Which is pretty sad when you think about it.
Caylee laughs at my obvious discomfort and kicks back the last of her drink. Her eyes are bright; her cheeks flushed. I’m about to suggest we head down to the main floor when a guy in a dark suit comes up behind her. He’s there only long enough to slip something into her hand before disappearing again into the crowd.
She stills, her eyes going wide. “This is it!” She opens her palm, revealing a burner phone. A red light blinks and then a line of text marches across the screen. After studying it, she holds the phone, so I can see the screen. It looks like a regular incoming call message, except there’s a red button for accept and a blue button for decline.
She flips the phone around and her finger hovers over the red button.
Fear clutches at my throat. I have this feeling something bad is going to happen. “Wait! This is too strange. You don’t know enough. You haven’t even seen the guy or talked to him. That’s not a real choice.”
She shakes her head slowly, seeming a little dazed, maybe from finishing her drink too fast. “I already signed the contract. I can’t say no. I have to do this.”
“But wait—”
Before I can grab the phone away from her, she stabs the red button. We both freeze, staring at the screen. For a few long seconds, nothing happens. Then a green text message pops up: Report to the east door. Mr. Daniels will escort you from that point.
She turns in a circle. “Which way is east?”
While I’m trying to get my bearings, a tall guy who looks like an MMA fighter stuffed into an expensive dark suit appears at Caylee’s elbow.
“Miss Bennett?” he inquires. He’s not wearing a nametag, but I assume he’s the Mr. Daniels from the text message.
She half turns, staring up at him while at the same time reaching back toward me and shoving the burner phone into my hand. I take it and manage not to fumble. Fortunately, Mr. Daniels is preoccupied with Caylee and doesn’t appear to notice what she’s done. His voice is deep, and he’s speaking too softly for me to hear, but Caylee hangs on every word.
The guy finishes his spiel and turns to go. Before following him, Caylee pivots quickly, pulls me into a fierce hug, and whispers into my ear, “Hold onto the phone for me, okay?”
Then she’s off. I watch her follow the big man across the club until they pass through a door marked with gold letters, VIP.
I shove the phone into my bag while muttering to myself how ridiculous the whole situation is, including my irrational fears, which have no basis in reality. The truth is that my friend is going on an adventure and will probably have fabulous sex and come home a whole lot richer. Even Samantha is probably having a better time than I am—assuming she was telling the truth about spending the night at her friend’s house. I should call and check up on her, but I want to trust her; I need to trust her. So I’ve told myself I’m going to do just that until she gives me a solid reason to do otherwise. Meanwhile, I’m standing here like I’m 24-going-on-80 and worried bad things will happen if I stay out past my bedtime.
Fuck that.
I decide Caylee is right. I need a night out, and I’m here. Why waste an amazing dress or a hot club filled with even hotter guys?
Oh my, check out that one. . .
Click HERE to read Made now!
An exclusive preview of Entitled, by Danielle Slater...
I step into the private restroom, take a deep breath, and call my friend.
“I can’t do it,” I rush before Monique has the chance to pop out a greeting. “I can’t spend the evening with him. I just can’t.”
The tiled bathroom floor receives the brunt of my agitation, as pacing seems to calm my nerves a bit, but not enough.
“Calm down,” she orders. “What did he do? I got bail money under the mattress, if I have to come beat his ass.”
“He’s been a perfect gentleman,” I nearly yell in disbelief. “His father had me pumped up to meet this pompous, anger-filled miscreant, and Devlin is nothing of the sort. He bought me clothes, paid for hair and makeup and a limo just to have me stand by his side while he showered me with compliments all night!”
“The dog,” Monique exhales sarcastically. “I’m going to tell you like Ms. Agnes would—carry yourself right back in there and enjoy that man.”
“You don’t understand. I can’t do that. He’s been too sweet for me to keep leading him on.”
“So he’s getting to you?” Monique says. “It’s alright to care about him as a person. You’re helping him become better.”
I shake my head.
I have crossed so many lines already.
“I have to tell him what I do and why I am here. I need to confess,” I say.
I look at myself in the mirror.
“And what about Ms. Agnes? What about getting the office space that you need?” she says. “You’ve more than outgrown that broom closet at the community center. Focus on the goal.”
