Lord, have mercy, the man could kiss. The instant their mouths fused together, his exquisite taste annihilated her brain cells, which only went to prove that she was crazy for agreeing to do this. Considering the sheer velocity of the chemical reaction that ignited when they were in the same room together, McKenna knew it was only a matter of time before they gave in to it.
McKenna knew she would’ve given in to him yesterday had he just said the word. She knew she should proceed with caution, but her body didn’t seem to understand the limits her brain normally tried to implement. Having known what his body felt like pressed against hers, the only thing she wanted more was to see him naked while he rubbed up against her.
What McKenna didn’t understand was why these feelings of intense lust and desire seemed to be morphing into something else. Did she want something more? With Tag? Hell, with anyone? She didn’t know how to answer the question because until the day she came face to face with him, McKenna had been satisfied with her life – lack of sex and all. She had a vibrator, what more could she possibly need?
Ever since she met him, McKenna found that the more she learned, the more she wanted him. Her physical attraction to him was insane, she realized that. She just couldn’t help but wonder whether this was more than just merely physical. He made her hot, and he made her want things she hadn’t wanted in a long time, that was clear.
Of course, most of the things he made her ache for did relate to sex in some manner, but there was something else too. She respected him. Of all the things she had learned about Tag in recent months, not one of them was anything that made her not like him that much more. And she got the impression he respected her too.
With her coffee mug to her lips, her attention was drawn to the long, sleek, black limo that pulled down her street and up in front of her house. Maybe for the next few minutes she would be able to distract herself from the astonishing thoughts of Tag.
Dumping the rest of her coffee in the sink, McKenna rinsed the cup and placed it in the dishwasher. With her heels clicking on the hardwood floor, she made a beeline for the front door, not wanting to keep the limo driver waiting. She reached the door at the same time the doorbell rang, and McKenna quickly pulled it open and smiled at the handsome man before her.
“Ms. Thorne?”
“That’s me,” she greeted, trying not to smile too much. It seemed the grin had been permanent ever since her libido had awakened the day before and quite frankly, she knew she looked like an idiot, but she couldn’t seem to help it.
Taking a step back, McKenna let the driver in so he could help with her things. When she went to pick up one of the suitcases, he immediately stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.
“No, ma’am. I’ll get those.”
“I’ll be happy to help,” she insisted, reaching once again for the bag.
“I’ve been informed not to allow you to lift one pretty little finger.”
With that, the driver easily moved all four of her bags onto the front porch, allowing McKenna to lock the door behind her.
“Please, follow me,” he instructed, hefting one bag under each arm.
She felt a little silly not assisting him with her things because they could’ve easily accomplished it in one trip if she had, but she wasn’t about to argue with him either.
Once they reached the car, the driver opened the rear door and allowed her to climb in, quickly shutting it behind her as soon as she was situated.
“Hello, McKenna,” Tag’s deep voice rumbled through the car’s interior, and McKenna’s heart nearly pounded out of her chest.
He wasn’t supposed to be there, yet he was.
Sitting comfortably on one side with his ankle resting on the opposite knee, one arm reaching across the back of the seat, he looked as calm as ever. She wasn’t faring nearly as well. Her palms were suddenly clammy, and she had to ignore the urge to fidget as she stared back into those glistening emerald eyes.
“Good morning,” she managed to say with more confidence than she felt. It was one thing to feel off center around him, it was an entirely different thing to let him know she felt that way. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”
“I wanted to greet you personally.”
Was it just her or was his voice extra smooth today? The rich cadence of his tone was like a physical caress, her tummy immediately tumbling as though she were on the downward curve on a roller coaster.
She managed to nod as though she understood his reasoning, not breaking eye contact. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say, but she knew no matter what, she couldn’t let him see how much he affected her.
“Champagne?”
Her eyes wavered from his briefly as she glanced over at the bottle sitting in a built in ice bucket. A small dose of liquid courage might be just what the doctor ordered. “It’s a little early, don’t you think?”
“I can mix it with orange juice if that makes you feel better.” That sinfully sexy grin tipped his very tantalizing mouth, and McKenna couldn’t resist smiling back.
“Deal. Then we can call it breakfast.”
“I was thinking about something else entirely for breakfast,” Tag mumbled, and McKenna bit her lip.
It was then that she realized all bets were off when it came to Tag Murphy.
~*~*~
Tag retrieved one of the glasses from the overhead rack and poured the champagne and orange juice before handing the glass over to McKenna. When their fingers brushed as the glass changed hands, he felt the residual spark from yesterday’s breath stealing encounter. The one that had him tossing and turning half the night.
Unfortunately, he’d resisted the urge to waylay the throb between his legs because he was anticipating a much more impressive interaction soon. He was tempted to see just how far McKenna was willing to go and whether or not she had actually read the contract in its entirety the night before.
He knew she had, the woman was nothing if not thorough he had learned, but he was still anxious to test her.
