by Sasha White
She was beautiful.
The woman was wearing the most basic clothes. Low slung faded jeans with rips in the knees, and a white ribbed cotton wife-beater tank top. Dark hair, with a tinge of red under the lights, was pulled back in a ponytail, which gave him a clear view of her features. Fair skin, dark brows, dark eyes, and full luscious lips that, even from a distance, made his cock wake up and say hello.
Kane’s blood heated as he watched her take the paddle from the guy’s hand, step behind the naked girl and swing it.
Three times in smooth even strokes, each swat landing on the girls rump at a different angle. She handed the paddle back to the man in leather then smoothed her bare hand over the girls flaming ass cheeks, talking to him the whole time.
She was teaching him how to spank that girl!
Blood raced south and Kane forced himself to think about hockey stats for a minute. It had been too long since he’d had a good fuck and his body suddenly made him very aware of it.
The women in jeans talked softly to the guy as her touch soothed the girl bent over the wooden horse. She leaned forward, placed a soft kiss at the base of the girl’s neck and moved back.
Fighting to get his hormones under control Kane watched her step down off the stage, and sashay straight toward him.
“I’m Vanessa Lawson, Officer.” Her husky voice sent a shiver down Kane’s spine as she held out a pale hand with short clear nails, no jewelry. No wedding ring. “I run The O Club. What can I do for you?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Oooh, he’s a cute one.
Vanessa gave herself a mental head slap and ignored the heat that swept over her as she shook hands with the cop. Rein in your libido, girl. A cop is not the type of playmate you want.
She cocked her head to the side and looked over the man in front of her. With only a few inches on her five-eight frame, she placed him at about five-eleven. Not real tall, but she could tell he had a great body beneath that suit.
Wide shoulders filled out the jacket, a firm chest and flat stomach under a cotton button up shirt, and the way his pants draped made it obvious he was in prime physical shape. It also made it obvious he was… interested in what had been happening on the stage. The fact that he didn’t try to hide the slight lift to his zipper, despite his very ‘man-in-charge’ demeanor, gave him major points in her book.
It might be kinda fun to see exactly how he would react to not being in charge.
“I’m Detective Kane Michaels, Miss Lawson. I was hoping to speak to the club’s owner. Is he in?”
“She leaves the running of the place to me, so if whatever brings you here has to do with the club, then it’s me you want.”
He nodded and ran his eyes over her figure. The heat of that gaze washed over her she fought the urge to prop her hands on her hips and thrust out her breasts. She knew she didn’t look like a typical bar manager. With no make-up on, she looked even younger than she was. Between that, and her naturally cocky attitude, most men… hell, most people underestimated her.
Normally that was a good thing; it gave her an advantage over them, but for some reason it nettled with this guy. She wanted him to see her for the strong, smart, woman she was.
Weird.
“Nessa!” Rob called from behind the bar. “O is on the phone, you want me to take a message?”
She glanced over her shoulder at the new bartender and smiled. He was a cutie, and so eager to please. She liked that in a man.
“Please do, Sweetie. I’ll call her back in a little bit.” Nessa waved J.J. over before leading the silent cop to a couple of low chairs and a table. “Let’s have a seat shall we, Detective?”
The waitress arrived just as they sat down. “What can I get for you tonight?”
J.J. gave him the flirtatious eye-fuck that left most men either crossing their legs, or drooling, and Vanessa was glad to see that Detective Michaels didn;t even blink before asking for a soda with lime. J.J. left to fill their order with hips swinging and he didn’t even glance at the girls curved butt in her leather short shorts.
Controlled was one thing, but the server’s uniforms weren’t exactly sedate, and it was the first time she’d seen a straight man not react to them. Maybe he was gay? Lord, she hoped not.
“How can I help you, Detective?”
“I’m looking for someone, a woman that’s experienced with bondage, and I was told that I might find her here.”
Vanessa’s pulse jumped and her eyebrows shot upwards. She didn’t bother to hide her surprise, but instead, deliberately gave him a reason for it. “Are you asking me to pimp for you?”
“What? No!” A slight flush crept up his neck, and a small kick of pleasure ran through her. Before he could speak again J.J. was back. She set a wine glass in front of Vanessa and turned to set the soda down.
Nessa watched as the waitress flashed him a good deal of the cleavage bulging over her black leather bustier and gave him a wink. He didn’t respond to the flirting and when she stood up, she met Vanessa’s gaze and shrugged as she sauntered away, hips swaying.
“As I was saying,” he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at her earnestly. “I’m looking for a woman that’s into bondage, Shibari to be exact. It’s not personal, it’s strictly for a case.”
Vanessa’s insides clenched in a disappointment, then a surge of adrenaline whipped through her. A case, he was working a case. And she bet she knew exactly which one it was.
Well, her Dad had always said a good defense was a strong offense.
“That’s too bad, Detective. I’ve a bit of experience with it myself and for a minute there I was imagining just how hot you would look restrained and awaiting my pleasure.” She eyed his sedate suit and tie getup, not bothering to hide the way her gaze lingered on the fabric stretched taut over his muscled thighs.
