Embers of Desire [Sequel to Lighting a Flame] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Serenity Snow

  “Get the fuck out!” she snarled and threw both cups at him. He barely jumped back in time to avoid being burned. “I told you I’m not interested in that shit.”

  “Merchant Jeans wants you for a commercial. This is the perfect slow paced thing right now, but don’t go tearing over to that club and hooking up with your old friends. That chick will just fuck up your head.”

  “I can go where I want,” she said coldly. She did plan to look Danica up just for old time’s sake. Maybe they could spend some time together while she was in town. She didn’t expect anything more than that. Her career was important, and she couldn’t give Danica what she deserved right now.

  “Just keep your head on straight. That woman is more potent than coke to you,” he said coldly. “She’ll have you pissing away your career to be a fucking love slave.” Jeremy gave her a hard look and then stalked from the townhouse.

  * * * *

  Danica stepped into the plush office feeling perfectly composed, but the moment her eyes locked with the whiskey stare of Tyler Quinn’s her stomach quivered and she felt as if she were in the deep end of the ocean. Then, he got to his feet and gave her a slow smile that sent a wave crashing over her head and she almost turned tail and hauled ass right out of there.

  But she stopped herself. She was a Domme, she could face down a Dom. Hell, if she was like Tyler she’d be seated right now, and letting the guy know in uncertain terms how this thing was going to go professionally. Sexually, she’d lay down the law and if he didn’t comply, she’d kick his ass out like last night’s take-out.

  Damn, she wished she was that tough.

  Tyler stuck out his hand, “Good morning Danica,” he greeted her warmly. “I’m glad you called.”

  She took his hand and warmth washed over her, seeped into her chasing the slight chill inside her away. She quickly withdrew her hand.

  “After last night I thought I’d get a hang-up.” There was humor in his tone, but something in his eyes told her he’d seen her hasty retreat as cowardice.

  “That would have been unprofessional,” she retorted.

  “Have a seat.” He motioned to the chair in front of his sleek dark wood desk.

  She sat down and the sun peeping in through the window through the morning clouds kissed her cheek as she watched him take his seat again. She settled her document keeper on her lap.

  “I am glad you decided not to allow this opportunity to pass you by,” he said and nodded to her lap. “You’ve come up with something already?”

  “Just a few ideas,” she answered crisply. She opened the keeper and removed several sheets.

  “Vinessa designs sex toys and you design clothes,” he murmured. “How did you two decide to combine your talents?”

  “We’ve been friends a long time,” she said. “So, when she suggested we start a business I agreed.”

  He took the designs. “Still, no insight as to how you thought it could work,” he said, his whiskey gaze glittering with interest.

  “You didn’t ask me how I thought it would work,” she replied. Vinessa hadn’t seen their differences as oddities. “We’re both designers. The only difference is she was a business and art major and I went to design school.”

  “Time well spent,” he said studying the designs. “Sid was right. You’ve got excellent potential. I like the jeans, and I think ladies will find the belt buckles interesting.”

  “Oh.” She laughed. “Those are for Fantasy Brokers.”

  “I can’t let you do that,” he said. “These would give Merchant Jeans quite a boost. The edge would draw the twenty-something crowd right back to us along with these jeans. They would be our best sellers.”

  “Yes, well, the jeans you can have, but the buckles are already engaged to be married to Fantasy Brokers.”

  He gave her a calculating look as he rubbed his full lips. “What would Vinessa think about the omission from your line?”

  She rolled her eyes. “She’d kick your ass for stealing from her and then sue Merchant Jeans,” she said matter of fact.

  “She does seem like a hard-ass,” he murmured. “I saw her doing a session at Fantasy Club. She’s got a hot style, knows what to do with a whip.”

  “I’ve never seen you there,” she said with a frown.

  “I’ve seen you though,” he replied sitting back in his leather chair. “I wanted you the first time I saw you, but you were with a woman. You always are.”

  She shrugged. “That’s how I roll.”

