Not Safe for Work (10 page)

Chapter Fourteen

I was just about to shut the garage door when Rick’s Mercedes came into view. As he pulled into the driveway, I stepped outside to greet him.

He parked and killed the engine. As he got out of the car, though, he paused, grimacing. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but the motion of his shoulder and the twist of his lips told me he was adjusting his caged cock.

“Having trouble?” I asked, resting a hand on top of the car door.

He glared at me, and I could only imagine the profanity on the tip of his tongue.

I lifted my chin and stared him down. “Answer me, Rick. Carefully.”

Immediately, the glare turned to a more acceptably chastened expression, and he dropped his gaze. Gingerly, he emerged from the car, pausing once to curse before he was finally on his feet. “This thing is a bitch.”

“That’s the idea.” I took my hand off the door. “What did we learn?”

The look he shot me very clearly said
That you’re an asshole
, but he wisely whispered, “To keep a straight face during meetings.”

“Good. Now let’s go inside and take that thing off you.”

“Yes, please.” He shut the car door. The alarm chirped, and we started into the garage, but he hesitated. “Your ex isn’t home, is she?” He eyed me. “I’m happy to meet her, but maybe not like this.”

I laughed, wrapping my arm around his waist. “She’s out tonight. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re not wearing something like this when you finally meet her.”

“Much appreciated.”

We headed inside.

The previous times we’d been here, we’d both moved fast to get down to the dungeon. After all, why delay the fun? But Rick wasn’t going anywhere quickly.

Especially since we weren’t going to down to the dungeon.

I faced him in the hallway. “So there’s one more thing you have to deal with before I take the cage off.”

His eyebrows pulled together. “Okay?”

I pointed to my left. “You still have to get up the stairs.”

Slowly, he turned toward the stairs. His head fell forward as he mouthed
Fuck…

“The sooner you get to the top, the sooner that thing comes off.”

His lips pulled tight, and his brow furrowed with frustration, but he didn’t say a word. He just quietly, stoically started up the steps. Though I had no doubt he wanted to get this over with, he didn’t hurry. Not that he really could. Gingerly, gripping the bannister like it was the only thing keeping him from stumbling and putting himself in a world of hurt.

I stayed behind him. “You’re halfway to the top.”

He paused. Pushed out a breath. Kept going.

At the top, I took his hand and guided him to my bedroom, which was only a few feet away. There, we stopped, and I turned to him.

“Well done.” Smiling, I cupped his face and kissed him. “Most people are begging me to take the cage off long before this point.”

“I didn’t realize that was an option.”

“It’s not. But people beg for it anyway. You did well. How was it?” I trailed a fingertip along the edge of his jaw. “Wearing that all day?”

“Torture,” he ground out. “Fucking uncomfortable as hell.”

“You going to snicker when my boss busts my balls again?”

“No. Definitely not.”

“Good.” I stepped back and gestured at his belt. “Take off your pants.”

He didn’t hesitate. He quickly unbuckled his belt and unzipped his trousers, and—carefully—slid them down.

I knelt in front of him, not letting it show that my knee objected. I carefully supported his caged cock in one hand, and with the other, gently unfastened the strap around his balls. As I slid the whole assembly off, Rick closed his eyes and released a long breath.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Jesus, that feels so much better.”

“I’m sure it does.” I rose, the jingle of the cock cage masking the crackling in my joints. “You handled your punishment well.” I dropped the device on my dresser. “I think you deserve a reward for that.”

He swallowed. “A reward?”

“Mmhmm.” I kissed him again and murmured, “How tender are you?”

He glanced down and shrugged. “A hell of a lot better now without that…contraption.”

“If it hurts too much, we can stop.”

“Doesn’t hurt.”

“Not yet. But say so if it does.”

“I will.”

“Good.” One more kiss, this time long and deep, just the way I’d wanted to while we’d stood beside the Coke machine this afternoon. “Strip, and then bend over the bed.”

He immediately started unbuttoning his shirt. I took my time while he shed his clothes like they were on fire, and I’d barely toed off my shoes before he was obediently bent over the bed. Excellent—now I could enjoy the view while I undressed myself.

A man like Rick looked hot no matter what. Leaning over the bed like that, long legs apart and that beautiful ass just waiting to be fucked? Perfection.

I stood behind him and, in absolutely no rush at all, rolled on a condom. Once I’d put some lube on my cock and on my fingers, I pressed a fingertip against his ass.

As I carefully eased my finger into him, he groaned softly.

“Feel all right?” I asked.

He nodded, his forehead brushing the comforter. “Yeah.”

“Good.”

