Having Her: Lies We Tell, Book 2

by Jackie Ashenden

  Who knew you would let him?

  Cautiously she opened her eyes.

  He’d moved away from the desk and was now in the process of doing his jeans up. She could see the sun coming through the office windows lighting bronze sparks from his dark hair, following the lines of his striking face.

  Jesus, he really was quite phenomenally hot.

  Kara sat up, too busy staring at him to remember she was naked apart from her slave chain. The second time they’d had sex and he still hadn’t taken off his clothes. She’d seen him half-naked on the building site though, knew the lean, hard lines of his chest and abs.

  She licked her lips, the taste of him sitting heavy and thick in her mouth. Salty and musky…delicious. She’d never gone down on a guy before. It had always sounded vaguely disgusting. But going down on Vin hadn’t been. And when he’d taken her ponytail in his hand and directed her movements…

  His head came up abruptly, blue gaze meeting hers. She felt the shock of it go right down through to her toes.

  He didn’t say anything, coming over to the desk and putting his hands on her hips, easing her down from the edge to stand on the floor. Then he went to the door of his office, picked up the remains of her discarded costume and the coat that lay on the floor, and came back over to her.

  “It’s okay,” Kara began. “I can—”

  “I didn’t say you could speak,” Vin interrupted. “I’m going to dress you, so don’t move.”

  The thought of him dressing her made her uneasy for some reason. Totally insane when the whole desk-sex thing hadn’t. “I can dress myself.”

  Vin’s gaze pinned her to the spot. “You’re speaking. Didn’t I tell you not to?”

  Kara’s mouth shut with a snap. Oh she would have loved to tell him where to stick that but they were still role-playing, and some part of her wanted the fantasy to continue.

  When she remained silent, he gave a little nod as if in approval. “You remember you’re only here for my pleasure? Well, dressing you gives me pleasure. So shut up and stand there and let me do it.”

  She shut up and stood there and it was kind of humiliating to be dressed by a grown man when most of her life she’d been the one dressing other people. Her little brother and sister almost as soon as she knew how buttons worked. Her mother when the combination of work and alcohol had gotten to be too much. And yet a part of her—that part that loved this fantasy of having someone make all the decisions for her, take away all the responsibility—also liked having someone dress her. Because he did it so gently, carefully, with all his attention as if this task was the most important thing he’d ever done. As if she was precious.

  No one had ever dressed her like that. Taken care of her.

  A lump rose in her throat, unwanted, unasked for and she felt a weird prickle behind her eyes.

  She swallowed then blinked fiercely. No, please not tears. Not fucking crying because some guy just happened to be gentle putting her clothes back on.

  Christ, what a loser. What a pathetic loser.

  “Vin,” she began.

  “Shut up. I haven’t finished.” He picked up the coat, eased her arms into it, drawing it around her mostly naked body, doing up the buttons with single-minded purpose. Right up to her chin. “There,” he said, sounding satisfied. “Now, I’m finished.”

  For a second he gazed at her as if surveying his handiwork. Then he leaned forward and his mouth brushed hers, a fleeting warmth. “Thank you, slave. You did well. But you have to remember that I’m the master here, and I say when you’re required and when you’re not.”

  Kara blinked, the warmth of that kiss still whispering over her skin. Then she realized he was waiting for a response, a question in his eyes. He wanted to do this again, that much was obvious, and he was waiting for her to okay it.

  Again? Did she want to do it again?

  The small, vulnerable part of her wanted it. But the hard, outer shell, the one she’d been carefully building up for years, wasn’t so sure. Behind the arrogance, the take-charge attitude, there was a gentleness to Vincent Fox she hadn’t expected. And really, really didn’t want.

  But then again, it wasn’t her who had to accept that gentleness, was it? It was the slave. And the slave had nothing to do with her. Nothing at all.

  “Yes,” she heard herself say.

  “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, master.”

