Second Touch (Emma's Arabian Nights, #2) Read online

She slipped on her tan leather jacket and laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far but I appreciate the sentiment.”

  He moved forward and brushed her hands away, buttoning her jacket and taking in what he hoped wasn’t an obvious inhalation of her sweet and spicy scent. “Any ground rules you want to go over before we get there?”

  The mantle of authority seemed to fall over her and he suddenly found himself standing before his Mistress. Blood rushed to his cock as she examined him from beneath her lashes and he had to resist the urge to fidget. “I will respect your hard limits, but I want to know what you want out of our evening.”

  “To make you happy.” He smiled when she frowned at him. “I mean it, Emma. This isn’t about me. Well, it isn’t only about me. I’m not a client, I’m more interested in your pleasure than mine.”

  She immediately stiffened and he wanted to kick himself in the ass for bringing her work up. God, she’d been so upset, so hurt last night after her clients had left while he watched her from his computer, filled with impotent rage that he couldn’t be there to comfort her. He wished he could somehow let her know that he hadn’t been pissed off watching her top that couple, that he didn’t think she was a whore or any of those terrible things she’d said about herself. If anything watching her instruct Adam and Jenny was one of the most erotic sights of his life. But there was no fucking way he could tell her that without revealing that he was indeed a cyberstalker and that he’d invaded her privacy in a way that made him deeply ashamed of himself.

  Especially when he watched her spill her heart to Moira.

  God, he was such a prick.

  “Hey, no sad eyes.” He cupped her chin and when she looked at him it wasn’t sadness, but anger filling her gaze. “Why are you pissed at me?”

  “Nothing.”

  She tried to move away but he caught her wrist. “Talk to me, please. Let me know what’s bothering you and maybe I can apologize or you can beat my ass until you’re satisfied.”

  Huffing out a breath, she weakly jerked at his hold. “I know you’re not my client, Ryan, and it pisses me off that you would even say that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because…because it makes me feel cheap.”

  Baffled, he stared at her. “I make you feel cheap?”

  “No…yes…well, no.” Her gaze dropped to his chest. “I’m having a hard time dealing with what we have, okay? I’m trying very hard to be honest with you, but I’m not used to talking about this kind of stuff. You’re uncharted territory for me.”

  “How so?”

  She looked up and her frustration was obvious in the tight muscles around her mouth and the little crease between her eyebrows. “I’ve only seriously dated one submissive and our relationship wasn’t what you would call healthy by any stretch of the imagination. And before you ask, no, it’s not any of your business, okay?”

  He wanted to argue with her, but now wasn’t the time to push. Hell, he had his own baggage, including a crazy ex-girlfriend, Beth, he’d had served with a restraining order. His ex and all her drama was one of the reasons he’d left California, but he didn’t want to tell Emma that, so he could kind of understand where she was coming from. He sure as shit didn’t want to talk about Beth.

  “Okay, but you’re uncharted territory for me as well. I mean how often does a guy get a chance to be with the woman of his dreams? I’m so afraid of fucking this up, of doing something that will piss you off, and losing you.” He pulled her into a hug and gently stroked her back, loving how she relaxed against him. “We’ll just take it one day at a time. I’m not going to lie, I want you long term, not just for a roll in the hay.”

  “A roll in the hay?” She snorted but snuggled closer and his heart melted as he held her. “Are you sure you want to go to this party with me? We could stay here tonight instead.”

  “While the thought of having you all to myself is more than tempting, I want to see my bad ass Mistress in action.” His cock twitched and she must have noticed because her hips pressed closer to him. “The thought of watching you, of other people watching us, it’s hot as fuck.”

  “Are you sure? Sometimes the fantasy is much better than the reality.” She pulled back enough so she could look up at him. “Can you honestly say that watching me touch someone else in a sexual manner wouldn’t make you angry? Possessive?”

