The Dom with the Dragon Tattoo (Masters of Submission #5)(13)
He looked at her for a long time then gunned the car into life and reversed it from the driveway. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Sugar Land consisted of a myriad of interwoven avenues and streets, and as dusk began to fall, the red Dodge Viper crisscrossed the various intersections, until they entered a more affluent part of town. Large trees and wide-open spaces separated each luxury home. They continued into empty open countryside for a mile or two, until he slowed the car and turned down a track almost hidden from view. The totally secluded drive was protected from prying eyes by an avenue of cedar elm that seemed to reach toward the horizon, and she let out a barely audible gasp of amazement as the impressive modern home finally came into view. Tyler Stone had clearly done well for himself, and she liked what she saw.
“It’s stunning.”
“I designed it myself. I drew up all the plans and then employed the best craftsmen available.”
“Really? I’m impressed.”
He effortlessly guided the Dodge Viper around a large circular courtyard before stilling the engine outside the main entrance. The house itself lay nestled enticingly in a clearing of mature live oaks.
The low-rise property had a substantial footprint, and she reckoned the ground floor covered at least six thousand square feet. The new build was entirely constructed of steel and glass, and it glinted provocatively, beckoning her inside as its masculine structure caught the last vestiges of the slowly setting sun. An upper story seemed to rest precariously at right angles to the floor below, somehow defying gravity as it stretched out over the graveled courtyard.
“Maybe I shouldn’t buy a ready-built house in Sugar Land, after all. Maybe you could design one for me.”
“Hardly your style I would have thought, Rebecca. After taking you house hunting this morning, I got the impression you preferred the cutesy homes. You know the type of thing, the ones with flowered drapes and white picket fences.”
“Hmm, certainly not. I’m as individual as you are. I thought that’s all there was on offer in Sugar Land.”
“Mainly you’re right, unless you have plenty of money.” He smiled. “The houses around here are crammed together like sardines in a can, allowing no personal space for the people who live there. Luckily, I came across ten acres of undeveloped land that backed onto a lake. As soon as I saw it, I knew that’s where my dream home would be situated.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Ten acres of prime land in Sugar Land, that must have cost you—”
“Fifteen million bucks.”
She knew her mouth hung open in surprise, and he laughed. “Come on in. I’ll show you around the place.”
Rebecca eased herself from the car. Jesus Christ, the way he looked at her with those expectant golden eyes made butterflies form in the pit of her stomach. Anticipation warred with logical thought, and she wondered what he would demand of her once the double-sized mahogany door closed behind them.
He took hold of her hand and led her toward the house. As he unlocked the tropical hardwood door, she decided it was time to stand her ground, or at least try to. “I’m my own woman, Tyler, you know that. I don’t give up control easily.”
He turned to her, his predatory gaze studying her intently, seeming to delve into her very soul. She had the crazy idea he knew everything about her. Maybe he did, because his answer aroused the natural submissive in her. “I know, but you’ll yield to me. It’s your destiny.”
He seemed so f*cking sure of himself, and his authoritatively spoken words only caused her * to moisten further with undiluted need. Although she’d worked for him for more than a month now, she barely knew Tyler Stone, the man, yet she felt he could delve into her mind and access her secrets and sexual desires at will.
The huge door swung noiselessly open. “After you. We’ll have a drink to loosen up first, and then…” He gestured with his hand, and she willingly stepped over the threshold of his magnificent home.
Immaculately crafted limestone floors and walls beckoned her inside. Tyler switched on a bank of lights, and the expansive interior suddenly came to life. The huge open-plan space simply took her breath away. A magnificent floating staircase with no visible means of support miraculously rose skyward to the upper level. Carved mahogany stair treads blended perfectly with chromed steel, as it wound its way like a serpent to the galleried landing high above them. The large, airy ground floor encompassed a sizeable living area, which boasted a central stone chimney of such generous proportions that it could be enjoyed from all aspects of the room. At the far end of the living area lay a sweeping expanse of glass that ran for some sixty feet. Rebecca felt sure it could be electrically powered back to gain access to the private gardens beyond. Outside, buffalo grass, mature shrubs, and trees mingled together before reaching down to a glistening lake of unimaginable beauty.
Contemporary furniture that only a man would choose complemented the chrome and glass interior. Little else filled the huge space. It was minimalist in the extreme. Simplicity at its purest. No embellishments or tacky trinkets compromised the creative design. Everything in his house had purpose. If it wasn’t necessary, it wasn’t there. Tyler Stone lived in a man’s domain.
Just like a cowboy surveying his spread, he turned the full three sixty and surveyed his house. “Well? What do you think?”