Chapter Three
Amanda stepped into the ladies’ room to make a phone call, not wanting Decklan to overhear. “You’re sure?” she asked, talking into her cell phone.
“They don’t call me a computer genius for no reason. I dug deep. Decklan’s a decent enough guy. Not a serial killer, no arrests in his past. Nothing hidden either. I’d have found it.”
And he would have. Brad Ritter, her boss and very best friend, could hack with the best. She trusted his findings.
“Okay then. I’m not coming back tonight.”
“You have the jet fueled for when you’re ready. You spend way too much of your life catering to my needs. I’m glad you’re taking time for you.”
She thought of Decklan’s big hands caressing her long-deprived body and sighed happily. “Me too. But don’t worry. It’s still one night only. It’ll just last a little longer, that’s all. I’ll keep it impersonal and leave in the morning.”
“You know I appreciate that you let my father believe we’re together.”
Amanda glanced at the painted ceiling. Even the bathrooms in this club were first class. She sighed. “It’s fine. It’s a win-win for us both. I’m happy with my life the way it is, and you and Keith can stay under the radar.” Or in the closet, as the case might be.
As right wing tea party Senator Stephan Ritter’s son, Brad felt he could never come out and admit his sexual orientation without destroying his father’s career. And though Amanda had thankfully put her bulimic past behind her, she wasn’t all that trusting of men and relationships. It was simpler to get what she needed sexually at this exclusive club. Brad, her tech geek billionaire best friend, paid for her membership. As she’d said, win-win.
“Well, when you get home tomorrow, I want to hear all about the guy who got you to extend your couple of hours and only at the club rule.
No, he would not. What happened in New York would stay in New York. Including how very attracted she was to Decklan and how much she wished she had the normal ability to trust and indulge in relationships. Not that it mattered. Decklan didn’t do relationships either.
“I love you for caring. Now I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Love you too. Take care and have fun.”
She shut her phone and reentered the club to find Decklan, arms folded across his chest, waiting right outside the hallway. “I thought maybe you found a window through which to escape.”
“Not a chance.” Now that she was in, she was going to enjoy. “I just needed to freshen up and call a friend. Otherwise the cavalry might arrive if I didn’t get home on time.”
“Good to know someone has your back.”
She smiled. “Never doubt it.” If she needed anything, Brad would drop everything. They’d been best friends since bonding in college, and nothing could change that. Now she was his personal assistant, allowing him to focus on code while she kept the rest of his life running smoothly.
Decklan placed a hand against the small of her back, a possessive gesture that had her trembling.
“My place or yours?” he asked.
“I’m in from out of town.” Brad had two apartments, leased and hidden under fake names, where they stayed when in town for business. One for him, the other for her. They were far from the ultra-wealthy area where people would expect Senator Ritter’s son to stay and kept both him and Keith protected. She didn’t want to take Decklan there and raise questions.
He blinked at the revelation. “Actually, that makes sense. It explains why you’re not here more often.”
It was her turn to be surprised. “You really did pay attention?”
“Are we back to whether or not I tell the truth?” he asked in a warning tone.
Her ass still ached from his first punishment, and she wanted to move on to the next part of the night. “No, we’re good.”
“So my place is okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’m just outside of Manhattan. Great Neck,” he said.
“I’m okay with that.” She could always call a cab if she needed to escape.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I suppose.” She’d eaten dinner, but it was getting late, and she could use something to boost her blood sugar. “Are you hungry?”
His eyes darkened. His thumb suddenly pressed against her bottom lip. She sighed, her tongue darting out and licking his salty skin. “Make no mistake, baby. I plan to eat you.”
Her breath left in a whoosh. “Oh.”
He slid his finger back and forth across her lip. Her nipples puckered at the simple touch, and she felt the pull directly in the apex of her sex.
“You sound like a New Yorker,” she said, trying to find a semblance of sanity.
He nodded. “Born and raised. You?”
“Maryland,” she murmured, her gaze never leaving his. Those almost-navy eyes mesmerized her, making her feel like she could drown in their depths.
“And where do you live today?” he asked.
“Washington, D.C.” She pulled herself out of the spell he wove around her, reminding herself she had someone else’s secrets to protect even more than her own.
A one-night stand didn’t need intimate, get-to-know-you time. But she wanted to learn more about him, and that was a dangerous proposition.
“Are you going to talk all night?” she asked playfully, a tactic to move things along. “Or do you have some moves you want to show me?”
He laughed. “You can be fun,” he said, clearly surprised.
She grinned. “I have my moments.” With the seriousness of Mike behind her, her insulting herself and that punishment over, she was ready to play.
John, the monitor, winked at her as Decklan led her out and onto the street. With Brad’s check, the club staff knowing who she was with, and understanding that Decklan had been vetted and Mike an aberration, Amanda felt safe leaving with him.
