The Billionaire's Ink Mistress: Billionaires in Bondage, Book 2

by Joely Sue Burkhart

  He’d done this. He’d brought her here into this insane corporate warfare, dog-eat-dog world of business. Where deals reigned supreme—even if you had to hold your nose with one hand—and a future career or business could be destroyed with one word from the right person. Or where a beautiful woman could be shunned or humiliated by the rich designer snobs because she had some tattoos. Instead of risking that shame, Diana had chosen to cover them up. As if she’d feared he wouldn’t protect her. That he wouldn’t stand up for her, like that jerk in high school.

  She turned her head and her gaze collided with his. The overwhelming noise of the partying crowd faded away. Someone grabbed his arm, trying to get his attention, but now that he had her in his sights, nothing was going to keep him from reaching her. From showing her how much he cared. How much he—

  “Jackson, my boy.” Geoffrey Larsen planted himself in front of him. Jackson tried to sidestep him to keep moving to Diana, but the man seized his shoulder and turned him back. “Where are you off to in such a hurry? You haven’t even said hello to my daughter. Sophia?”

  “Hi, Jackson.”

  Jackson dragged his gaze away from Diana long enough to give a cursory nod to Sophia. “Glad to see you tonight. Please excuse me.”

  “Save a dance for Sophia, won’t you?” Geoffrey squeezed his shoulder harder and winked. “She’s expecting to make this a memorable holiday event.”

  Fuck. Did the man expect to make some kind of formal announcement? Tonight? He hadn’t agreed to anything. He clenched his hands into fists at his side, trying to think of something to say. Some way he could extricate himself from such a delicate and ridiculous situation. Surely Sophia didn’t have a clue about what her father was up to. Jackson didn’t know her that well, but she’d earned her way up the ladder, just like him. She had a very respectable record at the firm. He wouldn’t hesitate to call on her if her expertise was required.

  He searched her face, trying to tell if she was in on her father’s ploy. The whole thing made him sick. He needed to speak to Ellen, but finding her in this crazy gathering would be next to impossible. She had to know what Geoffrey was trying to pull. Maybe she’d have an idea, some angle he hadn’t seen. Because right now, he couldn’t think of a way out. He couldn’t even think of anything to say. One wrong word would end everything, and all he wanted to do was tell the bastard off.

  I’m trapped.

  He shot another glance at Diana, afraid the misery and turmoil was written all over his face. The last thing he wanted to do was dance with some other woman. Let alone marry her for the sake of business. He couldn’t do it. Wouldn’t. But he couldn’t see a way out.

  “There you are.” Diana’s rich voice rolled over him like a balm. She slipped her arm into his. “You’re late.”

  “Sorry.” He tightened his arm around hers and even put his other hand over her forearm, holding on to her for dear life. She’d also brought reinforcements in the form of Donovan and Lilly. “Mr. Larsen, Sophia, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Donovan Morgan; his fiancée, Lilly Harrison; and her friend, Diana Temple. They flew in from Minneapolis for the party tonight.”

  Geoffrey inclined his head to the ladies and shook Donovan’s hand. “Morgan Industries, right? Glad to have you as a client, Donovan. Is our boy taking good care of you?”

  “Jackson’s the best. If you’ll excuse us, I have some business to discuss with him.”

  More grateful than he’d ever been in his life, Jackson moved away with them. It was all he could do not to hustle them all straight out the door to freedom.

  “Don’t forget that dance with Sophia,” Geoffrey called after him.

  Sophia jerked on his arm and whispered fiercely. “He’s here with guests, Dad. I’ll dance with him some other time.”

  “Not on your life,” Jackson muttered beneath his breath. “Thanks, guys. You have no idea what you just saved me from.”

  “Don’t look but old man Larsen’s still coming after you, waving his daughter like a war trophy,” Donovan said.

