by Carson, Tori
As André brought Nick up to date on what had happened, Amanda watched James. He seemed to melt into the background, but Amanda was still acutely aware of him. It made her nervous. She didn’t want to be attracted to him. Why wasn’t her body equipped with a reset button? Because she’d be hitting it for sure. This was not a path she wanted to go down. There wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that, if she let him, he would hurt her emotionally and physically.
His interest in BDSM wasn’t the only problem either. In the three months she’d worked at the club, she’d never seen him bring or leave with a woman. That, in her mind, meant he wasn’t into relationships, he just wanted a quick screw with no strings attached. Damn it. Why did her body choose him to respond to?
Nick started asking her questions. Not again. She was tired of reliving this crap every time she repeated her answers. They asked the same thing over and over. At least Nick had kind eyes and soft hands and he did absolutely nothing for her girlie parts.
He was also distracted. Amanda had caught him staring at one of the video screens. Geez, he was as bad as the rest of them. Neanderthals!
Nick turned his attention back to her. “What was the photo of?”
The second picture had really shaken her up. Amanda shivered. “This poor girl was tied naked on a table. Some asshole was pouring something white onto her body, maybe acid, I couldn’t tell. There were blood splatters all over the place.” Tears started rolling down her face and she reached for a tissue.
“Did it have any writing on it?”
She nodded slowly then looked up at James. “‘Die slowly, bitch.’” His jaw tightened and he shifted his weight like he was struggling to keep his mouth shut. Amanda was pretty sure he wanted to give her another lecture. If he were going to be her bodyguard he’d better learn to censor his comments, because she wasn’t putting up with his arrogant ‘I know what’s best’ routine.
Amanda’s focus had been on James and she’d missed what André had said to tick off Nick. In an instant, he went from kind and consoling to pissed off. She’d never seen André take shit from anyone. Hell, he owned the club. No one told André what to do and yet he looked sheepish. Whoever Nick was, he was important.
She looked to James, but he was stoic. He didn’t seem surprised at all by the exchange. In fact, he wasn’t even watching the two men—his eyes were on the photos. It was stupid, but she didn’t want him looking at them. She didn’t want him to see her as a victim. The last thing she wanted from anyone was pity. Using care, she put the picture back into the envelope and pushed it aside. Then she hit a few keys on the laptop, closing out of her email program and shutting it down. She pushed it back to where André kept it.
Nick jumped to his feet. Though he wasn’t looking at her, he seemed so aggressive that she pushed her wheelie chair as far away from him as she could.
“Where’s Laura?” Nick pointed to the screen. “She was right there.”
James came closer and started turning on all the monitors. Suddenly, Nick and André ran from the room. James moved to follow them, but stopped at the door and turned to meet her gaze. “Stay right here and lock the door. Only open it for me or André.” He then shot out after the other men.
Amanda looked at the last screen James had turned on. A woman, presumably Laura, was hanging from a contraption on the wall. More frightened than she’d been in a long time, Amanda jumped up and locked the door. By the time she’d returned to her chair, the men had appeared on the video screen. The camera was pointed at Nick and Laura. As Amanda watched intently, she caught glimpses of James.
A black object appeared briefly on the screen. Was that a gun? Amanda jumped to her feet and covered her mouth with her hand as she watched in disbelief. Oh my God, James is fighting a man with a gun! Her legs shook and threatened to give out. She was so afraid for James. What the hell is he thinking?
Both men disappeared out of view. She stared at the edge of the monitor, hoping he’d come back on the screen. It was so frustrating that all she could see were four legs on the tiled floor. One man seemed to be sitting on top of the other. Because Nick continued to attend to Laura, Amanda had to believe James was okay. Please, God, let him be safe.
She didn’t want to consider why it was so important that he was unhurt. Surely it was just one human being feeling compassion for another—that was what it had better frickin’ be because she wouldn’t allow it to be anything else.
André appeared on the screen. She watched him step over the two men on the floor. Why isn’t he helping James? What the eff?
André dug around in the top drawer of the bureau that sat against the wall opposite the door, then he handed what looked like a key to Nick. She could barely breathe. That poor woman had been locked to that contraption? How in the hell do people think this is fun?
Amanda watched Nick carry Laura to a cot. He held her in his arms and rocked her back and forth. It was a tender, loving scene, one that touched Amanda. Nick seemed to truly care for Laura. Unless Amanda was completely off base, his heart was breaking over what had happened. It was hard for her to wrap her mind around the obvious emotion. Maybe he wasn’t part of the lifestyle. Maybe he was what André called a tourist—someone who was curious, but didn’t really know anything about the lifestyle.
Though she recognized that what had happened to that woman hadn’t been consensual, she also knew from working in the club these past few months that those rooms were busy pretty much all night long. What’s wrong with these people that they would allow someone to do that to them?
André left the room with a determined look on his face. He barely looked at the men on the floor at all. That had to be a good sign. Amanda rested both hands on the counter in front of the monitors and stared intently at the screen willing James to appear.
