“My job,” he went on, “will be to press the button that will be on the remote in my suit coat pocket.” He trailed his finger over my cheek. “I guarantee that you won’t be overthinking the lack of panties. Your mind will be fully consumed by the multiple sensations in your pussy and against your clit. By the time we make it back here, you’ll be begging me to remove it and replace it with my cock.”
My head was shaking. “You’re joking. You can’t be serious.”
“Options, sunshine, you have two.”
“You wouldn’t...” I couldn’t even process what he was saying—or was he threatening? “H-how did you even think of that?”
“I’d offer you a vibrating butt plug instead, but I said there’d only be two options. If the idea intrigues you, you can ask for that for our second date.”
“Yeah, right,” I said with all the sarcasm I could muster. “Butt plugs should definitely be reserved for at least the second date. I usually say third, but who knows?”
“If you think I’m not serious—”
It was my turn to silence Sterling. I did it with my lips.
My mind was clearing.
If he thinks he can shock me into compliance, he had a lesson or two to learn about me. Leaning back, I gave him my most seductive smile. “You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Sparrow.”
“The decision is...?”
I shrugged. “Not two.”
“Then one,” he said with a bit too much satisfaction.
“We’ll see. Whether you realized it or not, you offered me a third alternative earlier—which would make the two you just said numbers two and three. In that case, three is off the table. Between the first two, I guess you’ll need to find out.” Lifting myself up on my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you at seven. No coming into the bedroom.”
“Then how am I supposed to get ready?”
“You’re Sterling Sparrow. I know you have your ways.”
Turning my back to him, I closed my laptop and secured it in my satchel with some notes I’d taken. Though earlier I’d been thinking about Sinful Threads, those thoughts were gone. All the way to the bedroom, his final two options played on repeat in my head.
How did he come up with that?
And the butt plug—no.
Hard no.
Hell no.
I’d never...
Then again, it could be worth trying at home, alone in our bedroom. Not only had I never considered anything anal, I’d also never had a vibrator inserted. I had my own vibrator in Boulder and even in college. However, it wasn’t as he described. And when I’d used it, I was alone in my bedroom—in my bed.
Never in public.
I tried to imagine what it would be like to be among strangers and having something moving inside me.
What would that be like? Why was I even curious...?
My core clenched at the thought.
Stop it, Araneae. Don’t even think about it.
It was too late. I was thinking about it.
While I couldn’t predict the future when it came to Sterling Sparrow, I could say with one hundred percent certainty that nothing would be inserted before we left on our first date. This was what Sterling did to me. He pushed me out of my comfort zone, making me desire things I should never want—things that I’d never before considered.
I meant what I’d said. The option was off the table. Yet he’d planted a seed.
Damn you, Sterling.
When I entered our large closet, I found the dress Sterling requested. It was clean and steamed and hanging in a clear dry-cleaning bag from Boulder. It was the Sinful Threads dress with the black onyx-like neckline, the one I’d worn to the party on the Riverwalk, and the one I’d worn most of the night on the plane back to Boulder. It was the one I’d changed out of in the Wichita airport and thrown into my carry-on.
The clock near the bed read a little after five.
With the hanger in my hand, I gave my attire for the evening more thought.
With a smile, I walked back and forth from the closet to the bed. Systematically, I put together my strategy. Laying the dress on the bed, I added the accessories: the thigh-high stockings, the pair of crystal-adorned black peep-toe pumps I’d worn to the club, and lastly, a black satin thong.
Walking to the bathroom, a grin came to my lips as I imagined Sterling coming into the bedroom to fetch his clothes for our date. It wouldn’t matter that I’d locked the door. That wouldn’t stop him.
I wasn’t certain he remembered the first option he’d given me: “...no panties unless after dinner you want to start with that spanking.”
The idea of him turning my ass red before bringing me pleasure shouldn’t twist my insides in knots. I shouldn’t desire his hands on me in that way. I knew that.
There were many things about Sterling Sparrow I shouldn’t desire.
My brain comprehended.
That was part of the problem. I’d stopped listening to my brain the first day I saw him in the parking lot.
Now when it came to Sterling, my body was in charge.
Get ready, Mr. Sparrow.
You like to push me?
My smile grew. I’m going to push back.
Araneae
For a confident woman, I was indecisive. Freshly showered with my hair styled into long curls hanging onto my back and dressed in the black Sinful Threads dress, the stockings, and shoes, I’d put on and taken off the damn thong about eight times.
Sterling pushed me, and I wanted to push back.
And then my decision would waver. Touching up my lipstick, my hand trembled. I was as nervous as I’d ever been on a first date.
You’re being silly, I told myself. Yet it didn’t ease the full-blown case of nerves.
What was I afraid of?
That he wouldn’t like me?
That he’d not call tomorrow or the next day?
Taking a deep breath and staring at myself in the mirror, I reached for the thong now on the vanity counter. I was due at the front door in only a few minutes. I needed to decide once and for all.
To be pushed or to push back...
