felt the air whoosh from her lungs. Being with Elias was unpredictable and exciting as hell. “I’m fine.”
He took her hand and led her into the storeroom, closing the door behind them and throwing the lock. The room was cast in near darkness. She heard him place his bag on a shelf by her head.
“There’s a light switch over to the left.”
Elias caged her against the wall, his hot breath tickling her cheek. “I don’t need light.”
“Okay.” Her heart began racing. She’d thought of nothing but this moment since Elias had dropped her off at her front door two nights earlier.
He placed a soft, quick kiss on her lips. “I’ve missed you.”
“I know the feeling. I’ve been thinking about you nonstop.” God. She should probably at least attempt to shield her feelings, to play it cool. After all, she was the one insisting they keep things simple.
Elias didn’t seem to mind her undeniable enthusiasm. He placed another soft kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad. Open your legs.”
Just like that, Elias yanked the rug out from under her. One moment she was wrapped up in the romance of his kisses, his kind words. The next, she was on fire, desperate for each and every kinky touch and command.
He tapped on the inside of her ankles with his toe, and she spread her legs as he lifted her tight skirt. In seconds, he had her bared to the waist, thanks to his no panties request.
His fingers skimmed along her slit. She was already slick. She’d gone wet the moment she spotted him in the bar. He teased her clit with the tip of one finger—the stroke more playful than serious.
“You remember your safe word?”
She nodded then recalled he couldn’t see her in the darkness. “Yes.”
He dipped one finger inside her pussy. It felt amazing. And disappointing. She was too worked up for a gentle touch. She wanted him to take her roughly against the wall. She closed her eyes and imagined how good it would feel to be fucked hard right now. Her body ached for it. For him.
Her fingers gripped his shoulders, bunching the material of his dress shirt. It occurred to her, she’d never seen Elias in casual clothing. He always wore well-tailored suits. Most of the time he wore a tie, though she noticed that accessory and the jacket were missing right now. He’d never come to the bar in jeans and a T-shirt or even a polo. She wondered what he’d look like in less-formal attire.
Or nothing at all.
Thursday night he’d gotten her completely naked, while he had done nothing more than open his pants. From what she’d felt so far, she could tell he had a nice build. He belonged to a local gym and more than once they’d discussed different diets. She was forever trying to lose weight, and Elias had offered some suggested changes she could make that might help. Then he’d end those conversations by shaking his head and bemoaning the fact that beautiful women never seemed to notice when they were already perfect.
She’d always appreciated the compliments. They soothed the insecure part of her that crept out from time to time. Elias knew when she was feeling down, and never failed to raise her spirits.
“I’m going to give you a phone number to a local spa, so you can make an appointment for next week.”
She frowned. “What sort of appointment?”
“For a waxing. I want you bare down here.” He tugged lightly at the hair covering her pussy.
He didn’t ask. He simply told her what he expected. Jayne felt the same warmth that had filled her Thursday reappear. He was taking over, taking care of her.
By the same token, he’d given her an out if she became frightened or overwhelmed. A safe word that, once uttered, would put the power back in her hands. She wasn’t sure she’d ever received such a beautiful gift.
“Jayne? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, sir.”
Elias’s body stiffened. Even in the darkness, she could tell his sudden tension wasn’t based on disgust but rather desire. His erection brushed against her hip as he moved closer. “Say that again.”
She smiled. “Yes, sir.”
“Thirty minutes. We’re going to stay at Books and Brew for thirty minutes more. Then we’re leaving.”
“I can leave now if you want.” While the bar was crowded, she wasn’t sure the guilt she’d feel over leaving her friends shorthanded would be enough to overpower the fact she wanted to have sex. Right now.
“No.” Elias’s hands tightened on her bare hips. “The crowd will start to thin out soon. Besides. I have something I need you to do.”
Anything.
“So eager,” he teased.
Crap. Had she said that out loud? “Sorry.”
He kissed her again. This time his lips lingered a few seconds longer, though not long enough. His voice when he spoke was deeper, sterner. “Never apologize for that, Jayne. Ever. Now…this might be cold at first.”
She started to ask what, but before she could utter a sound, his fingers returned to her pussy. This time they were covered in some sort of gel. Where had he gotten that? From his bag?
The dark room and her overactive imagination were obviously blinding her to too many of Elias’s actions. She needed to pay attention.
The cool lubrication quickly warmed up. Too much.
She gasped. “What is that?”
“It’s a heating gel. I thought you might appreciate the extra lubrication, although I have to admit, you’re already wet enough to drown a man.”
She giggled nervously. “Sorry.”
Elias sighed. “I’m going to punish you for that apology when we get to my place. I warned you.”
His words, though threatening, didn’t scare her. Instead, she wondered if he’d spank her again. She’d always been curious about the psychology behind women who craved that sort of treatment as part of the sexual experience. She’d actually done a bit of research on the subject once. She’d wanted to discuss it with Elias, but had been too embarrassed to broach the subject.