A knock at the door startles me.
“You all right in there?” Devlin’s smooth voice, and the image of his tall, handsome body leaning against the door, coming to check on me, cause the flutters return as though they’d never been absent.
“Why does he keep being so nice?” I whisper to Monique.
Devlin knocks again.
“Ayron,” he calls.
“He’s outside of the door,” I snap into the phone while searching through the small space for a window, porthole, trap door or something. “I can’t face him again, Mo.”
“Do I need to call an ambulance?” he asks.
“I’m all right, Devlin,” I squeak.
“You can do this, Ayron,” Monique reassures. “The ends will justify the means.”
Ending the call with Monique, I open the door to Devlin.
“Is everything all right?” He examines me, his gorgeous brows furrowed. He places a steady hand on my cheek. “I thought you may have done a disappearing act on me, until coat check said they saw you slip in here.”
“I’m fine,” I stutter, lost in the feeling of his caress.
“I wish that I could say the same.”
“What’s wrong?” It is my job to worry about him, to comfort him.
“I need you. This—” His mouth is against mine before I can speak.
If my mind would have allowed me to protest, I would have, but not telling myself the truth is futile. I want him.
His skillful tongue breaches the cavern of my mouth, mapping the precise route to elicit moans. Heat courses through me. Devlin had skyrocketed me to a new place of pleasure with just the tangle of his tongue against mine.
In a swift motion, he hoists me against the wall and releases my breast from the strapless gown. His hot tongue trails kisses down my neck onto my chest until capturing my hardened nipple. Each suckle lulls me further into a dream world. His world, and I am ready to sign up for citizenship, allow him to plant his flag in my fertile soil and claim me.
Locking my legs around him, I feel the full rise of his hardness between my thighs, and I water at the thought of how good he could make me feel with other parts of his body if he works his tongue this well.
I give in to the indulgence, a scorching shot of desire for this model-built man damaging my self-control.
He tastes as good as he looks, and feels even better. Our tongues collide, and I am at a loss for words. I can only moan.
Devlin moves his zipper loose and sanity begins to seep in.
I tear my face from his.
“I can’t,” I pant. “I can’t do this.”
His ragged breaths fall against my neck as he nuzzles the crevice.
“No worries, babe,” he whispers between kisses. “I’ll take care of you.”
I wiggle and motion for him to let me down.
“This isn’t right,” I say.
Devlin helps me to my feet and I fall against him, resting against his heaving chest and thumping pulse.
He encapsulates me with his arms.<
br />
“I’m not out to just hit it and quit it,” he explains, placing a kiss on my head. “I have never met a woman as caring and wise and as beautiful as you.”
I look into his eyes.
“Then there is no rush,” I remind him. “Good things come to those who wait. You agreed to my thirty-day trial period.”
He punctuates his compliance by drawing in a long breath.
I step out of his embrace and fix my clothing. He tucks and straightens his clothing as well.
“If that’s what it takes, then I’ll wait,” he exhales with a shake of his head.
I gather my emotions and willpower before exiting.
Click HERE to read Entitled now!
An exclusive preview of Balls, by Danielle Slater...
Leo pulled me to my feet and crushed me against his hard body.
Especially hard there.
But hard all over too. He was muscles stacked on muscles. Not a bulky freak, just built.
My kind of man.
His mouth crushed into mine. I gasped in surprise, only to find his tongue dipping between my parted lips. He tasted rich, the wine mixed with something more masculine.
His hands dipped lower and gripped my butt. He massaged each cheek in his huge hands. Every squeeze pulled me closer, pressed his thick shaft harder against my belly.
Whoa. He was huge. I hadn’t been on speaking terms with a penis since Robert. I couldn’t bring myself to go there. Before this evening began, I had every intention of maintaining that distant posture.
But not now.
Leo’s mouth slipped to the side and bit a line down my neck. Every nip sent an electric shock straight down to the spot that clenched and begged to be filled by the monster imprisoned in his pants.
A budding heat between my legs quickly turned wet. My lower lips ached for his touch. Ached to be stretched by him.
Not on a first date.
Wasn’t that a simple rule anyone could follow?
Then why did it sound so stupid?
Maybe it was a stupid rule made by stupid people trying to control even stupider people.
