Torn: Caught between the Billionaires, Book 1: Lucas Read online

  “Did I give you permission to come, sub?” He asked softly, an edge to his tone.

  She quelled under the power radiating off of him. “No,” she answered quietly, intimidated.

  He remained disapproving, his eyes cold. “I expect submissives to address me with respect. You will answer me only with ‘yes, Sir’ or ‘no, Sir.’ Now try again.”

  “No, Sir,” the words spilled out of her. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

  His expression softened slightly. “I don’t believe I told you that you could say anything other than ‘yes, Sir’ or ‘no, Sir,’ but I do appreciate an apologetic sub. So you’re pardoned this time.”

  This time? Did he intend to see her again after tonight? There was a pleasurable flutter in her belly. But it only served to make her even more acutely aware of how desperately she wanted him to touch her again.

  He obliged her immediately, his large index finger suddenly delving between her soft, wet folds, sliding easily into her pussy. She moaned as he filled her, his rough treatment making her sex contract as he hit her g-spot. Her legs quivered, but she ruthlessly forced back the pleasure building within her, determined not to disobey him again. Not only did she fear what he might do to her if she did, but she found that she genuinely didn’t want to disappoint him.

  He smiled down at her, his finger stilling within her. He was clearly pleased, but there was a slightly cruel twist to his lips; he obviously enjoyed controlling her, making her wait. It seemed he did have a sadistic streak. Shay realized in that moment that sadism could mean more than just enjoying inflicting pain. She wanted to glare up at him, to show the resentment that she should feel at his treatment, his arrogance. But all she felt was pleasure; she was intoxicated by his power over her, wanting nothing more than to submit to his demands.

  His finger curled inside of her, stroking languorously against her g-spot. All of her muscles tightened with the effort of holding off the wave of pleasure building within her. He stroked her again. Her entire body started quivering, torn between the need to come and the need to obey.

  She wanted to plead with him, to beg for her orgasm. But he hadn’t given her permission to speak, so she bit down on the words, catching her lower lip between her teeth in an effort to remain silent.

  Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Lucas spoke. “Come for me, sub,” he said as he began to pump his finger in and out of her, swirling his thumb over her clit at the same time.

  Her cry of pleasure was mingled with a sob of relief as her sex began to contract around his finger. He continued stroking her through her orgasm, holding her tightly as she exploded. Her vision went white as ecstasy rippled through her, starting at her core and shooting out to her fingertips. As the pleasure subsided, Lucas’ finger slowed its steady pumping, wringing the last delicious, blissful shudders from her. She let out a small sigh as he withdrew from her, leaving her feeling empty.

  Shay looked up to find him smiling down at her, no hint of the earlier cruelty evident in his expression. She became aware that she was grinning up at him like a fool, riding on the high of her orgasm.

  “So,” he said. “Did you enjoy your first taste of submission, Shay?”

  She blushed slightly. “Yes, Sir,” she answered truthfully.

  He stroked her hair gently, and she unconsciously leaned into his touch. “Good girl,” he praised. Shay’s smile widened, thrilled at his approving tone.

  Lucas suddenly cocked his head at her, regarding her intently. “How would you like to be my submissive for the weekend, Shay?” There was an odd expression on his face, as though he cared deeply about her answer and was mildly surprised to realize it.

  But Shay didn’t even have time to consider what it meant; she was too thrilled with his proposition. This impossibly sexy man wanted to see her again? To dominate her again? The idea of experiencing more of his wicked touch, his skillful manipulation of her body and mind, caused her pussy to pulse to life again. “Yes!” She said immediately, before he could renege on his offer. She knew that she should be a bit embarrassed at the eagerness in her tone, but she didn’t care. Lucas had introduced her to the wonders of BDSM, and no way did she want to go back to vanilla ever again.

  Lucas’ expression immediately lightened, his grin turning cocky, his conquest complete. “Excellent. I’ll give you my number and we can work out the details.” His face turned more serious. “But you must know, I will expect your complete obedience for the entire time you are with me. We can go over rules and limits later, but I have to know that you will consent to that.”

  Shay swallowed. Complete obedience? Her belly clenched pleasurably at the thought. With someone else, she might have balked, but she was eager to experience more with Lucas. He was a complete stranger, but she found that she couldn’t help trusting him completely. Maybe it was because he had saved her from Bobby; white-knight-syndrome. But she pushed back her niggling doubts. The man was a god, physically perfect and incredibly skilled at manipulating her body. How could she refuse? Licking her lips, she nodded her assent.

  Lucas’ eyes twinkled, his grin turning a bit wolfish, predatory. “Then I look forward to seeing you again, Shay.”

  He held her for a while longer, stroking her back as she came back to herself, her usual composure returning. She felt a twinge of regret when the lights came on, signaling that the club was closing and they had to leave. Lucas helped her stand, and she flushed with pleasure as he seemed reluctant to let her go.

  He walked her out into the coolness of the night, escorting her to her car.

