by Eden Summers
She moaned, enjoying the delicious friction of skin against skin. His mouth hot and biting, his undulations smooth and languorous. “I was dreaming about you.”
“Hmm? What was I doing?”
Shay closed her eyes, playing back the scene in her mind. They’d been at the club. Downstairs. In the darkened corner of one of the rooms. She was seated between Leo’s thighs, her back to his chest, her hands on the hard muscle above his knees, while his fingers worked their way into her jeans and under the waistband of her panties.
They were watching a couple on the bed in the center of the room. The man was buff, blond, his face shadowed in the darkness while he fed his cock into an eager woman’s mouth. Their movements were like a dance, melodic, hypnotizing and dream-time-Shay couldn’t contain the slick arousal saturating Leo’s fingers.
Now she wondered if watching another couple would be equally enjoyable in real life. Were her boundaries that easy to break?
“We were at work.”
“In the storeroom? Being with you in there has haunted me for months. It killed me to walk away.”
And to continue walking. She wanted to add. He’d never come back, not emotionally, not until last night anyway.
“No. We were at Vault of Sin. Watching.”
She squeezed her muscles around his shaft and his answering groan sent a shiver down her spine.
“Please tell me you liked it.”
Shay stopped, taking a moment to let the seriousness of his plea sink in. The club was a part of him. A place he would feel incomplete without. Even if he was willing to step away, even temporarily, it wouldn’t change the fact he still yearned to go there.
Slowly, she nodded. “Yes. It was hot as hell.”
He climbed off her, grabbed her hip and flipped her onto her back. She stared wide-eyed as he moved over her again, this time resting against her belly, his gaze narrowing on hers while his cock found its home. He entered her with care, gradually penetrating, letting every inch of him fill her while he watched the pleasure take hold. “What does that mean?”
Her focus waivered as he lowered his lips to her nipple and sucked the hardening peak into his mouth. Tingles ricocheted through her body, and she circled his hips with her thighs, needing more.
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I think my subconscious is willing to see what happens.”
He raised a brow, acknowledging the enormity of her statement. Instead of voicing the happiness she could see curving his lips, he merely moved to the other nipple to pay homage.
“I guess my subconscious is a dirty little whore,” she added, slightly flustered by the ferocity in his eyes.
He chuckled and his puffed breaths brushed the sensitive skin of her breast. “Enjoying sex doesn’t make you a whore.” He thrust inside her, drawing a cry from her throat. “Watching others play doesn’t make you dirty.” His hips plunged harder. “I promise you, Shay, you’ll never be left wanting if you’re with me.”
This time, his cock made her scream in delight.
Leo leaned in, stroking her lips apart with his tongue. “Just give me a chance.”
She nodded, undone by his sincerity, captured by his raw plea. “I’ll try,” she whispered, raising her hips to meet his next slide home.
He burned her with his kiss, smashing his mouth against her with the same ferocity as his hips pounded. He drove her wild, he made her crazy, and all the while she could feel herself slipping more in love with him. With matched aggression, she clenched her thighs around him and dug her nails into the skin of his back.
“Wait.” She broke their kiss, not wanting to come yet. Her pussy was already pulsing in anticipation, her limbs taut. She extended her neck, gasping for air. But he didn’t quit, didn’t stop thrusting into her, driving her pleasure higher. “I said stop. I don’t want to come yet.”
“You’ve got no say in the matter,” he taunted, scraping his teeth up her neck. “I want to feel your pussy milking me. I want to see those pretty brown eyes roll back as you come undone.”
“Leo,” she warned, nudging closer and closer to the precipice with each undulation. Next Saturday was likely to break them, so she had to make now last forever.
“Fall apart for me, Shay.”
His whisper against her ear was too much. She complied, her breathing coming in hard gasps as she tightened around his cock and rode the wave of orgasm. She drowned in the bliss, her hips continually reaching up to meet his thrusts until Leo swore and followed after her.
His lips continued to love her, his hands adoring with their gentle glide across her skin. As his movements came to a halt, her eyelids became droopy and she groaned with the need for sleep.
“You do wonders for a guy’s self-esteem,” he chuckled, sliding from her body.
“I try my best.” She stretched, loving the delicious aches his lovemaking had left in her muscles.
The mattress dipped as he stood and removed the condom from his shaft. He strode from the room and returned moments later with the smile she adored.
“Can I make you breakfast?” he asked and waggled a brow. “Naked?”
She chuckled, overcome by the dreamy warmth overtaking her chest. For too long, she’d been one of those women who’d believed men weren’t a necessity in a strong woman’s life. She was relatively successful. She paid her own bills. And her body would never be left unsatisfied with the big box of toys under her bed. But something about the way he looked at her made her feel empowered. His smile made her more confident. His touch made her invincible. “I only have cereal.”
“If you don’t mind me driving your car, I can go pick something up.”
“Naked?”
His smile widened. “Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s an option.”
“Ahh, so you do have limits.”
His humor gently faded. “I have many limits, Shay.”
The quick slide into thoughts of Vault of Sin made the warmth inside her vanish. “Cereal it is.” She climbed from the bed, and strode her naked ass to the walk-in closet, returning seconds later with a thin silk dressing gown.
