by Laura Pavlov
“Good Christ, woman. Will you relax? My ridiculous disguise is in the car.” He held the door for me, and the smell of cedar and citrus wafted in the air around me as I waltzed past him. He was tall, dressed in dark jeans and a white T-shirt. His muscles on full display. His dark hair was tousled on his head, and it was no wonder women dropped their panties at the door. I thought of the conversation I’d overheard earlier with Bailey and Sabrina, and a sharp pain settled in my chest as we slipped into the car.
His driver pulled away from the curb and I couldn’t help myself from asking. “Did you go to happy hour tonight?”
“That’s random. Nope. I actually went to Napa and had dinner with my mom, my brother Harrison and Laney Mae. Why?”
My cheeks heated at his question. Why the hell did I care what he did or who he did it with? Maybe it was because he was my brother’s best friend, or maybe it was because he was my boss. I didn’t like the idea of him with a viper like Sabrina. Someone who pulled out all the stops to try to lure men into her web. He was a friend after all.
“No reason. I thought I overheard someone mention that they were asking you to happy hour.” I looked up and found his eyes through the dim lighting in the car. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach when I met his gaze. I hated the way my body reacted to him. It was a physical attraction that I needed to control before I embarrassed myself.
“Sabrina? Hell no. She came in, flaunting her tits in my face, but I shut her down.” He laughed.
“Why?” Sabrina may be annoying, but there was no denying she was gorgeous.
“Not my type. At. All.”
I nodded. Time to get my head on straight. “Okay, what’s your driver’s name?” I whispered.
“Why are you whispering? He knows where we’re going. His name is Big Tony.” He smirked.
I shook my head with annoyance. “Um, excuse me, Big Tony.”
Jack’s driver chuckled. “Yep.”
“Can you drop us a block from the location and stay nearby in case we need a getaway car?” I asked.
“We aren’t robbing the place.”
“You’ve clearly never gone undercover. We may need to haul ass out of there, in which case, the heels will come off and I’ll run barefoot. Where’s your disguise, Montgomery?”
He laughed and pulled out a baseball cap and some dark shades. “No one is running barefoot through the street. If we need to make a fast getaway, just hop on my back.”
“Because that won’t draw attention to us at all.” I rolled my eyes.
“Blue Jay, if you didn’t want to draw attention to yourself then you shouldn’t have worn this sexy as fuck outfit. I don’t think there will be a man within a few miles’ radius that won’t be staring at you,” he said, and his deep voice sent chills down my spine.
My cheeks heated at his words. “Keep your eye on the prize, Montgomery.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m doing.” His gaze locked with mine and I shifted on the seat. Jesus. Was he flirting with me now?
“We’re here. Just turn right into the alley, and you’ll see the door. I’ll be right here unless I hear from you to pull in. I can be there in two minutes, so call if you need me.” Big Tony got out of the car and opened our door. He offered me a hand and I gaped when I looked up at the large man. I now understood the nickname.
“Thank you. Keep the engine running,” I whispered, and Jack laughed from behind me.
As we made our way down the alley, he reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers. I tried to yank it away, but he tugged back.
“We’re supposed to be a couple. We’re coming to an S&M club to liven up our sex life. I’m guessing we’d hold hands.”
“Oh. Good point. Sorry.”
When we got to the door, I knocked three times as the lady on the phone had instructed. When the door opened, a woman with a blonde pixie cut and a short leather dress with tall boots looked us up and down. “Melody and Wags?”
“Yep. That’s us,” I said, sounding a little too eager. Jack squeezed my hand.
“Okay. Follow me.” She led us down a long, dark hallway with cement flooring only lit by black lanterns hanging above. “Celine will be with you shortly, to discuss your options.”
After she pulled the door closed, he turned to face me. “Melody and Wags? You couldn’t do better than that?”
“Melody is always my go-to fake name. And Wags was the name of my childhood golden retriever. It was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of you,” I said, cracking the door to look out in the hall, before closing it and taking in the room. There were metal brackets hanging on the ceiling, and some sort of cage or contraption on the floor. The walls were lined with all sorts of tools: whips, chains, bands, and muzzles. My heart raced as I realized that we were here, and we might not be able to get out as easily as I planned. Would being restrained by Jack Montgomery be the worst thing? I dropped into the chair in the corner and tried to process our options.
“You a singer, Blue Jay?”
“What, no? Why would you think that?”
“Because you always choose Melody as your fake name. I thought maybe you were a singer,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning up against the wall like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“It was my mom’s name,” I whispered. It was the truth. I’d always loved her name.
“I didn’t know that. She passed away when you were young, right?”
I stared at him for a long moment. “She died while giving birth to me.”
I didn’t know why I said it. I rarely told anyone what happened to my mother.
The room fell silent before someone turned the handle and entered.
Game time.
Chapter Five
Jack
What the actual hell? Buck never told me how his mom died, just that she’d been sick when he was young. But Monroe’s words cut me deep. They were laced with sadness and grief—something I recognized immediately.