  “Well…” She began awkwardly, not exactly knowing how to say goodbye. His hand was suddenly at the nape of her neck, pulling her face towards his. A thrill shot through her as she thought he was going to kiss her. She tilted her head back, offering up her lips. But he stopped just short of her mouth, holding her there, denying her. She could feel his hot breath on her face.

  “Until the weekend, Shay,” he murmured against her lips. Then he released her abruptly, turning away from her sharply. She watched, dumbfounded, as he strode away from her, leaving her wanting.

  Her cheeks heated, but she wasn’t sure if it was from anger or lust.

  Chapter 2

  Lucas Cross struggled to force back his lustful thoughts as he walked into Ponderosa Designs, the architecture firm that he had hired to design his new American headquarters. Charlotte might have seemed an odd choice of city for the hub of a multi-billion dollar global company, but North Carolina had the lowest corporation tax rate in the country. He had reviewed designs from the most prestigious architecture firms in the state, but in the end he had decided to go with the smaller, up-and-coming company; their designs truly had been the most inspiring that had been submitted to him, and he was eager to meet the architectural genius who had drafted them.

  But right now he was struggling to keep his focus on his upcoming meeting; he couldn’t stop thinking about the gorgeous redhead that he had met at Tempest on Saturday. The little submissive had been so receptive, so trusting, and her curvy body had been delicious. He had been instantly captivated by everything about her, from her creamy skin to her flame-colored hair. And her eyes: a strikingly pale, crystalline green that had seemed to glow with some inner light as she submitted to him. He felt himself growing hard just thinking about it. He had had to sate himself far more often than usual every day since he had met her. Hell, he hadn’t been this attracted to a woman since…

  He flinched away from the painful memories. Don’t go there. He ordered himself, shoving back the grief.

  His mind turned to the proposition that he had made to Shay, to be his submissive for the upcoming weekend. He was still amazed at his actions, hardly believing that he had made such a request. And hardly believing that she had accepted with such alacrity. The chemistry between them was sizzling, and he couldn’t deny that he was eager to see the little sub again, to bring her deeper into the world of BDSM. He felt a flare of satisfaction that it would be he who
introduced her to that world.

  But guilt lurked at the back of his mind. He hadn’t had a woman for more than one night in more than three years. He felt as though he were betraying Sandra’s memory by committing to another submissive for even a weekend…

  He hardened his heart, grimacing. He would just have to limit it to the weekend, spending no more time with Shay than he had already promised. Besides, she might come to her senses and back out; she hadn’t contacted him in the four days that had passed since their meeting, so that was a good sign. Or was it? Lucas couldn’t deny that the idea of never seeing her again made him inexplicably disappointed. What hold did the flame-haired siren have over him?

  He was frowning at himself as he stepped out of the elevator into the third floor, where Ponderosa Designs was located. He quickly plastered on a pleasant smile as he approached the pretty blonde secretary at the front desk. She looked up at him, and her jaw dropped slightly. There was a moment of silence, and Lucas suppressed a sigh as he jolted the woman out of her reverie.

  “I’m Lucas Cross,” he explained the obvious. “I have an appointment.”

  “Ummm… Ah… Yes. Sorry.” The woman visibly shook herself, blushing. “Right this way please, Mr. Cross.” She led him down the short corridor and gestured that he should enter the open office at the end of the hall. When he entered, he stopped short in shock as he saw who was bustling around the room, hastily organizing papers. Then a wide grin spread across his face. This business trip was going to be far more enjoyable than he had anticipated

  Shay jumped slightly as someone cleared his throat pointedly. He’s here, she thought, trying to conceal her nerves. Lucas Cross was here. The Lucas Cross. Billionaire owner of Augustan Technologies, one of the world’s leading electronics corporations. And he was in her office, ready to look over her designs.

  Then she looked up, and she froze in shock. Her fingers went numb as she took in all six-foot-two of him. Holy. Shit. Lucas was smiling a Cheshire-cat grin at her, clearly amused by the situation. Her drawings dropped from her hands, fluttering to the floor.

  Her cheeks flamed red under his scrutiny, and she found that she could no longer meet his eyes. Glad of the excuse to break from his gaze, she dropped to her knees, hastily gathering up her papers with trembling fingers.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid! She thought to herself angrily. Why hadn’t she realized? How many Englishmen named Lucas could there possibly be in Charlotte, North Carolina? Still, Lucas the Dom was the last man she had expected to walk into her office today, and he was definitely the last person that she wanted to see right now. This was supposed to be the biggest meeting of her life, her chance to show that she was skilled enough to compete on an international level. She had spent the whole morning assuring herself that she was a strong, intelligent woman, ready to face the billionaire genius and speak to him as an equal.

  And now all of that was ruined. He had seen her practically naked, for god’s sake! And she had never allowed herself to be so vulnerable with anyone. He would think her a spineless push-over, no one to be taken seriously in the business world. Hell, she had been so intimidated by the prospect of seeing him again that she hadn’t even been able to bring herself to contact him since their meeting. And he hadn’t gotten in touch with her, so she had assumed that he wasn’t really interested. This was a total shit storm. What if he laughed at her? What if he decided to take his business elsewhere? What if he-

  A warm hand brushed hers as it proffered some of her fallen papers to her. Startled, she glanced up and met his gorgeous green eyes. They took her breath away. Had she really forgotten how hot he was? She froze under his gaze, and he smiled roguishly, as though he knew the effect he had on her senses.

