hest peeking out. If only …
“I also want to apologize to you for what Ileana did to you,” he said.
Anguish lanced through Kate at the memory of Ileana’s lies, and the pain Ileana’s friend had inflicted on her.
“But we’ve already established that you knew nothing about that.”
“That’s true, but I still feel responsible. I was the one who took you to that party.” He shook his head. “I had no idea at the time that she was capable of such a thing.”
“As you said”—her words sounded tenuous, but it was the best she could do—“you didn’t know.”
He nodded and sipped his coffee as silence hung between them.
“Before we begin our professional relationship, may I ask you something that’s entirely inappropriate?”
She shrugged. “Well, given what happened last night, I suppose we’re already on a roll.”
He turned to her with a flicker of a smile. “Do you think you can be truly happy in an ordinary relationship? Because I get the sense that you need a Dominant to bring out your true nature.”
She shook her head. “I was—and am—totally uncomfortable with how we behave when we’re together. In bed, I mean. I become so … submissive.”
He raised an eyebrow and smiled. “And the problem is?”
“It’s not me … normally. I’m only like that when I’m with you. And it’s so … powerful … the need I have.”
He gently lifted her hair from her face. “You can still be strong and independent, but be a sub in the bedroom.”
“I know. I mean, theoretically I know, but when I beg you to punish me, I…” She shrugged. “It’s like I’m losing myself.”
He stared at her for a long moment, the glimmer in his eyes unreadable. Then his mouth turned up in a lopsided grin. “So you don’t like it when I punish you? When I bare your ass and discipline you? When I possess you in every way?”
Her insides fluttered at the thought, and heat wafted through her. As much as she resented the idea, it also turned her on. She liked Matt controlling her. Dominating her. “The problem is I like it too much.”
Her mind slipped back to last night when his hand had smacked across her bottom as he’d punished her, then when he’d slid his fingers over her damp opening as he’d spanked her to orgasm.
The truth was, no one she’d ever been with had brought her the kind of pleasure Matt did. Every other lover was merely a pale comparison. He brought her senses to life in a way she’d never experienced before or after being with him.
Sitting before him like this and thinking about what they’d done last night made her painfully aware that she wore nothing underneath her robe.
She drew in a deep breath at the memory of his huge shaft thrusting into her again and again. Stretching her, driving deep. She longed to hold it in her hands. To taste it.
“Kate, when you look at me like that…” His blue eyes darkened.
She felt a growing hunger. And a deep need to be possessed by him.
He put down his cup on the table, and turned to her, his blazing eyes filled with just as much hunger as hers.
“Kate.”
Her name on his lips made her long for him all the more. His hands wrapped around her face and he drew closer. He tipped up her chin and his lips devoured hers. His tongue thrust inside and his hand cupped her head, holding her to him, their mouths meshed firmly as he explored. She teased his tongue with the tip of hers, then they curled together. She glided forward, sliding into his mouth. Tasting black coffee.
All of her ached for him. She wanted him to take her so badly. But she drew back and gazed at him.
“Matt, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep behaving this way.”
He smiled. “It means we still can’t keep our hands off each other. It means that we want each other so badly, it defies common sense.”
She didn’t know what she’d hoped for, but right now, knowing he wanted her as much as she wanted him was enough.