  Jackson groaned and quickened his step, but Diana stopped, halting him in his tracks. Turning, she leaned into him and he automatically tipped his head so she could whisper to him over the music. “You picked me to be your date for this event. Would you like for me to show them exactly what kind of woman I am?”

  “Absolutely,” he replied without hesitation. “You’re my choice. You’re my Priestess.”

  She took off the shawl and handed it to Lilly. Raising her voice so that the nearing man would no doubt overhear, she said, “Then you owe me a dance, Angel.”

  Only then did he actually hear the music over the crowd. Arm in arm, they walked over to join the other dancing couples. Most of the other dancers were politely slow dancing, but she pulled him in tight against her. With her heels on, they were eye to eye and nose to nose. Her breath caught and she leaned in closer, almost pressing her mouth to his. “You smell like good scotch. Our room didn’t have any.”

  “I’ll correct that problem immediately.”

  “Give me a taste.”

  She didn’t move to start the kiss, expecting him to fulfill her request. She probably meant it as a test of his willingness to obey, even in front of his friends and colleagues. But he didn’t care. He still didn’t know how he was going to get out of the Larsen mess, but he’d never deny her. Especially when she only asked for what he wanted above all.

  Pressing his mouth to hers, he parted his lips, welcoming her tongue into his mouth. She moaned deeply and threaded her fingers through his hair. They swayed, locked together, while she slowly and thoroughly sampled his mouth until he feared he’d end up on his knees right there in front of everyone. He flattened his palms against the bare skin of her back, smoothing his hands up and down the fine bumps of her spine. He could almost feel the pricks of the thorns in her skin.

  Finally, she pulled back and gave him a heavy-lidded smile that made his dick swell even more. Walking out of here was going to be awkward to say the least. She didn’t say anything, but her smile deepened, amusement and heat glittering in her eyes. Someone started clapping. Confused, he looked around, surprised to see a ring of people around them.

  “The music stopped a while ago.” She didn’t make any move to disengage from his arms. Then her hand squeezed and he realized she was gripping his ass. In public. With all of these spectators. “And I’m not entirely able to keep my hands to myself.”

  He was pretty sure his face had caught on fire, but he didn’t move out of her embrace either. He could only imagine the jokes and stares he’d get at the office next week. Though most of them were probably too drunk to remember. “So I noticed.”

  “We could stay like this waiting for the music to start again.” She kneaded his buttock, her voice husky. “Or we could leave and find a place to…talk.”

  He pressed his hips against her, making sure she could feel his erection. “Talk?”

  “Lilly already took her lover boy upstairs. I thought maybe we could sightsee a little first.”

  He didn’t let any disappointment show on his face. “Of course. I’ll have the car brought around. Do you want to change?”

  Shaking her head, she stepped back. Immediately, he felt bereft, the air chilling some of the heat from where she’d pressed against him, making him miss her body even more. “I like to see you in a tux. Makes me want to do very naughty things to you.”

  He took her hand and lifted it to his mouth. “Your wish is my command.”

  More applause broke out and people definitely whispered as they walked by. Maybe it would bother him later, but right now, all he could think about was getting skin to skin with her tonight. Nothing else mattered.

  Diana curled against Jackson’s side in the back of the luxurious car while someone else drove them through traffic. “I could get used to this.”

  “I’ve never actual
ly driven anywhere in Chicago myself. Where do you want to go? I’ll give the driver the address.”

  He seemed fine, but she could sense a deep undercurrent of emotion just beneath the surface. Grim lines bracketed his mouth, even after their modest little demonstration. It hadn’t bothered him in the slightest to kiss in front of his coworkers. She could have probably pushed him even further, maybe given him a small task that would have made it more obvious to anyone slightly familiar with the lifestyle to discern how things worked between them. But there really wasn’t a need to embarrass him, even if he’d enjoy it.

