They entered the timeshare townhouse he had swapped for his NYC high-rise apartment and he immediately thought how cozy it was. There was no black granite or gleaming metal. It had a decisively country feel to it. Not his usual style but only because he’d left the decorating up to others. He couldn’t help but wonder what the inside of Alexandra’s home looked like. In that instant, Raith promised himself he would find out before the trip was over.
Larry rolled a cart full of luggage through the front door. “Where do you want your things, boss?”
Raith turned his gaze on Alexandra. “The master bedroom?” he inquired.
“Oh, right this way.”
She had yet to meet his assistant and so he took the time to introduce them. Within a matter of minutes Larry and Raith had their luggage divvied into their respective rooms. He’d seen Alexandra eye his three bags versus Larry’s one with amusement. She probably figured he packed like a woman and had a suitcase just for his toiletries.
“If you don’t need anything else today I’m going to head out for a little sightseeing.”
Raith’s gaze met that of his assistant. The man was a mind reader. His assumption that Raith wanted to be alone with the beautiful Alexandra was spot on. “That’s fine. Miss Aimon and I will look at properties today. Tomorrow we’ll discuss our findings.”
Larry turned away from them and promptly headed out the door. When Raith turned back to see what his lovely companion was up to, it was only to find she had moved closer to the door. He couldn’t help but smile.
“I promise not to ravage you, Alexandra.”
She snorted, but the look on her face said she wasn’t so sure.
“I can see you’re curious,” he said as he hefted one of the larger suitcases onto the surface of the bed. “Only one of these holds my essentials such as clothes and toiletries.”
As he’d hoped, she took a tentative step closer. Her movements were flowing and graceful. Efficient. She didn’t seem to be the fluttery type. Every step she took had a goal in mind, even if that goal was nothing more than to appease her curiosity.
“What is in the others?”
“Ahh, how I was hoping you would ask that.” Raith turned toward her, watching her face as he slowly began unzipping the piece of luggage. “In this one are the tools of the trade.”
A frown creased the area between her brows. He wanted to rub the spot with his fingers, soothing the lines away. When the zipper reached the end of its road he lifted the top, revealing what lay inside. Alexandra gasped then choked. The husky sound of her laughter that followed surprised him. Raith wasn’t sure of her reaction.
“I was expecting a computer or something.” Her eyes danced merrily. “Guess I wasn’t thinking about the right trade.” She said the last with just a bit of inflection, causing him to chuckle.
“The tools for my other trade, laptop and paperwork, are in the suitcase over there.” He motioned with his hand in the direction of an overstuffed chair.
She inched another step forward, her hand out as if to touch before evidently realizing what she was about to do. A look of horror crossed over her face and then she snatched her hand back, her gaze meeting his.
Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment.
“Good girl,” Raith praised aloud. “It isn’t a good idea to touch another’s property without permission.”
Raith watched the green of her eyes deepen at his words even as her chin tilted at an angle he could only describe as defiant. He’d not really reprimanded her actions and yet it appeared as if she’d taken his words as such. Or maybe she didn’t care for his way of praising her actions.
Like a woman hungry, she stared at the open suitcase. Her hands were now bound tightly together at her waist. She all but vibrated with excitement and interest over his collection of toys.
“You may touch if you like.”
Her head snapped up. Diverted from studying the contents in his luggage, she pondered him instead.
“Feel free to ask any questions you might have as well.”
As much as Raith wanted to hover over her, watching her every movement and facial expression, he decided to move away and allow her some room. He settled into the chair on the opposite side of the bed so he could still see her and she him.
It was hard to keep his mouth shut as he watched her fondle the falls on first one flogger and then another. When she lifted the leather to her nose and inhaled, his cock surged to life. Shock coursed through his veins. Raith couldn’t think of the last time he’d become erect without allowing himself to do so. He always had control over his body.
As if handling the most precious of gems, she held, studied and laid aside each item. A few she held for longer, and once she even looked up as if to ask a question or make a comment before blushing and looking down again.
After going through everything, she placed each item back in the bag, leaving only one out. It was a wide leather collar and cuff set attached by a long strip of leather. It could be worn either in back or front, effectively immobilizing the arms in a way that they were of no use. If the person locked into the contraption struggled against the cuffs the collar would cause discomfort as well. It was a beautiful piece of equipment that had been handmade by him. A favorite.
Raith rose from his seated position, never once taking his eyes off Alexander who was still touching the collar and cuff set in her hands. He moved across the room until he was standing directly behind her. When he leaned in, over her shoulder, she jumped as if she had no idea who he was.
“You would look stunning in that, whether clothed or not.” He didn’t want to scare her away, but seeing how intrigued she was by the small collection of toys he’d brought with him, Raith couldn’t help but push just a little.
