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  Serena relented.

  "If it's any consolation, he wasn't always like this."

  "It's not,” Keith muttered. “How long has he been like this?"

  "Well,” she propped her elbows on the desk and rested her chin in her palms. She didn't want to think about it, but it looked like she didn't have a choice. Professional, Serena. Keep it professional. “Let's see.” She frowned slightly. “Mmm,” she raised her eyes to his. “Sometime after I came to work for you. Claire wasn't his assistant yet, of course. He goes through one every four to six months.” She grimaced as she glanced at the calendar. “And at the rate he's going, Claire'll be putting in for a transfer in a few weeks."

  "He started dating Penny about three months after you started working for me,” he frowned, speaking quietly. “Not sure...,” He smiled. “When we were working on the Franklin contract."

  She nodded, crossing her fingers under the desk. The hope that he would press for more information brought a hitch to her throat, even if it scared her. Would he think she had done something wrong?

  "That was a bit complicated,” she mused. Did he realize that he remembered personal things in relation to business? “I don't think we left the office before ten for three or four weeks."

  Keith clenched his jaw.

  "I'm screwed,” he muttered. “Penny will never believe a word I say against him. She likes you, but if you or Claire tell her about how he is toward you, it won't matter. Mark will say you have other reasons for trying to break them up."

  "Like Claire or I want him for ourselves?” she sighed.

  "Exactly,” he nodded.

  "Not in this lifetime or any other,” she shook her head.

  "Because of this guy?” Keith gestured towards the vase on her desk.

  Serena hesitated slightly.

  "Because of him now,” she said slowly. Her eyes studied the petals. “I would really rather not go into it."

  "A woman's intuition thing?” he frowned.

  "Do you need more than what you just saw?” she countered. “His attitude toward me and Claire? I know he's very good at his job, but for a PR person, his people skills need some work. Especially regarding women."

  Keith nodded, his mind on other things already.

  "Yeah,” he murmured, turning toward his office. “Maybe we can do a seminar or something on professionalism in the workplace."

  Serena sighed as the door closed.

  "And my boss makes his return,” she muttered. Her gaze fell on the rose. “Whoever you are, I hope you're not mad about tonight. How do I tell you I can't do anything tonight without losing what you offer? Claire needs me.” Her fingers brushed over the blossoms velvety softness. “Nearly as much as I think I need you. How do I say that without sounding needy and desperate? Or a wimp? Or...,” she stopped, shoulders slumping. “Oh, what a mess!"

  In his office, Keith paced rapidly, trying to figure out what had just happened. Glaring out at the profile of the city, he thought about his plans for tonight and tried to work around the “issue” he wasn't supposed to know about. He had to manage things so he was in a position of control and power. He'd planned on having the cell phone and vibrator delivered today and then starting things out that night. That wouldn't work now, but what if he gave her a small preview?

  His whole plan depended on establishing his control over her as soon as possible. Seduce, he reminded himself. He had to seduce her. He would seduce his assistant, using every means, fair or foul, to win her over and then.... He closed his eyes briefly.

  Before he knew it, he was dialing one of the few people he could trust. The man who had recognized his innate need to sexually dominate.

  "Grant, it's Keith. I need feedback on a personal matter."

  "Okay,” answered the deep voice. “Hold on a second.” Grant's voice was redirected. “Joyce, hold all my calls please. Thank you.” There was a creak of leather. “What's the problem, Keith?"

  "Not necessarily a problem,” Keith told him. “I just want to bounce something off of you."

  "Okay. Bounce."

  "It started a couple days ago on Serena's birthday."

  "Serena, as in, your assistant?"

  "How the hell do you remember the name of someone you've met once or twice?” Keith muttered. “Yes, my assistant. She told me some things about Charlotte and other women I've dated."

  "Correction,” Grant interrupted. “Women you were seen in public with to keep up appearances."

  "Can I finish here?” Keith scowled.

  "Fire away."

