by Kacey Shea
But if she gives me permission, I will.
Better yet . . . a plan formulates in my mind. One she’ll never go for. Unless—
The ring of my cell interrupts my daydream. The caller ID shows it’s the vendor contact I’ve been waiting on all day. I pick up and stifle my disappointment when she gives me my options. Furnishing Pierce’s little shop of kinky horrors is proving to be a real pain in the ass.
“The only craftsman I found who has a bench available and in stock is in Burbank. He said you could come by tonight, but I need to know within the hour. He’s leaving tomorrow for a month-long cruise.”
Of course he is. “He doesn’t have anyone running his shop while he’s gone?” I tap my pen on the steering wheel and review the construction timeline.
“Not everyone’s a workaholic like you and me,” Marilyn says. “Plus, I’m pretty sure he works out of his garage.”
I glance at the clock and cringe. Part of my ability to charge as much as I do is that I always meet a deadline. That, and my clients never have to lift a finger. If I’m going to get this sex dungeon created, I need to meet this vendor tonight. “Tell him I’ll be there by ten o’clock.”
If I leave now, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. But I promised I’d pick up Rachel. The thought of bailing on her twists my stomach. She’s been disappointed enough, I won’t add to it. I don’t want to dig into why that’s important, or evaluate why I’m willing to drive all over the city for more time with her when I’ve never gone to such lengths for anyone else.
It’s because you want her in your bed.
Yes, but also no. I’ve never worked this hard for a hookup. If all I want from Rachel is sex, I wouldn’t be working out of my Escalade. I wouldn’t rearrange my schedule, or insist on playing chauffer. I wouldn’t put off a vendor for a few hours.
It’s because you want more. Irritation prickles up my spine. No. That’s ridiculous. It’s because she’s got me working so hard for her attention. It’s the thrill of the chase.
A knock outside my window startles my attention.
“Hey!” Rachel waves and smiles.
I unlock the doors and pack everything into my briefcase as she slides into the passenger seat. “Good first day?” I force a casual ease into my tone, but my brows furrow at the ping of an incoming text. It’s Marilyn, and her craftsman guy wants me there by nine. The address is literally twenty minutes away. The exact opposite direction of where Rachel lives.
“The best.” Rachel snaps her seat belt into place. “Is everything okay?”
“Sorry.” I flash her a smile and put the phone down before pulling out of the lot. “Work stuff.”
“Puppies?” she says hopefully.
“A bench,” I grumble. And not the kind she’s picturing. I do the math and leave room for evening traffic. Fuck. There’s a good chance I won’t make it back in time. “Hey, do you mind if we make a stop? You don’t have anywhere to be tonight?”
“Oh, no.” She studies her own fingers, not meeting my gaze. “That’s fine.”
Is she lying? Maybe she has a date? Fuck. Why does that piss me off? “I’ll buy you dinner after. For the trouble.”
“Jude. You’re giving me free rides to work. You don’t owe me anything. I’m the trouble.”
She has no idea. “I want to. Besides, after you see where we’re going, you might change your mind.”
“She’s back here.” Al, the very eccentric craftsman we met moments ago lifts open the door to his garage. He walks across the space and yanks on the drop cloth covering the bench. It’s padded in leather and surrounded by over two dozen iron fasteners, made especially to tie someone down for spanking, and ultimately fucking. The deeply varnished wood with iron accents screams power and luxury. “A beauty, ain’t she?”
Rachel coughs and her eyebrows shoot up. I should have warned her, but I thought it’d be more entertaining to experience her surprise. It is.
“Gorgeous.” I’m not lying, either. The intricate detail of the woodwork mixed with the more modern design is stellar. I step closer and listen as Al walks me through the features—which, okay, I’m not intimately familiar with, but I have seen enough porn to get the gist. I get the feeling he’s mansplaining more for Rachel’s behalf, and it kind of irritates me. If anyone is going to teach her about this thing, I want it to be me. Preferably with both of us naked.
