“I only need to know if you will take Lance’s place and host. I don’t need a running commentary.”

  “Of course I’ll host in place of Lance.” He dropped his voice, not wanting to upset her. “You know I’d do anything in my power to help you.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “That is certainly a weight off my shoulders.”

  He had to treat the situation delicately. Barbara would get offended if he came on too strong, but if he didn’t keep an eye on her…

  He stopped that line of thinking, not even wanting to think about anything happening to the woman who’d always treated him as one of her own.

  “What do you have in place for the benefit?” Maggie asked and then threw him totally off guard with her next statement. “I used to help Ellis plan events all the time. Told him once the only reason he didn’t want me working full-time was so I could oversee all his events.”

  “Too bad Isaac’s already got you working for him,” Barbara said. “Or else I’d scoop you up for myself. Although…” Her eyes lit up with mischief. “I could always steal you away from him. Whatever he’s paying you, I’ll double.”

  “Oh no.” Maggie shook her head. “I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair to Isaac, to leave him like that.” She looked to him, clearly expecting him to agree with her, but Isaac wasn’t so sure.

  The only thought his brain could construct at the moment was that if Maggie worked for Barbara, she wouldn’t be his employee anymore.

  Chapter Twelve

  Isaac needed to change the topic of conversation, fast. “Have you talked with Celeste recently?” he asked Barbara.

  “Yes.” The older woman smiled. “We try to talk at least once a week. She’s in Venice this week. It’s one of Lance’s favorite cities. He’s showing her around between practices and performances.”

  Isaac tried not to be jealous of his oldest friend, but seriously? Touring Europe with the love of your life? Yeah, hard not to feel a little envious. “I’m glad he found someone.”

  “I am, too.” Barbara tapped her mouth with her napkin. “I’ll admit, Celeste is not the type I thought he’d settle down with, but they seem to be serious. And I’ve never been more happy to be proven wrong.”

  Isaac turned his gaze to Maggie. “I hope you’ll be able to meet them soon. You’ll love Celeste.”

  “I look forward to it.” Maggie tilted her head as if thinking about something, but whatever it was, she kept to herself.

  The rest of their lunch passed uneventfully. Isaac was pleased Maggie and Barbara got along so well. Though from what he’d witnessed, Maggie got along well with everyone. So what was her in-laws problem? If he thought it’d help, he’d look them up and ask them in person. But he didn’t think it’d do any good, and he was pretty certain Maggie wouldn’t appreciate it.

  The three of them sat in the dining room for a while even after they finished eating and everything had been cleared away. It was Barbara who called an end to the long lunch by apologizing, saying she had to leave for an afternoon appointment.

  Isaac stood up, to help her out of her chair. “You don’t mind if I take Maggie on a walk to see the lake, do you?”

  “Not at all,” Barbara insisted. “My home is your home. You two stay for as long as you like.”

  He waited until she left before taking Maggie outside. She walked beside him along the well maintained walkway leading to the lake. Though Barbara had left, her house was far from empty and Isaac didn’t want any ears other than his and Maggie’s for the conversation he was about to initiate.

  He glanced at the woman walking beside him. She’d let her hair down today and her curls bounced with every step she took. At work she wore it pulled back in a ponytail. He liked it down much better.

  “What did you think of Barbara?” he asked.

  “I really liked her. She’s so down to earth and friendly. It’s nice to know not everyone in her income bracket is a snot.” She snorted, probably at something she thought, but didn’t say anything else.

  “She was almost like a second mother to me when Lance and I were kids. Especially after Lance’s mother died and his father basically checked out.” They’d made it to the lake and stood on the covered deck area often used for parties, looking out across the water. “I knew Barbara would like you as well.”

  “Were you aware she needed help with the party?”

  “No. I didn’t know about Richard either,” he admitted, scratching his head. “There’s no way Lance knows. I’ll call him when I get home.”

  “Do you think she was serious about that job offer?” Maggie asked.

  “Yes,” he said. “She’s not one to joke about something like that. What did you think of it?”

  She stood unmoving. For a second he thought she might be afraid to voice her thoughts, but then he decided that didn’t sound like the Maggie he knew.

  “I thought,” she said so low, he had to strain to hear. “I thought if I worked for her, I wouldn’t be your employee.”

  “Do you want to be my employee?” He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her so she faced him. “Maggie?”

  “It’s not that I don’t enjoy working for you. It’s just…” She took a deep breath, but he wasn’t going to help her. If she wanted it, wanted him, she could damn well say it. “It’s just, if I had a choice…I’d rather be with you and play to see if I’m really kinky. I want to submit to you.”

  He saw her tremble. Very slight, but it was there. He held his arms out. “Come here, Maggie.”

  She didn’t hesitate, but walked the few steps necessary to fit herself in his embrace.

  “I’m so proud of you for saying that,” he said into her hair. “I know how hard it was to admit that. Even to me.”

