Training Randi Read online

  And then she didn’t care about anything at all.

  She whimpered as he teased and tormented her with little nibbles and caresses. When she couldn’t stand it another second, she raked her fingernails across his back and opened her mouth wantonly. Jeff pulled her tightly against his chest and deepened the kiss. His tongue sparred and parried with hers, ran along her teeth and tickled her cheeks. She met him in kind, crazed to taste the man she’d dreamt about for so long. When lack of appropriate oxygen caused spots to dance behind her eyelids, Miranda regretfully pulled back.

  “Wow, Jeff, I’m umm…sorry, actually maybe not…I,” she gasped for air and released her death grip from his torso, “well, crap. How is it that you’ve rendered me practically speechless twice in a matter of minutes?”

  “Talent, darlin, sheer talent.” He winked, but his hand visibly shook as he raked it over his forehead. “What about we swing by Santucci’s, grab a pizza and head out to my place for a bit?”

  Chapter Two

  Jeff checked his rearview mirror for the umpteenth time, making sure that Miranda was behind him. He was still calling himself every kind of moron for rushing things in the park. What the hell had he been thinking?

  His anticipation had been building for weeks. The woman who’d haunted his fantasies for ten years was coming back, and he would have seven days at best to coax her into his bed. He’d asked Karen to let him know when Miranda arrived at Gracie’s, and the fact that he’d received no call by today had twisted his stomach into knots.

  When she’d plowed into him on the street, he figured he was about the luckiest guy on the planet, until he noticed her pretty hazel eyes were glittering with tears. She looked so sad and lost, but then she’d pressed her luscious curves against him, returned his hug and, oh yeah, there was his problem: he’d stopped thinking with his brain. It was a fifteen-minute drive to his house, plenty of time for him to regain his normal control over both his body and his actions.

  In college, Miranda was a force to be reckoned with—pretty, intelligent, and funny as all get out. She was driven to attain her dream of finding success and excitement as far away from Heartwood as she could get, while his plans were vastly different. Jeff had understood that a relationship beyond friendship would have been disastrous.

  He’d grown up dirt poor in a tiny town in Northern Kansas that made Heartwood seem like a giant metropolis. His family had no heat, no indoor plumbing and many times, little to no food. By the age of nine, Jeff had decided that he would do anything, work until his body ached, scrimp and save every penny to have a better life. He was the first member of his family to attend school beyond the eighth grade. He’d enrolled in community college, taking classes at night and holding down two jobs during the day. A life-altering incident in his second year, something he’d never confided to anyone, led him to transfer to WIU.

  The dorms had all been full, but with him majoring in sports medicine, he’d been allowed to move into The Wet Spot, the jock house next door to Gracie’s. He’d immediately bonded with the rowdy bunch, despite the fact that many of the guys lacked purpose and direction. Almost instantly, he took on the roles of unofficial house manager, personal trainer and overall voice of reason for the group. He liked being in charge and was damn good at it. He loved the town and the university and knew that Heartwood was where he was going to stay.

  He and Miranda became instant friends, sharing an all-consuming desire to succeed. He refused to allow their attraction to each other to get in the way, so he had honed an iron control over his sexual cravings during those years.

  Coming to a stop at the last traffic light before heading out of town, Jeff checked the mirror again and watched as Miranda finger combed her hair and applied lipstick. “Completely unnecessary, darlin,” he said to himself as the light turned green. “Your hair is about to be completely messed after thrashing around on my pillow, and those lip are gonna…” Jeff adjusted himself in a futile effort to decrease the pressure of his zipper against his raging hard on.

  While laughing and catching up over a deep dish, double pepperoni pizza, Jeff had come to a couple of very important conclusions; he as very good at reading people. Miranda oozed sexual frustration. Each time he’d tried to steer the conversation toward her personal relationships, or lack thereof, her cheeks had blushed a pretty pink and she’d glanced around the room to see if anyone was paying attention to them. A couple of times he thought she was about to ask him something, but then she’d changed the subject. Well, they weren’t kids anymore, and were about to be completely alone. He was going to find out once and for all if Miranda shared his sexual appetites.

