“Not that I have any doubt you could find one on your own.”
Was he flirting with her?
Sierra took in Luke’s rugged features, his midnight black hair and hazel eyes that were more green than brown, thanks to the forest green polo shirt he wore. His thick, well groomed eyebrows were halfcocked while his sexy lips were tilted into a smirk as he waited for her response.
“I won’t dispute that, but being I’m new in town, and definitely not looking to find anything more than someone to accompany me to the conference, I decided to take my chances.”
“Ever been to one of XTX’s vendor conferences?”
Luke’s penetrating gaze was directed at her, and Sierra felt the warmth of those radiant green-brown eyes all the way to her toes. She was grateful she was sitting down because she wasn’t sure she would be able to hold herself up thanks to the way her knees had turned to jelly.
“No, I haven’t. My mother has been to a few, but I didn’t get many details from her.”
Veronica hadn’t been forthcoming with any information; other than that Sierra would want to take someone with her because there were numerous afterhours’ events that would be mostly couples. No matter how much Sierra protested Veronica hadn’t let up.
Sierra was a little shocked at how adamant her mother had been since Veronica was single as well, and wasn’t likely to be taking a date. Though she knew Veronica and Xavier usually attended events together, as far as she knew, they weren’t actually a couple. Being that Xavier was widowed, and Veronica had been divorced from Sierra’s absent father for nearly two decades, Sierra figured they could do whatever they wanted.
“I’m amazed that Logan thought to invite me.” Luke said, but Sierra got the impression he didn’t mean to say the words out loud.
“Why is that?” Unexplainably intrigued by the man, Sierra wanted to know more about him.
“Tell me a little about you, Sierra.” Luke obviously wasn’t interested in talking about himself if his deflection of the subject was anything to go by.
“What do you want to know, Luke?” Sierra addressed him, using his name the way he had used hers.
She was all for getting to know this man, but based on the vibe she felt coming off of him in waves he was used to things going his way. The slight tilt of his lips into a barely there smile told her that he realized she would be a challenge.
“Kane, bring Sierra another drink.” Luke instructed the bartender, but he never took his eyes off of her.
She liked the way he looked at her; the dark passion that swirled just beneath the surface was there for the world to see, but Sierra knew he held something back. Probably a lot of somethings if she had to guess.
“You’re from Nashville?”
“Born and raised. My mother moved to Dallas right after I graduated from high school. I stayed to go to the University of Tennessee. Until recently, I’ve been working for a design firm in Nashville. I started there after I graduated, but I’ve always intended to start my own business.”
“Other than your mother, what made you want to come to Texas?” Luke asked as Kane sat her drink on the table, removing the empty glass.
“Nothing, honestly. I love Nashville, and if she hadn’t been so far away, I probably would’ve never left. But, design firms are a dime a dozen here, the clientele desirable, so I figured I could kill two birds, so to speak. Being close to my mother is important to me, more so than where I start my business.”
“Do you live with your mother?”
Sierra laughed, trying to imagine how that would even be possible. “Hardly. I think we’d kill each other if we were under the same roof.”
Growing up in a house, just her and her mother, had been a challenge. Two of them, both self-sufficient, exceedingly independent, and more than a little bit princesses in their own right meant that neither of them could be under the same roof for long without trying to see who the bigger diva was. They had barely managed to survive Sierra’s teenage years.
No, she certainly hadn’t moved in with her mother.
“What about you, Luke?” Sierra asked, trying to turn the tables. If she wasn’t careful, she got the impression Luke would know everything there was to know about her while she would walk away knowing nothing.
Likely his intention.
“What about me?”
“Do you live with your mother?” Sierra smiled, then took a sip of her drink. Wow. Apparently Kane thought she needed some courage of the liquid variety by the strength of the drink he’d made for her.
Luke’s raspy laugh tickled Sierra’s insides. A gruff, unpracticed sound. Like his laugh muscles hadn’t been used in quite some time.
“No.”
Well, hell. Talking to this man was like pulling teeth. Instead of asking anything more, Sierra pierced him with a glare, tilting her head slightly to the side as she waited for him to continue. When Luke leaned back in his chair, crossing his massive arms over his chest, Sierra knew they were at a standstill.
So be it. She wasn’t about to give in.
“Can I assume you’ll be attending the conference in Vegas?” Sierra finally broke the silence, figuring she needed to get this conversation over with before she lost the little bit of nerve she still had left.
“You can.”
Sierra laughed again. If nothing else, this trip was sure to be interesting.
Pushing her chair back from the table, Sierra stood, shocked momentarily when Luke rose abruptly, his enormous size making her feel even smaller than she normally did. She couldn’t look him in the eye without tilting her head back. Even with heels she came just barely to the middle of his broad chest, and he was easily twice her weight and width, but she wasn’t about to let him intimidate her.
“I’m glad to hear it. I think I should be going. It was very nice to meet you, Luke. I look forward to seeing you in Vegas. I’m sure you’ll be able to find me if you’re interested.” With that, Sierra gave him her brightest smile, turned on her heel and walked straight out the front doors without looking back.
