Dusted Star

by Avery Gale

  “Oh, God in heaven, I’ve missed this place. It’s like school, you know? You go every damned day, and nothing happens—not ever. But miss one day and all hell breaks loose, and you’re left playing catch-up on the gossip for the rest of the quarter.”

  Lakyn stood and stared at Mia as she wiped the tears of laughter trailing down her green smudged cheeks. The door of the elevator opened, but Mia halted Lakyn’s progress, holding the door open with her other hand.

  “I’m sorry. I’m punchy and that hit me funny for reasons you’ll soon understand, but you need to trust me, Tobi West is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Her reaction was more likely because she knew she was busted. God only knows why she didn’t know Micah and his merry band of computer hackers weren’t tracking all her online chatting. Geez, the woman is amazing, but she’s also a trouble magnet like no one you’ve ever met.”

  Mia’s expression had softened to the point it was easy to see she both admired and liked Tobi West. Lakyn took a deep breath and let some of the hesitance she’d felt about staying at the Prairie Winds Club fade away.

  “All I’m asking is that you reserve judgment because I promise you, she is beating herself up right now for making you feel unwelcome. If there is one thing I’ve learned living in Texas, it’s how seriously these people take hospitality. I’m convinced it’s a part of their DNA.”

  Lakyn found herself giggling despite the insanity that had decided to take over her life. If her brother would just come back home, things would be better. Cooper had a way of normalizing everything, and she missed him so much, her heart hurt. She’d tried calling all of his usual contact numbers, but no one had seemed remotely interested in tracking him down, just because his sister claimed she needed to talk to him.

  The last time he’d re-enlisted, she’d put up a fierce battle, trying to discourage it but ultimately lost. Lakyn knew he was, once again, giving it careful consideration. She was determined to see him out of harm’s way even if she had to hire him as her own personal security. There was no question he’d be the best, his training and personal stake alone assured her of that much. But he’d also micromanage her as if she was still the toddler he’d found at the bottom of the ravine rather than the capable adult she’d grown into.

  “Come on, you look beat, and I can see your mind is wandering. I recognize that look all too well.” Mia led her to the guest suite of the massive apartment she shared at the top of the club. From what little Lakyn had seen, the entire place was magnificent, and she was shocked at the elegance surrounding her.

  “Damn, this place is amazing, especially since we’re at the top of a sex club.”

  “Prairie Winds is so much more than just a sex club. You’re going to love it here, and whatever it is that sent you running from the city can’t get you here.” Mia waved her into a bathroom worthy of most of the five-star hotels Lakyn had stayed in. “I’ll bring you something to wear and leave it on the counter, so don’t lock the door. When you’re ready, we’ll meet in the kitchen and find us something to eat.”

  Without another word, Mia disappeared out the door. When she turned to the mirror, Lakyn gave a startled yelp. Her face was so dirty, she barely recognized herself, and her hair looked like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket. The dark circles beneath her eyes made her look like she hadn’t slept in a week which wasn’t too far from the truth. Fucking hell, I look like Uncle Fester’s evil sister.

  Stripping quickly, she didn’t waste any time hitting the shower. It was enormous and beautiful, but Lakyn barely registered her surroundings, preferring to lean against the cool marble wall and let the hot water sluice over her. The massaging jets pounded the top layer of knots from her muscles, causing her to groan so loud, the sound bounced off the walls surrounding her.

  It took a substantial amount of shampoo and concentrated effort to get her hair clean. Rolling her eyes, Lakyn wondered what her stylist would say if she could see her using a product that hadn’t been specially formulated for her hair. Personally, Lakyn still suspected that whole thing was a ruse, and the hundred dollars an ounce shampoo the salon used was being delivered through the backdoor by a camouflaged Dollar General truck.

