by Marie Tuhart
Book club. Tessa would be there. A plan started to form in his mind. Once he reached his home, instead of heading inside, Damon went into his workshop, his mind filled with ideas of what he wanted to do. Wouldn’t Tessa be surprised on Wednesday when she saw him? Both of them had kept secrets, and some of them were about to come out in the open.
* * * *
Tessa sighed as she locked the library doors on Wednesday. The last three days, her emotions had been all over the place. She’d talked to Max on Monday and found out about the classes she needed to attend. He’d emailed the background check for her to fill out and get back to him. That was something new, and she was impressed.
She’d already done that. The classes shouldn’t be an issue either. Damon was an issue. The man hadn’t contacted her since he walked out on Sunday, yet he haunted her dreams, whispering naughty things to her. Where the hell was he?
Damn, she’d been without a man for a while. It wasn’t like she hadn’t dated; she had. But none of the men tickled her fancy the way Damon did.
She tried to pinpoint when Damon slipped beneath her defenses. It all came back to the night he drove her home from the book club meeting—that had been last month. After they’d argued before the book club started, his offer to drive her home had been a surprise.
So had his demeanor on the ride to her apartment. He’d surprised her again by walking her to her door and checking out the apartment before leaving. And Sunday, he’d left without pressuring her. He’d been a perfect gentleman.
The problem was she didn’t want a perfect gentleman. Jack had been a perfect gentleman, and look what he did to her. She wanted the bad boy wrapped in a layer of devil-may-care attitude. Tessa shook her head in dismay. Why did she want a man who would tie her up in knots?
Maybe that was the point. She wanted to be tied up. A honking horn brought her out of her musings. Crystal and Sierra waited for her at the curb in Crystal’s small SUV. Tessa had walked to work this morning, knowing they’d pick her up for book club.
“Hey you two,” she said, climbing into the back seat and putting on her seatbelt.
“Did you finish the book?” Sierra asked as Crystal pulled out into traffic.
“Yes, actually finished it last week. It was a quick read for me.” It had been. The book was a little light on the erotic side, though it was still a fun read. “Are Max and Jordan coming to the meeting tonight?”
“Yep, they’re meeting us there,” Crystal said.
“You didn’t mention Damon,” Sierra piped up.
She hadn’t. She’d given both women an update on what happened with Damon after they left on Sunday. They’d both been surprised he hadn’t pushed more. “I figured he’d be there.” Her nipples tightened when she thought about seeing him again.
Crystal parked in the lot, and they got out and walked to the front of the shop. Max and Jordan were waiting outside.
“Evening, Tessa, Crystal,” Max said before dropping a kiss on Sierra’s lips.
“Tessa.” Jordan snagged Crystal around the waist and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Tessa looked away. A wave of jealousy flowed over her. She was happy her friends had found men they could love and trust. That was what she wanted: a man she could trust and feel safe with. Was Damon that man?
It was too early to start thinking that way. Hell, they hadn’t even gone out on a date.
“Tessa, I have a class starting tomorrow night. Can you make it?” Max asked.
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Tessa said.
“I can’t believe we’re all members of the same club,” Sierra said.
“Have you given any thought to who you want your Dom to be during the classes?” Jordan asked as they walked into the store.
“That will be me.” Damon stood there with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Oh?” Tessa’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t remember asking you.”
“There’s that snappy woman I’m used to.” Damon smiled, and Tess wanted to frown but couldn’t.
“That’s our cue,” Max said, escorting Sierra away, Crystal and Jordan following.
Tessa watched her friends walk to where the book club met. “Cowards,” she muttered.
“Max and Jordan know not to get between a Dom and his sub unless absolutely necessary.”
“We’re not Dom and sub. We’re not anything.” Tessa stared at Damon. He was a little hard to ignore standing right in front of her in a black t-shirt, which molded to his large chest, and black jeans so tight she could see the bulge of his cock. Heat filled her veins.
