Taming Her Master

TAMING MASTER STEELE

Elise Cormier stood staring wide-eyed at the tall, dark, ominous looking Gothic Mansion that just looked so incredibly imposing. Then turning her head, she anxiously watched the taxi that had brought her, drive back down along the long tree-lined driveway, leaving her basically stranded in the middle of nowhere, already making her wonder if she should even have come.

The whole idea had started over a few drinks one night, when her old high school friend Denise had finally told her about the well-paying job she'd just decided to leave, working for the somewhat eccentric and highly-sexed aristocratic industrialist Nicholas Steele. And had even confessed that she'd grown to love the strange arrangement she'd had with her employer, until she'd gotten another even more lucrative offer she couldn't refuse, working for a man with a similar penchant in France. So, now with Denise gone, the position was open, and he'd agreed to meet her for an interview.

Brushing her long blonde hair over her shoulder, Elise picked up her suitcase and started to make her way up the wide stone staircase leading up to the dreary looking old mansion. It had already been explained to her that she'd be expected to stay for the night, and possibly more before the rigorous interview process could be completed - whatever that meant. And although she enjoyed sex as much anyone, possibly even more, she had no idea what Denise meant when she said that it came as part of the job.

Greeted at the door by a distinguished looking gray-haired butler, who kindly relieved her of her bag, before he smiled and politely said, "Good morning, Miss Cormier, Master Steele is awaiting you in the library, which would be the last door at the end of the hall," indicating with a nod of his head, the direction she should take.

Drawing a deep steadying breath, willing her legs not to fail her, she walked down the long hallway until she came to an open doorway. And seated at a large ornate carved wooden desk, had to be the most striking man she'd ever seen. And as he lifted his gaze, his eyes, a shockingly silver-blue, seemed to be looking right through her, instantly assessing. And she noticed, too, how his dark perfectly styled hair, only accentuated those stunning eyes and remarkable features. No way around it, the guy was a knock out.

"Miss Cormier," he said, quickly striding over and reaching out to shake her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, won't you have a seat?"

Before leading the way back to his desk, she replied, "A pleasure to meet you as well." Already hoping it would turn out to be true.

Noticing the unusual red padded high-back guest chair at his desk, she lowered herself into it, and holding her breath, waited to see what would happen next. Picking up a copy of her resume, he remarked, "I see you've come highly recommended, so I have no doubt you would meet my requirements as far as acting as my assistant is concerned, so I have no worries there. But I should probably explain that I run a fairly complex business that takes me all over the world. So, would travel be a problem for you?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No, of course not."

Tapping his pen on his desk, carefully eyeing her, glad she seemed to have no attachments if she was free to travel, he said, "And naturally I'd expect unwavering discretion in a position like this."

Sitting straighter in her chair, she said, "And you'd have it. I've never been one to gossip."

"Good," he replied, his lips curling into sly smile. "And I understand from speaking with Denise that you are uh... aware of my particular needs?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "Yes. She explained some of it to me."

"Then perhaps I should explain a little more. You see I have what is sometimes referred to as a sex addiction. But to be honest, since puberty, I believe I've simply had an unusually powerful sex drive resulting in a need for sex that few other men have, although I'm not really sure I'd refer to what I have as an addiction. But it does mean that in order to function at my best, I require an outlet for my desires often several times a day. And how would you feel about that? About helping me to meet these needs?"

Nervously biting down on her lip, wondering what to say to a loaded question like that, it took her a moment to answer. Then noticing something in his eyes, almost like he was pleading for her to understand, realizing it must be hard for him to have admit something like this to her, she made up her mind and said, "Actually, I think I would be willing to help you."

His expression lightened as he asked, "And would you say you enjoy sex, Miss Cormier?"

Truth was she did. When someone knew how to get her off, she'd always enjoyed it, and had felt just as good returning the favor. And if this guy was half as good as he looked, then she didn't imagine it would be much of a hardship to accept his advances, whatever they might entail. Finally, remembering he was waiting, she said, "Actually, I do. I've always enjoyed a healthy sex life."