As I rounded the corner to the landing, my steps stuttered. Standing at the front door one story down was my date, his dark eyes peering upward to the second floor. Even from a distance, I could see that the dark gray suit he wore was custom made, accentuating what I now knew was underneath. The unbuttoned tapered jacket highlighted his broad shoulders. The button-up shirt beneath was black with an open collar and tucked into his trousers. His shoes were also black as was his belt. My gaze stilled on the silver buckle causing my heart to beat faster.
The temperature of the room increased.
My neck straightened as I walked. With my hand on the banister and my charm bracelet dangling from my wrist, I took in Sterling’s growing smile.
Did he know what I’d done, that I’d decided to play with fire?
Though I’d made the choice, as I studied the man waiting for me, I realized that I hadn’t truly considered the ramifications of being burnt.
With each step I took down the stairs, Sterling’s gaze darkened, scanning me from head to toe as I’d done him. My skin grew warmer as his eyes lingered. The way he stared was as if I weren’t dressed as he’d requested, as if I weren’t dressed at all. By the time I reached the final step, my body was doing exactly as he’d asked. His lips quirked noticing my reaction as the lush satin of my bodice tented above my hardening nipples.
“You are exquisite,” he said as his compliment washed through me.
Stepping down onto the marble floor, I replied, “You’re very handsome yourself.”
With a quick turn, Sterling reached for something that had been out of sight.
Flowers.
In his grip, Sterling now held a bouquet of red roses.
“Sterling?”
He handed them my way. “For our first date.”
With the roses now in my grasp, I inhaled. The scent of the flowers was l
ost in the fog of his spicy cologne. It wasn’t overpowering as in too much, but overpowering as in consuming my thoughts. Looking up, I smiled. “If this is what it’s like to be wined and dined by the great Sterling Sparrow, I may like it.”
“The night is young.”
After finding a ready and waiting vase in the kitchen and leaving the roses there, we made our way toward the secret elevator. As Sterling placed his palm on the sensor, I asked, “When will I be able to do that?”
The doors opened and he placed his hand in the small of my back. “Never.”
“What?”
He pushed the G button for the garage. “There’s no need.”
The magic of the date evaporated with each floor we descended. “Yes, there is a need.”
Sterling’s fingers splayed on the skin of my back as his tone deepened. “Could we postpone this conversation until after our date?”
“What if there was a fire?”
“There won’t be.”
The doors opened to an idling large black SUV, similar to the one I’d seen in the parking lot of the Sinful Threads distribution center, and our driver at the waiting.
“Your carriage,” Patrick said with a grin, opening the door to the back seat.
It seemed as though I’d have both of my bodyguards along on this date. “Thank you, Patrick.”
Sterling and I both scooted into the back seat. While Patrick was walking back to the driver’s side, I whispered, “Postponed, not settled.”
Sterling’s hand rested on my knee as he turned my way. “Currently, we have more pressing matters.”
My painted lip disappeared beneath my front teeth. “We do?”
“We do.” His voice was low as Patrick entered the car, and we began to move toward the tunnel. Bit by bit, Sterling bunched the skirt of my dress until the silk stockings were almost completely exposed. His lips came to my ear. “Tell me what I’ll find?”
My eyes opened and closed as his warm breath tickled my skin. I didn’t expect him to question my attire this early and not in the seat behind Patrick. “Please, can we postpone this too?” His hand inched higher until I placed mine on top. “No.”
I don’t know what I was expecting, perhaps an argument. Instead, the tips of his lips curled upward. “All right, sunshine. You’re right. That’s a bit forward for a first date, but after...”
Sterling turned his hand so we were now palm to palm; our fingers intertwined.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city.”
I tried to come up with a name. “I’m not that familiar with Chicago...not anymore.”
“Alinea.”
“I have heard of that. I also remember hearing that they’re booked months in advance. Is this another case of my taking another woman’s date?”
Sterling laughed. “The dress you’re referring to was obviously not another woman’s. It was for you from Sinful Threads, and the restaurant, sunshine, was confirmed a few hours ago after you accepted my offer of a date.”
“How do you do that? How can you get into a restaurant that’s booked?”
“That is only one of my superpowers.” He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. “I’ll show you more later.”
As his warm lips brushed over my skin, my thighs clenched, suspecting what later would bring.
Patrick wound our way through the city, first heading north on Lake Shore Drive. As we rode, Sterling pointed out Chicago landmarks. “Since this is where you live, you should be familiar.”
“So I can drive myself?” I meant it as a statement, but its inflection made it sound more like a question.
“How about we agree that you should always know where you are?”
I nodded. I could live with that reasoning.
“You’re familiar with Navy Pier,” Sterling said.
When we reached Lincoln Park, Patrick pulled the SUV into a parking area. “This isn’t our restaurant.”
Sterling’s grin grew. “Your powers of observation never cease to amaze me.”
As the door opened, Sterling scooted out and offered me his hand. “Our reservations aren’t until eight. I thought you might enjoy a walk through the park.”
“This really is like a date.”
