Training the Help [Hedon Falls 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Read online

  “Sophie? Are you okay?” he asked gently.

  “Y–y–yes,” she stammered. “I’ve nev–never…come…like that.”

  He hugged her and kissed the top of her head as she wept softly. When her sobbing subsided, she leaned back and raised her chocolate brown eyes to his. He cupped her cheek in his and stroked her jaw with his thumb.

  “Let’s go out for dinner,” he said. “You were so brave and so trusting. I want to do something for you.”

  “Okay.”

  But neither of them made a move to get up. Instead, they cuddled together in front of the fridge. Jack ran his hand gently over her arm, the action soothing for both of them. He couldn’t remember feeling this strongly about any of his other trainees. And while Kendra would let him top her, she wasn’t really submissive. Not like Sophie. She was exactly what he wanted, no, needed. He needed a woman he could dominate and love and protect. It scared him how intense his feelings for her were, and so soon. He loved his wife dearly, but Sophie offered a temptation he’d never had to try resisting. He could already feel his willpower cracking under the weight of his desire.

  Chapter Seven

  Sophie sat quietly in the passenger seat as Jack drove into the town. They had said very little to each other since their lesson in the kitchen. She didn’t know what had come over her or why she had ever agreed to do it. I’m reading too many of those fuck books. She had been so horny while she read. Jack happened to walk in at the wrong time. Or maybe it was the right time. She was fascinated by the BDSM book she’d been reading and wondered what it would be like to try it when he had shown up. Sophie’s hormones had been revving in high gear already, and seeing him there, hearing the command in his voice, had kicked it up even higher.

  She sighed as she watched the scenery flashing past.

  “Is something wrong?” Jack asked.

  “No, Sir.” She didn’t want him to think that she had regrets. She wanted their lessons to continue. But she’d been kidding herself that it wasn’t sexual. And so had he. She had never had a more erotic experience or an orgasm so intense.

  “Are you okay with what happened?” he asked. “Please, be honest. It should never be something you’re uncomfortable with.”

  Sophie sighed again. “It was amazing. I never dreamed getting my ass spanked would be such a turn-on. But you are a married man, and I’m pretty sure that was sexual contact.” She turned to look at him.

  Jack stared straight ahead. “I do the same thing at the clubs with other women,” he said defensively.

  “Is it really like that for you all the time?” she asked. “Be honest.”

  It was Jack’s turn to sigh. “No,” he said quietly. “It’s never been like that before.” He glanced over at her quickly and then back to the road. They drove into the parking lot of a restaurant called Oracle. After pulling into a spot, Jack came around and opened the door for Sophie. He held out his hand to help her out of the car, and didn’t let go as they walked into the restaurant.

  “Mr. Sullivan!” exclaimed the maître d’. “It’s wonderful to see you again. Your table is waiting.” The man led them to a secluded booth. Jack gestured for Sophie to sit on one side and then took the seat opposite.

  “Tell Seamus I’ll have the usual,” Jack said to the waiter, who appeared before the maître d’ left. “Two of them, please. I’ll have a Pepsi and my friend will have the Pelee Island Merlot.” The waiter nodded and disappeared.

  “How did you know I like red wine?” Sophie asked.

  “Kendra mentioned it before she left,” Jack replied.

  “Oh.” The mention of his wife reminded her again that they were flirting with infidelity, and she didn’t like it. “Jack—”

  “Sophie—” he began at the same time. They both laughed, before he reached out and pulled her hand into his. “I’m going to be honest with you. I love Kendra. You know that. But I’m a Dom and I have needs. She’ll let me top her in the bedroom, but she’s not submissive the way you are. We have a playroom, but most of it goes unused because there are a lot of things she just won’t do. I’ve always been able to meet my needs at the club by helping other Doms train their subs. But I haven’t had my own sub since before I met Kendra and I miss it.”