“Not yet.” His voice was soft. “Why don’t you go sit down, and I’ll be right there.”
Tessa snorted, before turning on her heel and marching away. She never snorted. Damon had somehow burrowed under her skin. She took her seat and waited.
A few minutes later, Damon walked in and to the front of the room where the podium stood. “Good evening. I know I’m not Destiny. She’s much cuter than me.” Laughter filled the room. “Destiny had an emergency, so I’m pitch-hitting tonight. How did everyone like the book?”
Tessa glanced at her friends, who looked as shell-shocked as she felt.
Over the next hour, Damon did a great job going over the points of the book and telling them which book to read for next month. “If you’ll give me a few minutes, I’ll get to the counter so you can buy the book, if you choose. See you all next month.”
“Counter?” Sierra’s voice held confusion.
“He said he was pitch-hitting for Destiny. He must be filling in for her at the cash register as well,” Crystal said.
Neither Max nor Jordan looked surprised. Tessa eyed the men, suspicion building in her mind. “You two knew he’d be running the book club tonight,” she said.
“Nope,” Jordan replied as he stood. “Let’s go look around.” He pulled Crystal from the makeshift room.
“We had no idea about tonight.” Max stood, and he and Sierra left.
Something didn’t feel right. Tessa went out into the store. There were several people in line to buy the book and a few others wandering around the store. Tessa walked down an aisle. All too soon, it was only the six of them in the store.
“I’m glad that went well. I was nervous,” Damon said.
“You did great,” Sierra said.
“Why did Destiny ask you to fill in?” Tessa asked. It didn’t make a lot of sense. While Damon had been at the book club meetings, why would she ask him to fill in?
Max and Jordan shifted and were studying the ceiling. Sierra started tapping her foot, and Crystal poked Jordan who didn’t respond.
“She asked me because I own the place,” Damon said with a grin of a cat that knew exactly where he’d hidden her keys.
CHAPTER FIVE
“What?” Sierra and Crystal said at the same time.
“So I’m not the only one who kept secrets,” Tessa said, and Damon winked at her.
“Come on, ladies,” Max said, urging Sierra to move. “I think Damon and Tessa need some alone time.”
“I agree.” Jordan swept Crystal out the door with Max and Sierra following. Through the window, Tessa could see Sierra talking to Max with her hands waving. Damon went over and locked the door and turned the sign to closed.
“So you own an adult store?” Tessa leaned against the front counter watching Damon. Why had he felt it necessary to keep it from her? Sierra and Crystal had been surprised as well.
“I do. Why don’t you go look around while I close out the register, then we can talk?”
“Okay.” While she was surprised to find out Damon owned the store, she wasn’t upset that he’d kept this from her. Maybe because she kept her own secrets.
Tessa went back to the aisle that held the restraints. She knew about the lifestyle, and she’d been tied up with scarves or rope, but never anything like what she saw here in the store. She looked over the boxes until she came to the cuffs. She picked them up. There was some weight, but she a
ssumed that was the metal. Tessa flipped the box over and read the description. Silk-lined cuffs with a leather covering. The picture showed buckles and heavy rings, plus carabiner clips on the rings. Interesting.
“Would you like a demonstration?” Damon asked.
Tessa’s face grew warm. “I think that would be very helpful.” Why not? It wasn’t like anyone besides her friends were going to see them. She wanted to see how they felt, and why not have Damon do the honors.
He smiled, took the box from her, and opened it. Her heart sped up as metal clanked against metal.
“These are a nice choice.” Damon dropped the box. “Comfort lined with nice buckles.” He undid the double clip from the d-rings and separated the cuffs. He placed one of the cuffs on the display and held the other one. “Now these are nice ones. See this little protrusion through one of the eyelet holes?”
“Yes.” She’d seen that on the box and was curious. In all the times in DC, and what little bit she saw at Wicked Sanctuary, she hadn’t seen anything like these.
