Crime & Punishment 2: Master Delacroix (21 page)

“Connelly—”

“Don’t,” she said as she held her palm out. “You’ve been playing me this whole time. If you can truly read me, then you knew I was attracted to you, and you played off that, taking advantage.”

He frowned. “I did not take advantage.”

“What do you call it, then? You probably knew what I wanted before I even did. Is that why you initially invited me to the club, because you could sense my desire to be spanked?”

“I could sense it, yes, but—”

“As you would say, no buts. I don’t want to hear it. If connecting with Lenox would be bad for you, then don’t do it. Stay here where it’s safe. Read what you want into that. At the moment, I’m too pissed to care. And from now on,” she snapped as she stalked back toward the door, “stay out of my head.”

“It’s not that easy, pet,” Nathan said quietly as he watched her walk away from him.

CONNELLY STOMPED INTO the kitchen and glared at the two curious men watching her. “Can you read minds too?” she asked Daniel.

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

“Good,” she grumbled and pulled out a bar stool so she could sit down. She suddenly felt very drained.

“So he told you,” Daniel said.

“Considering Josh suggested he do so, my guess is he didn’t have much of a choice. If you hadn’t said anything, do you think he would’ve told me?” she asked Josh.

“He would’ve eventually. He was probably just trying to avoid this very reaction. People don’t handle the news well. The thought that someone can read them that easily can sometimes cause tension. Our father is a prime example.”

Connelly leaned forward and squeezed her temples between her thumb and forefinger. “What do you mean about your father?” she asked.

“Nathan can read Dad like he can you, and let’s just say the news wasn’t exactly welcomed. He makes Dad uncomfortable, which has caused a lot of tension between the two of them.”

Connelly closed her eyes and sighed. She hadn’t handled it very well either. Now that she’d calmed down some, she realized he hadn’t really done any harm, and most of the time at the club, he’d made her say what she wanted out loud. She remembered his comment that first night about how nice she looked and how she shouldn’t be concerned. He’d picked up on her insecurities and tried to make her feel better about herself.

If he could really do this, it wasn’t such a bad thing. True, she would never be able to hide anything from him, but what would she want to hide? It might actually be nice for a man to know her every desire without her having to ask for it. Unless, of course, he made her ask, which also wasn’t such a bad thing.

She dropped her hands on the island and stared out the kitchen window. For the first time, she noticed the spices that filled the kitchen, and she inhaled deeper before turning to see what Daniel and Josh were doing.

“That smells wonderful. What’s for lunch?” she asked.

“Spaghetti,” Josh replied.

“So who’s the cook?” she asked as she watched the two of them move around the large room.

They both pointed at the other. Connelly snickered. “It must be questionable if the two of you are each trying to blame the other.”

The two men laughed but didn’t elaborate. She glanced out the window again. “Maybe I should go talk to Nathan again.”

She saw Daniel glance at her over his shoulder as he pulled a block of cheese out of the fridge. “Nathan has good intentions, Connelly. He can’t help what he was born with.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I’ve never heard of anyone who could do what he does. I always thought that sort of thing was a myth.”

Josh set a loaf of French bread on the island and then rummaged through a drawer for a knife. “I’ve worked with a lot of psychics. Nathan’s good, but there are others out there who can do even more than he can.”

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “More? Really?”

Josh examined a knife he pulled from the drawer. Once satisfied, he shut the drawer and pulled the loaf closer to him. “Oh, yeah. You’d be surprised what’s out there.”

“Probably so,” she mumbled. “I’m also surprised at how well you seem to know this kitchen.”

Josh smiled softly. “Nathan used to stay here before he got his own place. That was back when he worked for the FBI. We’ve also used it a few times as a safe house. Having a private elevator with only one way in or out makes it a pretty good one.”

“Doesn’t your dad ever stay here?” she asked Daniel.

“When he’s in Atlanta, he does, but he doesn’t come here much anymore. Dad’s just never gotten around to selling it. He was waiting on the real estate market to climb back, I think.”

She looked up at the ceiling and wondered what Nathan was doing up there. Was he mad? Was he upset? Did he understand her messed-up emotions any better than she did?