  He couldn’t imagine the strength it’d taken to tell her husband the same thing and then for him to treat her as if she was a freak. Then, years later, to gather the strength once again to admit, this time to her boss, what she wanted.

  “I would be honored to take that journey with you,” he said. “To accept your submission for however long you gift me with it. We can come back tonight or tomorrow and tell Barbara you’re free to work with her.”

  She pulled back. “Are you sure? That would leave you without a personal assistant again.”

  “I’ve been doing some thinking,” he said. “And I realized that I’ve worked very hard for a good number of years and perhaps it’s time I stepped back and slowed down a bit.”

  “You?”

  He smiled at the hopeful look in her eyes. “Yes. Me. And if I drop my hours, I don’t think I’ll need a personal assistant anymore.”

  “What will you do with all that time?”

  He assumed she knew very well what he planned to do with that time, but he’d tell her anyway. “Before you officially hand in your resignation, we should probably make sure you know first hand what you’re getting into.”

  “That sounds reasonable.”

  Reasonable left the building the day he met her, but that was beside the point. So he leaned closer and asked, “What are your plans for the rest of the day.”

  Only he wasn’t prepared for her reply.

  “Whatever you want them to be, Mr. Gregory.”

  His eyes flashed with shock, but only for the tiniest fraction of a second. “Is that so?” he asked.

  God help her it was. “Yes, Mr. Gregory.”

  “In that case will you come with me to my house? I’ll have you complete a checklist, we’ll go over a few items, and if we both agree, maybe I’ll allow you to submit to me, again. And this time there will be nothing keeping me from going as far as we want.”

  Although she’d been honest at the time she’d told Ty she wouldn’t be ready to look at another checklist for five years, she had to admit at that second, the thought of going over one for Isaac didn’t fill her with dread the way she’d imagined it would. And his mention of going as far as they wanted made her body hum. “Yes, please. Take me to your house.”

  She hoped he’d kiss her, but he only nodded and said, “Thank you, Maggie.” He held out his hand. “Shall we?”

  Oh, God, yes. She took his hand and let him lead the way back to his car.

  In her life, Maggie had done many things for many people. Her parents had raised her to look for ways to help others and then to follow up with action. She never begrudged those she helped. It was the exact opposite, actually. Most of the time she wanted to do more.

  But today, today was for her. This time with Isaac, for however long it lasted, was for her. She refused to feel guilty or ashamed. She would embrace it and allow herself to seek answers to the questions she’d left unanswered for so many years, she’d come close to accepting they’d always stay that way.

  Isaac’s hand was strong and her body yearned to feel the rest of him. She consoled herself with the knowledge she would do so soon.

  * * *

  He lived on the top floor, in the penthouse, of course. They didn’t speak much in his private elevator, but he kept his hand on her lower back, and somehow that small touch confounded her. It was such a slight touch, almost a nothing touch, if she thought about it. Yet Isaac’s hand wasn’t close to slight, much less nothing. On the contrary, it was the exact opposite, almost unforgivingly possessive as it rested there, laying claim to her.

  The elevator slid to a silent stop and the doors opened into his penthouse. She’d known he was wealthy based on the suit she’d ruined the day they met, but now standing in his Park Avenue penthouse, she realized she’d vastly underestimated how wealthy he was. Funny how she’d never seen him as a rich snob.

  Looking around, she almost felt like asking him if he was sure he was in the right place because it didn’t look as if anyone lived in the spotless apartment. But then he leaned down and whispered, “I’ll be right back,” and she didn’t care about anything other than him.

  Less than two minutes passed before he returned and led her to the living room. She sat on his couch, while he took a seat on the ottoman.

  “While we’re discussing the details,” he said, “you may speak freely and ask any questions you have. No need to address me as anything other than Isaac at the moment.”

  He held out a sheet of paper and she expected unease to hit, but all she felt was excitement. Perhaps because this time Isaac sat in front of her and they would do things on the list?

  Hell to the yes.

  “I know you filled one out at the club,” he said. “But this one is different.”

  She took her time and found it was easier this time than it had been at the club. Some of that had to do with the internet research she’d done. But part of it came from imagining Isaac doing things to her or commanding her to do them to him. And some items on the list at the club weren’t on his list at all.

  When she finished, she handed it to him and he glanced at it before putting it aside. “I don’t think we’ll do anything too wild and crazy tonight,” he said. “Do you have safewords you want to use or do you prefer green, yellow, and red?”

  Safewords. Finally. After years of wishing she could play, and too many fantasies to count, she was finally going to make them a reality. “I’ve always planned on using green, yellow, and red.”

  “We’ll use those then,” he said. “Any questions about anything on the checklist?”

  “No.” Everything had been straightforward.

  “Any burning questions before I bring up a few things?”

  “Nothing that comes to mind right away.”

  “Tell me,” he said. “Is your full name Margaret?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Yes, but I’ve never used it. Never seemed to suit me. I always felt more like a Maggie than a Margaret.”

  “Would you have an issue with me calling you Margaret during our play sessions?”