  No matter how much money she earned, Lakyn had never been able to understand the pretenses and nonsense that accompanied having her picture taken and pretending to be someone else. Yeah, real glad I spent all those late nights studying for my degree. Cooper had insisted she get a college degree despite the obvious security and attendance issues. It had taken too damned long even with all the life experience credit she’d gotten, but she’d finally finished her MBA a year ago.

  She wasn’t going to admit it to her pushy brother, but the business knowledge she’d gained had already repaid her tuition several times over. She’d renegotiated several contracts and made investments that were already earning her substantial returns. Lakyn had recently renegotiated her manager’s contract again and suspected that was a large part of the reason he seemed to be essentially ignoring the problems she’d been having. Once he found out her brother wasn’t going to be available to show up unannounced, Reggie had been much too content to sit back and let her do his work.

  Lakyn might be a celebrity, but she’d always prided herself on maintaining a strong work ethic. She had little tolerance for laziness, and she damned well didn’t intend to fund it. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself away from the wall. Without opening her eyes, reached for the small bottle of scented body gel she’d chosen from the basket of goodies on the counter and let out a startled scream that reverberated all around her when a warm hand grasped her wrist.

  “Be still, Cariña. It’s just me. I’m here to help. You were in here so long, we became concerned.” Juan’s smooth, deep voice washed over her like a soft breeze, and her skin tingled as her nipples tightened into stiff peaks. She knew he hadn’t missed her reaction when his eyes blazed with heat as they took in her physical response, but he didn’t comment. Pouring the exotic smelling gel onto a soft cloth, he started at the top of her shoulders, scrubbing gently.

  His touch wasn’t overtly sexual, but it was far from clinical. Moving from her shoulders down her back, she groaned as his fingers applied pressure to the tight muscles, kneading the knots until they melted, and she swayed on her feet.

  “Put your hands on the wall, baby. I don’t want you to fall.” It was a good thing she’d braced herself because when he smoothed the soapy cloth over the globes of her ass, her body responded in a whole new way.

  “I can smell your arousal, Cariña. I can hardly wait to taste your sweet cream, but the first time we make love to you, we want you well rested, so you enjoy each touch,” he gave her ass cheeks each a firm squeeze, “and each kiss,” he leaned close, pressing his warm lips against the sensitized skin covering her rear, “as much as possible.”

  Continuing on, he washed the backs of her legs before turning her and reversing his earlier path. When he reached the top of her thighs, he gave the inside a quick tap, and she instinctively moved her legs apart at his unspoken signal.

  “More, Cariña, don’t be shy. I plan to explore every inch of your beautiful body.” She moved her legs further apart, bracing herself as he replaced the cloth with his fingers.

  “You’re so slick, Cariña, it’s a siren’s call to a sexual Dominant, you know. It fills the heart with joy to know the submissive in our care desires our touch, our mastery.” Her hips flexed forward of their own volition, and she moaned when he moved his hands up to her lower abdomen. “Not yet, baby—but soon.”

  Lakyn wanted to demand relief, but she knew he was right, she was much too tired to fully enjoy anything, and a good orgasm might well send her into a coma.

  By the time he’d finished, her breasts were tingling and her nipples so sensitive, she was once again unsteady on her feet. She felt him lean past her, and a moment later Lakyn was blasted with cold water. She gasped and nearly fell in her mad scramble to move away from the frigid water. Re-energize
d when he finally turned the water off, she gave him a rueful, shivering smile when she noticed he was wearing a pair of low slung boxers.

  “I feel underdressed for this party.” He shook his head and gave her a tender look.

  “No, you are dressed perfectly. Believe me, I have nothing but appreciation for your present attire.” The heat in his eyes warmed her when it flared in his dark eyes and a muscle in his jaw ticked. It gave her an appreciation for the control he was exhibiting. It was empowering to know he wanted her, but it made her feel safe knowing he was willing to hold back.

  “I didn’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than was strictly necessary, but Cariña, the look of hunger in your eyes is testing my resolve to keep this encounter from drifting to something far more physically taxing, and I know you are not ready. So, it’s time to get out of here before I embarrass myself. Come.”