He kept his hand protectively on her back as he led her to the lot where he’d parked his car and held open the door for her once the attendant brought the black SUV around. The radio played Top 100, and she settled into the comfortable seat.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “I am. Thanks.” Surprisingly, she was fine. No, she wasn’t a woman who normally left a club or bar with a stranger, but Decklan Dare didn’t feel like someone she’d never met. And she really wanted one night with this dominant, sexy man.
The rest of the car ride passed in comfortable silence. He didn’t push for conversation, and she was still feeling tingly and relaxed from actually reaching subspace with Decklan. Soon he turned off the highway, and after driving through side streets with small homes that were close together, he turned into an apartment complex and parked in a spot out front.
The lot was well lit, enabling her to see that the grounds were well maintained and the building fairly new. Nice but not excessive. Yet membership in the club was a fortune. She couldn’t afford it if Brad hadn’t insisted on making it a perk of her job. She wondered how Mr. Decklan Dare could be a cop who lived here yet be able to afford the membership. Though Brad could get her all the information she wanted on Decklan, she’d never go that far. Safety was one thing, digging and being intrusive another. This was a one-night stand, and her curiosity wouldn’t be assuaged any time soon.
Inside the apartment, she found purely masculine décor with a definite flair. A navy, white, and taupe color scheme, comfortable couches, large-screen television.
“Who decorated?” she asked, certain he wasn’t the type to hang ornate mirrors or purchase knickknacks to give the place a homier feel.
“My sister, Lucy.”
She nodded. “She has good taste.”
“It’s what she does. My brother, Gabe, runs the family business, which includes exclusive clubs around the country. Ever hear of Elite?”
She nodded, impressed. “I recently read about the opening on the island Eden.”
“That’s them. Lucy does the décor.”
“A family business yet you’re a cop.” She grinned. “Like to do things your way?”
He laughed. “More like that’s how Gabe likes to do things. My parents died in an accident when I was nineteen. Gabe took over and made sure I went to college and became a cop because that’s all I ever wanted to do. He sacrificed his needs to let me and Lucy have our own.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
Decklan didn’t reply. Sympathy always made him uncomfortable. So did the knowledge that he always felt like he owed Gabe. Another reason he felt so out of control after his parents died. He might have achieved his dream of being in law enforcement, but he’d done it at his big brother’s expense. Gabe never complained. But he’d never had a choice in what he wanted to do. Gabe had become the defacto parent. It was one of the reasons Decklan gravitated toward the BDSM scene. Regaining control helped him deal with his darker emotions.
“He sounds like a great guy,” Amanda said.
“He’s an ass.”
Amanda spun to face him, her eyes wide in surprise.
Decklan shrugged. “He is. To everyone but me, Lucy, and his new wife, Isabelle. He had to be to get where he is today. But I respect him even when I want to throttle him.”
“I wish I had siblings.”
“Only child?”
She shrugged. “Unfortunately.”
He was suddenly aware of how intimate the conversation had become. More like two people getting to know one another than the reality—two people who’d come together for sex. He pushed aside the feeling that talking to her was easy and that he wanted to dig deeper into who she was. What had created the insecurities he’d witnessed earlier. The sadness he heard in her tone now.
Time to move the conversation forward. “Come.” He directed her into his small kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink?”
She shook her head. “This kitchen is so comfortable. Do you cook?” she asked, glancing around.
“No. I usually pick something up on the way home from work. What about you?”
“I’m an expert.”
He turned her to face him, his hand beneath her chin. “If you lived in town, I’d have to have you show me your talents.” He was surprised to find he meant it.
She batted her eyelashes at him and said, “If I lived here, I just might do that.”
Cute, he thought. She was cute. “Did you eat dinner?” he asked.
“Yes, before the club.”
“Good.” He stepped closer. Her scent enveloped him. The memory of her warm and wet around his fingers brought him back to instant hardness. “Then we’re both ready for dessert.”
Her soft lips parted but no sound came out.
Pleased with her response, he headed to the refrigerator and paused, turning to face her. He had a plan and now was the time to execute. “In my bedroom now. Down the hall, first door on the right. Clothes off and wait for me there.”
* * *
Just like that, Decklan was back to being the demanding man from the club. Just like that, Amanda was wet and wanting. Knowing what awaited her if she hesitated, she found herself tempted to wait. But sensing something even better would come her way if she obeyed, she met his hot gaze, nodded, and walked off toward the bedroom.
Nerves beat at her with heavy wings. Old insecurities threatened. At the club, she always negotiated dim light, then she and her partner engaged in consensual play, bondage and submission, something she’d learned fed the need to please that lived deep inside her. Growing up, she’d always fallen short no matter how hard she tried, be it in schoolwork, sports, or most especially, her looks.
When Brad had suggested she try a BDSM club for her issues, she’d been wary. But she’d discovered he was right. In submission, she’d learned not only to accept herself, something that was obviously still in progress, but she’d also gained the satisfaction of pleasing someone else. And she really wanted to please Decklan, though she intended to keep the lights low here too. She’d desired him from first glance, and he made her want everything she could get from this one night.
