He was a shark when it came to business and knew the game so well he could go through the motions of his job, saying all the right things without even really having to think much about it. But that also afforded him the opportunity to be someplace else mentally…whether it was intentional or not.
As he walked into William’s office, took the seat offered, and began to listen in on the call, his mind strayed to the place it had often sought since meeting the beautiful Shelby. On the outside, he listened to the execution of securities transactions, but in his mind, he was undressing Shelby, touching every inch of her body, kissing every exposed part of her, and bringing her to orgasm over and over while the voices of his colleagues droned on in the background. He’d envisioned paddling her bottom until it was rosy and hot to the touch, hearing her cry out as the confusion of pain as pleasure set in, and picturing her reaching subspace as euphoria took over her body and mind.
“That’s an interesting point, Carl, but not why we’re meeting. Mason will look into the hedge fund issue,” William said toward the speakerphone.
“Sure thing,” Mason replied easily. This wasn’t the first time he’d mentally played out the scenes he’d planned for Shelby, but that didn’t mean he liked her controlling his thoughts. He’d fantasized to the point of obsession, and that bothered him. He was a master at domination, yet could easily detach himself emotionally when it came to harmless play. For some reason, this one woman had perplexed him. He didn’t know her, had never met her before that night, but he was already attached to her on a primal level. He’d found himself dreaming about her at night, moaning her name when he took himself in hand in the mornings, and getting lost in the pools of emeralds that graced her lovely face whenever he blinked longer than a second.
And he hadn’t even seen her naked, had only held her and very briefly kissed her. That was all. And apparently, that was all it had taken to hook him.
He’d told himself it was just because he’d been bored lately and she was a new distraction, but even that felt false. He couldn’t explain his reaction to her, but one thing was becoming painfully clear—he needed to get a handle on this sudden fascination. He didn’t like it when he wasn’t in control of anything, and that included his own emotions. He preferred things tightly tethered in all matters of his life, and when he thought of that woman, he felt frayed at the ends.
No, he didn’t like that at all.
She’d come to him for guidance, and his sense of duty had swelled. With any sub he’d have had a hard time rejecting such a request, but with Shelby, he could not have turned her away even if he tried. It was that connection he did not understand but couldn’t deny.
As a Dom, he’d easily put her needs before his. There was no doubt about that. However, as the man he was, he needed a dose of self-preservation. Hell, he’d wanted her to wait to be sure she was ready to submit, but instead, he was giving himself the time he apparently needed to control whatever connection he’d felt toward her. He could not let normal male weaknesses deter him.
As a powerful businessman, however, he really didn’t need the distraction of Shelby right now. His plan for William had already been put into play, things already in motion, and he couldn’t stop the momentum even if he wanted, which he didn’t. He’d worked too fucking hard on his plan. It wasn’t a good time to get involved with a woman on any emotional level. He glanced over at William and watched as the man continued with the meeting. Yes, bad fucking timing.
Something was going to have to change.
He clenched his jaw. He’d made an agreement with Shelby, so he couldn’t back out. It wasn’t that he was a man of his word. It was his role within the community that solidified his resolve to help once he’d agreed to. Only now, he’d have to switch gears. He would still guide her on her discovery as he’d promised, but there really was only one option for him now.
And he couldn’t fucking stand the idea that had formed. It did not sit will with him. At. All. But he saw no other choice.
Mason would be in control, but he was going to have to let another Dom experience what he’d been dreaming about for almost a week. It wasn’t something he and Shelby had talked about specifically, but he couldn’t see this working out any other way. If she wanted him as her Dom, even temporarily, she’d do as he instructed. This would be her first lesson—and a test for himself he hadn’t expected. He’d never let another Dom top his sub before he got the privilege of doing so himself. He would have to watch as another man showed her the pleasure of the lifestyle.
That thought sickened him, which only strengthened his resolve. He could not, would not, allow himself to become attached to Shelby any more than he’d already become. This sudden bond wasn’t healthy, and he was too powerful of a man to fall victim to it. Shelby was just another woman who wanted to experience submission. Period.
He was taking control of this situation, so it would not get out of hand. As soon as the meeting was over, he’d call Rafe before he had a chance to change his mind, not that he would. He knew what he had to do, and he was going to do it.
There really was no other option.
