Secrets (The Infidelity Trilogy #2)

Chapter 5

Five

T he weeks since Steph had spent the weekend with Jon had passed by quickly until just a few days ago when Jon had been a little distracted and very unavailable beyond basic business hours, although he’d been missing or unavailable several times when she’d attempted to see him in his office. Professionally she knew how fortunate she was. Jon had entrusted her with her current role by giving her free rein and she liked it. Her home life was relatively uncomplicated considering the fact that she was dating a married man who was also her boss and they had settled into a routine of sorts that seemed to suit them both until the last few days.

Steph had finalised the Richards deal in preparation for their next meeting that afternoon but was tiring of the toing and froing with the three executives she had originally met with. They kept trying to push for more and more control regarding the deal, which was now set in stone, they just didn’t know it yet.

With copies of the final deal ready to be presented to Messrs Mason, Alexander and Robertson, Steph checked the time, half past twelve. She had an hour before the meeting was scheduled to start in the conference room on the twenty-third floor with Mr Brooker, making her grin broadly. As she giggled at her own reaction she chastised herself for acting like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush on the teacher.

She shrieked loudly as Rosie appeared at the door startling her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you heart failure,” laughed Rosie.

“Yes. Sorry I was miles away,” replied Steph.

“So I see. Do you want anything bringing in for lunch?”

“No thanks, I’ll grab something later, but you get off and I will see you after my half one meeting,” she explained.

“Okay.” Rosie smiled before turning to leave. “I’ve got some post for you.”

“Just leave it on my desk for me and I’ll grab it after lunch.”

“Your desk?” queried Rosie.

“Yes,” replied Steph smiling as she realised that she felt that it was her desk in her office and in her department, but then realised that it wasn’t, it was Dave’s, and he was due back off leave the following week. “My desk.” She grinned at her assistant.

Armed with paper copies of the figures, the proposal and her laptop, Steph got into the lift and smiled at her reflection. She had deliberately put on the wiggle dress that she had worn just once before to the office and although Jon had told her on more than one occasion that he didn’t consider it suitable office wear as it distracted him and other male colleagues, she had deliberately worn it today because she hadn’t seen him personally for too long due to what he’d cited as ‘family stuff’ as the reason why he had been unable to see her. She’d readily accepted this and in no way objected. She certainly hadn’t questioned the nature of his ‘family stuff’, she could work it out for herself if she wanted to, and the truth was, she didn’t want to. She just wanted him to remember what he had been missing and insist on seeing her that night even though he had been vague on whether he would be free in spite of it being one of their nights to see each other.

She glanced behind her and wondered whether seamed stockings, complete with suspenders may have been too much, but it was too late and she had decided as she attempted to walk around the department that morning that the very high and expensive black stilettos were definitely too much.

The lift arrived at the twenty-third floor and as Steph wiggled down to the conference room she was glad that she had fixed her hair in a bun type of up do as she felt her temperature rising for a number of reasons including the unusually late heatwave and a little nervousness at the prospect of putting her proposal to the parties concerned.

She had set out the proposals at the places arranged by Andrea before she’d arrived. There was tea, coffee and water at one end of the table and a covered selection of cake and biscuits which reminded Steph of her own hunger, although as she was struggling to taste food right now due to some cold or something that seemed to be brewing, eating almost seemed pointless. She wondered whether she had time to run down to the canteen or coffee joint and grab something. She laughed as she thought that she had no chance of running anywhere in her shoes that were a little tight across the toes and were a little higher than her usual heeled shoes. Suddenly she felt very self-conscious and debated for a second whether to call Rosie and do a swap with her more sensibly heeled court shoes. After searching and finding the clock on the wall she realised that she was unlikely to have time to do this and was proven right when Andrea appeared in the doorway with Messrs Robertson, Mason and Alexander.

“Miss Pryor, Mr Brooker will be along shortly,” Andrea told her and then turned towards the men she was accompanying, “Help yourselves to refreshments, gentlemen, and if there is anything you need before the meeting starts I will be back shortly to get it for you.” She smiled amiably and left the room.

