“I don’t give a shit what the man is down with. I don’t want you to have to spend any more time with the guy. I can see right through him. He’s a dark man. And you already have one of those in your life. One’s enough. Don’t you think?”
With a nod, I have to agree with Grant. One dark man is enough. But I don’t exactly have Grant, do I?
Chapter 17
Grant
With the night over and the club closing, I take Isabel out of the building and find myself telling her, “Leave your car here. I want you to ride with me.”
“Okay,” comes her quick response. The woman never tells me no.
She really should tell me no more often.
It’s not that I think she’s weak, because I definitely do not think that. And it’s not that I don’t respect her, because I do respect the shit out of the woman. It’s just because she’s wasting her time with me.
But the truth is I can’t stand to see her with anyone else. I know that’s not fair to her. I know that makes me an ass. I’ve accepted the fact that I am one.
Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I tuck her into my side to shield her from the chilly wind. “The only reason I want to take you home is because I’m kind of worried that man might be stalking you. I know you live in a safe home with security covering it, but I just feel uneasy. You can stay with me tonight. And however long I feel it might be necessary. At least until we get his criminal background check back. And that usually takes about a week.”
She places her hand on my chest as she stops me. “You really want me to stay a whole week with you, Grant? It’s been a year since you and I have stayed together. Or had sex. You sure about this?” Her eyes stare a hole in mine.
My cock and I are well aware of the time that’s passed since I’ve been deep inside of her, penetrating her the way I love. And I’m not sure about this at all. But I am sure about the fact that guy is creeping me out. Keeping her moving, I start walking again. “Don’t look at me like that. I care about your safety. You know that. And that guy gave me chills. The way he looked at you when you weren’t looking wasn’t pleasant to witness. He had a hunger in his dark, sinister eyes. A hunger for you and only you. There were plenty of gorgeous women all around him, yet he only looked at you that way. I don’t like it.” The more I think about it, the more uneasy I am about him joining our club in general. It is supposed to be a safe space, after all.
“I didn’t notice that at all.” Her body shivers. “But I do think you’re overreacting a bit. I’ll stay with you tonight but not any more than that. I’m a big girl and can take care of myself. It was you who took me to the shooting range and taught me how to shoot to kill, if you’ll recall.”
The girl picks now to tell me no? What the hell?
Opening the passenger door of my Maserati, I help her get into the car. As I walk around to get into the driver’s side, I get the feeling I’m being watched. Taking a moment to actually look around, I don’t see anything but then nearly jump out of my skin as a flock of blackbirds suddenly takes flight.
“Fuck!” I slide into my car. “Please call someone tomorrow about removing the damn bird nests from the parking garage, Bell.”
She laughs a bit as she takes out her cell and jots that down in her notes. “Sure thing, boss.”
Peeling out of the two-story structure, I head for home. “You hungry?”
“You know me, Grant. I can always eat.” She puts her cell away and smiles at me, then pats her flat belly. “Even though I could probably afford to skip a meal or two now and then.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about in that department, Bell. You know that. So, do you want a burger or a real meal at one of the all-night cafés?” I wait for her to answer just as more damn birds fly right in front of my windshield. “What the hell is it with the damn birds tonight? If one of those bastards flies into my windshield and breaks it, I’m going to be so pissed.”
“It is odd, isn’t it?” she asks as she looks out the window. “Maybe we have a front about to blow in, and that’s why they’re moving around when they’re usually asleep.”
Pulling into the parking lot of an all-night café, I make the decision for the both of us, as she never did tell me what she wants. Getting out of the car, I meet her in front of it and head inside. “If you want a burger, they have those too. I want a steak. A nice, fat, juicy one.”
Taking a seat at a booth by the window, Bell looks out of it and sighs. “We live like vampires. Do you realize that? I’ve never been so pale in my entire life. I never get out into the sun except for a couple of hours just before night falls.” Her dark eyes meet mine. “I think I need a vacation, Grant. About a week, or maybe even two. I want to go to a tropical island and lay out in the sun all day.”
