Dangerous (The Complete Erotic Romance Novel) (40 page)

Reid unlocked his car and Rex gave Miss Jones her car keys. Rex then opened the door on the shipping dock.

“Rex will be touring the plant tomorrow, and seeing how best Esperanza can serve his needs,” Reid said to Miss Jones. “You will take care of everything.”

“Yes, sir.” She hesitated for a moment, then deliberately bit her lip.

“A question?”

“Will you be in tomorrow, sir?” Her heart was in her eyes, but Reid didn’t want to give her false encouragement.

“No. I leave it all up to you.” He nodded at Rex, who got into the passenger seat of his car.

“Are you angry with me, sir?”

“I’m teaching you, Miss Jones, that your needs come after my own.”

“Yes, sir.”

Her expression was so crestfallen that he couldn’t resist her.

“And I have a dinner party to arrange for tomorrow night.”

She looked up at that, hope lighting her eyes. “I was hoping you’d take me home in the trunk of your car tonight,” she said with a smile.

“You have to earn a kidnapping, Miss Jones.”

“I thought I only had to earn a collar.”

The words were like a punch to his gut. After spending time with Alana’s belongings, after recalling exactly how everything had gone wrong and why, the last thing Reid ever wanted to do was place a collar around a woman’s neck. That had been the beginning of the end of his marriage.

He couldn’t even think about losing Miss Jones.

“I told you before, you won’t ever wear a collar,” he said, keeping his tone hard. She looked so disappointed that he felt unreasonable and cruel.

But wasn’t it more cruel to let her hold false expectations?

He got into his car and started the engine. He had to leave before he claimed the kiss Miss Jones was so willing to give.

* * *

Kendra was disappointed and hurt but by the time she got back to her apartment, she thought she understood his reactions.

Reid was grim because she was getting to him.

That had to be it.

She must not be the only one who felt that their relationship was moving beyond the bounds of both the contract and his expectation. He wasn’t a man who liked surprises, or things proceeding against plans. Kendra knew that.

Which was why he was so grim.

He didn’t like that Ethan had seen them. He might be angry because he hadn’t anticipated that eventuality, and saw it as a failure on his part.

A failure to ensure her welfare.

The more she thought about it, the more confident Kendra became in her assessment. Reid couldn’t leave her alone when they were together. He hadn’t come into work to avoid being tempted by her. He’s lost control in spanking her, trying to punish her for distracting him as much as she did. He was systematically trying to fulfill her fantasies, even though he hadn’t looked as if he was enjoying the fact that Rex had joined their game.

He’d had to leave the restaurant, after all.

And he was arranging a dinner party, probably one that would exactly echo the fantasy she’d confessed to him.

Which meant that his emotions were involved, maybe even as much as Kendra’s were. The heat between them could only build hotter. Kendra had despaired of the future too soon. She had to trust in her own power in this relationship, and in the way they complemented each other. She would keep tempting him and remain open to him, and gradually, she’d overwhelm his resistance.

The idea was thrilling.

What would happen if Reid totally let loose? Kendra wanted to know.

Back in her room, she had a careful look through her things. She couldn’t find any evidence that he had left or taken anything—even though her dresser drawer was a little more organized than was typical.

What had he been doing in the apartment?

Should she ask him?

Kendra couldn’t decide. She slept, much to her own surprise, exhausted by her adventures of the night.

The next morning, she dressed for work with care. Despite Reid’s words, she wasn’t at all convinced that he wouldn’t show up during the day. The super was going to change the locks during the day, since Jade had requested as much, and she’d have to stop by the super’s office when she got home to get new keys.

Should she get a set for Reid?

She’d have to ask him.

Kendra was at her desk early, working away, her mood happy and efficient. There were questions from some of the buyers already, and she did her best to answer them. Jimmy had created the first mock-up of the website and she had to review it with him before it was presented to Reid. Rex was coming in to see the shop and she had a display prepared for him. She was feeling purposeful, confident and optimistic.

Until she saw Ethan.

He glared at her from the shipping dock, and she spun around to return to the office. She tried to avoid him, but every time she turned around, it seemed he was there.

Staring at her.

Marianne and Ginger started to tease her about it, but Kendra didn’t find it amusing. Rex came in at ten and Kendra gave him the tour, well aware that Ethan watched them openly. The ladies giggled and teased Kendra about Rex. The way she blushed only convinced them that she was attracted to him.

Not that she’d sucked him off already and might be given to him this very night for his pleasure.

Kendra was a little skittish at the prospect of their evening together.

Reid never did show up, although she didn’t stop looking for him. Kendra consoled herself with the prospect of their dinner plans. Rex was charming and composed, but that didn’t affect Kendra’s impatience for the day to end.

She wanted to see Reid.

She wanted to be claimed by Reid.

She wanted permission to come, and Reid’s hands on her.

All night long.

Rex finally left the office at four, charming all of the women with his thanks and complements. There was no sign of Ethan, and Kendra dared to hope that he’d given it up. She went to Jimmy’s office and spent more than an hour with him working on the website. It was after five when she went back into the front office. Marianne and Ginger were gone and the back of the shop was quiet.

She breathed a sigh of relief. There would be no questions and she could hurry home, to wait for Reid’s instructions. Kendra turned the corner and found Ethan sitting on the corner of her desk.

The bottom drawer of her desk was open and her purse was on Ethan’s lap, instead of in the drawer where it belonged.