“There are a few things she could get for me,” Mr Mason sneered perversely making Mr Alexander smirk, but Mr Robertson looked uncomfortable, possibly by Steph’s presence and as Mr Mason continued with his lewd comments his two colleagues looked beyond uncomfortable. “Although I’m not sure Brooker would fully appreciate Miss Stewart’s attributes or Miss Pryor’s. I am suspicious of any man that remains that cool when surrounded by such hot totty. Maybe he bats for the other side because if they worked for me I would have them both bent across the conference table on a regular basis,” he muttered and seemed surprised when Steph looked up at him with an expression of disgust. “No offence, but you are very attractive,” he added as if that made his comment acceptable.

“Do you realise just how offensive you actually are?” asked Steph still semi stunned by his attitude.

“It was meant as a compliment,” he protested as Steph got to her feet and switched on the screen. “Plus I think you ladies know exactly what you are doing in the way you dress around the office.”

Jon had been right previously, her dress was inappropriate for the workplace, not that what she wore gave anyone the right to judge or make lewd comments, but whether it was fair or not, she needed to give consideration to wearing clothes that were professional rather than trying to entice her boss to make time for her. “Gentlemen, if we can get settled we can start the meeting promptly when Mr Brooker arrives,” she told them helping herself to a cup of tea and a slice of cake before taking her seat and turning on her laptop.

“Sorry for the delay folks,” came Jon’s voice from behind Steph as he appeared in the room, “I got held up on an overseas call,” he said in explanation.

Andrea followed him in and poured coffee for Jon before exiting the room after establishing that they were all ready for the meeting to start.

Steph began to talk them all through the proposal and she noticed that Gordon Alexander kept looking at the others and frowning. She smiled to herself as she waited for him to say something about the revised proposal that was now on the table.

He appeared to open his mouth several times, but said nothing until finally he blurted out, “I think we have missed something here because this deal bears no resemblance to the one we came to you with.”

“No, it doesn’t,” agreed Jon, apparently surprising him. “But unfortunately Mr Alexander, the original proposal you suggested was misleading and once Miss Pryor went through all of the figures this seemed the most appropriate deal to suggest and you are in no way obliged to accept it, but this is the only offer on the table,” Jon said forcefully.

Mr Mason sniggered and made a barely audible whispered reference to ‘I know what I’d put on this table’ and smiled at Steph lecherously.

“Are we interrupting you, Mr Mason?” asked Jon, irritated by the other man.

“No, sorry,” he replied nervously.

“Good, then shall we let Miss Pryor talk us through the deal?” he asked rhetorically and Steph took her cue perfectly.

She finished working through the proposal before Peter Robinson asked, “Can you explain why the original terms of our proposal for investment have been changed so considerably?”

Steph looked across at Jon who smiled at her and with a wave of his hand gestured for her to explain. “You didn’t ask for enough money. We, I, did some additional research and that, along with your own figures suggested that the amount of investment you were requesting would have been no more than a drop in the ocean, and in a year or so you would have needed more money or new investors and . . .” She looked across at Jon who picked things up.

“I didn’t want to become one of many shareholders Mr Robinson and I would have lost money if I had tried to get a return on the initial investment. So we have put on the table the best deal for your company, but also the best one for mine. Let’s have a comfort break and get some fresh tea and coffee in here and then Miss Pryor can give you the specifics,” he said pointing at the large projector screen that her laptop was linked up to.

The three other men looked between themselves before nodding as Jon got to his feet and looked across at Steph. “Miss Pryor, a word please.”

Steph nervously got to her feet and smiled as she walked towards Jon who stood at the door and held it open for her to walk through. She felt very self-conscious as she wiggled across the room and knew that of the three men still sitting around the table at least one of them would be watching her and would undoubtedly make some inappropriate comment once she left the room.