“Might as well get this over with,” she grumbled and climbed off the stool.

“He won’t bite,” Daniel called.

She snorted. “Shows what you know.”

Her sarcastic tone got a grin from Daniel. What was she saying? Of course he knew. They were twins who sometimes shared women. If anyone knew whether Nathan bit or not, it would be Daniel. At least in a sexual sense.

She climbed the stairs and opened the door to the roof. At first, she didn’t see him, then spotted his hard-to-miss form partially hidden by the shade of the wisteria-covered portico.

Chapter Twenty-One

Nathan sensed her the second she stepped out the door, but he remained where he was. He wouldn’t rush or push her. He let her come to him in her own time.

“I think I owe you an apology,” she said from behind him.

Nathan turned and leaned his lower back against the wrought-iron railing that circled the roof deck. “You don’t owe me anything, Connelly.”

“Yes, I do. I wasn’t sure I believed you and jumped to the wrong conclusions. I don’t believe you took advantage of me. You didn’t do anything to me I…” She twisted her lips as a blush moved over her cheeks. “That I didn’t want you to do.”

“I’ll admit my ability sometimes gives me an advantage when it comes to seducing women, but I would never make a woman do something I could feel she really didn’t want to.”

She wrapped her arms around her ribs. “I know.” She smiled slightly. “I would imagine your gift has a downside as well. It’s probably great to know when a woman wants you. Probably not so great to know she doesn’t.”

One side of his lips quirked into a sideways grin. “I never have to worry about being turned down. I only ask the ones I know will say yes. Although with you, I wasn’t quite sure you were going to. I could sense you wanted to experiment, but there was something inside you, holding you back.”

She glanced at the tile-covered floor and kicked at a leaf that had blown onto the roof. “Yeah, that’s my internal chicken. She sticks her head out from time to time and pecks until she gets my attention.”

Nathan chuckled.

“Daniel said lunch would be ready soon if you’re hungry.”

“Starving actually. What’s he cooking?”

“Spaghetti.”

Nathan gave a nod. “Daniel’s a good cook. Me, not so much. I got the psychic ability; he got the talent in the kitchen.”

“And the two of you split the talent in the bedroom.” She bit her lip, shocked she’d actually said that out loud.

“Don’t tell Daniel that. It will go straight to his head.”

Connelly snorted. “Like it didn’t yours.”

She watched breathlessly as Nathan walked toward her. Part of her wanted to run to him, let him wrap her in his arms. Another part wanted to run away. He was so handsome, so sexy, and so…out of her league. She’d planned to never go back to the club, to move on, but now here she was, sharing a bedroom with him in a condo that even her best-seller-list status couldn’t afford.

She felt dowdy when she stood this close to him, like a mutt sniffing around a purebred poodle. She would never go after a man like him under normal circumstances.

He lifted her chin with the crook of his finger, and she could feel the heat of a blush moving over her cheeks. She really needed to guard her thoughts around him. He tilted his head, studying her, making her feel incredibly exposed. She swallowed and fought the desire to jerk her face away. She couldn’t stop staring at his eyes and the sweet promise of passion that sparked in their depths. He dipped his head and brushed his lips softly across her, causing goose bumps to cover her skin. It was a touch so different from his usual dominating, toe-curling, devouring kiss.

He stepped back and took her hand in his, pulling her with him as he walked back into the apartment. Connelly followed without questions. He’d put a spell on her all right. She just hoped she survived the aftermath.

* * * *

Connelly stared at the last page of her manuscript and rolled her shoulders as she tried to figure out where to go from here. Her characters weren’t talking to her. It had to be all the crazy crap happening in her life right now. There were just too many things going on in her head. She couldn’t think straight, much less listen to her characters.

With a sigh, she reached up and rubbed her left shoulder, which had begun to tingle and go numb. She’d sat too long. She needed to get up and move around a bit.

Someone moved her hand away and began to knead her aching muscles. Connelly sighed and closed her eyes, not really caring at the moment which one it was; she just didn’t want them to stop.