  "Okay,” Keith nodded, taking a deep breath. “I was doing my workout that night and all I could see was Serena. And not the way she is in the office, if you get my meaning."

  "Pretend I don't."

  Keith growled.

  "She was naked, spread-eagle on my bed, gagged and blindfolded. She was waiting for me to do whatever I wanted to her."

  "And this was the first time you saw her like this?"

  "Yes!” Keith said reflexively. “Well, not entirely, but the first time I did something about it."

  "Oh, shit,” Grant whispered. “Keith, what did you do?"

  "I came up with a brilliant plan to seduce her. Only, she won't know it's me. I put a book of erotica on her desk the next day. She seemed to like it, so I put another book in her drawer today."

  "In her drawer? Shit, Keith, she may have figured out that you're doing it and..."

  "No, she's distracted by her friends. Anyway, I typed notes telling her what to read, and how to tell me—the dom—that she is willing to go further.” Keith told him how he worked things out for her to tell him she agreed. “And she asked me to get her a chicken salad sandwich,” he gloated. “On the way to the employees’ dining room, I called the florist and told them to deliver the rose. She loved it."

  Grant listened without interrupting. Finished, Keith waited patiently for the response. Grant was more experienced in Dom/Sub relationships.

  "Keith, be careful. You could hurt her more than you can even begin to imagine. If anyone even suspects what you're doing, she won't have the protection of an established family the way you do. Serena doesn't have the resources you do to deal with the gossip. She can't be your assistant and she won't be able to get a job anywhere else in New York City once word gets out. In other words, she will be destroyed. I doubt she has any idea what she's getting into and you're taking advantage of that."

  "You're being overdramatic. I've covered every possible angle,” he told her, blithely overlooking the aspect of Serena trying to expand her social life. “I've got everything covered."

  "Keith, this is a very tricky situation. I'll say it bluntly. She'll see things differently. At work, she's at your beck and call. The relationship outside work should be different. If you're not very careful, both her heart and her career will be in jeopardy."

  "It sounds like you're more worried about her than me."

  "Shit, Keith, think about this. You're manipulating her. Someone needs to be worried about her."

  "Grant.” He was exasperated now. This wasn't what he'd expected at all. He'd thought Grant would pat him on the back and say well done. He'd never expected Grant to take Serena's side! What the hell was this? “It's pretty straightforward. I'm going to seduce the socks off of her and make her my submissive. Why are you being so pessimistic?"

  "Because things are never that simple, and if you don't see that you're an arrogant, egotistical idiot. Serena could be seriously hurt by your plan and you refuse to accept that."

  "I know exactly what could happen and I'm willing to do what is necessary to protect her. I know what I'm getting into."

  "Do you really?” Grant pressed. “If the two of you have a public relationship, then what happens to her? Does she keep her position as your assistant? Do you really think that's possible? What if anyone suspects the truth about your relationship? The rest of the world doesn't understand a BDSM. What if Kevin suspects something between the two of you and tries to pul
l the same crap with Serena that he did with Francine? How far will you go to protect her? Or are you just going to walk away and let her deal with it alone?"

  Keith considered his words. Grant had basically just described what had happened between him and Francine just a few months ago. A luminous super-model, Francine had become the target of a jealous rival who had seduced Francine's fiance—Keith's older brother Kevin. Delilah and Kevin had then spread vicious lies about Francine. Unfortunately, most of this had taken place while Grant was on a business trip. He'd reacted swiftly and decisively to protect his woman.

  Eyes on the Empire State Building, Keith realized he hadn't thought beyond establishing the relationship. Shit! What kind of dom did he think he was? He was always supposed to focus on the submissive and make sure she was taken care of. He had, but hadn't gone beyond the physical. Reflecting on Grant's words, he knew his friend was right. Serena couldn't continue as his assistant if they had a public relationship and, if the nature of their sex life came to light, she wouldn't be able to get a job in the city. And if Kevin found out the nature of their relationship and used it against her, just what the hell would Keith do to protect Serena?

