His Judgement Page 10

  Joelle shrugged, hating to admit she hadn’t even thought about asking him any questions. “I still don’t know much really. He’s a hot guy, owns a Harley. He has a studio downtown.”

  “What’s his name?” Miranda implored.

  “Craze.”

  Choking, Miranda took a gulp of her champagne. “No silly. His real name. I’m sure you asked given the professional and careful woman you are.”

  “We didn’t get around to talking about our lives.”

  “Okay. Did you get his telephone number? We can always glean some information.”

  Joelle thought about what little he’d told her. “No.”

  “Wow. You really did go outside of your comfort zone.” Miranda narrowed her eyes. “You really don’t know his real name or contact information?”

  “No. I didn’t tell him mine either.”

  “Hmmm. What does he do?”

  Joelle laughed. “I have no idea.”

  “Okay. I can tell by the sweat rolling down the side of your face you fucked him,” Miranda said, her voice rising.

  Wiping the bead away furiously, she looked around the room. “Do you want to announce this to the entire place?”

  “Kinda big if my bestie fucked someone.”

  Groaning, Joelle gave her a harsh look. Of course, the entire situation was ridiculous to normal people. “I was stupid. Irresponsible.”

  “You were, but you seem happy. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  The truth was more than just wonderful. “I just don’t know what I was doing. He forced me to go with him and I allowed him to fuck me.” She moaned and dropped her head.

  “Forced you?” Miranda leaned forward.

  “Yeah. Well...” Joelle shifted. “I wanted to go, but everything happened so fast. I met him again. We clicked and suddenly I was on the back of his Harley.”

  “Okay, I know what I said to you about being careful. However, sometimes something so unexpected occurs, so very much out of the ordinary and it can be the best experience that happens to us. I know. Josh is that way. I never expected to meet someone so much like me. We have everything in common and damn girl, he’s hot in bed.”

  Joelle inhaled, remembering his cologne, and her entire body quivered. “Craze is very dominating.”

  “Exactly what you need,” Miranda breathed.

  “What? I’m very aggressive with what I do. I take no shit. I refuse to take the back seat. I need a man who understands who I am.”

  “You need a man to take control of you. I’ve always known this about you. I can tell by your face you like this guy. Are you seeing him again?”

  Was she so damn transparent? “I don’t know anything about him. I doubt I can get in touch with him again.”

  “You seriously didn’t exchange numbers?”

  “No. Just didn’t come up.”

  Miranda laughed and shook her head. “You’re hooked on a guy who so obviously gives you everything you’ve been craving and you have no idea how to get in touch with him?”

  “Ridiculous. Right?” Joelle gazed out the window, studying the shoppers milling about. She had to see him again. Without a doubt, she needed to find out if the connection was truly as electric as she remembered. “God.”

  “But you know where he lives?”

  “I do but…” Suddenly, she saw him. Craze. He was leaving a store across the street. She shifted forward, her pussy clenching. A moan escaped her lips before she could suppress.

  Miranda followed her gaze. “Is that Craze?”

  “I think so,” Joelle managed.

  “I can tell from here why you’re so attracted. Wish I could see his face better, but his body is kick ass. Go talk to him. Whew baby he’s hot.”

  “What, now?” Joelle shot her a look.

  “No time like the present.”

  She thought about the concept, took a sip, then a gulp. “I can’t. What we shared wasn’t right.”

  “In what country?”

  How could she tell her best friend she’d been forced into sex and whippings? Was she forced? Shuddering, she knew better. She’d wanted every minute of what happened. “I just can’t. I don’t know.”

  Miranda sat back in her seat, swilling her champagne. “You know, I realize people might think I’m crazy, but when I met Josh something clicked. I think every once in a while in our lives we have to let go, believe the inner girl inside. We have to take a chance, a leap of faith. We’re not getting any younger and I, for one, don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone. If Craze embroiled those dark needs I know you have, then you have to take a chance.”

  “What if I’m wrong?”

  “Then you tried. Tell me this. What do you have to lose?”

  The question was one Joelle had been asking herself for two days.

  Joelle pulled up to the red light, remembering everything Miranda had said. Taking a chance on anything hadn’t been in her for years. The single night had been so extraordinary, so utterly breathtaking, yet she remained on edge. Still, she needed the change. She had plodded through life knowing what was going to happen the next day, the next week and generally the next year. She tapped her head on the steering wheel and berated her dull behavior.

  Beep!

  Jerking up, she snarled and hit the gas. She had work to do. So why are you in a hot, red dress? Shaking off her little voice, she moved to the next intersection and realized where she was. If she turned right she’d go back home, but if she turned left… Time ticked away slowly.

  Do it. Do it. Do it.

  She turned left and every nerve in her body was on fire. As she drove the city streets, praying she’d remember how to get to his place, she hummed to the music. Nothing was going to soothe her nerves. Nothing.

  As she cruised through the downtown area, taking turn after turn, she hissed. Her eyes had been closed half the time. While she recognized some of the buildings, she wasn’t entirely certain where the hell she was going. After coming to a one-way street, one that lead to a dead end, she pulled over and tried to rationalize what she was doing. Go home. You have work to do. Yes, she did. The case was looming and she had to be on her A-game.