“So, what do you think?” he asks.
“I’m . . . gonna wait in the car.” Rachel hikes her thumb over her shoulder.
I produce the keys from my pocket and toss them to her with a wink. “Sure.” I try not to stare as she walks away, but Al doesn’t hold back his ogling. I get it. I do. She’s a beautiful woman. At the same time, I want to rip his head off. I clear my throat and pat the smooth surface of the apparatus. “So, how much?”
“Depends,” he hums.
A haggler. Okay. I don’t mind a good negotiation. “On?”
“She available?”
Oh, no. He can’t be serious. I follow his train of sight to my Escalade. “Pardon?” He better be referring to my vehicle.
“Marilyn said you procure for all kinds of clients.”
I don’t understand why people assume humans are for sale, or sex is a service. Furthermore, why I look like the guy who would broker either. I grate my teeth together and inhale to calm my speeding pulse. I am not here to pick a fight, or to judge, but I do need to make this purchase to complete Pierce’s room on time. “She’s unavailable.”
He takes in my expression—I’m surprised he doesn’t take a full step back—and nods. “Fair enough. Two grand.”
“One and a half, cash, and I take it off your hands tonight.”
He must not be too disappointed about Rachel, because his brows lift and he sticks out his hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Twenty minutes later the spanking bench is loaded in my vehicle and we’re on our way toward Rachel’s apartment. Or rather, would be if traffic wasn’t such a bitch. We inch down the freeway at a speed slower than walking. I pass the exit for my condo—my comfortable, relaxing haven. My leather couch calls to me, along with the giant big-screen television mounted on one wall, the view of the coastline to the right of it. I let loose a sigh. Sorry, condo. It’ll be a few hours.
Jesus. I’m turning into one of those uptight LA traffic dickwads obsessed with pileups and arrival times. My worst nightmare come true. It doesn’t help I’m still thinking about Al and his discount proposition involving Rachel. I bite back a growl and slam on the brakes at another stop. I need to chill out. I need a few hours out on my skateboard or a quick morning surf tomorrow.
“Everything okay?”
“This is stupid.” I lift my hands and gesture ahead to the endless red lights. “We are both wasting hours of our day stuck in pointless traffic.”
“Hey, I didn’t ask you to drive me. You’re the one who keeps insisting.” Her eyes flash with anger, and irritation seeps from her scowl.
“You’re missing the point. My condo is like five minutes from Americana.” I glance forward at the traffic, inching a few more car lengths. Shit. I never meant to tell her that. I never wanted her to realize how out of my way I’ve been driving these past few days. Seconds tick by. Painfully. Slowly. I’m not sure of her reaction, but it can’t be good. At the next flash of red brake lights, I gingerly meet her gaze.
Tension stiffens her shoulders, and she stares. Skeptically. Defensive. I hate that she doesn’t trust me. That people have hurt her enough that she is always looking for the angle. She’s right. I do have an angle. But none that I want her to know of. Fuck, I’m screwing this up.
“I have a better idea.” I train my eyes forward but sneak glances sideways to take in her reaction. “You could stay at my place.” Her mouth drops open to argue, but I cut her off. “Just until your car’s fixed.”
“I am not sleeping with you.”
Amusement builds in my chest, escaping in a throaty chuckle. “And I did
n’t ask you to.” I want to. God, do I ever. But I’ve known since our first car ride she is not the type of woman easily charmed into bed.
She bites at the inside of her cheek, and I catch a glimpse of an emotion I can’t quite decipher. If we were together I would ask her about it. Hell, if we were together I would kiss it right out of her.
“Look, you’ve been more than generous, but”—she points between us—”you don’t need to give me rides, or offer me your apartment. I’m a big girl. I’ll figure it out.”
“What are you so afraid of? I promise I am offering temporary room and board out of the goodness of my heart.” And the hardness of my cock. Though if she knew that she’d run for the hills. I need to be smart about this. I need to play my cards right. A good dealer knows when to bet and when to call.