On Thursday, he’d answered all her questions regarding the act firsthand and without realizing he was doing so. It hadn’t been the pain of the act that had turned her on so much. It had been her vulnerability, her helplessness that aroused her.
“Punish?”
“There’s a difference between using pain to stimulate and using pain to correct. I told you not to apologize for being sexually excited. It’s a silly thing to be sorry for considering that’s the state I want you in. The problem is, three seconds after I told you not to do it, you did it again. I expect you to obey me. Even in the simplest of things. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She did. She’d been in the storeroom less than five minutes and she was screwing things up. She wanted to place herself in Elias’s hands, but too much of this felt out of her realm of knowledge. “I understand. And I’m trying. Honest.”
He clearly wasn’t appeased. His silence lingered too long.
“I’ll do exactly what you say. I promise.”
He cupped her cheek with his free hand, the fingers of his other still buried inside her cunt. “I know this is new to you. I need you to trust me to guide you.”
“I do.”
“Good.” His fingers left her and she instantly missed his touch. Then she heard an odd noise.
She wanted to ask him about it; however, he halted her question.
“No more talking.”
She had no doubt he’d address any concerns she had, but in quiet moments like this, she suspected he wanted her to simply feel.
He knelt, his hands stroking her calves. “Slip off your shoes.”
She toed off the flats. Though her outfit would have looked better with heels, she was too practical to don the uncomfortable things and attempt to work. She’d already spent hours on her feet today and was glad she had made the concession, opting for comfort.
Curiosity tugged at her when she felt him slip something over her feet, but she remained silent.
“These are latex panties.”
She bit her lip so as not to bark out a laugh of surprise. He’d bought her panties? Latex ones? He slowly worked them up her legs. Jayne wiggled to help him slide the tight rubber over her knees and thighs. Then something brushed her clit. Something hard.
“Elias?”
“Shh. Quiet, remember?” Then he added, “Built-in dildo.” His response was simple, to the point. Shocking.
“Oh.” Suddenly she understood the need for lubrication.
He didn’t bother to say more. Instead, he placed the head of the toy at her pussy and worked it in as he pulled the panties the rest of the way up.
The toy wasn’t overly large, but it left her feeling uncomfortably full.
She’d been without a man for nearly a year, so she wasn’t unaccustomed to the feeling of plastic between her legs. She’d acquired quite a collection of vibrators and dildos to help her wile away too many lonely nights, but none felt quite like this.
Elias tugged her skirt back into place—and she realized exactly what he intended.
“I can’t work with this thing inside me.”
He was quiet for a painfully long minute. She’d disappointed him. Again. Fuck.
Even so, she couldn’t go into the bar to serve drinks and sell books while wearing his naughty latex panties.
Could she?
Everyone would take one look at her bright red cheeks and know.
Wouldn’t they?
Finally, Elias broke the silence. “You know your safe word.”
She wouldn’t say it. Hell would freeze over first. They’d agreed on five nights, and she was determined to fill those with enough kinky memories to last her a lifetime.
“I’m sorry for my outburst. I’m not going to say the word. Not now. Not ever.” She tried to suck in some much-needed air. The room had grown stifling, humid. She was struggling for clarity.
“Don’t make promises you may not be able to keep. The word is there to protect you. I fully intend to push you to your limits. And then some.”
It was a serious threat, yet it didn’t scare her. Instead, her pussy got even wetter.
Elias placed his hand between her legs and pushed the dildo deeper. “I’m going to enjoy watching you work with my toy inside you. My own private show. No one will know what a dirty little girl you are. No one except me. Thirty minutes, Jayne. You’ll wear it for half an hour, then you’ll grab your purse, say goodbye to your friends and come home with me. I’m going to fuck you tonight. If you don’t want that, say so now and I’ll leave.”
Her fingers tightened on his arms. “Don’t leave.”
He kissed her gently on the cheek. “Only when you ask.”
His oddly phrased comment caught her unaware. They’d set a limit. He knew that. Five nights and then, God, please grant her the strength, she would ask him to leave.
He opened the door, flooding the dark space with light. Jayne blinked rapidly, fighting to adjust to the momentary blinding. Elias placed his hand on her waist and gently propelled her into the hallway.
Her first few steps were awkward as her body assimilated to the intrusion between her legs. The dildo rubbed against the heating gel he’d placed inside her, warming her pussy until Jayne feared an orgasm was inevitable.
She stopped just before entering the bar, seriously in danger of coming from the stimulation.
“You don’t have permission to come,” he whispered, standing close behind her.
“Please.” She hated the whine in her tone, but she wasn’t sure she could hold off the climax hovering right there, within striking distance. She wanted to turn around, walk back to the privacy of the storeroom and unleash the screaming orgasm clamoring for release.