Heat flared in his gaze, but his expression remained blank. Oooh, a reaction!
Nessa’s pleasure at his response was short lived when he said, “I just need a list of names of any female customers that are into that sort of stuff. Anyone who comes to mind that is particularly good with any type of rope or restraint, and, might not have a great fondness for arrogant men.”
“I’m sorry detective, but many people who live an alternative sexual lifestyle tend to keep it private, and as manager of this club, I respect that.” She set her drink down and stood up, hinting that the conversation was over. It was almost time to open the doors and she still had things to set up.
“Surely they’re not that secretive if they hang out it clubs like this?” He stood up as he spoke and remained close enough to Vanessa that she had to fight the urge to touch him.
What the hell was wrong with her? This man was trouble, serious trouble, and all she could think about was stripping the suit off and exploring the treasures beneath.
It really didn’t help that there was an answering awareness in his own intent gaze. He felt the pull between them too.
Self-preservation told her to ignore it.
“Some people wear masks to either hide their identity, or enhance the experience. Or both.”
“Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Wear a mask when the club is open, or when you’re playing?”
She swallowed the sudden wave of melancholy that hit her. “We all wear masks, Detective. Some are just much harder to spot than others.”
She met his gaze and tried not to think about her own secret identity. It was time to shift the direction of this conversation. “Actually, with the exception of our monthly “members only” nights, like tonight, The O Club is open to the public. Most of the nightly crowd isn’t really so into bondage enough that they’d even know what Shibari is. They just like to play at it. To pretend they’re more adventurous than they really are.”
She’d meant to leave it at that, but when his intense gaze met hers, her mouth opened and words just kept tumbling out. “Of course, if you’re really serious about finding
this woman, I might be able to help you out.”
There was no ignoring the thrill that went through her at the way his eyes heated when he glanced at her cleavage. “Oh, I’m very serious about it.”
Nope. Definitely not gay.
A fire started low in Vanessa’s belly. She licked her lips and let a taunting smile creep across her face. “Serious enough to embark on a little adventure of your own?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Adventurous. I’ll show her adventurous.
Kane watched her hips twitch as she walked away and wondered what the hell he’d just agreed too. Letting himself get goaded into doing something, anything, wasn’t his usual style. He was no slouch when it came to action, but he wasn’t normally so impetuous. All he’d wanted was a list of names.
Only the owner wasn’t there. Vanessa Lawson was. And an invite to the private ‘members only’ party that night really was better than a list of names. Yet, somehow, he still felt that in the space of a ten-minute interview, that woman had chased him off-script in a big way.
Kane sat in his car and watched the entrance to the club. Since it had looked like it was going to be a long might, he’d left the club to grab a bite to eat, now it was just before ten pm and he was hesitating.
He should be in there, but the need to center himself, to remind himself exactly why he was going in there was strong. He wasn’t going in there to flirt with a sexy woman, or to get laid. He was going in there on the hunt for a thief. A woman who manipulated men with the promise of sex to get into their houses, and into their safes. He thought about calling Jack. It might be good for another cop to know what was going down, and Jack was a friend, he’d back him up.
But Kane never reached for his phone. Instead, he popped another candy into his mouth, and left his car to continue the hunt.
The security at the door recognized him and he saw the guy radio inside before he was ten feet away. The bouncer stepped aside and held open the door for Kane, and he entered the club.
There were at least sixty people in there now. All dressed, or undressed, to the nines. Some had masks on, some wore next to nothing. Some of the men were shirtless; Kane even saw one that only wore leather chaps with thong underwear underneath. But most were dressed in dark suits or trousers, so he felt pretty good about not standing out.
The women were even more varied. Corsets, dresses, trousers, leather, latex and bare skin. Most had incredibly high heels on that brought the words “fuck me” instantly to mind and Kane was having a hard time not staring. When a man walked by holding a chain leash attached to the diamond studded collar of the woman behind him, Kane realized just how truly different this clientele was from the crowd he’d seen in the other bars.
He stepped deeper into the room and saw Vanessa Lawson through the crowd. And for just a second, Kane lost the ability to breathe.
She’d changed.
Instead of the ripped jeans and tank top of earlier, the young attractive woman was now a devilishly sexy seductress. She had on black high heel boots that went to the knee, a tight leather skirt and a plain white silk blouse that draped lovingly over her curves. She looked like a cross between a high-powered businesswoman and dominatrix Barbie.
Her dark hair flowed down her back in thick waves. That, when she turned her head to look at him, caught fire in the dim lights.
Their eyes locked and Kane forgot about everything but the sexual pull between them. She excused herself from the couple she was talking to and strode toward him. His heart pounded and his gut clenched as his eyes followed the sway of her pert breasts beneath the silk. No way in hell she had a bra on, and he was thankful.
She stopped only inches away from him, leaned forward to brush her cheek against his, and whispered in his ear, “I need to know your name. Introducing you around as Detective Michaels sort of defeats the purpose of this little escapade don’t you think?”
He breathed deep and her scent went straight to his head. Clean and light, with a hint of feminine musk, it made him think of naked bodies writhing together on a sun-dappled bed.