  “Sid told me you were bi,” he answered. “So, does that mean you enjoy men sexually or you’ve been in a relationship with one?”

  “It means it’s none of your business,” she told him icily. “What do you think about the T-shirts?”

  “I like them,” he murmured without taking his eyes from her. “I like you, and I’d like to get to know you.”

  “Let’s try to keep this professional,” she retorted. “Will you give me the belt buckle designs back?”

  Tyler studied her for a moment. “Has Vinessa seen these?”

  “Of course she has,” she retorted, glaring at him. “Even if she hadn’t, I’d never sell her out.”

  “Design something similar for us,” Tyler suggested. “They’re kind of gimmicky, but they’d go over real well.”

  “No,” she said firmly. “Besides, she’s already in love with the design. Production is set to start in two weeks on those.”

  Tyler tapped his fingers on the edge of his desk. “It would be costly, but we could make this work,” he mused. “The design on the jeans pocket that crawls down the left leg could be incorporated into a buckle design.”

  “I can do some with Merchant Jeans and the logo. I can also do a few standard designs, but nothing that will clash with the jean or T-shirts. You want to use these to add flare to a plain outfit not overstate the look. But only if Vinessa agrees. Although the look will be different doing some for Merchant will interfere with our uniqueness.”

  “I really don’t want to lose the element,” he said firmly. “Why don’t we meet for drinks and talk it over.”

  “I—”

  “All three of us,” he cut in smoothly.

  “Vinessa will have plans tonight,” she told him evenly. “So, we’ll have to make it tomorrow in the office.”

  “You’re bound and determined not to meet with me again in a social setting,” he said with a touch of hardness.

  Self-preservation, she reminded herself.

  “This is business,” she answered. “Vinessa and I both prefer not to mix business with pleasure settings.”

  “Fine,” he said. “Tomorrow around nine?”

  “Fine.” She mimicked his bland tone and then got to her feet. “My designs.” She held out her hand and for a moment, Danica thought he was going to keep them and then he got to his feet as well and rounded his desk the pages in hand. She watched him carefully.

  “I’ll see you then.” He held the pages out to her, and she took them making sure their hands didn’t touch.

  Chapter Three

  That evening, Tyler stepped into the bar and lounge at Fantasy Club and rolled his shoulders. After the day he’d had his body was so tight he needed to unwind. The only thing he knew that could get the kinks out was a good hard fucking and a little domination. The only woman he wanted under him was a little skittish.

  He stepped up to the bar and checked out the subs shaking their asses on the dance floor.

  “Master Quinn,” the bartender greeted him with a nod. “What can I get you tonight, Sir?”

  “Jack and coke,” he said. He glanced around again looking for the delectable little black woman he’d shared a few passionate nights with. She was a good sub and he’d love to take her to task tonight. Maybe he and Danica could share her. He wouldn’t mind that at all.

  “Here you go, Sir? On your tab?”

  “Please.” He gave the attractive bartender a nod thinking that if he was bi, he’d so fuck him. He tipped him and tu
rned to scan the crowd. He spied a familiar face. His heart did a flip and strode across the room.

  “I’m not interested,” Danica told the cool blond Dom hitting on her.

  “Don’t be such a cold fish,” he protested.

  “The lady said no,” Tyler said coldly and curved an arm around Danica’s waist. He nuzzled the side of her neck and felt her stiffen. “Shall I get the bouncer?” he murmured in her ear.

  “No.”

  “Then, let’s find a quieter place to talk,” he suggested. “Is Vinessa here?”

  “No,” she answered wrinkling her nose. “I told you we don’t meet at places of pleasure.”

  Tyler’s lips tilted at the corners as he stepped back from her. Putting a hand at the small of her back, he guided her out of the bar.

  “Stop it, Quinn,” Danica said tightly. She put some distance between them. “The only reason I didn’t dis you in there is because I didn’t want you to look bad.”

