She pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Jace stepped into the room behind Carrie and closed the door. She spun in a circle, taking in the room with wide eyes, her mouth pursed in such a way that his cock twitched in his pants. He wished he could read her mind, so he could truly know how she felt about all of this. Introducing her to the chains in his closet was one thing, but this was a full-on BDSM room, complete with collars, paddles, a whipping bench, and an X-cross. It might all be far too much for Carrie to take in so soon. He’d wanted to introduce her slowly to this world, but she’d insisted on coming here before he felt she was ready.
“What is this?” she asked, her fingers grazing against the life-size leather X attached to one wall of the room. She touched the straps, and Jace could see a hint of red spreading across her face.
“I attach you to it, and then I do as I please.” Jace smiled, and the mere thought of Carrie strapped in there, ready and eager for him, intensified the lust that was already hardening his cock.
“And what would you do?” Her eyes trailed over to the various whips hanging on the wall. “Punish me?”
Jace reached out and took her hands in his. It was a moment of weakness, but he needed her to understand one important thing if they were going to stay here. “It would be all about your pleasure, Carrie. I would be in control, but it would be all about what makes you feel good. And yes, that would include punishment.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath and nodded. “Then show me.”
Jace’s lips turned up. “Take off your dress.”
Carrie pulled her tight little black dress over her head and tossed it on the floor. Underneath, she wore nothing. Her nipples were already hard, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to press his mouth against her body. Her curves were perfect, her skin so smooth. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Step back,” he said, nodding to the X-cross on the wall. If she wanted to go big, then they’d go big.
Her cheeks flushed, but she did as he commanded, even raising her arms over her head to make it easier for him to strap her to the wall. Smiling a wicked smile, he stepped in close and smelled the scent of her sweet vanilla shampoo. God, he wanted her. Right here and now. His cock throbbed as he raked his eyes over her body. He knew the whole point of this trip was to show her his toys, but all he wanted was to be inside her right now. Screw the toys.
He unbuttoned his pants and let them fall to the floor before reaching his arms around her sexy body and lifting her into his arms. She let out a gasp of surprise, and her arms slid around his neck. Groaning, he shoved her against the leather wall, his mouth hungry on her neck. He loved the salty taste of her skin and the way she trembled under his touch. She was his, now and always.
“Jace, I thought you were going to show me—”
“I just want to fuck you, Carrie,” he growled into her ear. And it was true. While he normally preferred to use his toys, right now all he needed was to be inside of her, to feel her tight little pussy around his cock.
He pushed inside her wetness, and she moaned, her arms tightening around his neck. His hands squeezed her ass, and he began to thrust into her pussy. Her hips rocked against his, and he pushed her harder against the wall. It only took a moment before every cell in his body screamed with the need for release, but he held on until she began to shudder, until her own orgasm began to pour through her. When she cried out in pleasure, he let himself go, groaning and emptying his seed into her gorgeous body.
After he’d set her down and she’d pulled her dress back over her head, she looked at Jace with a shy smile on her flushed face. “What was that all about? I thought you were going to show me all your toys.”
“You’ve seen my toys.” He gave her a wink. “Now you have something to look forward to.”
Sunday morning, Jace went into his office, but it wasn’t for work. He’d left Carrie in his bed again, as hard as it had been. After their side trip to Bonds the night before, he’d taken her back to his penthouse where they’d had sex until they’d fallen fast asleep. Vanilla sex. Jace shook his head as he sat down at his desk. He wasn’t entirely sure what had gotten into him lately. Carrie had been in his playroom at the club, ready and willing to explore his toys, and all he’d wanted was to take her in a normal way.
Firing up his computer, he let his mind drift back to the night before. He’d never taken someone there without having them sign a contract first. So, that surely must have been the issue. He didn’t feel right about starting a BDSM relationship without taking care of the formalities. All he needed to do was draft up a contract, have Carrie sign it, and then they could return to Bonds that night so he could show her exactly what an experience in his playroom entailed.
Jace tapped on a few keys and brought up the standard contract, adding a few things for good measure. She would certainly understand the need for this. Carrie was an attorney after all. She’d probably even feel more secure about the situation knowing that there was a signed and sealed document involved. It made things between them official, something she’d asked from him years before but he hadn’t been prepared to give at the time.
He printed the contract just as a knock sounded on his door.
“Come in,” he called out, standing to get the print-out from the machine whirring on his desk.
Franklin cracked open the door and slid inside. A frown pulled down his features as he held up a thin envelope. “Good morning, sir. I’m afraid I have some bad news to pass along to you.”
“Wonderful.” Jace’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “What is it now?”
Franklin took a few more steps into the office and slid the envelope across the desk. “Someone saw you and Miss Simmons last night at Bonds. They managed to take a few photos.”
All the blood drained from Jace’s face as he snatched the enveloped from the desk. He ripped open the paper and slid out the photos, his eyes flicking across every detail. There was a photo of him leading Carrie into the club, her hands tight around his arm. Another photo showed them disappearing behind the red curtain. The images weren’t particularly condemning on their own. The two of them weren’t shown in an embrace or in any way physically intimate. But there would be only one reason Jace Holt would take a woman through the red curtain at Bonds, and anyone who knew the place would know exactly why.