  Jeff parked in the driveway. “So much for getting my shit together,” he mumbled, glancing down at the bulge in his jeans. “Maybe I can use it as a conversation starter?” He carefully got out of his truck. Miranda was the only woman who’d ever been able to turn him on by the simple act of existing. He tried to walk normally as he went to her.

  “Nice place. You weren’t kidding about your gyms being a success, were you?” Jeff watched with pride as she took in his large brick home and perfectly manicured grounds.

  “What is it with you implying I’m less than honest?” He swept her into his arms without preamble and kissed her hard. She was a few inches shorter than he was but they fit together perfectly. He held her tightly enough to feel the gentle poke of her hardened nipples against his chest. He slid one hand down to her lower back and pressed her firmly against his erection. No more beating around bushes. He was going to make love to this woman until she couldn’t remember her name.

  “Let’s go inside, Miranda,” he whispered against her ear when he broke the kiss. “My driveway is not where I want to be at the moment.”

  “Agreed.”

  His cock twitched painfully when he stared down into her passion filled eyes.

  Once inside the house, Jeff motioned Miranda to sit on the oversized leather couch that dominated his living room. He remained standing. “I need to tell you something, Miranda.”

  “I was kind of hoping to communicate with you in a non-verbal, horizontal sort of way.” Her flirty tone and sexy as hell pout was almost his undoing; almost.

  “Oh I plan on doing plenty of that,” he grinned. “But there was a reason I never made love to you and it sure as hell wasn’t because I didn’t want to. Just give me a second to explain.” He waited until she nodded for him to continue.

  “I’d been dating a girl for over a year back in Kansas when I figured it was high time we took things to the next level. I thought we were in love, so I told her exactly what I wanted to do with her in the bedroom. She freaked out and told her father, who just happened to be on the board of trustees at the school we attended. In a hot minute, he made my life a living hell on that campus.

  “I was still freaked out and confused when you sashayed into my life. As we spent more time together, it became obvious to me your hot as hell efforts at seduction increased in intensity when I was in any situation that required me to take charge. I started to test my theory with little scenes like the one with Dakota, and it wasn’t long before I realized you were at your sexy best when I was pushing people to their limits, causing a bit of pain.” He hesitated, waiting for her to call him a pervert or run screaming from the room in horror. When she ran her tongue along her lower lip and wiggled her ass on the couch instead, he struggled not to let out a whoop of victory.

  “I knew you weren’t ready to deal with those feelings back then and I refused to repeat my mistakes. You need to be honest with me now, though, Miranda. Do you get off on a little pain with your pleasure?”

  “I think so,” she whispered so softly it was barely audible, but he heard her. He joined her on the couch, gently pulling her onto his lap.

  “But you don’t know for sure? You’ve never experienced the ecstasy that can only be found in the hands of a skilled Master?”

  “Jeff, please,” she groaned quietly while shifting in his lap.
/>   “Answer my question, Miranda.”

  “I’ve never experienced ecstasy at anyone’s hands except my own,” she finally responded with a chuckle. “The ability to find the most unsatisfying relationships on the planet is one of my greatest talents. I’m beginning to wonder if maybe I’m just not a very passionate person.”

  “That’s the biggest load of shit I’ve ever heard. You’re on fire right now, from your swelled, beautiful breasts, down to those luscious thighs that you keep desperately trying to reposition.” He slowly stroked a finger up her leg, sliding her skirt above her knees. “I’d bet my last dollar that your pussy is wet and aching for my touch.” He massaged the back of her neck while locking her gaze to his. “You need to be honest with yourself and your lover, Miranda. Tell me what you want from me.” Jeff applied gentle pressure along her neck when she tried to turn away from him. “Now,” he ordered. He watched her expression change from questioning unease to lustful mischief.