“That feels nice,” she said as the blood began to flow through her stiff shoulders.

“How’s the story coming?” Nathan asked.

“I think I’m stuck.”

“Do you want to talk it out?” he asked softly as his fingers continued to make her feel relaxed.

Peter often helped when she needed to talk out a plotline. Unfortunately Peter was halfway around the world…literally.

“No,” she sighed. “I think I just need to take a break. If I try to force it, the whole thing will suck.”

Nathan chuckled softly. “Eccentric writers.”

“Hey, I resemble that remark.” She shrugged as his hands moved down her upper arms, then back to her shoulders and upper back. “I miss my chair and desk.”

“You could try the office if you want,” Nathan said.

Connelly tilted her head to the side, allowing him to get closer to the sore spot on the side of her neck. “I went in there, but it just felt weird. There were a lot of legal files lying around, and I felt like I was invading Daniel’s privacy. That’s his space, and I know how I would feel about someone taking over my desk.”

“Territorial, I see,” he murmured, but Connelly didn’t miss the hint of amusement in his deep voice.

She smiled softly. “Yeah, I guess I am. How do you and your brother do it?”

“Do what, sweetheart?”

“Share women. Don’t you ever get jealous?”

He was silent for a moment, and she wondered what he was thinking.

“It’s a Dom’s job to satisfy his sub’s curiosity or her desires. If she wants a ménage, then the Dom should make it happen. If it pleases her, it should please him.”

“You said should.”

He snickered. “Caught that, did ya? Some Doms will not share no matter what. They don’t like seeing other men touch what’s theirs.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I haven’t had any problems sharing before, but…”

She tried to glance at him over her shoulder, but he kept her exactly where he wanted her with his hands firmly on her shoulders. “But?”

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I think I’m just getting old and set in my ways.”

Connelly snorted. “Old, my ass. What if I wanted to share all three of you?” she asked, curious as to how he would answer.

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d thought about that since she’d been here. Three men, all zoned in on her and her needs, fulfilling every dirty little fantasy she’d ever had. To her, it was nothing short of heaven.

He tugged her hair, forcing her head back so he could look into her eyes. “Three at once, pet? Are you sure about that? You have trouble taking me sometimes. Daniel and Josh are both just as big. ”

“Oh, I think I could force myself.”

His lips twitched. “Famous last words.”

“You haven’t answered my question, though. Would you be okay with it?”

He didn’t say anything at first; then one side of his lips lifted into an adorably sexy grin. “If that is what my sexy little subbie wants, then I’ll make it happen.” He pulled harder, forcing her head back more, and she winced. “But only this once.”

The hard, very serious tone of his voice made her shiver.

“Are we clear on that, pet?” he asked in that same dark tone.

She swallowed. “Yes, Master.”

* * * *

Connelly stepped hesitantly into the living room later that evening after dinner. Daniel searched Pandora for music. Josh lit a few candles, casting the room in a soft glow. Nathan sat in a leather chair by the television. Nothing else had been said about her desire for a foursome. Had he changed his mind?

She had several times throughout the afternoon. She jumped from excitement, to fear, to anxiety, to curiosity, to flat-out lust. All of them were handsome. All of them were sexy. All of them together would definitely be a wild ride. But did Nathan have a point? She did have trouble taking him at first. What would it be like to have two of his size inside her at once? Would it be too much? Or would it be incredible?

Only one way to find out, in her mind, but she wasn’t all that sure she could initiate it. Yep, she was a chicken.

Was this a stupid idea? Should she have even mentioned it? After all, she’d only thought about it a few times, and it wasn’t that Nathan wasn’t enough. Hell, at times he was too much. She was just curious, and thinking about it had her incredibly hot. Did wanting something like that make her a slut?

Nathan snorted and crooked his finger. Connelly swallowed but walked forward, despite the fact she wanted to run. He’d done it again. Read her thoughts.

“You overthink things too much, pet,” he murmured.

Her whole body tingled. Pet. He called her pet when he was in Dom mode.

“I would ask how you know what I’m thinking, but that comment is moot.”