Page 22 of Savage Game
Well, duh!
“Aside from the fact that you’re the boss and in charge of, well, everything? You haven’t taken a moment off since I arrived.”
“Ah, well now, just because I don’t take off very often, doesn’t mean that I can’t.” With a decisive gesture, he shut down his computer and rose. “Go to the living room and light a fire. When you’ve done that, you may strip and kneel by the hearth.”
She gawked at his retreating back and—okay, yes—totally checked out his flexing ass. Was he serious about this? His distinctive footsteps became less audible. He was!
The recognition spurred her into action. She placed the stack of folders on the top of the filing cabinet and closed the drawer. Then she hurried to the living room to do his bidding.
It took her a few moments before she figured out how to operate the electrical fireplace, but as soon as the flames roared to life, she relaxed. The dancing flames gave the room a cozy and homey feel, despite the vastness of the space.
She stripped out of her clothes and knelt just in time on the white plush carpet when his recognizable footsteps neared.
Taking a deep breath, she mentally checked her posture and straightened her shoulders a little more.
“You’re so beautiful like this.” He stroked his knuckles over her cheek.
She tipped her head back and her mouth dropped open. Barefooted and bare-chested, he only wore silk pajama bottoms… and carried a bamboo stick at least six-feet-long as well as bundles of rope. She stared at the thick pole and swallowed down a moment of panic.
Of course he isn’t going to hit you with that, silly woman! This is Master.
Something must have shown in her face. Master cocked his head and narrowed his eyes and studied her in the quiet observant way he always did. It reassured her even more. He was careful and attentive, not careless and callous like Liam.
“Share your thoughts.”
“I’m just glad you pay such close attention to my body language. You seem to realize something is bothering me even before I know it myself.”
He hummed and stroked her hair. “Comes with the Dom’s territory but paying close attention to my surroundings and the people around me is also ingrained in my personality. I needed it in my youth to survive, and as an adult, I used it to gain power and wealth.”
She opened her mouth to ask him about his statement, but he walked to the fireplace and worked the dials. The flames grew.
“I intend to keep you naked here for quite some time, so I want the room to be warm.” He shoved the coffee table to the side. “Do you have any injuries or joint pains I don’t know about?”
She shook her head. “No, Sir.”
“Excellent.” Standing several inches over six feet enabled him to reach up and work the rope through a ring on the ceiling before pulling on it.
The bamboo stick rose, and her heart sped up for no apparent reason. “What are you doing?”
“Setting up a suspension rig. I’m planning to do some bondage.”
“Bondage?”
His cheek creased. “You’ll see. I think you’ll like this.” He tied the end of the rope around one end of the stick.
She tried to stay in position, but her curiosity made her restless.
Master chuckled. “You really are just like the kitten I call you.” He crossed the room to her and squatted before her, his arms casually leaning on his thighs. “How about you take the Relax pose and watch what I’m doing.” He rose again and winced, but when she opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, he tapped her nose and went back to the setup.
Charlotte shifted her weight and settled in the more comfortable Relax pose. Master secured more rope to the ring, tied, pulled, and adjusted. Unable to tear her gaze away, she watched the muscles on his back ripple and his biceps bunch.
And here I thought all middle-aged businessmen have a gut like a bowling ball, pasty-white and sagging skin, and a receding hairline.
He grabbed the bamboo stick at both ends and performed a few fast pull-ups. She almost wiped her mouth to check to make sure she wasn’t drooling.
When he seemed satisfied, he held out his hand. Engaging her stomach muscles, she rose as gracefully as possible. When she reached him, he pulled her into his arms, and his firm lips connected with her mouth in a hard kiss. She opened for him and stroked her tongue against his. His arms flexed, and she melted against him. In his signature way, he kissed a path over her jaw toward the sensitive spot between her left ear and her shoulder. Weak-kneed, Charlotte sighed and arched her neck to give him more access.
When he pulled back, his eyes were almost black and smoldering. “Do you trust me?”