  She pulled out, determined to do just that when she noticed a building. Yes, she’d seen this one moments before Craze had pulled to a stop. Regaining her resolve, she eased out and turned around, taking a left at the light. Minutes later she could see the aging building up ahead. His condo. He’s there. He’s… Swallowing hard, she rolled to the parking spot about a half block from the engaging brownstone. Even from where she was idling, she could see his bike.

  Dear God, she was wet, hot as she’d ever been. This was crazy, insane in fact, but she couldn’t help herself. Parking the car and turning off the engine, she sat with her keys in her hand for a full five minutes. Then she climbed out of the car. The walk to the building seemed to take forever, but the moment she was at the outer door, the one leading to nirvana, she smiled. The woman inside wanted this. The woman inside craved a firm hand.

  She climbed the stairs, trying to figure out what to say, how to greet him. Hello, sir. Your slut is here. Hello, Master, I’m here to please you. She snorted and continued her trek until she was standing in front of the massive door. Music floated from his condo, jazz music. The blues singer was melodic, the guitar haunting. She bit her lip and listened for a full minute. The song was captivating. Little girl lost. Except she was no longer a girl. The woman standing in a provocative red dress had an agenda.

  Her actions tentative, she knocked lightly. Seconds later, when she heard no movement, she turned to leave. No. You will not do this. Garnering a deeper level of courage, she knocked again, this time much louder. Seconds later she heard thumping footsteps and almost turned and fled.

  The door opened and as Craze peered down at her, the look of surprise quickly turned into one of intense hunger. “My slut. Why are you here?”

  “I… I don’t know really.”

  “Let me think,” he breathed, the tone o
f his voice husky. “You’re here because you know I’m your Master. You need what only I can provide.” He opened the door wider, allowing her access.

  She hesitated for a full minute, contemplating his words. “Yes. You’re right.” There was nothing self-assured about her tone or the inflection surrounding her simple sentence. She was utterly terrified.

  “Come in. I’ve had thoughts about you. Desires.” He held out his hand.

  “I’ve been thinking as well.” The touch was gentle but electric.

  Craze nodded. He brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them softly. “Fascinating. Let’s talk.”

  The intensity of his gaze, his heated breath and his welcoming smile eased away some of the tension.

  He stepped backward, pulling them both inside.

  “What have you been thinking?” Joelle dropped her purse by the door, her gaze captured by a large canvas, various painting implements on a side table. She held her head high, knowing she was being scrutinized.

  “How much I enjoyed our evening together. How much I wanted to see you again.” A smile crept onto her face. She darted a look around the room, the smile widening. “You’re an artist.”

  He laughed as he closed the door. “Thank you for the compliment. I dabble only. Painting drives away my demons. I find when I stand in front of the canvas, the medium blank, so raw, I find solace.”

  The statement was telling. “We all have demons, some difficult to admit.” Her words seemed to catch him off guard. For a split second, she could see his mask, one hidden behind the mystique of pain.

  “Yes, we do. Some refuse to take a back seat.”

  Joelle laughed nervously. “As if our very psyche knows what we need.”

  “Yes.” He turned and studied her. “Wine? I was just getting ready to have some merlot. I believe your favorite.”

  “I’d love some.” Her lower lip quivered. The man was good.

  “Excellent. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Joelle tingled and watched him walk away, his boots thudding against the floor. He was dressed in all black, tight jeans and a faded tee shirt. There was nothing expensive or overtly dominating about his attire. Craze was ruffled, as if in the middle of a project. The painting was amazing. The man an enigma.

  He was perhaps the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on. Of course he held secrets, those he wasn’t ready to tell her. She had her own. Two strangers so connected. How amazing. She walked toward the oversized canvas, several areas marked by fresh paint, marveling at his talent. The vibrant piece was of a woman, her inner agony reflected on her twisted face, yet her eyes spoke of something else. Bliss. She was tethered to a bed, her arms and legs shackled. Slickened with sweat, she held a look of wonder. She was on all fours, naked, her long blond hair streaming behind her. On the bed beside her was a ruthless looking whip.

  She moved closer and was able to see details others might never understand. Her ass was crimson, a slight bruising covering her lower back, thighs and ass. Around her neck was a silver collar, solid in design, a lock dangling from the front. Everything about the scene was reminiscent of the time they’d spent together. Even the face of the woman seemed like her own. She leaned in, her eyes flitting back and forth from the woman’s face and eyes to the curvature of her breasts, the mole nearly hidden just under the right. “What… I…”

  Moaning, Joelle took a step back, pressing the back of her hand over her mouth. He’d painted her. The entire setting was one of fantasy, but she knew there was nothing he wanted more.

  “A thing of beauty,” he half whispered as he moved behind her, offering her a glass of wine.

  She managed to grasp the glass and nodded. “You are much more talented than you believe.”

  “Women are the most beautiful creatures on the face of the earth. Capturing their individual essence is something I’ve always dreamt of doing. I observe while they merely go about their day. I don’t think women understand how truly telling their body language can be.”

