A Little Harmless Obsession Read online

Without another word, he grabbed her hand and pushed his way through the crowd. Need stabbed his belly, held him by the balls. He shoved aside the voice that kept chanting this was the wrong woman and practically ran down the stairs.

  “No need to rush, Evan.” Her voice was slightly breathless, with a touch of irritation.

  He ignored her. He didn’t want to think about her, about the fact he felt like he was cheating on May. May, the woman who was on a date with a fucking doctor tonight. Letting the bastard touch her, kiss her, do things to her—

  “Dammit, Evan, you’re hurting my hand.”

  Evan stopped and looked down. It was then he realized that he’d squeezed her hand so hard he was amazed he hadn’t broken it. Damn, Susan wasn’t delicate, but he knew he was capable of hurting her. He immediately released her hand.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled.

  She rubbed it and nodded as he opened the door to his room. Unlike the night May was there, the curtains closed off the room to the crowd above. He wasn’t in the mood. He stepped aside to allow Susan in first but then found himself standing at the threshold. He couldn’t seem to get himself over it and into the room. The idea of taking another woman here felt somehow wrong…as if he were betraying May.

  He raked a hand through his hair and pushed himself into the room. He could do this, he had to do this.

  “Strip.”

  Susan smiled, and again, it left him cold. There was no anticipation dancing in his blood as he watched her kick off her shoes and then peel off the tight black dress, revealing nothing but pale ivory skin. He didn’t even get the familiar beat of arousal in his blood whenever he saw a naked woman, not to mention the idea of touching her had bile rising in his throat.

  He closed his eyes and tried to remind himself it was an act, that May had been nothing but another sub. The moment he thought of her, memories of the night together came blasting back to him, washed over him and had his dick jumping to attention. He could still hear her breathless little moans, the way her breath caught each time he spanked her—

  “Evan?”

  Susan’s voice threw a bucket of cold water on his fantasy, not to mention his cock. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Every last inch of the woman was bare, her pussy shaved, her small, pert breasts topped off with hardened nipples. And he felt…nothing.

  Panic scraped the back of his throat as he tried again to conjure up some kind of arousal, tried to order his body to respond. He loved this part, of getting his sub into position, and he knew just which buttons to push with Susan. That was before May. Before she had walked in Rough ’n Ready and turned his world upside down.

  Susan approached him and reached out for him, a knowing look in her gaze. He backed away and shook his head. “No. Not tonight.”

  He turned and moved to the door.

  “Evan!”

  But he said nothing as he slipped out the door and headed to the back entrance of the club. He didn’t need Micah bothering him or have to handle the strange stares of their patrons. He knew they all watched him, knew that he had taken Susan down for a session. All of them would know eventually, but he didn’t want to deal with it right now.

  The sultry night air washed over him as he stepped out into the parking lot and headed for his truck. What the fuck was wrong with him? He’d never failed to complete a session. Even women he didn’t particularly like personally had been easy to take, to work over, then fuck. He actually liked Susan and now, shit, he couldn’t get it up. He shoved his hand through his hair and noticed it was shaking. He reached his truck but not in time.

  “Evan!” Micah came jogging up behind him. “What the fuck is going on?”

  He said nothing as he unlocked his truck and slipped inside.

  Micah reached him just before he could close the door. His hand shot out and held it.

  “Leave me the fuck alone.” Oh, Jesus, he sounded like a little boy. He could feel the embarrassment of his action heat up his face.

  “Not until you tell me what is going on. Susan’s pissed, and that is one woman I would not want pissed at me. So tell me.”

  Evan looked at his friend and opened his mouth to explain but not one word came out. How could he tell Micah what was wrong with him if he didn’t know himself?

  Micah shook his head. “Never mind. Just give me a call tomorrow.”

  Evan gave him a curt nod then closed his door.

  Chapter Eleven

  May sighed with relief when her house came into view. She’d spent the last few hours lamenting her inability to tell her father no. Dennis was a nice man, but he had as much personality as a flat wave. The moment the thought popped into her head, a niggle of guilt wormed its way into her conscience. It really hadn’t been that bad. The main problem was a thoroughly unavailable man was more attractive to her.

  Dennis eased his car next to the curb. May looked up at the kitchen window and found her first real smile of the evening. When she turned to face Dennis, she frowned at the Chambers’ Contracting Truck parked at the curb.

  “I had a really great time,” Dennis said as he smiled at her.

  Which was a sad statement in itself. If he thought their date was a great time, he had no idea what fun was. It really was a shame she felt no spark. He was nice, probably too nice.

  He smiled at her before he got out of the car and rounded the hood to open her door. Like she said, nice.

  What the hell was wrong with her? Most women would kill to be in this position. Nice guy, gorgeous, running his own practice…and she was bored. Probably because she knew in the bedroom, he would be just too damn nice.

  He opened her door and took her hand to help her out.

  “I was wondering if you would be interested in seeing a movie tomorrow night.”

  “I have to work tomorrow night. I work a lot of nights at the restaurant.”

