by Jamie Knight
“Could we go sometime?”
“Go where?” Davies goes pale.
“To your sister’s club…”
His eyes go wide.
Maybe that’s an overstep. I haven’t even met any of Dan’s family members yet. Even though I’ve been to his office, and both of his brothers work there. It would probably be weird to want to go to where his siblings hang out.
“Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have —”
“No, no. I just didn’t think you’d want to do something like that. The Dark Club is having a big show open in a little over a month. I’ll just ask for a plus one.”
“Okay,” I nod, feeling excited. I wonder what kind of show it will be.
I look down at my plate and take a bite to eat to hide my growing smile. I’m going to meet his family. They’re going to see the two of us together. That’s exciting. I’m excited.
“What’s it like working with your brothers?”
Daniel chews on his food for a little bit. “It’s nice, I would say. I work more closely with Jake than William. Like I said, William is kind of distant right now. Jake is the one who helped me build up the business. We actually did quite a bit before my dad retired. We changed the ways the employees interfaced with the bosses, brought in more clients, all kinds of stuff. It’s really quite fun working with my brother. Though Jake will often call me out. I do appreciate it, but sometimes not in the moment.”
It must have been nice having siblings to grow up with. Other people who knew what it was like in your house. I’m lucky my mother was a good mother even if she did have her flaws. Sounds like both of Daniel’s parents weren’t the greatest, but he came out pretty decent, so there’s that.
We continue talking about random stuff, avoiding the deeper things that we touched at the beginning of dinner. It’s nice to learn about Dan. Like me, he’s always getting lost in a book. I wonder if he has a big bookshelf. Even though my apartment is tiny, I made sure a bookshelf was something I had. It takes up a lot of space, but it brings me joy. I’m sure Daniel has a much bigger place and maybe even multiple bookshelves.
We finish our dinners and order dessert. We decide to share a decadent piece of chocolate cake. When it arrives, there’s chocolate fudge oozing out from the insides, and I can smell the sweet goodness wafting over to me. The two of us dig in, clearing the entire plate.
“Mm, that was one of the best dinners I ever had in my life.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
The waiter brings the check, and that’s when I remember I still have Daniel’s credit card. I dig through my purse and pull it out.
“I forgot to give this back to you. Thanks for the dress.”
“Thanks for wearing it. It’s been a gift for my eyes.” Daniel pays the bill, and we leave the restaurant. We go outside and stand by the wall. “Would you like to go for a walk?”
“A walk? Yeah, that would be nice.”
It would give my stomach a chance to settle, and I could use a little fresh air. We take our stroll, not talking much, but it doesn’t feel awkward. It’s actually quite nice just being with Daniel. He takes my hand, and we go down a few blocks, taking in the city.
This is the first time we’ve felt like a couple. I know we’re not. I mean, we’re not intended to be, but we don’t have to stick to the guidelines we set a month ago. Things change, and we should be able to change with them.
A wind passes by, and I let go of Daniel’s hand to cross my arms over my chest. I didn’t think to bring a jacket because I wanted to make sure he saw how nice my breasts looked in this dress. Yes, it being red drew my eye, but I bought it because I wanted Daniel to see me in it.
“Oh, you must be cold,” Daniel mutters before taking off his jacket and putting it on my shoulders. “Let me call the limo. It’ll be warm in there.” He takes out his phone to make the call, letting the driver know where we are. “He should be here in less than five minutes.”
I smile, placing my hands on his chest. I look into his dark eyes, getting lost.
“Are you going to take me to your place?”
I’ve never been to his home. All of our liaisons have been in the office. I didn’t think much of it, but now that we’ve been on a date, maybe things will change.
“Um, no,” he shakes his head. He seems uncomfortable with the thought. I’m confused because in the restaurant he agreed to let me meet his siblings, and he didn’t seem weirded out by that. But it looks like going home with him is too much. “I’ll have the limo drop you off back home, but we can have a little fun before then.”
That’s… something, I guess. I don’t know how to feel about it, though. I’m glad he wants me, but the fact that he doesn’t want me in his home feels insulting. I know Dan’s not trying to do that, though. It’s just the way he is, hot and cold, back and forth. I wish he wasn’t sometimes, though. It’s like whenever he gets vulnerable, he has to push me away to balance whatever scales he has in his head.
The car arrives, and we get in. Daniel tells the driver where to take us, and then the divider goes up, giving us privacy.
“Is it sound-proof back here?” I look around, trying to see if there are any gaps that sound could travel through. I can’t find any.
“There’s some privacy, but I’ll try to refrain from making you scream.” And he smirks because he’s one smug son of a bitch. Davies probably has some plans for how this limo ride is going to go, but tonight, I’m going to take a little control.
I slide myself onto his lap, straddling him. Daniel tries to run his hands up my back, but I grab his wrists and pin them to the seat.
“Let’s do things a little differently, huh?” I raise my eyebrow, seeing if he doesn’t want to.
I wouldn’t object to the usual me being tied up, but I want to be able to touch him. I’ve realized that over the entire time we’ve been seeing one another, Daniel always ties me up, so I can’t feel him. There’s was that one time when we first got together where he didn’t, and then it’s like he didn’t like it or something. I don’t know his reasons, but I want to be able to caress his face when he’s inside me, touch every inch of his skin like he does for me.
