by Maya Banks
A sensation that felt very much like dread settled heavily into his chest. The weight was uncomfortable, like a rock pushing down on him.
Cole had said he’d want Ren to be happy. Could Lucas say the same? He’d told Cole as much. But were they just words? A week ago he would have said without question that her happiness was everything to him. He spared no expense to ensure she had everything she could possibly need or want. He anticipated her moods, protected her, cared for her and yes, he cherished her.
But could he really take that step to ensure her happiness? To give her a choice?
His mouth was dry and he loathed the indecision that racked him. He’d already taken the first step. Ren was his. She wouldn’t question what he chose to do with her body. But he couldn’t control her heart and that realization unsettled his carefully ordered existence.
What he planned to do could very well mean losing her, and he wasn’t at all sure he could ever live with that.
CHAPTER 8
L ucas chose the meeting to happen at Cole’s offices. Cole wouldn’t have expected Lucas to come to him. The more expected move would have been for Lucas to have made a power play, invited Cole into his sanctum so that the confrontation occurred on Lucas’s turf.
Lucas wasn’t one to be threatened by the power of others. He could easily meet Cole on his own terms and where Cole felt most comfortable. The outcome wouldn’t change regardless of where the meeting was held.
He parked on the street outside the tall downtown Houston office building and strode inside. He checked in with security, got a visitor’s pass and then took the elevator to the thirtieth floor.
He’d done his homework on Cole Madison. He was a successful real estate developer but he had his hands in many other pots. He had a Midas touch when it came to business and what he touched turned to gold, making him a sought out investor for up-and-coming enterprises. In recent years, he’d focused quite a bit on the timber industry in Southeast Texas and had partnered with Damon Roche in quite a few projects.
When he stepped off the elevator, Lucas was greeted by Cole himself. Apparently Cole wasn’t into power games any more than Lucas was. Cole didn’t make Lucas wait and showed him directly into his office.
Lucas declined Cole’s offer of a drink but took the seat in the sitting area away from the desk when Cole issued the invitation.
Lucas leaned back and simply waited, his gaze tracking Cole as he took the seat across from Lucas.
“I want her,” Cole said bluntly.
Appreciative that there would be no skirting the issue, Lucas nodded. “I know you do.”
“What exactly is the nature of your agreement with her?”
Lucas lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t expect me to tell you that, do you?”
“Is she your lover or is she simply your submissive?” Cole asked, his eyes narrowing.
Lucas understood the differentiation but he didn’t appreciate Cole delving into what Lucas considered very private territory. Even though he well understood why Cole did so.
“She’s both,” he said simply.
“You care for her.”
“I care for all the women in my keeping.”
The vague response irritated Cole. Lucas wasn’t sure why he led Cole to believe that Ren meant nothing more to him than any other woman he had. Maybe it was said more to himself than to the other man. But either way it was an untruth, and Lucas despised liars.
“Tell me, Madison, what makes you think Ren would want you back? Have you ever considered that she’s happy where she is in her life right now?”
Pain darkened Cole’s eyes and he looked away briefly. When his gaze returned to Lucas, it was cold and unyielding, giving nothing away.
“I can make her happy.”
It was on the tip of Lucas’s tongue to argue the point. To tell Cole that it didn’t matter what he thought because Ren was Lucas’s. But that wasn’t why he’d come. It wasn’t at all what he was going to say. There was little point in needling the other man.
“I’m agreeable to giving her to you for two weeks’ time,” Lucas said.
Cole went completely still, and his eyes suddenly blazed. It was clear that he was shocked by Lucas’s offer. Lucas experienced a moment’s satisfaction that he’d been able to catch this man off guard because he sensed it didn’t happen often.
Cole finally found his tongue and his response was explosive. “What?”
Lucas remained silent, allowing Cole to process the sudden declaration.
Cole’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. “What’s your angle, Holt?”
“No angle,” Lucas returned calmly. “Ren has been out of sorts since her meeting with you. It’s clear that you and she have unresolved feelings. I’d prefer for those feelings to be resolved so the past can be put to rest.”
“And if they aren’t?” Cole challenged.
“One way or another, they will be.”
Cole stood, then ran a hand through his hair and turned his back to Lucas to stare out the window. When he turned back around, Lucas could see how unsettled he was. Whatever the past, he obviously did still care deeply for Ren.
“I have conditions,” Lucas said before Cole could say anything further.
“Of course,” Cole said dryly.
“For the first meeting, I will be present. I won’t simply turn over a woman I care a great deal about to a man I’m not sure of. You’ll demonstrate your handling of her and I’ll be satisfied that she’ll be well cared for or we leave together.”
“You want to watch me fuck her?” Cole asked in disbelief.
Lucas shrugged. “If that’s what occurs, then yes, I’ll watch you fuck her. You won’t disrespect her. You will treat her with the utmost care. If I sense anything, and I mean, anything at all that would lead me to believe I’m making a mistake, I’ll pull the plug and Ren leaves with me.”
