Jake’s swift steps took on an agitated roughness, giving Kathryn the sudden realization he wasn’t teasing. He was heated, and not in the fun way.
He walked them around to the side of the building, where he lifted his mask before setting her down. “Kathryn, you said you were having girl time with Julian.”
“I was.” Her technically true comeback was met with the challenge of Jake’s scowl. He crossed his arms, and she crossed hers. “And you said you were out of town.”
It was just the ammo she needed to unclench his jaw and unknot his arms.
“Truce?” she said, deliberate in pressing herself against him, but his arms didn’t wrap around her like they usually did.
Hands planted on his hips, Jake looked down at her with darkening eyes. The natural deepness to his voice became serious and low. “Why come here? Without me?”
His questions were short and direct, like two tiny daggers to the heart. The second she tried to look away, his strong hands cradled her face.
“I don’t give a damn about the secrets you keep, but not about this. I own your desires. It’s what makes you mine,” he said softly, pressing his forehead to hers. “Talk to me, kitten.”
Kathryn sucked in a breath, then let the air stagger out. “Because you’re an infamous Dom, and I’m that girl. The newbie.”
“Normally, I’m not a fan of labels, but infamous?” He drew out the word for effect. “You only get to be new once. It’s important that you experience it right.”
“I was just doing—”
“If you say research, you’re getting punished.” His thumb brushed her full lower lip.
Defiantly, she whispered, “Research,” then swallowed. “Why have you been going to sex clubs without me?”
Jake’s smile was boyish and coy. “Your luscious butt just ran into one of the reasons.”
“Your ex-fiancée?”
He shook his head. “Chels is a very active part of this community and has a lot of friends in it. She can be calculating, jealous, petty—”
“And might still have more than a fleeting infatuation with you?”
His lips firmed into a tight line. “She’s a legitimate member who’s done nothing wrong. I can’t have her blocked. But I can find out which clubs she frequents, which is part of what I’ve been doing.”
“Why not just . . .” Kathryn’s voice lowered. “Hack them?”
Jake chuckled, and Kathryn relaxed as his strong arms surrounded her, holding her tight against his chest. “Smart clubs keep their membership off the grid. Impervious to hacking.”
“So, no clubs for us?” she asked. It was a blow but a small one. She couldn’t miss what she’d never had.
“We could head to clubs out of state, though that might get, well, inconvenient when the urge strikes. So, I’ve got something else in the works.”
“A secret?”
“Let’s call it a surprise,” he said, and when Kathryn let out an overexcited squeal, he instantly snuffed it out. “But a surprise that will have to wait.”
Kathryn’s face fell into a pout. “Booo.”
“Now . . .” He stood taller. “For the crimes of deceiving your fiancé, entering Club Lazarus without your Dom, and daring to call it research, it’s time you learn a little about this world, kitten. And what it means to be punished.”
Maybe it was the way he said the word punished. Dark. Threatening.
Or the way his fingers walked their way through her hair, enough to get a thick fistful and yank.
Or the way his hard cock pressed eagerly against her belly.
God, I want to be punished.
“Let’s see,” he said, removing a folded sheet of paper from his back pocket.
Getting a closer look at the skintight pants she’d never seen before, all Kathryn could think is Are we out of lube too?
Jake began to mutter. “No to humiliation and urination. Yes to public sex . . .”
Holy hell.
“Where did you get that?” Feebly, she swiped at the page, but Jake lifted it high above her head. She made several jumps to grab it, but it was no use. The man was a giant.
“Your first sex at a sex club, but not in a sex club. Hmm.” Jake mused aloud, seeming to work out whether this was too much punishment, or not enough. Returning the sheet to his tight back pocket, he donned a wicked grin. “Acceptable.”
Kathryn’s eyes rounded. “Here? Outside?”
Sex in the isolation of a hot springs late at night is one thing. But here where everyone passing by would see?
“Right here. Right now. And this being your first real punishment, I intend to take my time.”
Jake’s features hardened, giving his rugged good looks an edge of darkness. His hazel eyes steeled, turning them sinister. Challenging. Forbidden. His cold stare was a warning and a promise all at once, and her heart thundered in the heat of what could only be described as a Dom’s gaze.
“You like the mask?” he said, phrasing his question as a statement.
Why this question brought on a sense of shyness—or shame—wasn’t clear. But it did. Heat flashed across her skin, forcing her to look away as she clenched her thighs together.
His hand slipped from her hair, cupping her cheek. “There’s that beautiful blush,” he said, pulling her mouth to his, pressing past her lips with his tongue, stealing her resistance in slow, sweeping licks.
When he finally released her, all she could hear was a growl. His hand returned, fisting her hair in a sharp, insistent move.
“Answer me. Use your words, sub.”
Sub. The way he said it was like a summons. Demanding her obedience.
It. Was. Hot.
“Y-yes.” She stuttered out her admission, the breathy word soft and weak.
As he fitted his mask back in place, she could see him so clearly now. This was Jake. She was safe. But with the single move, he became a stranger, the dangerous man in the hall. And holy hell, it changed everything.
“Safe word. Now,” he whispered.
“Red,” she choked out.
Jake’s arm locked around Kathryn’s waist. The move could have passed for reassuring but took on its own form of possession. She was owned whether she wore a collar or not.