Gritting his teeth, he dropped the photos on the desk where they fell with a smack. “I thought you took care of the paparazzi.”
“This wasn’t the paparazzi.” Franklin frowned. “Someone just spotted you there and sent these in. There is, of course, a price tag attached to it.”
“So, they’re blackmailing me.” Jace narrowed his eyes. “Of course. How much?”
“A million dollars,” Franklin said. “If we don’t have it to them by the end of tomorrow, they’ll go public with the photos.”
“Of course they will,” Jace said with a sigh, his resolve strengthening. “Well, they aren’t getting my money, and they aren’t leaking these photos. I won’t stand for it.”
“Sir?” Franklin asked with raised eyebrows.
“We’re going to find out who did this, Franklin. Too many people are trying to take advantage of me right now, and I refuse to let anyone get the better of me.”
Carrie took a long, hot shower in Jace’s penthouse, letting the water and the steam wash away all the doubts she had about what she was doing. Jace had paid her a visit last night and explained everything, and she’d let it all roll off her back. But now, in the light of a new day, it all sunk in. Jace used to be involved in some shady activity, and he’d hired a man on the run from the law. Sure, Franklin might be innocent, but Jace shouldn’t have gotten involved.
She just couldn’t help herself when it came to Jace, especially when he’d done everything she’d asked of him. He’d opened up to her about the past he was hiding, and he’d showed her his playroom, giving her a preview of his deepest desires and finally letting her into his life.
Desires she was very interested in exploring…
After she got out of the shower and had some breakfast, she got dressed and tried to decide what to do with her day. Jace had gone into the office, and she should probably do the same. That was one thing she’d decided to take a stand on. She was going to remain Jace’s attorney, despite his protestations. It was the best thing for her career, and she didn’t trust anyone else with his case.
Just as she’d slid her feet into her pointy heels, the door beeped and clicked open. Jace strode into the penthouse in his perfectly-fitting suit, his briefcase swinging by his side. When he saw Carrie fully dressed, his smile vanished.
“I swear, I can’t leave you alone for an hour without you trying to run off again,” he growled, dropping the briefcase on the couch and striding toward her. He wrapped his arms around her body, lifted her from the floor, and carried her back into the bedroom. Carrie couldn’t help but laugh, squirming in his strong arms. He dropped her onto the bed and pushed her dress up to her hips. She was still going commando, and his eyes sparked at the sight of her naked pussy. She hadn’t gone back home after the club to change into something more appropriate, so there she was, fully on display for Jace’s heated eyes.
Jace dropped to his knees before she could react, and then his mouth was on her thighs. She sucked in a sharp gasp and squirmed under his tongue. Every lick felt like a pulse of electricity snaking through her body, and she arched her back from the intense pleasure of it all. Jace moaned against her, his hand sliding up to cup her breast. His fingers teased her nipple, twisting and rubbing until she couldn’t take any more.
Just as she felt she was about to come, he pulled away and stood. A smile played across his lips as he unbuttoned his pants. His suit jacket went next, and then his shirt, and then he was standing there naked before her, the sight of his perfect, chiseled body making her thighs even more wet.
“I will never tire of fucking you,” he said as he climbed on top of her.
He pushed his cock inside her, and she groaned as his length filled every single inch inside her. Rocking against her, he grabbed her wrists and pinned her arms over her head so she couldn’t move. A moan escaped from her lips as she let herself give in to the power of his control. She loved when he took command. It made her feel as if she could do nothing but allow him to do exactly as he pleased.
She wrapped her legs around his hips, bucking against him as lust overtook her mind. He groaned and tightened his grip on her wrists. His breath was hot on her neck, and the scent of his musky aftershave filled her nose. Everything she could sense was Jace. There was nothing else in the world but him.
Her pussy tightened as her need from him grew with each passing beat. His pace quickened, his breath rapid on her skin. She cried out as she came, her entire body shuddering with the intense pleasure that shook through her. Jace quickly followed, groaning as he emptied himself inside her.
A moment later, Jace stood and smiled down at her. “This is what happens when you try to leave.”
“I wasn’t trying to leave permanently,” Carrie said, twisting the sheets around her naked body and giving him a shy smile. “I was going to catch up on some work today.”
Jace frowned. “Work again. You really should try to take some more time off for yourself. It’s the weekend, Carrie.”
“You went into the office,” she said, giving him a look. He couldn’t have it both ways.
“I went into the office to get something for you,” he said. “Wait right here.”
Jace disappeared out of the bedroom. When he returned a moment later, he held his briefcase. Confusion rippled through Carrie. What could he have possibly brought home from his office that would be for her? Something to do with the case? No, that couldn’t be right. He’d told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted her to have nothing to do with that.
He brought a file out of his briefcase and handed it over. With wide eyes, she read the words on the page, and she sucked in a deep breath as her confusion only mounted. He couldn’t be serious about this. This had to be some kind of joke.
