“I’ve known Kai for a long time, spent a lot of time in this house, but that door has always been locked. I have no idea what it is.” Lincoln said softly.
“It’s my playroom.”
Roxie frowned, suspecting she knew exactly what kind of room it was, but Lincoln just looked puzzled.
“A what?” He asked and looked down at Roxie.
“A playroom. I think he means his sex dungeon.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him suggestively and grinned.
“Oh. Shit. Never mind. Sorry.” Kai turned around, a little green around the gills. “Excuse me.”
“Uh oh.” Roxie laughed as Kai ran away. “What now?”
“I guess we go back downstairs?” Lincoln offered but Roxie shook her head.
He’d spent two weeks teasing her, torturing her and she’d seen how uncomfortable he looked when she mentioned a sex dungeon. This was her chance at payback.
“No, I don’t think so. I want to see this room.” She muttered as she pulled two bobby pins out of her hair and headed for the padlock.
It wasn’t anything special, Lincoln probably could have broken it with a good tug she thought, but it was more fun this way. She dug around in the mechanism with the two pins until she got the feel she wanted and smiled when the lock popped open.
“And we’re in.” She smiled as she opened the door and reached in to find the light.
It wasn’t a bright light, but that was alright. They could clearly see what Kai had displayed around the room. A massage table with straps, sex toys on shelves, ranging from dildos to breast clamps and ball gags. It was a room full of a rich man’s sex toys and Roxie had to smile in appreciation. It was all clean, of good quality, and all of it made Lincoln uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?” She couldn’t help the teasing tilt to her eyebrows or her lips when she looked at him.
“Nothing.” He waved at all the stuff in the room. “I think I’ve only ever seen most of this in porn movies.”
“Haven’t you ever been in a sex shop? We have a few here you know.” She replied with a teasing note, picking up a huge dildo that she showed to him. “Haven’t you ever played with a girlfriend?”
This was her world, a world she was familiar with, that she was an expert in, and they both knew it.
“I’m uh, sorry, I’ve been too busy to really explore this kind of stuff.” He waved at the dildo in her hands and she looked at him with curiosity.
“Really? You know what I did at Elmo’s right?” She asked breathily, smiling up at him. “That I wasn’t just a dancer?”
“I figured that. Dylan told me a little bit about the place, that some wild stuff went on there.” Lincoln mumbled and looked away.
Had her big bad boss just gone shy on her? Roxie wanted to laugh but she knew he’d just storm off if she did, so she swallowed it.
“I’m not a prostitute, well, I wasn’t. I was a kept woman, yes, but I wasn’t a prostitute.” She felt the need to point that out. “It was on my terms, though, all of it.”
“It sounds like a fair deal.” He responded quickly, as if he was eager to get the conversation over with.
She moved closer to him, the dildo still in her hands, and looked up at him. “I made men beg for a chance to so much as kiss my shoes.”
She put her hand against his chest and leaned into his body as she spoke in a whisper, her eyes daring him to take a chance. She wasn’t sure why she was trying to seduce him, as payback for the asshole he’d been maybe, but was that all?
Lincoln swallowed and his jaw moved as he looked back down at her, his gaze hungry and full of need in an instant. She saw his eyes move a fraction of an inch as he looked into both of her eyes, down at her lips, then back up. Roxie could feel the heat coming from his body, even though he wore a white t-shirt and dark blue shorts. She could smell the scent of his cologne and soap, his male scent beneath all that, and hunger flared into life.
“Lolly.” He whispered as he reached up for her face, but she stepped back.
That nickname was like a cold bucket of water and she moved even further away from him. “No, don’t call me Lolly, either. She’s as dead as Chloe is. And I still hate you, for the record.”
She could feel the hurt burning in her eyes but hoped it came out as the hate she told him she felt. But it was a lie, as it had always been, and she knew it.
“I’m sorry, Roxie. It slipped out.” He said, quickly moving towards her, but she stepped out of the room. “But thank you, your highness.”
She couldn’t help the glimpse of a smile that flashed over her face when he reminded her, he used to call her princess, too. Maybe it wasn’t all bad.
“I think it’s time for me to go home, Lincoln.” She handed him the dildo in her hands and walked down the stairs. “I have a boyfriend to go home to.”
It was a stark reminder to them both that Roxie wasn’t free, not really. Even if that boyfriend had disappeared on her completely. Again. Which was another reminder of something else she’d forgotten lately.
Men were a dime a dozen. She’d learned that over the years. She’d had a lot of experience with sex, on her own terms, but she’d let Nathan do something she’d promised she wouldn’t allow a man to do. Turn her into a doormat. Well, almost.
“I’ll see you, Monday, Link.” She shot over her shoulder as she put her flip flops on, grabbed her bag, phone, and keys, and headed for the door.
“You don’t want to have another drink? More food, maybe? We could heat it back up.” He asked and looked kind of sad that she was leaving.
She smiled at him over her shoulder and shook her head. “No, I really need to get back home.”
“Alright, see you Monday.” He nodded and shrugged. “Thanks for coming over.”
“You’re welcome.” She responded and left before she changed her mind.