Her breath hitched as his large hand made its way to palm the roundness of her butt. There, he gave her a firm squeeze, pulling her hard against him. He towered over her, every muscle of his body tensed with a predatory readiness. A hunter ready to savor his prey.
Kathryn swallowed hard.
His finger made a slow path along her inner thigh and up her skirt, tracing the sensitive line higher. Her breath quickened, keeping time with the back-and-forth motion of a touch that sizzled her skin. With each pass, Jake’s finger inched closer to her core.
“You’re mine, sub. Mine for the taking. Whenever and wherever I want.”
Kathryn met his dark, brooding stare. By the angle of her body pressed against his, maybe her small frame was hidden from view. Maybe her heavy panting and heated moans wouldn’t give her away.
Maybe . . . no one will know.
His mouth brushed hers, not possessive or rough, but a dizzying tender touch. His fingers traveled, barely skimming the sensitive underside of her ass, moving up the line between her thighs, and dipping inside her just far enough to elicit a moan.
“So fucking wet.”
His finger sliced through, and she gasped. He took his time invading her body, working a second finger deep inside her. Pushing her closer and closer. Building her climax out in the open. Voices were around them. People could be heard. And if she could hear them, they could hear her.
The rustle of their steps against the pavement seem to echo across the vast lot. The people moved casually with a vague sense of purpose—leaving the building, going to their cars. Oblivious to the fact that just a few steps away, she was riding Jake’s hand to the peak of pleasure.
He was claiming her. And God, she was letting him.
In that moment, Kathryn felt flushed and weak, desperately chasing an orgasm that was just out of reach. Not yet there, but quickly building. His tongue swept the line of her lips, and her gasp let him in. All the while, his fingers did their work. In and out. In. And out.
So close.
When Jake stopped, the loss was agonizing, and the loudness of her whimper was unavoidable. His mouth crashed on hers, smothering her pleading sounds.
“Don’t stop,” she begged. “God, please don’t stop.” Her body shuddered against his.
His kisses were tender as he kept her tight in his hold. “It’s called a punishment for a reason, kitten.”
It took a few panting breaths before Kathryn felt she could stand on her own. Watching him suck his fingers clean wasn’t exactly helping, and she was seconds from finishing the job herself.
Still, his arm kept her steady against him, and his bright hazel eyes were ablaze. She hadn’t come. He hadn’t come. And yet, there it was. An unmistakable look. He had been dominant, stealing her will and taking control. It did something to him, and he was satisfied.
My Dom is a sadist. Him and his talented finger.
“There you two are.”
Julian was heading over. Five steps away hardly gave Kathryn the precious time she needed to tug down her skirt.
“I thought you two left a while ago. Here’s your phone.” Julian passed it to Kathryn, then turned to Jake. “Does this mean I need to give you back your car?” He dangled the key ring from one finger, pushing out a pout as he jiggled it lightly.
Really?
Kathryn held her hand out expectantly, met by Jake’s large one. He clasped her hand to his chest.
Come on . . . how far can this punishment possibly go?
“It’s yours for the week. Right, Kathryn?” Jake and his smug grin were taking just a little too much satisfaction in the moment.
Seeing as I’m putty in his hands, I hardly have a choice.
“I guess so,” she said with a sigh, not happy to give up the gorgeous car Jake let her drive.
“Jules, wait.” Andi was making her way over from the front of the building, her strappy heels giving an already tall woman the presence of a supermodel. “Here you go. One year.” She handed over a card.
He handed her one in return. “Here’s my card. Ask for me. Anytime.”
They exchanged a round of kisses on both cheeks before Andi departed. Jake and Kathryn said nothing but shot him expectant looks.
“Jules, is it?” Kathryn asked, crossing her arms. “True bestie or business bestie?”
She knew the drill. Only two classes of people called Julian Jules. Her, and an ever-growing list of business associates he wanted to connect with. Make them feel like they could offload their innermost thoughts and most of their money too. With the way the man’s office had become a revolving door of Botox and filler clients, she couldn’t argue with results.
“You are my only true bestie, girl. Hey, when the real Jake Russo showed up, I had to charm her somehow. I offered her all the laser hair removal her pretty body can tolerate, and maybe an injection or two. She gave me a full year’s membership at Club Lazarus in exchange. What can I say? Andi’s a sweetheart. A pharmacy tech by day and BDSM gatekeeper by night. That’s the friend to have.” Noticing Kathryn’s eye roll, he added, “Don’t judge. Leather and lube don’t fall from trees.”
Kathryn wrinkled her nose. “Andi’s beautiful. She hardly needs your services.”
Wounded, Julian grabbed his heart. “Kathryn Chase, if you’re gonna stay my bestie, you need to get with the program. Talk like that will be the death of me. In the illustrious words of Ms. Truvy Jones, ‘There is no such thing as natural beauty.’”
Leave it to Julian to quote from Steel Magnolias, Southern accent and all. His fascination with Dolly Parton truly knew no bounds. If Kathryn and Jake were going to get out of there before he started belting out “Here You Come Again,” they’d better get a move on.
“Ready?” Kathryn asked, latching onto Jake’s arm for support and trying not to squirm in place.
“Not quite. Catch you later, Julian,” he said, sending him on his way. “I need to show Kathryn something out back.”
“I’ll bet you do,” Julian said, giving Kathryn a quick peck on the cheek before quickstepping it to the car.
Glancing up at Jake, Kathryn sent up a silent prayer.
Please let it be your cock.