Infatuation

by Anise Storm

  It was nearly impossible not to compare Thaddeus to the hero in the story. Tall, dark and handsome with a certain charm to him, her ex-lover not only shared many similarities to the one in the book, but he also did to her current lover as well—Finley. She still had barely even comprehended what had happened between them and what it would mean for the two of them going forward. Sleeping with her roommate had seemed so right last night, but now, in hindsight, Hannah realized that it was potentially as huge a mistake as sleeping with Thaddeus Remington had been. Of course, the seduction attempts had been different, but both had ended the same way, which now gave her plenty of room for concern.

  You’re such an idiot. You’ll never learn. Her inner berating did nothing to alleviate the knot she felt slowly twisting in her gut. There was a slight difference, because Thaddeus had turned out to be a Dominant. Even now, she still couldn’t believe that she’d missed all of the signs. That air of authority was something that her current bed partner possessed too. In addition, there had been a few mannerisms of Finley’s the night before that gave her brief pause, but she’d been so wrapped up in the pleasure of being in his arms that she hadn’t given it much thought at the time. Now, her mind raced with questions.

  This was one of the reasons why she should have just declined his tempting invitation and gone back to her own room. Did she honestly think that trying to replace the memory of one mistake by making another would turn out well? She groaned at the realization that she did somewhat believe that. In addition to silencing her own inner voice, the truth of the matter was that she ached to feel the touch of a man. It had been weeks, which wasn’t long for most—herself included, under normal circumstances—and it had everything to do with how her last encounter had unfolded in the bathroom of the Atlanta Ritz-Carlton hotel.

  Deciding that she wasn’t going to take yet another trip down memory lane, Hannah rose to her feet and walked over to one of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The view of London was spectacular from this floor, but would be even more so from one of the balconies on the second or third. The city had always been so magical to her, especially in her late teen years. It had been so different from Plano, Texas, where she’d grown up.

  Her head had practically been on a swivel the first time she’d gone out for a night on the town. Impressionable, naïve and purely irresponsible, it hadn’t taken her long to find trouble. That had actually been when she’d met Finley. Hannah sighed as she remembered almost being mugged until this tall, dark stranger had swooped in, like one of those knights in shining armor that she read about in her romance books, and he’d rescued her.

  Hannah had been so scared and she could still remember him taking her to a nearby coffee shop. They’d talked—or at least she had. Smiling now, she remembered that he’d introduced himself, but, outside of that, the rest of their conversation had been about her. Their friendship had blossomed and been one of the best things that had ever happened to her. And now you had to go and ruin it all.

  Finley had always been a great friend to her, there whenever she’d needed him for anything. After leaving England, she hadn’t even looked back, though, returning to Texas and starting a brand new life. Hannah used to think it was funny how fate had a way of bringing people together, and it never seemed truer than it did now. Despite the years and miles between them, another chance encounter had led to him saving her once more. If she hadn’t run into him at the W Hotel that night, who knew where she would be right now? Perhaps she and Finley were actually destined to be together in some capacity. Or maybe it was Fate’s way of playing yet another cruel trick on her.

  Hannah felt a yawn coming on and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. It was faint, but a sign nonetheless that she was tired. She’d barely gotten any sleep the night before, for very good reason. Maybe she would take advantage of the quiet penthouse and at least take a little nap. There was no telling when Finley would be home, and, for all she knew, his call earlier had more than likely been just to let her know he would be late again.

  She trudged slowly up the stairs, and when she reached the landing on the second floor, Hannah paused. She doubted that it was a coincidence that last night the two had spent the evening in one of the guest rooms instead of the large bedroom he had. It made perfect sense that they would use the nearest one, but after that first time, why wouldn’t he have moved them to his room? That was a question she knew would go unanswered, because she had no intention whatsoever of asking him. The longer she stood there, though, the more her mind nagged at what else he could possibly be hiding. She thought about the other room on this floor—the one that was secured and out of her reach. What don’t you want me to see?

  Hannah knew it was probably off-limits to everyone else too, but that didn’t make her feel any better. When in his arms the night before, she’d felt a certain connection with him. While she didn’t expect Finley to lay out all of his secrets, knowing that he was hiding something made her uneasy. She didn’t trust easily, and the few times that she’d tried to, Hannah had ended up burned. While it didn’t really matter to her what was behind those doors, the fact that there was something there she wasn’t allowed access to, did.

  And have you been completely honest with him? Hannah quickly dismissed her own question because she knew it had merit. She turned on her heel and was about to leave that floor for the third one when she allowed temptation to get the best of her. Before she even knew what she was doing, she found herself in front of the door with her fingers on the keypad.

  Yesterday, she wouldn’t have even known where to begin coming up with a code to try. That was before she’d seen him locking his briefcase this morning at breakfast. The odds were minimal at best that he would secure whatever was in this room with the same code with which he secured Wetherall Communication business—or are they?