  He nodded. “I didn’t even think about that. When is your next night off?”

  She worried her bottom lip and tried to come up with some excuse, then the problems with the boss and his sister rose to her mind.

  “I am not sure what my schedule is going to be like over the next few weeks. My boss is having some family problems and might have to go back to the mainland.”

  “Ah.” He nodded, easily accepting her half-truth. He stepped on her front porch and took both her hands into his. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a call.”

  She opened her mouth to disagree, but he lightly placed his fingers over her mouth. “No. Don’t come up with another excuse. I have hopes that you’ll change your mind.”

  “You are much too nice for me.”

  He laughed. “I doubt that.”

  He leaned in slowly and moved his mouth over hers. She could taste the coffee he’d had and smell the light musky scent of his aftershave. His body heat surrounded her. And although she did respond, she felt nothing. Her heart barely kicked up a notch and her body didn’t heat.

  When he pulled back he gave her another sweet smile. “Goodnight, Maylea.”

  She drew in a deep breath and watched him walk to his car. A moment later, his taillights were fading into the distance. She felt small. No, she felt worse than that. She felt like a skank. May knew she had no reason to feel that way, but she did nonetheless. A perfectly nice man had taken her to dinner, enjoyed her company, and she had spent the entire evening counting the minutes until he left.

  With a sigh, she dug into her purse and pulled out her keys, but the door opened before she could use them. She expected her father but found a thoroughly irritated Evan Chambers staring at her.

  “Do you always let your dates paw you?”

  No hello. No, hey, been waiting for you. An insult. Well, this was her house dammit, and she would not take it.

  “I think what I let my dates do or not do is not of any business of yours.”

  He pushed open the screen door so fast she had to step back to avoid being hit. He closed the door behind him and before she knew what was going on, he gr
abbed her by her arms and pulled her up onto her toes.

  Even in the weak light, she could see the anger flaming in his eyes.

  “I think I have every right after what we did last week.”

  Before she could protest, he dipped his head and slammed his mouth against hers. Irritation had her planting her hands on his chest to shove him away. Instead, she curled her fingers into his shirt and dissolved beneath his kiss.

  Evan’s blood was hot, his temper hotter and his irritation with himself, with May, with the whole damn situation had him losing control. He didn’t care. Right now, May’s mouth was soft and wet beneath his. As he slipped his hands down her body and over that beautifully rounded ass of hers, need shimmered through him.

  He slanted his mouth over hers and slipped his tongue between her lips. Oh, God, nothing tasted as good as May. She sucked on his tongue, sending a shaft of heat straight down to his dick. His heart was beating so fast he thought it might jump out of his chest. He tore his mouth away from hers and kissed down the side of her neck. The essence of her was there, the light fragrance that reminded him of plumeria and May. She moved against him, causing his cock to jump. God, he wanted her, needed her right now, right here, on her porch…

  He abruptly pulled away from her. In fact, it had been so fast that May almost lost her balance. He grabbed her arms to steady her. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Desire darkened her eyes and her hardened nipples were easy to see through her sheer dress.

  Lord, what the hell was he thinking? He had spent the evening with her family, and now mauled her when she got home from her date.

  “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  It was all he could say, and he had to force every word from his lips. While he knew in his mind he had no right to her, his body didn’t give a damn. He wanted her now, stripped naked and tied up in his bed.

  He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to clear the image, but he could smell her scent on his fingers.

  “Why?”

  He stopped and stared at her for a second, trying to figure out just what the hell she was talking about. Her lips were reddened and swollen from his kissing. He could just imagine what they would look like as he eased his cock between them—

  “Evan?”

  He shook his head to clear the image, but his body had imprinted it on his brain. “What?”

  “Why should you not have done that?”

  “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

  “And?”

  “That’s it.”

  With a sigh, she bent to retrieve her purse and her keys. It afforded him an excellent view of her breasts.

  “So you think you have nothing else to apologize for?”

  “No.”

  “I think you do. How about your accusations?”

  Oh, yeah, he’d forgotten about those. He was thankful for the dim light overhead because he felt his face heat up. “I didn’t actually accuse you of anything.”

  Another sigh escaped, this time one filled with weariness. “Fine, you don’t want to talk about it. I’m tired and I just want to go to bed.”

  He stepped aside to allow her access to the door. Panic rose, the unfamiliar feeling crashed down on him, almost drowning him. He couldn’t figure it out until he realized there is a part of him that wanted to tell her, to let her know what seeing her with another man did to him.

  “I was jealous.”

  She stilled, then slowly looked over at him. Her hand was still on the door, but she hadn’t opened it.

  “Jealous?”

  “I saw you with that guy and I just couldn’t take it.”

  May studied him for a second, saying nothing. The cool evening breeze played with the ends of her hair and he felt the weight of her thoughts.

  “You are going to have to come up with something more believable than that, bruddah.”

  He should have known she wouldn’t take his explanation at face value. “I…”

  His throat closed up on him. He swallowed his panic now full blown. Would she think less of him because he was jealous, that he never wanted another man to touch her? When the fuck had he gotten so territorial about a woman?