Only now do I notice she is a bit pale. “I’ll arrange that for you. An all-expenses-paid vacation. Where to?”
“Tahiti? Aruba? Maldives? You name it, I want to go to it. And it would be nice if you joined me.” She holds my gaze.
“Me, having a carefree time on a tropical island,” I chuckle at her suggestion. “Does that sound like a thing I’d be doing?” The waitress places two menus on the table, drawing my attention. “How about a couple of coffees to start with?”
“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.” She hurries away to fetch our beverages.
Opening the menu, Bell looks it over. “No, you on a tropical island does not sound like a thing you’d be doing. However, it does sound like a thing you should be doing every once in a while. You work your ass off between the club and your position at Global Cellular. You need to take a vacation. And who better to do that with than me?”
She’s right, there would be no one more perfect to do that with than her. And why shouldn’t I take a couple of weeks for myself? I’ve worked damn hard at that club, on top of my normal workload as the CEO of Global Cellular.
“I’m getting the steak and a salad. How about you?” I try to get the thought of taking a romantic vacation with Bell out of my mind.
“I think I’ll have this Caribbean chicken with pineapple glaze. A tiny taste of the tropics. It’s most likely as close as I’ll ever come to being there.” She puts the menu down, and I see how tired she looks.
“I’ll pay for two tickets. Take a friend or a relative. Go, Bell. Don’t let my not going stop you.” I hand the waitress, who’s returned, our menus. “A steak and salad for me, rare, and ranch dressing on the salad. My friend here will take a Caribbean chicken with the pineapple glaze. And bring us a couple of waters with the meals, please.”
With a sigh, Bell slumps in the seat and takes out her cell to look at it. “I’ve missed a few calls this evening from my mom. I’ll have to call her tomorrow. It’s too late to call her back tonight.” Another heavy sigh interrupts her words. “Sleeping all day then getting up in just the right amount of time to bathe and get ready for work makes it hard to do most of the normal things I used to do. Like call Mom.”
She does need a vacation. I have to make sure she gets one.
“I wish I could call my mom,” the words come out of nowhere. Well, not exactly out of nowhere. I’ve been hearing her more and more often and she’s in my dreams so much now, along with the home I grew up in. It’s like she and the house are attached somehow. Not that I think I’m psychic. If anything, I’m psychotic.
Her eyes lift to meet mine. “I bet you do, baby.”
Looking down at the table, I try to figure out why I said that. I wasn’t even thinking about Mom. I wasn’t thinking about anything but Bell really.
My fingers drum the table then my mouth opens again. “I should visit my family.”
What the fuck is happening to me?
“You should. I’d come with you if you wanted me to.” Her hand inches across the table and she places her fingers on top of mine, putting a stop to the drumming. “I’ll do anything and everything to help you, Grant.”
“As if I need help.” I pull my hand away, pissed at
her for reminding me that I have fucking issues.
Without a sigh or even a dirty look, Bell puts her hand back in her lap and smiles at me. “Yes, as if.”
How does she do it? How does she manage to flip my moods around so easily?
“I’m an ass. I know.” My fingers creep across the table, and she meets them halfway, and we hold hands. “Sorry.”
With lifted brows and her lips quirked to one side, she says, “Wow. Okay. Well, that’s nice to hear. And a step in the right direction.”
Against my better judgment, I have to ask, “Why do you do it, Bell?”
Without a hitch, she cocks her head to one side. “Because I love you, Grant Jamison. That’s why I do most of the things I do.”
“You’re a fool, you know.” I give her hand a slight squeeze.
“Yes, I’ve been contemplating getting some therapy. Wanna join me?” She smiles once more.
The girl would put herself in therapy just to get me to go. Selfless. Dependable. Angelic. And utterly foolish.
Love does make you do dumb things. She’s just proving that to me even more.
Our food arrives and we dig in, both of us much hungrier than either would admit. The fact is, the club has changed a lot about the lives of everyone who works there.