Nicholas let himself relax back into his seat, once she'd basically said she'd agree to be at his disposal. Although never much into blondes, always preferring the dark mystery of a brunette, there was just something about her that he couldn't resist, and could barely wait to have. Delicate and fair, and strikingly beautiful, with such amazing sapphire blue eyes, she looked almost ethereal, like a gift that had been bestowed upon him for his pleasure.

Suddenly sitting up straighter, already deciding she was exactly what he'd been lookin for, he scratched an outrageously high figure on a piece of paper, just to ensure she'd say yes, and pushed it across the desk at her. "This is what the position pays. And as you can see, you would be well compensated for whatever is called upon for you to do, be it working late on a contract, travelling with me to some far flung destination, or agreeing to whatever I dictate at whatever time I require it."

Her eyes open wide on the page, she had to swallow before she looked up at him and asked, "Are those all zeros after that one?"

Smiling, he nodded. "Yes, they are. And I'd also be happy to reward you with a performance bonus whenever you do anything that goes above and beyond my uh... expectations. And I would even be willing to double it if you're able to last more than a year with me."

Blinking her eyes, she could hardly believe what he was saying. He was offering more than she'd made to date since she'd left college. So no matter how strange, this job sure as hell paid well. And if she could stick it out for a year, she'd have a pretty good nest egg, and maybe finally be able to buy a place of her own and get out of her shoebox of an apartment.

Then she lifted her head, when he said, "Normally, I don't require this, but if you'd be willing to live here with me, I might be willing to add even more to that sum to have you at my beck and call any hour of the day or night. So how would you feel about living in this house with me?"

Okay, this guy might be a little loopy, but if all she had to do was work hard for him, and help him get his groove on when he needed her to, she'd more than be on board for the kind of money he was talking. And from what Denise had said, it was a legitimate job, with just a few kinky perks. And of course, she'd never been afraid of a little kink. Then she pulled a face. At least she didn't think she was.

Noticing her indecision, afraid to push too hard and scare her off, Nicholas said, "How about I let you mull this over, while we have some tea?" Then, grabbing his cell phone off his desk, she heard him say, "Hi, Mary, if you could serve us in the library now that would be great, thanks."

And a few minutes later, a dark-haired, middle aged woman, she imagined was Mary, walked into the room, giving her a welcoming little smile as she pushed along an ornate wooden trolley laden with a gleaming silver tea service, delicate white china cups and saucers and a tiered silver serving caddy stacked with a variety of delicious looking sweets and savory little tidbits. Elise decided on the spot that she could get used to this, normally accustomed to chugging back a lukewarm cup of coffee in a paper cup at her desk, while scarfing down a stale sandwich, while she worked through lunch, this setup was looking sweeter all the time.

"Would you like me to pour for you, Master Steele?" Mary asked.

When he shook his head and said, "No, we'll be fine, thank you, Mary," with a nod of her head, she left them to it.

Then Elise felt she should ask, "Shall I pour for you?" not exactly sure what was expected of her.

Giving her a little smile, Nicolas said, "How about I serve

you

, since for now you're simply my guest, at least until you agree to work with me, which I'm really hoping you'll do, by the way."

As they sat quietly and ate, very aware of his eyes on her, Elise glanced around noticing for the first time that the stately room was not only chocked full of books, as would be expected, but also held some pretty interesting works of art. Aware of where her attention was drawn, Nicholas nodded at the artwork and said, "Not surprisingly, I absolutely adore the female form. And as you can see, I also love to paint." Then indicating one large framed painting on a wall by the door he informed her, "That particular painting is one I especially enjoyed creating, and have always loved to admire."