  He paused. Sophie sat holding her breath as she waited for him to continue. “You…you are a very submissive woman. I sensed it about you almost right away, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to possess you in every way.”

  Sophie’s heart was racing and she had an ache between her legs that had little to do with the flogging she’d received earlier. He wanted her. Really wanted her. And God help her, she wanted him, too.

  “I promise I’ll try to keep our relationship as professional as possible, but I really hope that we can continue with your training. I want you to be my sub.”

  His eyes were practically pleading with her and the desperation she saw surprised Sophie. He needed her. In front of her was an important, powerful man who was used to being in control, but he needed her. Knowing she was the one who could give him what he needed made her feel like she was the one with the power. When she thought about a Dom and his sub, she saw the Dom as the one with the control. But maybe a sub had more control than she’d realized. If they were going to do this, though, they had to have more rules.

  “What happens when Kendra gets home?” Sophie asked. “Will you tell her?”

  Jack blinked and sat back a bit. It was a moment before he said, “I’ll have to, I guess.”

  “What will she say?” Sophie watched him as he thought about it.

  “I think she’ll be okay with the training,” he said slowly. “She knows about the club, and that’s okay with her. But she may have her own rules for us.”

  “That would be fair,” Sophie said. “I don’t want her to think we’re being dishonest. But other than the spanking, there can’t be any physical contact between us.”

  “Will you let me hold you when we’re done? Like I did today?”

  Sophie’s heart melted a little at the look on his face. And when she nodded at him, his smile lit up his eyes. The waiter arrived then with their drinks and the moment was gone.

  “So I had asked you to tell me about yourself that first evening, but the cranberry juice interrupted us,” Jack said.

  “What do you want to know?” Sophie asked with a laugh.

  “Did you always live in Toronto?”

  “No. I grew up in Montréal. But I’m surprised you don’t already know that. Didn’t you run a background check?”

  Jack smiled. “Yes, but I didn’t ask them for specifics, just convictions, traffic violations, unpaid parking tickets, and poor report cards. The usual.”

  She laughed again. “You didn’t find anything, did you?”

  “No, you’re good. Why did you come to Toronto, then?”

  She sighed. “I had the naïve hope of becoming an actress. I studied musical theatre at the CEGEP. But it’s a lot harder to get into that field than I thought it would be.”

  “What’s a CEGEP?” Jack asked.

  “It’s sort of like a college, but not exactly, because it’s a prerequisite for entrance into the universities.”

  “Did you audition for anything here?” Jack asked.

  “Tons of stuff,” Sophie replied. “But I never got any roles and eventually my savings started running out. That’s when I got the job at the Northern.”

  “There’s a professional theatre company in town,” Jack told her. “Maybe you could audition for them.”

  Sophie shook her head. “It’s okay. I’ve figured out that my stage career is over and it doesn’t bother me. I still wish I could find something to do with my life other than housekeeping.” She realized what she said and looked up at him apprehensively.

  “Are you that eager to leave, already?” Jack asked with a grin.

  “No!” Sophie said. “I just meant that…oh, fuck it. You know what I meant. Honestly, getting the job with you was a real bless
ing and I definitely want to be able to stay for a while.”

  Their food arrived then and the conversation lulled as they ate. Jack’s “usual” turned out to be chicken cordon bleu and it was delicious. But the portions were far too large and she was barely able to eat half of what was on her plate. She had also consumed two more glasses of wine, which left less room in her stomach for food and meant that by the time they finished eating, she had a good buzz going.

  “You never told me anything about yourself,” Sophie said as Jack led her back to the car after dinner.

  “There’s not much to tell,” he said as he helped her into the car. She giggled when he leaned in and fastened the seat belt for her. He went around and climbed back into the driver’s seat. “I came from a good family. We weren’t rich but we were well-off. I got an MBA from York and started working at Rydell Publishing almost right away. I’ve been there for twenty years, the last four as the CEO.”

  “How did you and Kendra meet?”