“It’s a nice feature where you can add a small lock so the cuffs can only be removed by the one who has a key.” He unbuckled the restraint. “Wrist please.”
Tessa held out her wrist. The fabric was smooth against her skin. Her nerves fluttered as he tightened the restraint. Heat rushed over her skin as the metal of the buckle was secured. Her breath caught in her throat. Damon ran his finger between her wrist and the restraint.
“Not too tight, but tight enough you can’t escape.” Then he grasped her other wrist and attached the other cuff.
The cuffs were substantial but not enough to cause any discomfort. Her nerves fluttered with excitement…or was it fear? No. Could it be anticipation?
“Now, by doing this”—he brought her wrists to the front and clipped them together with the double clip—“a Dom can lead you around by your wrists.” He gave a little tug, and Tessa fought to breathe.
That little pull weakened her knees, and her pussy throbbed. Oh yes, she wouldn’t mind Damon leading her around, bound for his pleasure.
Her brown gaze met his blue one. Satisfaction blazed bright in his eyes. Did he know how he made her feel? Probably. The man seemed to read her mind at times. She adjusted her arms, and the clips clinked against the metal rings. A herd of elephants stampeded through her stomach. Her skin prickled.
“How does it feel?” Damon asked, his hands on her forearms.
“I can feel the weight, but they’re comfortable.” She wasn’t sure how to explain, but she would try. “My stomach is fluttering; my nerves are awake, and my knees are weak.” She didn’t mention her nipples ached, and her pussy muscles kept tightening and releasing.
“Very nice reactions. What about your mind? What are you thinking?”
“At first, I asked myself if I was crazy, but once you put them on, my mind stopped processing and went with the feel of them on my wrists.”
Damon grinned at her. “Good.” He slipped his hands to her waist. “I’m going to kiss you now, Tessa. Is that all right?”
Why was he asking her that? Consent. The word popped up in her mind. “Please,” she whispered.
He drew her to him, keeping her bound hands between their bodies, as he lowered his head. His lips brushed hers in a light kiss, once, twice. Her fingers curled into her palms. On his next pass, she parted her lips, and the tip of her tongue touched his lips.
Damon drew back. “So that’s how you want to play,” he said, before capturing her lips again.
This time the kiss wasn’t light. His mouth took command of hers, tongue thrusting inside and tangling with hers. Tessa sighed and relaxed into his embrace as his hands skimmed up from her waist to her shoulders.
Her bones melted at his control. This was what she’d been looking for…craving. A man who knew how to make her burn for satisfaction.
Tessa started to raise her arms and realized they were trapped between their bodies, she tried wiggling them to get loose, but Damon kept kissing her. Tasting her. His kiss was like a drug she couldn’t get enough of.
She shifted as her pussy pulsed. Her fingers clenched. She needed to touch him. Tessa jerked her hands, and his head rose. “Release my hands, please. I want to touch you.”
“What if I like you like this?” His blue eyes were dark with desire.
“Please, Damon.”
“Fuck,” he muttered. He took a step back, lifted her arms, and placed them around his neck, still encased in the cuffs. “How’s that?”
“Better.” She rested her wrists on his shoulders, and at least, she could play with his dark hair. It was a start.
His lips nipped at her mouth, before moving over her skin to her ear. “You’re squirming.”
Heat flashed in her face. She was shifting from foot to foot without even realizing it. She wanted…no, needed more.
“Your nipples are hard; I can feel them under your top. May I?”
“May you what?” His voice was like liquid chocolate over her skin. She couldn’t get enough of it.
“Touch you.”
“I’ll die if you don’t.”
“Can’t have that.” His right hand trailed from her shoulder, over her neck, and between her breasts.
Tessa could barely prevent herself from pushing her breasts into his hand. Not that she had much room. With her arms over his head and still in restraints, she was pretty much at his mercy.