One of the women from the coffee shop appeared with a trolley of fresh refreshments as Steph walked through the doorway followed by Jon. They walked a short distance down the corridor before Jon was at Steph’s side and rested his hand on her elbow as he said, “I have missed you, Miss Pryor. How are you?”

“I have missed you too, but I am very well thank you,” she replied.

She almost fell over as she was pulled by the arm that Jon was holding and suddenly found herself being pushed firmly against the back of the door in a storeroom containing paper and other stationary. Jon stood so close that she felt slightly claustrophobic now.

“Hello,” he said as he lowered his lips to hers.

“Hello,” she replied after he let her up for breath.

“I thought this dress was hanging up in the wardrobe of my bedroom?” he asked as he gently tugged at the fabric of the skirt.

“No. It was hanging up in the wardrobe of my bedroom.”

“So I see, darling, but you do know that it is still unsuitable for work no matter whose wardrobe it was hanging in don’t you?” he asked with an arched brow.

“It really is work wear,” she protested although it wouldn’t be coming to work ever again.

“That dickhead Mason seems to appreciate it!” he said angrily.

“It wasn’t for him,” she told Jon with a small nibble of her lip.

“I am very pleased to hear it.”

“You are looking pretty foxy yourself and I am becoming more and more desperate to see you,” she admitted as she drank in the image of him before her; he was wearing a dark navy three piece suit, almost black, with a pale blue shirt and a navy tie. She smiled, realising that his attention to detail was second to none, the handkerchief in his pocket was an exact match to his shirt.

She ran her top teeth over her lower lip and stared up at Jon. Tears stung the back of her eyes, tears she forced back as she realised he really was everything to her.

“I am so glad that you approve, but if you keep looking at me like that and teasing your lip with your teeth I will have no choice but to fuck you right here, right now,” he said, almost threateningly.

“That’s just fine by me,” she admitted.

“I bet it is you dirty girl,” he chastised with a grin. “Maybe I should think about how to deal with you appropriately, but now we had better get back before they come looking for us,” he said as he gently kissed her lips again.

“Will I see you later?” She was desperate not to sound needy or as if she was trying to pressurise him, especially not when she took the time to really study his face, his eyes that looked a little tired and jaded, but she’d missed him even more than she’d realised until that very second.

“I’m not sure, I still have some stuff to sort out, but I would really like to see you.”

“Okay,” she agreed, not wanting to add any further stress to his life. “I’d really, really like to see how you plan on dealing with me appropriately,” she told him with a smirk, eager to entice him.

“I think you know exactly what that looks like,” he told her with a serious expression and darkness entering his eyes.

“I think I might,” she agreed, her breath hitching as her heart began to thud against her ribs and the blood rushing through her system seemed to pound in her ears.

“Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” he mused, but who he was speaking to she couldn’t decide. “I would really like to see exactly what is under this dress,” he told her, his mood still a little unsure and serious.

Wanting to lighten the mood she continued, “You may never know.” With a smirk she ducked under his arm and was opening the door before he knew what was happening leaving him to follow her back along the corridor.

Steph was sitting back in her office and smiled as she thought of Jon’s reaction to Mr Mason offering her his number after she’d declined his offer of a film and a meal. She skimmed through her emails and smiled as she saw the holiday details that Jon had asked his travel people to find and send to her. She began comparing them as her phone rang.

“Hello,” she answered seeing that it was an internal call from Rosie.

“Mr Brooker for you,” she explained.

“Put him through,” she said and as she heard the connection she grinned. “Good afternoon Mr Brooker, what can I do for you?”

“Mmm,” he mused. “I think you know exactly what you could do for me, darling.”

“I am free tonight,” she teased.

“I know you are and I really am trying to rearrange things.” He sounded as disappointed as she felt at the prospect of not being able to see her.

“I know, but if not I could always give Jonah a call,” she tormented.

“You are not funny and I hope you have thrown Mr Mason’s number away.”