Daniel takes a few deep breaths before looking into my eyes and nodding. “Okay, let’s do it your way.” His body relaxes, giving me free rein.
I let go of his wrists and bring my hands up his chest. I feel the soft rise and fall of his breathing, the planes of his abs evident under his dress shirt.
“You know, you’re pretty beautiful, yourself.” The edge of my mouth tugs up, forming a half-smile. Daniel is always telling me how much he loves my body, looking at it, touching it. I want him to know I feel the same exact way about him.
“You think I’m beautiful?”
“Maybe,” I bite my lip.
I start to unbutton his shirt, slowly revealing his torso. He’s so fit. I don’t know where he finds the time to work out with the schedule of a lawyer. I don’t need to know how he does it because I’m just glad I get to revel in his gorgeousness.
“Beautiful barely describes you,” I mumble before bringing my lips down to his skin. I place soft kisses across his chest, taking time to swirl my tongue around each nipple. I feel Daniel’s breath hitch. His fingers tangle in my hair, and he brings my face up to his, pushing me into a kiss. I grab both sides of his face, pressing my body into him. We’re desperate for one another, doing everything we can to get close with our clothes still on.
It’s time to take some of these clothes off. I move my body back, so I have access to Daniel’s pants. I undo his belt, pulling his pants down as much as I can. He raises his butt to give me an easier time, and I pull his cock out. I’ve seen it a bunch of times by now, but every time we get frisky, it’s like I’m discovering him all over again. I’m obsessed with him. There’s no other way to describe it.
Daniel scrambles to push my dress up, bunching the fabric at my waist. I feel his fingers grip the hem of my panties before ripping them of
f.
“Ah!” I laugh at the sound of the fabric being destroyed.
Davies has gotten into the habit of ripping off my lingerie. The sound is enough to send sparks straight to my clit.
I pick my body up and bring myself down on Daniel’s hard cock. He slides into me, the combination of his pelvis moving up and my body moving down intensifying the friction. About halfway down, Daniel slams himself into me the rest of the way, burying his entire shaft in my trembling pussy. I scream out, unable to handle it all.
“Shhh,” Daniel whispers. “I thought you didn’t want the driver to hear.”
“I don’t care,” I gasp. “Fuck me! Fuck me!” I say through clenched teeth.
Daniel does as I ask and starts to move his ass up and down. My breasts bounce in my dress, falling out from the plunging neckline. He grabs one of them, squeezing it. I’m panting, grinding my pelvis down into the man I think I’m falling for.
Oh shit.
I don’t have enough time to think about it before I come. My whole body ignites as my pussy spills all over Daniel’s dick. I feel him spill into me, his seed dripping out of my pussy and onto my thighs. I collapse into his body, resting my head on his chest. My hair is stuck to the sweat on my forehead, evidence of our exertion.
Daniel swipes some of my hair away from my forehead before kissing it.
“I’ll take you to my house after our next date.”
I pick up my head because I’m so surprised to hear that. I didn’t expect him to change his stance so quickly. I also didn’t think we’d be having another date. When he mentioned the dinner as a celebration, I thought it was more of an obligatory thing, but maybe he does want more.
“I’d like that.” I give him a quick peck before resting my head on his chest again.
“I’m not used to having… my dates in my home. If I sounded weird earlier, that’s why. But I want you to come over.”
It warms my heart to hear him say that. Daniel must really like me. He keeps going above and beyond. It’ll just take extra time to get below the layers.
My mother was wrong. She was always telling me that all men would disappoint me. Daniel has his flaws, but he hasn’t let me down. I can trust him, can’t I?
Chapter Twenty-Four - Gemma
Daniel and I have been talking more regularly since our date. It’s been nice. I’ve learned more about him and allowed myself to divulge a few things about myself. We’re both still keeping a few cards close to our chests, but clearly, we’re more comfortable around one another.
“Hi, Gemma.”
I look up to see my new employee hovering around my desk, her hands clasped in front of her. She points towards the door.
“I have to step out for a second. I just got a call from my sister, and it sounds like she needs me now.”
“Of course. You can just take the rest of the day off. We’re ahead of schedule, so it’ll fine.”
“Thank you so much!” Pearl grabs her things and leaves.
She has been an absolute godsend. Being able to have someone else carry the workload with me has made my day to day way less stressful. Ever since Daniel came into my life, things have just picked up. It’s been great.
I go back to typing up some written notes when I hear someone walk in. I look up and see a well-dressed middle-aged woman. I’ve never seen her before, so she must be a potential new client. If we keep getting those, I might have to hire someone else.
“Hello, what can I help you with?” I stand up to shake her hand, but she doesn’t go for it, so I quickly retract.
“Do you know Dan Davies?”
I furrow my brow because I don’t know what that has to do with anything. Maybe this woman is shopping around for a lawyer, but it’s still weird to ask me about him. I do want to know what she wants, so I answer, “Yes, I know Daniel Davies. He’s a fellow lawyer, so our paths have crossed. Have you worked with him before?”
