Irish Cream (4 page)

Celia pursed her lips in a fake pout. "Oh, come on now. You and I both know you're not giving up on her. I sense there's something more going on between you two...a bond, perhaps? Would you keep her if she let you?"

James shook his head with a half-hearted chuckle. "You know that's not how I work. Nice try though. If you can talk some sense into her, I'll make sure she's ready for the next Dom. No more, no less." A twinge jolted him somewhere near the center of his chest, but he ignored it. Celia simply smiled and patted his arm.

"You just keep telling yourself that, James. I'll go visit Brianna. Which room?"

"Second on the left."

He watched her go up the stairs, her movements silky smooth, like a cat. "Hey, why haven't you ever paired up with a sub?"

She stopped briefly to look at him. "I haven't found the right one yet." With a wink, she continued up the stairs and disappeared into the hallway.

James shook his head then turned to Angie. "I have a few friends coming over - they should be here any minute. When they arrive, will you show them to the blue parlor? And do be hospitable - they're all expecting lip service to start."

She lowered her eyes obediently. "Yes Master." The door chimes rang, and James walked away before she could open the door, stepping into his office and closing the door. The three men he'd invited were all interested in taking ownership of Angie, and he wanted to see how she reacted to them both individually and collectively before he made the choice for her. Watching through the slim panel of one-way mirrored glass near the top of the door, he watched as the first man entered. He'd told the men they could each try her out, and it wasn't long before she was on her knees in front of Mike Hammond, her lips wrapped around his substantial cock. She had a skilled mouth, James knew, and with the tricks he'd taught her, Mike came all over her chest in short order. Angie led him out of the room, and returned soon after, the evidence of her obedience still marking her breasts.

"Good girl," he murmured, glancing at the clock. Ryan was the next to arrive - James' favorite choice for her. He, too, requested and received a blow job, though he didn't bother to pull out of her throat, and Angie swallowed eagerly. When she stood, Ryan gave her nipples a tug and they both laughed before she showed him to the parlor.

Shawn should be the last to arrive, and James noted he was right on time when the chimes rang. Angie opened the door and then fell to the floor as a man pushed her out of the way and ran through the foyer to the staircase.

* * *

"Do you remember what you said to me that first night at the club?"

Brianna shrugged. She sat with one leg dangling over the arm of the antique chair James had sat in earlier, her stomach in knots. Thinking back to the day she'd wandered into Celia's club, it seemed like a lifetime ago. She'd been scared but excited, assuming it would just be a couple nights of experimentation and then she'd go back to her normal life. But she'd wanted the full experience, so she'd talked a good game. Too good, apparently. Celia had set her up a couple times, and things had gone a lot farther than she'd expected, but something had awakened inside her. She couldn't seem to walk away. And then Andrew came along...

Celia stood and walked over to the fireplace, turning to face Brianna.

"You told me you were looking for something different. A relationship where you didn't have to make any decisions, and you could just be taken care of. Do you still want that?"

"I lied," Brianna confessed, looking at the floor. "I'd just read some books about bondage - love stories, really - and I wanted to see what it was all about. I just wanted to have some fun, and then go back home. I never dreamed it would go this far."

Heels clicked firmly across the floor until they appeared in her line of vision. Brianna looked up at her friend.

"We'll deal with that later, but the question still stands. Do you or do you not want a man who will care of you?" Celia asked, her voice colder. Harder.

Dom-like.

Brianna shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I won't put myself in danger again, and there's no way to ever be completely sure with this lifestyle."

Celia tossed her hands up and walked away. "There's no way to be completely sure in any lifestyle, Brianna. Even vanilla guys can be cruel, rotten bastards, and sometimes you just don't know until it's too late. What are you going to do - move to a convent? Be alone the rest of your life? Even that won't keep you one hundred percent safe, so I'd love to know what your plan is because from where I'm standing, you're just reaching for excuses."

"You're right," Brianna said quietly, picking at her nails. "But at least out there, it's my choice. I don't have to worry about being sold or traded or passed around...the worst a vanilla guy can do is beat me or leave me. And at least if he beats me, I can call the cops."

Celia shrugged. "Sure, if he doesn't kill you." She knelt down, taking Brianna's hands. "If you really want to go back to a vanilla lifestyle, I won't stop you. But there's a reason I asked James to help you - him, specifically. And I think if you just gave it a chance--"

Footsteps pounded in the hall outside, and Celia stood up, pulling Brianna to her feet. Brianna started toward the door, but Celia held her back, tugging her toward the door near the fireplace.

"Come on - you need to hide, just in case." She opened the door and pushed Brianna through. "Lock it, and don't come out. James has a key."

Her fingers shaking, Brianna flipped the deadbolt shut, and then felt for the doorknob behind her, hoping James hadn't locked his side. The knob turned easily and she went through, closing and locking that door as well.

Leaning against the door, she squeezed her eyes shut as she listened. A loud thud followed by a familiar male shout in the other room made her twitch, and when Celia cried out, Brianna sank to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest.

James took the stairs as fast as he could, adrenaline shooting up as he heard a woman cry out. If that bastard hurt a hair on Brianna's head...

When he reached her room, the door was hanging open and Drew was standing over Celia where she lay on the floor clutching one hand. A quick glance around the room revealed no sign of Brianna.

"Get away from her," James growled, stalking into the room. "If you have any last requests, now's the time. I told you what would happen if I ever saw you again." He advanced on the shorter man, a sense of calm coming over him at the thought of finally giving this man a taste of the fear he'd given Brianna. Drew knew he was in trouble - James could see it in the other man's eyes. But that didn't keep him from running straight at James.