She hums, but it’s a sound full of disbelief. Okay, so maybe my game face needs a little work.
“Just spend the night at my place tonight. See how you like it, and we’ll play the rest of the week by ear.” At the next stop in traffic I level her with my most sincere stare. “It’ll be easier.”
“Right. Easier for what? You to get in my pants?”
“Please.” I glance down at her exposed legs and grin. “You hardly ever wear pants.”
“Jude,” she warns.
“Come on, it’s just an apartment, Rachel. Unless you’re worried you won’t be able to keep your hands to yourself what with my overwhelming charm and good nature?” I sneak a glance at her and lift my brows in challenge.
She rolls her eyes. “Please. The only hands I am concerned about are your wandering ones.”
“I promise to be a perfect gentleman.” This earns another laugh from her lips, a sound I’m growing ever addicted to. “Look, I can’t stand the thought of you sleeping in the same apartment as those wenches you call roommates. Let me do this for you. I have a really big condo.”
“That’s what all the guys say.”
Did she just crack a sex joke? My lips twist with the hint of a smile. I almost have her consent, so I go in for the kill. “You’d have your own bathroom.”
She crosses her arms and releases a sigh. “Fine.”
“I should have led with the bathroom, then?”
She grins, her eyes rolling again at my teasing. “Does that bruise your ego?”
I make a show of pressing my fist against my sternum. “A little.” I bite back the impulse to ask her for a kiss to make it better. She’s going to make me work for it. My usual arsenal of playful banter and suggestive lines won’t work. It should bother me. Or at least be frustrating, but in fact it does the opposite. It’s been so long since I’ve had to really work for a woman’s affection that I’ve almost forgotten how addictive the thrill of a good chase is. When it comes to Rachel, I’m up for the challenge.
21
Rachel
“I’m coming in with you,” Jude says after snagging an open parking spot.
I’d like to argue, but the thought of Jude, my pseudo hunk of a bodyguard, may be the very thing to keep me from ripping into my corrupt roommates. “In and out.” I eye the door and blow out a breath. “Ten minutes. Tops.”
“Speedy.”
“Yeah, well. Let’s get this over with.” Sliding from Jude’s SUV, I shut the door with more force than necessary and march forward. Maybe to another altercation. Dear God, I hope not.
I trek up the path with more bravado than I feel. The truth is, I’ve been dreading this encounter all day. I’m still angry at my roommates, Crystal in particular. But over the course of the day, that indignation has bloomed into something darker, and sadder. I’m hurt. I am hurt that the people I live with don’t respect me or my things. It’s lonely being in this city, and even though I moved here of my own choice, the idea of how I expected it to be and the reality are so starkly different that part of me wants to give up. Quit. Move home.
Those thoughts only make me angrier. Because I’m not a quitter. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t give up on my dreams. Damn it. Today was the biggest, best day of my career and I should be celebrating.
Maybe that’s why I’m crazy enough to accept Jude’s offer.
Moving in with him is probably not the smartest decision, but I can’t imagine sleeping in this apartment tonight.
A light is on, shining through the cracks in the blinds, but that doesn’t mean much. No one turns lights off, and people come and go at all hours. I cautiously ease my key into the lock and twist.
“We doing this sometime today or what?”
I shoot him a glare over one shoulder, then push open the door. My footsteps falter at the sound of Kari Ann’s voice from down the hall. My stomach turns with apprehension, and a little hunger. As soon as this is over, I’m stuffing my face with the closest fast food burger.
“Hey, I’m right here,” Jude says. His words bolster my confidence and settle my nerves. “Whatever you need.”
I nod, then lead the way, thankful to find the other two bedroom doors open with the lights off. Everyone else must be out. “Just rip off the Band-Aid,” I mutter under my breath and then push open the door to the bedroom I share with Kari Ann.
Her gaze snaps up from where she’s sprawled on her bed. “Um, I’m going to need to call you back,” she says into the phone, her gaze wary.
