Submitting to the Cattleman (Cowboy Doms 6)

Oh, wow. For the first time ever, Leslie was tempted to revert to her submissive side outside of the club by saying, “Yes, Sir,” and apologizing for her unintentional accusation. From the moment she’d first stepped foot in The Barn, scared and excited about exploring the lifestyle she’d been fascinated with for years, she’d found it easy to set aside her independence long enough to embrace submissive needs that were new to her. But never when away from that sexually-charged venue.

Not trusting her voice, she nodded and took a sip of water, waiting for him to elaborate on what he wanted from her. Obviously, he didn’t mind making her stew while they ordered before sitting back and giving her one of those dark, intent looks that stirred up her juices while putting her on high alert.

“I’m not asking for much, Leslie. Just an explanation for your attempted deceit Saturday night. If I wanted to berate you or delve into every aspect of your life, I would have stuck around following the night I took you home from the bar. I won’t lie and say I’m not interested in learning more about you, because I am. But we have time. Tonight, I’ll settle for an explanation for lying to a Dom.” A teasing glint softened his gaze. “It’s not as if I’ll mete out a punishment here.”

Leslie blushed and shifted as tingles raced across her buttocks at the mention of ‘punishment’. The sudden longing to pull down her panties and drape herself over his hard thighs unnerved her as much as the craving to surrender to the sweet seduction of blissful pain wrought from this man’s, this Dom’s hand.

Kurt’s jaw went taut as he leaned forward again. “Keep looking like that and we’ll be heading out to the parking lot for a quick reprimand.”

Jerking back, she pulled her head out of the clouds as the waitress delivered their drinks and a basket of homemade rolls that made her stomach growl. Trying to defuse the tension, she reached for a roll and buttered it as she replied, “I admit I suspected you recognized me Saturday night, but a lot of our previous encounter after we got to my place remains a blur.” She shrugged. “How was I to know what was real or imagined? I don’t recall either of us revealing anything except our first names, but like I said, my memory of that night is sketchy. I figured it was easier to play it safe and pretend we’d never met. That was a mistake, and I apologize, again.”

There was more to it than that, but Kurt let it slide. She’d agreed to dinner and sat across from him with a flush on her face, her blue eyes wary but still holding a hint of interest and arousal. He could work with that until he got her to open up more. Why he was so determined to pull out every secret she harbored, he hadn’t a clue. Maybe taking on the challenge of getting to know her would be a good distraction from second guessing his father all day, or maybe it was just an intense case of lust and dominant annoyance over failing to breach the wall she’d built around her private emotions. The only time he’d failed at anything had been in keeping his sister from self-destructing, and that was a painful lesson he did not want to repeat.

“Good enough.” He took a swig of beer before delighting in shocking her by suggesting bluntly, “You can atone for your mistake by agreeing to a short affair, one that includes getting together both at the club and outside it.” Her hand jerked, sloshing her drink before she set the glass down, the surprise on her face priceless, her puckered nipples poking against her top unmistakably telling.

“Are you blackmailing me?”

The tremor in her voice bothered him as much as her misconception and he snapped in reaction, “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that.” He paused to suck in a deep, calming breath before continuing. “You intrigue me, Leslie, I won’t lie. Do I want to delve into your deepest, darkest secrets? You bet your ass, I do. Would I resort to underhanded tactics to do so? Fuck no. Barring that, I want you. One night of fucking you isn’t enough and one scene at The Barn doesn’t cut it. If you can honestly tell me you don’t want more of what I have to offer, say so and we’ll go our separate ways tonight and pick someone else to play with at the club.”

“That simple?” Her expression said, ‘no way’.

Leslie’s skeptical look and tone amused him. Was she not used to straight forward talk and ultimatums or just leery of him? “It is for me.” That wasn’t altogether true. He wouldn’t find it easy to walk away from her, but he’d do it if she insisted.

The waitress delivered their food and Leslie stalled from answering Kurt by sampling a few bites of the fiesta chicken first. He could tell the moment she came to a decision. Her tense shoulders relaxed and she lifted her eyes to reveal a spark of excitement that outweighed the uncertainty she still possessed. It was the reason for that uncertainty he hoped to eventually root out.