  “Depends on the situation.” The mental image of Emma fucking Jenny while she pegged her husband ran through his mind in a ball tightening wave of lust. “I would like you to talk to me before you pick out a partner to play with, but I’d just kind of like to play this by ear, no pressure. Hell, if you just want to put me through my paces in front of your friends I’m more than game for that.”

  “Why? Why does the thought of me dominating someone else turn you on?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, yeah, the thought of you with another woman is unbearably hot, like I’m about to fucking come in my pants thinking about it, but I’m not sure if I could deal with you topping another guy, unless his wife or Mistress was there. I guess I don’t like the thought of you playing with someone that could possibly take you away from me.”

  She smiled and her eyes brightened, “I understand what you’re saying, but Ryan, trust me when I say there isn’t a man on earth who can compete with you.”

  His male pride surged and he couldn’t help giving her a cocky grin. “Damn straight.”

  Rolling her eyes, she stepped forward so he could cuddle her against his chest. “What about another Mistress playing with us?”

  Though she tried to keep her tone light, only an idiot would miss the faint hint of tension in her voice that was a clear warning. As if that wasn’t a hint enough, the way her muscles tensed and she grew stiff against him let him know about her displeasure at the idea. He wasn’t surprised about her jealousy, she didn’t strike him as the kind of woman that would share him with someone she viewed as a threat to their relationship. As if he would be so easily lured away from her. He wanted to shake her for even doubting his devotion to her for a moment, but that wasn’t the way to handle Emma.

  He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her pink frosted lips, the slight taste of lipstick lingering on his mouth. “I don’t want another Mistress touching me. If you want another female submissive to help me serve you, I’ll make that sacrifice, but not another Mistress. I belong to you.”

  Her pleased smile made him feel ten feet tall, then she stepped out of his arms. “Oh, that’s right. I have something for you. Hold on.”

  With a mouthwatering sway in her step she went down the hall into one of the rooms and returned a few moments later with a shiny black gift box. “For you.”

  He took it from her and couldn’t help his pleased smile when he opened it and found a pair of black leather, spiked wrist cuffs with rings where chains could be attached. A little engraved silver plaque was secured in the middle of each cuff and when he read it pride resonated through his soul at the sight of ‘Mistress Emma’s Property’. Emotion filled him, and to his surprise, he found himself actually choking up. Fuck, he’d known about the emotions involved in BDSM, knew in theory about the power plays and all of that, but he never thought the sight of Emma’s public claim on him would affect him this deeply.

  Overcome by emotion, he dropped to his knees and rubbed his face against the feminine curve of her stomach, placing a gentle kiss on each of her hips. She sighed, then tenderly stroked his head and he closed his eyes. As he rested against her softness, he felt the connection between them deepen. He was surprised in a way about the intensity of his own emotions, but this physical proof that she wanted him, wanted to own him, made him feel at once proud and humbled. Proud because he’d earned her trust enough to have her claim him, humbled because the act of Emma placing her trust in him was a priceless gift. It was an odd dichotomy that he couldn’t explain, even to himself, but that was how he felt.

  On a more primal level, those wrist cuffs were not only her physical claim on him,
but his on her as well. He belonged to her, in a way that no one else did. While he was new to the BDSM scene he was aware enough of the dynamics to know that the exchange of power was a double-edged sword. As much as he craved a public mark of her ownership, she needed to mark him, to let other Dommes know that he was off limits. When he looked up at her, the soft, sensual smile on her lips made his cock ache, and the erotic, possessive fire in her striking eyes seared him to the bone.

  “Can you put them on?” he said in a thick voice.

  Emma studied him then gentle understanding filled her expressive face. “Of course.”

  After she strapped on both cuffs, he held out his wrists and flexed his hands, liking how they looked on him, and liking even more that they were a visible symbol of the claim Emma had on his heart. “Thank you, Mistress.”

  She took a step away before retrieving a pair of red patent leather heels from the small closet and slipping them on. “Ready?”