  After leading her out of the shower, he wrapped her in a towel from the warmer, and Lakyn didn’t protest when he began drying her. She’d read enough erotic romance novels and laughed at enough of Tobi’s stories to know it would be a wasted effort. One of the biggest draws of the lifestyle, at least for her, was knowing she could step aside and let someone else take control even if it was just for a short while. She didn’t want to hand over control in all areas of her life, but it would be nice to have a break every now and again.

  Lakyn had been living alone for so long, there were times she worried her window of opportunity to learn how to live with someone else was slipping through her fingers. She wasn’t getting any younger, and even she knew her modeling career wasn’t going to last forever. Acting would allow her to work a little longer, but it would get harder and harder for her to find great roles in the future. The last thing she wanted was to end up alone.

  Everyone believed Lakyn had started acting because she loved performing, but that wasn’t true. She’d done it for one reason and one reason only… the money. She didn’t crave the attention, she craved financial security. She still found it remarkable what studio executives were willing to pay her to play dress up and pretend to be someone else. Honestly, the entire process reminded her of the games most children outgrew shortly after they started school.

  She made an obscene amount of money doing nothing more than having her picture taken and memorizing lines. Lakyn believed in living very conservatively, so her financial future was very close to being locked down. No matter how busy she managed to keep herself, there always seemed to be something missing, and it wasn’t until she read her first erotic romance that she’d been able to identify what it was. The first book had awakened something inside her, unlike any book she’d ever read… it had been as if the author had crawled inside her head and taken copious notes before penning the story.

  Squeezing her eyes shut to hold back the flood of emotion, Lakyn pulled in several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. The connection she’d felt reading Keme Meadows’ books shocked her. Lakyn wasn’t a virgin, but the two lovers she’d had several years ago hadn’t been any more experienced than she was, and her only two sexual encounters had been woefully unimpressive. By the time she turned twenty, Lakyn had decided a vibrator was a better bet and given up looking for a man who could give her an orgasm.

  Meeting Tobi online while trying to contact her favorite author had been a fluke. Tobi had been working on links between Keme’s website and several kink clubs around the country when she happened to see Lakyn’s posted question pop up on the screen. There’s no such thing as coincidence. Tobi’s words kept playing through her mind, and Lakyn told herself their unlikely meeting had to mean something more.

  I sure hope Mia’s right about Tobi, and Keme’s right about the sex…

  Chapter Four

  Juan listened as Lakyn talked quietly to herself. He tried to fit together the bits and pieces she murmured loud enough for him to hear, but he was coming up with more questions than answers.

  He’d been downstairs, standing beside Tucker in Kent and Kyle’s office, listening to Kyle explain what little they knew about Lakyn Hicks when the other man’s phone vibrated with an incoming text. Mia said Lakyn had been in the shower for so long, she was concerned she might have fallen, but she was uneasy about invading her friend’s privacy.

  Tucker turned the phone for him to read the message, and Juan quietly slipped out of the meeting and made his way upstairs to check on her himself. Seeing her leaning against the marble wall with her eyes closed as the water cascaded over her bare back and perfectly curved ass, his first thought was she’d fallen asleep, standing up. Stripping down to his boxers, he’d stepped silently into the large enclosure.

  He knew he’d startled her and assumed her muted reaction was more likely a testament to her exhaustion than a sign of trust. Feeling her melt beneath his touch as he’d smoothed the soapy cloth over her perfect skin tested his control in ways he hadn’t been challenged in years. He managed to keep his cock from claiming too much of his blood flow until he’d seen the desire in her eyes. Christ in heaven, those eyes were going to be the death of him. The banked heat lurking behind the various shades of blue sent a bolt of searing heat from his very core.