  “And you care?” he asked leaning against a wall in the narrow hallway that rolled out like a red carpet behind and in front of them.

  “I don’t like to make other dominants look bad if I don’t have to,” she answered. “But there is nothing—”

  “Why don’t we cut the shit,” he cut in softly and pushed away from the wall. “We both want each other, so let’s go ahead and negotiate terms. You want to top, not gonna happen, so let’s compromise. I’ll let you be on top.”

  She laughed and started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm sloshing his drink over his hand. Ignoring it, he put her back against the wall before she could take off. He’d let her go if she really wanted that, but he wasn’t going to let her run from the heat sizzling between them.

  Tyler moved in close to her bracing one arm on the wall above her head. “Tell me what you want, Danica, and I’ll give it to you.”

  “Really?” she asked softly. “As long as that entails you dominating me.”

  Her tone was accusatory, but her eyes blazed with the heat of attraction. He felt the pulse of it in his body, racing down his spine, heating his blood and thickening his cock.

  “Shall I take the glass, Sir?”

  He didn’t bother to look at the girl who’d asked the question. He merely held the glass out and heard the dull drop of it onto her tray and the clink of her heels on the tile floor as she moved on.

  “Tell you what, you be a switch for me tonight, and I’ll let you flog me next time,” Tyler murmured. “But the hard limit, you never get to fuck me.”

  “You’ll switch for me?” Her gaze held shades of disbelief, but he’d do it.

  He never played switch for a woman, and he wasn’t above allowing the right Domme to flog him on occasion. But he wanted this woman enough to blur the lines a little. Not only that, he thought she could be the one he spent the rest of his life with.

  Danica’s hands moved to his hips and tingles went down his spine. “You’re such a liar, Quinn,” she said softly. “You’ll say whatever you think will get me out of my panties.”

  “Let’s take this to my room or yours,” he murmured. “That way we can have a little privacy. I don’t mind putting on a show now and then, but you—well, I don’t want anyone else watching you come for me.”

  “You’re so sure of yourself,” she answered and ran her hand down his chest to his waist. His heart beat faster. “How do you know you won’t be coming for me?”

  “Oh hell, baby, I damn well will be,” he said in low tones. “Let’s go to my room.” He backed away and she reached out and grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him back to her. He went with a smile letting his hands plop onto the wall above her head. “What is it?”

  “My room,” she said. “And my rules. If you want me, you’ll have to give something to get it.”

  His lips tilted into a slow grin. “Remember what I said. No fucking me. That is a hard limit.”

  “I got that,” she said and then ducked under his arm and led the way to her playroom.

  Once inside, she strolled across the room to the spanking bench. Tyler grinned as thrills of excitement ran through him. This was looking like a good idea. He didn’t have one of these in his room.

  “How high is your pain threshold?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Yours?”

  He grinned. “Let’s test it. The one who cries out the soonest gets to top.”

  She looked at him suspiciously. “Paddle or flog?”

  “You choose,” he said. “I want it to be fair.”

  She snorted. “Don’t step outside of normal play just to make me scream first,” she said. “You are stronger than me. Do whatever you’d normally do with a sub. ”

  “Fine,” he agreed. “You get to slow down once.”

  “Fine.” She shrugged. “Let’s keep it traditional. Yellow to slow down and red to stop.”

  “I’m down with it,” he agreed. “Why don’t you go first?”

  “In a hurry to bare your ass to me?” she murmured, giving him a heated look.

  He chuckled and then unbuttoned his black shirt baring the gold brown of his skin for her inspection. “Leave on the bra for now.”

  “Who said I’m wearing one?” She arched a brow at Tyler, and he groaned.

  He watched her peel the camisole-type top over her head and carefully drape it on the low sofa she was standing next to. His eyes caressed the russet of her skin from throat to flat stomach. He rubbed a hand over his chest silently preparing to love on her.

  He cast his shirt aside and then unzipped and unbuttoned his black jeans before kicking off his loafers and pushing the pants down his thighs. Tyler stepped out of them and draped them over the arm of the sofa.