“You won’t come tonight until it’s my cock filling you. If you give in to that orgasm, Jayne, I’ll take you back to your apartment and leave you there. Alone.”
“No.” She turned to face him and saw the truth written in his eyes. He wasn’t bluffing.
“I can’t wait to feel your pussy clench against my cock.” He grasped her hand and discreetly rubbed it against the front placket of his pants. His erection was thick and hard. “You aren’t the only one suffering. I promise. Don’t fail me, Jayne. Don’t fail us . I want you too badly.”
She stiffened her spine and nodded. Somehow knowing he shared her agony made things better. She would do this.
For them.
“Thirty minutes,” she repeated, more to soothe herself than to clarify. Then, she walked into the bar and endured the longest half hour of her life.
* * *
Elias watched Jayne covertly wiggling in the passenger’s seat and fought to hold back his grin. She was aching, dying to come, but his beautiful girl had managed to withhold granting herself that pleasure.
Of course, given her two-year-old, stuck-in-church-style squirming, it was obvious she was trying to find some relief from the dildo still lodged in her cunt, despite his admonitions.
At the end of the half hour, he’d risen from the chair, paid his bill and waited by the door as Jayne made her excuses to her friends. He didn’t believe any of them had been fooled by her assertion she had a headache and he’d offered to walk her home. Especially not when she’d clumsily added she was planning to sleep in and would be late to work tomorrow.
Though he wasn’t certain, he was relatively sure Stephanie had winked at him as he’d led Jayne out.
“Why didn’t you tell your friends you were coming home with me?”
She turned her attention to him. “I wasn’t sure you wanted me to say anything. After all, it’s only five nights. Well, three after tonight.”
He frowned. “And I told you, I fully intend to push for more time. Are you sure that’s the only reason you aren’t telling your friends? I got the impression there was very little the four of you didn’t share with each other.”
“I don’t usually do casual affairs, and if I’d told the girls I was coming home with you tonight, they would have assumed…”
Her words drifted away and he understood her silence.
“That I’m your boyfriend?”
She nodded. “I’ve never talked to them about my,” she paused, uncomfortably, “um, fantasies.”
“I see. You think they would disapprove?”
Jayne shook her head. “No. Not really. I mean Stephanie has told me about some games she and Jarod have played using his handcuffs, and Jordan’s sleeping with two guys at the same time, for God’s sake. It’s just, you know, sort of extreme.”
“Extreme doesn’t equate to wrong.” He wasn’t sure Jayne understood that important fact.
She bit her lip, and he got a sense she was trying to remain silent.
“Speak your mind, Jayne. I don’t want you to hide anything from me.”
“This isn’t going to be easy for me, Elias. I feel like what I want is in direct opposition to who I am.”
“Explain.”
“While I want to submit to you sexually, I could never let you call the shots when it comes to other real-life sort of stuff.”
He tried to hide his grin. “Sex isn’t real?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. I grew up in a house where the man’s word was law. My father rules the roost and my mother is expected to follow along, regardless of her feelings. She’s not allowed to express an opinion, make any decisions about money or vacations. He even tells her what to make for dinner. I vowed a very long time ago I would never live that sort of life.”
Suddenly Jayne’s reluctance made sense, and he was right. She didn’t understand what he wanted from her. Not at all.
“It’s possible to separate the two. While I demand obedience in the bedroom, I don’t expect—or even want—that type of relationship outside of it.”
He spied a flicker of hope in her face, but it soon gave way to doubt. Somehow, he was going to have to convince her that it was possible to submit without giving up her identity, her freedom.
Before he could expound further, she wiggled again.
“God, Elias. I can’t do this anymore.”
Her hands flew to the dashboard, and she began bouncing in her seat.
“Stop moving, Jayne.”
She froze, her face flushed, her breathing labored. She wanted to come. Badly.
“Take several long, deep breaths. We’re almost to my house. When we’re inside, I want you to take off your clothes. All of them. Including the panties. You’ll always be naked in my house.”
She nodded slowly. “Yes, sir.”
“The orgasm rule still applies. You aren’t allowed to come until my cock is inside you.”
“Elias—” she started.
He turned to look at her, his eyes narrowed. The look stopped her in her tracks.
She swallowed heavily and fought for control. “Okay,” she finally said, the word laced with pain. And need.
“And, Jayne,” he said as he pulled into his driveway.
“Yes?”
“I don’t plan to fuck you for hours.”
He grinned as she groaned, then turned off his car and got out. Opening her door, he held her hand as they walked to the porch.
Jayne walked slowly and studied her surroundings. He could tell she was struggling to subdue her arousal. He meandered with her along the walkway to his front porch, giving her the time she needed to get herself under control.
“It’s so peaceful out here. I can’t believe it, considering how close we are to the city.”