  His heated breath cascading across the back of her neck gave her goose bumps. She thought about her habits. She did everything just so. Organization was her friend as well as her enemy. “You’ve done an amazing job. Her emotions are raw, pain mixing with a level of pleasure that she’s never known. She’s tentative yet excited.”

  “Fascinating and very true. Can you tell by her face how much she longs for more?” Craze ran the tips of his fingers down the length of her spine.

  “Yes,” she whispered, her pussy quivering. “You’ve given her a window to her soul.”

  “Can you tell how much she longs to beg her Master?”

  “Yes, I wonder what she’s thinking.”

  “You worry she’s being forced?” he asked as he moved around her, his look penetrating. “You worry she’s being abused?”

  “No.” The word was said easily. “She knows what she wants, what she has to have. She’s yearned for a release her entire life. She’s finally at a point she accepts the woman inside. There is no question in her mind, only a quiet reverence of the man she calls Master.”

  “Exactly. She’s found a place where she can be herself.” His eyes flashed, the combination hunger and intrigue.

  An echo of his words reverberated in her mind, her eyesight becoming a vacuum. The beauty of the piece was incredible. “She’s found a place she can call home.”

  He inhaled and kissed the top of her head. “I’ve done my job as an artist. Now I hope to delve into my commitment as a Dom.”

  Joelle tingled as she took a sip of wine, closing her eyes and listening to the music. The words reverberated into the back of her mind. A place she could be herself. How long had she been searching?

  “Why are you here, sunshine? Why did you find me?” Craze remained where he was.

  The sensuous tone in his voice was toxic, yet gave her courage. “I wanted to see you.”

  “Want?”

  “I needed to find you.”

  “Interesting. A woman of your stature desiring domination.” He slipped in front of her. “Open your eyes.”

  She did so immediately, swallowing hard in an effort to tamp down a moan. “Yes. Yes, sir?”

  “Are you here to submit to me?”

  The question hovered. Her eyes were unable to focus, her breathing rapid. “Yes.”

  “Do you truly understand what you hunger for, what kind of submission I’m talking about?” Craze touched her face, brushing his fingers across to her chin, cupping as he rubbed his thumb back and forth across the seam of her mouth.

  She opened her mouth, darting her tongue to taste his sweet flesh. His smile was her reward. “I do. I don’t know why.”

  “You do know why. You’ve always known why.”

  Every inch of her skin was alive, on fire.

  “Do you realize you’ve become my submissive, longing to please me?”

  Shivering, she nodded, her mask peeling away. Suddenly euphoric, the words tumbled out. “I’m nothing but your slut. I want you to fuck me, use me.”

  A full minute ticked by.

  Craze took a sip of his drink. He moved away, studying the picture from the side. “She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. I had to paint her. I wanted to capture the look of innocence as well as the wanton submissive hiding just beneath the surface.”

  “She is and you can see her desire mixed with raw emotions. She remained conflicted but her inner psyche is finally taking over.”

  “The moment I saw your face on the dirty street corner, I knew I had to paint you.”

  “Why?” Joelle already knew the answer.

  “Why? I captured the essence of the woman inside, the one who was free to give me all of her. I had to honor that woman, the very one I want nothing more than to own.”

  The words were startling. She turned to face him and everything in this moment seemed right, as if she belonged. “I do want you. I want to belong to you and no one else.” As he took a sip of his drin
k, she looked back at the picture. How had he captured every aspect of her very being?

  Craze wasn’t surprised Joelle had found him. What little he knew about her gave him the impression she would return. Their connection was too intense. Formidable. He was unable to take his eyes off her, the stunning woman standing in a fiery red dress. Then again, he hadn’t been able to take his mind off of her, even masturbating several times to the thought of whipping her. Shackling her. Enslaving her. He sucked in his breath and the wafting scent of her feminine needs as well as her exotic perfume had already driven him to the dark side. Take her. Fuck her. Whip her. He shivered. The thought kept his cock rock hard. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Joelle blushed, but a willful moment remained.

  He adored the way she hid behind her glass, embarrassed as well as uncertain of what she was doing, yet the ballsy woman would be a powerful draw. He loved her intelligence and wit, as well as her vulnerability. “You wore the dress for me.”

  Joelle darted a look. “Yes, I did.”

  “Let me see all of you. Turn around.”

  She did so without hesitation, spinning slowly.

  Her actions were beguiling and his dick pushed hard against his pants. Breathing in her sweet scent, his lust grew exponentially. “Amazing.” He took a gulp of his wine, savoring the flavor, as he thought about everything he longed to do to her, with her. His kink was heightened. His dark side had bridged the surface and there was no way he could ever return to the vanilla world in its entirety. She’d opened his personal Pandora’s Box. He was no longer a man, merely a Dom ready to begin her training. “Do you like what you see?”

  “The artist or the man?” The lilt in her voice suggested playfulness.

  Craze swallowed, visions and intense needs sweeping through every cell. “They are very much the same.”

  “A man who hides behind his own mask, terrified the world is going to see a tortured yet brilliant soul. The moment you open the window to the man inside, you’re never going back. Are you?” Joelle locked eyes.