Too bad.

Easily catching the punch Drew threw in one hand, James led off with a wide hook that caught Drew square on the cheekbone, knocking him to the side and leaving him splayed face-down over the back of the couch. Grabbing his collar, James pulled him up, and then sent a hook up to connect with his chin, followed by a jab to the stomach as he opened his grip. Drew fell to the ground, his face a mask of pain and fury as he struggled back to his feet.

"That bitch is mine," he growled, holding his stomach. "I'm not leaving without her, and you can't stop me. I own her fair and square." He pulled a piece of paper from his jacket and held it out. "There's the contract she signed. Read it for yourself."

James took the folded sheet and tore it in half, letting it drop to the floor.

"You want her? You have to go through me first, and that ain't happening. As a matter of fact, I think it's time you learned what it's like to be a real slave, don't you?" He peered around Drew at Celia, who had moved to stand by the fireplace. She was holding one hand against her chest, her white suit jacket stained dark red.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, the fiery anger in her eyes reassuring.

"Know of anyone who might take this guy off our hands, maybe even out of the country?"

Celia hesitated for a moment, then nodded again. "Actually, I know just the person, though I wish I didn't." She pulled out her cell phone and punched in a few numbers, then held it up to her ear. "Raoul? I've got one for you. No, this one's on the house - a gift, if you will. You can pick him up at the club in an hour, if that works for you. Bring a few guys...he's a dense one." She hung up the phone, a mixture of distaste and irritation replacing the anger on her face.

"It's all set. Can you bundle him up for me?"

James nodded, advancing on the other man. Drew stepped back several feet, until his back hit the wall.

"What are you doing? What was that about?"

"This will only hurt for a minute," James said, drawing his fist back and hitting the man right between the eyes. Drew went down again, out cold this time, and James stretched his aching fingers.

"I'll tie him up. Go get Brianna. I want her to see this." He got a coil of rope from the nightstand and started binding Drew's wrists, glancing up to see Celia still standing in place. She cocked one eyebrow up at him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? She'll want to know what's happening - and I doubt she'll agree with your choice."

James moved to Drew's ankles. "She doesn't need to know the details. She needs to know that he isn't a threat anymore, that he won't be able to hurt her."

Celia shook her head. "You'll have to tell her. She won't trust you if you refuse - you know that."

Finished, James stood and walked over to look at her hand. "Those fingers are broken - you won't be wielding a whip anytime soon."

"I know." She met his expectant stare for a long moment before giving in. "Fine. She's in your bedroom. Don't be stupid, James."

He waved her off as he opened the first adjoining door. "You should know better, Celia. I've got this."

* * *

When she heard a key scrape in the lock, Brianna jumped to her feet. Heart pounding, she ran across the room and ducked down behind a large wing-back chair. Her head told her it could only be James, but what if Drew had taken the key? She couldn't stop trembling as the door opened slowly and someone stepped inside.

It was James. She knew it the moment his scent wafted past her nose. She'd rarely reacted to a man's scent before, but he always smelled warm and comforting.

Safe.

"Brianna?"

She stood up without speaking, waiting for him to look her way. When his eyes met hers, she automatically lowered her gaze. Realizing immediately what she'd done, she looked up again, forcing herself to hold that intense stare as he moved to stand in front of the chair. There was no censure on his face, only the hint of a smile playing at his lips, and...something else she couldn't quite name.

He held out his hand. "Come with me. I have something to show you."

She couldn't touch him. His energy already hummed just under her skin, enticing her, making her want what she suspected only he could give. She wanted to take what he offered, to let him banish the constant chill that wrapped her heart. He could, she was sure of it. But the price still gave her pause.

Sidling out from behind the chair, she pointedly ignored his hand. "What is it?" she asked, her voice far less steady than she'd prefer. When he reached for her again, she backed away.

"I can't."

He shook his head. "You won't." His narrowed look was a challenge, one she dared not take.

"Is Celia okay?"

He pointed toward the open connecting doors. "She's fine - see for yourself."

Brianna walked past him through the doors, only vaguely aware of him following. When she stepped out into her bedroom she gasped, her hands coming up to her cheeks as she backed up as quickly as she could.

Into his embrace.

His arms wrapped around her like a security blanket, and she accepted it gratefully as she stared at Andrew, lying on the floor with his wrists and ankles bound. It took a few seconds for the fact that his eyes were closed to sink in, but she was still apprehensive about being in the same room with her abuser.

In that moment, she realized that she trusted James with her life, as hard as she fought against it. Here, standing in the circle of his arms with her back pressed against him, she felt like nothing could touch her. Even shocked as she was at the sight of Drew, she could be strong with James there to support her.

He'd bound her to him without even trying, damn him.

A small noise drew her attention to the side, and Brianna turned her head to see Celia watching them, a sympathetic smile on her face. She stepped closer, and Brianna saw the damaged fingers, rushing to her side.

"Oh no...he did this?" She reached out to touch Celia's hand, then drew back, afraid she'd only cause more pain. "You need a doctor. I'm so sorry. It's my fault for being here. I..."

"Hush now," Celia said, patting Brianna's arm with her good hand. "I'll be good as new in a few weeks, you'll see. I'm just glad he won't be bothering you anymore." She looked over Brianna's shoulder at James. "I'll just find someone downstairs to come get him, if that's okay with you."