  Hannah closed her eyes and tried to remember the exact sequence of numbers he’d used this morning. Pressing each corresponding key, she mentally prepared herself for failure. After typing in the last one, the light on the keypad changed from a flashing red one to a solid green. “Oh my God,” she said aloud. Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle and pushed the large door open. She stepped inside and felt all the color drain from her face. Her hands moved to her mouth to stifle her shocked cry, but, at the same time, she began to gaze around the enclosed space.

  Chapter Nine

  Maneuvering his car into the garage, Finley parked it in its specific place. Over the years, many had accused him of being obsessive compulsive, but he just chalked it up to wanting things done a certain way. Rarely would he ever leave Wetherall Communication in its current situation, but he was tired and no good to his company in that state. They’d lost a major account, but it wasn’t the end of the world. He would rebound as he had always done in the past. Now, he just wanted to wrap his arms around Hannah and spend a quiet evening at home.

  Finley had to admit that he’d been slightly disappointed when she not only hadn’t answered his call earlier, but she also hadn’t returned it when it was a better time for her. It was important to him not to allow her too much time to dwell on what had transpired between them. It had been a long time coming and so had she been. Smirking, he could still remember each and every time he brought her to orgasm over that six or seven-hour stretch of love-making. Hannah had fit him perfectly, just as he’d always suspected she would, so many years ago.

  He exited his sports car then entered the building. The doorman was nowhere around but that wasn’t unusual at different times of the day. He didn’t require assistance anyway, so Finley made his way to the elevator. A few minutes later, he exited the lift and was standing inside of his place.

  “Hannah?” he asked aloud and was greeted by nothing but silence. At first he thought that maybe she’d not gotten home yet, until he noticed a book on the couch. Picking it up, he shook his head at the title and cover picture. This had to be one of those girly romance books. Setting it back down, he called out to her ag
ain, this time a little louder. “Baby girl?”

  When she still didn’t answer, Finley assumed that she was outside on the rooftop deck or possibly the shower. A grin creased his lips as he thought about two different possibilities. Both held merit and could lead to a fun-filled time. He could already picture her body dripping wet, wracked with shivers, while she was in his arms. His head wasn’t the only part of him that agreed with that. He felt his cock harden at the visuals his mind conjured.

  He made his way upstairs, stopping off on the second floor. He was about to enter his room when a sliver of light caught his eye. He knew immediately where it was coming from and felt a certain apprehension, knowing that Hannah could very well be in there. Bypassing his room, he made his way down the hallway and looked inside.

  Finley held back his growl at the sight of his houseguest making herself at home in his playroom. Remaining quiet, he stood there and watched as she ran her hand along a few different whips that were hanging along the length of one of the walls. Finley had dreamed about tying her to a St Andrew’s cross and using a number of different single tails on her. He used to wonder what she would look like, her tall frame marked with the welts from his favorite bullwhip. Would she cry out with each kiss of the tail?

  Finley hadn’t wanted to scare her with that side of him. While he knew quite a few women that could get off on pain—especially the brand that he could deliver—he hadn’t thought that she was one of them. At least, he hadn’t at first. By the time he’d picked up on potential cues, Hannah had left London and returned to the United States. He’d missed his chance at the time and until last night, he’d not seized the moment to rectify that. Now, she didn’t appear scared whatsoever, even as she moved from the single tail whips to the line of different canes that he had. A soft moan, or at least he thought it was one, slipped from her lips. His cock grew even more painfully hard and he finally decided to make his presence known. “What the hell are you doing in here, baby girl?”

  Hannah froze in place and slowly turned around. At the sight of his arched brow, she quickly began to stammer out an apology. “I-I was—”

  She stopped and Finley almost chuckled at the ‘deer in the headlights’ expression on her face. He assumed that she was going to say that she happened to see the door open and just couldn’t resist looking inside, until she must have realized that explanation wouldn’t work. He kept this room securely locked, which brought him to an even more important question. “I know that this room was locked, so how did you get inside?”

  She was busted, and the way she dropped her head only reconfirmed that. Hannah’s body language told him everything he needed to know. She’d gotten the code, but how? He was about to ask her that when she raised her head slightly and began to speak.

  “I saw you enter a code on your briefcase earlier this morning, and when I was on my way upstairs, I thought about this room. I didn’t even think that the numbers would be the same. I’m so sorry.” Her voice cracked slightly, and he remained standing in the center of the doorway. “I promise that it will never happen again. I’ll just go upstairs now.”

  Finley watched as she squared her shoulders then made her way toward the door. He didn’t make a move to get out of her way, reaching out and grabbing her when she got in arm’s reach of him. While he was angry that she didn’t respect his privacy, another part of him was relieved that everything was out in the open. He’d imagined having her in this room with him often, and now that she was, he was very hesitant to let her leave.

  Hannah didn’t seem to be frightened by what she’d seen in here and, if he didn’t know any better, he could have sworn that her erect nipples were from arousal. Her head was slightly bowed, and he needed to know for sure. If he played this wrong, misreading or misjudging her reaction, then he could push her away for good.