He loved his home and hoped she would too. “As I said, I like my privacy.”
They entered the house, and Elias placed his car keys in a bowl on the foyer table. Then he led her to the living room, where he sat on the couch. Jayne stood in the doorway, looking around. He saw her acknowledge the open curtains.
“Jayne. You’re already facing one punishment for that silly apology. I don’t think you want to add to that tally tonight.”
His dark threat had the desired effect. She started freeing the buttons on her blouse, dropping the silky material to the floor. Soon, her bra and skirt followed suit. He enjoyed watching the pained bliss on her face as she worked the dildo out of her pussy and shimmied the latex off.
When she was completely naked, he waited, allowing himself to soak up the attractiveness of her curves, the delicate way her hips and breasts worked together to form a mouthwatering hourglass shape. Jayne fidgeted for only a moment, struggling to decide where to place her arms.
She was anxious to cover herself, but his brave lady kept her hands by her side. She was a true submissive, regardless of her desire to fight that fact.
He longed to be the man to prove to her there was beauty in submission—freedom and power combined together. He wanted to show her the joy she could find in that truth, but he’d have to work hard to overcome her anxieties and the deeply ingrained fear she would end up in a relationship like her parents’. He’d take this night, expose her to her beautiful nature, then find a way to strengthen the bond between them. Find a way to earn her trust.
Once he’d looked his fill, he rose and beckoned for her to come closer. Taking her hand, he hesitated a split second then—decision made—led her away from his basement dungeon, taking her instead to his bedroom. He wanted Jayne in his bed.
Her eyes widened when she spotted his king-sized four-poster. “Oh my God. I love this room!”
He’d known she would. No doubt it spoke to her romantic side. He’d refurnished the room last year, disposing of the old beat-up furniture he’d owned for years. Though he tried to lie to himself, he couldn’t deny Jayne had influenced the décor.
He’d been sitting in the bar one Thursday night as the Romantic Hearts book club discussed their latest bodice ripper about some sexy sheik and the room he’d designed for his favorite love slave. Somehow the women had drifted onto the subject of romantic bedrooms. He’d listened as Jayne described her ideal room— this room. Her vision stuck and before he knew it, he’d built it for her.
He should have known right then this moment was inevitable. But his stubbornness had kept him away.
“Elias,” she said breathlessly as she walked farther inside, letting her hand drift over the soft down comforter to touch a silk pillowcase. Her eyes roamed over the room, taking in everything from the dark cherry wood to the plush deep-green carpeting and the cushy love seat that sat in front of the fireplace. It was an old home with some unique touches. He’d known the second he’d seen the fireplace in the bedroom he would buy the house, despite the fact it was a fixer-upper. For the first few years, he’d spent many weekends repairing the place, making it his own.
The bedroom had been the latest room to undergo a major overhaul, and Jayne had unwittingly provided the blueprint. There were moments during the remodeling when he’d felt foolish for building such a romantic room. He’d tried to tell himself no self-respecting bachelor would sleep in such a whimsical place.
Then he’d finished it, felt Jayne’s presence, and knew instantly that it was perfect.
“It’s incredible.”
He was pleased by her praise, her approval. The sight of her soft smile and naked body proved too much. He walked to the closet and pulled out a large sheet that he spread on top of the bedspread. “Lay down.”
She crawled to the middle of the mattress and reclined on her back, watching him expectantly.
It would be so easy to shed his clothing and join her. Climb over her and lose himself inside her body for hours, days.
He couldn’t give in to that urge.
Elias desperately wanted to make a few of her naughtier fantasies a reality, while proving he could also be the hero of her dreams. If only she’d give him a chance to show her both sides.
Jayne had hidden from her desires for too long. He refused to let her remain in the shadows any longer.
“Jayne.”
“It’s just sex, Elias.”
What had she seen in his face? How had she been able to read him so clearly? The idea that she knew him so well was unnerving. He reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out a blindfold.
Since he couldn’t school his features, he’d limit her access. Bending forward, he tied the black material over her eyes, making sure it was snug but not too tight.
Jayne’s nipples pebbled and he grinned. She was amazingly accepting.
He walked back to the closet and pulled out a box. Jayne remained quiet though he suspected her curiosity was killing her. She was incredibly inquisitive, and they’d spent countless hours seeking answers to her endless questions about every subject under the sun. From space to architecture, Bond movies to Shakespeare, she constantly sought more knowledge, and she dragged him along for the ride.
Reaching toward the headboard, he secured two straps he’d retrieved from the box on the opposite posts. “Lift your arms.”
He grasped her wrists, loving the way her breathing hitched as he tied first one, then the other hand above her head.
He repeated the motions on her ankles until she was secured, spread-eagle to his bed. She tried to covertly test the bonds, sighing softly when she found them impenetrable.
“Safe word?” he prompted.
“Never.”