  “I want you to take control of my body and push me to my limits. I want you to punish me if I’m bad and reward me when I’m good. I want you to be my personal trainer, Jeff. Will you show me what I’ve been missing all these years?”

  “With pleasure.”

  Jeff had her off his lap and onto her back in a flash. He slid her up along the leather cushions until her head touched the arm of the couch and removed her sandals, caressing her feet and ankles, savoring the smoothness of her skin. Rising up onto his knees, he wedged himself between her legs, opening them, not stopping until he loomed above her with his knee pressed firmly against her sex. The damp heat of her pussy warmed his leg, despite the combined barrier of her panties and his jeans. Consumed with the need to taste her, he ravaged her mouth first, leaving no part untouched. When she sucked on his tongue, he imagined how incredible it was going to be when she gave the same treatment to his dick. His balls tensed instantly, an almost painful demonstration of how easy it would be to lose control, take Randi hard and fast. No way! Jeff kissed a trail down Miranda’s slender neck and over the hollow of her throat until his tongue met the edge of her shirt. He made short work of opening the buttons and was thankful to discover her bra had a front clasp. With one flick, her breasts spilled free to fit perfectly in his waiting palms. Her dark red nipples puckered to hard nubs, begging for his attention. He licked and suckled carefully until Miranda grabbed onto two handfuls of his hair and applied downward pressure on his head. “Hell yes,” echoed through his mind as he latched onto her nipple with a vengeance, tugging and pulling at it hungrily. Her high-pitched mewling sounds were such music to his ears that he almost missed the frantic motions of her hips, grinding her pussy against his knee. He jerked his head up.

  “There are rules to this kind of play,” he panted while staring down at her flushed face. “You have to understand them before any real training can begin.” He pinched her nipple roughly. “As your trainer, I decide whether you whimper in frustration or scream out your release. I’ll teach you how much your body can take, push you until you let yourself experience all of the intense sensations I choose to demonstrate. I am in control of your orgasm, Miranda, and I haven’t given you permission to come. Breaking that rule will always result in punishment.”

  “Bring it on, then, because I’m apparently a very bad student,” she whimpered as she tossed her head back.

  Jeff fondled her breasts, held his leg still and watched in awe as she grabbed onto his thigh, lifted herself and gyrated through the most glorious orgasm he’d ever witnessed. He continued to caress her until her body stopped trembling.

  “I’ve never gotten off like that in my life,” she purred when he moved his leg and helped her to lie down again. “Thank you.”

  “You’re more than welcome, but I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

  “Why? This must be incredibly uncomfortable.”

  He smiled as she traced her finger along the outline of his rigid cock.

  “Without a doubt,” he agreed wholeheartedly. “And I’ll continue to savor the intense, painful sensation of my dick throbbing like an open wound while I’m punishing you for your disobedience.”

  Chapter Three

  Miranda stretched like a satisfied house cat and rolled over onto her side. A giggle bubbled up in her throat but turned into a gasp when Jeff swatted her ass with authority.

  “What was that for?” she asked.

  “A reminder that we’ve barely gotten started with your training.”

  Her clit throbbed with anticipation. For ten years she’d imagined what might happen if she and Jeff ever got an opportunity to explore the unspoken tension between them, and she had one hell of an active imagination. She took a few deep breaths but it didn’t help.

  “It’s an incredible high, isn’t it? Waiting and wondering what’s coming next?” He trailed a finger down the side of her neck, and along the ultra sensitive swell of her breast, before firmly rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “Are you familiar with the concept of a safe word, Miranda?”

  “Yes, I am,” she replied confidently.

  “Explain it to me.”

  “I choose a word that I wouldn’t say in regular conversation, and I can use it if I want you to stop doing something.”

  “So you can say the safe word each time I push your boundaries in order to control the situation?”

  She grinned up at him. “That would kind of undermine the whole you being in charge part, wouldn’t it?”

  “Indeed.” He raised an eyebrow and smirked. When he didn’t say anything more, she continued.