  "This is why I called you,” he said slowly. “Should I take this slower?"

  "I'm not sure you can. It's already public. You sent her the rose. You have no other course but to see this through,” Grant said quietly. “Keith, this isn't about proving you're a man to your father by creating your own company. Twelve years ago, it was all about you. Now it's about Serena—the woman you have singled out as your submissive. Time to man up and face a few harsh realities. You make one wrong move and her life could be destroyed. No do-overs."

  "Shit, Grant,” Keith scowled. His mentor couldn't possibly be hinting at what he thought he was. “I'm not going to do something—"

  "Keith, pull your ego out of the equation. Hell, pull your cock out of it. You're a helluva businessman and a responsible Dom at the club, but I swear to God, your cockiness drives me insane sometimes,” Grant fumed. “Think about Serena, dammit! You owe it to her to have thought everything through. It sounds as if you made a good start in protecting both of you.” There was a pause as he let his protegee absorb the compliment. “Now, answer this one very important question. Are you willing to marry her to protect her?"

  "Marriage?” Keith whispered. “Grant, you know damn well I don't want to get married. I can't put a woman through what my father did to my mother! My brothers are just as bad. Kevin's on his third divorce, and Karl's on his second, plus there's four broken engagements between the two of them.” He shook his head. “Men in my family don't do marriage well. That's why I like Dom/sub relationships."

  "That's different. You've kept all those at the club. And they were started at the club with women who understood what they're getting into. Serena doesn't have a clue as to what you are.” There was a noise of frustration over the phone. “Keith, listen to me. Really listen to me. You are no more like your father than I am like mine. Something about Serena resonates with you, otherwise you wouldn't be risking everything you've spent twelve years building. Do you really think your father would do that? Hell, no!"

  Slowly, Keith nodded. Okay, this was why he had called Grant. Grant was more a brother to him than Kevin or Karl had ever been.

  "I don't want her hurt the way my mother was."

  "You just answered the question,” Grant approved in a satisfied tone. “You'll do anything and everything to make sure Serena is safe, protected, and yours."

  Self-doubt wasn't a familiar feeling for Keith. It made him feel vulnerable and he hated that. He trusted Grant though. Grant was nearly forty and had scoffed at the idea of marrying. Until Francine. If someone like Grant could marry, and be so damn content and obviously sexually satisfied in that marriage, then maybe he could.

  "You really think I could do something like marriage?"

  "Absolutely. Oh, one thing, though."

  "Yeah?"

  "I want the first invite to the wedding."

  "If it gets to that point, you got it,” Keith smiled. No matter what Grant said, he couldn't imagine proposing to a woman. Him? Married? The words in the same sentence boggled his mind. “You can even be best man."

  "I'll hold you to that. Just make sure the date isn't in March. That's Francine's due date and she'll be furious if she can't be there."

  "You got it,” Keith had to chuckle. Who would have thought that the macho Grant Franklin would be so undone by his wife's pregnancy? God help him if he ever got to that point! “Thanks, Grant."

  "Anytime."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Four

  A last-minute conference call came up and Serena quickly IM'd Claire and Debbie to delay their gathering. Claire responded that Debbie had convinced her to go to a boxing class to work out some aggression. Relieved on one level, Serena pushed down the desire that the girls would bail so she would be available for the Dominant.

  As she and Keith gathered their things after the call, Serena wondered how a man she hadn't met, and whose name she didn't even know, could influence her the way the Dominant was. Had she completely lost her mind? Was she that desperate? Or was she so tired of the status quo that she was willing to do something drastic? She also realized she was thirty and needed to get over her infatuation with Keith. She needed to get on with her life.

  The Dominant intrigued her, made her wonder, and it had been a very long time since she'd been stirred like this in any way.

  "Ready?” Keith asked, locking his office door.

  "Yes,” she nodded, closing the drawer and cradling the vase.

  "I'll walk you to your car,” he offered as they went out to the hall and he locked the hall door to the executive suite.