  “Good.” He stepped back, giving her room. “Keep your phone with you. And be ready. You are dismissed.”

  But he kept looking at her and didn’t stop looking as she went to the door.

  And she could still feel the pressure of his gaze on her back as she turned the handle and went out.

  Kara squinted at the panel she’d just sketched out, yet another installment of the cartoon she was doing for Ellie based on the computer game her friend had created. Dark Shadow, the heroine, was in the process of fighting the villain, Iron Wolf. A villain that once again was looking more and more like a certain man of her acquaintance. A blazingly hot, kinky man.

  Jesus Christ. Why was she drawing Vin all the time? She seriously had to get it to together. Ellie was going to recognize him and wonder why on earth Kara kept turning her precious Iron Wolf into her brother.

  Uh yeah, sorry, Ell. It’s because I’ve been screwing him every night for the past week and now I can’t stop thinking about him.

  Sure she could say that. It was the truth after all.

  Kara dropped the pencil, staring at the image she’d just drawn, with Dark Shadow on her knees before Iron Wolf, head bowed…

  Crap. She picked up the eraser and got rid of the image. No. Way. It was bad enough thinking about what she and Vin got up to every night, let alone drawing it.

  Letting out a breath, she leaned back on the couch, reflexively checking the counter for customers. But there was no one. Most of the people in the café were hunched over the computers or talking.

  Then she checked her phone, sitting beside her sketchbook. But there were no texts either.

  And no, she wasn’t disappointed about that. Not at all. Despite the fact that he’d told her last night that he’d want her again tonight. And that she’d frantically whizzed out to get a brand new box of condoms especially for the occasion.

  Despite the fact that she’d bitten the bullet and shelled out to buy the slave Leia costume instead of keeping it on constant hire. A bit ridiculous considering he had her wearing just the collar and chain within seconds of arriving at her apartment. Still, he did seem to like taking the bra and panties off. Or watching her do it…

  Kara cursed under her breath as a prickling kind of heat washed through her. Man, what was wrong with her? Did all virgins get like this after their first taste of sex? Like they couldn’t get enough? Here she was, sitting at work and getting all hot and bothered at the thought of sex with Vin. Craving it like an addict craves a fix.

  “Are you on a break?”

  Her head jerked up at the sound of a familiar voice. And then the prickling heat turned into a bonfire as she saw who was standing in front of her.

  Vincent Fox. In a suit. A very fine, expertly tailored suit. He wore it with no tie, his white business shirt, in crisp contrast to the dark navy jacket, open at the neck, revealing smooth tanned skin. Was it possible for the man to get any hotter?

  Kara blinked at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I want a coffee. And this is a café. Apparently.”

  She blinked some more, struggling to fit his presence in her normal, day-to-day life. They only saw each other at night, as master and slave. Out of that context it was…weird.

  “Oh, okay. I can do that.” She quickly pulled a magazine over the pages of her sketchbook and got to her feet. But his sharp gaze caught the movement, lingering on the obscuring magazine. Goddammit.

  “Where have you been?” She came around the side of the coffee table, closer to where he stood, hoping to distract him. “You look very…” Fucking sexy. “Pr
ofessional.”

  His gaze flickered back to her again. Then down at himself. “I’ve been to the bank. Meeting with one of their business managers.”

  “Ah. Didn’t think you went around nailing things in a suit.”

  And just like that, the air between them thickened, the look in his eyes becoming hot, intent. “I could,” he said softly. “If you wanted me to.”

  Oh for Christ’s sake. How could he get her so breathless with just a look and mild double entendre?

  She swallowed. “I thought I didn’t get a say in what you did?” Because there was no doubt as to what he was referring to.

  “Do you want one?”

  Kara looked away from him, not expecting the question and strangely uneasy with it. Having a say might upset the delicate balance they’d found between them. Disturb the role he’d given her. She was quite happy taking orders in the context of their role-play, being told what to do and when to do it. Being taught the things that made him moan. Made him gasp her name. Made him curse harshly in her ear.