“That’s not going to happen.” Leo eyed her clothing and crossed his arms over his chest. “Take it off.”
Annoyance, or was that anticipation, shot up her spine. She raised a brow, coming to stand in front of him. “Is this where any normal woman would whimper and obey?”
His lip curled, predatory and too damn sexy for her to ignore. “This is where you take that off or I do it for you.”
Her nipples hardened, already yearning for more of his touch. She grinned, shrugged and then made a move to walk around him, because that’s what stubborn women do.
In a flash, she was spun back around. In seconds, rough hands stripped her naked. Then, in a few erratic beats of her heart, the sash was yanked from her dressing gown and Leo grabbed her and tied her hands behind her back.
She stood, shocked and silent in her hallway, wondering what the hell had just happened.
“Thank you,” he taunted. “I actually enjoy doing things the hard way.”
By the look of his growing erection, he wasn’t lying. “Point taken. You can untie me now.” She tried to purr, to be the seductive princess who would woo him with her charm, but he didn’t succumb. Instead, he grinned that sly, arrogant grin that annoyed her and made her melt all at once.
“Nice try.” He strode forward and grabbed the tie at her joined wrists and guided her forward. “It’s time for breakfast.”
Chapter Ten
Leo raised the toast to Shay’s mouth, enjoying the way her naked chest delicately rose and fell as she ate. He should be thankful she denied him the choice to spoon-feed her cereal. The exercise would’ve ended in him accidentally pouring milk down her cleavage, watching the trail fall between those gorgeous breasts before finally licking it off when it came close
to reaching the heat of her pussy.
He needed to keep his hands off her. To make her understand this thing between them wasn’t based on sex. And to also give her time to think. He admired her strength and confidence above all else. So seeing her skittish at the mere mention of the Vault was something he needed to focus on resolving.
“Juice?” he asked, placing the crust of the last half of Vegemite covered toast back on the plate in front of her.
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He settled the glass against her lips, taking care to tip it at the right pace. He enjoyed caring for her, being the one making sure her needs were met. If he had more restraint, he’d stick around all day, keeping her hands tied as he catered to her every need. But it was only a matter of time before his dick took control.
“More toast?” He lowered the glass to the table and fought the need to kiss the juice from her mouth.
“No. I’m good.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “But you can untie me.”
“Soon.” He cleaned away their cups and plates and stacked them in the dishwasher as Shay watched from the stool behind the kitchen counter. “I like having you defenseless for once.”
She scoffed. “I’m always defenseless around you.”
He copied her, scoffing louder. “The only time you’ve shown any vulnerability…” apart from what he’d witnessed in the last twelve hours, “…was the first night you worked the bar in Taste of Sin.” Or maybe the days after he’d pleasured her in the storeroom.
She cringed, the tops of her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink. “You remember that?”
He’d remembered every moment since she’d handed in her employment application. “I recall with vivid clarity, T.J. remarking on how cute you were at the start of your shift. He thought you were sweet and innocent.” He closed the dishwasher and brushed the crumbs off his palms into her sink. “It didn’t take long for him to determine those deep brown eyes were hiding a little minx.”
She hit him with a dazzling smile. “Once the doors closed for the night, the three of you took pleasure in testing me. You barked off drink orders, making sure I knew how to prepare everything from memory.”
He inclined his head. He’d never laughed harder in his life. One by one, Leo, Brute and T.J. had thrown names of cocktails at her, until finally T.J. requested a Crouching Tiger shot and they’d all been too drunk to notice she’d placed in front of him a mix of Sambuca, Tequila and Tabasco sauce instead.
“T.J. hadn’t known what hit him.”
“For a second, I thought he was going to die, he was choking so hard.” She started to laugh, making those tempting breasts bounce. “I was glad you guys didn’t fire me.”
He ignored the way his cock jerked and made his way back to her side. It was time to leave. He wanted this moment to stick with him until Tuesday—her beautiful smile, the lush curve of her breasts, the way her hair fell like silk against her smooth skin.
“That was never an option.” He untied the material at her wrists and helped her to her feet. “You fit in perfectly.” A little too perfectly at times. The three of them held a soft spot for Shay. She may have a temper, but her few bad days had never come close to outweighing the good. She always made them smile, either with her over-exaggerated annoyances or with her cheeky, flirting banter.
“I’m glad you think so.” She fell into him, resting her arms on his chest as she stared up at him.
He was falling—into desire, under her spell. “It’s time for me to go.”
Her brow furrowed the slightest bit and she stepped back. “You don’t want to stay?”
“If I thought it was the right thing to do, I wouldn’t leave until we had to go back to work on Tuesday.” He grabbed her hand, entwined their fingers and tried to ease the dejection in her eyes. “But I bailed out on Travis last night. I need to call him and make sure Vault of Sin was closed without drama.”
Vault of Sin—three innocent words potent enough to make Shay’s stomach flutter. She nodded, trying not to let the passing seconds daunt her. She’d been in the zone, tied up like a little love slave waiting to be satisfied. And now he was leaving.