There was no time to respond, as a woman that stood almost as tall as me walked in the room. She wore some sort of black leather leotard and fishnet stockings. Her hair was white and long, ending at her round ass. Her tits were spilling out of her top, and her features were harsh. Monroe pushed to her feet, her cheeks flushed, and I didn’t miss the tremble in her hands. Most wouldn’t notice, but I’d been around her enough lately to know she was nervous.
“I’m Celine. I’ll be handling you both tonight.” She perused Monroe from head to toe and licked her lips, and I moved between them.
“Not so fast. We aren’t certain what services we want just yet. I convinced Little Bird to come check this out tonight, but we’d like some time to explore alone at first, if you don’t mind,” I said, placing one hand behind me and gripping Monroe’s wrist in mine.
Celine peered around my shoulder and whispered, “Ah, she is a Little Bird, isn’t she? Oh, how I’d enjoy caging you up and teaching you some tricks.”
“Easy there,” I said. “She’s mine. And I don’t share.”
“Does she?” she asked, suddenly turning her attention to me, running her hands down my chest and stopping when she slipped just below my waistband. She gripped my cock which was already hard, not because of the she-woman currently stroking me, but because of the woman who was dressed like a sexy little siren tonight who stood behind me. Monroe gasped when she realized what was happening, and I used my free hand to grip Celine’s wrist.
“Not just yet. I belong to her. She decides when she wants to share. Give us some time to—explore one another, will you?”
She made a tsking sound. “Such a shame. So much to share here.”
“Might not happen tonight, but give us a minute to play around,” I said, freeing her hand before she stepped out of the room.
Monroe moved around me and held a hand over
her mouth as she shook her head. “Oh my gosh. I, er, I’m so sorry. Um, are you okay?”
I chuckled. “Yeah. Not the first time someone’s touched it.”
Her cheeks pinked and her eyes grew wide. “Oh. Right. Sure. Okay, then.”
“So, what’s the plan, Blue Jay?”
“Well, we need to get out of here and try to find Simon Reynolds. This place isn’t that big. Should we split up?” she asked, nervously pacing the room.
“No. We stay together.”
She stopped and turned to face me. “Why?”
“If we get caught, we can say we were exploring other rooms. If we separate, we’re going to look suspicious.”
“Good thinking, Montgomery. Let’s do this.” She cracked the door open and peeked out before motioning for me to follow. She had her phone in her hand ready to snap a photo if the opportunity presented itself.
“What the hell is the plan?” I whisper-shouted as my chest brushed against her back and my overachieving boner reacted once again.
Buck’s little sister, dude.
Keep it together.
She turned around and smacked right into my chest before looking up at me and holding her finger to her lips. Hell, I could have just hired someone to follow Simon here, someone who actually followed people for a living. But this was worth the hassle. Seeing her all frazzled and excited. I fucking loved it.
She thrust her thumb at the first room and pressed her ear to the door before shaking her head and moving on. Not sure what she heard, but she seemed confident as we continued to the next door. She listened once again and then her eyes grew wide and she reached for the handle. I gripped her shoulders and shoved her aside.
“Move,” I said.
She pouted. Shocker.
I wasn’t about to let her walk in on something that could permanently scar her or risk someone trying to pull her in. I cracked the door open and realized very quickly it wasn’t Simon Reynolds because a kid who couldn’t be more than twenty years old was on all fours on a table getting his ass whipped. The woman stopped mid-beating and her gaze locked with mine before a wicked grin spread across her face.
“Join us,” she purred, before I held my hand up in apology and pulled the door closed.
I shot a scowl at Monroe before she tugged my hand and pulled me farther down the hall. After listening at three more doors and walking in on yet another man who wasn’t Simon, we returned to our original room and Monroe paced some more.
“Shit. I don’t think he’s here,” she said, tucking the hair of her dark wig behind her ears.
“We can try again another time. It doesn’t have to happen tonight.”
“I need it to happen,” she hissed, dropping to sit in the chair. “Or I’m going to be writing crap my whole life.”
I tried to cover my laugh, but I failed miserably. The girl was twenty-three-years old. Where was the fucking fire? “You’ve got time. Relax.”
She pouted and pushed to her feet. “Fine. How the hell are we going to get out of here?”
“I’ll handle it,” I said, just as someone knocked on the door.
I pushed Monroe up against the wall and covered her mouth with mine just as Celine stepped in. Her lips were soft and plump, and her mouth tasted like peppermint. My tongue dipped in for a little taste. My fingers wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. Her tits pressed against my chest, while her tongue explored mine. Her body melded to mine like she belonged there. A little moan escaped her sweet mouth, and I nearly came undone. Jesus. I could die a happy man right here.
“Well, well. Looks like the party started without me,” Celine said, and I reluctantly pulled away. I missed her mouth the minute I stepped back. Monroe’s cheeks were flushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly, and her tongue swiped out to taste her bottom lip.
What the fuck was with that kiss?
“Sure, has. But my girl here isn’t quite ready to share. It’s going to take some time for her to open up to this.”