  Jack smiled. “She was in a film based on one of our books. They sent me to the premiere and I met her at the after party. Back then, she still had small roles. It was a few years later that she landed the role in Starry Night.”

  “That was the one about Van Gogh, right?” Sophie asked. “I saw that in grade nine.”

  “Ouch!” Jack said. “No need to remind me of the age difference between us.”

  Sophie giggled. “Yup. You’re an old man, Jack Sullivan.”

  “Watch what you say, Sophie, or I may have to take you over my knee when we get home.” His threat held a lusty undertone and Sophie’s body reacted to the thought of being spanked again.

  “Okay, okay,” she said. “I don’t think my ass can take any more spanking this evening.”

  Upon arriving back at the house, Jack pulled Sophie into his arms and simply held her for a few moments. Then, without a word, he kissed her forehead and left her there. She watched him walk away and then went into her room. It had been quite a day.

  * * * *

  The next day, Sophie had a text from Jack around noon, saying he would be late and not to wait up. She chided herself for the disappointment she felt. They both needed the distance right now. In a few days, he would be gone again and she might be able to get her hormones back under control. She enjoyed a simple dinner on her own, and was reading in her sitting room when she heard the garage door open. She paused and looked toward her door. She heard Jack’s footsteps approaching her door and her stomach flipped in anticipation. They stopped outside her door and Sophie held her breath as she waited.

  Time seemed to pass very slowly and she had nearly made up her mind to go open the door when she heard him turn and walk away. Her shoulders slumped and she felt the overwhelming urge to cry. It was completely irrational for her to be disappointed. He was her employer, her trainer, and most importantly, somebody else’s husband. It was better that he stayed away. Blinking rapidly to hold back the tears, she went into her bedroom and crawled into bed.

  Ten minutes later, there was a firm knock on her door. She bolted out of bed and raced to open the door. When she did, her mouth went dry. Jack was wearing his leather pants and boots, and he carried a variety of implements. She began to tremble in anticipation.

  “On your knees,” he ordered, and Sophie obeyed without hesitation. He walked into the room, leaving her kneeling by the door. She waited for his instructions. “Crawl over to me with your head down,” he said.

  Sophie bent forward and placed her hands on the floor, then crawled over to kneel at his feet. He grabbed her hair and yanked it upward, guiding her into a standing position. Without releasing her hair, he led her to the couch. The hair pulling hurt, but being led around by it was making Sophie wet. He sat down and placed the toys beside him. Then he bent her over his legs so her ass was sticking up and her upper body dangled over the other side. She moaned slightly. He grabbed the waistband of her pajama pants and yanked them down to mid-thigh, taking her panties, as well.

  Sophie could feel her pussy getting wetter just thinking about what he would be doing to her. She felt his hand on her ass, rubbing and squeezing her flesh before he slapped one side, and then the other, causing her to moan softly. The contact stung a bit, but it faded quickly when the arousal coursed through her. Two more quick slaps and she knew she was dripping.

  “Get up,” he ordered. She stood. “Take off the pajamas, put your hands on the wall and spread your legs.”

  Sophie stepped quickly out of the pajama pants and her underwear, and then placed her palms against the wall. She moved her feet apart so her ass was sticking out a bit. She could hear Jack behind her but didn’t turn her head to look. She didn’t think he would like that. His hand traced a line over her ass and down her thighs, causing her to shiver.

  “What’s your safe word?” he asked in a low voice beside her ear.

  “Books, Sir,” she whispered.

  “Good. I’m going to gag you, Sophie.” She stiffened, but whether it was due to fear or excitement, she wasn’t sure.

  “But, Sir, if I need my safe word—”

  “Quiet!” he snapped. “I don’t want you to make a sound. No moaning, no crying out, no screaming. The gag is a bit that you can bite down on to stop yourself. If you need to use your safe word, I’ll be able to understand.”