  “I may not have real life experience in this kind of play, but there are books and movies, you know. I’ve had a ton of lonely nights to familiarize myself with the subject matter. If I use the word, we’re done playing; period. It represents the power that I never give up despite being the submissive. I trust you completely, Jeff. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” She took his other hand and squeezed for emphasis. He squeezed back.

  “Pick one.” His tone was low, authoritative.

  “Broccoli.”

  She scooted quickly into an upright position when Jeff bounded off the couch. In one swift motion, he removed his t-shirt. His chest was magnificently sculpted and lightly dusted with caramel-colored hair. He fixed her with a heated stare as he tossed the shirt into the nearest chair and toed off his tennis shoes.

  “You will address me as ‘Master’ during this session, Randi. You will follow my directions without question and answer me immediately when I speak to you. Do you understand?”

  “Yes…Master.” She hesitated slightly before uttering the title, at first concerned that she would feel silly using it, but discovering quickly that it rolled easily off of her tongue. It fit how she perceived him, the role that she wanted him to take in their lovemaking and a rush of desire shot through her system.

  “My bedroom is down the hallway, second door on the right. Feel free to freshen up and make yourself comfortable. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

  Miranda clamped her teeth tightly together, fighting down the urge to babble. It was her nature to chat incessantly when she was excited or nervous but rules were rules. Why wasn’t he coming with her right now? What level of fresh and comfortable was he looking for if she only had a couple of minutes? She hopped up from the couch and scurried down the hallway.

  Jeff’s huge bedroom was furnished sparingly with one comfy-looking armchair, a small nightstand, a king-sized four poster bed and a stunningly beautiful, obviously antique, armoire. Sliding glass doors on the far wall framed a beautiful view of the back yard. The connecting bathroom was the size of her kitchen, dining area and powder room combined. She quickly took care of business, not wanting to leave Jeff waiting.

  Ten minutes later, if the clock on the wall was correct, she stood in the middle of his room, getting more anxious by the second. Where the hell was he? His definition of a few minutes left a great deal to be desired.

  She paced the f
loor, curling her toes in the plush carpeting before finally stopping in front of the armoire. Magnificent metal hardware stood out boldly against the light finish of the wood. Miranda reached out, touched the intricate pattern on one handle and jumped back when the door opened a fraction.

  She shot a glance over her shoulder to ensure that she was still alone in the room before cautiously swinging the armoire door open. Nine large hooks lined the velvet-covered interior, each one supporting some very interesting equipment. She ran her hand over two sets of handcuffs. A red ball gag hung on a hook next to a leather mask. She was pretty sure a set of nipple clamps dangled from another hook but she’d only read about those. A couple of the other items were a complete mystery. It was the bottom three hooks that drew her attention. Hanging from one was a fur-covered paddle. Next to it dangled a short riding crop. Draped over the last hook was a black, thick-handled flogger. She tentatively ran her fingers through the fronds before lifting it and testing the weight in her palm.

  “A favored training tool of mine. I can’t wait to see your ass glowing pink from its strokes.”

  She spun around quickly, shocked and embarrassed at being caught snooping. She stared in horror at the flogger dangling from her trembling hand before meeting his eyes.

  Jeff stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. “Bring it to me.”

  “I’m sorry,” she demurred, walking up to him and presenting the flogger. At his stern frown, she lowered her eyes. “Master.” The sound of the flogger snapping through the air caused her to flinch and look up.

  “I want you standing here,” he pointed to a spot in front of him. “You have thirty seconds to get naked.”

  With shaking fingers, it took far longer than it should have to remove her still-opened blouse and unfastened bra. She’d had more than enough time to either put herself back together or get naked, but she refused to dwell on the fact that she had done neither. Catching Jeff checking his watch, Randi quickly shrugged out of her bra and pushed both skirt and panties down together to pool at her feet. Embarrassment over showing herself to him for the first time began to well up, until she saw the unabashed hunger reflected in his eyes. Had any man ever looked at her with such raw passion? With feminine power and confidence blooming, Miranda slowly cupped her breasts.