  “As much as I enjoy the sight of you on your knees, Shay, this is neither the time nor the place. Here.” He gathered up the rest of her drawings and handed them to her. She accepted them automatically, and he grasped her wrists, pulling her up as he stood. Her mouth went dry and her breathing turned shallow as her skin came alive at the contact, sending tingling sparks dancing from her trapped wrists to her pussy.

  “Shay?” She was jerked back to reality by the sound of her boss’ voice. Lucas released her wrists instantly, and Shay struggled to cool her heated cheeks as Don entered her office. But her boss plastered a smile on his face, pretending that he hadn’t just witnessed anything completely inappropriate.

  “Mr. Cross? I’m Don Cramer,” he said warmly, extending his hand to Lucas, who shook it firmly.

  “Please, call me Lucas,” he said. His voice was genial but business-like, contrasting with the heated tone he had used with Shay moments before. It reminded her of how he had been so brusque, almost impersonal, with her as he had questioned her at the club.

  Don’t think about that! She ordered herself. She had to focus, to pull herself together, if she had any hope of salvaging this deal. And her reputation.

  Clearing her throat, she jumped into the introductions. “And I’m Shay Greene. It’s nice to meet you at last, Mr. Cross.” He shook her hand as well, and she suppressed a pleasurable shudder at the warm contact. But thankfully his smile was professional, not betraying the fact that he knew her intimately.

  “Lucas,” he corrected her. “Firstly, I’d like to commend you on your brilliant designs, Don,” he continued, turning to her boss. “Modern yet classic at the same time. I’m impressed.”

  Don shifted his gaze to Shay, beaming at her with pride. “Actually, Shay is responsible for the designs. She’s one of our most promising young architects.”

  Lucas’ eyebrows rose, and he regarded Shay with a new respect. She was relieved to see something other than lust in his eyes. “Then I’m very impressed indeed. Well done, Shay,” he praised.

  “Thank you,” she said, forcing herself to maintain eye contact.

  “Well,” Don said, rubbing his hands together, “Why don’t we get down to business. I would love to hear your input, Lucas. We’re thrilled that you’ve chosen Ponderosa Designs for this project, and I want to make sure that everything is perfect for the needs of Augustan Technologies.”

  The rest of the meeting passed by in a haze of blueprints and drawing alterations, making changes to the building in order to suit the specific needs of Lucas’ company. It was all Shay could do to focus on her work with him looming behind her, watching her draw. When they finally wrapped up for lunch, she tried her best to hide her sigh of relief; she was exhausted from the effort of pretending that she wasn’t affected by Lucas’ domineering presence.

  But her relief was deflated moments later when Lucas spoke to her. “Would you like to have lunch with me, Shay? I’d love to further discuss your ideas.”

  She was pretty sure that that was the last thing she wanted to do. After all, she had just gotten a little of her own back, and she knew that if she was alone with him, she would lose any footing that she had gained in the last two hours. “Ummm…” She hesitated.

  But Don shot her a look that said, You had better not say no.

  She sighed, knowing that she was going to regret this. “Okay.”

  Lucas grinned. “Excellent.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Shay found herself being escorted from Lucas’ black Lincoln into one of the nicest French restaurants in town. When they were shown to their table, Lucas politely drew back her chair for her, the perfect gentleman. Shay had to admit that it was a bit disconcerting, as though he were courting her rather than having a business lunch. Unease stirred in her belly.

  “So,” Lucas said as he sat down across from her. “Why haven’t you called me, sub?”

  Shay flushed, anger rising within her. “Don’t call me ‘sub,’” she said snappily. “And you’re the one who didn’t call me.”

  Lucas clucked his tongue at her, shaking his head. “Where is all this fire coming from, little one?” He asked. “I can’t deny that I’m intrigued by it, though.” His eyes turned suddenly hard. “But you have to know that I won’t tolerate it th
is weekend.”

  Shay’s jaw dropped. The nerve of him! They hadn’t discussed this weekend since their first meeting at Tempest, and now he just assumed she was still up for it? Especially after realizing that she was in his employ? Well, a part of her admitted to herself, you do still want him, don’t you? She couldn’t deny that merely being in his presence sent heat shooting through her loins, and she had been truly disappointed when he hadn’t contacted her. She had wanted so badly to see him again, to experience more of his dark seduction. But now that was impossible; it would be completely inappropriate. “And who says I still agree to seeing you this weekend?”

  His smile was wolfish. “Don’t play coy with me, Shay,” he said knowingly, easily seeing through her defenses. “I can tell that you want to just by looking at you. It’s written all over your face. And your body. I felt your pulse quicken when we touched in your office. And don’t think I don’t notice how you are struggling not to defer to me.” He cocked his head at her, considering. “You know that you don’t have to fight it, Shay. There’s no use trying to hide your desires from me.”