We all seem to be changing. Growing in ways and devolving in others. Scary, really.
When I look up at Bell, I find her grabbing her napkin and reaching over to me. “You have a bit of steak sauce, let me get it for you.” And with that one tiny act of kindness, she makes my heart thump—my cock, too.
“When we get home, I want you, Bell. I want you naked in my bed. I want to taste every last inch of you. And I want to bury myself deep inside of you.” I stare into her dark eyes and see a fire ignite in them.
“We’ll see.” She places the napkin next to her plate and goes on eating.
We’ll see?
When did I lose my touch with her?
I feel like what I just said was pretty hot, and yet she’s still munching on her chicken.
Am I losing my touch? Or am I just losing her?
And why is it suddenly so damn hot in here?
Leaning back in my seat, I take my phone out and look at it. I am utterly perplexed by how she’s acting. This isn’t like her. I’ve gotten one no out of her and now a we’ll see.
This new man shows up at the club wanting a piece of her, and suddenly things are changing. She needs a vacation all of a sudden. And she’s being a bit aloof, something she’s never been with me before now.
“So, this new guy. What’s his story?” I ask, digging for information.
“I don’t have a lot of info on him yet. His bank accounts are foreign.” She wipes her mouth and places her napkin on her plate, signaling that she’s done eating.
“Foreign?”
“Romania.” She laughs lightly. “Transylvania to be exact. Funny, he has no accent. He just sounds kind of regal is all. And he introduces himself as Bartholomew Mason the third. Kind of pompous, but not in any way a foreign name. Maybe he just found a tax-free place to bank with. Who knows? You rich people and your constant avoidance of taxes is a mystery to me.”
Me, I’m not mysterious. I’m just broken beyond repair. But this Mason guy is on my radar now, and I’ll find out everything I can about the man who wants my Isabel as his sub.
He will go down. It might take a little fight to get him there, but he will go down.
Part Three
Chapter 18
Isabel
Snuggled in Grant’s bed, I wait for him to come into his bedroom. He said he has a surprise for me and I had to wait here for him. He hadn’t been planning on inviting me over when he came to The Dungeon this morning, so I’m not sure what he could have for me.
The bedroom door opens and in he comes, wearing only a tight pair of black boxer briefs. There’s a grin on his face I’ve never seen before, and it makes me smile too as I sit up in the bed to see what the surprise is. Something sexy I bet as I notice his fist clenched around something.
“Bell, I’ve got something for you, and I want you to use it, at least for this next week. I know you said you wouldn’t stay with me more than just tonight, but I really want you to. So I’m giving you something so you won’t feel like a guest in this house.” He holds out his hand, and I put my palm out to see what he’s giving me.
A key drops onto my palm. A house key. “You want me to have a house key for this week?”
With a nod, I can see he thinks this is some grand gesture. While I think the key to his house for a short period of time is nothing to write home about, he obviously does.
His grin just grows as he leans in and whispers in my ear, “I want you to have the freedom to come and go as you please. For at least a week.”
He thinks he’s being sexy, and I think I’ve had enough of it. Placing the key on the nightstand, I gently but firmly plant my hand on his broad chest and push him back, giving him a hard look. “I can see you’re pretty proud of yourself for this little gesture. I’m not impressed. I’m actually pretty pissed that you think I’m going to do a happy dance because you have decided to give me a key to your house for the short duration of a week or so.”
I hate that his face looks as if I’ve slapped him. “Bell, I was going to give you the two top drawers of my dresser and some space in my closet too. This isn’t a token gesture. I care about you, and I want you with me, here. Where I feel like you’ll be safe. That guy really did…”
Throwing my hand out to make him shut up, I interrupt him. “Do not say another word about that man. Whatever you think doesn’t matter. I don’t want a key to your house just because you think I’m in danger. If you want me to stay here, I want it to be because you want me. Not because you’re afraid someone else is going to take me.”