  He kept a hand on one of her arms and with the other, Finley tipped her chin up. Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with tears. As upset as he was at her deception, he couldn’t let her leave like this. Lowering his head, he brushed his lips over hers. Hannah’s trembled slightly, causing him to groan. His hands began to move, pulling and holding her closer to him as he deepened the kiss.

  Finley plundered her mouth with his, softly at first and then growing more insistent. Somehow he managed to step inside and shut the door behind him. The loud sound of it clicking in place had him ready to pin her against it. Turning her body, he did exactly that, pressing her between the heavy oak and his chest. She moved her hands up his torso before she hooked them behind his neck.

  “Damn, the things you do to me, baby girl,” he murmured against her lips, as he finally broke off the kiss. Even though his tongue was no longer in her mouth, he was still close enough to trace the seam of her lips with it. “I planned to show this to you one day, Hannah. I really did.”

  He heard her sharp intake of breath then felt it as she softly exhaled. “All of this”—Hannah paused, removing one hand from around his neck and making a sweeping motion with it before continuing—“doesn’t frighten me, Sir.”

  Hearing her address him as ‘Sir’ was almost as heady a feeling as it would have been had she called him ‘Master’ instead. It dawned on him that the reason she wasn’t frightened by anything that she saw was because she at least had general knowledge of either the lifestyle or the items lining the walls. In addition to the numerous implements, his playroom also contained various pieces of furniture, some custom made, that would help keep her at the mercy of his imagination.

  And he had a very overactive and vivid one. When he’d seen her standing there with her dainty hands on the braided leather handle of his bullwhip, he’d been immediately drawn to her tight ass, highlighted even more by the tight, almost spandex-like, material of her yoga pants. He knew the exact spot he would mark first. It was the area directly below the small, strawberry-shaped birthmark on her right cheek that he’d noticed the night before.

  “Have you ever been with a Dominant before, baby girl?” Finley watched as she nodded her head. He suddenly remembered the different marks he’d seen on her that morning in Atlanta. It was then he realized where they had come from. He was so sure that she had been abused, and that could still be very true. Feeling the anger rising inside of him as he thought about another male hurting her all in the name of BDSM, Finley forced himself to remain calm. Maybe this would help complete the puzzle of what had driven her back into his arms.

  “Y-yes,” she stuttered as her cheeks turned a dark red. He heard a certain sadness in her tone, but waited for her to continue. “I am a submissive and have been since I left London two years ago.”

  “Bloody hell,” he managed to get out before stepping away from her. The one thing about him that he thought would send her fleeing away from him happened to be the one thing that she’d fled to. A pang of regret washed over him, but Finley refused to dwell on it at the moment. He’d blown his chance to make her his way back, and he needed to proceed carefully so he didn’t destroy the second one he had been given. “Is that who you were running from in Atlanta?”

  Her entire demeanor changed when his question registered, and he watched as she tensed up immediately. Hannah shook her head vehemently and he knew that she was lying. Finley could see the truth on her face. “Don’t lie to me, Hannah. Did someone abuse you there?”

  This time when she shook her head, he could see it was sincere. So she did flee from a Dominant but not one that abused her. Finley was about to press further when she turned her body around to shield herself from him and reached for the door handle.

  Before she could even think about turning it, he pressed both hands against the large oak frame. Hannah tugged at the handle, but the heaviness of the wood combined with his sheer strength made it virtually impossible for her to open. “I get that you still don’t want to discuss what happened, but that doesn’t mean we are finished here. Not by a long shot, baby girl.”

  Hannah dropped her hand from the metal handle to her side and she
slowly turned back around. She looked up and into his eyes for just a minute before realizing her error and lowering her lashes. “I said that I was sorry, Finley. What else is there?”

  He chuckled, the sound causing her to shiver. “You broke into a place that you were specifically told was off limits to you. You didn’t respect my privacy or wishes, so I think that a punishment is in order. Wouldn’t you agree, Hannah?”

  This time, he could smell the scent of her arousal at the mention of the word ‘punishment’. Many submissives that he had scened with over the years were turned on whenever they were subjected to a spanking. Hannah appeared to be no different from any of them in that sense. The one thing that did set her apart was that their first scene together would be one like this. Never had his first time in a playroom with someone new been for this purpose. Of course, nothing with Hannah had ever been normal anyway.

  “I will give you a safeword to use, baby girl, however, I don’t anticipate that you will need to use it. Since this is a punishment, I expect you to take the ten blows that you have earned. If for some reason you do need me to stop, then just say ‘red’ and I will cease whatever I’m doing. Is that understood?”

  Finley stepped back and watched her process his words. She made a nodding motion with her head before clearing her throat and giving him a verbal response to his question. “I understand perfectly, Sir.”

  “Very well,” he said, then turned toward the wall. He mentally debated about what to use on her this evening. He had everything from canes and crops to whips and floggers. A few paddles were also hung up beside the other items. Finally, he decided that he would allow Hannah to choose the weapon of ass destruction for her earlier behavior. “I’ve decided that you can choose the one item that I will use for your punishment. Just remember…if you study long, you’ll study wrong.”