He was poking through its contents, as if he had every right to do so.

“Hey!” Kendra protested, then Ethan gave her a hot look that stopped her in her tracks.

“I thought I couldn’t have seen what I did. I thought I had to be wrong,” he said, then tugged her purse open. “But look at all this stuff! You’re ready to be tied up at a moment’s notice.”

Kendra drew herself up to her full height and marched across the office. She refused to notice how Ethan’s gaze dropped from her face, to the front of her blouse, to her shoes. “You shouldn’t be looking in my purse or my desk,” she said, taking the purse from him and dropping it back in her bottom drawer where it belonged. She kicked the drawer shut. “Don’t you have to leave now?”

“How could you
do
that?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“How could you let him do that to you?” Ethan didn’t move, his gaze challenging.

Kendra thought he had some nerve. “What makes you think I owe you any kind of explanation for anything? We just work in the same place.”

His lips tightened. “It’s more than that.”

“It’s not more than that.”

Ethan gestured to Reid’s office. “I can’t believe you’d let him make you...”

“He doesn’t
make
me.” Kendra defended Reid before she thought about it.

Ethan stood up slowly, his gaze fixed on her face. He was clearly incredulous. “He doesn’t make you because you
let
him,” he said under his breath, then shook his head when she didn’t reply. “Why? What do you think you’re going to get out of it?”

“It’s really not your business, Ethan.” Kendra turned to get her coat. “Just leave it.”

“But I’m worried about you!”

“Don’t be. I can take care of myself.”

“Right! By letting our new boss tie you up? What does he do after that?”

“It’s not your business!”

Ethan seized her elbow. “Kendra, I like you. I’m worried about you. That’s not crazy.”

Kendra gave him a cool look. “Are you suggesting that I’m crazy?”

Ethan shoved his hand through his hair, which left him looking young and disheveled. “Kendra, this is nuts. Letting him do this to you is nuts. Just because he’s your boss doesn’t mean he can do whatever he wants.” He looked at her and probably saw her anger. “What do you know about him?”

“As much as I know about anybody here.” Kendra pulled open the drawer again and grabbed her purse. She started for the door, her keys in her hand.

“Less!” Ethan argued. “And how do you think this is going to end? Happily ever after?”

“I told you it’s not your business.”

Ethan ran after her. “You can’t be expecting him to marry you. You’re not stupid, Kendra.”

“Well, thanks for that.” Kendra tugged on her coat as she walked, wondering where she was going for dinner and when. She was more interested in that than anything Ethan might have to say. “Are you done? Because I have to go.”

“You’re meeting him, aren’t you? He’s going to tie you up and then what? Fuck you?”

Kendra marched toward the back door, her temper simmering.

“You’re letting him use you, Kendra!” Ethan shouted. “He’s taking advantage of you. You’re not stupid, so why are you acting like you are?”

That was it. Kendra spun to face Ethan, just wanting to shut him up. “Because I
like
it!” she shouted back.

She wished she could take back the words when he paled.

“Holy shit,” he whispered, but Kendra was striding through the plant, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible.

She’d blurted out things she should never have said aloud before, but this had to be the worst. At least she had until the next day to figure out what to say to make it better.

If there was anything she could say to make this better.

She was in the car when her phone rang and she was relieved that it was Reid. Should she tell him what had happened?

He gave her no choice. As soon as she answered, he gave her an intersection, a time and a license plate number.

Then he hung up.

Kendra was still shaking with anger and frustration.

She watched Ethan come out of Esperanza. He flicked a glance at her and shook his head, then turned back to lock the door. Kendra drove away before he could get any bright ideas about talking to her again.

Dinner. She was going to dinner with Rex and Reid. Reid was going to make one of her fantasies come true.

That had to mean he cared about her.

It had to mean that Ethan’s concerns were wrong.

* * *

Reid paced the living room of his new house, annoyed with himself and his situation.

A toy was supposed to be a relief, not a distraction. A toy was supposed to be used and forgotten, a convenience and a disposable one at that. A toy was to be used for physical satisfaction and nothing more, a means to keep his body content and his mind focused.

A toy was not supposed to haunt his thoughts and keep him awake nights. A toy was not supposed to become an obsession, much less fill his mind with possibilities that went far beyond what was probable.

Or even reasonable.

But Kendra Jones didn’t play by the rules.

Reid wondered why he was surprised by that.

She defied expectation in every possible way.

What would she do tonight? How would he resist her? How would he be able to watch Rex possess her, if the other man won the toss?

The house was in good shape, and he could smell the aroma of dinner. Everything was prepared, but he was jittery as he seldom was.

He didn’t want to do this.

He didn’t want Rex to pick up Miss Jones.

He didn’t want to share.

When the door bell rang, Reid jumped in surprise. He told himself he was ready for anything, but he wasn’t ready for Jackson’s announcement.

“It’s the police, sir. They’d like to have a word with you.”

“This must be about the car,” Reid said with relief. It was good to have a mundane issue resolved. “They must have found it.”

The police
had
found the car, and so much more.

Dinner was going to have to wait.

* * *

Kendra couldn’t believe that she was doing this.

But she was striding down the street after work, wearing her fave tall boots, a raincoat and not much else. Just as Reid had promised, a dark luxury sedan pulled past her and stopped at the corner, its engine idling. Its windows were tinted very dark.