“Apparently, some things are more obvious to women.” He gave both women a fond smile before he turned a much more intent look toward Rachel. “Otherwise I would have gone after her much, much sooner. I"m making up for lost time, trying to sweep her off her feet.”

Ellen laughed. “Well, any woman who doesn"t go for that offer is crazy. You let me know if she turns you down. We"ll help console you.” While the women were obviously pleased with him and the whole situation, Rachel was struggling to keep up, to figure out how to feel about this. Unlike those twenty-somethings, these two women, who had a regard for her, a long-term acquaintance, obviously felt this was a good match. A perfect match. It left her thoughts on all of it topsy-turvy again.

As if he"d picked up on it, and of course he would, Jon bantered with them, a few easy and complimentary exchanges, and then he had her moving down the sidewalk again, though not before Sarah gave her a hug, putting a quick whisper in Rachel"s ear.

“You look so good together. You let yourself have that one, you hear me? You deserve something that nice.” She met Rachel"s eyes, and though she didn"t say it, Rachel heard it echo in her heart.

Someone so much a part of you, it’s like talking about yourself.

* * * * *

When they arrived at Jon"s house, she was given even more to think about. And to despair about. His home was not only perfectly suited to him, it was the type of place she"d love to call home. Cedar siding, and a custom architecture that blended into a forested twenty-acre lot. The house had lots of screened-in outdoor porch area on all three levels, with a carport under the pilings where he parked the silver car. As they drove up, she noted a widow"s peak that would give an even more vast view of the surrounding woods.

“I have an infrared scope up there. At night, you can watch all sorts of wildlife.

Deer, fox, raccoons. I do my yoga in the mornings on the top porch. The bird calls and swamp frogs are so loud, sometimes I feel like I"m in the middle of a symphony. There are nature trails, and several of them lead to a manmade pond with a little boat. I"ve got a mooring buoy in the middle of the pond, so I can tie the boat to it on a long line and then lie down in it, float and think. Sometimes I"ll even go to sleep, and occasionally the alligator that lives in the pond will bump against it, wake me up.” Delighted by his enthusiasm for his home, the rapid-fire list of things he thought would attract her, and did, she laughed. “That would wake me up, for sure. I"d paddle back to shore so fast, I"d set records.”

“I think he"s saying howdy, being neighborly. He"s only about six feet long, so he"s still a junior.”

“Oh well, six feet. I feel much better.”

He shepherded her up the stairs to the second level. She could tell from the variety of things on the first-level porch, as well as the dust on the windows, that must be where his workshop was located. In contrast, the front door on the second level was flanked by clean diamond-paned glass that had a single om etched into either side, the powerful yoga symbol that represented everything, the unfolding or expanding of the experience of life. Seeing that somehow underscored the significance of crossing his threshold, such that she hesitated, needing a moment before taking that step.

“Did you have this built after the K&A offices moved from New Orleans?”

“You"ve been doing your research.” His quick look made her cheeks flush. “No, I"ve had this house awhile. Since it"s a short trip from New Orleans, it was my weekend getaway.” Jon shrugged. “My parents were from here, so I wanted some roots in this area. Fortunately, that meant I had great contacts to help us switch our main office after Katrina. Matt liked it so much, we"ve stayed longer than expected. It helped that Savannah also had a satellite office here she could transition into her base.” He opened the front door from a keypad, and then swept his arm forward. “Don"t say I didn"t warn you.”

He"d been teasing her about the dirty dishes of course, but it was unexpected all the same, in an amazing way. He had a potted forest of delicate, spidery Japanese maples that accented the dark wood futons and comfortable floor pillows. Several stone table fountains and a large sculpture fashioned of various curved metals blended into the environment. It gave the open area a tropical, misty feel. To the left, she saw a spacious silver kitchen, and to the right, a stairwell led up to a loft bedroom.

Skylights and tall rectangular windows allowed light and forest views at all angles.

On either side of the bed upstairs were two tall plates of dark blue textured glass, over which water poured, lit from the bottom to make the drops sparkle. The bed was a canopy, but like nothing she"d ever seen before. The head posts were two smooth and twisted branches that arced over the mattress, crossed and then dove down to form the foot posts as well. She suppressed a smile, noting a couple of silk ties carelessly thrown over the lower arc of one of them.

“Couldn"t decide yesterday?”