“That’s all right, sweetness. Mmm-mmmm… so damn sweet.” She used her thumb and stroked it along Monroe’s bottom lip before leaning down and kissing her. Celine moaned against Blue Jay’s mouth before pulling away. “Damn, girl. Don’t take too long. We could have some fun. Those are some kissable fucking lips. I’ll bet Big Daddy here likes those wrapped around his cock.”
Monroe’s eyes were as wide as saucers and I barked out a laugh before reaching for her hand. “He sure does. Come on, baby. We’ll try again next week.”
Celine swatted my ass, and I looked over my shoulder and winked at her. I led us both down the hallway and out the door to the alley before calling Big Tony to let him know we were on our way.
“You all right?” I asked when she pulled her hand free from mine and continued to walk in silence.
“I’m fine. Why’d you do that?” she hissed.
“What? Kiss you?”
“Yes.”
“Because we’re supposed to be a couple. We kicked her ass out of the room and if we weren’t doing something when she walked in, we sure as shit would have looked like we were up to something. You don’t go to a place like that for conversation, Blue Jay. And it was a fucking kiss. No big deal. Hell, Celine kissed you too.”
She groaned. “You don’t need to remind me. That’s more action than I’ve had in a year,” she said through her laughter.
I looked over at her. The moon was shining down, illuminating her pretty face. Her cheeks were pink, lips plump, and eyes dancing with excitement.
“What do you mean? I thought you had a boyfriend?” I remembered Buck saying she was with a dude that he didn’t care for, but he hadn’t brought it up in a while.
“Oh, Thyme? No, we broke up last year.”
I came to a stop as we turned the corner from the alley. “You’re fucking with me, right? His name is not Time.”
“It’s T.H.Y.M.E. Like the herb.”
“Who the fuck names their kid Thyme?” I said, barking out a laugh.
“Apparently the ancient Greeks believed Thyme was a source of courage.” And now it was her turn to laugh.
“Ridiculous. Good. I’m glad you kicked the herb’s ass to the curb.”
We continued walking as the car came into view. “Well, I didn’t exactly kick his ass to the curb. More like I caught him in the coat closet at my company work party with my coworker.”
“Are you shitting me?” I asked, coming to a stop again. The girl was full of surprises. What kind of asshole cheats on a girl like Monroe? Smart, beautiful—she was the whole package. What a douchebag.
“I shit you not. And do you want to know the best part?” She tugged at my arm and started walking again.
“Give it to me.”
“He’s still with her now. Her name is Sage.”
I clapped my hands together and howled at the sky, for no particular reason other than that was the only thing I could think to do in this situation. “Shut the fuck up, Blue Jay. Two motherfucking cheating herbs. You can’t make this shit up.”
She laughed as we stepped into the car and she yanked the wig off her head. Her dark blonde hair was in some sort of braid wrapping around her head like a crown.
“Yeah. Glad I found out when I did before I wasted any more time with him.”
“Me too. You deserve better.”
“Agreed.” She smiled, and my stomach fluttered.
No fucking way. I didn’t do stomach flutters or butterflies or any of that bullshit. But Monroe was special.
She was my best friend’s little sister.
Definitely off-limits.
Not that she was my type. She wasn’t.
I preferred my women less—observant. Monroe didn’t miss a beat. She questioned everything. I liked to keep it light. There was nothing light about this girl. But that kiss was—
hot as hell. Maybe the best kiss I’d ever had. Could have been the fact that she wasn’t expecting it. Hell, I hadn’t planned on it either. But when I heard the door opening, I knew I needed to do something. Or maybe I just wanted one taste of those plump lips. Maybe it was the heat of the moment. We were in a sex chamber after all, and my dick was still screaming at me for not giving him any attention as he’d been hard since the minute Blue Jay opened the door tonight.
“Thanks for going with me, boss. I appreciate it.”
I chuckled. “It pains you that I’m your boss, doesn’t it?”
She held up her thumb and her pointer finger about an inch apart. “A little bit. Yes. But don’t take it personal. I don’t like answering to anyone. I’ve always worked best on my own. I hated group projects in school, because, well you know—one person ends up doing all the work. And of course, it was always me.”
“Group projects were my favorite. I never had to do much. Just show up and look pretty.” I winked. “And someone always brought treats. There was great conversation. I think I even got laid a few times after some of those projects. And we always got A’s. It takes a village, Little Bird.”
She groaned. “Ugh. I hate you.”
“You didn’t seem like you hated me when I kissed you,” I teased. I was actually curious if she thought it was as good as I did. I’d never really cared before, but this was Monroe Buckley. I cared what she thought. Even more so now that I’d gotten to know her.
She shrugged and her cheeks pinked. “I barely noticed.”
Big Tony chuckled in the front seat and then tried to cover it with a cough.
“I heard that, Big T.”
We all three laughed now.
“Seriously. Who was better? Me or Celine?” I couldn’t help but press the matter. That fucking kiss had rocked my world. I needed to know it was amazing for her too. Nothing would come of it, obviously. But it happened, and she appeared to be a straight shooter. I wouldn’t mind getting an honest rating. One of my strengths was pleasing women. I liked to think of it as a gift. I prided myself on pleasuring my lady before myself. Always. I was a gentleman after all.