Look out toys, here I come.
“Are you sure you’re comfortable working down there next Saturday?” he asked, sounding concerned. “There’s no pressure if you don’t. I’ll work the bar myself if I have to.”
And be surrounded by voluptuous women vowing for his attention? “No. I can do it,” she added steel to her tone. In the future, working her usual shift at Shot of Sin would be painful, knowing what Leo would be experiencing downstairs. Her imagination would be the death of her. She needed to face her fears head on, while also keeping Leo in her sights.
“You’ll see me in the restaurant during the week and my shift at the club bar on Friday, so there’s plenty of time to grill me beforehand. On Saturday, I can arrive early to check things out properly. You know, without all that cock staring me in the face.”
It was meant as a joke, but Leo stiffened. “If you’re uncomfortable—”
“I’m fine.” She groaned. “Please, stop asking.”
He leaned into her, moving to eye level. “Shay…”
“Don’t.” She pushed at his muscled chest and looked away. She was intimidated, jealous, and yeah, maybe at the top of the nervous scale, but it didn’t mean she was a chicken shit. “I said I’d try. This is me trying. I don’t need you treating me like a little girl.”
“Okay,” his voice softened. “But if you change your mind all you have to do is tell me.”
She nodded. “I need to get dressed.”
They both knew it was a dismissal of the conversation. She didn’t care. She was sick of worrying about it. Sick of thinking about it. Turning on her heel, she hastened down the hall in search of her dressing gown.
“I’ll also need to show you the back entrance to the club, so make sure you remind me on Friday.” Leo strode behind her, following her back into her bedroom.
“Back entrance?” She peered over her shoulder, immediately engrossed by the flexing muscles of his arms as he reached for his clothes on the floor.
He glanced up from beneath thick, dark lashes and grinned. “I think I told you it was the delivery entrance when you first started.”
Lying little bastard. “Anything else you’ve lied about?” She raised a brow and the humor died from his features.
“I’ve only ever lied to keep the club safe. Legally, it shouldn’t be running within the walls of Shot of Sin.” He pulled on his shirt, doing up the buttons as his gaze scrutinized her. “If we asked for government approval for a sex club, the local public would be notified. The anonymity of members would be breached, and I’m sure you could imagine the shit fight we’d have on our hands from do-gooders and religious groups.” He straightened his collar and then yanked on his pants. “But now you know there’s no need for secrecy between us. I won’t lie to you. Even if the truth is brutal, I’ll take a leaf out of Brute’s book and let you have it straight.” He stalked toward her and came to a stop at her feet.
Leo stroked a hand through her sleep-tangled hair. “I stayed away from you for a long time, wanting to ensure I didn’t hurt you. So whatever it takes, please know I have your best interest at heart.”
Shay inhaled deeply and let it out on a sigh.
Okay, so maybe she was a little fragile. The thought of rejection sat like a lead balloon beneath her ribs. She was a grown woman, confident in every aspect of her life…up until this moment. Now she had to question if she was adventurous enough for Vault of Sin.
Only time would tell. All she knew was that being intimate with Leo and then going back to a platonic relationship wasn’t an option her heart could handle. She was risking a lot with the hasty decisions she’d made during the early hours of the morning. And now it was too late to go back.
Leo lean
ed in, tilting her chin, bringing them a breath apart. “The only truth I have for you right now is that I want you. Any way I can.” His eyes searched hers, focusing with heated intent so potent her body flushed. “Let’s see where it takes us.”
Shay bit her lip, fighting the need to wrap her hands around his neck and drag him back onto the bed. “I’ll see you Tuesday then.”
“Yeah. You will.” He brushed his mouth over hers and then stepped back. “Just try and keep your wanton hands off me in front of the other staff, okay.” He grinned and headed for the door.
“You’re an arrogant jerk,” she called, her gaze trained on his sexy ass as he strutted from the room.
“A jerk you’re now stuck with,” he shouted from the hall.
His steps retreated, each soft footfall making her want to yell for him to come back. She was hooked. Not just to his charm or the way he worked her body, but to the thought of them being together. The image of them holding hands had her turning all girlie with the yearning to squee.
Now all they had to do was get over their myriad of issues.
Chapter Eleven
Tuesday morning took forever to arrive. Leo stood behind the Taste of Sin bar, waiting for the lunch staff to show up for work. One in particular. He’d spent the last two days distracting himself from calling, texting, emailing or even sending flowers to Shay. And the harder he tried to occupy his mind, the more potent his memories of her delicious body became. He’d thrashed himself at the gym, replied to a full inbox of work-related crap and even cleaned out his fridge. All before Sunday night arrived.
Now he couldn’t wait for the next thirty minutes to tick by until she showed up for her shift. He wasn’t just pussy-whipped, he was wrangled, tangled and tied to the bed waiting to be decimated.
He felt like a kid at an amusement park, all giddy excitement and nervous anticipation. Reality hadn’t left the building. He still knew they had a shitload of problems to discuss and resolve, but finding a woman like Shay and having her stick around after learning his sordid secrets was an opportunity worthy of a little crazy optimism.