With the mutinous set of her jaw and the way she worried a strand of hair, he read her anxiety. Coming from someone so self-assured, the reaction shocked him. “There will be no questions.”
“It’s not that easy, Sir.”
“It is,” he countered.
“Maybe for someone who lives life like you do,” she countered.
He went still. She was walking a tightrope, between expressing her fears and pissing him off. Keeping his flash of frustration under control, he tightly asked, “What the hell does that mean?”
“Look, Sir, I didn’t mean to offend you. We don’t move in the same social circles. I love to scene with you, and I appreciate your coming to my barbecue, but a fundraiser at the Moline isn’t my thing.”
“Why not? Great food and expensive champagne, along with an excellent dancing companion.”
Even that didn’t elicit a smile from her.
“Most of it will be filled with boring and insipid conversation.”
“Which is exactly why I need you to go with me.”
“I don’t do pretentious anymore, Sir. Not that I ever did it well.” She slid from his lap and went to her own chair, putting some distance between them.
He chose his words with great care. “That sounds a bit defensive.”
“Does it? Maybe it is.”
Like she had earlier, she looped some strands of hair around a finger.
“I told you I moved up here about two years ago. It was after Reyes Northrup and I broke up.”
He whistled. Reyes’ father had made money—lots of it—in oil a long time ago. His trophy wife and kids lived high off the profits.
“His mother never pretended to like me.”
“Shawndra is a social climber and a bitch,” he said.
“You know her?”
“Well enough to know you can’t take her personally.”
“I don’t.” Brandy gave him a ghost of a smile. “She also cares about her kids.”
He wondered how many times she’d repeated those words to herself. “So, she’s a saint.”
“No. But she has always done what she thought was best for her family. I can’t fault her for that. Reyes is a sweet guy with a big heart.”
“Who can’t stand up to his mommy and has a hell of a drug problem.”
“That’s a bit harsh.”
“It’s the truth,” he countered. He had a lot of respect for people who earned their way in life, but none at all for guys who lived off their trust funds.
“I thought I could save him. Tried to, time and again. But when everything is magnified under the spotlight of the tabloid press, it makes it that much harder. That last night…”
“The Great Disaster?”
“You remembered.”
“I’ve told you. I remember everything about you.”
Brandy stood and began to pace. MW jumped up and nipped at her toes.
“Sit,” he told the pest.
The dog plopped down, though he continued to move his head, tracking her feet.
Patience wasn’t Niles’ normal forte, but for Brandy, he’d try.
“I arrived home from work around midnight and found Reyes unconscious in the shower. I called an ambulance, and I held his hand all the way to the hospital. His mother met us in the emergency room. She made it clear that she blamed me and my lifestyle for his problems.”
“Lifestyle?”
“She didn’t know I was a submissive or that Reyes liked to tie up women.”
“So…”
“I was working at a sports bar to help pay for college.”
“And the alcohol was a bad influence?”
“Waiting tables would have been scandalous enough, but it’s the type of place where the women wear white button-down shirts and ridiculously short kilts.”
“Do you still have it?”
“Pervert,” she said.
“Red-blooded male,” he corrected.
She gave him a wan smile and shook her head. But thankfully, the pain he’d witnessed on her face had been wiped away.
“He was there for a bachelor party. He was flirting with me. At the end of the night, his friends decided to go to Central City to play some craps, but he said he was too drunk to go with them. So I took him home—to my place. It wasn’t until much later that I realised he’d been doing something stronger than shots. Sorry. Am I boring you?”
“Not at all.”
“I can—”
“Go on,” he told her in the no-nonsense tone that he reserved for business negotiations.
“The next day we went to pick up his car. He was apologetic, wanted to thank me and make it up to me, so he took me to dinner. Despite the differences in our backgrounds, I convinced myself that we could make it work, that my love would help him get better, see how much brighter life could be. Before long, we fell into a pattern. He’d get arrested or messed up, and I’d rescue him. He’d be remorseful and promise never to do it again.”
“But he always did,” Niles surmised.