He stands, frozen in front of me. His eyes droop at the sides, and he turns away from me. “I know I’m selfish. I know I’m an asshole. I know I don’t deserve you.”
“And there it is once more. You don’t deserve me! Well, then who the hell does?” I throw the blanket back and get out of bed, now thoroughly aggravated and in need of an aspirin to rid myself of the headache he’s caused.
Storming away, I’m brought up short as he grabs me by my arm and swings me back around. His mouth claims mine as his arms go around me, holding me tightly. I struggle at first. Beat my fists against his chest. But his mouth only becomes more persistent, and his kiss takes me away from all that, and I melt into him.
My God, how I love this asshole…
Moving my hands to run through his thick, soft hair, I let him run his tongue around mine, let him do whatever he wants to me. I am his. I think I always have been.
Picking me up, he carries me back to his bed and gently places me on top of it before covering my body with his. I’m naked, and all he has on are his skin-tight boxers that move over my pulsing pussy in soft strokes.
How I wish I knew how to get through to this man. How I wish he could admit how he really feels about me. How I wish I could move on if he can’t do that.
Releasing my mouth, he pushes my hair back from my face, gazing into my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
My heart pounds and I know he is sorry. But I also know he can’t stop being who he is. A man who’s so badly broken, he may never be what I need. What I deserve.
“I know.” His biceps bulge and I put my hands on them as I arch up to him. “Get rid of that underwear.”
He moves in close, biting my lip and tugging it. “Bossy women get spanked when they’re in my bed.”
Letting my lip go, he rolls off me. I smile cheekily as I turn over and get on my hands and knees, presenting my ass for punishment. “Then what are you waiting for. Get to it, boss.”
Getting on his knees behind me, he runs his hands all over my ass and I’m instantly wet for him. I’m already breathing harder as I await his hard touch. One soft smack only makes me want more. “Oh, Grant…”
�
�You little whore,” his voice is nothing more than a growl. “You like it when I spank this ass, don’t you?”
It’s true. I’m a sucker for his personal brand of torture—body and mind, and a bit of soul as well. But it’s so damn sweet it sends me to another place, another time. “I’m your little whore. And I love everything you do to me.”
Two fingers slip into my canal, and I can tell the wet desire he finds there pleases him. “Nasty slut.” He brings his free hand down on my ass, popping me three times in a row and I cry out with pure pleasure with each one.
His fingers fuck me as I beg him, “More. Please, God, more!”
In and out he pumps his fingers, fast and hard as he gives me what I’ve asked for. He spanks me over and over until I’m quivering and crying with the absolute pain and undeniable pleasure. “Fuck, you’re coming so fucking hard on my fingers. Fuck, baby.” He stops spanking me and pulls his fingers out of my pussy, only to toss me onto my back and bury his face in my cunt.
All I can do is grab onto the sheets as he eats me like I’m the most delicious thing he’s ever tasted. His tongue is hot as it darts into me, licking up the juices he’s made me expel.
My hips arch up to meet his hungry mouth as I moan and plead for him to stop—the sensations are becoming too much. The orgasm is taking me over, making my body feel like jelly. Jelly that’s quivering with need. It’s insane that my mouth cries out for him to stop, yet my body begs him not to.
When he stops his intimate kiss, he raises his head to look at me. “This cunt is mine. No one else is allowed inside it. Not ever.”
My heart is racing as I pray he’s finally making me his for real. “For you only, Grant.”
“Your master. Your owner. Your controller.” He levels his sapphire eyes on mine.
“My master, my owner, my controller.” I give him everything he wants and always will. I know it, and so does he.
Moving off the bed, he drops his underwear and gets a pair of light blue padded handcuffs. He cuffs my right hand to his bed, then moves around me, taking another set of cuffs out of the other nightstand and cuffs my left hand to the bed. I watch him walk away from me and come back with two leather straps that he uses to bind my ankles, securing them to the bed, leaving me spread eagled for him.
For Love & Torture_A Submissives’ Secrets Novel Page 10