He raised a brow. “You don’t?”
“Okay, so I’m curious. That’s hardly a crime, is it?”
“No.”
“Well, go on then.”
“Patience.” He waited a good ten seconds before continuing, letting her know who was in charge. “Her name was Lucy. We were together four years until we went our separate ways some three months ago. It was an amicable split.”
“Amicable split? Huh, there’s no such thing. That’s a cop-out if ever I heard one.”
“Ah, I see, still fishing for more information. Well, okay then, I guess you could say I finished the relationship because I lost interest in her.”
“Go on.”
“With hindsight we weren’t really suited to each other. She wasn’t really into the D/s scene like I was.”
“She was your sub?”
“Yes, but she was too selfish and immature.”
“Then I can see why you’ve taken an interest in me. After all, I’m a woman in my prime.”
He dripped oil into a cupped palm then massaged her breasts, painfully drawing out her nipples until they peaked. “In your prime, huh. So you are, and all the better for it.” His eyes sparkled mischievously as he looked at her, and she figured he had plenty of questions of his own.
Now thirty-three, Rebecca had spent most of her adult life pursuing a career. Unable to bear children because of an illness, she’d focused solely on her sphere of expertise, to the point of obsession. She believed herself to be one of the top five software designers in the US. Tyler believed this, too, which was why he’d agreed upon an extremely attractive employment package in order to bring her talents to Cerberus Technology.
Tyler’s strong, athletic body stretched out beside her on the bed. They were both still naked, and his remarkable powers of recovery meant he sported another impressive erection. He drew her into his arms, and she snuggled happily against his chest as he drifted his fingers through her hair. “Feeling relaxed?”
“Mmm.” Rebecca smoothed a hand over his bare chest, enjoying the thrill of sculpted physical perfection and not middle-age spread beneath her fingertips. For a guy of thirty-nine, Tyler kept himself in extraordinary shape.
“I like a man with stubble.” She idly ran her fingers across his jaw. “Although we’ve fucked, I guess I know very little about you, Tyler. What were you doing at Club Submission that night, and where did you get the dragon tattoo on your back?”
He laughed and slanted her a look. “So many questions. If I answer yours, then you are gonna have to answer mine.”
“Deal.”
He kissed her cheek and pulled her closer still. As he spoke, she felt the vibrations of his strong, deep voice, filtering from his body into hers.
“As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a natural Dom. I’ve been a member of a fet club in Houston for over ten years. While I was visiting Boston to interview you for the job, I stumbled upon Club Submission. It was advertised on a book of matches that a previous guest had left in my hotel room. So I suppose you could say it was just by pure chance that I happened to be there the same night you were. Coincidence or what?”
“Huh, coincidence? Sounds more like a lazy maid to me, but without her lack of care you’d never have discovered my secret life.”
He tenderly kissed the top of her head. “Probably not. But I like to think that fate played a hand in bringing two like-minded people together.”
She sighed. “Maybe, who knows. Tell me some more about yourself, Ty.”
“Okay, honey.” He pulled her closer. “Comfortable?”
“You bet.”
“Then I’ll begin. After leaving Harvard, I took a year off to explore Southeast Asia with a good friend of mine. Brad Miller and I wanted to discover and engage with the real world. Not the world you see depicted in some glossy travel brochure but the real world with real people. We traveled through Indonesia, taking in Borneo and Celebes before working our passage to Burma on a rusty fishing frigate, crewed by what seemed to be a bunch of cutthroat pirates. On one memorable expedition we fought our way through the impenetrable Burmese jungle before crossing the border into Thailand. That’s where I had the dragon tattoo done. Not in some fancy regulated tattoo parlor, you understand, but done by some respected village elder deep in the mountains.” He laughed, clearly recalling the memory. “To say it was painful would be an understatement, and it sure wouldn’t pass the health and safety regs we have today.”
“Wasn’t that dangerous?”
“Sure was, but I was young and crazy then. I’ve got no regrets.”