  Having a say would require her to drop the slave mask. Be Kara. Be herself.

  A whisper of her old vulnerability slid under her skin, cold and sharp as a paring knife.

  “No,” she said. “No, I don’t.” Turning, she began to move toward the counter. “So, how about that coffee?”

  Busying herself behind the counter with the espresso machine, Kara tried to ignore him as he followed her over, leaning one hip against the edge of the counter and folding his arms.

  She knew she should say something sharp and snarky but she didn’t know what. For some reason she couldn’t quite divorce Vin the master from Vin Ellie’s-older-brother. Which was disturbing.

  She didn’t want him to have any effect on her outside of the context of their fantasy. She didn’t really even want him to acknowledge it.

  “The bank, huh?” she said at last, grasping for a subject, any subject. “What’s with that?”

  Vin, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem dealing with her outside the context of their fantasy. The bastard. “I’m getting financed to expand the business.”

  “Expand? How?”

  “Green construction. That’s where the money is. And it’s a growing market in New Zealand.”

  She stared at him for a moment, nonplussed. He didn’t seem the type of guy who’d give a shit about green building practices, it had to be said.

  Vin stared back. “What?”

  “I’m just a little startled by the word ‘green’ in conjunction with the word ‘construction’. Out of your mouth.”

  “Why? Construction’s my business.”

  “Yeah but…” She stopped, realizing something.

  That she didn’t know anything much about Vin Fox. Oh she knew he was protective and liked to be in control a lot. That he cared about Ellie. That he worked hard. And she knew what got him off, what made him hot. But that was it. She didn’t know his hopes or his dreams. The plans he had for the future or even where he wanted to be five years from now.

  She didn’t even know why he was into construction in the first place. Which kind of made her unqualified to comment on his lack of understanding about the whole green movement.

  “But what?” He raised one dark brow.

  You want to know. You want to know about him.

  No, piss off. She didn’t. She didn’t want to know anything about him apart from when they were going to meet and where.

  “Nothing.” She turned on the machine, hoping the conversation would be lost under the noise of brewing coffee.

  “What were you drawing back there?”

  Bugger it. Looked like she wasn’t going to get out of that either. Kara met his gaze, folding her arms. “Hentai manga.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Hardcore sex comics.”

  His brows rose. “What?”

  “I think you heard me.”

  “I heard hardcore sex comics, yeah. But don’t tell me you’re drawing them.”

  “And why shouldn’t I, pray?”

  “I’ve never heard of a virgin writing that kind of thing.”

  “Shows you how many virgins you know. Besides, news flash, I’m not a virgin anymore.”

  He frowned. “You’re really drawing hardcore sex comics?”

  Kara opened her mouth, a snarky denial at the ready.

  “Show me.”

  Her mouth closed with a snap. “What? No way.”

  “Why not? Sex isn’t anything to be ashamed of. Besides, I didn’t even know you drew stuff.”

  Kara began fiddling around with the espresso machine, pulling knobs and clanking around with metal jugs. She didn’t want to talk about her drawing. Didn’t even want him knowing about it. What would he think of it anyway? He was a guy who built houses for Christ’s sake. He’d probably think her art was stupid, like most other people did. Or not even worthy of the term art.

  “Kara.”

  “No.” She jammed the metal jug full of milk under the nozzle for steaming and turned it on, the noise effectively rendering any further conversation pointless.

  Vin’s gaze however was inescapable.

  Eventually, when the milk had been heated and keeping the machine on would only scald it, Kara was forced to answer. “Look, Vin,” she said belligerently. “You and I do one thing and one thing only. We screw each other. Okay? You don’t need to know about my drawing and I don’t need to know about your company. We don’t need to know anything about each other at all. And I’m happy with it that way.” She poured out his latte, put the plastic top over the takeaway cup, and shoved it in his direction. “Here’s your damn coffee. I’ll see you tonight.”

