His hands tightened on his knees, and Jackson’s eyes studied him carefully as though deciding how to continue. “I wasn’t talking about physically. She isn’t some submissive who knows the score. The subs you’ve taken up until now know that eventually you’ll pass them off to someone else. They know that you will give them what they need as a submissive, but not much else.”
Julian felt his eyebrows draw together. What was that supposed to mean? “If you are accusing me of something, Jackson, I would rather you stated it plainly.”
“You are so touchy about this. That’s what I mean. You look at Dani, and you see a submissive in need of training. I know that you’ll give her everything she needs as a sub, but she needs other things. She needs you to see her as a woman, too.”
The whole conversation was making Julian uncomfortable. “Of course I see her as a woman.”
Jackson sighed, disappointment plain on his face. “I’m talking about something beyond tits and a heart-shaped ass. She needs more than an affectionate Dom. That woman needs a lover. She needs someone who won’t dismiss her because she acts out, and she will act out. It’s inevitable in a real relationship. People get mad at each other. People in love really get mad at each other.”
Julian looked at the woman in question. She was lovely and obviously in need, but he couldn’t see himself ever getting mad at her. Disappointed, yes, but he rarely got angry. Anger meant a loss of control, and he would never do that. Though he wanted Danielle, he wasn’t willing to anger his oldest friend over her. He felt his jaw tighten. “If it bothers you, then by all means, make different arrangements for the girl. I wouldn’t want to offend you in your own home.”
Jackson sat back, and Julian had the terrible feeling that he’d done just what he’d sworn he didn’t want to do. “I wasn’t telling you to leave her alone, Julian. Forget I said anything. I had Benita move your things to the guesthouse. We converted the upstairs of the guesthouse to a playroom last year after Abby’s mom got remarried. You should be perfectly comfortable there. There’s a stash of new toys in the closet.”
Julian sat back, unsure of what to do. This was why he didn’t have many friends. He didn’t know how to act around them. It had been easier when Jackson was his employee. And yet, he found himself unable to cut the tie. “I didn’t mean to be difficult. I just don’t understand. Why don’t you tell me plainly what you think I should do?”
Jackson’s face relaxed. “You really don’t understand, do you? Here’s what I want you to do, I want you to keep an open mind. I want you to go into this relationship with Dani with no thought to when it’s going to end.”
“Well, it will end when she no longer needs me.”
“And what if she always needs you?”
Julian had absolutely no answer for that.
Dani felt her hands tremble as Julian Lodge opened the door to the guesthouse. She stared at the broad plane of his back, encased in an expensive-looking dress shirt. She longed to run her hands across those shoulders, to feel the muscles beneath his tanned skin, but she held back.
What was she doing?
He turned as the door swung open, gallantly inviting her to go first. She hesitated. If she walked in that house with him, she was agreeing to have sex. She doubted it would be regular, normal sex after that speech he’d given her. It would be super kinky, monkey sex. Was she ready for that?
His hand touched her hair, smoothing it back. “It’s all right, little one. You don’t have to do this. I really won’t throw you out because you don’t want to have sex with me. You can spend the night in the main house, and we’ll figure out what would be best for you in the morning.”
How did he do that? One minute he scared the crap out of her, and the next she wanted to melt against him. She thought about Finn. Finn was the only man she’d ever really loved. She remembered the one time she’d kissed him. He’d been so embarrassed he’d walked away from her. When he’d come back, he’d acted like nothing had happened.
It had been the only time she’d tried to be aggressive. It had been a miserable failure, and she wasn’t very good at it in the first place. It felt wrong. Unnatural. Yet, when Jimbo was aggressive, she’d just wanted to get it over with. Kneeling over Julian Lodge’s lap this afternoon had been the most sensual experience of her life. She was scared, but she wanted to see where this path led.
“I know what I want.”
His finger traced the line of her jaw. “Brave little sub. Did Abigail explain what you needed to know? We can talk for a while if you want.”
She swallowed. Abby had explained a lot. She’d fully explained what a safe word was and why Dani needed one. Abby had explained about the playroom/dungeon and some of the things Julian would probably want. It had been a bit awkward in the beginning, but Abby had been patient. By the time Sam had joined them, she had put Dani at ease. She’d also assured Dani that Julian would honor her safe word. Abby wasn’t Julian’s biggest fan, but she claimed he was good to his…subs. He was the Dom, and she was the submissive. “I think I understand.”
“Very good.” He gestured for her to enter.
Dani glanced around the nicely decorated little house. The Barnes-Fleetwood guesthouse was way nicer than the house Dani had grown up in. She found herself in a living area. It didn’t look anything like a dungeon. There was a comfy-looking sofa and love seat. She could see there was a kitchen and a small dining area. Off to the side were the stairs that led to what Jack had called the playroom. She was very interested in seeing what was in that playroom. Abby had gone over some of the things in there, but she wanted to see them with her own eyes.
“Should I go upstairs?” She wasn’t quite sure what to do.
“I think we should begin down here.” He didn’t seem at all uncomfortable. He walked straight to the couch and lowered himself into it. He’d unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, and Dani couldn’t help but look at the smooth skin he’d uncovered. He looked like a man who didn’t mind hitting the gyma lot. He patted his lap. “Sit with me.”
It wasn’t a suggestion. His voice had gone deeper than normal. She sank onto his lap. One arm anchored her at the waist while the other found her neck and drew her head down onto his shoulder. She could smell his masculine scent. Sandalwood. She breathed it in.
“See, this is nice.”
She felt his low rumble all along her skin. He nuzzled her neck, causing her to shiver, but not from the cold. This was very nice indeed. His hands moved soothingly across her curves. He did everything with a seductive deliberation that had her hormones simmering.
“Let’s set our ground rules for the evening, little one.”
“Rules?” She thought he would just take her. She was surprised he hadn’t already. She could feel the thick line of his erection against the cheeks of her ass, yet he seemed content to cuddle against her.
“Oh, yes, there will be rules. I think we’ll take it easy tonight. I’ll ease you into high protocol. For tonight, you may speak without express permission. I want you to be able to ask questions if you’re afraid.” His hand trailed along her leg. “Do you understand what a Dom is?”
“Apparently someone who doesn’t want me to speak.”
His hand came down on her ass in a short, sharp arc. “No sarcasm allowed. I don’t take well to Sams.”
His slap hadn’t really hurt, but it left a lingering warmth. She squirmed a bit. “Sam?”
“Smart-ass masochist. Samuel Fleetwood was aptly named. It fits him to a T, but this is lingo we use for a little submissive who talks back.”
She shook her head. She knew what a masochist was. It wasn’t a good thing to be. “I’m not a masochist.”