Cole shook his head. “What’s your game? Why would you do this? It doesn’t make any sense. You have to know that I’m going to do everything in my power to make damn sure she stays with me.”
“Yes, I know.”
Cole’s look of absolute what the fuck amused Lucas.
“If you’re able to take her from me then she never really belonged to me now did she?”
“You’re crazy,” Cole muttered.
“I want her to be happy even if it’s not with me. I wonder if you can say the same.”
“I don’t know,” Cole said honestly.
Lucas rose. “I realize I run the risk of having Ren not return to me. She could choose you. I would be lying if I said I had any confidence of knowing how she’ll choose either way. But know this: If she does indeed return to me when her time with you is over, I’ll never let her go again.”
“Yeah, I understand. In your position, I wouldn’t either.”
“I’m giving you something very precious to me,” Lucas said quietly. “If you do anything to hurt her, I’ll come after you.”
Cole nodded his understanding. “Just so you understand, though, I don’t take orders from you. If you’re truly giving Ren to me, that period of time will be on my terms.”
“I think Ren would be very disappointed if the man charged with taking care for her ever allowed another man to dictate his actions. Ren needs a very strong man. Don’t think to wrap her in cotton and pretend you aren’t a dominant man. She won’t thank you for it and it will immediately drive her away. Ren is a woman who is very comfortable with her needs and wants. She doesn’t like games and she won’t appreciate you pretending to be what you’re not in an effort to woo her.”
Cole’s breath huffed out in a sound that came between confusion and exasperation. “You’re a twisted son of a bitch, you know that? You’re giving me a primer to seducing the woman you care about away from you. You’re bitingly possessive one minute and lazily accepting the next.”
A slow smile twitched the corners of Lucas’s mouth. “But you need no such primer. You were Ren’s first. You shoul
d know how to please her. And if you don’t, she’ll simply come back to me that much faster.”
Cole settled onto the couch and after a moment, Lucas took his seat across from Cole. For the space of a few seconds, Lucas studied the man who’d meant so much to Ren.
“Tread carefully, Madison. It puzzles you that I’d provide you so much information. I want Ren to be happy, but more than that I want her to feel safe and comforted. Her last relationship damaged her.”
Cole’s nostrils immediately flared and he sat forward, his expression blank. “What do you mean by ‘damaged’?”
“Her lover didn’t give her what she needed. Worse, he made her second guess what she knew to be true. What she needed and wanted. He made her feel inferior. A slut and a whore who was too bold, too spirited and too confident. He tried to destroy that in her. He wanted a hapless doll to vent his authority. He didn’t want a strong, vibrant woman and so he tried to make Ren something she wasn’t.”
“Son of a bitch,” Cole bit out.
“Tell me, Madison, did you ever try to make Ren feel that way?”
“Hell no! What the fuck are you implying?”
Lucas smiled again. “Funny, that’s what she herself told me. That you were never anything but cherishing, possessive and caring.”
Cole’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you getting to here?”
“You’ve already admitted your mistake. I’m merely driving the point home. But at the same time I can only be grateful that you walked away from her because I wouldn’t have her now.”
“If I have my way, you’ll have her no longer,” Cole said in a tight voice.
Lucas ignored the challenge. He wanted to make sure all of his con ditions were outlined so Cole would have all the facts when he made his decision.
“There is another condition, one I take very seriously.”
Cole gave a short nod to indicate Lucas should continue.
“There will be no other women during the time Ren is with you. I realize in some circles, it’s accepted for a submissive to accept whatever her master chooses to do. Some men will take multiple women. I can’t speak as to their motive or desires. I won’t tolerate such disrespect of Ren.”
Cole’s brows drew together. “I have no interest in other women but I’m curious as to why you feel so strongly about it.”
“I would not ever have her feel as though I needed more than she could give me. Again, in her last relationship, it was something the dickhead she was with did and it undermined her confidence. It took a while for her to recover her spark, and I’d never have it extinguished. Besides, if you need more than Ren can provide, she doesn’t belong with you anyway.”
“We agree on that much,” Cole conceded. “I would never hurt her that way.”
“I’m glad to know my intuition wasn’t wrong about you.”
Cole’s brow wrinkled again but Lucas ignored it and got to his last condition.
“Ren must have a private place of her own in which to work. Her career is very important to her. It’s part of her identity. She needs an area free of distractions where she can write and draw. I expect you to provide it and not encroach on those times when she chooses to work.”
“What does she do?” Cole asked.
“She writes and illustrates children’s books.”
Cole’s eyebrows went up. He looked surprised but he didn’t give voice to it.
“I will of course provide Ren a place to work that is free of distractions.”
Lucas nodded and then stood. The meeting was done. Cole would need time to consider Lucas’s proposal. There was little point in rehashing the same points over again.
He turned to go but then at the doorway, he hesitated and twisted to look at Cole once more. “Don’t take my generosity for what it isn’t. I do this for Ren and only Ren. Don’t mistake the gift as evidence that I’m giving her up. I won’t ever give her up without a fight.”
“Understood.”