“Well, I had a very important date. I wanted to impress her with my fashion sense.” He set her bags on an entryway table. “Want something to drink before we head down to the lower level, where I cut the bodies into little pieces? I have wine, beer, water, soda…pretty much whatever you want.”

“A lemonade?”

He smiled, that gesture that made his breathtaking features even more so. She expected she could sigh like a girl over them all day long. “I sure do.” As she watched him cross the room to the kitchen, she could tell this was where he was comfortable. This was home. It made him, and the place, all the more appealing.

When he came back to her, she wanted to touch, but she wasn"t sure what the rules were here. As usual, he anticipated her. Wiping the top of the bottle with a napkin, he offered it to her. “What do you want, sweet girl?”

“I want to touch you. I want…” Her gaze went upstairs, to that bed. She wanted to be straddling him, wanted to feel his hands on her hips, driving her down onto his cock.

She wanted him to tie her wrists to those curved posts with his silk ties and make her crazy with those clever lips and even more clever hands.

Sliding a hand around her nape, he drew her to his mouth. Right before the distance closed, he spoke. “Show me what you want.” The words broke it all open inside of her. The blatant though affable envy she"d seen in Sarah and Ellen"s eyes. Hours of shopping, filled with conversation as well as casual or far more intimate touches, keeping her body alert to his. The way he"d gazed at her selections with serious eyes and firm mouth, evaluating her choice not just as her companion, but as her Master.

She slipped her arms over his shoulders, digging into muscle, and gave him every bit of what she was wanting, conscious or unconscious. Pressing her breasts against him, the aroused tips, she ground her stomach hard against his groin, her leg sliding to the inside of his as his other arm banded around her waist and closed that nonexistent distance even further. It took him less than a second to take over the kiss, cupping her head to take it deeper, make it even rougher, more demanding. She moaned in her throat as his other hand dropped to her skirt, closed over her buttock, that tender area she was ready to have him make even more so, if he felt she needed it.

He broke the spell first, lifting his head to stare down at her flushed features. While he was obviously aroused, a look entered his gaze she didn"t expect. It worried her a little bit, the considering speculation in it. “I want you to test something for me.”

* * * * *

His workshop was a stark contrast to the simplicity and open space above. It was a conglomeration of parts, electronic gizmos, computer screens and open testing areas that had shards of what alarmingly looked like charred, blasted metal and shattered wood pieces swept into corners.

In one section, however, there was a cleared platform. On it was a straight chair and an adjustable podium, the height set proportionate to the chair. A copy of the Kama Sutra was on the podium. She lifted an eyebrow at that, but he opened a utility closet, fished around an array of clothes to pull out a thin body suit in black. “This is something I"ve been working on. There"ve already been a couple prototypes at different adult trade shows, but I wanted to take the idea a little further.” He straightened, his tone changing. “Take off all your clothes, Rachel. Here, in front of me.” Her hands were nervous, curling in the fabric of her dress. When she hesitated, he added, “You want to be the type of submissive who"s always ready to obey her Master.

You"re not used to the way of it, but it"s there in you. Give yourself over to that. A small test for tonight.”

Tonight. That nebulous concept was back, flitting around in her stomach while all sorts of provocative imaginings darted through her mind.

She slid the dress off her shoulders, pushing it down to her waist. His gaze followed it, down the slope of her bare breasts, lingering on their heavy weight, the jutting nipples. She stepped out of her shoes before she hooked the waistband of the dress and shimmied out of it, letting it pool around her ankles.

“Turn around as you take off the panties. Bend over, show me your pussy as you do it. Make me hard, Rachel. Stay in that position.” She pivoted on her foot, her hair brushing her shoulders as she complied, easing the cotton lace down her thighs, bending forward and balancing on one foot as she took the undergarment off, adjusting her stance so he could see what he demanded. When he approached, she shivered in anticipation as he parted the folds of her cunt, and his fingers slid inside of her. Along with something else. It felt like two quarter-sized pieces of fabric being pressed against her labia, and then they were inside of her, as he pushed them against the walls of her vagina. When he slid free, he did the same thing to her anus, using the lubrication of her aroused pussy to slide the small pieces inside.

He stepped back. “Now straighten, only do it in a way your Master would like.” She came up slowly, keeping the arch in her back as long as possible, then tossed her hair back so it slithered in waves over her shoulder blades. Lifting her arm, she gathered the silken strands and looked over her shoulder at him.