The Dom: Steamy Boss Romance (Manhattan Records Book 2) Read online

  It excited me, I realized with a start, to know that he had the ability to harm me, the power necessary to cause true hurt, but that he held himself in check.

  With a sharp yank, he jerked my head back, and I gasped, more from surprise than the extra jolt that went through my scalp.

  “I’m your teacher from this point on. Understood?”

  I tried to nod, wincing as the movement pulled my hair again. “Yes, Mr. Lexington.”

  Three

  Nate

  Damn, that was hot. I didn’t even need to remind her what to call me. I had a feeling I was going to need to change what I had my employees call me. While I doubted hearing my name from just anyone would make me hard, it would be extremely embarrassing if it accidentally happened in the middle of important business. A loss of self-control in any situation wasn’t a good thing, but I prided myself on my self-control when it came to sex.

  And now I knew what I wanted to do. Immediately.

  “Are you planning to go see your mom right now?” I asked as I released her hair.

  Her eyes flicked down to her clothes. “I was at least going to get some more clothes on first. I don’t think anyone wants to see me go from here to there wearing only this.”

  My eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t stop the growl that came from inside me. “No one gets to see you like this except me.”

  Her lips twitched, and the glint in her eyes told me she was amused. I kept my face expressionless, waiting to see how I should react to whatever came next.

  “What about my mom? Can she see me like this?”

  I knelt in front of her and put my hands on her knees. The moment my fingers slid up her thighs, the laughter on her face died.

  “Making light of an order.” I brushed my thumbs along the insides of her thighs. “I think that deserves a special kind of punishment, don’t you?”

  Her eyes went wide, but the heat in them increased. If I put my fingers on her pulse, I didn’t doubt I’d feel it racing. My own was beating faster than normal at just the thought of what I wanted to do to her.

  “In your previous research, did you happen to take a look at something called orgasm denial?”

  Her cheeks flooded with color. “No, but I can guess what it entails.”

  “After this morning, you won’t have to guess anymore.” I pushed her t-shirt higher on her hips. “I’m going to take you to the edge so many times…” I pushed her legs farther apart and pressed a kiss to her skin. “You’re going to beg me to let you come, and eventually, I’ll allow it…maybe.”

  She made a soft sound halfway between a moan and a whimper, but I didn’t know if it was because of my touch or my words. Either way, I intended to hear a lot more of those noises soon.

  I gripped her hips and pulled her to the edge of her seat, getting a surprised yelp out of her. I let myself have a moment to smile before getting down to business. The tip of my tongue teased between her red curls, then between her folds. She shivered as I moved my tongue over her sensitive skin, the taste of her exploding across my taste buds.

  I rubbed the flat of my tongue over her clit until I felt it swelling. She tried to squirm, but I tightened my grip, flicking my tongue back and forth across that little bundle of nerves until her muscles bunched under my hands.

  I rocked back on my heels but kept my eyes on her face. I wanted to see what happened when she realized I’d stopped. Her eyes went wide, then narrowed.

  “Let’s move this back to the bed.” I stood and held out my hand.

  Less than a minute later, I had her naked and stretched out on the still rumpled covers. I settled between her legs again, sliding a finger inside her as the thumb of my free hand moved over her clit. She twisted, and I nipped at her leg, hard enough to get her attention, but not enough to leave a mark. I was all for using a little teeth, but too much pain at once could spoil things.

  “Hold still,” I instructed her. “Or I’m going to need to…get creative.”

  She nodded, hands curling in the comforter. “I’ll be good.” When I raised an eyebrow, she added, “Mr. Lexington.”

  “Good girl.” I gave her a long, languid lick, smiling when her entire body shuddered. She was so responsive.

  Two fingers slipped inside her, and I curled them, searching for that spot that would electrify her. Her body jerked as I made contact and I kept that pleasure coursing through her body until the way she gasped told me that she was close to coming. She let out a little sob as I withdrew my fingers and waited for her to relax again.

  “Please, Mr. Lexington.”

  I blew on her slick skin and ignored her plea. I’d only refused her twice. We were barely getting started.

  Six, I thought with satisfaction as I pushed myself up from the bed. Ashlee’s eyes were closed, but she wasn’t sleeping. A thin sheen of sweat coated her skin despite the air-conditioning, and her limbs twitched as her body struggled to process yet another build-up and loss. I’d gotten her close to orgasm six times and had stopped her from finishing each time. She’d cursed me more than once, but she’d never spoken her safe word.

  She might not understand the importance of the trust she put in me to make all of this worth the end result, but I did, and I vowed that I would never abuse that trust, in here at least. I couldn’t promise that I’d never do something asinine or say something I shouldn’t, but I could at least care for her body, bring her all the pleasure my experience could offer.

  I retrieved another condom and rolled it over my throbbing erection. I almost winced as my hand moved over the latex sheath. I didn’t think I’d ever been this hard after something like this. Denying her, punishing her, turned me on, but this tightness in my gut, this was something new.

  I was going to go off the moment I was inside her. Of that, I had no doubt. But she would have her pleasure first. And I didn’t think it’d take much to get her there either. Her entire body had to be buzzing.