“Think about what I’ve offered. You have my number. Call me when you’ve made your decision and I’ll make arrangements to bring Ren to you. I want it to be at your home. It’s important for her to know that I’d never allow this to happen in her sanctuary. With me, and at her home with me, she is safe from all things, all hurts, everything that makes her uncomfortable. I would preserve that at all costs.”
Cole nodded. “I’ll be in touch.”
And, Lucas realized as he rode the elevator back down, Cole would be in touch. He had the look of a very determined man. The time that Ren would spend with Cole would be the longest weeks of Lucas’s life.
When he’d first made the decision to offer Cole the proposition, he hadn’t imagined that he’d feel so …gutted. There simply wasn’t another word to describe the ugly sensation snaking its way through his chest.
He could lose Ren. And it was the very last thing he wanted.
CHAPTER 9
R en knew when Lucas told her to dress for a night at the club that she’d been working too hard. It was a signal she’d grown to recognize. Whenever Lucas thought she was pushing herself too hard, he’d take her to the club for an evening to blow off some steam, relax and enjoy one of her favorite activities.
She loved to dance. Loved to dress sexy and get down and dirty on the dance floor. And Lucas loved to watch her, so it was a win-win situation for her.
Tonight, perhaps more than ever, she needed that extra boost, so she dressed a little more daring than usual. Lucas hadn’t told her not to wear underwear so she chose an extra short skirt that hugged the curves of her ass and looked glued to her body.
Her top was skimpy but not trashy looking, thanks to Lucas’s impeccable taste and his bottomless wallet when it came to giving her the best of everything.
Her midriff was completely bared, as was her back. The top was secured by a tie around her neck and it hung loose over her breasts. Any movement at all would give those close to her a prime view of her nipples.
But since Lucas rarely left her side or let her venture too far when they went to one of his clubs, she didn’t really have to worry about what others saw. She only cared what he’d be able to see and appreciate.
She was pondering her choices in shoes when Lucas walked into the bedroom, his hands shoved into his worn jeans, and as usual in bare feet. For a moment she let her gaze wander appreciatively over his well-toned body. But what drew her the most was the comfort she enjoyed from his warmth and the way he felt against her.
His eyebrows went up as he too sent his gaze seeking over her body. “Very sexy. Is this a test to see if I can make it out of the house without fucking you?”
She grinned, relaxing as some of the tension bled out of her. She’d been tense ever since her meeting with Cole, and she couldn’t really explain why. She’d been invaded by this anxious sense of dread, like when she worried about something but didn’t really know about what. It was as though an ominous, heavy cloud had settled over her.
Foregoing her usual reserve with Lucas, she went to him and put her arms around him, hugging him tightly against her. For a moment he seemed surprised and then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.
He tucked her head underneath his chin and rubbed his hand up and down her bare back. “What were you contemplating so seriously when I came in?”
She smiled against his chest. “Nothing so earth shattering. I couldn’t decide which shoes best suited this outfit.”
His hand strayed over her ass and just barely below the curve of her buttocks to where the hem of her skirt rested. “What outfit?”
She laughed this time and pulled away, smiling up at him. He smiled back, clear affection in his eyes. She loved him this way. Calm and easygoing. Just as she loved him at his most intense.
“Do you wish me to change?”
His gaze drifted down her body, and she felt a surge of pleasure at the clear appreciation written on his face. “No. I like what you’re wearing. The important question is whether you li
ke it and if you feel as confident and sexy as you look.”
It was hard not to feel that way when he looked at her like he was.
“Well, if I’m going sexy and daring, I’m going to go whole hog,” she said as she pushed back into the large closet that housed all of the clothes and shoes Lucas had bought for her.
She came out a few seconds later with a pair of fire-engine red stilettos.
“I want a preview before we go out,” Lucas growled.
“In that case, why don’t you go get dressed. I’ll be waiting when you get out,” she said, lowering her voice to a wicked murmur.
He sent her a decidedly predatory look and then turned to go into his own closet.
Smiling, she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on the sleek, expensive shoes. They gave her a nice height boost and with them on, she reached Lucas’s nose.
She waited a moment until she heard Lucas returning and then she stood, angling her feet so she presented a sexy pose, her legs displayed to their best advantage.
He came to a full stop when he saw her. She shivered at the sudden fire in his eyes. Loved how he reacted, loved that she could incite such a reaction from this tightly controlled man.
“Do you have underwear on?”
She lowered her lashes provocatively and murmured a shy, “Yes.”
She watched him from underneath her lashes, knowing he loved it when she played coy. As much as he revered the strong, confident woman she was, he was turned on when she decided to play the shy virgin.
“Show me.”
Deciding that simply peeling up the tight-fitting skirt would be way too mundane, she eased backward, sliding onto the edge of the bed. She rested back on her palms and allowed her thighs to part so that he could see the hint of lacy lingerie.
In a flash, he was across the room standing between her knees. He shoved at the stretch material of her skirt until he rolled it past her hips, baring the daring black see-through lace of her panties.
She tried to control her smile as he quickly realized just what pair of panties she had on.