The scent of his cologne tickled her nose. Along with the smell of leather now permeating the room, it was a heady combination. She could feel his warm breath along her neck and face as he spoke. He aroused her even without a suitcase full of naughtiness, and with all of that Alexandra was having an exceedingly hard time keeping her hands off him.
She turned so they were facing one another. Her hands shook slightly at his nearness. He was tall enough she didn’t have to crane her neck to peer up at him but not so tall they stood eye to eye. She liked his size, the width of his shoulders, the sheer breadth of his body. He wasn’t lean by today’s standards but he wasn’t fat either. His build was husky. He had meat on his bones and carried it well.
“Would you like to try it?”
Oh God, how she would like to try it. Her breath stopped in her lungs, burning for release as she pondered the thought. It wasn’t something she could do though. If she did, it would go against her rule of not mixing business with pleasure.
Something clawed at Alexandra’s insides. It was a sensation warning that to give up the opportunity could very well end up being something she regretted. If it wasn’t for her need of him as a client, she would pass him on to another agent and give herself up to anything he wanted to teach her, but that wasn’t the case.
Falling back on that train of thought, Alexandra put the collar and cuff set back in the bag then stepped away from Raith. “Thank you, but no.” She added a touch of indignation to her tone.
“Why, when it’s so obvious you want to?”
Leave it to him to question her. “It wouldn’t be very professional to mix business with pleasure, Mr. Aldan.” Alexandra moved across the room, putting distance between them even though she feared it would do nothing to help.
She was completely correct in her assumption when she turned around only to find him almost directly behind her and looking none too happy.
He grasped her chin and stared her straight in the eye. “It is good to have business ethics and morals, Alexandra. Just don’t let them keep you behind a wall too high to climb over.” His face was so close to hers she could feel the warmth of his breath across her mouth. All she would need to do is lean closer, to touch her lips to his, and she k
new he would take over. That was all it would take, and yet she couldn’t allow herself to do it.
She also couldn’t bring herself to break his hold, the touch of his fingers on her face. His eyes were unblinking as they studied her. He finally nodded as if coming to a decision then dropped his hand and backed away. “I’ve asked you to call me Raith.” His voice was whip-sharp. He may have asked, but from her side of things Alexandra thought command was a much more apt term.
Words seemed to evade her, so Alexandra nodded and said nothing, only watched as he walked across the room to zip the bag closed and drop it into the bottom of the closet. When he finished the task he turned toward her. “Shall we go check out the places on your list?”
This time she had a hard time not laughing. He phrased things as questions and yet she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt he did not expect an answer that differed from his own wishes. Something in her made Alexandra want to answer in the negative just to see what he would do.
Instead, she swallowed her laughter and strode past him to the front door. Being in the close quarters of her car was not ideal, but it beat being in the master bedroom with a king-sized bed taunting her any day of the week.
Raith locked the front door and then, as if it was something he did without thought, he placed his hand on her lower back and ushered her to the car. He walked with her around to the driver’s side of the car. There, they both reached for the door handle at the same time. Alexandra dropped her hand, allowing him to open the door for her, although the word allow was one she used in her head to make herself feel better about everything going on.
This man did something to her that was worrisome. He affected her in a way that was exhilarating as well as bone-jarring scary. He had the ability to hurt her in ways that just a few weeks ago she never knew existed. Ways having nothing to do with her physical body or even her heart. Something about him delved much deeper. He could embed himself in her mind, her very soul. and after having just met him that was a very shocking discovery, one that set her nerves on edge.
Alexandra settled herself behind the wheel, expecting him to close her door. She was a little surprised when he crouched low. “The sooner we find my place, the better.”
“I agree.” He would go home then, back to New York and far, far away from her. The thought was a vicious one that made her stomach churn, but it would be for the best.
He touched her face again. This time it was more of a caress, before lifting her chin for a very chaste kiss. His lips barely touched hers, the feel whisper soft. Why then did it affect her all the way to her toes? Why then did she crave so much more?
It was obvious he was a very capable man. He could have buried his hand in her hair and forced his mouth on hers, his tongue plundering and doing exactly what he wanted. He had to have known she would let him, but he didn’t press for more. Alexandra wasn’t sure which scenario disturbed her more or why.
“As soon as we find my place I’ll no longer be your client, and then we’ll be free to see just how much you like my cuffs and collar set.” She had no time to answer as he stood and closed her door.
Alexandra tried not to think about Raith’s words as they drove to the first place. It was an old warehouse-type building that would need a lot of work before it could successfully be turned into anything, much less a BDSM club. Of course, she really had no idea what his vision for such a club was and was afraid to ask in order to find out. Right now things seemed sort of out of reach because she was so lacking in knowledge on the subject. However, once she started collecting information, it would only be a matter of time before she would want to have firsthand experiences. She just couldn’t allow herself to think along those lines where Raith was concerned. It was far too dangerous.