She frowns at me, her back staying straight. “No, I’m actually doing an investigation on him.”
“I’m sorry?” An investigation? What does she mean?
“I’m Detective Brinks with the NYPD. I know you’re more intimately acquainted with Mr. Davies.”
I cross my arms over my chest, instantly uncomfortable. “Look, I don’t know what you want, but I don’t think I’ll be very helpful.”
The detective starts to pace around my office, looking at everything but thankfully touching nothing. “Miss Samuels, I am well aware of the less savory things that Mr. Davies engages in. I want to investigate him for bad business practices.”
I shake my head because that’s ridiculous. “Daniel doesn’t do things like that. I’ll admit at first I thought he was a bad person, but I got to know him and realized it was all rumors.” He made Davies & Sons into what it is.
“You don’t have all the information. Have you seen all of his business dealings? Does Mr. Davies give you access to his personal computer and files?”
“Well, no. Why would he?”
“Mr. Davies is shifty and operates under lots of different names. If you don’t believe me, let me know if you recognize any of these businesses.”
She starts rattling off all kinds of names. I haven’t heard of a single one, just like I assumed, but then she says Moon Investments LLC, and a shiver goes down my spine. I haven’t heard of that business specifically, but that is our safe word. My heart gets a little jittery. It’s probably just a coincidence.
“No, I don’t know any of those.”
It’s the truth. This random woman doesn’t need to know about my and Daniel’s connection to the word moon. Like I said, it’s a coincidence.
“Do you know that Mr. Davies does this with a lot of women?”
My temper is starting to flare, and I find myself grabbing onto the edge of my desk. “What?”
The detective halts in front of me, cocking her hips to one side. I hate how arrogant her face is. “I know you’re sleeping with him. It’s very obvious. You’re just one woman in a long line.” She’s just saying that to be mean. It’s not like what I do with Daniel is any of her business. “You’re not special. Like I said, he’s with a lot of women.”
“Currently?” I shouldn’t have asked that. She just seems to know so much about him. But our contract did say we’d be monogamous. Dan wouldn’t break it. He’s not the type to go against his word.
She laughs once sharply. “You might want to hide your jealousy better, girlie. He’s a man who makes a game out of making women his sex slaves and then dumping them when he gets bored. And he gets bored very often. Yeah, he might do one at a time, but being a serial monogamist isn’t any better than being a cheater.”
How does this woman know so much? She must have been following Daniel for a long time. I’m curious about his past, but I feel like getting information from this detective would be tainted. She’s so angry, I just don’t know. And Daniel hasn’t let me down. I need to remember that.
But our contract does have an expiration date. It’s not like he’s lying to me. He’s always been upfront. It’s just that things have been getting muddled between us because feelings are getting involved, something we said we’d avoid. That’s also not his fault, though. I knew not to get my hopes up. I even told myself to keep my emotions out of it. None of this makes Daniel a bad guy.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything, and I think you should leave.”
“Fine, suit yourself, but I’m going to break this case with or without you. You need to choose which side of this whole thing you’re going to be on because when it’s revealed all the different ways Dan Davies is an awful person, you won’t want to be by his side. That much I can guarantee.” She raises her eyebrows to make the point. This woman is trying to make me feel stupid, and I don’t like it.
“He’s a good person. Daniel accommodates his employees in ways that go above and beyond. He cares about people and deserves to be treated fairly just like everybody else.”
I don�
��t know why I’m defending Davies so fervently. I should have just let this woman say her piece and leave. Why am I trying so hard to convince her?
“Well, Mr. Davies has to accommodate his employees. It’s the law. Maybe it looks above and beyond to you, but he’s just avoiding getting in trouble with the law. He’s slick. So many of those big-shot lawyers are. I mean, did he go above and beyond when he didn’t have his new employee’s accommodations ready in time for her start date?”
My heart sinks, remembering that. I was cold towards Dan because I thought he wasn’t doing a good job. He just made a mistake and did his best to correct it. And when I saw Maggie, she looked so happy.
The detective reads my expression. “Exactly. He’s already violated the law.”
“Please leave.”
I’m done with this conversation. Clearly, nothing I say will convince her that Daniel isn’t the person she’s painting him to be. I mean, I don’t know a whole lot about him, but we’ve spent a lot of time together these past few weeks. Something inside of me is telling me that this woman is wrong.
“No problem. Just, if you think of anything, call me. Here’s my card.” She pulls out a business card and hands it to me. It says Lauren Brinks, detective.
“Sure, whatever.”
Lauren looks at me one last time before leaving. I throw her card in my drawer and plop back down into my chair.
I don’t know how to feel about all of this. Daniel has never given me a reason to distrust him, not really. But has he given me a reason to trust him? Just because we went on a date, and he told me a little about himself, doesn’t mean we’re suddenly in this whole thing together. We have a contract that’s going to be up in a couple of months. I just need to fulfill it, get the money Daniel owes me, and then be done with him. This isn’t about to be some great romance.
It’s not like I’m the kind of girl who could get Daniel Davies to fall madly in love with me.