Chapter 7
“Isthis going to be a dirty movie?” Cassie asked. Things had been heating up a moment ago, and now she felt he was pulling away. Why had he stopped?
Jesse paused and lowered the remote. “Did you want to watch a dirty movie?”
“No. I just don’t understand why you suddenly want to watch a movie, that’s all.”
He’d planned to wait to have this conversation, but he supposed now was as good a time as any. She might decide to change her mind about a relationship after all.
Placing the remote back on the coffee table, he shifted in his seat to face her. “I want you to be completely comfortable with me, Cassie. From the little you’ve told me, your last relationship wasn’t full of a lot of trust or communication. That’s not what I want for us. In fact, to have the kind of relationship I desire, we both need to be completely open and honest with each other.”
Cassie nodded. “I know I’m a little hesitant sometimes. I don’t mean to be.” She paused. “I just don’t want to get hurt again.”
He took her hand in his. “I’m aware of that, which is why I’m trying to go slow with you. I need you to trust me.”
Her brow creased in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m a Dominant, Cassie. Do you know what that means?”
She didn’t answer right away. He could almost see her brain working. “Like the guy in that movie?”
Jesse grinned. “Yes and no. A Dominant’s first and foremost responsibility is to take care of the needs of his submissive.”
He waited for her to process what he’d said, giving her time. When she met his gaze again, he could see her anxiety. “And you want me to be your submissive?”
“Yes, I do.”
She didn’t pull her hands away from his, which gave him hope she wouldn’t get up and run screaming from his condo. Instead, she seemed to be taking in the new information, weighing it in her mind. “What would I have to do?”
“That would be negotiated. We would sit down and talk about our sexual history, then discuss what it is we like, what we’re okay with, and the things we never want to do.”
“Would you order me around, tell me what I’m allowed to do?”
He could tell by the tone of her voice she wasn’t thrilled with that idea.
“Only when it comes to sex.” He gave her hands a squeeze. “Other parts of your life wouldn’t change unless you decide you want them to. Outside of the bedroom, we’d be like any other couple that’s dating.”
Cassie’s long pauses were understandable. He was giving her a lot of new information to consider. “When would we…I mean, how would we start?”
He released one of her hands so he could cup her face. “I’ll give you some papers before you leave tonight. I want you to read over them and fill them out to the best of your ability. It’s called a limits list. It will let me know what you’re interested in exploring. If there’s something you don’t understand, leave it blank and we can discuss it. All right?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “I think I can do that.”
Jesse trailed his fingers down her cheek and rubbed his thumb along her jaw. “Are you ready to watch that movie now or would you like me to drag you over my lap and spank you?”
Her eyes went wide as she froze.
He chuckled. “I’m kidding. We’ll save the spanking for another time.” He winked, dropped his hand, and retrieved the remote. “What are you in the mood for? Action? Drama? Sci-fi?”
To her credit, she blew out a breath and turned her attention to the screen. “Action sounds good.”
Jesse flipped through the selections until he found something that sounded appealing. As the movie started playing, he reached for Cassie. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder as she watched the movie play out on the screen.
An hour and a half later, Cassie sat up, smiling at him. “That was amazing.”
“It was. I’d heard good things about it, and now I understand why.”
Cassie stretched and his gaze went to the hem of her dress. She’d spent most of the movie curled up against his side, but in the last fifteen minutes or so, she’d squirmed in her seat as the climax of the movie had unfolded. The movement had caused her dress to creep higher and higher. Now it was bunched to the top of her thighs.
“Do you mind if I use your bathroom?” she asked.
Her question drew his attention away from the temptation. He knew he needed to be patient—that the wait would be worth it, but damn it was taking all his willpower to keep his hands to himself. “Of course. It’s down the hall. Second door to your right.”
She smiled at him, stood, and sashayed down the hall.
Jesse turned off the television and went to get the empty bowls of ice cream they’d left on the table. He rinsed them before putting them in the dishwasher and grabbing a towel to wipe down the counters.
That’s where Cassie found him. To his surprise, she came up behind him and circled her arms around his waist.
He dropped the towel on the counter, turned to face her, and pulled her closer.
She gazed up at him, biting the side of her bottom lip. “Thank you for dinner. And the movie.”
“No need to thank me. I like cooking for you.”
Cassie smiled, but he could sense something was on her mind.
He pressed his forehead against hers. “What is it?”
“What if I can’t do the submissive thing?”