  Why when he put it that way did it sound like the hottest thing ever? Damn, only Isaac had the ability to make her long for someone to call her by her full name. Not just someone, though. She knew she’d only ever want one person, one man, to call her Margaret.

  Only Isaac.

  “No.” She shivered at the thought of hearing him say, ‘Margaret’ in that low, commanding, no nonsense voice of his. “I think I would like that very much.”

  “What are you thinking right now?”

  She bit back a nervous giggle. “Remember the first day we met, and I asked about you commanding people?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wanted you to command me, and it never occurred to me that it would ever happen and I’m so… happy. Does that sound silly?” She hoped she didn’t come across as a silly woman, that was the last thing she wanted.

  “No,” he said. “And don't ever hold back saying what you think or how you feel. I will never think less of you for being honest. The one sure way to upset or disappoint me; however, is for you to keep things to yourself or for you to be dishonest. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” she said, and then added, “Can I call you ‘Sir’ now?”

  “Do you have anymore questions?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  “Then, yes, you may. In fact, if you’d like to continue, stand up and strip. Once you’re naked, go to the middle of the room and kneel for me.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Maggie knew she’d heard him correctly, but really? Right here in the living room? Even if he didn’t have a playroom, wouldn’t a bedroom be better? But then it hit her she would be naked and in front of Isaac. Did it matter which room they were in?

  No, it didn’t. Not in the least.

  Moving quickly so he wouldn’t think she wasn’t interested, she stood and disrobed, not bothering to fold or put her clothes in a neat pile. She walked to the center of the room and wasn’t sure she took a breath until she knelt.

  From behind her, Isaac’s footsteps sounded, but didn’t seem as if they were getting closer. Was he going somewhere? She’d never appreciated how difficult it was to hold still and not look at whatever she wanted to until that exact moment.

  “You need to come back over here and put your clothes somewhere neatly,” he said. “That means folded and in a pile.”

  He was joking, right? She was naked and waiting for him. He’d just had her complete a kink checklist. There was no way he could be serious about her putting her clothes away.

  Except, he didn’t sound like he was joking. She slowly stood, just in case he came back with a laugh and ‘just kidding.’ But he didn’t. He stood behind her clothes with his arms crossed, waiting.

  She took her pants first and folded them.

  “As you may have noticed,” he said. “I don’t leave things hanging around in here just any old way and I would ask that you do the same when you’re here. If it bothers you I’m asking you to do something that may not appear kink-related, look on it like you are showing me respect when you treat my house with respect. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she replied. It did when he explained it that way. So much sense she kind of hated she hadn’t thought of it before he said something. Everything she’d had on was now in a pile which she placed on the end of the couch.

  “Very nice, Margaret,” he said when she made it back to the center of the room and knelt down.

  “I’m sorry, Sir,” she said.

  “There’s no need to apologize,” he was quick to tell her. “I hadn’t given you any commands or guidelines, so there’s no way you could have known my preferences.”

  “Even so,” she said. “I feel as though it’s so obvious, I should have known.”

  “Look at it this way, you didn’t know before, but now you do. And if it happens again, I will not withhold correcting you.”

  Sweet fuck, it shouldn’t turn her on like that when he talked about the possibility of punishing her. What did it say about her that it did?

  “Whenever I ask for you to wait for me somewhere, this position you’re in now is how I want to find you. Understood?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she said, and in that minute, she realized she didn’t like calling him “Sir.” It sounded too generic, especially since he’d already told her submissives always called him ‘Sir’ during play. Now; however, was not the time to be thinking about anything other than what he was talking about.

  “Very good, Margaret. Stand up and face me, please.”

  Her pulse raced as if she’d just consumed an entire pot of coffee herself. How was it possible he looked even more attractive when he stood there all Dom-like? He took a step closer, so close if she reached out a hand, she’d touch him. But she wouldn’t because he’d told her once not to touch him when they were in a scene. And if she didn’t, maybe either he’d touch her or else he’d allow her to touch him.

  “I should have said this before,” he said. “But just so you know, I’m not one for casual relationships. When I play with a submissive, I’m monogamous. I would ask the same from you.”

  “I’m not seeing anyone, Sir,” she told him. “Haven’t been out with anyone in a long time.” What she could have added but didn’t, was what man could she even fathom going out with if he was her’s exclusively?

  “But you’re a beautiful woman,” he said. “Are you sure you’re okay giving up potential dates with other guys?”

  “My only desire is for you, Sir.” She made sure she looked him in the eyes as she spoke.

  His eyes grew dark, and he made a noise low in his throat she swore sounded like a growl. “It pleases me to hear you say that, Margaret. You have no idea what it does to me.”

  She forced herself not to touch him. Funny how she’d never thought that would be difficult. “I would have a better idea about what it did to you if you would show me, Sir.”

  A seductive grin quickly replaced his look of surprise. “You would, wouldn’t you?” He took a step closer, nearly obliterating any space between them. “Put your hand out and touch my cock through my pants.”