  He watched her remove her boots, sliding a hand down her leg as she released the zipper. She set the boot aside and removed the other before slowly pushing her pants down her lean thighs and letting them pool at her feet. He cleared his throat as his gaze rested on her panties. Nothing that he’d expected to see her in since she was a top.

  The pretty peach complimented her skin tones in a way that made her skin an accessory.

  She had curves in just the right proportion, and in just the right places. His mouth watered, and his heart beat a little faster.

  “Damn you’re beautiful,” he said breathlessly. He couldn’t wait to touch her, to make her say his name.

  She gave him an amused smile. “What’d you expect to find? Hairy muff and strap-on?”

  “A strap-on without a doubt,” he murmured.

  “I don’t wear it all the time,” she said. “Now, get over the bench. I’m going to go with a cat.”

  “Good choice,” he said. He enjoyed using it on subs and liked the way the suede felt on his own skin. “I’ve had one of those used on me before. Tell me why you like it first.”

  “It can impart a multitude of types of pain at once.” She crossed the room to grab a whip from a hook as he shucked his boxer briefs.

  Tyler knelt over the bench and waited. He’d watched her exhibit a time or two and knew her technique was good.

  The cat fell on his ass and he almost laughed at the easy stroke. He started to say “yellow” just to fuck with her. As he opened his mouth to do it, the ribbons landed heavy on his butt and the pain ignited a ripple of pleasure. The next lash kissed his other cheek and he had to groan. He wanted to tell her to hit him harder, and then she did.

  “Fuck that feels good,” he said roughly. She dropped the cat tails on his ass again. The ribbons were like a caress that made him hard. The ribbons landed across his back next sending a sting over his skin. Another blow landed on his back and a burning sting followed.

  The cat fell on his back against before she dropped the tails on his ass. Each time she increased the pain which only made him harder, and hotter. Fuck she was going to make him come.

  “Baby, hit me harder,” he commanded. He caressed the roughness of the bench. He needed to touch her. He loved the pain and knew what it could do to him as well as
to his submissive. He arched when she hit him again. “Woman, you’re killing me.” His words came out a husky groan.

  “Turn over,” she ordered.

  Tyler did knowing what she would do. She changed tools grabbing a short flogger and swatting his erection.

  “Do it again,” he ordered. She did and he groaned hard. “Now, come closer,” he said as he leaned against the bench. She eyed him cautiously. “Wrap your hand around my cock and hit the head, baby, but not too hard the first time.”

  She did as he commanded and he hissed. She struck the shaft, sending stinging needles through his body from the point of contact.

  “Enough,” he growled and straightened. He took the whip from her and tossed it to the floor before stroking his fingers over her jaw. “Next time use your teeth instead of that.” He closed his fingers around her jaw and kissed her.

  She tried to turn her head, keeping her lips together. He nipped her bottom lip as he pushed the fingers of his free hand into her hair and tugged her head back. Tyler trailed kisses over her chin and down to her throat. He drew in the soft scent of her. The delicate scent of peach floated over him. She’d been wearing something different this morning, and he liked it better.

  He licked down the column of her throat and swirled his tongue in the hollow at the base before trailing kisses down between the valley of her breasts. Tyler straightened. “Get the condoms,” he ordered tightly.

  Danica retrieved a handful. While she was doing that, Tyler grabbed a pair of cuffs from a shelf and then crossed the carpeted floor. He dropped on the sofa glad she wasn’t going to protest the change in the game. He reached up when she joined him and pulled her down to straddle him.

  “You know how to get a man hot,” he murmured and just as she started to respond, Tyler claimed her lips. His tongue swept past hers and she groaned. He held her closer, reveling in the warm responsiveness of her.

  His tongue played over the roof of her mouth, dueled with hers and retreated. Her tongue followed, slipping into his mouth to taste him. He let her lead as he pushed her hands behind her back and snapped on the cuffs.