Jesse pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Do you remember when I walked you to your door after our first date and I told you to think of me when you touched yourself?”
“Yes.” The admission came out in barely a whisper.
“Did you follow my instructions? Did you think of me while you brought yourself to orgasm?”
Her eyes closed as she swayed in his arms.
“Did you obey me, Cassie?”
She sucked in a breath, and he felt a shiver run through her body.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
Jesse covered her mouth with his. She opened for him, and he slid his tongue inside, stroking and tasting. His hands wanted to explore every inch of her, but he kept them on her back and hips. As much as he wanted to take things further, he knew it would be better…smarter…to wait.
He broke the kiss. “It’s getting late. You need to get your rest.”
She met his gaze, her pupils dilated with arousal. If he led her to his bedroom, she’d follow.
Placing another brief kiss on her now swollen lips, Jesse took two steps back, forcing himself to put some distance between them. “Wait here.”
Jesse strolled into his study, still feeling the tingle of her lips against his. He was rock hard and would need to spend some quality time with his hand after she left, but it would be worth it. He had to keep reminding himself.
Going to his desk, he unlocked the bottom drawer and removed the blank limits list he’d printed out for her. He hadn’t planned to give it to her quite this soon, but maybe it was better this way.
When he exited his study, she was exactly where he’d left her. Cassie met his gaze and held it as he crossed the room until he was standing in front of her. It was only then she seemed to notice the papers in his hand.
He handed them to her. “This is the limits list I was telling you about. Fill it out as best as you can and be honest. That’s the most important thing. Don’t mark something as okay because you think that’s what I’d want.”
She took the papers. “Okay. I’ll be honest.”
Jesse smiled. “I want you to text me when you get home so I know you arrived safe.”
“I will.” Cassie picked up her purse, folded the papers, and stuffed them inside.
He walked her to the door, admiring the way her ass swayed beneath the fabric. It was a good visual he’d use later tonight.
She began to leave, then stopped, meeting his gaze. “What about work?”
He’d been expecting her to ask and he’d been thinking it over. “We’ll need to tell my dad and inform HR. I’ll see if I can get some time with my dad tomorrow. Once that’s done, we’ll tackle HR.”
A little worried wrinkle appeared on her forehead. “Do you think he’ll be upset?”
“My dad?”
“Yeah.”
Jesse thought about it. Blake Masters was a strange bird sometimes. He honestly had no idea how his dad would react, but he wasn’t overly concerned about it either. His father was more likely to be upset with him than he was with Cassie, if he was bothered at all. He was hoping, however, that since his dad liked Cassie, he’d be okay with Jesse dating her. “No.”
Cassie seemed to relax a little. “Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She started to walk out the door, but he hooked his arm around her waist and crushed her against him. He needed one more kiss.
Her arms went around his neck as she melted into him and kissed him back. They were both breathing hard when he finally let her go. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Drive safe.”
Jesse stood in the doorway, watching her make her way down the hall. She glanced back at him before stepping onto the elevator. He had a moment where he wanted to chase after her, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her back into his condo, but he wanted to do this right and that meant taking it slow.
* * *
Cassie woke the next morning with a smile on her face. She’d texted Jesse the night before to let him know she’d gotten home safely. He’d replied immediately, telling her he’d stop by her desk at noon to take her to lunch.
Her nerves about them dating had everything to do with how other people would react. When they were together, only the two of them, Cassie wasn’t thinking about who Jesse’s father was. She was too busy enjoying being with him.
Brie was pouring cereal into a bowl when Cassie emerged from her room, dressed and ready for the day. She’d taken a little extra time with her makeup, wanting to look good for her lunch date. Her friend took one look at her and whistled.
Heat rushed to Cassie’s cheeks.
Her friend laughed. “Want some cereal?”
“Sure.”
Brie took another bowl out of the cabinet and topped it off with cereal as well. Then she went to the refrigerator and poured milk into both bowls before carrying them over to the small table.
Cassie managed to eat two bites before the questioning began. “You got home late last night. I’m guessing the date went well.”
“Yes.”
“Did you…” Brie lifted her eyebrows in a suggestive manner and gave a little wiggle in her chair.
She took another bite of her cereal. “No.”
Brie gasped. “You turned him down?”
“No.” Cassie’s thoughts went to the papers he’d given her. They were folded and tucked in her purse. She needed to look at them, but part of her was weary of what she’d find. What if there was crazy stuff on there? And what if he wanted to do that stuff with her? To her?
