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He pulled out a chair and sat down with them, claiming a
pair of chopsticks and commandeering some of Charlie’s noodles. “My favorite,”
he said, his voice a low growl and his eyes dancing with devilry.

Louise was staring at him, her lips parted.

But then, Zeke had that effect on pretty much all women, and
more than a few men.

Charlie did introductions, seeing the subtle signs that his
old friend was attracted to Louise.

“You’re the one who wants the tattoo,” Zeke said, cutting
right to the chase in characteristic fashion.

“Yes. Charlie’s tattoos are so awesome...”

“They are.”

Charlie smiled into his noodles. Zeke had no lack of
confidence.

Louise blinked. “Well, I’d be honored to wear your art.”

“And you’d pay for it, too.” Zeke stole another bite. “Fuck,
this is good.” He turned and waved to the waitress. “Can you bring another
order of that, please? I’m going to eat all of his dinner.”

She smiled and nodded, scurrying away to place the order.

“Well?” Louise prompted.

Zeke shrugged. “No.”

Louise’s face fell. She turned away and put down her
chopsticks, her earlier mood reclaiming her too easily. “Thanks for dinner,
Charlie. I should get home.”

Charlie reached out and put his hand on her arm, stopping
her. “Why not?” he said to Zeke.

“Amanda says she wasn’t a member.”

“But she did the sculpture show. She’d applied.”

Zeke looked up. “Amanda said Rex nixed her application.
Twice.”

“It’s okay, Charlie,” Louise said, clearly fighting against
her tears. He hadn’t expected her to be so emotional, but he realized she had
been really low. He couldn’t stand when women were vulnerable, and he had to
fix this.

“What if she proves it to you?” he suggested.

Zeke glanced up, intrigued. His gaze flicked to Louise and
back to Charlie again, and Charlie recognized the attraction that his old
friend was trying to hide. “How?”

He turned on the pitch, confident he could make the sale.

“Plume-style,” Charlie said in a tone that allowed no
argument.

Zeke sat up straighter.

Louise swallowed, her eyes wide.

Charlie knew he had them both. “You know what the real
problem is? Louise here snuck into the Plume after her application was
declined.”

“No shit,” Zeke said, really looking at her.

Louise blushed a bit. “I wanted it.”

Zeke started to smile.

“She tricked Amanda and Amanda doesn’t forget shit like
that.”

“No, she doesn’t.” Zeke was studying Louise as if he
couldn’t look away. Louise was staring back at him, some serious energy between
them.

Charlie felt like fucking Cupid.

He leaned an elbow on the table and dropped his voice. “She
got caught.” Zeke looked at him in surprise. The waitress put another steaming
bowl of noodles on the table, but nobody else seemed to notice. “She got
punished,” Charlie added.

“How?”

“Athena gave her to four guards for the night.”

Zeke’s eyes widened with interest.

“They tied her down to the wheel and took turns at it.”

Louise sighed. “Then they threw me out,” she said with such
obvious disappointment that Charlie couldn’t have planned it better himself.

Zeke leaned toward her. “You liked it?”

“I
loved
it,” Louise
affirmed.

Zeke swallowed visibly. He made to take some more noodles,
then threw his chopsticks down. “You want to trade a night of captivity for the
tattoo?” he asked, the words falling over themselves in his excitement.

“With who?” Louise asked, lifting her chin with the spunk
Charlie remembered so well.

“Me.” Zeke was sitting straight, his eyes blazing like he
was lit from within.

Louise smiled with newfound confidence. She picked up her
chopsticks and took some noodles, her expression coy when she glanced at Zeke.
“Shit,” she said softly. “I’d have made it two nights for that tattoo, but if
one’s good enough for you, I guess that’ll be all right, too.”

Zeke caught his breath so hard that Charlie almost laughed
out loud.

“Tonight,” he said.

“Okay,” Louise agreed. Her eyes sparkled. “Master.”

“Now.” Zeke seized her wrist and hauled her to her feet so
that she fell against him. He smiled, then bent and kissed her slowly. When he
lifted his head, Louise stared at him like he’d invented kissing.

Then the pair of them were gone.

To live happily fucking ever after.

Charlie surveyed the remaining food, then beckoned to the
waitress. If he was paying for it, he might as well take it. “Family emergency,”
he said to her with a smile. “Can I get this to go?”

