After she eased it closed behind me, I hurried toward the elevator and hit the down button. I stepped in when it opened, then slumped back against the far wall in bitter despair. She'd forgiven me again, and I was grateful, but I didn't deserve it. I couldn't help wondering when the asshole in me would finally destroy her good opinion of me, and ruin this chance at happiness for me completely.
**********
How would you like to spend the entire weekend naked in my bedroom?
I grinned down at my phone and hit send as the elevator up to my penthouse began its ascent. I got my reply just as the doors slid open on my floor.
I would love to, sir. I'll pack a bag for the weekend, but it will be very light since I won't be needing clothes.
I smiled wickedly at Malory's reply.
Good girl. I hit send before walking into my apartment.
"Hi, Gareth," Jane announced warmly as I hung my coat up.
"Good evening, Jane," I replied with a grin. I walking into the kitchen and set my briefcase on the floor next to the island as I watched her go to the refrigerator, reach inside, and pull out a plastic drink container with a lid.
"Here's your protein shake." She handed it to me.
"Thanks." I took it and flipped it open before taking a swallow of the purple liquid. "That's really good."
"Thanks. It's blueberry mango," Jane said proudly. She was always trying to make them more palatable for me, and I was very appreciative.
"Keep making this one." I nodded before heading upstairs to the third level to change clothes for the Muay Thai class I was teaching tonight. I guzzled the shake down on my way, needing the fuel without eating an actual meal that would make me sluggish. Malory sent another text just as I walked into my bedroom.
And YOU are a very bad boy...sir.
Oh, she would pay for that later. I smirked as I set the now empty cup on my nightstand, so I could reply.
And YOU are going to be punished for your insolence since you know from first-hand experience that I am NOT a boy.
True, your sausage is definitely ALL man.
I laughed and shook my head as I tossed my phone down on the bed. I walked into the closet to change clothes. I'd started my morning by texting her another apology for how I treated her and her friends last night. The guilt had kept me up late tossing and turning as it ate at me. I'd woken up feeling like I owed her another one, and she accepted it just as graciously as the first.
Malory and I had been texting back and forth throughout the day since, and it had morphed into our usual suggestive yet affectionate banter that amused me all day. She was so forgiving, and absolutely too good for me. I let out a deep sigh and shook my head. It was becoming more and more apparent to me that I really didn't deserve this woman.
I wallowed in melancholy as I slipped on athletic pants, a tank, and then pulled a hoodie over my head. I grabbed a pair of athletic shoes and some socks, and went out to sit on the bed, so I could slip them on.
I heard a sudden commotion downstairs, followed by the distinct scrabbling sound of Reggie's claws on the hardwood floor getting louder. Within seconds, he burst into the bedroom and flew over to me. He was wired and anxious, and he basically threw himself at me, whining as he licked and pawed my hands. I couldn't even get my shoes on. What in the world had gotten into him?
"That's enough," I snarled out sternly. Reggie instantly sat in front of me and put a paw on my knee, his stare intense as he continued whining softly. I reached out to scratch his head to reassure him. "What's wrong buddy?" I asked him softly.
"Gareth?!" Jane's voice called from the first floor, her tone panicked and afraid.
I instantly flew to my feet and rushed downstairs with Reggie close behind. I stepped onto the first floor to see Jared sitting on a stool at the kitchen island with his back to me. His mother stood in front of him with a worried expression on her face.
"Hold still and let me see," she barked at him anxiously. She reached up to touch her son's face.
"Ow!" Jared blurted out as he jerked away from her. "Mom, I'm fine," he snapped back at her irritably. "I've taken worse hits in class."
What the hell? I rushed over to look at Jared's face. His left eye was red and swollen. Blood was dripping from his nose too, but it didn't look broken. He noticed me with a relieved expression. "G, tell Mom to quit freaking out."
"What happened?" I asked sharply. He looked anything but fine to me.
"Some lunatic jumped me a block from here," Jared explained angrily. "I had my hood up, so I didn't see him until he was on me. He got a couple of lucky shots in before I got a one in myself." He grinned evilly. "Then Reggie got a hold of him. That sent his sorry ass fucking packing."
