Dylan had taken full control of the situation. He told the police he'd bring Jenna to the station the next day to make her statement, but right now she needed to get away from this scene. Back at his house, he sat her on his bed and went to draw a hot bath for her.
"You need to relax," he told her. "This business would have made anyone uptight."
"I don't think even his father can get him out of this one," she said. "It's about time, too."
She had given Dylan all the details of the situation. While he had said very little, the muscles in his face were taut as he listened, and she could tell he was exerting every ounce of self-control to be calm for her.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this," he said at last. "I wish you'd felt you could tell me about it before."
"I-I was afraid you'd fire me. You know, because it was such a messy situation." She looked away, not sure what she'd see in his eyes. "And maybe you might think I had encouraged him."
He laughed, but it was a humorless sound.
"That's the last damn thing I'd have thought." He cupped her chin. "You're one of the strongest women I've ever met, and one of the smartest. You'd never want anything to do with an asshole like that jerk."
She gave him a weak smile. "Thank you for that."
"I can tell how tight your nerves are strung tight, and no wonder. I find a hot bath can soothe a lot of things."
"You're going to bathe me?" She stared at him, wide-eyed. Should she let him do this? It would cross a line and change the face of their relationship.
He cupped her chin and looked hard into her eyes. "A good Dom always knows how to calm his sub." His expression was dead serious. "But you know I'm a Dom, right, Jenna? I had a sense this was our connection right from the beginning. You did, too. Admit it."
She nodded and said in a soft voice, "Yes. Yes, I did."
The look he gave her was hot and penetrating. "But you tried to ignore it, just like I did."
"You're right." She blew out a soft puff of air and said in a very low voice, "I was afraid."
He raised an eyebrow. "Of me? I don't think I gave you any reason to feel that way, did I?"
She shook her head. Should she tell him why? If she wanted to take this to another level she'd have to. How would he react? What would he say?
He gave her that intent look again, then asked in a casual voice, "How long have you been in the life?"
She swallowed, her throat dry. "Ten years."
His eyes darkened with desire. "Since I pretty much know where you've been twenty-four/seven since I hired you, I think it's safe to assume you aren't in a relationship now."
"No. I'm not." She couldn't tear her gaze away from his.
"Good. I don't share."
It startled her that he said this as if things were already decided. "But I - "
He held up his hand. "I think the bath is ready. Come on."
It was so nice to just tamp down all her reservations and let him take charge. Even in this short a time period she had an innate sense that he'd be different than the other Doms she'd been with. More intense, more caring. Even more respectful than the man who had nearly destroyed her. But could she trust such a snap judgment?
She pushed all those thoughts from her mind as he carried her into the huge bathroom, stood her on a fluffy rug, and efficiently stripped her clothes off. The way he did everything, his entire attitude, were signals that this man was an incredible Dom. The reservations that usually plagued her when she met someone new didn't seem to be present with Dylan. Something about her connection with him made her feel safe. She didn't know why but she had a feeling he would never threaten her independence.
"In you go." He eased her into the hot water and punched a button in the side of the tub. Immediately, jets began pulsing the water around her.
She leaned her head back and actually smiled. "How did you know this was exactly what I needed?"
He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him. "I'm very good at taking care of people, Jenna. It's part of who I am as a Dom."
"Is it?" She studied his face. He looked as if he was trying to say something and not sure he should.
He took a washcloth and began gently squeezing water over her shoulders.
"I have a confession to make," he said slowly.
Oh god, now what? Does he want to control me? Supervise every aspect of my life? Shut me down until I am merely an extension of him, just like...just like my biggest disaster?
"Am I going to hate it?" she asked. "Because, right now, I'm beginning to feel too relaxed to hate anything." She gave him a tiny grin. "You give good baths."
"Glad to hear it." His fingers trailed over the upper swell of her breasts, down through the valley between them then paused to lightly pinch each nipple. "Jenna, I wanted you from the minute you walked into this place. Not just for an hour or two of play, I want you, all of you, to be mine. It's been damn hard for me to control myself."
"Oh." She didn't know what else today,. Should she tell him she felt the same way?
He smiled. "I sensed it from the beginning we were kindred spirits but having you work for me presented a whole raft of problems. That's why I had such a hard time keeping my hands - and my rope - to myself."
"That's definitely a problem," she agreed. "I worry about that."
He nodded. "If we started something and it fell apart, what would we do then? When I told you I didn't want to lose the best damn general manager I've ever had, I wasn't just blowing smoke."
"And I love this job." She wet her lips. "I love this whole place, Dylan. I'm not sure what I'd do if I had to leave."
"Then it's up to us to make sure that never happens. Right?"
"Can we do that?" Now that he'd opened the door she was putting everything on the table.
He eased the washcloth down over her beasts and used it to pinch first one nipple, then the other. "If we do this, I want to take you to get these pierced. I'd be hard as a post watching you walk around every day knowing that beneath your clothes to had nipple rings dangling from your breasts." He grinned. "Maybe I'll get the kind that have tiny vibrating balls built into them. I could carry the remote and turn it on whenever the spirit struck me."