Power Trip(31)

He stood, looking down at her. “Let’s get you set up in my lab downstairs. We can order any equipment you need from my private sources and you can get to work right away,” he said briskly.

She blinked, forcing the smile to stay on her face as she switched gears. “Right.”

Cal raised an eyebrow. “That wasn’t what you were thinking?” He glanced at his watch. “It’s three o’clock. We’ve got hours to kill. I can’t think of anything to do with that much time but work…can you?” He cocked his head to the side and she realized he was teasing her. Apparently, innocent was something Cal did extremely well.

“Nope, I’ve been dying to get a look at your…lab.” She stood, but didn’t touch him. He’d asked her not to. Energy crackled, a tangible force, drawing her closer, keeping her away. She wanted him to kiss her again and held her breath as he reached out.

His fingers stroked through her hair, loosened from its pony tail. She bit her lip, trembling with the effort of holding still under his caress.

“It isn’t just for safety’s sake,” he whispered. “I like this. I like you holding still and letting me do whatever I want. It’s a huge power trip.”

“I imagine it is.” She tried to grumble but the husky note in her voice ruined the effect. “You have all the power.”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “You do.”

That was hard to believe. She would have pulled away but his hand was still tangled in her hair.

“Think about it,” he urged.

“I can’t think when I’m near you. That’s the problem. My brain slips out of gear. I feel stupid, nothing like myself.”

“God, that turns me on.” His eyes sparked and he groaned, pulling his hand out of her hair. She heard a crackle and reached up to smooth her hair, now standing on end. She couldn’t look away from his bright blue eyes. “You know you’re not stupid, Audrey, but you are submissive and that’s why your brain slips out of gear.” She would have argued, but he held up his hand. “Hear me out.”

She nodded slowly, not even trying to tell herself she wanted to do anything else.

“Most BDSM practitioners have a conversation in a vanilla space so they can think straight while creating the rules of their game. There are elaborate checklists to go through that make sure each person’s needs will be met. I play on the extreme end of the scale because of my talent. My subs like pain, electrical play and being totally dominated. I work hard to get them to the place where their brains slip out of gear and they float. When they are honest about what they want and they trust me, a bond is created that we can both enjoy. Everybody wins.”

“Why do you keep calling it a game?”

A fierce grin flashed across his face. “Because it’s fun. I get to be Dominant while you indulge in a fantasy of being powerless.”

“A fantasy? It felt pretty damn real when I was strapped to the table.” A shudder shook her.

“Everything ends if you call red. And when the scene ends, you go back to being Dr. Audrey Fallon, black belt, utterly vanilla, the moment you wish. Engaging in BDSM doesn’t change who you are, but it’s a hell of a good time. That’s why it drives me wild that you begin to float so easily. It isn’t always like that. Your trust is a gift, and I appreciate it.”

Is that what it was between them? She trusted him? She did, she realized. Even before Jake had said she could. Something about him connected with something deep inside her. She couldn’t explain it; it didn’t make sense. But she trusted him.

She didn’t believe these experiences wouldn’t change her or that she could ever go back to being utterly vanilla, but the rest of his explanation made sense. Last night had been amazing, but the whole powerless, strapped to a table thing didn’t match up with her self-image. For her, that was the sticking point. She wasn’t weak. She was trained to fight, not submit. But if Cal was correct, admitting these things gave her pleasure wasn’t a weakness. Could she play this game with him and not feel weak? Was she brave enough to find out?

“All right,” she said.

“Thank God.” His eyes glowed. “If you had said no, I really was going to have to work this afternoon. I’ve got enough energy to fill two dozen fuel cells, and it’s all your fault,” he said, pointing a finger at her.

Audrey stared at him. Suddenly the enormous house and the expensive gadgets made sense. “Davis Energy. You own Davis Energy Company, don’t you?”

“I do,” he said with a wicked chuckle. “I don’t always pour myself into the bodies of willing women. Sometimes I fill fuel cells. And sell them.”