Releasing Kate Page 5

  Kate walked into the executive suite, feeling naked without her lab coat. She’d left it in the department because of the bloodstains and her spare was in the laundry. The holiday had started early for some people and X-ray had been swamped by emergencies. Despite the fact that the command to appear annoyed her, and she missed her pockets, she wasn’t going to show up in a dirty coat.

  Eileen’s empty desk reminded Kate that Eileen always took long holiday weekends. Kate had been so busy she’d forgotten that Eileen wouldn’t be here. A vague sense of unease washed through Kate when she realized the entire floor was quiet and deserted. Eileen wasn’t the only one who’d started the holiday early. It seemed as though everyone except Michael was gone.

  Kate knocked on his door. He opened it and gestured her inside. Tension curled in her stomach. She heard Michael shut the door. Then he locked it with a distinctive click.

  Kate turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised.

  “Relax. This is a private conversation and I don’t want to be disturbed.”

  Who would disturb them? Everyone was gone. Kate fought a sinking, vulnerable feeling. Was she going to be fired? Or encouraged to resign?

  “Thanks for coming.”

  “No problem,” Kate said. She ignored his roaming eyes despite the fact his gaze felt like a warm caress. “I’m always available.”

  “Not yet, but you will be,” he said so softly that Kate nearly missed the comment and before she asked about it, Michael continued. “Pete is worried about you.”

  Stunned by the blunt statement, Kate remained silent.

  He raised his eyebrows, waiting for a response.

  Kate pulled herself together to say, “Do you have a problem with my work?”

  “Your work is excellent.”

  “Then I don’t see the problem.”

  “The problem is that Pete is underutilized. He could easily run the department. He wants to run the department.”

  “I’m aware of that. Do you want him running the department?” Kate struggled to keep her anger under control.

  “If I do? What are you going to do about it?” he asked in a soft, unreadable voice.

  “You’re the boss, but if you want Pete in charge, where does that leave me?”

  He waited.

  “I agree that Pete is good and that he is underutilized, but I like my job and have no intentions of just handing it to him.”

  “Then he’ll leave and I really don’t want him to do that.”

  Kate knew she should denigrate Pete. She should undermine his position as he’d done to her. She didn’t want to sink to that level though. She wouldn’t make herself look better by stepping on someone else, even Pete. Kate sighed. “Pete is very capable and you’re right, we don’t want to lose him. Do you want me to leave?” Kate asked. The unexpected direction of the conversation left her too startled to be diplomatic.

  “No. I most certainly don’t want you to leave. You’re both too capable to lose.”

  “Then what do you suggest?” Kate fought to stay calm. She was furious that Pete had obviously been talking to Michael.

  “I’m not suggesting, I’m telling. Pete is going to take over the department. He’s a very happy man right now.”

  Shock coursed through Kate. She’d joked about losing her job but she’d never expected it to happen. “Am I being fired?” she asked, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice. She wanted him to make it explicit.

  Michael smiled. “No, you misunderstand. I want to promote you. I want you to take a position as my assistant. Your reports are tight and concise. Your analyses are logical and sound. I want your help keeping this place together.”

  Michael perched on the edge of the desk. He loomed over her, reminding her of his size and power.

  “It’s the perfect solution, given that both you and Pete are underutilized. Besides,” he continued, “you’re one of the few people here who doesn’t seem to be afraid of me.” He paused while he tilted his head as if examining an interesting specimen. “Why is that?” he asked softly. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

  “Should I be afraid?” Kate countered.

  “Only if you are afraid of facing a challenge.”

  Kate remembered Eileen’s warning and wondered what kind of challenge he had in mind. Thrilled, but wary, she didn’t reply.

  Michael suddenly stood.

  Kate couldn’t help noticing the very large bulge in his pants. Stop it. Don’t get distracted, she told herself.

  Michael walked behind his desk, picked up a piece of paper and handed it to her. “This is the job description. The position will be very good for your career. It will give you experience in the executive suite and more familiarity with the other departments,” he said.

  “This is unexpected,” Kate said.

  “Think about it over the weekend,” he said. “Give me your answer Tuesday morning. Remember, it will be very good for your career and it comes with a generous raise.”

  Kate spent the weekend trying to relax but her thoughts whirled and gave her no peace. Michael, not the job offer, occupied her mind. He was firmly entrenched in her head. She thought about his collection. She thought about his eyes. She thought about his scent. She thought about his size. She thought about his power.

  She warred with herself, asking why he’d so easily taken over her thoughts. She’d never before felt such a constant lust. How could she want this man? He was everything she rejected in men. She’d worked hard to bury the memories of her biological father’s cruelty. The memories rarely surfaced now. How could she even think about working so close to an alpha male?

  Kate wanted to make him lose control but at the same time, she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to give him complete control of her. Usually she could take or leave any man. No one had ever threatened her peace of mind the way Michael did and she simply wasn’t sure how to counter his effect. Complicating her emotions was the fact she wasn’t sure she wanted to resist him. She couldn’t remember ever being so excited and aroused.