He didn’t say a word as he walked through the building then made a complete circle around it. Alexandra had taken a note pad and pen, thinking he might want to take notes or ask her to do so, but he remained nearly silent until they were back in her car and on their way to the next place on her list. When he did speak again the sound of his voice breaking the comfortable silence made her blood hum with joy.
“What is that place?” He was pointing out her window. Alexandra slowed the car and peered in the direction he motioned to.
“Oh, it’s an old Catholic church. It was used as a homeless shelter for a while as well. Now it just sits there. I believe the county owns the property.”
“I’d like to see it.”
She thought to tell him that an old church was not really the best place to start a club, much less the type he planned to open, but decided against it. “Okay. I’ll make some calls and see who to get the keys from.”
“I meant I’d like for you to stop right now.”
Her gaze snapped back to his. He was turned in his seat still looking back at the church.
“You won’t be able to see the inside.”
When he looked at her his frustration was obvious. “I’m aware of that. The outside will do fine for now.”
Chapter Three
Raith could tell he was irritating Alexandra by the rigid set of her shoulders. Her wide mouth no longer appeared lush and full. Instead, it was pressed flat as if she were trying to hold back from blasting him with her words. Seeing her like that made him want to grab and hold her tight until she finally gave in and melted against him, offering herself up for his kiss just as she had unconsciously done while back at the timeshare.
It took a lot to hold himself in check once she’d parked and they were out of the car, but he managed to do so. He was utterly intrigued by the large stone building before him. It needed loads of work to once again be useful for much of anything, but there was something pulling him, something that made him think it would be worth any amount to see it refurbished.
The front doors were padlocked so he didn’t even bother climbing the steps. Instead, he started a slow walk around the structure, making a mental note of areas of crumbling stone. All but one of the stained-glass windows had been broken or were missing entirely which meant there was no telling what sort of wild life was making the interior its home.
Alexandra didn’t follow him as he circled the church. When he made it back to the front she was leaning against the hood of her car. He smiled when she straightened and then he opened the driver’s side door for her.
She glanced at her watch as he closed the door. Once he was settled into the passenger seat she turned to him. “Would you like to get something to eat while we decide where to go next?”
Raith buckled his seat belt then turned his attention back to her. “Lunch would be great but there’s no need to look at other places. I want this one.”
He wasn’t sure what he expected her response to be, but quiet was not it. She started the car and pulled onto the street without a word. He could tell she had much to say by the charged feeling in the air. Their quiet was not the comfortable companionable quiet of earlier. This silence made his skin feel too tight.
Questioning her to find out exactly what was wrong, because he very well knew something was, would have to wait. He wanted to be seated across from her when they spoke in order to see her face.
They agreed on a little sandwich shop not too far away. He took note of the different shops and places to eat in the general area as well as hotels that could serve for out-of-town guests. Later he would talk to Larry about it all in order to start on a plan of action.
After they were seated and she had ordered something horrendously healthy for lunch, he decided it was time to talk. “Spill it.” Might as well get to the point.
She looked up at him as if trying to figure out exactly what was okay to say. Raith was just about to growl at her to say what was on her mind when she folded her hands in front of her on top of the chipped Formica table and opened her mouth.
“I don’t think settling on the church is such a good idea.”
“And why is that?” He couldn’t help but wonder. Maybe she was a devout Catholic and the tho
ught offended her.
“Well, it is a church.”
She was going to have to do better than that. “Was.”
“People probably won’t like that you want to turn it into a club.”
“I’ll deal with it.” His whole life had been spent doing things others didn’t agree with. It was one of the instances where money worked as a very good incentive and almost always got him exactly what he wanted. With the failing economy, Raith had no doubt this venture would be the same.
“If you’re sure then.” Her tone made it evident that she wasn’t at all.
“I’m quite sure.”
“All right, I’ll call and see who’s in charge of the property as soon as we get back to my office.”
The food was served then and they partook of mundane conversation such as the weather and local things to do. Raith loved to hear her talk. Her voice had a husky quality to it. One he could only imagine would deepen when she was aroused.
He noticed a smattering of freckles in the neckline of her modest V-neck blouse and couldn’t help but wonder if she had the cute little dots all over her body. He intended to find out firsthand as soon as everything was settled and he’d been passed off to some other agent for the sale of the church.
There were still plans in place for a new home, but he had no intention of hiring her for the job until he’d had the chance to taste her, to feel the warmth of her body beneath his and most certainly, to see her bound in his cuffs.
Then and only then would he be willing to be counted among her clientele again. Hopefully by that time Alexandra would feel enough of an attachment to him she wouldn’t feel it necessary to follow her rule of not mixing business with pleasure.
Lunch was good but sped by too quickly. As soon as they were back at her office he felt as if he’d been abandoned. She sat in her office protectively ensconced behind her desk while he paced the room like a caged animal in season. She had the phone wedged between her shoulder and cheek on one side while flipping through papers with one hand and jotting notes with the other.
A Love Like No Other Page 2