After a while, I added a second finger, and he groaned again, gathering fistfuls of the comforter in his kneading hands.

“I’ve been waiting for a sub like you for a long time.” I spoke slowly and quietly, watching myself fuck him with my hand. “Where have you been for the last twenty years?”

“Looking…” He grunted as I bent my fingers inside him. “Looking for you.”

I bit my lip. God, yes. “You found me. And now I’m going to make sure you feel amazing tonight.”

“Already do.”

“Good. I think I know what’ll make you feel even better.”

“
Please.
”

I slipped my fingers free and put more lube on the condom. Then I pressed against him. He leaned back, and I let him, especially as the head of my cock breached him and he took me deeper.

Neither of us made a sound as I slowly—stroke after smooth, gentle stroke—worked myself all the way into him. I found an easy, steady rhythm, rocking my hips and watching myself disappear inside him again and again. Why did people have sex with the lights off? Hell if I knew. And why was I thinking about that? Or anything?

I shook myself and ran a couple of fingertips up his spine to make him shiver. “This isn’t the last time I’m gonna fuck you tonight. When you’re in that meeting with your investors tomorrow, I want you thinking about how this felt.”

He clawed at the comforter. “I’m always thinking…about how you feel.”

“Good.” I slid my hands up and down his sides. “I’ll just have to make sure you still feel me tomorrow.”

He just moaned.

I rocked my hips a little faster. “Your punishment’s over. You did well, and now I want you to enjoy this. No rules—just enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” he breathed.

“Do you want it slow like this?” I asked. “Or faster?”

“However you—”

“I’m asking
you
.” I ran a hand up his back—God, I just needed to touch him. Everywhere. Always. “How do you want me to fuck you, Rick?”

“H-hard.”

Music to my ears. Holding my breath, I grabbed on to his hips, and I fucked him hard. Hard enough to knock him off balance for a second; he didn’t have far to fall thanks to the bed beneath him, but his knees buckled. I kept riding him, and he eventually got his feet under him, but I didn’t imagine he would have cared if his legs had just given out completely.

This view was… Holy hell. Lean, powerful muscles. Narrow hips. His gorgeous ass taking my cock while his hands clawed at the bed.

“I could do this all night,” I ground out. “You’re fucking beautiful.”

And so was the long, helpless moan he released.

“Can I—” His shoulders bunched and he swore under his breath. “Jerk my…jerk myself off?”

“Yes. Anything that feels good. Anything.”

His hand moved slowly at first. Maybe he was a little tender—God knew my skin had been irritated after wearing that damned thing all day—but he picked up speed. His elbow and shoulder moved rapidly, implying the motions I couldn’t see. Oh, my mind’s eye filled in the blanks. Though I was behind him, watching him take my cock over and over, I could see his long fingers around his cock, squeezing and jerking it while I pounded him.

He turned his head. “C-can I come?”

“Yes.”

He moaned but didn’t come just yet. Probably making sure he had permission before he dared get close to the edge, and now that he did, he pumped himself faster and faster, and he tightened around me as I matched him thrust for thrust.

“Oh.
Fuck
.” In a heartbeat, he was impossibly tight. Shuddering. Shaking. Swearing. “Oh my God, Jon…”

I let myself go. My vision blurred, my knees shook, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not…get…
deep enough
. Gripping his hips, I held him against me, my own hips jerking until my knees damn near buckled.

And then we were both still. Aftershocks rippled through me. My vision cleared, though it still sparkled around the edges. I rubbed my hands up and down his back just for some contact, and he arched into my touch like a cat. At that point, I was genuinely surprised neither of us had started purring.

After a few slow breaths, I pulled out and paused to give my trembling legs a chance to stay under me. Rick pushed himself up on one arm. He was shaky too, surprise, surprise. With a little help, he managed to get to his feet, and we both stumbled into the bathroom like a couple of drunks.

“And I thought I couldn’t walk earlier,” he murmured as he wiped off his arm. “Wasn’t this dizzy at work, though.”

“Maybe it should be tighter next time.”

He shot me a horrified look.

I winked and tossed the condom into the trash. “Kidding.”

“Fucking hope so,” he muttered.

“You want me to put it back—”

“No! No.” He gazed at me through his lashes. “Please, no.”

I just laughed and kissed his cheek. After we’d cleaned ourselves up, we returned to the bedroom and fell back into my bed. It was much too hot for any kind of covers, especially since I wanted to be as close to him as possible, so we left the sheets rumpled at the end of the bed and tangled ourselves in the middle of the mattress.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Like I’m going to sleep like the dead tonight.”

“It’s not even seven.”

“Says the guy who didn’t have his dick in a cage all day. I’m exhausted.”