Finally, she saw James stand. He was facing away from the camera with his fingers laced behind his head and walking backward out of the room. She’d heard sirens, so she had to assume the police had arrived. Thank goodness! But why are they treating James like he’s a criminal?
The adrenaline rush she’d been riding on since James had first entered the room had her restless. She began pacing back and forth in the tiny office. All that pent-up energy wouldn’t allow her to sit still a moment longer.
What kind of person takes on an armed gunman? It didn’t matter how attracted she was to James, she had to keep her distance. His interest in BDSM was reason enough to run far and fast in the opposite direction. Why wouldn’t her body listen to reason? Why did her heart have to race and her girlie parts react every time she saw him?
No way would she be able to have him by her side for an extended period of time and not fall further under his spell. Poor choices in men were a DNA flaw that ran through the women in her family. She refused to follow the family tradition. Right at that moment, James was a bigger threat to her than the stalker. She’d fight the stalker to her last breath. James…was a different story. She just didn’t know if she had the wherewithal to mount a defense against him.
Amanda grabbed her purse. She had to get out of there before he returned. She had mace, that would protect her from the stalker if need be. Besides, so far the stalker only contacted her through the club. If she got a different job, the stalker wouldn’t be able to track her. It probably wouldn’t pay nearly as well, but sacrifices had to be made. James was just too potent. Running was the only viable option she had available.
She unlocked the deadbolt and cracked open the door. She got one foot out of the office door before she hit a solid, unmovable object. Looking up, way up, she met James’ gaze. His blue eyes could send her tummy bunching with just a look. Soft, blond hair framed his handsome face. Why does he have to be such a sexy bad boy?
James rested his left hand on the door frame, blocking her exit. His right hand circled her neck, sending her heart racing. It was at the same time threatening yet intimate. Her legs felt weak. Was he going to choke the life out of her for disobeying him?
“Where are you going? I told you to remain in the office.” He spoke softly, but she sensed his admonishment.
“I gotta get outta here.” With his hand pressed against her throat, she felt her vocal cords vibrate against his palm. Her boobs were pressed into his chest. His broad, muscular chest. She was breathing too fast, and every breath she took was filled with his scent. Why did he have to wear her favorite cologne? Damn him.
“Not without me and I have a few things to attend to before I can leave.” He dropped his shoulder and allowed her to see two police officers standing behind him. “Go back inside. We’ll leave in a few minutes.”
She wanted to tell him to go to hell, that he didn’t have the right to tell her what to do, but the police were there and she didn’t want to cause him any further trouble. She was sure her decision to remain silent had nothing to do with his hand touching her neck or the way his breath caressing the side of her face was making her panties wet.
Reluctantly she turned and walked to the back wall of the office. James pushed the wheelie chair back toward her. After the two police officers followed him into the way-too-tiny office, James spun the only other chair around to face the door and straddled it, effectively blocking her in. She was suffering from claustrophobia. The damned office was manageable if you were the only person in it. Two people and things were decidedly cramped. With three grown men sucking up all the available air, she was starting to panic.
James reached toward her with his right arm. She watched in a mixture of curiosity and horror as he moved his hand between her legs. He grabbed her chair and pulled her closer to him. When their seats were touching, he shackled her wrist in his hand.
There was a strange roaring in her ears. She had no idea what the officers were saying and she prayed they weren’t speaking to her. Oh, God. He couldn’t touch her without her losing the tenuous grasp she had on her emotions. If he made her cry, she vowed to kick his ass all the way to the parking lot.
Slowly, he began to rub back and forth across her pulse. It was hypnotic and soothing. Her breathing synced with his lazy strokes—in and out with each glide along her wrist. Every nerve ending in her body rushed to that square inch of skin and begged for his attention.
Every time she was in his company, her brain turned to mush and her body went into meltdown. Yet now, with her emotions completely frazzled, she found his touch calming. She had no idea how to cope with this change of events. It was easier when it had only been sexual tension. Drawing comfort from Mr Bad Boy was unacceptable. It made him approachable when she wanted a huge, stone wall to separate them always.
She knew she should push her chair away from him and break their physical connection. Maybe then she’d recognize his ‘I care about you’ ruse for what it really was.
He doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t even know you. Get a frickin’ grip!
Nope…even talking to herself didn’t help. She couldn’t muster the strength to pull away from him.
“Amanda Barrett. She’s the receptionist for the club, but she wasn’t working the lobby this evening. André had her working back here tonight.” James’ tone was sharper than she was used to.
Hearing him speak her name shifted her focus to the conversation between the three men. She had no idea why they were discussing her. Amanda looked up at both officers. She offered a tentative smile and nothing else. If they had asked her a question, she was sure they would repeat it.
“Ma’am, do you have anything to add?” the officer closest to James asked her.
She shook her head no, wishing she could fade into the background.
The officer pulled a flip wallet out of his breast pocket. He removed a business card and gave it to her. “If you think of anything that might be helpful, please give me a call.”