"Jared!" Jane scolded him with a stern expression.
Jared winced apologetically. "Sorry, Mom."
She shook her head with pursed lips as she moved to the refrigerator and opened the freezer to pull out one of the gel ice packs I kept there. She wrapped it in a towel, and handed it to Jared. He winced as he pressed it to his face. I gritted my teeth as anger seethed inside me. I was fucking livid. Whoever did this was going to pay. I'd make sure of it.
"I'm calling the police," I snarled out in a deep voice as I turned to go back upstairs to get my phone.
"No!" Jared blurted out in a panicked voice. "I'm...I'm fine, G. Reggie took care of the guy, so there's no need to get them involved."
I looked back to see panicked fear in his eyes. Damn, the last time he saw the police was several years ago when he got arrested for something he didn't even do. He'd been burned by the authorities before, and I couldn't blame him for being afraid. If it wasn't for me representing him then, he would have been convicted of drug and assault charges right along with the false friends who sucked him into their idiocy.
"You did nothing wrong, Jared," I said reasonably. "You're not going to get arrested again."
"That's what I thought the last time the cops showed up," he said bitterly.
I stepped closer to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing illegal about defending yourself from an assault. Trust me, kid. I'm a lawyer, remember? It's kind of my job to know these things."
He stared at me with worry in his good eye for a long moment, then sighed in acquiescence. "Okay, G, but if you're wrong, I'll kick your fucking ass."
"Jared!" Jane scolded him crossly again.
I laughed at his ridiculous statement. "I'll keep that in mind." I shook my head and went upstairs to get my phone. By the time I came back down to the kitchen, the police were called and on their way here.
"I think you should go to the hospital, honey," Jane was saying as I walked up next to Jared, who was still sitting at the kitchen island.
"Oh, hell no!" he growled out vehemently. "I just got punched a couple of times. I'm not dying."
Jane looked at me for backup. I stepped closer to Jared. "Let me see."
He pulled the ice pack away, and I studied his face closely. He was still swelling up, and it looked like it hurt, but I'd seen worse. He'd have a nasty black eye and a lot of pain for a while, but he'd be fine.
"I don't think he needs medical attention, Jane," I said with certainty. Jane pursed her lips doubtfully, but didn't argue.
Jared mouthed the words "thank you" with obvious relief and gratitude. He'd trusted me enough to be okay with the police being called in. I was glad I could at least back him up with this.
"Talk me through what happened," I prompted Jared as I sat on the stool next to him. I wanted to get all the details before the police showed up.
"There's not much to tell, G," he said matter-of-factly as he put the ice pack on his face again. "Reggie and I were walking and minding our own business, when that," he glanced at his mother, "a-hole came out of nowhere and attacked me. He must have been trying to mug me. He punched me twice, and I clocked him in the face before Reggie grabbed his forearm and shook the crap out of him." He shrugged. "When he broke loose, he took off like a bat out
of hell."
"Can you describe him?" I asked.
He made a pained expression. "Not really," he grumbled out. "It happened so fast. I know he was shorter than me, and he was wearing a big coat with a hood, but I couldn't tell you what he looked like. I was too stunned to notice anything about his face. I'm sorry."
I waved away his apology. "There's nothing to be sorry for, kid. I'm just glad you're okay." I pulled my phone out of the front pocket of my hoodie and started typing out a text.
"What are you doing now?" Jared asked as he watched me with a frown.
"Texting Derek," I replied. "I'm letting him know he's teaching class alone tonight."
"No, no, no," Jared said vehemently as he shook his head. "You don't have to do that. The kids are counting on you."
"And so are you, Jared." I pinned him with an exasperated stare. Was I that stubborn at his age? Probably.
"But-"
"Stop," I interrupted him sharply. "Derek can handle one class alone. Right now, you're my client and my priority."
He opened his mouth again.
"No more arguing." I shut him down with a steely gaze and a stern voice. "Understood?"