I laughed. “Mission accomplished.”

“Uh-huh.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “Funny, sex like that feels even better after being tortured all day.”

“Does it?”

He nodded. “Spent all day uncomfortable as hell. Then the cage comes off, and suddenly I’m over your bed and you’re fucking me. And it felt amazing.”

“Are you saying you want me to do it again?”

“I’d…rather…” He chewed his lip. “I’d rather not wear that thing very often, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it in the future.”

“Good to know.” I kissed his cheek. “Just means if I have to punish again, you know there’s going to be a reward at the end if you take your punishment gracefully.”

“How do I get the reward without the punishment?”

“Don’t misbehave.”

He flashed a wicked smile. “What fun is that?”

Goose bumps prickled my neck. “You are just bratty enough to be fun, you know that?”

“So you like your subs bratty?”

“To a point, yes.” I slid my hand up his chest, running my fingers through the thin, dark hair. “You happen to walk that line exactly the way I like it.”

“Apparently Leathr was right.” He took my hand and kissed my palm. “We are a good match.”

“We’re an incredible match. Where the hell
have
you been for the last twenty years?”

He laughed, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “I could ask you the same thing, you know.” Dropping his arm to his side, he turned to me. “Bottom line, though, even if it took me this long to find a Dom like you, the wait was well worth it for this.”

“Likewise.” I pulled him closer and let him rest his head on my shoulder. “You were
well
worth the wait.”

And he definitely was. I still couldn’t believe my luck. I had the sexiest man who’d ever set foot in Mitchell & Forsythe. I had a sub who was just bratty enough to ensure I could have all kinds of fun with punishments. And I had a lover who could make me come so hard, my eyes watered.

No doubt about it—I’d hit the fucking jackpot.

Chapter Fifteen

My line of work could be easily summarized using two words: feast or famine. Some weeks, I was bored off my ass, taking my sweet time on simple mock-ups for proposed renovations. In a matter of hours, though, I could go from boredom to sucking down coffee between catnaps while working on complex superstructures that had to be done
yesterday
.

For the first couple of weeks I was seeing Rick, things were quiet enough. I’d put in my eight hours, exchanging glances in meetings and in the halls, and then we’d go back to his place or mine. Evenings left us both bleary-eyed and aching the next day. Weekends were a blur of ropes and sex.

And then, like a tornado dropping from a clear blue sky, several major projects tumbled into my department’s lap. They were all impossibly urgent, of course. The higher they piled—and my God, they piled up fast—the deeper my heart sank. So much for those ridiculously hot nights.

But it had to be done. Teagan and I had been through this before, and we knew how it went—working upwards of twenty hours at a stretch until there wasn’t a legal substance on the planet that could keep us awake.

Takeout. Coffee. Catnaps. Coffee. Glue fumes. Coffee. Such was our existence when the firm demanded it. This time, I just tried to focus on the work, and not let myself get caught up in what I could have been doing during those late-night overtime hours and endless weekends.

Legally, the company was required to allow us to go home for at least eight hours at a time. And had we asked, they’d have let us. But there was an unspoken assumption that we would see this through, work our fingers to the bone and be rewarded with a few days off at the end. So we showered when we could, power-napped on a couple of cots in an empty office down the hall and subsisted on vending-machine food or offerings brought to us from the outside world by saintly coworkers. Contact with the outside world was reduced to e-mails and text messages, which wasn’t nearly enough contact with Rick.

It took its toll. By the ninth day, tempers flared. Between fatigue and additional demands sent down from on high, neither Teagan nor I were the most pleasant people to be around. The drafters wisely kept their distance and didn’t hassle us. No one spoke to us unless they absolutely had to, though she and I still spoke to each other. A little banter went a long way toward keeping us awake after umpteen hours, and we both knew how not to piss each other off.

The fact that our building had showers had become a double-edged sword; that was one less reason for us to leave the building. We both desperately wanted to go outdoors in daylight again, but we simply didn’t have time. At least we could shower. We just didn’t have an excuse to
leave
.

As we always did, Teagan and I muscled through, and by the twelfth day, we were down to one nearly completed model apiece. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, thank God.

“I need sleep,” she declared around eleven thirty on day twelve. “Any more of this, and I’m going to glue my own face to the platform.”

I laughed, something that took considerable effort. “Go home and get some sleep, then.”

“What about you?”

“I crashed for a bit a few hours ago.” I stood and rubbed my stiff neck. “If I can finish this sucker tomorrow, I can spend all day Sunday getting reacquainted with sleep.”

“Well, you’re a better man than I.” She yawned as she picked up her purse and coffee. “I’m crying uncle.”