  She wondered what it would feel like to be dominated by such a man. Kate knew he was a chest-beating male even though she hadn’t seen much evidence of that lately. She knew it lurked just under the surface, covered by a thin veneer of civilization. Why then did he fascinate her? Yes he was a prime example of masculinity but overt masculinity was something she typically avoided. Didn’t she? Yes, she did. She preferred men who were in touch with their emotions—men she could…manage.

  Yet Kate wanted to see where a relationship with Michael could lead. Would he make a pass at her? Did she really want him to? Yes. If he didn’t make a pass soon, she would. Otherwise she’d always wonder what they could have had. Kate simply wanted an amusing and arousing fling. It didn’t matter that he was the boss. She could keep her heart in check. She’d been doing it for years. Besides the novelty of Michael would wear off once they worked together and she saw him every day. So Kate went to work on Tuesday and agreed to work for him.

  Kate wasn’t prepared for the fact that Michael liked touching. A gentle hand on the back of her neck eased her tension. A hand on her arm guided her through doors. He made fleeting contact with her breasts. His erection teased her back when he stood close behind her. He never once took a wrong step. Most men grabbed—he didn’t. Most men didn’t listen—he did. His ability to pay attention, to focus his total attention on Kate to the exclusion of everything else, was a heady ego trip. He seemed to be ever present, orchestrating every movement. Softly, with subtle touches, he aroused Kate to fever pitch. But he didn’t make an obvious pass. By the end of the first week Kate was ready to scream with frustration.

  The next week Kate took the initiative. She leaned into him. She reached out to touch him. She made excuses to lean over him, pointing out things on reports. Kate needed him in a way she’d never experienced. He inflamed her senses. Kate could feel his pleasure as she moved toward him. Subtle rewards, never talked about, never examined, as she fell
deeper and deeper under his spell.

  Her friends worried though.

  Three weeks after being promoted, Janet entered Kate’s office like a whirlwind.

  “Kate, you don’t seem to realize what he’s doing to you,” exclaimed Janet, worry and frustration lining her face.

  “Janet, he’s not doing anything!” Kate exclaimed. “I know I haven’t seen much of you lately but that is nothing new. Our relationship has always been sporadic since you moved to nights.”

  “No, no, no, even Eileen says my messages aren’t getting through. Don’t you know that he vets all your phone calls and all your mail? Even your email routes through his first?”

  “What are you talking about? I get my messages.”

  “Ask Eileen if you don’t believe me. I’ve left four voicemails since you started this position. Have you gotten any of them?” Janet asked.

  Kate looked at her with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was she right? Was Michael really intercepting all her communications? Why would he intercept her messages?

  A light knock at the door interrupted Kate’s processing. She looked up to see Michael standing there. He didn’t look happy. Tension radiated off him in waves and Kate thought it was a good thing his eyes weren’t actually lasers or Janet might have been fried.

  “Janet,” he said softly, “don’t you have work to do? I know Kate does.”

  Janet threw Kate a terrified glance as she hurried out of the room.

  “Is it true? Are you intercepting my messages?”

  Michael replied by closing and locking the door. He leaned back and stared at her.

  Kate met his glance and stayed silent too.

  “Yes,” he said finally. “If you check with Eileen, you’ll find that it is not just your messages I intercept. I’m doing the same thing to every department head and supervisor. The feds aren’t sure if the last manager was the only one involved in the fraud. They asked me to keep track of communications from anyone who might have been involved.”

  “So Janet’s messages didn’t get through because?”

  “Because you know personal communication on office equipment isn’t allowed,” he answered smoothly. “Have you checked your home answering machine lately?”

  Kate sighed. She hadn’t spent much time at home lately and she’d told him two days ago her answering machine was broken.

  He smiled and shrugged. “Simple answers,” he said on his way out the door.

  Kate sat still for a moment and then went into the outer office.

  “Is it true? Does he really go through all communications?”

  Eileen looked grim. “Every piece. Not only does he go through it, he deletes anything not job related. It is in the policy book that he has the right to do that. We just aren’t used to anyone following through.”

  “If Janet calls again, would you tell her everything is okay, that I’m just really busy.”

  “I wish I could,” replied Eileen, “but he told me not to take any personal messages.” She shrugged helplessly. “I know this is a little bizarre but you know what a good boss he is in every other way. I’ve never enjoyed working as much as I do working for him. But I still think he’s targeting you. Maybe another job…”

  “I think you’re wrong,” Kate stated before turning and walking back to her office.

  She couldn’t imagine the possibility of not seeing Michael anymore. Michael was a wonderful boss. He was patient. He explained. He understood human weaknesses. He rewarded good work. He was just great. Besides Kate was in lust. Eileen worries over nothing, she told herself though she couldn’t shake the feeling of danger. Forbidding and dark like a coming storm, the feeling seemed nearly alive and it weighed her down. But since she couldn’t pinpoint the source, she told herself there was no logical reason to feel danger.