Lincoln was a complication, a major one.
She hadn’t forgotten him over the years, she never could. But she’d moved on, built a life for herself, left the past behind. When he found her, he’d brought an assload of fear, guilt, and worry with him, though he may not have realized it. The last couple of weeks, working with him had been hard, not just because of that though. She’d been mortified to learn that her body still remembered him, still wanted to dream about him in all kinds of situations.
Okay, she admitted to herself, in all kinds of positions. That was one of the reasons she was so damn grouchy. It had been months since she’d had sex and those dreams were so vivid she barely wanted to wake up. She wanted to stay there with Lincoln, in a sensual land where nothing existed but pleasure.
Which was better than the nightmares but made her just as restless. That wasn’t good because she had to go to work for the man. And that was Nathan’s fault too. She almost wished she’d never set eyes on the guy now; he’d caused her so many problems.
She didn’t know what would happen when, if, she saw him again, but she’d have to put her foot down one way or the other. He’d either have to face up to what he’d done, or she was through with him, alone or not. She’d almost loved him, she was sure of it, but he’d thrown it away for what? Gambling? Drugs? Was she worth so little to him?
Her head was nearly splitting in two by the time she got home a little while later. She thought about calling Kitty and River but knew they were probably both busy. River had her sex-mad couple and Kitty worked the late shifts at the strip club. Wendy was busy at work, as well, and Emily was probably doing something kinky with Dylan. Or busy with some other family stuff.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she took a couple of Tylenol, picked up a book, and tried to relax. She ended up throwing the book at the bedroom wall and went out for a ride on her bike instead. She couldn’t get Lincoln off her mind, the way his face had drawn so close to hers until she could almost feel his lips on hers replayed over and over in her memory.
She’d wanted him to kiss her. Wanted him to throw her down on that massage table and find out exactly what thos
e toys could wring out of her, wanted it badly, but he’d called her Lolly. It was something all the kids at Dr. Bennet’s house had called her at some point. Even her own parents had started to call her that from time to time and that sweetly whispered name had been brutal to hear again.
Instead of crying, she rode her bike out to the nearest beach, locked it up, and went to walk in the surf barefoot. She didn’t care about jellyfish or stepping on shells hidden in the darkness, not when she felt as if she was about to crawl out of her own skin. Other, older memories threatened to emerge, but she let the wind blow them away, let it blow away her tears, as she faced the ocean with sad eyes.
The sky was black, a storm was in the air, but she didn’t care. The ocean had become a sort of refuge to her, and she found solace there now. She wasn’t dancing anymore so this was the last place left for her. But she had danced that night, she remembered with a twist in her guts. She’d danced for Lincoln, she’d danced ballet.
Holy fucking shit, what was he doing to her?
She wanted to scream, to pour all her stress into that scream, and let it all out, but she didn’t know if anyone was around. She didn’t want to freak anyone out, so she held it in and let the tears stream down her face.
Alone as usual, as she’d preferred it before Nathan came along, she stared out into the ocean and let herself cry. Really cry for the first time in a long time. Sobs tore from her as she remembered her mother’s caring smile, a smile that tilted up higher at one corner. She sank down into the sand as she remembered the way her father used to hug her close, as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him. Even as a child, she’d known that thing was really her mother, but she knew she came next because of his bear hugs.
The others played in her mind; June, Liam, Dr. Bennet. And another face, one she quickly pushed away. So many memories, so much pain, how was she supposed to bear it all? And do it alone, again?
Damn him, she thought as Lincoln’s face came to mind once more. Damn him for bringing her past back to life. Damn him for reminding her of what it was like to feel love, even if it had only been for a few hours, decades ago.
She turned away from the ocean a short while later, her mind still a jumble but her headache gone. She wanted a few tacos and some sleep. She had one more day off before she had to face him again and something told her she’d need that rest.
11
Lincoln
A week had passed since he’d called Roxie to bring him Chinese food. A week where his dreams plagued him with memories of her exotic dancing, performing ballet, and the gleam in her eye when they broke into Kai’s playroom. He’d been curious about that room for a long time, but Kai had always kept it a secret.
Now he knew and the fact that he’d almost kissed her in that room stayed with him. He couldn’t get that room out of his waking thoughts. He couldn’t stop imagining the things they might do in that room. Which made the hunt for a suitable home of his own in Myrtle Beach even more urgent. He thought there might be a chance that Roxie was the woman he wanted to explore the world of sex with.
Rather, he knew that’s what he wanted, but was it what she wanted?
She had pulled away from that kiss only because he’d called her Lolly. What might have happened if he’d kept that word out of his mouth?
The possibilities were vast, and he hoped there’d be some chance of exploring that moment further when she showed up to work on Monday. She’d been professional as always and hadn’t given him a moment where he could broach the subject properly. She had a wall around her that he thought he might not be able to break through.
If he needed evidence of what her life had been like since she left New York all those years ago, he’d seen it when she picked that padlock. The girl that had been Chloe would have never dreamed about doing such a thing. She certainly wouldn’t have known how to do it. This Chloe, this Roxie, was someone different entirely.