  “I’m going to let you come now,” I said as I climbed back on the bed. “And then I’m going to fuck you.” I knelt between her legs, then paused long enough to admit, “It’s going to be over fast.”

  Her eyes opened and locked with mine. “About damn time.”

  I laughed but didn’t lose my focus. Two light strokes across her clit with one hand and a pinch to one of her nipples with the other, and she tipped over the edge. Her back arched, mouth opening in a silent scream that gained its voice the moment I buried myself in her with one smooth stroke.

  Her pussy pulsed around me, tightening even as I kept moving. Three, four thrusts and then I was coming too, our bodies fused together in that moment, two parts of a single being, and I’d never felt closer to anyone than I did right now.

  Four

  Ashlee

  As much as I’d enjoyed my night and morning with Nate, my body was in dire need of rest. I felt as if every inch of me had been pulled apart and put back together again. Like my muscles were made of rubber. Rubber that ached in yet again another new way. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it wasn’t only my brain that needed time to process everything.

  A part of me wished I could’ve processed faster so that I would’ve had a better handle on things before meeting my mom for lunch. She’d approved of me going off with Nate yesterday, but I still wasn’t sure how she’d feel when I told her that we planned to give this thing between us a real shot.

  She was already in one of the beach side restaurants when I arrived, waiting at a table near a massive window, clearly enjoying the sunlight and blue sky and water of a beautiful spring day. I allowed myself a moment to appreciate how fortunate I was that Mom was here for another spring. Even though the doctors had caught the cancer early, I’d met far too many people whose loved ones hadn’t been so fortunate. I never wanted to take her for granted.

  As if she knew I was thinking about her, she turned her head toward me and smiled. Nothing in the world could make me feel as loved as I did when she smiled like that at me. I’d had a far better childhood
than a lot of other kids, but better hadn’t always meant easier. No matter how hard it had gotten, I’d always known Mom had my back.

  “Have you been waiting long?” I asked as I slid into the seat across from her.

  She shrugged and picked up her coffee. “It’s a beautiful view, and I’m in no rush to do anything specific.”

  “I’m sorry for going off with Nate yesterday,” I apologized. “This was supposed to be a vacation for the two of us.”

  I stopped talking when she put her hand on mine.

  “Do you honestly think I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t want you to go with him?” She squeezed my hand.

  “I know,” I said, “but I still feel bad.”

  The waitress came over to take my drink order, interrupting a conversation that most likely would have continued back and forth for another ten minutes with the two of us reassuring and apologizing even though neither of us had done anything wrong. It was our way.

  “Actually, I’m a little surprised your…friend didn’t come with you. Considering how far he’d come to talk to you, I assumed he wouldn’t want to let you out of his sight.”

  I flushed. Her remark was innocent enough, but it prompted the memory of how possessive Nate had been just a short time ago. His hand in my hair, pulling my head back until I was right at the edge of too much. His declaration that he was the only teacher I needed. Despite all that, I didn’t believe he was the sort of possessive who would take over my life, tell me who I was allowed to speak to or what I could wear. If he did become like that, I’d end things without hesitation.

  Still, Mom wasn’t the only one surprised that he hadn’t demanded to stay at my side.

  “Nate went back to New York,” I said, accepting my chai tea with a smile. I took a sip and continued, “He asked me to apologize on his behalf for interrupting our vacation.”

  I could see questions forming, but she waited until we’d both ordered our lunches before asking any of them. As the waitress walked away, I braced myself for what was coming.

  “I want the full story. Yesterday, things were crazy and emotional. You and Nate needed to talk to each other, work out whatever the mess was between you. I meant what I said before about how he’d come down here for you, but I know there’s more going on than that. You’ve been hiding some bits for some reason, and I think you need to let them out.”

  I nodded, swallowing hard. She was right. I’d given her the general story of how Nate and I had met and how we’d broken up. She knew I’d been fired but hadn’t known the exact reason until Nate had shown up here. I’d explained some things to her, but held back other bits, not wanting her to think less of me.

  “Nate can act like an ass sometimes.”

  “In my experience, most people manage that particular trait at one point or another in their lives,” Mom said wryly. “Your man seems to have it in spades, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a bad guy. Granted, I don’t know much about him…”

  I held up a hand. “I know. That’s on me. I’ll tell you everything. Most of it you already know, but I gave a lot of it in pieces.”

  “I can handle it, Ashlee.” She gave me a small smile. “You don’t have to protect me from the world, let alone from your boyfriend.”

  Boyfriend.

  I let out a rush of air. I didn’t know if that word could apply to someone like Nate, not even if we were dating. Boyfriend was someone I could take home to meet my mom. Though, technically, he had met her.

  “He’s my boss,” I began, “and when he overheard Flora talking about him, he was furious. But he didn’t suspend me like he did her. I like to believe it was because I hadn’t done anything wrong, but a part of me can’t help thinking it was because he was attracted to me.”

  I hadn’t let myself acknowledge that suspicion until now, but it had always been there. Lurking in the back, always there to sow a little doubt.