The sound of his annoyance made her laugh. “I have had some holiday details come through from your people,” she said changing the subject.

“Good change of tack, darling. I know you will choose the right one,” he commented before telling her. “I am waiting on a call and if it pans out I will be at your disposal tonight, but I have got to go to Dublin in the morning.”

“Dublin? How long for? I like seeing you around the office,” she told him.

“I like seeing you around the office too, although I can think of other places I prefer to see you,” he said and she could sense a smile on his lips. “You could always come to Dublin with me.” His suggestion took her by surprise.

“I can’t I have work to do.”

“But this is business and you work for me,” he said beginning to reason aloud.

“Jon, do you need an accountant in Dublin, honestly?”

“No, but I need you to be with me and in my bed,” he replied.

“Then sort your plans for tonight and I will happily occupy your bed, shower, sofa, floor and table, anywhere you want me.” She almost panted at the thought of it.

“That’s a very nice thought, especially if you are still wearing those amazingly sexy shoes,” he said huskily making her lean back in her seat and close her eyes as her own fingers traced a path from her face down her cheek and neck towards her chest.

“I could keep them on,” she suggested. “And the stockings and suspenders,” she added, imagining her own touch belonged to him.

“Fuck! That is definitely a date then, in fact, maybe you should finish work now and then you could be waiting for me at mine in just the stockings and shoes,” he said quite seriously making her laugh.

“But you haven’t had your call yet,” she reminded him.

“I don’t give a shit, I just know that I need to see you tonight.” The seriousness of his tone took her by surprise, rendering her speechless. “Steph, are you still there?”

“Yes, sorry. Look I really do want to see you, but if you can’t change your plans I do understand that you have stuff to do and other commitments and we will have other times.” She wanted to reassure him, to not cause waves, but at the same time could have kicked herself for giving him a get out on their night together.

“That’s very sweet, Steph, but I want to see you later, just you,” he told her. “I have missed you more than you realise and my plans are pressing, but nothing is as pressing as spending some time together, darling, just the two of us. No interruptions, nothing and nobody else.”

Silence hung between them, Jon whose feelings and thoughts were out in the open. Then Steph who felt slightly stunned by the intensity of his words and the possible depth of their meaning. When he said ‘nothing and nobody else’ she couldn’t help but wonder if he was talking generally, or specifically.

“But right now I have to go so I will call you later.” His words halted her musing and wonderings.

“Okay,” she replied and smiled far too much at the notion that he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him.

It was just before five o’clock when her phone rang.

“Hello, Stephanie Pryor,” she answered.

“Hi Steph, Grant from H.R.” came the reply.

“Oh hi, what can I do for you?”

“We need to schedule a meeting to discuss your contract,” he told her.

“Oh, okay, when?”

“Tomorrow is a no go as Mr Brooker is out of town, what about next week, erm, Monday, first thing and Mr Brooker has requested that we meet upstairs in his office,” Grant said matter of fact.

“Why?” Steph was confused as to why the contract negotiation was such a big thing.

“It’s not my place to question Mr Brooker’s decisions,” said Grant sounding panicky and slightly thrown by her question.

Steph laughed as she explained, “I actually meant why are we waiting on Mr Brooker’s attendance at the meeting to merely discuss my contract?”

“Ah, I see, sorry, we are waiting because that is what we’ve been told to do, so can you make nine on Monday?” asked Grant now.

“Yes, that’s fine, in Mr Brooker’s office. See you then.” She hung up and began to pack her things away. She was just about to turn off her work mobile when it rang.

“Hello,” she answered a little impatiently.

“Miss Pryor, Jonah Mason here,” he said, making her frown.

“Mr Mason, what can I do for you?” she asked seriously.

“Oh, Miss Pryor, what a leading question!” He laughed, but Steph thought that his laugh sounded warmer now, maybe it was the phone softening it or perhaps he wasn’t actually the slimeball she’d earlier thought.

“Professionally, Mr Mason,” she said lightly.