Ignoring her, or at the very least attempting to, I drop to my knees at the foot of my bed and pull out my suitcase and duffel.
Kari Ann’s eyes widen as Jude braces himself in the open door frame. He looks entirely delicious, his suit looking impossibly better on him in the evening than this morning. Must be the loosened tie. His hair a little out of place and falling forward in his face. The scruffy jaw. It’s a lethal combination.
“What do you need?” His tone is full of take charge, We aren’t here to fuck around, which I appreciate. Petty as it is, satisfaction and pride bloom in my chest when he ignores Kari Ann’s presence completely.
I point at the stack of cases holding my beauty supplies. “Can you load those up?” It will only take me a few minutes to pack everything else. Besides, as much as I love how he’s rendered my roommate speechless, I’m not scared to be alone with Kari Ann. I’d rather get out of here as soon as possible. By the way she’s fiercely tapping at her phone, I wouldn’t be surprised if the other roommates show up soon. Now, that I’d like to avoid. I flip open my bags on the bed and get to work.
Her eyes burn at my back from her spot opposite in the room. She watches silently, waiting for Jude to roll out my cart of makeup and the front door to slam shut. “So what, are you like, moving?”
I ignore her. With an open duffel in hand, I walk over to the dresser and transfer my undergarments into the bag.
“Not cool, skipping on a lease. Rent’s due in a week, and you need to pay it.”
“You’ll get your damn money.” The retort flies past my lips before I can bite it back.
“I’m serious, Rae. You still have six months left. Don’t think I won’t take you to small claims for that.”
She’s threatening me? After her friend stole from me. I grind my jaw down so I don’t say anything. Do not engage. Do not engage.
I shove the rest of my pants into the duffel and zip it shut. Moving to the closet, I don’t even bother folding my clothes, instead taking the hangers right with them. I heave them inside my suitcase and manage to close it.
“Look.” Her tone is defensive. “I don’t care about whatever bullshit went on with you and Crystal. You signed a contract with me and you need to honor it.”
Something inside me snaps, and even as I hear the front door open and shut I can’t rein in my utter irritation. “Rent is still due on the first, yeah?” I don’t wait for her to finish as I toss my shoes into a bag. “You’ll have your money.”
“What, I’m just supposed to trust you? Where are you even going?”
“None of your business,” Jude says. He glares at her once before turning his back. His gaze waits for mine, and in it
I find concern. For me. My heart flutters at his kindness. I melt a little at his protectiveness. “These ready?” He gestures to the bags.
I nod. “Yeah.” I hike one of the duffels onto my shoulder and he takes the rest. My gaze scans my side of the room, empty now but for the bed. Everything I own fits into three large suitcases. I don’t know whether that’s something I should be proud of or if it’s plain sad. Regardless, it makes for quick packing. “Let’s go.”
I don’t say good-bye to Kari Ann. I don’t tell her where I’m staying, or how long I’ll be gone. Partly because I hope it pisses her off enough to realize what Crystal did was wrong, and partly because I don’t know myself.
22
Jude
“Jude! You have a puppy!” Rachel drops to her knees and discards her bags without care the second we step inside my condo. Walter trots right into her open arms. Lucky bastard. She scratches and pets the pint-sized Chihuahua, then scoops him up as she stands.
“Careful,” I grumble, hardly able to contain my jealously. “He’s an old man.” Fuck. What’s wrong with me? Is this what I’ve become? Resentful over my damn dog. The bastard nuzzles into her chest, right between her glorious breasts, his sneaking little licks causing her to giggle. I want to stick my face there as well. Only, if I’m ever given the opportunity, it won’t be to make her laugh.
Yep. I’m officially bitter.
“You had a puppy this entire time?” Rachel finally glances up from Walter. Her smile is open, unfiltered, and playful. “You could’ve had me in your apartment sooner.”
“Oh?” Her smile is contagious and I can’t help but flirt a little. “I’ll remember that. And it’s a luxury condominium. I own the entire floor.”