Purgatory Masters(36)

The same thing with her body. There was nothing fake about Maggie Cisco. He slid his hands from her neck along the curve of her spine. He’d specifically chosen this dress because of the skin lines it left open to him. As an artist he did everything with his hands, and when it came to women he was often the same way. Right now he itched to stroke and pet every inch of the beautiful submissive sitting next to him.

She still hadn’t answered him but he felt her muscles relaxing under his ministrations. He wasn’t in a hurry tonight and he had enough patience to wait for her answer. For now.

“Until last month, I hadn’t been here since I graduated from college.”

Tucker calculated the math in his head, estimating how long it had taken her to get her Master’s and half of her Doctorate degree. Ten years almost. He softly whistled. That was a long damn time to stay away.

“Why so long?”

She shrugged like it didn’t matter but he’d learned to read a woman’s body language and the answer filled her with tension.

“My parents didn’t care much for my ex.”

Curious. His research into her ex husband hadn’t netted a whole lot to get excited about. Kyle Dixon. With a moniker as exciting as milk toast, he’d matched his name to a T. Fifteen years older than Maggie, he’d been forty when they got married.

“Why’s that?” he coaxed. Maybe there was more to her story than he’d realized.

She shrugged again. “At first he was too old for me. Then he’d been too stuck up for them. Over the years the reasons why increased and I stopped listening. They stopped in to see me every time they left for another poverty-stricken country to save the world, which was often, so there wasn’t much need to make the trek here. The cabin is pretty much empty year round now.”

That part he’d known. Her parents were well-known for their minimalistic living style and high ideals. Most people called them hippies who happened to have medical degrees.

“You must have disagreed with their assessment.” He felt like he was entering dangerous territory. It served neither of them to go wandering around in the past. Especially his.

She nodded her head. “For a while. Then we grew apart and the little things started to matter. He hated my research.” The sadness in her voice annoyed him. He didn’t want her dwelling on the past when they had such potential for a future.

“You have a beautiful mind, Maggie. I’ve read many of your papers and was impressed.”

Her head swiveled sharply. “You’ve read my papers?”

Tucker smiled. “Of course I did, pet. How else would I learn about what my new submissive might have been thinking when she fled the scene.”

“Your submissive?” her voice lowered to a whisper again. “I thought this was just an experiment for me and I don’t know.. just sex for you?”

“I’ve thought about you a lot these last few days and I have no interest in a fuck and run. I relish the idea of exploring your knowledge and its practical application. You’re a smart, fascinating woman with a strong history of independence.” Of course, he’d have to keep her close and watch her like a hawk. He’d started this journey and it was his job to keep her safe. “Call me smitten.”





Chapter Nine

Maggie tried to swallow past the sudden lump in her throat. His submissive. She hadn’t processed much beyond those two words. Blood rushed to her head as she tried to make sense of this new direction. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought… Well, maybe in her wildest dreams. But c’mon, her and Tucker? So far she’d lived up to every one of Kyle’s accusations. A repressed, uptight know-it-all who thinks just because she researches BDSM that she’s smarter about sex than everyone else.

Some of the repressed anger that Maggie had survived on began to flood through her. Kyle could go fuck himself. They were divorced now and she was under no obligation to keep his precious secrets. This was her new life and she deserved to live it, whatever that turned out to be. She forced her old stupid self out of the way and focused on the unbelievably hot man in front of her.

“What do you expect from a submissive?” she asked. Was this what he considered average conversation at dinner? Maggie bit her lip to keep from smiling. She didn’t know what Tucker had in mind for her, but there was no need to make it worse by laughing at him.

“A lot of it is probably what you’re already thinking. I won’t lie and tell you its not very sexual for me. A woman who submits to me of her own free will, with an open mind, drives me crazy. It’s the perfect gift.” His fingers continued to stroke her spine from the base of her neck to the top of her ass. The more he touched the more she reacted. She was aware of the plug inside her more than ever. It didn’t hurt. Quite the contrary. Every time she squirmed in her seat or his fingers sent a shudder coursing through her, the toy touched some sort of nerve ending and reawakened it.