“Okay if we must. The board here think that Mr Brooker is less than genuine, that this offer is not a one off and are considering negotiating and I thought that as you put the deal together and he trusts you, is there any point in us trying to get him to move on it?” he asked and sounded nervous, scared almost. Gone was the lecherous, sexist pig from earlier in the day.

She considered her reply. “Very little, in fact, none at all I wouldn’t have thought, but if your board choose to try and renegotiate, that really is their choice and they would need to consider the consequences if it doesn’t go their way,” she said honestly.

“Thanks for your frankness and if you change your mind about a date call me, anytime, day or night.” He suddenly sounded cheesy and a little bit desperate.

“Goodbye, Mr Mason.” She laughed and as she looked up Jon was standing in the doorway, filling it almost, with a huge frown on his face now.

Steph disconnected the call and turned her phone off throwing it into her bag before locking her laptop away in a filing cabinet. She knew he was watching her, but as they remained silent the tension between them built until it was almost stifling.

Eventually Jon spoke, “Did you drive into work today?”

“No,” she almost whispered, nervous tension rising until she was at a total loss as to what to say or do to dissolve the atmosphere between them.

“Good, then you can come home with me,” he said firmly.

“I will take the tube, people might see . . .” she started.

“Fuck people!” he snapped.

“What is the matter with you?” she asked, standing her ground, nerves giving way to annoyance.

“Me? What is the matter with you?” he asked in response causing a confused frown to settle on Steph’s face. “Oh, don’t play coy for my benefit. Maybe you should save that for your friend Jonah ,” Jon snapped and despite his obvious and very real anger, Steph couldn’t help but laugh at the realisation that Jon was jealous.

“You think this is fucking funny? Do I look amused to you?” he raged.

“No, but this is stupid. You are being ridiculous, Jon.”

“This whole situation is stupid, on that I agree but you’re the ridiculous one if you think I am going to let you do this, come on.”

“What? Do what? I don’t understand.” Steph pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to clear the confusion of the situation as well as the fog of her oncoming cold.

“You tell me you’re not slutty Steph and I want to believe it, I do believe it, and then you do this fucking giggly banter shit and I can’t help but question your word and my own thoughts,” he admitted looking slightly sheepish.

“I thought you had things to do tonight?” she asked seriously, but without anger as she saw his sad and perplexed expression

“It will wait, now come on,” he said grabbing her hand to pull her towards the door.

“You go and I will meet you at yours, or mine, wherever,” she said, smiling in an attempt to sway his intent for them to leave together.

“No can do, darling, now get your bag and let’s go,” he said as his mouth and jaw set in a hard line, his earlier perplexed expression gone, determination and annoyance back in its place.

“Jon . . .” she began.

“No! I really do not give a fuck who may or may not see us, now move your arse or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of this place. Now that really would raise a few eyebrows, wouldn’t it?”

“You wouldn’t?” she challenged.

“I would and you know it. This needs resolving, you, me, us , and one way or another we are going to do that.”

“Fine, I’m coming.” She sighed.

“You will be darling, but first things first.”

Once safely shut in a crowded lift together Steph felt slightly uncomfortable as she imagined that everyone in the lift knew about her and Jon and that they were watching them. That all of the angst, anger and sexual tension crackling between them was clear to everyone.

Most people got out at ground level, but her, Jon and three others continued their journey to the basement where she panicked slightly as the doors opened. Should she follow him or wait until the other three were safely out of the way? She didn’t doubt that he would have carried her out of the building had she refused to go home with him, but she really didn’t want to be uncovered as Mr Brooker’s bit on the side. Not here, not now and not like this. She held back and sent him a quick text instead.

Can I meet you at the car when everyone else has gone, please. Steph x

She received no reply, just a backwards glance from him and a shake of the head.

She made her way towards him frowning and growing more agitated she quietly said, “You are such a stupid fucker! If rumour gets round about us you have a lot more to lose than me.”