“I don’t understand. The guy’s clearly into you. And he invited you to dinner at his place. You’re telling me he didn’t make a move on you?”
Did he make a move on her? Did telling her he was a Dominant and he wanted her to be his submissive and do who knows what to her count?
Cassie didn’t know the answer.
She could probably ask Brie. Her friend was better at relationships than Cassie and she knew Brie and Kaden had a healthy sex life. For all Cassie knew, Kaden was a Dominant, too. But for some reason, Cassie didn’t want to talk about it with Brie. “We ate dinner and watched a movie.”
“That’s it?” A crease formed on her friend’s forehead. “No dry humping or fingering you while you sucked him off?”
A picture formed in Cassie’s mind and heat rushes between her legs. She hadn’t missed the bulge in Jesse’s pants the night before.
Clearing her throat, she picked up her spoon and took another bite of cereal. “No.”
It was strange. When she’d started dating Greg, she’d been anxious to get Brie’s take on everything that had happened between them. Where he’d taken her for their first date. How he’d asked her to come back to his place. She’d wanted her friend’s opinion on all of it.
But with Jesse, it felt wrong somehow. She didn’t want to share.
“Ugh! You’re killing me. I want details.”
Cassie scooped the last of her cereal into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed before answering. “He says he wants to take it slow.” Of course Cassie wasn’t sure how slow given what was burning a hole in her purse right now.
Brie was quiet while Cassie took her bowl to the sink. After a long moment, her friend pushed back her chair and carried her dishes over as well. “Maybe he’s gay.”
It was a good thing Cassie was done eating or she might have choked. “He’s not gay.”
Her friend raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Trust me. He’s not.”
Brie still didn’t look convinced.
“Look, I’ve gotta go or I’m going to be late.” Cassie grabbed her purse from the back of the chair. “I should be home after work.”
“Spaghetti for dinner?” Brie asked, letting the pervious topic go.
Cassie removed her lipstick and rubbed it over her lips before dropping the cylinder back into her bag. “Sounds perfect. Later.”
She slipped into her parking spot in the company parking garage, then headed up to the executive floor. One of the perks of being an administrative assistant to the president of the company was she got her own parking spot close to the elevators. She didn’t have to fight for a space and walk the length of a football field in heels.
Normally, she loved that perk, but today she thought the walk may have helped to calm her nerves. Or maybe not.
Jesse wasn’t worried about his father’s reaction to them dating, so she was trying to be positive. He knew Blake Masters better than she did. Maybe he’d even be happy for them.
The elevator doors opened and she made her way to her desk. Cassie waved to Anu, one of the other administrative assistants, as she passed by.
As Cassie rounded her desk, she noticed the single daisy. She picked it up and held it to her nose, then took a deep breath. The beautiful fragrance made her smile, as did the simple gesture.
She looked around to see if Jesse was still on the executive floor, but she didn’t see him. How early had he come in to make sure the flower would be on her desk waiting for her?
Cassie was still grinning an hour later when her boss strolled up to her desk. “Good morning, Cassie.”
“Good morning, Mr. Masters.”
“My son called me this morning asking if I had some time on my schedule today. I told him I could do lunch. He said it was important, so it might run long. Could you call Paisley Grant and see if we can push our meeting back to two?”
Cassie smiled, but her stomach began doing flip-flops and not in a good way. “Of course.”
“Thank you.” He took a sip of coffee from the mug in his hand. “I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me until my conference call at ten.”
She nodded, but he was already walking away.
As soon as her boss’s door was closed, Cassie picked up her phone and sent a text to Jesse.
Lunch? - Cassie
She tapped her foot as she waited for him to respond.
I told you I was taking you to lunch. - Jesse
Yes, but you didn’t tell me it would be with your dad. - Cassie
Does that make a difference? I thought we agreed to tell him about us. - Jesse
Her fingers hovered over the screen as she contemplated her answer.
I thought we’d be meeting with him in his office or something. - Cassie
Trust me. - Jesse
Trust him. It’s what he’d asked of her last night. He wanted her to be able to trust him. The question was, could she do that? This was a big leap considering her job could be on the line.
As she thought of last night…of how right it had felt to sit there on the couch with him watching a movie. And how when he held her and kissed her everything else faded away. There was only one way she could reply.
Okay. - Cassie
Then, she remembered the flower.
Thank you for the daisy. I love it. - Cassie
You’re welcome. - Jesse
I’ll see you in a few hours. - Jesse