  “He’s not the most open of men.” I kept going. “But he was honest with me from the start about the fact that he didn’t want a relationship. Not like anything that we’d understand as a relationship anyway.”

  “And that’s what you want?” Mom asked when I paused.

  “If you’ve taught me anything, it’s that relationships don’t have to be ‘traditional’ to be genuine.”

  I leaned back as the waitress set my plate in front of me, then took a moment to stab a tomato and pop it into my mouth. By the time I was finished chewing, the waitress had left, and Mom was poking at her sandwich.

  “Would it be? With Nate, I mean,” she asked. “Is what he’s offering you genuine?”

  I had to think about that one. After nearly half a minute, I finally answered, “It is. He’s very straight-forward about things.”

  “That’s good,” Mom said. “But it looks like there’s some miscommunication going on with you two.”

  I nodded. “There are things in Nate’s background that’ve made it hard for him to open up, and they’ve made him much more suspicious of people, especially women. We haven’t talked about any of that stuff, but I know it’s there. I can see it and hear it when he talks about the women in his past.”

  A concerned look settled on my mom’s face, and I hurried to better explain.

  “He’s not abusive. Intense, yes. Possessive, definitely, and dominant too.” Heat rushed to my face as I chose the last word. It was appropriate and descriptive. But it also meant more, and I needed to fill my mom in on that too.

  “Now, I’m wondering if he fired you because you defied him,” Mom said. “A man who would use work–”

  “He’s not like that,” I interrupted. “He fired me because…wait, let me back up a second. Last week, Nate showed up at my house, and we had sex. Afterward, he was wandering around my place and found some clippings I had about Manhattan Records, including one of him and Finley. He thought I’d been doing research on him so I could take advantage of him.”

  She looked incredulous. “You take advantage of him?”

  “Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too. I kicked him out and when I got to work on Monday, he fired me for lying on my resumé when I answered the question about what I knew about the company.”

  The incredulous expression hadn’t faded away. “He fired you for having research on his company?”

  I’d told her that I’d been fired but had glossed over the reasons. Now that I was explaining everything, I was glad she hadn’t known all this before. Sure, she’d been angry on my behalf, but as soon as Nate had shown up, she’d seen romantic intentions. If she’d known all of this, she might never have told me to go with him yesterday, and none of this would be happening.

  “He has trust issues,” I said.

  “Why’d he come down here then? To apologize and hire you back?”

  “No, not exactly.” I finished off my tea. “At work, we’re supposed to back things up on flash drives. I did, but he couldn’t find it. He thought I took it with me. That’s why he came to find me.”

  Mom raised an eyebrow. “That’s not the reason. I might not be quite as enthusiastic about him as I was yesterday, but he came all this way for you.”

  I couldn’t stop my smile. “Mostly, that’s true.”

  “What does this mean for work?” She tapped a finger on her lower lip. “You can’t have a termination on your resumé and definitely not one that’s about you lying and stealing.”

  “Nate knows that I didn’t do either of those things,” I said. “I won’t have any problem getting a good reference.”

  “You can’t have a reference from a guy you’re sleeping with.”

  That was an excellent point, but I had a solution to that at least. “He’s not technically my direct boss. Mr. Hancock will give me a good reference.”

  “That means you’re going to be looking for another job when we get back?” She made it a question rather than a statement.

  A question for which I had no answer.

  “When I get back to New York, I’ll t
alk to Nate. We’ll work something out.” I hoped that I sounded more confident than I was. I didn’t doubt for a minute that Nate would help me work out what I wanted to do. I just wasn’t sure what that was going to be.

  Now that I’d explained to him my real reason for coming to work at Manhattan Records, I didn’t actually need the cover to get to know Finley. Which meant I didn’t actually need this specific job…unless I wanted it.

  That was the real question, wasn’t it?

  What did I want now?

  Five

  Nate

  Spending the rest of the weekend alone wouldn’t have been my first choice but leaving Ashlee and her mom in Virginia Beach had been the right thing to do. They’d gone down there for a vacation, to get away from New York. To get away from me, honestly.

  Since Ashlee and I had patched things up enough to wait to talk over where things were going from here, it wouldn’t hurt anything for me to go home. Well, nothing but my dick and balls. Those protested the entire flight home and had been tormenting me ever since.

  Case in point, I was currently trying to get my hard-on to go away before anyone happened to notice it. Thankfully, one of the heads of my A&R department was more interested in what I was proposing than he was in my current state.

  Stu Hancock was a good guy. Hard-working, creative, great with people. He understood his job as well as the ways he and his co-VP, Suzie Lamas, each had their own roles to play.

  “I’m on board with all of this,” Stu said. “Do you want me to talk to her about it?”

  I shook my head and tried not to show how eager I was to see Ashlee. It had been too long since I’d seen her, touched her. It was going to be extremely difficult to keep my hands to myself.

  I was accustomed to self-control, but not under these particular circumstances. I wanted to be the one setting the terms, deciding who did what when and where. Giving up that aspect of control was new for me, and I didn’t like it. But I’d deal with it because I wanted her more than I wanted everything to be the exact same as every other relationship I’d ever had.