“Goodnight, Frank,” he called to a man of around fifty who was now waving towards them from his car and his look of pleasure, presumably from being called to by the big boss was replaced by a look of shock and possible horror as Jon forced Steph against his car and kissed her passionately while his hand traced up her legs until it was resting against the lacy fabric at the apex of her thighs.

He eventually released her and as he looked down at her his expression was dark.

“If you ever speak to me like that again I will not hesitate to bend you over, pull your knickers down and spank you hard, wherever we may be.”

The sound of the car unlocking made her jump and in turn her movement seemed to break Jon’s mood a little. Maybe he had perceived her startled jolt as some kind of fear of him on her part. The truth was the polar opposite of fear for her safety, although she was in serious fear of her sanity because this dark, sinister and slightly threatening side to his character was a serious turn on as was his earlier suggestion of pulling her knickers down to spank her, if not the inference of it being done with an audience.

“I want you to come home with me, I need you to,” he told her from the opposite side of the car.

“Yes,” she almost whispered, still stunned by this turn of events and her own turned on reaction to it.

Her agreement appeared to have restored his equilibrium and confidence in his intentions. “Then get your arse and everything else in the car because I am going to take you home and fuck you while you tell me exactly why you were playing slutty Steph for Mason.”

Steph considered arguing his last accusation, but as she looked at his face, she decided against it for now, and simply climbed into the car with a feeling that this might just be a turning point of sorts between them. She was beyond excited by his dark side coming out; she had missed him while he had been busy recently and she had missed this side to him that she had glanced that first night at Lindsay’s hen night, then again when he had spanked her and hoped that he would reintroduce her to the pleasure of pain at his hands.

The trip home was full of tension and expectation and as they headed towards the lift in the car park, hand in hand, Steph froze momentarily when she noticed Ade from the tenth floor already waiting for the lift to arrive.

“Fuck,” muttered Steph.

“Eventually, darling,” smiled Jon as he pulled her to continue walking.

“We could wait,” she suggested.

“No,” he replied. “I think you still owe your old friend an apology,” he said virtually dragging her to the lift where the doors opened as they arrived.

She knew that he was right, that she owed Ade an apology for her stupid attempt at flirting right under Jon’s nose on their last meeting, so maybe it was fitting that the necessary apology was delivered in the same way and with the same people present.

Jon hit the button for the tenth floor and then his own.

“Evening,” he said to Ade.

“Hiya,” replied the other man. “Steph.”

“Hello.” She answered nervously and with a nudge and a slight shove from Jon she managed to add, “I owe you a huge apology for the last time we met in here. We had had, well that doesn’t matter, but I was wrong to involve you and embarrass you, sorry.”

“No problem. We all do things in the heat of the moment, but it’s nice to see that the two of you have sorted things out,” he said sincerely as the lift came to a standstill at the tenth floor.

“Night,” he called as he left them alone.

Once behind the closed front door of his flat Jon pounced on Steph.

“Tell me about Jonah Mason. What did he want you for?” he asked as he nipped a path from her lips across her jaw until her fleshy ear lobe was between his teeth.

“Nothing, let’s not talk about him now,” she pleaded as her arms stretched up and wound around his neck so that she could pull his face towards hers.

“If he phoned for nothing we wouldn’t have anything to talk about now or later,” he said darkly as he pulled back from her. “What are you doing to me?” he asked with a sigh.

Steph studied his confused expression and decided his question was rhetorical.

“You are driving me crazy, darling. I eat, breathe and sleep you and still it’s not enough. If I could get away with it I would lock you away and never let you leave, you nor your un-fucking-suitable dresses.”

Silence weighed heavily between them for possibly just a few seconds, but it felt longer. Steph had no clue what to say. Should she make light of his comments, turn them into a joke? No. Jon was deadly serious and the truth was she could totally relate to what he was saying because she felt the same way about him. When they were together, just the two of them they were untouchable and united and that was the best feeling in the world, but this moment didn’t need intensifying so she decided to go for amusement and teasing.