He’d seen glimmers of the girl he used to know when she’d started to dance around Kai’s house, as graceful and beautiful as ever as she went through the ballet routine. That dance had been a part of her life that she couldn’t forget, even if she’d put the dream of being in a famous ballet company away.
He turned his thoughts to his phone as it buzzed an alert at him. He saw an email from one of the local real estate agents and opened it. The property was a beach house that he wanted from the moment he saw it. Set back on a private plot of land, fenced off and protected, the house was perfect, near the sea but not so close that hurricanes would wash it away, but close enough to see the storms as they came in.
He didn’t care about bedrooms or a pool, he just wanted something he could relax in at the end of the day, and this was it. The house came with modern, state-of-the-art appliances in the kitchen and laundry room, but there was no furniture in any of the bedrooms or other rooms.
He sent a reply to the agent and then called Roxie.
“Hey, what’s up?” She asked as soon as she answered the phone.
“I want you to come with me to look at a house the agent sent to me. Can I pick you up?” He didn’t even ask if she was busy because he expected her to drop whatever she was doing for him. That was the deal they’d made.
“Sure, I guess. I’ve got a friend over, but we can totally change our plans for you.” He could hear the sarcasm but instead of making him angry, it made him smile. He loved that sarcasm, even if it drove him crazy.
“Good, see you soon.” He left Kai’s house and drove over to pick up Roxie. She came out in a white linen dress with a square neck and strappy ties at her shoulders. On her feet were a pair of flat sandals and she looked…relaxed. “Hey.”
“Hi. So, where’s this house? I didn’t get an alert.” She waved her phone at him once she’d fastened her seat belt and he put the car in gear.
“Yeah, this is a different agent.” He went on to describe the house and told her where it was. He glanced over to see her nod and purse her lips. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing, that’s just an area I don’t go to unless it’s for a private gig. Too many rich folks.” She shrugged and looked out of her window as he continued to drive. “It’s a nice area.”
He noticed she’d lost most of her New York accent, except for when she was upset, and had picked up a lot of the lingo of the locals. He liked the drawl to her voice now and the way she talked. He followed her directions and they were soon at the house, sitting in the concrete driveway waiting on the agent who had the keys.
“How are you doing, Roxie?” He asked to break the silence.
“I’m alright, Lincoln.” She replied quickly. Too quickly. “Just trying to get by you know?”
“I do, yeah.” He nodded, but he knew he really had no clue about her life. He knew what he’d learned from probing her and Dylan too, what he could glean from information about Elmo’s, and what he’d learned from Emily when he went to dinner last Wednesday at her and Dylan’s house. That still wasn’t much, though.
She was involved in charity work, tried to help women caught in the never-ending cycle of drugs and the sex industry, did what she had to in order to make ends meet, and was generally a good person. Emily admired Roxie because she was fearless and strong, and he respected that.
He was about to broach another subject when the real estate agent finally pulled up. “She’s here.”
“Awesome,” Roxie said with a blithe drawl and got out of the car. He noticed how the sunlight caught the deeper purple shades near the bottom of her hair, tied up in a ponytail, and smiled. She was definitely fearless.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Young, how are you? I’m Grace Blackmore.”The gray-haired woman said with a smile wreathed in lines that his mother would say showed wisdom. But not too much wisdom because there were injections for those kinds of lines now.
Lincoln smiled because he knew that was exactly what his mother would say and took the woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Shall we take a look?”
“Of
course. Now, this is an older house, from the early 1900s, and has stood the test of time. It’s been updated so it has the modern conveniences, but the sturdy frame of a much older home.” The woman walked them to the back of the house, so they could see just how close the ocean was, Lincoln was sure.
The house was brick and wood, definitely made to last. A deck ran along the first floor of the house, hidden by a wooden privacy fence. The gate stood open, and Lincoln decided he’d replace that with a sturdier fence once he bought it. He smiled because he’d already decided this was the place for him. He didn’t know if he’d ever have the family to fill all of the rooms, but he had friends and family that would love staying here for a break. It would also be a good place to bring clients if he ended up staying down here for a while.
That was still up for debate, but so far, he loved the area, what it had to offer, and it brought him closer to Roxie. That was impetus enough for the moment.
“I’ll take it.” He said the moment he walked into the huge kitchen.
“Oh, but let me show you the place first.” The real estate agent protested with a laugh as she turned back to him.
“It’s alright, I’ll have a look in a little while. Can we get the paperwork started today?” He looked at her without blinking and saw her eyes widen.
“I can call the owners and yes, we can get it started.”
“Good. Why don’t you do that, and we’ll have a look around.” He waited until she nodded again and looked over at Roxie. “Want to take a look with me?”
“Sure,” Roxie answered and turned to walk through one of the three doors in the kitchen.
That door took them to a room with polished wood floors and a huge picture window. A window seat had been built beneath the window and Lincoln saw how it drew Roxie right away.
“Oh, I love this.” She said and took a seat to look out at the gentle waves surging up the shoreline.
“It’s perfect, isn’t it?” He wasn’t in a rush, he liked how she looked right at home at a window that would soon be his.
Dancing With Lies (Barre To Bar Book 1) Page 11