  "I don't have a car,” she replied, wondering at the chivalrous offer.

  "What?” he frowned, glancing at her as he turned the key. “How do you get to work and back home?"

  "Subway, usually. Bus, sometimes,” she shrugged. “On really nice days, if we're not too late, I walk."

  Keith stared at her. Why the hell had he never thought about something so basic? The subway? Bus? Walking! How far? Good lord, he didn't have a clue as to where she lived. The address was one thing, but...just how far away did she live?

  He glanced at his watch. If she did walk or was delayed, then the box wouldn't get delivered into her hands. And that was crucial to his plan. He had to make contact and get her preoccupied with what else he might have planned for her. If he took her home, he would also get a better handle on that aspect of her life.

  "I'll take you home,” he said brusquely, taking her elbow and marching her down the hall. “How far away do you live?"

  Serena had to practically trot to keep up with him. Who was this man? Her boss wasn't Jekyll/Hyde, but she didn't know what to make of these random acts of kindness. He'd never been rude, cruel, or impolite, just impersonal and totally focused on his business. She understood that. She didn't understand what drove him, but she knew that his total commitment had made the company what it was. She respected that. Since becoming his assistant, she'd seen firsthand the long hours he put in, his dedication and determination to be the best. He worked hard and demanded the same from his employees. But she'd never heard of him giving someone a ride home.

  "Serena?” he asked, pushing the button to summon the elevator. “Where do you live?"

  "Oh,” she blinked, pulled out of her reverie. “About twenty blocks. Just inside Tribeca. It's a converted brownstone. Actually, three that were combined about ten years ago. I have one of the few one-bedroom apartments. Claire and Debbie are a few doors down from me."

  "That will make tonight convenient,” he commented as the doors opened. “Or was that cancelled because of our call to Tokyo?"

  "Just delayed slightly,” she shook her head. “Debbie dragged Claire to a boxing class in the hopes that she could take some of her emotion out on the bags."

  Keith nodded.
r />   "I've done that a few times myself. Particularly when dealing with hot-tempered, cousin-in-laws-to-be."

  "Any idea of what to say to Penny?” she asked, seizing on the change in conversation.

  "Say to her?” he frowned as they reached the basement. He headed to where his car was parked. He heard her gasp of appreciation at the Mercedes. “What do you mean?"

  "I thought you would say something to her about Mark,” she frowned. Had she misunderstood? “About his attitudes toward women."

  "Penny is a grown woman,” he replied, pressing the key remote to unlock and disarm the alarm. He opened her door. “She can make her own decisions."

  Serena slid in and sat in shock as he closed the door and walked around. Her boss was back in a huge way. Impersonal and cold, not worried about others. Keith got in and looked at her before starting the car.

  "I know you think I should say something to her, but she wouldn't listen to me. We went over that already.” He backed out and headed for the exit. “By not saying anything..."

  "You let her walk into a situation where she could be terribly hurt,” Serena said shortly. The urge to tell him what had happened welled up and she squashed it. With his current attitude, she wasn't sure what his reaction would be. That didn't quell the need to push him to talk to Penny. “Keith, she's barely twenty-two years old and she has no idea what kind of man Mark really is. You can't just stand by and let her do something that could ruin her life!"

  "How do you know she doesn't already know this side of Mark?” he asked. “She may have decided this is what she wants out of life.” Pausing at the exit, he glanced at her. “Which way?"

  She quickly gave him directions.

  "No, I've talked to her. He's the first man she has ever been serious about and she's in love with the idea of being in love.” Serena shook her head, searching for the words to convince him. “Mark won't care if he hurts her, and he will because he doesn't love her the way she needs to be loved. I doubt he knows how to love,” she muttered, glancing out the window, then at him. “I don't understand how you can say nothing and stand by as she gets hurt. Is that how it works in your family?” She gave him a sad look. “I'm guessing it is. Sounds like a pretty lonely way to live."