Her heart was racing, her hands were sweating, but Sierra wasn’t about to let that man know what he did to her. He was dangerous. She could feel it in her bones. He would want things from her that she wasn’t sure she was ready to give.
But, damn was she tempted.
Chapter Five
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
Luke boarded the plane at DFW International airport, and waited patiently for the other passengers to make their way down the narrow center aisle as they looked for an optimal place to spend the next three hours. Considering patience wasn’t his strong suit, Luke mentally patted himself on the back for not running through the crowd to get where he was going.
Glancing through the cabin, he took note of the other passengers, looking for one particular person. The seat wouldn’t matter.
As he approached row eight, he noticed the dark haired beauty seated next to an equally dark haired beauty, only the other one was about twenty years older. The woman seated to Sierra’s right must have been Veronica Sellers, considering she looked like an older, more refined version of Sierra.
When he approached the row, he caught Sierra’s attention and tried to control himself.
“Morning.”
The smile she beamed at him was bright enough to rival the sun and Luke was momentarily blinded, his heart instantly kicking into overdrive.
“Good morning, Luke.” Sierra offered a prim and proper response. “I’d like you to meet my mother, Veronica.”
“Nice to see you again, Veronica. I was hoping I could steal Sierra away from you for the next few hours. If it isn’t too inconvenient.”
The grin Sierra’s mother shot at him mirrored her daughter’s initial one, but the twinkle in her eye was just for him. The million watt smile Sierra had flashed him was no longer visible, but her confusion was.
“I don’t mind at all.” Veronica stated sweetly, giving her daughter a good natured shove. “Join Mr. McCo
y, Sierra. I’ll be fine.”
Luke watched the emotions play on Sierra’s face, confusion, disbelief, and then something else… Determination. Her shoulders went back, and she forced a smile, but Luke could tell she wasn’t happy with his request.
For the last twenty four hours, he’d spent his time thinking about this woman, and he vowed the moment he woke up that he wouldn’t be kept away from her any longer than he had to be. The idea of hijacking her from her mother hadn’t come to him until a few minutes before he boarded the plane, but now as he watched her reluctantly move out of the seat and into the aisle, Luke was glad he’d opted to do so.
“There are empty seats about six rows back.” He told her as he followed, a front row view to her perfect ass encased in tight, faded jeans that hugged her hips. So small, yet so incredibly curvy, the black t-shirt molded to her petite frame showcased every slight peak and valley. He’d been so engrossed in taking her in, he almost missed the way her spine straightened at his remark. He grinned to himself.
To his surprise, Sierra moved two additional rows back and to the other side of the plane, purposely ignoring his original instruction. Instantly he knew this trip was going to be more than interesting, it was going to be downright hot.
Luke allowed her to sit by the window while he took the aisle seat, offering them a degree of privacy without a third person in their row. Being that the plane was small and apparently full, Luke didn’t expect complete privacy, but he did hope to talk to her without any interruptions.
Once they were seated, and Sierra had fastened the seat belt across her tiny waist, Luke followed suit. The scent of her perfume tickled his nose and made his cock throb. No flowery fragrance for this woman. The scent was sharp, yet subtle, a hint of spice and something erotically stimulating. Her perfume suited her nicely.
“Mr. McCoy, I hope you know what you’re doing.” Sierra stated, her voice but a whisper, and for a moment, Luke thought he imagined it.
“Always.” He assured her, turning his head to look at her. Those silver-blue eyes pierced him, and he noticed she was no longer smiling.
His attention was drawn to the last few people easing down the aisle, making their way to the few seats left in the back. His eyes locked with Cole Ackerley's and memories from that one night flooded through him. When Cole’s eyes darted to the woman sitting next to Luke, something akin to fire developed hot and fierce inside of him. The other man’s interest was evident, but Cole turned his gaze away and managed a smirk, not saying a word as he passed by.
“Do you know him?” Sierra asked, catching his attention.
“Why?”
Sierra looked at him in disbelief and then turned to face forward once again. “No reason. And remind me not to ask any more questions.”
“Why’s that?” Luke asked, but Sierra simply laughed – without mirth – and it donned on him that he was answering her questions with questions of his own.
For the next half hour, they both remained quiet as the plane departed from the terminal and then made its ascent into the clear blue skies over Dallas, on their way to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Luke hadn’t seen Logan and Samantha, but he figured they had managed to secure seats at the front of the plane. Since he had been so engrossed in trying to locate Sierra, he likely just overlooked them. Although he wasn’t sure exactly where Cole was located, Luke could feel the man somewhere behind him.
“So, are we going to spend the next four days with me asking questions and you answering with questions?” Sierra’s husky voice broke the silence.
“Why would I do that?” Aiming to get a rise out of her, he hit his mark. “Damn you’re pretty when you get irritated.”
A sweet, rosy blush crept up Sierra’s neck and stained her high cheekbones, and the sight struck something deep inside of him. He didn’t know a damn thing about this woman, other than she was an interior designer who grew up in Tennessee, her mother worked for Xavier Thomas, and she was feisty as hell, but what he did know he liked. A lot.