Maybe?
I was prepared to accept any justification, no matter how pathetic.
“Alex,” he whispered.
I jumped, startled back into awareness.
“You’re thinking too much. Feel your way through it.”
His hands curled up under the back of my dress. His fingers slid under my panties and caressed my hips.
My body shook like an earthquake with an epicenter between my thighs. The heat there radiated outward and sizzled to my fingertips.
I was wet.
Almost embarrassingly so.
I couldn’t help it.
“That’s better,” he said.
“Why can I not resist you?” I asked.
It was a legitimate question. This was supposed to be a fake date with a total egomaniac asshole. The egomaniac part was no doubt pretty right on, but the asshole part seemed more my construction than his.
He traced around my hip to the front and dipped lower, brushing over my slick button.
My body trembled at his touch. The squeezing deep inside threatened to collapse into itself.
“Why would you want to?” he replied.
No answer was forthcoming, which was why I didn’t resist when he lifted my dress above my head and let it flutter to the floor.
The warm air rolling in off the ocean prickled my sensitive skin. His arms were around me before I could think of a good reason to back away. Not that any good reason was forthcoming. My legs were weak and rubbery. I would’ve collapsed were it not for the strength of his embrace. His lips on my neck sent chills skittering up my spine and had the hairs on the back of my neck zapping to attention. The fierce clenching deep inside had me about to come, despite my crumbling resolve.
His lips paused on my neck, with only a sliver of air breaking the contact. His warm breath sent shivers radiating down to my toes and across my scalp.
He whispered into my ear, as if we were in a crowd and the words were meant for me alone. “You are the most gorgeous being I’ve ever met. I want to pleasure you. Make you come for me.”
What was a girl supposed to say to that?
It didn’t matter because my brain couldn’t form words. Soft moans were the only things that escaped. It was all vowels and soft surrender. No consonants and hard limits.
I wasn’t even standing anymore. I was floating. It was like gravity stopped working and we were floating in outer space. The inner space between us had no regard for physical laws.
Leo crushed a kiss into my lips and lowered me to the couch. He pulled back and stared into my eyes. The storm raging in his threatened to blow me away.
“Do you want me to make you come?”
The tingling between my legs almost doubled me over. The wetness there threatened to turn into a flood. I couldn’t answer. There was no air in my lungs with which to push out a response. Surely my trembling body was a sufficient answer.
He smiled wickedly.
“Tell me, Alex. Tell me what you want me to do.”
Oh God. He wanted me to say it. In words. Words that I would hear myself saying for the first time in my life. I’d never talked like that before. I didn’t consider myself a sexual Puritan, but Leo was clearly operating on a level that made me feel like nothing else.
The words came out of my mouth before I thought them through.
“Leo, make me come.”
The thickness of his shaft hidden behind the thin cloth of his pants thrust between my legs. His hips bucked forward.
His hands dropped lower and hooked inside my panties. He slid them off and crushed them in one strong hand. He brought them to his nose and inhaled deeply.
That should’ve embarrassed the total crap out of me. But it didn’t.
He growled like a bear. A deep, throaty, dominant sound.
My aching nipples pushed up into my demi-cup bra. My lips ached to be kissed. I needed him on me, in me.
He knelt between my legs and eased my thighs apart. He stared at me like it was a museum exhibit. Again, I should’ve felt horribly uncomfortable.
But I didn’t.
The muscles in his jaws rippled and he licked his lips. The animal heat in his eyes made me wetter.
He kissed my knee and peppered kisses trailing up the inside of my thigh.
I tried to be still, but my body writhed under him. My heat begged to be touched, to be licked.
He kissed closer and closer and just when I thought the agony of anticipation would end, he switched to the other thigh and gave it an equal measure of attention.
I couldn’t hold back. I groaned and grabbed his hair with both hands. Tugged his head back, trying to force his mouth between my thighs. Wrestling a bull would’ve been easier.
He trailed his tongue up my thigh and pulled back before he licked across my engorged petals.
Fuck!
I was frantic with need.
He pulled back an inch and looked up with a knowing smile.
“Tell me what you want me to do to you.”
Click HERE to read Balls now!
Dragon: A Bad Boy Romance Page 10