Bound to Please(21)

He’d been irritated that she’d made him go, but hey, that was probably because it had never happened before.

He’d get over it. Just as she would get over him.

She stepped over the edge of the mountain hot spring. Steam rose in billowing, hot clouds around her. With such pristine water it was hard to tell where the bottom was, but the water was too tempting. She jumped in.

The spring was hot, but it didn’t burn her. Instead it seeped into her bones as she floated on her back. She tried not to think about how deep the water was because when she did fear pierced her. Deep waters terrified her, always had.

Her eyes popped open. She heard her sister’s cry, but she couldn’t see her. She began to swim, following her sister’s voice. But then the water started to surge in a whirlpool, and Ruby was spinning, spinning, being sucked down, her sister’s name a silent scream in her mouth…

The phone pulled her slowly out of the dream. Her heart still pounded as she reached across the bed to pull her cell off the nightstand and she flipped open the phone without even looking at the caller ID. “Hello?” Her voice sounded scratchy, sleepy.

She glanced at the clock. 10:30? She never slept this late, even on a Saturday.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

She bolted upright and cleared her throat. There was only one man who called her that. “James. It’s so nice to hear from you.” There, that sounded normal. And awake. “How are you?”

“Good. Listen, I was wondering if you had time to get together. With me.”

Her pulse fluttered. Was he asking her on a date? After months of flirting and not-so-subtle innuendo, was he finally doing it?

James Cleaver was CEO for a very successful Palo Alto software company. She’d planned their Christmas party last December, and it had been amazing, a winter wonderland like something out of a fairy tale. With an endless budget and free rein, Ruby thought it was her best event ever. She was dying to get more jobs like that—high-end, high-class, and high-budget. It was exactly the kind of event she wanted her company to be known for.

Not to mention, high-end parties brought high-end guests. At thirty-seven, Ruby was feeling her clock ticking, and she wanted to meet a good, responsible, successful man. James Cleaver was all those things. He even had the perfect last name. At the Christmas party, he’d asked her to dance three times, and she was sure he’d call her afterward for a date. Now, four months later, he was.

And of course it was at that exact moment she remembered all the things she’d done last night. With a man who was the polar opposite of James Cleaver. As if to taunt her, her ass suddenly began to sting, and she saw herself bent over a chair, her ass in the air as Mark spanked her. Her body immediately responded in a hot flush, and she squeezed her thighs together in an attempt to hammer down the sensations coursing through her.

“…spring fling. You know, as kind of a company morale thing. I have some ideas for the theme, but I know you’ll make it amazing.”

James continued, but now Ruby couldn’t concentrate. Last night, she’d had Mark St. Crow between her legs. She’d obeyed his commands, let him paddle her ass.

“Ruby?”

Harder! She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get Mark out of her head. “Very nice ideas. Indeed.” But all she could think about was melting under Mark’s hot kisses, his warm hands.

“Great. I’m happy you like it so much,” he said with a laugh. Not for the first time, Ruby noticed James had a very nice laugh.

She tried to picture James, in his khaki pants and starched shirt, wielding a whip at her. She giggled.

“Are you laughing?”

“No.” She put her fingers to her lips, took a deep breath, trying to get the image of a BDSM James out of her head. “Um. It’s just that I think everyone will whip.”

“Pardon?”

“Flip. Definitely.” She nodded as if he could see her. “Everyone will flip over this idea.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

Awkward silence. She couldn’t think! Finally she said, “Can I call you on Monday and we’ll set up a time to get together?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. It’s Saturday. Sometimes I forget people actually have lives. I’m at the office. Of course,” he said with a chuckle.

The guy seemed to always be at the office, which was strange because he was charming, attractive, and wealthy. He was one of the most desirable bachelors she knew.

“I’ll talk with Meg, and we’ll put together some ideas,” she said, pulling a pad of paper and pencil off her nightstand.

“I’m so glad you like the rock-and-roll theme.”