“Ok, you win. I’ll tell you about myself.” Luke offered, wanting to put a smile on her pretty face. When she turned slightly in her chair to face him more directly, his body tensed, but he forged on.
“I was born and raised in Dallas, my parents died when Logan and I were about eight, leaving us to live with my ornery old grandfather, and truth be told, we couldn’t have selected anyone better to put up with us.”
“I’m so sorry.” Sierra consoled him, and the feel of her silky fingers against the back of his hand had a different feeling flowing through him.
“We gave him a run for his money, but the old man kept up with us like a champ.” Luke continued, not wanting to think about the soft feel of her hand or whether the rest of her was just as soft. “When we graduated from high school, Logan went off to college, and I stayed close to home, choosing to go to UTD for business.
“Up until about five years ago, I hadn’t found what I was looking for, but I managed to get some experience under my belt working at various companies usually in management of some sort. Then the club came up for sale, and Logan and I used our inheritance to purchase it, turning it into what it is today.” Luke said, glancing at Sierra.
“And that is?” Those glowing blue eyes were fixed on him as she asked.
He hoped she wouldn’t ask that question, but given they were going to spend the next four days together, in one capacity or another, Luke felt it necessary to get it out in the open. “Club Destiny is a sex club.”
“A swingers club? Not a brothel, I assume?”
Her political correctness made him want to laugh. He was genuinely surprised by her reaction altogether. She didn’t seem put off by the idea, and that was a first for him.
Granted, Club Destiny had nearly one hundred exclusive full time members and another fifty or so part time members, all of whom shared the same lifestyle and interests in some form or fashion as Luke and Logan, but he rarely met anyone off the street who didn’t give him a questionable scowl when he mentioned his profession.
“That’s correct. It’s more of a lifestyle club that caters to the needs of our members.”
“Is it limited to married couples?” Sierra asked, and Luke realized she knew more about his world than he expected.
“No. Single, married, it doesn’t matter. However, membership to Club Destiny is steep, which is a requirement to keep the sort of clientele we’re looking for.” Steep was almost an understatement. For the price, an interested party knew what they were signing up for when they joined.
“What about nonmembers? Can they engage in any activities?”
“No. Our policies are finite and extremely strict as we aim to ensure the anonymity of our clients. As you saw the other day, we have a public facing club that we open to anyone, but the other is limited to members only.”
“Are there rooms on site?” Sierra asked in all seriousness.
Luke didn’t know what to think about Sierra’s inquisitions. She knew all the right questions, the same ones that he frequently received from those applying to become members of his club.
“Yes.” Realizing they were venturing into unchartered territory, Luke was reluctant to continue answering her questions without throwing out a couple of his own. “You sound familiar with this type of club. Have you ever been a member of one?”
When Sierra’s cheeks brightened once again, and her eyes averted, Luke wondered if he had nailed it. Unsure of what he hoped her answer would be, he held his breath as he waited.
“No. I haven’t.” She admitted, but she didn’t turn to look at him again.
“Is that because you didn’t want to?” He had to ask.
“Yes.” She said, her bright blue eyes flickering with some hidden emotion. “Yes and no, I mean. It isn’t that I have anything against the lifestyle, it’s just that I have never ventured down that path.”
Luke exhaled deeply. He hadn’t realized how much he hoped she would say that until the words were out. For s
ome reason, the fact that she hadn’t been a member of a club like his, spurred on his possessive nature. But something in the way she answered said there was more to the story than she was letting on.
“Have you ever been married, Sierra?”
Her head jerked in his direction, but then she covered her reaction smoothly. “Yes.”
“Are you married now?” He asked, trying to hold back the fury starting a slow pulse deep inside. There were boundaries he would cross without hesitation, but he would never, without explicit permission, be with another man’s wife.
“No. I’m divorced. Eleven years now.”
Luke tried to do the math in his head, but since he didn’t know how old she was, he wasn’t able to pinpoint an exact timeframe. Based on her appearance, and what he did know about her, Luke assumed she had been remarkably young when she got married.
“How about you? Are you married?” Sierra asked, turning the tables on him.
“No. And before you ask, no, I’ve never been married. So, what happened?” Luke felt there was more to her story than just the normal irreconcilable differences, and when the question tumbled out, he didn’t try to hide his interest.
“What happened with what?” He could see her attempt to deflect the question, but Luke wasn’t going to let her off that easily.
“With your marriage.” He clarified, hoping to back her into a corner.
“It’s a long story.” She said, turning to face the seat in front of her once more.
Luke took a chance and placed his hand on her arm, aching to touch her, and wanting her to know he was genuinely interested. He made a show of glancing down at his watch, then back at her. “We’ve got time.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Sierra remained as still as physically possible, the warmth of Luke’s hand on her arm sent sparks straight through her.
His dark, tanned hand was a remarkable contrast to her much paler skin. As if that wasn’t enough, the size of his hand compared to hers, the coarse feel of his skin, made her insides do flips. She wondered what those hands would feel like on the rest of her.
Temptation (Club Destiny) Page 4