All empty.
She spun and pushed against Jaxon’s chest. “You played me.”
A slight smirk formed on his face. “A little. Just a kindergarten version of a mind fuck.” He stepped back, and the smile melted away like an ice cube on an August day. “Actually, the police confiscated all of it for testing. To see if it contained evidence of . . .”
She itched to cradle his cheek in her hand. Instead, she closed the doors to conceal the memory of what he’d lost and whispered, “The armoire is beautiful. You’re very talented.”
His face morphed into stone once again. Unreadable.
He trudged to the couch. “The first lesson I need to teach you is how to stand and present yourself. Did you ever sing in a choir?”
Thrown by the sudden chill in the room as well as the change in topic, she faltered. “Sure, my freshman year of high school.” Before her father died, she’d loved to sing. Had even beaten out a couple of the older students for a solo in the Christmas concert. By the end of the school year, she hadn’t bothered to show up for class.
“Do you remember how you were expected to stand?”
She joined him in the center of the room in front of the U-shaped couch. “Shoulders dropped and pushed back, feet spread apart, don’t lock the knees.”
“Do it.” He issued his command quietly, but there was a harsh edge to it that she’d never heard from him. As she complied with his bidding, tendrils of heat swirled in her core and her breasts grew heavy with want. She waited for further instructions, praying he wouldn’t notice her hardened nipples pressing against her bra. “Now bow your head slightly, keeping your gaze on the floor in front of you. If we’re in a scene, I’d expect you to clasp your hands behind your back, but while we’re exploring the club, feel free to keep them relaxed at your side.”
She slowed her breathing. “Will I have to be naked?”
He chuckled. “No. The first time we go, you can wear a black skirt, the shorter the better. Do you own a corset?”
“Yes.” She’d bought the corset and matching panties to surprise Tom but had never found the courage to wear them.
“Wear the corset for your top. Comfortable shoes since you may be on your feet for a long period of time. Hair down.” He moved behind her. His hand brushed the side of her neck, his fingers playing with one of her blond curls. “You have beautiful hair.”
Her lids fluttered shut. “Th-Thank you.”
“Have you ever been tied up? Bound during sex?”
“No,” she whispered. She couldn’t speak any louder.
His cheek’s stubble rubbed against her neck. “Never had a lover pull your hair or bite you or spank you with the back of his hand?”
Her pussy quivered, liquid desire dampening her panties. Was it possible to climax simply from listening to his voice?
“Do you fantasize about it? Tell me the truth. I’m not going to judge you. You’re always safe with me.”
Safe? She was two seconds away from forgetting she had a boyfriend. To regain control, she broke from her submissive position and turned. “Who hasn’t fantasized about it?”
He frowned. “When we are in a scene, you will refer to me as ‘Jax.’ Understood?”
The disappointment on his face sent a sharp pang in her chest. “Yes, Jax.”
He moved closer. Close enough for her to feel the erection hidden by his jeans. “What is Kate short for? Katherine? Kathleen?”
“Katerina,” she answered without thinking. No one in Detroit knew her as anything other than Kate since she’d legally changed it at eighteen. How had he made her forget to lie?
“Like you, beautiful and unique. When I use it, you’ll know we’re in a scene.” She nodded, unable to speak. He cradled her head in his hands. “Now tell me the truth. Do you fantasize about a man taking control over you sexually?”
She couldn’t look away from his brown eyes. Couldn’t resist answering. “Yes.”
He arched a brow. “Yes, who?”
“Yes, Jax.”
“Have you ever used nipple clamps?”
They tingled at the suggestion. “No, Jax.”
“A vibrator?”
The lawyer in her wanted to challenge the relevance of these questions, but like she was under his spell, she felt compelled to answer. “Yes, Jax.”
“What kind?”
Kind? Was he kidding? “I don’t understand.”
“You are an innocent, aren’t you? Clitoral, vaginal, anal, dual?”
Dual? Her pussy throbbed. She’d rub her thighs together if it wouldn’t clue him in as to how much his questions aroused her. It had been a long time since she’d been an innocent, but these questions made her feel like one. “Um . . . It’s just your average purple vibrator.” She added teasingly, “It’s shaped like a Popsicle . . . Jax.”