“Okay, I’ll see you outside the club, as well as there, as long as we’re careful so no one can connect us to The Barn. Keeping that part of my life secret hasn’t been easy since my co-workers are the only people I see daily and occasionally socialize with.”

“Is the reason for not expanding friendships something else you don’t want to share?” he prodded.

She pondered her answer for a moment, looking away before facing him again. “Yes, since the reason is the same for not being able to enter into anything serious with you, or anyone else. Please, let it go at that.”

“In that case, no more than a month ought to be enough for both of us to get what we want out of a limited relationship. How’s your chicken?”

Both his time limit and quick topic change caught her off guard, and that worked for him. Keeping her second guessing her own motives and whether what he proposed would be enough for her should work in his favor eventually. At least, that’s what he was hoping for.

Chapter 7

Leslie started second guessing her decision as soon as Kurt insisted on following her home after dinner. Glancing at his truck in her rearview mirror, she wondered what it was about him that enticed her into throwing caution to the wind and going against her better instincts to indulge her physical needs. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t get those cravings met with another Dom. The disappointment she experienced when he added a time limit after she agreed to his proposition didn’t make sense. She should have been relieved he wanted nothing more than a brief affair to work out whatever this was between them and then move on.

“I must be out of my mind,” she muttered, pulling into her apartment complex. She should have asked him for more details on what he expected from her outside of the club. She’d grown comfortable at The Barn after learning what to expect whenever she went. Maybe not who she might play with or the details of a scene, but with the regular members, the public exposure and the different aspects of BDSM that worked for her. The last time she’d indulged in an affair had been almost five years ago, way before her life had been upended and she’d discovered the pleasures and benefits of alternative sex. She’d gotten more from one-time scenes with men she’d just met at the club than during the months-long vanilla relationships with men she’d gotten to know well. Since there was no point in hoping an affair would lea

d to something permanent, like she used to, she’d never considered seeing any of the Doms outside of the club.

Leslie slid out of the car, pausing as Kurt parked next to her and opened his door with an expression on his face that sent a familiar wave of heated lust rushing through her veins, the same quick response she felt upon seeing him for the first time at the bar and then again last weekend. She hadn’t considered he might want to start this affair tonight, but she thought wrong as he came toward her with a smoldering black-eyed look of purpose. Unsure of herself, and her motives for accepting his proposal, she tried to put him off.

“Thanks for seeing me home. I have to get up early, so…”

“This won’t take long,” Kurt interrupted, holding out a hand for the keys to her apartment.

“So, we’re going to jump into this affair?” She handed him the keys, wincing at his censuring stare. Leslie heard the tartness in her defensive tone as well as he.

“Our affair began as soon as you agreed, but tonight I only have time to mete out your punishment for lying to me.” Unlocking the door, he pushed it open and stood aside to let her enter first.

Leslie expected retribution for that infraction, and as she sidled by him and he brushed a hand over her buttocks, a quiver of combined anticipation and dread tiptoed down her spine. She couldn’t fathom what Kurt desired from this relationship after their two odd encounters, but that hand swipe spoke volumes on what he wanted tonight. And God help her, she yearned for the painful distraction of his punishing hand with an intensity that shook her and had her floundering as she tossed her satchel onto a chair before facing him inside her apartment again.

A taunting smile curled his mouth as he shut the door and stepped toward her. “What’s wrong? You weren’t nervous with me at the club, and since I wasn’t inebriated the last time I was here with you, I remember clearly how you begged for my attention.” Gripping her arm, he tugged her over to the sofa, sat down and pulled her over his lap.

As soon as Leslie’s nervously fluttering stomach landed on Master Kurt’s muscle-hard thighs and he held her down with a hand braced between her shoulder blades, everything inside her settled. Releasing her stalled breath on a whoosh, she braced her hands on the floor as he inched her skirt up over her panty-covered butt. Feeling the need to say something, she looked around with a teasing smile of her own. “Anything I can say or do to change your mind?”