He sighed deeply and deflated in resignation. "Yes, sir."
"Very well." I reached over and patted Jared's back. "I'm proud of you, Jared. You did well."
"Thanks," he said with a smile and one beaming good eye.
Jane gave me a warm grateful smile, that I acknowledged with a slight nod of understanding. I was more than happy to help Jane and her son, anytime and for any reason. They were both like family to me, and always would be.
"How about we have some ice cream now?" Jane announced from the other side of the kitchen island.
"What?" Jared said indignantly. "I'm not five, Mom."
I rolled my eyes in mock annoyance and sighed dramatically. "When will you ever learn, kid. You're never too old for ice cream."
24
MALORY
"I have a surprise for you tonight," Gareth said warmly as we stepped off the elevator on the first floor of my apartment building. His right hand came to rest on my lower back as he escorted me across the lobby. It felt warm and commanding, and I liked it. He hadn't dominated me in days, and I longed deeply for it. I hoped his surprise had something to do with that.
"Really?" I asked with a sly smile. "Does it involve your bedroom and your sausage?" I added hopefully.
I was partly joking and partly serious. As much as I was excited to spend time with Derek and Thea, now that I knew the truth about their private lives, I was anxious and hesitant about our plans tonight. Would I spend the whole evening embarrassed and uncomfortable with the kinky white elephant in the room? Did they know that I knew? Would that be better or worse? Yikes, I didn't know, and I was afraid to ask Gareth if he told them that I knew about it.
Gareth let out a low sexy laugh that made my sex throb. "This surprise has nothing to do with that." He leaned in close, and his lips brushed my ear as he lowered his voice seductively. "Besides, we both know it won't be a surprise when you end up in my bedroom getting my sausage later tonight."
A small needy whimper managed to sneak out of my mouth. My God, he was so gorgeous in his dark jeans and a black leather jacket over a slim-fitting gray Henley that showed off his mouthwatering upper body. He smelled so good too, like sandalwood and man, and I wanted him right now. A torrent of desire surged through my entire body in a warm rush. It had been far too long since our bodies came together.
He smiled wickedly at me with a knowing glint in his eyes as he opened the front door of the building and ushered me outside. The weather had finally deemed to give us a mild day that melted the snow and hinted at the spring that was coming in the next few weeks. The cool evening air felt good on the lust heated skin of my face. I turned from ogling Gareth to look across the street. That was when I saw my surprise parked along the curb. I grinned as giddy excitement hit me. There in all its gleaming white glory was his Audi R8 supercar.
"You're driving us in that tonight?" I asked excitedly.
"Well, it's either that, or you walk, and I meet you there," he replied sarcastically.
I shot a playful glare at Gareth that didn't even faze him as he continued grinning in wry amusement. It was so nice to see him in a good mood.
He'd been so upset when he fled my apartment the other night that it was good to see him content and at ease. His vehement reaction to Dean's comment about the sex club had pissed me off and hurt my feelings. It was understandable that he wanted to protect his friends, but he'd carried it out in such an abrasive and threatening way that I suspected there was some deeper issue behind it. I was afraid to ask him if it had something to do with his ex-wife. It seemed like every time he acted that way it was because of some dredged up memory of her, but I wisely kept that to myself. I didn't want to talk about her or upset him, so I decided to let it go since he'd been sincerely remorseful and almost overly apologetic about the incident. Besides, I didn't want to give the memory of that horrible woman anymore attention. It wasn't good for either of us.
"You wouldn't leave me to walk," I said with certainty. I gave him a warm smile. "You like me too much."
His eyes softened affectionately. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his strong arms and held me close, his cheek resting against mine. "I wouldn't, and I do," he murmured into my hair. I relaxed against him. After a moment, he pulled away, and I swear I saw a fleeting tinge of unease in his eyes, but it was so quick that it seemed like I'd imagined it. "Come on, let's go."