  That really was the question that lingered in her mind at this point. Where was his line? He’d claimed to be a voyeur, but everything she’d seen so far indicated he had no inhibition himself. Maybe instead of watching others…he really wanted to be on display himself. A sultry dance and kiss tonight hadn’t bothered him in the slightest. But could he do more? Especially if people couldn’t recognize him? Or did he really need to stand in the shadows and spy on other lovers?

  “I don’t even own a car,” he said. “I didn’t want to bother with having it serviced regularly when I hardly ever drive.”

  He sighed and looked out the window. She didn’t press him for answers, but just held his hand and listened to his heartbeat beneath her ear.

  “Larsen made me an offer I can’t refuse.” He laughed, a sad, heavy chuckle without any mirth. “Yet what he asks is impossible. I won’t do it. I can’t. But I’m trapped.”

  “He’s the one running against your mother for manager? What does he want?”

  Jackson nodded. “He wants me to marry his daughter. Then he’ll add my name on the door and eventually the firm would be mine and hers after Ellen retires. He’s so old school that he can’t envision his own daughter running the firm alone, let alone marrying and keeping her own name.”

  “Wow, he honestly thinks people do marriages of convenience nowadays? That’s insane.”

  “In exchange, he promised to step down and let Ellen take the management slot. She doesn’t have the votes, and nothing we can do between now and the board meeting will change that. The only way she can possibly win at this point is if he steps out of the race of his own accord.”

  “How important is it to you that she does win?”

  He jerked his head around and narrowed a glare on her, the harshest look she’d ever gotten from him. “Not that important. Never that important.”

  Soothingly, she stroked his rigid thigh until he relaxed a little. “I didn’t say you should do it. I’m asking how important it is to win.”

  “Like I said, not that important. Ellen could always try again in a year or two.”

  “But the likelihood of her pushing him out is slim.”

  Reluctantly, he nodded. “He’d have to royally screw up, like cost the company millions of dollars, get himself disbarred, something along those lines, before we could push him out. Honestly, if he takes over, I could see Ellen retiring sooner than later.”

  “She wouldn’t leave and start her own firm?”

  “She wants to make a difference at our firm, not start her own. When you’ve been with a group as long as her, you’ve invested more than time and service. She’s invested part of her soul. It’s as much a part of her as I am as her son.”

  “What about you? Are you as invested in the firm?”

  “I’m invested in my mother. I can work anywhere.”

  Part of the answer she was looking for. Tension still vibrated through his body, muscles braced to leap into action or fight a war. He didn’t know which way to jump, and that increased his anxiety. He was in a lose-lose situation, with seemingly no way out, after working himself to death. He might claim that he hadn’t invested himself as much as his mother, but he’d certainly risked his own health and mental state to help her as much as possible.

  “What are you going to do?”

  He sighed again and stared down at her hand on his thigh. “I don’t know.”

  His voice echoed with weariness and strain. He’d forced his body to endure exhaustion for a long time, but she guessed this weariness was more mental.

  “I’m tired of fighting the good fight,” he continued. “Deep down, I guess I don’t even know if the fight is right or wrong, good or bad. Somewhere, somehow, I got lost. I lost sight of what I wanted, what’s important. Everything comes down to this one vote, this one event, even though I’ve had a great career. I could walk away from it all now and never have to work again. But if I walk away now, I’m afraid this one failure is all I’ll ever remember.”

  She didn’t know what to say, so she gently stroked his thigh, keeping the connection firm and solid for him. This was something he had to work out for himself, but he wouldn’t be alone.

  “You said you had someplace in mind.”

  Now it was her turn to sigh, because she wasn’t sure if now was the best time to push him. He needed release, something to take his mind off his work trouble, but what she had in mind might be too much for him to deal with. At least right now. She studied his profile, trying to decide what he needed the most. “We could go back to the hotel, have some delicious sex, soak in the hot tub awhile, then have more sex, and maybe sleep a bit.”

  “That sounds real nice but somehow I don’t think you had nice in mind.”

  Her mouth quirked. Deep down, he knew her pretty damned well. “Or… We could go to a private club, where we can indulge in a little voyeuristic fun. Maybe more if you’re up to it.”