“I see you’re dressed for comfort,” he commented, allowing his eyes to rake her long, smooth legs as he spoke.
“If I remember correctly, that was the instruction.” She smirked, sipping the mimosa.
He knew what she was referring to, and he realized he never should’ve doubted McKenna or her desire to push him as much as he was pushing her. “What are you wearing beneath that skirt?”
“I read every single word of the fine print,” she assured him, and Tag’s body immediately took notice of what she was revealing.
Now if only she would actually reveal more.
“Show me.” Pinning his eyes on hers, Tag watched every nuance of her response to his demand.
“Do you always get right to the point?” she asked, setting the now empty glass in one of the wooden cup holders.
“Only when it benefits me.”
“How does this benefit you?” McKenna asked.
Tag noticed she wasn’t making any effort to do as he told her. The little vixen was going to learn soon enough that he expected full and total compliance because he wasn’t much for asking a second time. Instead of responding, he narrowed his gaze on her.
When she squirmed, albeit it very slightly, he knew he had won this round.
“Show me, McKenna.” He lowered his voice just a notch. “I won’t tell you again.”
Those exotic eyes widened, but there wasn’t a hint of fear in her penetrating gaze. No, what he saw there was more of a dare than anything else. But then she took the hem of her skirt and slowly inched it up over her creamy thighs, then higher. Until Tag got a glimpse of the bare, smooth skin of her mound.
“All the way,” he ordered. “Either lift it up completely or take it off. Your choice.”
The limo finally began to move, and Tag knew it was only a matter of time before they would be pulling up to the club. Although James was instructed not to open the back doors for any reason, McKenna didn’t know that. So, technically, T
ag had all the time in the world.
McKenna’s breath hitched audibly, but she did as he instructed, lifting her skirt up over her hips and baring her beautiful pussy to his gaze. She appeared unfazed by his request for her not to wear anything underneath her clothes, but the slight tremor in her hands was a telltale sign that she was just as affected by her little peepshow as he was.
He was prepared for her though. While tossing and turning for half the night, Tag had come up with a few ideas on how to break down some of her resistance and little did she know, although a major turn on, her dominant nature was going to be put to the test.
She didn’t have to worry, Tag made a vow not to touch the enticing little vixen which was going to be a test of his own willpower because the woman tempted him in ways he didn’t understand. As he watched her teeth chewing on her bottom lip while her hands shook slightly, he wondered why the hell he was torturing himself that way. The thought of touching her, tasting her, had all but consumed him ever since he’d kissed her the day before and felt how responsive she was to his touch.
“So fucking pretty,” he growled, his hunger undisguised. Not that he could’ve hidden how much he wanted her because as each day passed Tag found he wanted her that much more.
It was still a little surreal to know that, for the next seven days, Tag was going to get to know her in ways he hadn’t honestly expected, but wouldn’t deny wanting. He figured that turnabout was fair play. If she was going to get an insight into what it meant to be a member of the club, he was going to know everything there was to know about this woman. Not only how explosive her kisses were, or how damned sexy she looked without clothes on, but Tag wanted to know the real woman.
During the night, while he had been laying in his bed thinking about McKenna and all of the naughty things he wanted to do to her, he had also committed himself to learning every nuance, every little smirk, every tiny detail of this fascinating woman who seemed to have no inhibitions.
And in order to do that, he would make damn sure she understood how hot she made him burn. If he was going to bring her onboard, show her the ropes, – pun intended – then he fully expected her to get a feel for what it was like to reap the full benefits of the lifestyle. And he was going to give himself over to the experience completely. For at least the next seven days, Tag refused to hold back because he knew for a fact, this opportunity wasn’t going to come around more than once in his lifetime. This woman was unique; he knew that much about her already.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked, returning his gaze to her eyes. “You can put your skirt down now.”
McKenna adjusted the flimsy material, allowing it to cover her thoroughly before meeting his eyes once again. “I can handle anything you can dish out.”
Tag was beginning to believe that was true. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, she was intelligent and witty and... fun. And not in the way he was used to finding women entertaining. As much as he ached to bury himself inside of her, Tag had an unfamiliar desire to figure her out, to get inside of her head and see how she thinks because he was just so damned intrigued by her.
So, for the next seven days, Tag was giving himself over to this woman and he only hoped when it was over, he would walk away unscathed.
Twenty minutes later they were pulling up to the club, both of them barely noticing that they had arrived.
Surprisingly, McKenna had prompted a casual conversation and Tag found himself laughing and enjoying her company for more than just the sheer pleasure of looking at her. She was so easy to talk to, and her interest in life made him yearn to see it through her eyes. That idea was outside of his comfort zone on so many levels.