“I don’t blame you.”

She started for the door, pausing to look over her shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t need to go home?”

“Oh, I do.” I looked up from pressing one of several pillars into place. “But I need to finish this first.”

“Well, don’t kill yourself.”

“I won’t. I’ll be fine.”

“All right. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“I’ll be here.”

Teagan probably hadn’t even reached her car by the time the anesthetic effect of silence kicked in. I didn’t bother turning on music; at this point, it would either irritate me or knock me out, and I was well on my way to the latter without the help of any music. My eyes grew heavier, my fingers less agile. I probably would have nodded off right there at the table had I not slipped with an X-ACTO knife and sliced my finger open. Cursing and muttering, I held a tissue against the cut for a moment while I searched for my coffee cup. I couldn’t even decide if the cut hurt or not. It just irritated me because it kept me from my damned work and meant staying here that much longer. The only reason it even kept me from my work was that my bosses wouldn’t be thrilled about me getting blood on a model again.

Once my finger had stopped bleeding and I’d drained another cup of coffee, I went back to the model. The very sight of it made me groan.

Almost done. It’s almost done. Then I can sleep. And I will probably dream about this stupid thing.

Sighing, I picked up the piece I’d been trimming when I cut myself.

At some point between finishing the northwest quadrant of the roof and tweaking a few spots on the mezzanine, I glanced at the clock. It was a little after two in the morning. Not that it really mattered. Time didn’t mean anything during these periods. Afternoon felt like the middle of the night. Midnight felt like noon. It was like having an unshakable case of jetlag.

I blinked a few times and forced myself to focus. Just needed to finish this, then I could get back to my normal life. Normal passage of time. Regular sleep.
Rick
.

His face flickered through my mind, and had I had the energy to do so, I’d have shivered.

My chest tightened. Hell, it even ached a little. This flurry of overtime had been so relentless, I didn’t realize until just then that I hadn’t seen him in almost two solid weeks.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. After all, Teagan and I were still required to attend meetings—keeping up appearances, according to Mitchell. So I’d seen Rick in the conference room, and I’d seen him in the halls. I’d seen my firm’s client, but I hadn’t seen Rick. I hadn’t seen my submissive. The man I’d been fucking.

And I missed him. Even when I hit the exhaustion threshold—that point when I’d rather glue my balls to the floor than think about sex—I missed him. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Seeing him in the halls and in meetings wasn’t enough.

Then Marie put her foot down and said they couldn’t afford for Teagan and me to waste time in meetings with this many projects on our plates. Teagan was so happy, she almost cried. Me, I didn’t quite know how to feel. When I attended meetings, Rick’s presence was utter torture, the looks we exchanged driving me further out of my mind than the sleep deprivation and all the shit I was consuming from the vending machines. But then when I didn’t have to attend anymore, I wasn’t in the same room with him, and…fuck.

Well. The sooner I finished this project, the sooner I’d finish the next one, and the sooner I’d have him again.

When my eyes refused to stay open, I took a break and went down to the employee locker rooms. After showering and brushing my teeth so I felt less gross and slightly closer to human, I headed back toward the NSFW Zone for another marathon session.

I’d just stepped off the elevator when I saw Rick.

And damn it, my knees almost collapsed out from under me.

I want you, goddammit.

He met my gaze, and to my horror—and relief—he immediately excused himself from his conversation with Mitchell and Dion. He looked right at me, tilted his head slightly and started walking in the opposite direction.

My heart sped up. What the hell?

But I couldn’t resist. Without so much as a cautious glance at my bosses, I surreptitiously followed him. The hallway turned, and I went around the corner just in time to catch him disappearing into the men’s room.

I glanced around. Did I dare?

Oh fuck it. Let the whole goddamned company catch us.

I stepped into the men’s room. He didn’t even wait for the door to shut before he pulled me to him, cupped my face and kissed me.

My whole body was suddenly hot and cold all over, featherlight and ready to sink right through the floor. I was so fucking exhausted, my body didn’t even know how to be turned on anymore, and my brain couldn’t remember how to be afraid we might get caught—all I could do was wrap my arms around Rick and kiss him for the first time in too damned long. I’d been missing him like crazy but hadn’t understood just how much until now. Until I had him in my arms, until he was kissing me hungrily like this, until I could almost feel my body rationing energy away from nonessential things like my heart and my brain so I could muster up just enough to get hard and come.

Rick loosened his grasp, and we separated enough to meet each other’s gazes in the restroom’s cool light. God, weren’t we a pair. Here he was dressed like
GQ
, and here I was after three days without shaving. I hadn’t even worn a tie in I didn’t know how long.