  His nostrils flared, but he hesitated. She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. He was all for watching and playing in the club, but this was currently his home turf. He was a prominent and wealthy businessman who couldn’t afford to be identified. She waited, watching the emotions flicker across his face. Eagerness, concern, growing lust, but reluctance.

  Finally, she put him out of his misery. “This club is very exclusive and everyone wears a mask. No one knows anyone else. It’s completely anonymous.”

  His eyes caught fire. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  He’d never been to a BDSM club before, so he had nothing to compare this experience to in order to decide if this was the usual scene or not. The address she’d given the driver led to a nice, nondescript brownstone nearly a thirty-minute drive from downtown. A gate barred the circular driveway, but when she’d given her name, the iron gate swung open. However, they didn’t go in the front door, but drove around back to what probably had been the servants’ entry a century ago. It was dark enough that he took her elbow, careful to support her on those gorgeous heels in case she tripped.

  She didn’t knock but turned the door handle and let them inside. A single nightlight lit the small closet-like foyer. There were three doors, one straight ahead, through which a red light gleamed, and a door to either side. She knocked on the right-hand-side door, and when no one answered, she opened the door and flipped on the light. The room was small, maybe ten by ten, with old-fashioned velvet settees and low footstools. One wall was lined with wooden box shelves, filled with clothing, shoes and purses. Weirdly, it reminded him of preschool cubbies.

  “Get as comfortable as you want.” Diana sat down on one of the chairs and slipped off her shoes. “Some clubs prefer their guests dress in S&M type clothing, but this one’s higher end. We’ll fit right in with our evening clothes.”

  “Have you ever been here before?” He shrugged out of the jacket and used one of the supplied hangers to keep it from getting too wrinkled. He was tempted to leave the tie on, just because he’d never minded the tightness around his throat, but if they were going to get comfortable, it’d probably look better for him to have his shirt loose and open around his neck.

  “No, but I know the guy who owns the house. He’s a Dom who’s been pretty vocal across the country, both for the BDSM and LGBT commu
nities. He came to the Twins a couple of years ago and I heard him speak. I learned a lot from him, and he inspired my own form of house party. When you asked me to come up this weekend, I contacted him, not sure he’d even remember me. But he invited us straightaway.”

  “What’s his name?” More importantly, would this guy recognize his name? For all he knew, he could even be a Larsen & Montgomery client. How embarrassing would that be?

  But then he really thought about it. Donovan knew what he was into and it wasn’t awkward or humiliating. Maybe it was because they’d been friends for so long. Hell, Donovan had seem him get paddled and never said a word about it. Lilly paddled his ass too. And while they might joke about it, it wasn’t meant to be demeaning or hurtful.

  Still, he wasn’t too thrilled about a complete stranger knowing his kink. He was only just getting accustomed to the idea himself.

  “I only know him by what we call his dungeon name. Hammer. I’m Priestess tonight. If anyone asks you what your name is, you’re Angel. Specifically, the Priestess’s Angel. I don’t have a collar to give you to mark you as mine, so stay close. I don’t know how many unattached Dommes might be prowling about tonight and when it comes to you, I think I’ll be very jealous.”

  Smiling, he went over and picked up her shoes so he could set them with his jacket. “How jealous?”

  “Extremely. Now drop your pants.”

  He dropped one of her shoes with shock. “What?”

  “I have a little surprise for you.” She opened up her purse and pulled out a… He didn’t know the word for it. It almost looked like an outdoor Christmas light bulb. “Have you ever had anything in that gorgeous ass, Angel?”

  He opened his mouth but no words would come out. His mind was blank. His ass?

  “I take that as a no.” Chuckling, she crossed her legs. The short skirt rode up just enough to bare the lace top of her stockings. Instantly, he went rock hard and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from that glimpse. If she moved again, he might get a glimpse of bare skin. “I’m waiting, Angel.”