Part 7 (1/2)

He pulled her against him and threaded his fingers through the hair at her nape, holding her in place while he brought his lips down roughly on hers and kissed her senseless for several long moments before breaking the kiss and stepping away.

- At the brisk knocks against the front door of his suite, Brent smiled and glanced up from where he'd been making himself some late-night hot decaf tea. He needed to calm his mind and body if he ever hoped to get any sleep, so coffee or any type of caffeine definitely wasn't on the menu.

He'd been expecting this visit ever since he'd given Sandra the tour. He just wasn't sure which of the Doms had come with Dex, or if the big man had come alone. ”Come on in,” he called loud enough for whoever was at the door to hear.

When only Dex entered a minute later, Brent nodded in greeting as he finished pouring cream into his tea. ”I figured I'd see you soon. Would you like some tea?”

Dex grimaced, as Brent knew he would.

”You don't have any coffee? You know I can't stand that stuff you love to drink.”

Brent gestured to the small coffeemaker that sat on the counter a few feet away. ”Be my guest. You know where everything is. That way we can both have our drink of choice while you grill me.”

Brent left Dex to make his coffee and sat in his recliner in the lavish living area.

When Dex returned with a steaming cup in his hand, he cleared his throat as he sat on the love seat directly across from Brent. ”So who is she?” He pinned Brent with an intense gaze. ”And don't give me any bulls.h.i.+t. I heard about the scene in the elevator, and when the two of you came down to the dungeon floor it was plain to see both the sparks and the history that flowed between you. So let's hear it.”

Brent took a drink of tea and then blew out a long breath. ”Sandra and I went to the same high school.” He fell silent in the vain hope that Dex would accept that as a full explanation, but he knew better.

”And?” Dex pressed, a hint of impatience creeping into his tone.

Brent tensed at the tone and then forced himself to relax. Dex was a good friend. He was concerned, and he had an interest in Club Desire and its inner workings. ”I told you how horrible high school and even early college were for me. I was a totally different person then. And Sandra...” He let his words trail off, not sure how much he wanted to say. He didn't plan to be up for several more hours dissecting the personal details of his life, and Dex was relentless when presented with what he considered interesting information.

Dex studied him and Brent met his gaze squarely, knowing that anything else would only sharpen his friend's curiosity.

Finally Dex dropped his gaze and smiled. ”All right. So I think I've got the picture. Just from looking at Sandra, let me guess. She was one of the popular kids? If she looked anything like she does now back in high school, I can't imagine her being in the outcast nerd population like you were. She's freaking gorgeous.” He c.o.c.ked his head to the side in question, and Brent remained silent. He should have known Dex would a.s.sess the situation correctly. The man worked for the FBI as a very high-level a.n.a.lyst. Not much got past him, which was both a great a.s.set to Club Desire and a major pain in the a.s.s for Brent personally.

Dex s.h.i.+fted in his chair before taking a generous sip of coffee. ”So what's the problem? You were acting like you were marking your territory down on the dungeon floor. I've never seen you like that with any woman, especially not a sub. And while Sandra had eyes for no one but you, she seemed incredibly unsure of herself and tentative about your attention. So what gives? Something just isn't adding up.”

Brent steeled himself for the next phase of the conversation. He wasn't sure how his friend would react, but he knew how he would react if their situations were reversed. ”She doesn't realize who I am yet.”

A bark of laughter boomed from Dex before he relaxed back against his chair. ”The plot thickens. All right. I can see how she might not recognize you. You once showed me a few pictures of you from high school, and man, I've got to tell you, even if I'd been your best friend back then I probably wouldn't recognize you now. When are you going to tell her? You know you have to.”

His direct gaze drilled into Brent, who met it squarely. ”It hasn't been the right time yet. But I do plan to tell her.”

Dex shook his head. ”You're playing with fire, man. I a.s.sume she's already a member and has asked you to be her Dom by now.”

It wasn't a question, so Brent didn't bother to respond. Dex was only telling him what he already knew.

”The future revelation of who you really are is going to damage the trust between you. And it's my job as your friend and someone who helped you set up this place to tell you that you need to find a way to tell her as soon as possible. Before you both get in too deep.”