When her gaze turned to the sepia-toned watercolor he was indicating, she almost choked on her tea. Although she could tell at a glance he was a gifted artist, she'd never actually seen a painting of a gaping vagina before. And after she got over the initial shock, studying it more closely, she was amazed at how he'd somehow managed to capture the shimmery glisten of arousal on what looked like fully engorged lips. "Wow!" she blurted as she looked around the room realizing it was full of nothing but paintings of naked women, and every imaginable lady part, and was shocked enough, she was just glad she hadn't said,

holy shit

, before she could stop herself. Finally turning back to face him, she said, "You really are exceptional artist," and meant it, too. She'd dabbled in art in high school, but never created anything even nearly as good as what he'd done, despite his unusual choice of subject matter. Then studying them more closely, she noticed that not only were all of his paintings exceptionally well executed, but that every woman he painted wore an expression of undeniable arousal, all with their lips parted, and eyes soft with lust. Even one of just a full breast in profile clearly showed a very pronounced erect nipple, which had her wondering how he managed to keep his subjects so aroused while painting them, and if she'd ever discover his secret for herself. Finally turning her attention back on him, she remarked, "You're paintings really are beautiful, Mr. Steele."

With a shrug, he said, "One of my two passions," before setting his very deliberate gaze on her, and devilishly grinning. Doing her best not to shiver from the threatening look in his eye, she already had a pretty strong feeling what the other one was.

Finally, setting down her tea cup in the saucer, she said, "Before I decide whether to accept this job, I just have one question."

Tipping his head, he said, "Go ahead."

"Would I ever be expected to do anything that I might not enjoy without the freedom of letting you know that I might want it to stop?"

Curiously eyeing her for a moment, it occurred to him that no one had ever dared ask him that before. So, he'd never had to give a second thought to what he did, or the pleasure he enjoyed taking. Finally he asked, "Are you talking about something like a safe word?"

Nodding her head, she said, "Yes, I think I am." Although never into BDSM, she knew what a safe word was, and also understood it was a way of controlling a situation that might be going too far. And before she agreed to anything with him, she had to at least be sure of her safety.

Finally with a shrug, he said, "I don't think that would be too much to ask. So, what would like your safe word to be?"

Managing a grin, she said, "Would

stop

work?"

He laughed. "Yes, saying stop would be fine. But you can also say something to tell me to slow down, if you only needed to catch your breath, like the word

yellow

." And somehow the low tone in his voice when he'd said that last part about her needing to catch her breath, made her want to shiver all over again. Then settling his unnerving steely-blue gaze on hers, he said, "But I will promise you one thing, Miss Cormier. I will never leave you wanting, if that's a concern. I have always prided myself on satisfying any sexual partners I've had." And for some reason, she believed him.

With a nod of her head, she said, "Well, then I guess I can accept that I'll be safe with you, and that I can trust you."

"I promise you can," he assured her. With that settled, he opened her file and said, "And I see you've had the appropriate health tests, proving that you're clean." The he pushed a copy of his most recent check-up across the desk at her, and said, "And as you can see, I'm also perfectly healthy." With a glance at her file, he said, "Since it's also says here that you're on birth control, I don't see any need for additional protection, do you?"

Trying her best not to squirm, this was just so weird, talking about having sex with him like this. Normally she'd be negotiating for paid holidays or dental care, and not checking to see if her employer was safe to sleep with. Finally she agreed and said, "No, I think we're good."

His face instantly broke into a relieved smile. "And does that mean you're accepting this position, and everything that comes with it?"

Heaven help her if she was making a mistake, but she told him, "Yes. And I look forward to working with you, Mr. Steele." Really hoping she would.

"Please, call me Nicholas. And I'll call you by your first name as well, if that's all right with you. And you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to working with you, Elise."

Reaching for her cup again, watching him openly smile for the first time since she'd met him, she had a feeling she was about to embark on either the wildest ride of her life or one of the most terrifying, or possibly even both. Because, how could she possibly know what she'd just signed on for with a man like him?

After she'd signed the usual non-disclosure agreement, and they'd both put their signatures to her work contract outlining her remuneration and his expectations, he handed her another sheet, and as she scanned it, she wondered if he was for real. Since it appeared to be a very detailed point by point of exactly what he expected of her.