“Kane.” He cleared his throat and spoke softly. “My name is Kane, Vanessa.”
“Nice to meet you, Kane.” Her lips barely moved when she spoke, but he felt the damp heat of her words float over his lips. His fists clenched at his sides to keep from reaching up to cup her head and slant his mouth over hers.
Vanessa looked up at him with dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “Are you ready?”
Was he ever! But somehow, despite the promises he saw in her gaze, he didn’t think she meant ready to bend her over and sink himself in deep. “Ready?”
“To tell me exactly what it is you’re looking for tonight, and why?”
Kane bit back a curse. “I told you what I was looking for,” he said carefully.
Vanessa swayed closer to him, her fingers trailing down his arm, the hard tips of her breasts brushing against him. “If all you’re going to tell me is that you’re looking for a woman familiar with Shibari, then I’m not going to be much help to you. Almost every female in here tonight is familiar with it to a certain extent.” She stepped back and Kane felt the loss of her nearness keenly.
Before he could say anything he shouldn’t about the case, a strident voice interrupted them.
“Well, Miss. Vanessa. Where have you been hiding this one?”
“Marissa, how are you tonight?” Vanessa’s voice was smooth when she greeted the newcomer, but Kane sensed a strong undercurrent there. He pulled his mind out of the bedroom and gave the woman a once over.
“I’m well, thank you.” She replied.
With her hair pulled back in a tight bun to expose her strong features, she was beautiful in a cold meticulous way. Hungry blue eyes ran over him and his stomach roiled in response.
“Kane, this is Mistress DeVartan. Marissa, my guest tonight, Kane.”
“Hello, Kane.” She held out a hand tipped with lethal looking fingernails. “Welcome. Switches don’t usually intrigue me, but you’re very attractive. If you’ve a yen to play, please come see me tonight.”
After he dropped the cold hand and she’d walked away he looked at Vanessa and raised an eyebrow. “Switches?”
“A switch is a person who can be either dominant or submissive in the BDSM world.” She led him to the bar, where he watched a shirtless guy in leather pants, a leather collar, and a cowboy hat, flip a bottle in the air before catching it upside down right over the ice filled glass. “I figured you’d at least have done some research before showing up here tonight.”
He did know what a switch was, but he figured she might tell him more if she thought he was ignorant.
He turned to face the woman next to him and ignored the way his pulse jumped at her nearness. “And she thought I was switch? Just from looking at me?”
“Marissa thinks she knows everything about everyone just from looking at them.” She caught the bartender’s eye before turning to him. A small grimace flashed across her pretty features. “Sorry, there’s just something about that woman that I’ve never liked.”
Kane could understand that. He hadn’t liked her either, and the fact that Vanessa shared his opinion made him feel another link click shut on the connection growing between them.
“What about you?” He asked. “Are you a switch? Or do you prefer to dominate men?”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “Do you really want to find out?”
“What can I get you tonight Miss. Vanessa?” The shirtless bartender leaned against the other side of the bar, interrupting them.
“Apple juice for me, please, Rob. You know how I like it. Kane?”
Kane stopped trying to read the woman in front of him and nodded to the bartender. “Whatever dark beer you’ve got on hand will be fine, thank you.”
The bartender brought the drinks over, a bottle for him and a wine glass for her, and Kane watched his face light up at the smile Vanessa gave him. So he wasn’t the only one affected so strongly by her.<
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She scanned the room and took a sip from her wine glass. Smart move, juice in a wine glass. It looked like she was drinking alcohol, but she wasn’t.
He reached out and took the wine glass from her, setting it on the bar behind her. When he had her full attention he stepped closer. He planted his hands on the edge of the bar on either side of her, invading her personal space and pinning her between his body and the bar.
He watched her pupils dilate and almost groaned when her tiny pink tongue darted out and licked at her luscious bottom lip. When he was close enough to feel her breath panting against his lips he spoke softly, but firmly.
“I think you like to control everything around you. You’re very young in years, but you’re not innocent or naive, by any means. You run this place, and the staff seems to like and respect you. That tells me you know what you’re doing. But I bet when it comes to sex, you’re not into games in the bedroom.” He tilted his head and leaned closer, making sure his lips teased her earlobe with is next words. “I bet when the bedroom door closes you like to be a real woman. All slow and sensuous, and warm and wet for the man lucky enough to see the real you.”
Then he pressed his lips to the baby soft skin behind her ear. He couldn’t stop himself.
He felt the heat of her hand at his waist and his gut tightened. He pressed forward slightly, letting her feel his hard on, letting her know just what she was doing to him. Her fingers dug into his back, and her eyes dropped to his mouth. Kane leaned forward-
“Ahem.”
He froze. Suddenly the throbbing music of the club rushed into his ears and their surroundings slammed back into focus.
“Excuse me, Nessa.” A soft feminine voice sounded behind him. “You’re needed in the backroom.”
Fuck!
He felt her nod once at the girl behind him and he stepped back, aching at the loss of her touch when her hand dropped to her side.