  “Yes?”

  He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I was jealous. I…okay, your father kept going on about the guy and his practice and how well-liked he was and I couldn’t stand it.”

  She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “And?”

  “And what?”

  She let her arms fall, disappointment stamped all over her face. “Never mind.”

  May turned to leave and he couldn’t let her. He hadn’t always been honest with women, but he had been with May.

  “I didn’t know what to do. I went to Rough ’n Ready tonight, tried— Well, never mind what I tried, but I couldn’t do it.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He let out a frustrated growl. “I don’t want to play in that room now…unless it’s with you.”

  A few beats of silence. “Feeling frustrated?”

  He tossed her a nasty look but said nothing. Baring his soul to a woman, to anyone, was hard enough.

  “I don’t know what you want me to do about it.”

  Swallowing, he found his mouth suddenly dry. “I would like to pursue this.”

  She studied him. “Pursue what?”

  “You’re a hard woman, May.”

  Her lips twitched. “And you have no respect for wimps.”

  He laughed, although there was no humor in it. “I got to Rough ’n Ready, had a sub there ready for me, and I couldn’t perform. I didn’t want to.” He closed his eyes, afraid to look at her, not knowing what she would think of him. He did not like giving up, admitting a vulnerability, especially to a woman. “I need you.”

  The silence stretched, the only sound was the occasional car passing by. After an eternity passed, he opened his eyes.

  “You need me…as your sub?”

  “I don’t know how to explain it, but I do know that I need you…and you need me.”

  “I had a successful date, unlike you.”

  His green-eyed monster took over and he sneered, “I saw that kiss. There was no heat, no need. You were bored to death with the man.”

  She shrugged and looked away. “Why do you think I need you?”

  “I can teach you. You know you want to learn about a D/s relationship, explore it.”

  Again she shrugged, but he sensed a shift, something in the air that told him he was right. “You want to know what it feels to be strapped down on my bed and fucked until you can’t remember your name.”

  She shivered, but he was sure it wasn’t because of the cool night breeze.

  She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, then looked down at the porch. “And why do I need that with you?”

  “You trust me.”

  She sighed. “In some things.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She made a face. “Evan, you aren’t faithful.”

  “I never said I was. Never claimed to be, but I will say that I haven’t had as many women as people think.”

  “I just…I need to think about it.”

  “You can’t give me an answer now?” He didn’t know if he could wait any longer. The need to touch her, to see her come again and again battered at his control. It made him itchy from the inside out.

  “Listen, I have waited for years for you to notice me, and now you want me to decide on a D/s relationship in fifteen minutes? I’m not even sure if we would work well together. I might do better with someone like Micah.”

  Before he knew what he was doing, he backed her up against the door, pressing his body against hers. Anger and frustration beat through his blood as a red haze filled his vision.

  “You don’t go anywhere near Micah.”

  She pursed her lips. “You speak as if you own me. You do not.”

  She pronounced every word distinctly.

  “I do.”

  “Not unless
I agree, and only in the bedroom.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she held up her hand. “I have no problem with obeying you in the bedroom, but you do not own me outside of it. And I haven’t even agreed to letting you have me in the bedroom. I need time to think about it.”

  He pressed his groin against hers and she shuddered. He bent his head to nibble on her ear. Her body was soft against his, and he knew if he pushed her, he could have her.

  “I already own you. You just have to come to terms with it.”

  “I may want you, but it doesn’t mean this is a good idea. I need time to think.”

  He looked down at her, irritated, frustrated, needing nothing more than to slip into her body and find relief.

  “You remember how you felt? The way you felt when you came? You were so fucking wet.”

  She shivered again, her breasts moving against his chest, her hardened nipples easy to feel through their layers of fabric.

  “I do want you, I have never denied that. What I need is a day. Jesus, Evan, one day.”

  He could tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t playing games. Her breath was coming out in short little gasps, her skin was flushed, and her heart was beating a wild tattoo against his chest. He could press his advantage, take her now. If he did, she would submit to him, he felt it in his bones. But he didn’t want that, not just one night. He didn’t know what the hell was going on with him, but he did know it would take more than one night to work her out of his system.

  “Okay. I’ll give you two days. But I want your answer by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Understand?”

  She quickly nodded and he had to fight a smile. She might not want to say yes right now, but there was no doubt in his mind she would. And just who’d have thought May was such a good submissive?

  He leaned in and took her mouth in a quick, hard kiss. Even the brief contact had both of them breathing heavily.

  “You think about that for the next two nights.”

  He walked away, knowing he was damn sure he would too.

  May squinted against the hot sun beating down on her as she pulled into the parking lot. It had been a rough two nights. Just as Evan had predicted, she had thought of that kiss and all the wondrous things it would lead to. She’d lain awake for hours each night, her body hot, her mind racing with the possibilities. Even reading some of her favorite erotic romances or time spent with her vibrator could not relieve the ache.