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  During the car ride to Moira’s house they’d talked about normal things, Ryan’s job, his family, her experiences being a substitute teacher, and mutual friends from high school. It was nice to relax with her, and he found himself laughing more than he had in a long time. She had a razor sharp sense of humor and a dry wit that he greatly enjoyed. Finding a woman sexy enough to interest him was easy, but finding a woman smart enough to challenge him was much harder. The fact that Emma was both sexy and intelligent left him feeling like the luckiest man on earth.

  They made the final turn into Moira’s neighborhood and Ryan let out a low whistle at the sight of all the massive, stately Victorian homes on large expanses of land graced with old-growth trees. “Nice.”

  Emma grinned. “Moira inherited her house from her grandmother, though I bet the judgmental old bitch is turning over in her grave at the kind of events happening there now. Her place is two more down on the left.”

  He pulled into a long, winding drive that went through tall privacy hedges and led to an elegant Victorian mansion painted in shades of tan, deep purple, and cream. It was a beautiful home and lights burned behind all the windows, giving it a cheerful glow. Cars were parked all along the side of the road and the circular drive so he eased his Camaro in behind an SUV and parked. Emma reached out and grabbed his hand, her expression clearly troubled as she studied him.

  “You sure about this?”

  “I’m sure, stop worrying. I trust you. Hopefully, you trust me enough to know that I would tell you if something bothers me.”

  “I just don’t want you doing something because you have the misguided notion that blindly following orders would please me. I need you to be honest with me Ryan, without worrying that it’ll make me mad. What will make me angry is if you lie about wanting to try, or do something, when you really don’t. You’re more important to me than any kink or fleeting pleasure.” She flushed and looked away, then when she turned back her gaze hardened and she squeezed his hand tighter. “I will know if you’re lying. Ryan, believe me when I say I will know. I’ve been a pro Domme for a number of years now and I’ve gotten very, very good at reading submissives.”

  He brought her small hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles as he spoke. “Emma, I’m not exactly innocent. I did have a sex life before you, and I have done some things that might make you blush.”

  She tried to pull her hand away. “I highly doubt that, but even if you did I don’t want to hear about it.”

  Sometimes he forgot how possessive a Domme could be, especially Emma, and he tried to hide his pleased smile at the knowledge that she was jealous. “Regardless, I’ve been to parties before and I’m not going to freak out on you. Nothing you could do would make me run screaming into the night.”

  “Is that a challenge?”

  He blinked, then looked over at her and admired the way her white silk dress cradled her generous breasts, and how bright and pure she looked against the black leather of his car’s interior. “No, not a challenge, an invitation. Use me, use me for your pleasure, for your satisfaction. I’m yours and I trust you. Let me be everything you want because, baby, you’re sure as shit everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman.”

  Emma’s breath caught and she had to blink back tears at the sincerity in Ryan’s gaze. Her heart beat harder and butterflies took up residence in her stomach, making her feel like an unsure teenager instead of a jaded woman. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, not by far, but it made her feel very vulnerable and she didn’t like that. Part of her still didn’t trust Ryan not to break her heart and that part tried to kill the tender feelings flooding her. But she couldn’t shoot Ryan down just because she was an insecure mess. He was being so honest with her and the Domme in her wouldn’t allow her to hurt him because of her own issues.

  “Thank you, Ryan.” She cupped his cheek before blowing out a soft breath. They needed to get out of here, out of the dangerous intimacy of the car and into the party where she could see the truth of all his promises. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

  His expression tightened for a moment, then he nodded and got out. She’d managed to open her door by the time he got around to her side and he frowned. “What are you doing?”

  “Um, getting out of the car?”

  “You should wait for me to open the door for you, Emma.”

  She rolled her eyes and allowed him to help her out. “I’m perfectly capable of opening my own door.”

  “I know, but I like opening it for you. Not because I’m your submissive, but because I’m your man and taking care of you is my job.”

  “I thought it was my job to take care of you?”

  He flashed her an unrepentant grin and went to grab her hand, then stopped. “Is it okay if I hold your hand?”

  “Of course, why do you ask?”