Brent unclenched his jaw. ”I plan to. And I know it sounds like I'm making excuses, but due to the circ.u.mstances...” He pulled Mason's note out of his pocket. ”Did you ever meet my friend Mason?”

Dex shook his head. ”No, but you've told me about him. Owns a dungeon in New York, right?”

Brent nodded and handed Dex the note.

After scanning the note, Dex muttered, ”s.h.i.+t. No wonder she looks like a scared rabbit about to bolt. Do you know exactly what happened?”

Brent shook his head. ”I'm going to call Mason in the morning. I have some suspicions from her limits, but I have a feeling there's much more than I know or even suspect.”

Dex s.h.i.+fted in his chair. ”You know this makes it even more important that you don't damage her trust. It's obvious that you're her Dom of choice. I can be her friend, but even if she chose to do scenes with me, we'd never have the connection you two obviously already have.”

Dex's words echoed Brent's view of the situation. He would prefer that he be Sandra's only Dom, but in the end if it was best for her to play elsewhere he would support her choice. But he'd already seen her with Dex, and she'd shown no signs of being the least bit attracted to the big man. Brent was ashamed to admit that he'd been relieved. Dex was one of the most sought-after Doms in the dungeon. The man might work mostly a desk job, but he took care of himself. Like Brent, Dex held a black belt in karate and judo, and his vigilant training showed in his physique.

”Thanks for being a good friend, Dex. I'll do the right thing for her. After I talk to Mason I'll give you an update so if Sandra does need a friend to talk to who isn't her Dom, you'll be armed with information.”

Dex nodded and stood, his chair sc.r.a.ping quietly against the tile as it moved back. ”Until then, do you mind if I try to dig into this a little more?” He held up the note from Mason.

There was very limited information other than Diego's first name, but Brent was sure Dex could find the restraining order and go from there. He nodded, grateful for any help or information his friend could offer.

Dex tucked the note in his pocket. ”Oh, and Brent. Try to get some sleep. You look like c.r.a.p.”

Brent laughed. Dex didn't sugarcoat, and Brent had always liked that about him. It was something they had in common.

Chapter 8.

Light speared Sandra in the face and she winced away from it, trying to burrow under the covers. But her restless night had hopelessly tangled her sheets. When she couldn't find her pillow either, she settled for draping her arm over her eyes to block out the stripes of bright light that streamed in through the blinds.

Her cell buzzed on the nightstand and she reached for it automatically. She started to click it over to voicemail since she didn't recognize the number, but she'd been doing that for the past few hours, and whoever was calling kept calling back.

She had nearly answered at six a.m., thinking for some odd reason it might be Brent calling from a different number than the one he'd given her last night, but the area code wasn't right. From the area code flas.h.i.+ng on the screen it was someone in New York. But anyone she would want to talk to right now she had programmed into her phone, so his or her name would come up on her display, not just a generic-looking number.

Yet since whoever was calling had been insistent, it might be important, so she finally gave in, huffed, and answered. ”h.e.l.lo?”

”It's about time, Sandra,” a too-familiar growl carried across the line.

Her blood iced over and she sat up so fast that her head swam.

Diego.

He'd called her from a different number and she'd fallen for it. She'd let her guard down after last night, thinking she would never feel so helpless and alone again. She'd let herself forget about him for a while. Did he know where she'd gone? And if so was he already here?

She took a deep breath, trying to think calmly even as her heart raced and she broke out in a cold sweat. He couldn't get her location just by calling her cell. At least she didn't think he could.

”I did not give you permission to go anywhere, Sandra. You'll be severely punished. And I expect you to meet me at the dungeon at seven tonight.”

It took her a minute to realize he meant the dungeon in New York, not Club Desire. Yet even with the knowledge that he was still most likely in New York, bile inched its way up the back of her throat until she thought she would vomit.

He'd made her live in fear for the last few months. But no more. This couldn't go on.

She clenched her teeth and hung up.

She held her breath, her entire body tense until she scrolled through her call history and blocked that number. It wouldn't keep him from calling her from another phone, but that one action made her feel at least a tiny bit more in control of her situation. She blew out her breath when her lungs protested, hoping some of the fear and helplessness would go with it.

She wished she had told him to go to h.e.l.l. But the jangle of nerves inside her belly and the metallic taste of fear on the back of her tongue told her she hadn't been ready for that kind of bravado yet.