“You want me to sign a contract?” She shook her head as she glanced up at him.
He sat down on the bed beside her and smoothed her hair back from her face, but she flinched away. “Yes, Carrie. This is a standard contract for BDSM partners, outlining what we can and cannot do to one another. It keeps things safe and official.”
“It says I have to obey you.” Carrie jabbed at the paper with a shaking finger. “In and out of the bedroom.”
Jace frowned, his face reflecting her own confusion. “Of course. That’s how it works. If you disobey, you get punished, like I showed you the other night in my closet.”
“Jace.” Carrie took in a deep breath and stood, hugging the sheets tighter around her body. “I liked being punished, and I enjoy the excitement of trying these things out with you. As far as sex is concerned, yes, I do love submitting to you.”
“Then, what’s the problem?” he asked, shaking his head. “I thought you’d be happy about making things official.”
“Official?” Carrie barked out a laugh. “Not like this, Jace. I’m a lawyer. I know what this says. I’d be signing over all of my rights to make decisions. I’d practically be your slave.”
“No, you’d be mine.”
“I am my own person.” Her voice began to raise even though she tried to force herself to remain calm. The fact he couldn’t understand this meant he didn’t understand her at all. She was no one’s slave. “I make up my mind about what I do and don’t want to do. I make my own damn decisions!”
“This is for your protection more than anything,” Jace answered. “You do what I say, and you’ll be a happier and healthier person. I’d never tell you to do something that would harm you.”
“Well, I get to decide what is or is not bad for me,” Carrie said through gritted teeth. “And you know what? One of those things just happens to be your case. I’m still your damn lawyer, and you’re just going to have to deal with it. And that contract? I’m never going to sign it.”
Jace stared hard at Carrie. He snatched the contract out of her fingers and ripped it in two. The scraps of paper rained down around them, littering the bed and the floor. Fire danced in Carrie’s eyes, and Jace clenched his jaws. They’d reached a standoff, and as determined as he was to win, he wasn’t sure he would. No one ever spoke to him this way. No one ever stood up to him like this. He wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with it.
If she were anyone but Carrie, he’d put her in her damn place.
“There.” He narrowed his eyes as he growled. “No more contract. There’s nothing to tie you to me now.”
Carrie’s face softened, but the fire still danced in her eyes. “Is that what this is about? So I won’t leave you?”
“It’s about your safety and your protection.” He brushed off her words, but she’d hit a nerve. He’d never created these contracts before Carrie had left him three years before, and he’d never truly cared if a woman had signed them or not. But Carrie had to sign, so that she was officially his once and for all.
“There are better ways to tie me to you without making a contract limiting my decision-making abilities.” Carrie’s voice was soft as she stared at him with her big blue eyes. “You don’t have to command me to stay to get me to stay.”
“It would seem that I do.” Jace’s voice was low. “And you certainly gave the impression that you enjoyed my commands.”
“I do.” Carrie took her hands in his, pulling him close so that she could press her body against his. She was warm and soft, and it was hard for him to remember why he’d been angry only seconds before. “When we’re being intimate, I love it when you take control. But in daily life?” Carrie shook her head. “I’m in control. And that’s how it’s going to be.”
“You are the most infuriating woman alive.”
“And that,” Carrie said with a smile, “is why you want me.”
Carrie we
nt home after that. She’d said she needed some space to think, and to tell the truth, Jace felt the same way. She was pushing for something he wasn’t sure he could give her, not right now. So, instead of spending his Sunday evening in front of his flickering fireplace with Carrie’s warm and soft body by his side, Jace found himself back in Bonds. With Franklin.
Whoever was trying to blackmail him with the photographs of him and Carrie had been there the night before, at the same time they had been. Jace glanced around the silent, dark club. It was several hours before it would open for the nighttime crowd, and then several more hours before it really became the place to be. This wasn’t the kind of club people attended before ten o’clock.
Glancing around, Jace frowned. The club felt a lot cheaper and tackier without the bustle of the crowd, the thump of the music, and the thick clouds of smoky incense. There was no tantalizing scent of sex and desire wafting through the empty space. Only sleek tables and black walls and high vaulted ceilings that echoed with every move they made.
“Hello,” Franklin called out to the empty space. The front door had been unlocked, so the two men had just strode right inside.
No one answered. Jace couldn’t even hear the slightest of noises to signal anyone was there.
“Another dead end,” Jace said with a frown. “First Atlantic City, now here. This was a waste of time. I don’t know why I even bothered.”
“Excuse me for saying this, sir, but you seem like you’re in a worse mood than normal.” Franklin cleared his throat. “Did Miss Simmons sign the contract?”
“Of course she didn’t.” Jace strode several more steps into the vacant club and spun on his feet, scanning his eyes across the ceiling. He stopped, pointed. “There. Security cameras. If someone was watching us, they would have been caught on tape.”
“Jace Holt.” A man’s voice rang out from behind Jace, deep and welcoming.
Jace turned and smiled at the towering figure of a man. He wore all black, blending in with the dark shadows around him. “Dominique. I was afraid you weren’t here.”
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