Fire ignited in her belly and spread. “Yes,” she whispered as his palm covered her breast. If her hands had been free, she would have stripped her shirt and bra right off. What was she thinking? She barely knew Damon.
“What is it?”
“We need to stop.” Her body protested her words. The voice in her head grew louder.
“All right.” Damon lifted her hands from around his neck and took a step back. “What happened?” he asked softly.
“I…” Her lashes fell. “I feel like I should apologize.”
“Tessa.” A warm finger cupped her chin, lifting her face. “You have a right to call a halt whenever you want.” Damon released the restraints and held her hands in his. “Did I scare you?”
She shook her head. Her reactions scared her. “It was me.” She fought to get the words out. “We barely know each other.”
“True.” He released her hands and put the restraints back into the box. “Will you join me for dinner Friday night?”
“You want to take me out?” He was asking her on a date? Why was she having a hard time believing that?
“Yes. I want to get to know you.” The fire in his blue eyes was still there but muted.
Tessa tilted her head and studied Damon for a moment. “All right.”
His smile lit up the room. “I’ll pick you up at your apartment at six.”
Tessa nodded. “I better leave. I do have work tomorrow.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I forgot. I rode over with Sierra and Crystal. I’ll call for a ride-share.” She started to fish her phone out of her purse when Damon’s hand covered hers.
“I’ll take you home.”
“But…”
He placed his fingers over her lips. “I’ll take you home.” His voice held a no-nonsense tone and was so firm that her knees almost buckled.
His Dom voice melted her bones. She’d have to be very careful with him, or she’d end up a puddle of goo at his feet.
Damon turned and went to the counter. Tessa moved to the front door and looked out at the street. It was pretty deserted, but of course, it would be at this time of night. This was Pleasant Valley, not Seattle.
Tessa watched Damon’s reflection in the glass as he prepared the store for closing, then he was at the door with her, a bag dangling from his hand. “We’ll go out the back door.” He pressed a button, and the security gates came down over the windows and door.
“Have you had break-ins?” she asked.
“Not in a while, but this is a deterrent in case they want to try an
ything.” Damon guided her through a door as he turned the lights off in the store. There was a small light on in the hallway.
He opened the door and the gate and gestured for her to precede him. Once she was outside, he pulled the door closed, checked that it was locked, and shut the brushed metal gate, making sure it was secure as well.
“My car is over here.” As she got close, she heard the locks click, but Damon was at the door before she could open it.
He pulled it open. Tessa climbed into the vehicle. The smell of leather greeted her. Her body relaxed against the seat as she fastened her seat belt. Damon climbed in, fastened his seat belt, and they were off.
They rode in a comfortable silence. Thank goodness. Tessa rubbed her wrists where the cuffs had been. Her skin tingled, and her breathing wasn’t as steady as she’d like it to be. What had passed between her and Damon in the store had set off a string of fireworks in her body.
One kiss and she was a goner. She was attracted to him, but her gut told her this was more than simple attraction. She glanced over at Damon. The streetlights highlighted his handsome face. She was in trouble.
“I’ll walk you to your door,” Damon said as he pulled into a parking spot.
“There’s no need.” It wasn’t like he hadn’t been to her place before.
“There is. Don’t argue with me.” He stepped out of the vehicle and grabbed the bag he’d brought from the store.
There was that voice again, and her pussy clenched. Tessa waited until Damon opened her door and helped her out. At her front door, he held his hand out.
“What?”
“Keys.”
Damn that voice. She handed him the keys. “First one opens the door lock, next one opens the dead bolt.”
“You took my advice.”
“It was on the schedule for maintenance; they did it last night.”
He nodded and opened the door. “Stay here.”
Tessa shifted from one foot to the other while she waited for Damon to return. He grinned when he saw her. “All good.” He pressed her keys into her hand. “Sleep tight.” Damon leaned over and brushed a kiss over her lips. “Go in and lock the door.”