“But then who would field Mr Mason’s calls?”

The darkness was back in the blink of an eye when the final word was out. There was barely a hair’s breadth between them by the time Jon spoke again. “You are becoming most challenging, Miss Pryor.”

“Am I?” she asked warily, just in case this imploded.

“Yes you are, but I think I can help you with that,” he said as he brushed the loose hair back off her face, his touch gentle and tender in spite of the inference of his words.

“How?” she asked breathlessly.

“Oh, darling, I think you already know the answer to that one.” He laughed at her.

“Maybe,” she conceded as her heart raced and heat flooded through her whole body in a combination of anticipation, arousal, and something else blooming in her heart, something she wasn’t prepared to name or pursue.

“Tell me how.” He tilted her head up, leaving her with no choice but to look directly into his eyes that studied her intently.

She attempted to look down as she felt a fresh flush of colour that represented further embarrassment and humiliation, but as his hand tightened its grip on her chin he prevented her moving further making him smile. Steph swallowed hard as she tried to read his expression. Very briefly she remembered times she had found herself in this position; backed into a corner with a tightening grip on her face and that always ended with drama, shouting and hurt. The difference here was the man doing the holding. This was Jon, not Simon. The smile before her still held warmth, even with the dark promise that lay beneath and the eyes boring into her only conveyed compassion and care, not like’s Simon smile that always became sinister and never held the promise of anything good, not for her.

“Tell me,” he repeated as he pressed his hard body against her, holding her firmly against the back of the door, but allowed a thumb to delicately skim her cheek. “Please.”

She swallowed hard again, but this time it gave way to stirrings of arousal running from her swelling breasts down her abdomen before finally culminating between her legs where she could feel the dampness becoming more evident. She gasped loudly as he whispered in her ear.

“Tell me, Steph, what am I going to do?” he asked hoarsely.

“You’re going to take me into the bedroom and put me on all fours and then pull my knickers down so that you can spank my arse.” Her words came out as a series of broken moans that echoed around them loudly.

“That is exactly what I am going to do. For this dress that has no place in my company. For giggling so enthusiastically at Mr Mason and refusing to tell me about it. For your increasing desire to question what I am doing and when,” he told her as he found the secret zip that was no longer a secret to Jon. He pulled the dress from her roughly and as he looked down at her in just her underwear and shoes he grinned. “Perfection. Wait for me in the bedroom.”

She blindly followed his instructions and as she stood looking at the bedroom mirror she stared hard at the stranger reflected back. Who was this woman? So wanton and willing, she looked different. A smile curled her lips as she realised she liked what she saw for possibly the first time in years. She was so engrossed in the image before her, the beautiful woman with eyes illuminated in ridiculously high shoes and matching black, lace bra, tiny brief and suspender belt holding up her black stockings that she didn’t hear Jon come in and was unaware of his presence until she saw his reflection in the mirror as he appeared behind her.

“You really are gorgeous,” he whispered.

She shook her head a little.

“You are. Now I believe we have agreed what happens next.” He arched a brow, already taking her hand in his.

“Yes.” She almost choked on her own single word.

Unsure how it happened but the next thing she knew she was face down on the bed and Jon was behind her lifting her hips until she was on her knees, but he pushed her face back down into the bed. He allowed a finger to trace its way down her spine to the very base of her back where it disappeared and merged with her bottom.

“Open your legs,” were the words that brought her back to the position she was in.

She duly obliged and regretted her eagerness to spread her legs so wide so soon when he pulled her underwear down and left them just above her knees, digging into the flesh of her legs, uncomfortably so, but she now realised that was part of the plan, pleasure and pain. As the first blow struck she was surprised that all she felt was pain. Then a second and a third that had her crying out into the silence and the mattress and bedding beneath her, but as the fourth landed and Jon appeared to find his voice, reassuring her, the pain gave way to pleasure which came as a very pleasant surprise.