Moments later, I was surrounded by the heavenly scent of luxurious leather as I gawked around the inside of Gareth's unbelievable car. I felt cradled in the buttery soft heated seat as I snuggled into it with a sigh, before putting on my seatbelt. The interior was dark gray with red stitching, even on the steering wheel, with gleaming brushed metal touches all over. The console was state-of-the art with lots of buttons and knobs, and a GPS screen in the center of the dash. It looked just as expensive as I'm sure it was.
Gareth climbed in and grinned over at me as he put his seatbelt on. "She's beautiful, isn't she."
"She's okay, I guess," I replied with a nonchalant shrug and a smirk.
He arched a brow at me sharply. "You do know that disrespecting her, is just like disrespecting me."
"What?" I said in mock horror. "I would never do that."
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Even if you were angling for a punishment?"
"Absolutely not," I managed to deadpan. "Even if it did get me a flogging," I added in a hopeful tone.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, beautiful, but you're not getting flogged tonight." He looked stern and completely serious.
Stark disappointment hit me, and I frowned deeply at him. He pinned me with an intense dominating stare filled with lust as he reached over to rest his hand on my inner thigh. His touch felt warm though my jeans as he slowly slid it all the way up to cup my sex.
"Don't worry, beautiful. I have something else in mind for later tonight." He rubbed his fingers along the crotch of my jeans, just over my clit, as he leaned in to nuzzle my ear. "And I guarantee you'll like your punishment very much," he whispered as electric tingles of bliss skittered across my skin.
"Gareth," I moaned out in a soft needy tone as my clit throbbed and ached for actual contact.
He merely gave me that sexy roguish grin of his in reply, then removed his hand to start the car, leaving me bereft and wanting. Jerk.
The ride to Derek and Thea's place was incredibly exhilarating. The R8 was like nothing I'd ever ridden in before, nimble and quick with its throaty engine and smooth ride. Of course, I was used to a four-cylinder Mazda3, so this was a huge step up from what I was used to. Watching Gareth drive the thing was even more stimulating. He handled the supercar like he handled my body and my pleasure, with controlled precision and skill. By the time we pulled up to our destination, I was breathless and my heart was pounding in reaction to this dominating
man and his complete control of such a powerful machine.
He wordlessly smirked at me as he shut off the car, his knowing dark eyes now black with heated arousal. Apparently, he'd enjoyed driving me around as much as I enjoyed the ride. I hoped to enjoy a different kind of ride with him later.
Gareth climbed out and came around to help me up out of the insanely low vehicle. I stood and finally took a good look at the home in front of us. The large split-level home was beautiful, a perfect mixture of industrial and contemporary. Its clean lines were softened and enhanced by cedar shingles painted a soothing grayish-brown, and by touches of light gray brickwork near the entrance and along the driveway that led down to a garage door. I eyed it appreciatively as Gareth led me by the hand up the sidewalk to the front door.
Seconds after he rang the doorbell, Derek opened the door with a welcoming smile, but despite his easygoing demeanor, I was instantly hit with an attack of nerves. I knew that this man routinely had sex in front of others in a BDSM club, willingly, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. I felt my face heating with embarrassment. Holy crap, at this point I couldn't even make eye contact.
"Come on in," Derek said warmly as he stepped back and motioned us inside.
Gareth and I stepped into a foyer. I took in my surroundings as Gareth greeted his best friend, grateful for a reason not to look at Derek. The floor was a gorgeous white oak, and the walls were a mix of off-white paint and exposed gray and red bricks that lent it an almost warehouse loft feel that managed to be simultaneously modern and traditional. It wasn't my taste, but it was beautiful, and I admired its design.
"Thea's almost done with dinner," Derek said as he took our jackets. "Head on up to the living room while I hang these up." He motioned up some steps directly in front of us.
Gareth led me up the nearby stairs, and at the top was a massive open concept room that encompassed the entire floor. To our right was a gorgeous dining table of distressed wood, to the left was a sitting area with a beige leather sofa and love seat, and two blue club chairs. On the far side of the room was a kitchen, decorated in the same soothing shades of gray and brown. The whole room managed a contemporary yet traditional feel that was warm and welcoming.
Dark Dominion: Dangerous Desire Book 1 Page 29