  Michael wanted Kate. He didn’t know how much longer he could wait to advance to the next stage. He told himself she wasn’t quite ready though his seduction had been agonizingly slow. He’d stopped all the visions so she wouldn’t be scared off. She wasn’t quite desperate enough to accept his customary practices. He knew she was ready for sex but not his brand of sex. He knew he had to wait but the waiting was driving him crazy. He longed to cup her tight butt and spread it wide for his entry. He clenched his jaw. She wasn’t ready. If he moved too soon, he’d lose her.

  He cursed his impatience. He felt the clan working hard to help him calm his raging needs. He should go visit but he knew no one could substitute for Kate. She was his mate. He needed her and he needed her soon.

  * * * * *

  Kate saw Michael a lot during the next week. Every meeting, every trip through the hallway, he seemed to be everywhere. At times during meetings, she’d look up to find his eyes on her like a physical caress.

  Michael continued throwing her intellectual challenges. He forced her to get better. He pushed her to levels she’d never reached before. She was so busy thinking about his intellectual demands that his emotional demands slipped past all her defenses. He kept her occupied.

  His critiques were never harsh. Rather he’d ask softly, “Is this the best you can do?” then sigh in acceptance if she truly believed she could do no better. And rarely, she’d get the quick, breathtaking smile of approval. Kate found herself living for that smile.

  Her days became longer so gradually she didn’t realize that he was slowly filling almost every waking moment with work. Work with him. He became her existence until she was spending twelve to fourteen hours a day with him. All the clues and hints and warnings were there. Kate simply refused to think about it.

  The following week was again hectic. Hospital inspectors came to verify their certification. From six in the morning to midnight Michael and Kate scrambled. They found records for the inspectors. They accompanied the inspectors on tours and generally rushed to meet ever-changing needs.

  Finally, the inspectors left at five on Friday. Michael asked Kate out to dinner to celebrate passing re-inspection.

  She barely hesitated before saying yes. They’d worked hard and she’d celebrated other work accomplishments with co-workers.

  “I’ll drive,” he offered.

  Twenty minutes later, Michael drove though a gate, up a short drive and pulled up before a two-story mansion. A wide expanse of lawn separated the house from its neighbors.

  Kate looked at him expectantly. “There’s a restaurant here?”

  “No. If you don’t mind, I’d like to change,” he said.

  “This is your place? It’s impressive.”

  “Actually, it’s the family place. I just use it.”

  “Is your family home?”

  Michael laughed. “Not at the moment. You don’t mind if we stop here, do you?

  “No. It’s fine,” Kate said as she pushed aside her unease. She wouldn’t have come with him if she’d known they were going to stop at his house. But it seemed churlish to refuse to go in when they were already here.

  Michael led the way into a tastefully furnished house. “Make yourself comfortable. The bar is over there,” he pointed to the far wall of the living room. “Feel free to get a drink. I’ll be back in a few moments,” he said as he went down the hallway.

  Kate entered the living room and stopped. One wall contained more of Michael’s collection. These pieces were not the tame ones found at work though. These pieces were barbaric. She shoved aside the warmth collecting in her pelvis and ignored the thrill of excitement that filled her nipples.

  The statuary in Michael’s home celebrated not only bondage but domination in all its varied forms. One piece showed a woman bound, on her hands and knees while next to her stood a man with a raised whip. Blood red marks on the woman’s back made the scene vivid and unforgettable.

  Many pieces showed women on their knees, mouths filled with cocks. Typically, the men’s hands held the women’s heads in position. Anal sex was not ignored either, always with the woman in the submissive position. Sometimes with her hair wra
pped around the man’s fist, other times his hand held her head down. Always, the woman was controlled.

  Women knelt, kissing the feet of the men before them. One piece showed a woman stretched out on a table, with her legs hanging off the sides. The man’s entire hand and forearm was in her vagina, her lower abdomen enlarged by its presence. Other women lay spread-eagled, arms and legs extended in a position of exposure. Sometimes ropes bound the women. Two pieces had men holding female extremities. A thin red line trailed from one woman’s vagina. Another showed blood from both the rectum and vagina.

  Collars around the women’s throats were common, as were piercings of every imaginable part and some not so imaginable. The women’s expressions varied. Some women had an ecstatic facial expression, as if they’d found heaven. It was obvious that they enjoyed their vulnerability. Some faces showed resignation. None of the women looked horrified by their position. Similarly, some of the men’s expressions showed tenderness, even love, as they inflicted horrendous pain on their partners.

  How can anyone enjoy such cruelty? she thought, even as she wondered what it would be like to surrender all control. Kate didn’t think she could ever leave herself so vulnerable, especially after she’d witnessed her mother’s subjugation.

  “Do you like this part of my collection better?”

  Kate jumped. She hadn’t heard him enter the room. How did he do that? She kept up her brave front as she said, “It’s barbaric!” Her face flushed, knowing that revulsion hadn’t been her only response.

  “Yes, that’s a common feeling, but I hoped you might be willing to experiment,” he said, implying that if she felt so inclined, he’d be happy to oblige. He moved close to her, close enough that his aftershave enveloped her in warm musk.

  “I am attracted to you,” he said holding her eyes. “But I believe in making my preferences known, especially since they aren’t common.”