There seemed to be an order to things now as a smack was followed by a caress, a squeeze, sometimes the digging in of fingers followed by an intimate touch, a finger probing, rubbing or sliding in or around her. He then gave her the reasons for his physical treatment of her; this is for giggling and flirting with that slimy git Mason, this is for refusing to discuss what he wanted apart from the obvious, this is for thinking that you could negotiate your journey home with me and this is for reminding me how pissed off I was with your petulant show with the pretty boy off the tenth floor. He almost snarled as he uttered the last one.

She moaned loudly and although the discomfort from her underwear digging in her had now become actual pain, she didn’t care, she was so turned on, eager for him to further ignite her passion and to do whatever he wanted. She knew that whatever they did would be pleasurable. That thought, whatever they did made her smile because that was probably the biggest difference here, with her and Jon. It was the two of them that were doing this, that always did everything. She was as involved and as much of a factor as him, maybe more so and although she had been in healthy relationships in the past she suddenly acknowledged just how unhealthy her relationship with Simon had been and how much of an outsider she’d become to it.

Her thoughts had distracted her to almost anything else until she realised that Jon was naked and was entering her quickly, obviously as eager as she was for some release. As seconds turned into minutes she was beginning to cry out longer and louder. Just as her body began to quake with the first stirrings of her climax he reached around with one hand and found her clitoris proudly standing to attention and began to squeeze it, gently and then more firmly. She was unsure where his other hand went after leaving her hip, but quickly she realised that it was stroking the entrance to her anus. As her body approached the point of no return, she felt a finger, or possibly a thumb pressing against the tight hole of her bottom, paused and possibly waiting for permission. She granted that permission by leaning back against it, encouraging its entrance. With a firm press it was able to force past her initial resistance until she was full everywhere making her scream out as her body was rocked by the most intense pleasure that verged on pain. Jon squeezed her tightly everywhere until his own climax overtook him and in a swarm of expletives and blasphemy he collapsed onto the bed and took her with him so that he was wrapped around her.

“God Steph, you are like nobody I have ever met and I have never felt this way before,” he announced and sounded almost as surprised as she was.

“You and me both,” she replied as he unceremoniously removed what was definitely a thumb from up her bum.

She cringed at the undignified noise it made but took the opportunity to remove the knickers that were still just above her knees. She sat up and rubbed her legs in an attempt to get normal sensation back.

“Let’s stay in for dinner,” suggested Jon.

“I wasn’t aware we were doing anything else,” she replied as she lay back down and faced him.

“Well, I had thought that I would take you out to dinner as I won’t see you for a couple of days.” He stroked her hair gently.

“All the more reason to stay in.” She grinned as she moved across him, straddling his hips as he lay on the bed looking up at her. “In fact food is optional,” she said as she bent down and began to kiss him, gently at first before invading his mouth with her tongue.

He retaliated in similar fashion before they broke free of each other and as he gazed up at her, Jon asked, “Dear God, woman, have you ever had enough?”

“Not of you, no,” she replied quite seriously making him smile slightly.

“You just see that you remember that, Miss Pryor, but unlike you I do need to eat,” he replied as he flipped her off him, flat on her back on the bed.

“Ow!” she protested as she landed on her behind making him laugh. “Was that you being sympathetic?” she asked sarcastically.

“No way. That would imply that you were blameless, darling, but your arse is all your own doing and you loved every second of it,” he told her as he bent over her as she lay still beneath his shadow.

“I think you may have had something to do with it, but I have to concede that I did indeed love every second of it,” she acknowledged with a flush creeping up across her cheeks.

“Come on. You can tell me all about Jonah Mason’s call while I sort dinner,” he said rather than suggested. “Come on, get yourself out of bed and you may want to dress for dinner.” he laughed again at Steph’s expression when she looked down at herself and realised that she was still wearing just her bra, suspender belt, stockings and shoes. “I thought you liked this outfit,” she called after him as he headed back into the lounge.

“I do, darling, if not that bloody dress.”