Tag would admit to being successful, but by no means had it come easy. It wasn’t due to a bad childhood because his childhood couldn’t be classified as either good or bad. He was just there. His parents loved each other immensely and considering he was a side effect of that love, they cared about him, but they never doted on him or encouraged him. They simply subsisted with him. And what he told McKenna about why he became a lawyer was the sad truth. His father worked his ass off in order to ensure that he and his mother were provided for, but Jackson Murphy had existed solely for his wife and no one else. And when Tag’s mother passed away when he was barely a teenager, he wasn’t sure his father would survive there for a while.
Over time, his father managed to pull himself up by his bootstraps and go through the motions of life until one day, by some strange coincidence, Jackson met Cole’s mother and fell head over heels for her.
Tag didn’t begrudge his father having met Victoria, but he soon learned that he was once again a byproduct of his father’s first love, and he was pushed by the wayside yet again. So, call him a hard ass, call him selfish, call him anything, but Tag never wanted to experience the type of relationship that would allow him to push all of the people who were supposed to be important to him away. Never.
And he had never feared that would happen because Tag kept himself at a distance from those he interacted with. He made his life about his job, and the few mutually exclusive relationships that he ventured into – most of them where he was the third because it was what he knew, what he was comfortable with. No one expected anything from him because he wasn’t the glue that held it together which was more than fine by him.
Until McKenna.
For some reason, Tag wanted to experience this through her eyes, to know what it was like to be the focus of someone else’s attention and this was his chance. For the next seven days, McKenna belonged to him and him to her. Now, he just had to keep reminding himself that just like every other relationship, this one was temporary.
It wasn’t like he had any crazy notions running through his head, but he would admit to experiencing a little anticipation a time or two. Did it make him crazy to think that McKenna could possibly be what he needs as Sam suggested?
He’d never had thoughts like that running through his mind, until recently. Granted, he wouldn’t deny the underlying need was related to the intensity of the attraction between them. If only that attraction was based on pure and simple lust, he’d be much more confident in his own judgment.
McKenna challenged him. She was smart and so damn beautiful he wondered at times just what she was doing with him. She was also confident and poised under pressure, and he admired that about her. He had no idea whether he was truly looking for something more than sex, but he had to consider it, because, before McKenna, he’d never had a concern. If Tag was lucky, temporary would be all she had to offer him. At least then he wouldn’t have to worry about anything more. Especially anything that his lust filled brain might be overanalyzing.
McKenna wasn’t like the usual women he involved himself with. First of all, he got the impression that she was more familiar with his lifestyle than she was letting on. Based on the straightforward demand she included in their contract, he had proof that she wasn’t just writing her articles based on secondhand experience. This woman had ventured down some of the same paths he had. Another reason why he was looking forward to the next few days with her.
As he helped her out of the car, watching while she glanced around as though seeing the club for the very first time, he remembered the single line she insisted was added to the contract.
Tag Murphy, for a twenty four hour time period to be determined by him, will belong to McKenna Thorne, and during this time he will relinquish all rights to making any decisions whatsoever and follow, without interruption, all instructions laid forth by her.
He still smiled at the wording because it was in no way written in the same legal jargon that he was familiar with, but he easily understood her point. Admittedly, Tag had never been on the receiving end of a dominating woman, but looking at McKenna now, seeing the natural confidence in her every step, he was interested in learning something from her in return.
Taking her hand, Tag led her into the building and then through the back stairwell that would take t
hem to the second floor. After two coded security locks, they were entering the vast hallway that would lead to his private room.
He didn’t rush her along, and he wondered whether she truly thought this was what everyone sought when joining the club. It was entertaining to meet new members and see their excitement about being led down the luxuriously decorated hallway with its light brown faux leather walls and the random sconce dotting the otherwise bare walls. The floor was tiled with dark gray and brown slate, and in Tag’s opinion, it wasn’t much different than a five star hotel. Yet to watch the intrigue on a new members face would’ve led him to believe they were peering into the rooms themselves, seeing whatever went on behind closed doors.
That wasn’t the case in this section of the club. However, Luke had found a way to play it up as though this were the most exciting feature available for a new member. And quite frankly, for a short time period while they were being evaluated, it really was.
He also knew that on the other side of the doors were simple, relatively small, nothing fancy apartments that members had the option of renting. Originally when Tag joined the club, he had taken one of the only vacant rooms, and it worked for him for the times that he used it. However, once one of the larger suites became available, he’d immediately requested to move and Luke had been generous in obliging him.
Another coded security lock had to be disarmed before they made their way into his private domain and once inside, Tag gave McKenna a brief tour while James brought her luggage up.
Once her bags were delivered, Tag gave James a generous tip and then locked the door when he left. Turning to McKenna, he found her standing at the floor to ceiling windows staring out at the glimpse of the Dallas skyline that the view offered. Downtown Dallas was definitely not an attractive area to look at during the day, but at night, with the dirt and grime of the city swallowed by the cover of night, Tag would admit it was a sight to see.
Infatuation - A Club Destiny Novel Page 7