  “Yes, Sir.” She really hoped she would be able to comply with that demand. He placed a soft, tubelike object across her mouth and ordered her to bite down. He pulled the straps around to the back of her head and fastened it there. She chewed experimentally on the bit, and she wondered when he would get on with it when she felt a sharp sting on her left cheek. She sucked in a breath, but managed to keep silent as she wondered what he had used. It definitely hadn’t been his hand. The sting faded quickly enough. Then her right side was treated to the same. Sophie focused on breathing deeply to move past the pain. Another slap on the left was harder than the first and now she had to bite harder to keep quiet. Jack alternated back and forth, harder and harder. To Sophie’s horror, she found herself drooling as her teeth clamped down. She was unable to swallow properly with the bit in her mouth. Her face hurt from scrunching it up so hard, and tears ran down her cheeks, but she didn’t make a sound. At last, she felt Jack’s hand run softly over her still-stinging backside. He turned her around to look at him. He lifted a soft cloth to her face and tenderly wiped away her tears and the drool on her chin.

  “You did beautifully, Sophie,” he murmured. “And now I’m going to reward you. Would you like that?”

  She nodded. If this reward was anything like the last time, she’d like it a lot.

  “Sit on the couch and spread your legs as wide as they’ll go,” he told her. Sophie sat and opened her legs to him, the heat within her burning at the hungry look he gave her pussy. He instructed her to put her feet on the couch and hold her ankles, which she quickly did. He produced two pairs of handcuffs from his back pocket. He used them to bind her hands to her ankles. This left her fully exposed to him and unable to close her legs. It wasn’t a very comfortable position, but she figured it wasn’t meant to be. Trying to keep herself from squirming too much, she watched his eyes on her. The look he gave her had the juices running out her pussy and she could feel it dripping down the crack of her ass and onto the couch below.

  Jack took up a position in front of her and held the riding crop in his hand. He used it to lift her T-shirt and expose her breasts. When he brushed it over the skin, circling her nipples but not quite touching, it increased the ache she felt in her clit. She needed to moan or whimper or do something.

  As if reading her mind, Jack said, “You must remain absolutely quiet or you won’t get your reward. Do you understand?”

  Her eyes widened. She desperately wanted that reward. You can do this, Sophie. She nodded her head.

  “Good,” he said, and flicked the riding crop directly against her pussy.

  Sophie’s body jerked involuntarily, and she sank her teeth into the
bit as the sensations rushed through her. It was painful, but pleasurable. Or was it pleasurable with a hint of pain? She didn’t know why she reacted this way. She only knew that she liked it. She liked it a lot. As the riding crop struck her a second time, she dug her fingernails into her ankles, determined not to make a sound. If she did, he would stop and she needed to come so badly. Another flick landed directly on her swollen clit and though she sucked in a breath rather sharply, she managed to keep from crying out.

  Sophie closed her eyes and withdrew into herself, focusing only on the pleasurable feelings coursing through her body. Her legs and arms ached from being forced into this stretched-open position, but she loved it and before long, she could feel the tingling through her spine and abdomen that meant her orgasm was close to the surface. She wasn’t sure she could hold the sounds in. Everything within her wanted to break free and burst over her, including the scream building in her chest.

  “Are you close to coming, Sophie?” Jack asked with a ragged voice.

  Her eyes flew open and she nodded vigorously.

  “Do you want to scream when you come?”

  She nodded again, silently begging, and panting hard through her teeth.

  “Scream for me, Sophie,” he replied, his voice a low, silken caress. He flicked her clit one last time.

  An inhuman sound exploded out of Sophie’s mouth as the orgasm gripped her and she expelled all the moaning and crying she’d been containing in one long, keening wail. Spasms rocked her entire body and she shook uncontrollably. Time ceased to exist as she lost herself in the throes of her climax, completely unaware of anything except the spinning of her head. As the sensations began to ebb, she felt a gentle touch on her cheek and opened her eyes to see Jack in front of her. And inexplicably, she burst into tears.