With shaking hands, she stripped off her clothes, folded them, and placed them on the dresser. Cool air conditioning embraced her naked body, and she immediately glanced down at her thighs.
A clatter sounded from the kitchen, and she jumped in surprise. The noise reminded her she didn’t have much time. Remember Decklan wants you here. It was the last thought that gave her the final boost of courage to climb onto his king-sized bed, ease her bare self back against the pillows, and settle in. But not before dimming the lights.
She didn’t have to wait long. He strode into the bedroom with a bowl, spoons, a bottle of chocolate syrup, and a sexy gleam in his eyes that caused her stomach to flip with excitement.
He turned his gaze on her naked body. She knew better than to think the lack of lighting affected his ability to see, except in her mind. Only pride and the lessons learned tonight had her remaining in place.
“I thought I was dessert?” she said, eyeing the items he placed on the nightstand. She couldn’t explain the impulse or comfort level that allowed her to tease him while she was so exposed.
He rewarded her with a low growl of clear pleasure. “Oh, baby, you are.” He crawled onto the bed, his big body levering up and over hers.
Before she understood his plan, he pulled a Velcro strap hanging from the headboard slat and clasped a cuff over her wrist.
“Remember your safe words. Red, I stop. Yellow, we talk. Green, and we keep going,” he said as he did the same to her other hand, binding her to his bedframe.
“Now you look good enough to eat.”
His approval slid through her, like warm honey, and her nipples puckered in response.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Green,” she murmured, her body trembling. For the second time that night—or maybe ever—her mind began to slip away.
“Should I bind your legs?” he asked, immediately shaking his head, answering his own question. “No. I think I’d like to feel them wrapped around my waist while I sink deep into your pussy.”
Her stomach dipped in anticipation.
Decklan slid a hand over her stomach and deliberately paused there. She stiffened reflexively. He felt it as well as saw the flash of panic cross her face.
He continued to watch her, had been since walking into the room and noticing the lack of lights. Not for the first time, he wondered what had put such issues in her head but knew now would be the wrong time to ask. He had to soften her mind, calm her racing thoughts.
Make her believe the truth, that all he wanted was her. She was fucking gorgeous, bound to his bed, blonde hair spilling over his sheets. She was all woman, and whoever had convinced her otherwise needed to have his ass kicked.
He kept his palm on the softness of her belly. “I can’t wait to feel you clasp me tight inside you and cushion me with those gorgeous curves.” At his words, his cock pulsed against his jeans, demanding freedom. “Is that what you want too?”
She nodded, her eyes dilated with the same need riding him.
“Then you need to let me turn on the lights. I want to see all of you.”
She swallowed hard, her eyes wide. This was a defining moment. She’d stay or she’d say red. Everything inside him rebelled at the possibility of losing her before he’d really had her.
“Lights?” he asked, easing off the bed and stepping closer to the panel on the wall.
A small nod.
“Then I need to hear you say it.”
She narrowed her gaze, and he appreciated the spunk he saw there.
“You can turn on the lights,” she said at last. He didn’t miss the wariness in her tone.
But he grinned. She had her issues—who didn’t?—but she had backbone, and he liked that about her.
“You won’t regret it.” He hit the switch and turned on the overheads, dimming them for mood but keeping the glow that would enable him to see her creamy skin. “You’re fucking perfect.”
She opened her mouth, probably to argue, and immediately closed it again. He liked a quick learner, not that he’d mind more punishment. His hand tingled at the thought, and his cock throbbed in agreement. He found it disconcerting to know he’d rather have her trust than the pleasure he found in the control of punishment.
He walked toward the bed, eased down beside her, gratified at the small inhale of breath as he leaned in close and smelled the sexy scent of her arousal.
One hand in her hair, he slid his lips along her jawline, inhaling her intoxicating light perfume, trailed a path down her neck, and settled in to nibble near her collarbone. He tasted the slightly salty tang of her skin before skimming his other hand up her side, cupping one beautifully full breast in his hand.
He ran a thumb over her nipple, feeling it peak even more beneath his touch. “Hungry?” he asked, massaging and tweaking the bud between two fingers.
“Starved,” she said, the word a drawn-out moan as she writhed on the bed, her hands pulling at the bindings he wouldn’t release.
“Then we should eat. But I wouldn’t want to ruin my clothes.”
Releasing her breast, he stood and began to undress, aware of her heated gaze watching him with definite approval as he pulled off his shirt. Reaching for the button on his jeans, he eased the zipper down, over his straining, aching erection.
She watched, eyes wide, dilated, mouth parted, and he found it damned arousing, especially when a soft moan escaped from the back of her throat.
“You see? Having the lights on isn’t just for me.” He reached down and took his cock in hand, pumping from base to head in long strokes.
Her eyes widened even more. “You’re a tease, Decklan Dare.”
He hadn’t been, before her. “You bring that out in me.”
A pleased smile lifted her lips.
He settled in beside her and picked up the bowl of ice cream. “Now we eat.”