She took a seat, perching on the edge. “He took me to a family dinner, and when his mom asked what I did for a living, I told her.” She smiled. “It was like a scene from a movie. His younger sister knew of the place. His mother put down her fork and pushed away her plate. His dad raised his eyebrows and said he’d been there once or twice. She told me to my face that I wasn’t good enough for her son. And she asked him why he insisted on dating a trollop. To make the story shorter, we didn’t stay for dessert.”
“That was the night of the overdose?”
“No. We continued to see each other after that, but we avoided his family, something else she blamed me for—taking away her son.”
“She wasn’t good at accepting reality,” Niles observed.
“Anyway, in the emergency room, she called security and had me escorted out. She was next of kin.” Brandy shrugged. “There was nothing I could do. I telephoned for updates, but she’d forbidden the nurses to answer my questions. When he called me the next day, he was, as always, sorry for what had happened, but said he was tired of fighting with his mother and he hoped I understood.”
Even though she had the distance of years, he still saw confusion in her eyes.
“Last I heard through mutual friends, he’s headed to rehab on the West Coast before he marries a hotel heiress.”
“Not everyone is like the Northrups,” he said.
“Of course not. You’re not. Neither is Master Damien.”
“If you’ll go with me, I promise to stay by your side.”
“That’s not a factor for me. I can take care of myself, Sir. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”
“And doing a great job of it. I know I’m being selfish by asking you to go with me, but with you there, I might enjoy the function. And…” He decided to use every tactic in his arsenal. “Since you like taking care of others, you can tell yourself you’re doing a friend a favour. In fact, at the grocery store, you told me you’d owe me a favour if I manned the barbecue.”
She scowled.
“Pay up,” he countered. “Unless you want to earn a reputation as someone who reneges on her word?”
“That’s unfair, Sir.”
“I play to win. You already know that.” He smiled in what he hoped was a charming way. “And I want you to go with me.”
“Do any rules apply to you, Sir?”
“None.”
She exhaled.
“At least think about it.”
“Sir…”
“Please?”
Brandy closed her eyes. “You’re relentless.”
“When I want something, I get it.”
“I haven’t agreed to go with you.”
“You will. I’ll even buy you breakfast as a way to sweeten the deal.”
“What?”
“John told me his pecan waffles have been rated amongst the top in the state.”
“It’s probably not what you’re expecting. It’s more of a diner than a restaurant. I can make us some eggs here.”
“Are you calling me a snob again, Brandy? You might want to watch your words. You’re starting to annoy me.”
“I—”
“Do you have fishnet stockings?”
“I do. But if I wear them, my legs will get cold.”
At least she was no longer arguing about going out to eat. “Did I ask if you’d be comfortable?”
She shifted then lowered her eyes. “No, Sir.”
“You’ve got five minutes to get ready to go.” When she didn’t immediately move, he said, “That’s it. Get your clothes off and lie across my lap.”
“What?”
He levelled his gaze on her. “Do I need to repeat myself?”
Slowly she stood.
She stripped off her top and dropped it on the chair behind her.
“Bra,” he said. Breath constricted in his throat. This woman. He wondered what the hell was wrong with him. The more he had her, the more he wanted. This kind of attraction had never happened for him before. He felt as if he’d combust if he didn’t touch her, taste her, possess her.
She unclasped the lingerie and shrugged from it. The cool air puckered her nipples. He was mesmerised. “I think we should have a bonfire where we burn all your brassieres.”
“If you say so, Sir.”
A sensual undertone made her voice husky and it laced straight through him.
She removed the yoga pants with the finesse of an exotic dancer.
“Torture,” he said.
It took an agonising amount of time for her to finish undressing.
“Let me look at you,” he said.
Goosebumps had formed on her flesh. Despite that, she widened her stance and placed her hands behind her neck then arched her back to thrust out her breasts.
“You’re sensational,” he told her. He made a circle with his forefinger, and she complied with the unspoken order, turning her back towards him.
Perfectly reading his mind, she grabbed her ankles. Her rear bore no traces of their night together. “Come to me.”
She rose then pivoted before sauntering towards him in a purposeful and provocative way.
Instead of casting her gaze down, she met his eyes.
“Do you have any idea how much power you hold over me?” As he asked the question, he realised even he had no idea.