  There was no question Lakyn Hicks was a beautiful woman. Hell, her face was one of the most recognized in the world, but he suspected few people saw the vulnerability hidden behind the physical perfection. Juan had spent years studying women. He loved the purity of their reactions, especially in those rare moments when they weren’t trying to be strong for someone else. He was committed to understanding the correlation between a certain touch and the corresponding response. He loved watching every nuance of their body language as he tried to unravel the mysterious interplay between a submissive’s mind and body. Being able to identify subtle changes and interpret even the most elusive signal was the very foundation of BDSM play, in his opinion.

  The woman catching fire beneath his touch was inexperienced, and that was a strangely satisfying realization. Since joining the Prairie Winds team, he and Trac had worked personal security for several celebrities, and one of the things that had surprised him the most was how isolated most of their clients felt. The same layers of security insulating them from danger also cut them off from the everyday interactions and experiences the rest of us take for granted. Looking at Lakyn, he wondered now how much she craved normalcy.

  Trac loved being in control, it fed his sexual attraction, but Juan was different. For him, the real allure of the D/s kink was as a tool… a means to an end. He didn’t care about being in control unless it met the woman’s needs.

  Juan was the first to admit he was a romantic, a throwback to a time when a woman’s gender was something to celebrate rather than defend. Was he old-fashioned? Absolutely. He was also unapologetic about his views—what would be the point? There was no shame in loving women and recognizing them for the wondrous creatures they were.

  He wasn’t sure what Mia had told Lakyn about Tobi, but he could assure her, it was accurate. In the short time he’d known Mia Mendez, he’d found her to be as open and honest as she first appeared. For a young woman who had been raised in such a privileged environment, she was remarkably down to earth, so he knew anything she’d told Lakyn would be true. Juan also knew Mia and Tobi had become friends, so the Colombian beauty had likely used that angle as well.

  Wrapping her in a large towel, Juan realized for the first time how petite she was. Aren’t models usually statuesque? Blotting the moisture from the long waves of her chestnut hair, she moaned softly, leaning back into his touch, and he felt another surge of blood abandon his brain and rush to his cock. Thank God he’d replaced his wet boxers with jeans as soon as he’d helped her out of the shower.

  “Come.” Grasping her hand, Juan led her into the sitting area in the bedroom and settled her on one of the low hassocks. Grabbing the remote, he switched on the fireplace and pulled a wide-toothed comb from his back pocket. “Rest your eyes for a couple of minutes, sweetheart.”

  “I ca
n comb my own hair, you know. I’m tired, not helpless.” He didn’t bother to respond for several seconds, letting the silence stretch out between them. Her petulant tone reminded him of his sweet nieces when they were overtired and cranky.

  “I know you can, but I’m enjoying touching you, and it would be rude to deny me the privilege after I stopped and pulled you out of the dust storm, don’t you think?”

  “Oh, you’re good. I’ll bet you can charm ladies out of their panties without breaking a sweat.” For the first time, he heard a bit of amusement in her tone, and it warmed him to know she was relaxing enough to find her sense of humor.

  “I’m scandalized by your presumption. I’ll have you know my sisters consider me almost housebroken. They’ve spent years trying to civilize me, and despite their somewhat unorthodox and often painful teaching methods, they are proud of their success—although I will admit, they still consider me a work in progress.”

  He started combing at the bottom of her hair and slowly worked his way higher. The process was relatively painless since he’d been careful to finger comb the long strands several times while shampooing and conditioning.

  “You have beautiful hair, Cariña. I’m looking forward to watching the firelight dance over the tapestry of color as it dries.” I’m also anxious to see what it looks like fanned out over my thighs as you suck me dry or the way the breeze lifts it when Trac and I fuck you outside under the stars.

  “Who’s dancing in the firelight? Please tell me it’s Lakyn, and she’ll be naked. Beautiful. Naked. Woman. Firelight. A lot to love there,” Trac’s voice sounded from beside them. His friend’s sudden appearance shouldn’t have surprised Juan, but he’d become lost in the moment and hadn’t checked the time.