Dex mentally ground his teeth. His quick intro to the details of this case had told him that his support team had asked Ed Ralston if he thought a class would be a good addition to the activities at The Dungeon, at least for as long as he was here. Ralston had assured them Dex would find few, if any, students here. Although the man had been very cooperative in placing Dex as a Dom long enough to complete the investigation.
“I’ll have to touch base with Master Ralston on that when I talk to him next. If you know enough people who are interested, I’m very willing to teach the class.” Dex clenched one fist under the table where Kate wouldn’t see it. It would be a great opportunity to get to know the other submissives so they might open up about any useful information they had.
Kate cleared her throat. “I’ll ask around. In the meantime, maybe we can talk about those private lessons.” Her cheeks flushed at the same time Dex’s cock hardened to an almost painful state.
She dropped her gaze, looking suddenly self-conscious. “I meant…you’ll have to let me know when you start teaching.” Her words were husky, her eyes glazed with a combination of desire and embarrassment, as if she hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but it had slipped out anyway.
Every time she blushed, he found it endearing. Dex surrendered to the obvious signals she gave off and reached over to trace one finger over her bottom lip, something he’d been wanting to do all along. When a shiver ran through her, he said, “I could definitely show you some moves if you would like.”
She blew out a quick breath, her expression making it clear she was just as affected as he was but trying to keep the growing attraction at bay. He knew why he was attempting to keep some distance, but he wondered at Kate’s reasoning, since most subs didn’t resist getting close to their Doms.
“It’s been a while since my self-defense classes in college, and I wouldn’t mind brushing up on my skills and…learning some new moves.” She smiled, and then nervously nibbled her bottom lip.
“Where did you go to college?” He wanted to keep the conversation going, although he already knew the answer from her dossier.
“UCLA,” she answered easily, although her expression still showed her arousal. “I enrolled as pre-med to appease my father, but soon transferred to a combination of Media Arts and information technology. My bachelor’s degree is in Media Arts.”
Dex smiled at the vibrant woman. “I went to Arizona State and studied Information Technology.” Which was true as far as it went. He had majored in Criminal Justice with a minor in IT, but he had studied it, and since graduating, had honed his skills.
Like Kate, he could pinch-hit on some programming when the need arose. Or read the code to find out where something was happening that shouldn’t be. Skills he had used more than once as an FBI analyst.
“A fellow technology geek.” A small smile curved her lips. “My father thinks of Information Technology as an entirely boring field with no prospects unless you want to work at one of the big software houses. But it’s much more versatile than that.”
Dex gave a nod, thinking of his own career path. “Much,” he agreed. “And yet your main focus is in graphic design. I’m always impressed by those who thrive in that field. I can barely draw a straight line, let alone design the look and feel for sites.” He thought of the one class he had taken in graphic design. He had wanted to stab himself in the eye with a pencil by the second day of class.
Unable to resist touching her again, he ran his fingertips along her jaw, which rewarded him with a hitch in her breath and a large smile. He cleared his throat to distract himself from how good her silky skin felt. “Any current projects you can talk about?”
He knew a few of the larger clients she designed for from paper trails the analysts had found. Were there any others the FBI didn’t yet know about? If Kate was in any way involved in the larger plot, he needed as much information as he could get.
Most companies had confidentiality agreements from all of their consultants, so he hoped that asking her in this manner would reinforce his credibility as someone familiar with the industry.
She shrugged. “I have a few clients who want monthly or weekly changes depending on their current promotions. Nothing glamorous, but steady work. I don’t make millions, but I do well enough, and I enjoy my work.”
It was a vague but honest answer. Her discretion did her credit.
Dex loved the happiness that sparkled in her lovely green eyes when she spoke about her work. “That’s always important. Most people spend their lives working in professions they hate, just to pay the bills. I would rather do something I love that keeps me interested and intrigued. I still earn enough, but I won’t have ulcers when I hit forty because of job stress.”
Kate shifted in her seat, her full lips parting as she nodded.
He nearly smiled at her obvious arousal. Since he felt it too, it was time to see if she was ready for the next step. “Kate.” He said her name firmly, switching to Dom mode.