Amanda noticed James sat a little taller and shifted subtly to block more of her body. His thumb had also paused in mid-stroke. As if on cue, her breathing stopped too. The air was stuck in her lungs, unable to be expelled. Once more, she started to panic.
The moment the officer stepped back, James began his slow rub again. Like a switch was flipped, the air rushed from her body. What the hell was he doing to her? She’d never been this attuned to a man. It was very disconcerting.
As soon as the police had left the room, James released her wrist, then stood and faced her. She instantly missed his touch, but the weird spell he’d cast over her was broken and she could breathe of her own accord. James reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. He swiped his finger a few times across the screen then put his phone back in his pocket.
James shoved his chair under the counter. “Now we can get out of here. Did you bring your car?”
Amanda nodded then pulled her purse strap over her shoulder.
“Please get into the habit of answering me verbally.”
“Sorry.” She wasn’t really, but since he had said ‘please’ she needed to at least sound polite. Honestly, she was so nervous around him she had a hard time finding her voice. “Yes, I drove.”
James was taking her the back way out of the club. Obviously, he was familiar with the inner workings of DiscipliNation. Then again, he’d been a member longer than she’d worked there.
“Give me your keys.” James paused by the back exit with his hand extended.
“Why?”
“I’m going to drive you to your apartment and get the other picture. When I open the door we’re going to walk quickly to your car. Entering and exiting a building, you are very exposed. We’re going to move fast to limit the chances of a problem. Ready?”
She’d pulled the keys from her purse while he had explained the plan, but she didn’t give them to him. “It’s my car. I’ll drive. You ride shotgun.” She met his gaze to let him know she meant business.
Amanda began a slow melt as she watched a grin break across his face.
“Sorry, sweetheart, that ain’t happenin’.” He shook his head as his smile touched his eyes.
Definitely a bad boy! And he frickin’ well knew the effect he was having on her. Dang it. Since the ability to speak was suddenly out of her reach, she handed him her keys. Like a lamb to slaughter, she placed her hand in his and followed him to the passenger side of her car.
Amanda sat quietly as James got in the driver’s seat and buckled up. After starting the car he reached over and yanked hard on her seat belt, presumably to make sure she was safe. They hadn’t driven far before the silence got to her.
“Is that woman okay?” Amanda knew Laura had been taken away via an ambulance.
“She’s going to be fine. We got lucky and found her before he’d had a chance to really hurt her.”
Amanda noticed the knuckles on his right hand were abraded. “He had a gun, didn’t he?” She had to know. Her stomach was in knots just thinking about James taking on an armed assailant.
“I don’t think he planned to use it on her. I’m pretty sure he only fired it because he was trapped. We were lucky the bullet hit a stud in the wall and didn’t travel any farther.”
“You were lucky it didn’t hit you! Do you have a death wish? Why else would you take on a man with a gun?” She wished she could take the words back as soon as she’d said them. It was too late, she’d just have to bluff her way through it. She raised her chin and shot him her best haughty look.
His sexier-than-hell chuckle sent her stomach bottoming out.
“Are you scolding me, Amanda? While it’s a very cute look on you, I’m not really into that.”
Sex. Geez. That was all he ever thought about. With her nose prominently in the air she turned away from him and looked out of the window.
It wasn’t long before they pulled up to her apartment. He even parked in her assigned space. What the eff? “How do you know where I live and which parking spot is mine?”
Shit. He’d better get his head in the game. Telling her he’d followed her home more nights than he could count wouldn’t gain her trust. She wasn’t likely to bel
ieve he was just concerned for her safety. “If I’m going to protect you, I need to know everything about you.”
Amanda looked like she was going to say something, but she let it go.
“Wait for me to come around and open your door. We’re going to walk quickly to your apartment. Stay just a little behind me. Any questions?”
She shook her head no.
James rested his index finger under her chin and rubbed Amanda’s bottom lip with his thumb. “What did I tell you about answering me?”
Amanda’s eyes flashed wide for only a moment or two then she dropped her gaze to the floorboard. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and drew a ragged breath. He waited a few more seconds, willing her to speak to him.
“Yes, I understand.”
“If I have to remind you again, I’m going to kiss you. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to disobey me.” James grinned as her eyes flashed wide again. It would be interesting to see how she responded to his ‘threat’.
One last swipe across her full, kissable bottom lip and he pulled himself away. He took a deep breath—well, as deep as he could with three cracked ribs—and gave the parking lot a long, careful look. He couldn’t afford to have his attention divided. AJ, his boss, would hand him his ass for lunch if AJ knew he’d taken a security detail injured. And AJ was bound to find out. Fuck it. It didn’t matter if it was unprofessional, James wasn’t handing this one over to anyone else.
James exhaled the pain away as he got out of the car. He took another slow sweep of the area before he opened Amanda’s door. He offered his hand to help her out. She was wearing an indecently short skirt and leather bustier. Since she hadn’t intended to play tonight, he assumed fetwear was probably a requirement for working at the club.