  He said nothing for a long moment. Then he looked down at the cup. “I wanted an espresso not a latte.”

  “I don’t care. Just go away and stop bothering me at work.”

  “I’ll bother you wherever I goddamn please.” He glanced back at her, eyes glinting, a storm gathering.

  She refused to be intimidated. Or turned on. “Go away, Vin.”

  He leaned on the counter. “Why? Am I getting to you, baby girl?”

  “No.” Yes. “Stop being an asshole. I’m at work for God’s sake.”

  He just looked at her and she felt stripped bare, more completely than she ever had as his slave. Then, before she could do anything about it, he picked up his cup and took a step back. “Yeah, you’re right.” His voice was neutral, the storm passing. His face guarded and blank. “Screwing. That’s all we’re doing. In which case, tonight. Seven thirty. You’ll expect me.”

  She didn’t speak as he turned and walked out of the café.

  Nor did she want to acknowledge the emotion that slipped through her as he left.

  An emotion that felt a lot like disappointment.

  Vin strode out of Manga Café Xtreme then stopped, staring belligerently at the traffic going by him in the street, angry for no good reason.

  The coffee in his hand was burning his palm so he glared at that instead of the traffic. She hadn’t even asked him what kind of coffee he wanted, just gone ahead and made him a latte without asking. Well, he didn’t want a latte. He wanted a fucking espresso.

  It’s not the coffee, dick.

  No, of course it wasn’t the stupid coffee. It was why the hell he’d even gone into Kara’s café in the first place. There were dozens of other cafés near the bank where he’d had his meeting, but he’d walked right by all of them, coming here instead.

  Why? When the need for coffee wasn’t really all that pressing?

  Vin’s jaw tightened. He hadn’t been thinking when he’d stopped outside Manga Café Xtreme, he’d just pushed the door open and gone right in, and then he’d seen her.

  Sitting on the couch at the back of the café, bent over a coffee table. Totally absorbed in what she was doing. Her face screwed up in concentration, her glasses on the end of her nose. Her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

  And in that instant he’d been
seized with the almost overwhelming desire to know what she was doing. So he’d come inside and was down at the end of the café near her table before he’d even had a chance to put thought into action.

  Drawing. She’d been drawing. And he was betting it wasn’t hardcore sex comics, no matter what she said.

  He didn’t know why he wanted to know though. And he didn’t know why her insistence on them not sharing anything other than their bodies irritated him quite so damn much.

  Because it shouldn’t. He was quite happy with their present arrangement. Having her as his love slave, doing what he wanted when he wanted it and enjoying the hell out of it, satisfied a need in him he didn’t even realize he had.

  In fact this whole week he’d been a lot calmer. Dealing with the shit of having to take Lillian home from the hospital and getting her settled back into the council apartment he leased for her. Doing his usual sweep for sharp items and making sure she took her meds, at the same time as making sure Ellie was okay. Then there had been Fox Chase and a few last minute problems with getting the finances sorted for the expansion.

  Knowing he had Kara made things easier. That when he got to her place, she’d be there for him. And she wouldn’t give him any grief. She’d just do what he said, and he’d make her feel good.

  Yeah, that had made the whole week better. So why he should feel annoyed because she didn’t want to talk about whatever the hell she was drawing was anyone’s guess. He and Kara had something good going on. Had an understanding. Why fuck it up with talking?

  Reflexively Vin lifted the coffee and took a sip, pulling a face at the milky taste of it. Yet underneath that, he could also taste hints of what was probably excellent coffee. Man, if he could stomach this latte, she’d probably make a mean espresso.

  He swung back round, glancing through the windows of the café. Kara was still behind the counter, fussing around with something. As he watched, she glanced up and met his gaze, glaring at him.

  Well, shit. If she didn’t want to talk, she didn’t want to talk and he was good with that. But she couldn’t tell him where to get his damn coffee. And if he wanted to get it from her café then he would.