“No, Araneae. It is a date.”
With our hands joined and Patrick a fair distance behind us, Sterling and I walked along the concrete path toward the water. When we came to stop, he turned me around. The skyline from this area was stunning. “Sterling, the city is beautiful.”
“I’m glad that’s how you see it.”
“I do.” I scanned the tall buildings, seeing the spires on one, I looked for the second tallest. “That building there...” I pointed. “...the one that looks like glass.” There were many that looked like glass. “It’s where we live.”
He nodded. “It is.”
“I can see how tall it is.”
His head was shaking.
With my free hand, I slapped his shoulder. “Stop that. This isn’t about observation. I had in my mind that the top floors were invisible to the world.”
Sterling’s laugh rumbled through me. “Not invisible—impenetrable. This is yours, Araneae.”
“What’s mine?”
“The city—Chicago. It’s mine. You’re mine. That makes the city yours, too.”
“What does that even mean?” I asked.
“It means that when we arrive at one of the most exclusive restaurants with two hours’ notice, we have a private room ready and waiting. It means there’s nothing you desire that can’t happen. It means if I’m the king, you’re my queen.”
Letting go of his hand, I turned toward the water. “What about that direction?”
Sterling turned also and curled his arm around my back. “What about it?”
“I don’t want to be trapped in the city. I want the whole world.” I wasn’t being ungrateful or selfish, and I probably wasn’t expressing myself well, what I truly desired.
“The world is yours, Araneae. Whatever is in my reach is yours.”
Except freedom to wander. I didn’t say that. I didn’t want to ruin the mood of his gesture. However, it was what I was asking—not for the world or possession of any particular place or thing.
It was that the more he offered, the more trapped I felt.
What Sterling Sparrow was presenting to me took great power. With that came greater responsibility. I looked up at his handsome face. As he scanned the skyline, his granite features had returned. He wasn’t seeing the beauty that I did. He was seeing the darkness he’d told me about.
I lifted my hand to his cheek. “I don’t know what to say other than I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t understand how I got here or why you think I deserve to share what you’ve worked hard to secure.”
“Because you were promised to me. The blending of the families will make us unstoppable.”
My hand dropped. “What families? Your mother obviously doesn’t care for me. I don’t have a family. I saw my mother once, and I’m not sure I want to do it again.”
“None of that matters,” Sterling said, “none of it, Araneae. What matters is that you’re finally where you belong.” I started to speak, to again ask why, when he continued. “Think of what this will do for Sinful Threads. That’s also your family.”
“Sterling, I still don’t understand.”
“It’s going to take time.”
In time. His words from our first meeting came back to me.
Letting go of my waist, Sterling reached for my hand. “I need one thing from you.”
“What?”
“A promise. One where you agree to give me the time that’s needed to help you understand and the time to expose the secrets and lies that have hidden your true identity.”
“How can I say no? You’ve already shown me much more than I otherwise would have ever known.”
His head shook from side to side. “There are parts th
at will be difficult to face. I hate that those parts are there. If I could keep them hidden, I would, but that wouldn’t be fair to you. It’s all or nothing.”
Nothing.
Could I walk away now if Sterling gave me the option?
Could I forget what I’d already learned and go back to living Kennedy Hawkins’s life?
I knew the answer. “Will you make me a promise?” I asked.
His stare penetrated mine, searching for what I may ask of him, probably knowing there were secrets he’d never share. Finally, he said, “I’ll try.”
“Two promises, I guess.”
Sterling nodded.
“Be honest with me. Never lie about things you think will hurt me.”
“And,” Sterling encouraged.
“And stay with me. Don’t let me learn the good or the bad alone. I’ve been alone for too much of my life. I’ve had friends—great friends—but still, there’s been a void I didn’t understand. I didn’t try. Over the last few weeks, that’s disappeared. I don’t know how to explain it...”
He ran the tip of his finger over my cheek. “Sunshine, you don’t need to explain it. I know exactly what you’re saying. Yes, I promise to do as you ask. And you...”
“I promise,” I said, “to accept all that you tell me—the good and the bad because you won’t leave me alone to figure it all out.”
Our lips came together. In the evening Chicago sunlight with the skyline before us and the breeze coming off the water behind us, we kissed as if no one were watching.
When we pulled back, Sterling’s grin returned. “Is it after the first date yet?”
“No, Sparrow, you promised me dinner.”
“Then we should get back to the car.”
Annabelle
Twenty-six years ago
In the small, stale motel room, my knees gave out as my midsection contracted.
“Ever.”
The word echoed off the smoke-stained walls.
I collapsed into the cracked vinyl chair. “Daniel, I don’t know if I want to know your reasoning. I can’t go anywhere else. I can’t stay away from Chicago. I’m taking a leave of absence from the circuit court for Araneae’s birth, but I can’t walk away from our life.” Before he could speak, I went on, “My doctor is there, too. With my age and history, this is a high-risk delivery.” Tears pooled on my lids. “I can’t.”
Lies Page 16