I was out of breath, my hand unsteady as I touched his face. “This is insane.”

He ran his fingers through my damp hair. “I’m sorry. I know it’s—”

“No one’s going to catch us.” I pressed my foot against the door just to be sure. “I’m not worried.”

“No, I…I meant, it’s a little out of line.” He kissed me again. “Me taking charge.”

My shoulders sagged, and I held him tighter. “I don’t even care about that right now. I just miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

The days-old fatigue was even heavier now. “I’m sorry about all this,” I whispered. “I know it’s… I mean we just…”

He pressed his lips to mine again. “It’s the nature of the beast in this business. It’s all right. I’ll have to put in some long hours sometimes too.”

“Still.” I touched my forehead to his. “This is killing me.”

“We’ll make up for lost time. When this is all over, anything you want…” He pulled me closer. “Anything. Just say the word.”

You. I just want you
.

“I should let you get back to work.” He kissed me again, lightly this time, and we managed to pry ourselves apart. “I just…needed…”

“Me too.”
And now I don’t want to stop
. “But yeah, I should get back to work. This will be over soon. I promise.” Though it took a lot of energy, I added in my Dom voice, “And then you’re all mine.”

The result was worth the effort: Rick pulled in a breath and tugged at his tie. “Yes, please. I can’t wait.”

“I won’t keep you waiting long.”

As much as I wanted to, I didn’t dare risk another kiss, or we’d have been there all day. So, we straightened our clothes, as if we’d really rumpled them all that much. Then we walked out of the men’s room as if nothing had happened.

“How much longer
do
you think you’ll be doing this?” he asked. “The crazy hours?”

I shrugged. “I still have a few more models to finish. Maybe another week?” Jesus. Seven more days of this shit. I was going to collapse, I was sure of it. Rubbing the back of my neck, I muttered, “I’m getting too old for this.”

“How many of your projects are mine?”

I halted, because I suddenly couldn’t think and walk at the same time. “Three, I think? They’re…they kind of blur together after a while.”

Rick pursed his lips. “Let me see what I can do about shifting the schedule around. I don’t want to run you into the ground like this.” His cheeks darkened. “I mean…um…”

I managed a quiet laugh. “I know what you meant. And I appreciate it, but you don’t have to. I can do this.”

He shook his head. “No. You need a break.”

The Dom in me wanted to put my hands up and insist that, no, I could do this. I did not need someone to lighten my workload for me.

But pride was no match for exhaustion, so I just sighed. “Thanks.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Because I need to see you again.” The desperation in his voice made my knees shake.

“You’re not the only one. And I promise, we’re going to make up for lost time.”

Rick shivered. “I can’t wait. Let me know when you’re free again, and I’ll make sure my schedule is clear for you.”

I looked him in the eye and growled, “Damn right you will.”

His breath hitched.

Jesus. I want you.

“I really should go,” I said.
Before I drag you right back into that men’s room and get myself fired
.

He nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I mean it—as soon as you’re free.”

“Absolutely.”

We headed in separate directions, and I almost made it to the elevator before a voice barked, “McNeill!”

Oh for fuck’s sake. What now?

I turned around to see Mitchell striding toward me, shoulders back and jaw set. “Yes, sir?”

He stopped in front of me and pointed in the direction Rick had gone. “Would you like to tell me what that was all about?”

“What—” My blood turned to ice. Shit. How much had he seen? “Sorry?”

He stabbed his finger in that direction again. “Did I just see you having a conversation with Rick Pierce?”

“I, uh… We were…” I cleared my throat. “He just had a question for me about—”

“A question? About what?” He stepped closer, invading my personal space enough to raise my hackles.

I thought as quickly as my tired brain could think. “He wanted to know about—”

“Mr. McNeill.” He pushed out a sharp breath. “I don’t need to tell you how important it is that we keep Horizon Developing happy. That’s why everything Rick Pierce or Dion want to know needs to go through a properly informed liaison. Am I clear?”

I was too tired to argue, and fatigue had eroded my internal censor just enough that “I’ll talk to the man I’m fucking whenever I choose” was a bit too close to the tip of my tongue. “Sorry, sir. I’ll refer him to you next time.”

“Good.” He clapped my shoulder.
Don’t touch me, motherfucker
. “How are those projects coming along?”

“Getting there. Should have one more done before close of business today. The next within ten days.”

“Excellent. Keep up the good work.”

“Thanks.”

On my way back to the NSFW Zone, I ground my teeth. Though I supposed it wasn’t entirely a bad thing that he’d pissed me off—seething anger was more effective than a 5-Hour Energy spiked with speed, so I was actually awake now.