  They began to walk slowly to the front door of Moira’s house and she slipped her fingers against his and held his hand. “I don’t know, I mean I didn’t know if I was allowed to do that.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged, the gold spacers in his ears gleaming. “I’m not sure how you want me to behave when you’re in full on Mistress mode at a party.”

  “Just be yourself, because I’m going to be myself. Being a sexual Dominant isn’t an act for me, Ryan, it’s who I am.” She glanced at him. “And I want you to be who you really are. Don’t think of being with me as playing the role of a submissive. I can have my pick of fake ass kissers, I want the real you, but I’ll expect you to be respectful, to mind your manners so to speak.”

  They took the steps and he paused when she was one above him. “I’m not faking this, you know. I really do get off on submitting to you, and in more than just a physical way. It makes me…it makes me feel peaceful when I’m serving you. Like the world vanishes and you’re the only real thing in my life. I don’t know how to explain this right, but my job is stressful and I’m responsible for a lot of things. When I give up control to you it’s like I can finally relax because I know that you’ll take care of me.”

  “Oh, Ryan.” She leaned down and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss. “Your trust means so much to me, I won’t abuse it.”

  Before he could respond the front door opened and Moira’s voice, filled with laughter, spilled out. “Emma! I’m so glad you made it. Stop molesting your boy on the porch and bring him inside so I can watch you properly.”

  The bright light of the elegant foyer highlighted Moira, making her black and red latex mini-dress gleam. With her dark wine red curls falling about her shoulders she looked both seductive and feminine, a combination that Ryan must have liked because he swallowed hard before looking back at Emma. A little trickle of jealousy moved through her at Ryan admiring Moira, but she knew her friend would never cross the line with Ryan and Emma had to admit, Moira looked hot. Ryan would have to be blind to be unaffected by the other woman.

  “Roll your tongue back in your mouth,” she whispered to Ryan and couldn’t help but laugh as he flushed.<
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  Grinning, Emma tugged Ryan into Moira’s house and stopped inside the two story foyer. For a moment she had to do a double take at the sight of people in obvious fetish garb strolling around an elegant Victorian mansion even though she’d seen it before. The sight of Moira, dressed in her red and black latex with her sexy thigh high boots standing next to the entrance of an elegant parlor made her smile. Then she turned her attention to the rest of the room and found Tanya watching them with a cute little grin.

  Tanya wore a sultry French Maid’s uniform tonight with sheer black material over her breasts, exposing her pretty pink nipples. With her pink streaked hair piled on top of her head and her black skirt high enough to show her frilly white underwear Emma couldn’t help but move over to her and run a proprietary hand over her perky little breasts. Emma knew Moira had arranged for Tanya to be here just in case Emma wanted to use her. Of all the women in the world, Tanya was one of the few Emma completely trusted to not try and steal Ryan from her. For all of the pink haired woman’s flirting, she was utterly devoted to her Mistress, Moira, and her Master, Chris. And they were utterly devoted to the small woman’s pleasure in return.

  “My, my, what do we have here?”

  “A naughty little girl,” came a deep man’s voice from the parlor off of the foyer.

  Tanya’s Master, Chris, came strolling into the foyer with a wide smile creasing his classically handsome face. In a way he reminded her of a young Paul Newman and Chris was certainly easy on the eyes. He was a tall, well-built man in his early forties with dark blond hair and an easy grace dressed in black jeans and a tight, black t-shirt. Emma had known him for almost as long as she’d known Moira and she immediately gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Chris, it’s so good to see you.”

  He gave her a squeeze before letting her go. “I heard you were bringing your new sub with you tonight. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  With a laugh she turned to Ryan and had to hide her smile at the barely hidden warning look he was giving Chris. Ahhh, Alpha males. Submissive or not, they didn’t like any man touching what they considered theirs, especially another Alpha male. Chris must have noticed as well because he gave a low chuckle then whispered in her ear, “Only you would pick the most dangerous dog in the junk yard to collar. He’s delicious. Does he swing my way?”