Brandy draped herself across his lap and adjusted herself, each time tilting up her ass higher and higher. No doubt she was hoping to drive him crazy. It was working.
“Enough,” he snapped, the word sounding like a growl.
Dana made an odd sound and tilted her head. MW dashed over to see what was going on. Even Whisper slinked onto the patio from beneath a bush.
“Go away,” she told the animals.
None of them obeyed her.
“Now,” he snapped.
They all moved back.
“You’re going to have to share your tricks with me,” she said.
“Just glad it works on you as well as them,” he replied.
He rubbed her butt cheeks until she made sounds of pleasure.
“Oh, Sir.”
Mindful of the chill in the air, he brought his hand down across her ass half a dozen times in quick succession. She remained in place, and her sounds became soft whimpers. She adjusted herself in order to rub against his thigh. “Getting turned on?”
“Yes.” The word was forced out past a gasp.
He liked having her here, in his arms, their bodies intimately connected through trust. After another few spanks to remind them both of the natural order of things, he helped her to sit up.
She curled into him, her glorious hair spilling across his chest. He held her tight and rubbed her arms and legs.
“You can get almost anything from me when you do that,” she said. She tilted her head to look back at him.
She smiled in a way so enchanting he’d happily wrap up the universe for her.
“Especially if you were to give me an orgasm, Sir.”
“No chance. I want you aroused through breakfast.”
“I will be,” she assured him.
Which meant she would go with him. He brushed hair back from her face so he could look at her expression.
“You know how to touch me, Sir.”
“If I had my choice, Brandy, I’d never stop.” Still holding her, he stood and walked towards the house.
“Put me down, Sir! You can’t carry me all the way inside.”
“Actually, I believe I can.”
The dogs leapt up and barked as they trailed behind. The cat twitched its ragged ear and flicked its tail in disinterest.
Brandy giggled as she reached for the doorknob and pushed open the back door. “In the movies, it’s not quite this complicated,” she said.
Once the dogs were inside, he kicked the door closed and continued through the house to the bedroom where he deposited her on the edge of the mattress.
“About those fishnet stockings…”
Chapter Six
“Stay there,” Master Niles said as he parked the sports utility vehicle near Margot and John’s restaurant.
Brandy had been reaching for the door handle but dropped her hand. If he wanted to treat her like royalty, who was she to complain?
She watched him walk around the hood, the sun making streaks of gold appear in his dark brown hair. The heated leather seats were a luxury she could get accustomed to in no time. She’d worn the stockings he’d wanted, and she wasn’t at all chilled.
He opened her door and offered his hand as she exited. She slid her palm against his, feeling his strength. Damn. The man was so sexy and thoughtful.
“Maybe we should have had sex before we left,” he said against her ear, his voice gruff. “I’m not sure how I’ll get through the meal.”
A sensual thrill uncurled in her pussy. He made her feel vibrant and sexy.
He kept his fingers against the small of her back as they entered the diner. From the cash register area, Margot waved, her eyes wide.
“Have a seat anywhere,” she said.
Not that there were many choices. Even though it was early, the place was almost packed.
They selected the last table near a window, and he held her chair while she was seated.
A harried-looking waitress came over, a coffee carafe already in hand. “Something to drink besides coffee? Orange juice?”
“Coffee would be great,” Brandy said. “I didn’t have enough before I was hurried out the door.”
Master Niles turned over the mugs that were already on the table. The waitress filled both.
“I’ll be back for your orders.”
He took a sip but didn’t look at the menu. Instead, he regarded her with his usual intensity. Despite her best efforts, she squirmed. Everything about him made her hyperaware of being female and submissive.
It stunned her how well he fitted in with her life. She’d been crazy in love with Reyes, and they’d lived together for a time in his exclusive Cherry Creek town home. She’d never felt comfortable there. It had been as if she were a little girl playing house. In retrospect, Reyes hadn’t done anything to make her feel more secure. When she’d pointed out the differences in their lifestyles, he’d told her to get over herself. And when his mother had stopped by unexpectedly one day, finding Brandy on her knees and all but naked, she’d said it was a good thing Brandy knew her place.