With odd things like:

-That she was to keep herself smoothly clean shaven at all times, including her underarms, legs and of course her vaginal area.

-She was to shower at least once a day, and do her utmost to keep herself attractive and well-groomed.

-Her teeth should always be clean and freshly brushed after every meal.

-And the list went on with a few other curious things, the one standing out the most was that she would make herself available to him without question for anything he desired. She noted though, that he had taken a moment to jot down her safe word,

stop

, and the additional word,

yellow

, if needed.

Looking up at him, holding up the sheet, she said, "Is this all?"

He chuckled. "Yes. That's it, at least as far as my sexual requirements go." Then he stood, letting her know the discussion was over, as he said, "Now, how about I give you a tour of the house, so you'll at least know your way around if you're going to be living here."

At first she found it slightly unsettling that as they walked together he seemed to like to keep a possessive hand at the small of her back, but as she inhaled his heady scent, she soon realized that she enjoyed having him close and also knew she might as well get used to it, if their working relationship was eventually going to include intimacy.

Wandering from room to room, she was also relieved to see that the house was brighter and more beautiful, and far more up to date than it appeared from the outside. And as they walked through the gleaming white kitchen into the long, stately well-appointed dining room, Nicholas explained to her how his great-great grandfather, a Scottish Laird, had come over from the old country and built the house in the 1880's when he'd made a killing in transportation and the oil sector, and how through the generations the company had diversified to the point that

he

, the last remaining Steele, now had business interests in nearly every corner of the world.

She nodded as he spoke. Seemed he'd come from some pretty impressive lineage, and by the sounds of it, running a major company like this, was no slouch himself.

Then once they got to the second floor, he led her off to the right of the grand staircase to what he told her was his own personal wing of the house. Pausing at one particular closed door, he looked back at her and with a curious grin, said ominously, "And inside this door is my

true

domain, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait to see that until you're ready."

Unsure what to make of that, she wondered exactly what she'd have to be ready

for

, but she still just let him lead her along until they reached what he referred to as his bedchamber, which was a series of large high-ceilinged airy rooms including an enormous ensuite bathroom. And his bedroom alone was massive, as was his bed, standing in the middle of the room, draped in heavy raw silk burgundy canopy and drapes. Although the room was on the dark side, all done in muted burgundy's and browns, she thought it was absolutely stunning, so rich and utterly masculine. Then as she glanced around, she became aware of his hand sliding lower, until he was firmly cupping her backside, and whispering in her ear, "And now if you wouldn't mind undressing, I would very much like to see you out of your clothes and spread across my bed."

Her eyes flaring open wide, she thought her heart would stop the moment he said it. Although she'd agreed to be with him, she had no idea it would start so soon, especially in the middle of them still touring the house. Believing he'd want to slowly work his way up to this point, giving her time to get used to the idea, apparently she was wrong, and he just wanted to get to it. Swallowing hard, knowing she had no choice but to comply, she nervously asked, "Uh, where would like me to change?"

Grinning at her, he said, "Just where you are, works fine. But please take your time. I enjoy a leisurely reveal, every bit as much as the actual unveiling."

Not sure what she was meant to be doing, if he was hoping for a strip-tease or something, she reached back and unzipped herself and slowly began to peel out of her form-fitting navy linen dress. And as she watched his eyes begin to flare as she first bared the fullness of her breasts encased in just a white lacy push-up bra, before pushing the dress down over her hips, her flat little tummy and finally her sex, barely concealed by a sheer white lace trimmed thong, she could actually see his chest beginning to heave and his nostrils flaring. About to kick off her sexy black patent leather heels, he held up his hand, his jaw rigidly tight as he told her, "No, leave those on. I'll take care of the rest."

And as he approached her, doffing his jacket and impatiently yanking off his tie, his eyes rapidly transforming from silver-blue to a highly aroused smoky gray, she wondered if she'd bitten off a little more than she could chew with such an frighteningly arousable man.