* * *

Monday was a horribly boring day at work. Joanna didn’t want
to be pathetic, but the office was far less interesting without seeing Mike, or
even having any hope of seeing Mike. She realized she’d been floating through
her days, lost in a haze of desire, and that he might just be right about her
job.

Still, she couldn’t just pick up and leave everything. The
fact that they’d just come so close to having their relationship dissolve
didn’t exactly inspire her confidence to move across the country with Mike and
know only him.

She fiddled around in the apartment that night, organizing
but not really getting a lot done. Louise was out, so she had no one to
distract her from her swirling thoughts. She was restless and wished Mike
hadn’t had that call. His cell phone was busy, which told her the call was
taking longer than he’d expected. She even turned on some music, hoping the
mellow sound would soothe her nerves. No luck.

By midnight, Joanna knew she wouldn’t sleep, so she treated
herself to a long hot shower. She stood under the torrent of water and made
mental lists. What was great about being with Mike. Why she loved Mike. What
she wanted from their relationship. How she could balance his needs with her
own.

The thing was that she still had the fantasy of being
shared. She just didn’t like when it had been someone else—like Mike’s
friend Eric—who had possessed her. When she thought about it that way,
Joanna felt silly. How could she need some game to be sexually satisfied and a
good partner to Mike?

She was being irrational. She had so much, but she wanted it
in a little bit different way or not at all. That was stupid, and Joanna wasn’t
stupid.

Joanna got out of the shower with impatience and dried
herself off with quick gestures. She had to get to bed, even though she doubted
she’d sleep. Louise must have chosen to stay out for the night. She hauled on a
silk kimono, then turned out the lights in the apartment and flicked off the
music. She strode into her bedroom, more annoyed with herself than she might
have believed possible, and slammed the door behind herself.

She was grabbed from behind, a leather-clad hand clapping
over her mouth as the intruder’s other arm locked around her waist, pinning her
arms to her sides.

He’d been hiding behind the door to her bedroom.

Joanna’s heart leapt and she stared at their reflection in
the mirror. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans, with a black
leather balaclava and black leather gloves. He was taller than her, the breadth
of his shoulders and the strength of his body familiar. The hood had holes for
his eyes and she could see them glinting. There was also a hole for his mouth
and he smiled crookedly at her.

“I thought I’d have to wait forever,” he growled, a thread
of humor in his rough tone.

Mike!

Joanna remembered all too well the time he’d pretended to be
a thief and had surprised her in her apartment. He’d grabbed her in the
bathroom then, tied her up and taken her.

It had been wonderful.

Like being shared, but not.

“Where’ve you been lately, little puss?” he demanded,
kissing her beneath her ear. “I’ve been wanting more of this for a while.”

Joanna struggled against him, because she knew she was
supposed to. He chuckled darkly and lifted her feet from the ground, easily
holding her captive. He met her gaze in the mirror. “Here’s how it’s going to
be. You’re going to be my little piece and you’re going to be ready for me
whenever I want you. Understand?”

Joanna nodded, enthralled.

“And you’re going to be cooperative. You’re going to help me
out, just the way I tell you. Right?”

Joanna nodded again.

He smiled. “Good girl. First thing we’re going to do is make
sure you’re quiet. Remember how I taught you to gag yourself last time?”

Joanna nodded, her heart racing so fast that she thought it
might burst. This was thrilling and hot. That Mike was giving her exactly what
she needed was the perfect reassurance.

He glanced down and she saw that there was a roll of packing
tape on her dresser, along with some clean tea towels from her own kitchen.

“Get naked and do it,” he snarled in the dangerous voice
that made her knees weak.

As soon as he released her, Joanna reached for the tea
towels. He’d grabbed the larger ones that she’d just bought and she doubted
that was an accident. It wasn’t an accident that she’d bought them. As soon as
she’d seen the unusual length of them, she’d imagined a scene like this. She’d
bought ten of them, just in case.

Joanna tied a knot in the end of one of them, noting his
approval at her speed. His hands fell to her waist, his fingers flexing as he
held her captive in front of him. His grip was firm and she could feel his
erection in his jeans, pressing against her butt.

“Another knot,” he whispered, excitement in his tone.

Joanna did as he instructed, then bit the knot. He turned
her slightly, looking into her eyes as he pushed all of the knot into her
mouth. He rubbed his gloved hand firmly over her mouth, ensuring she felt
claimed. She closed her eyes and nearly swooned, not caring if he saw how much
she enjoyed this.

“Miss me?” he murmured and she nodded. “Then hurry up.”

Joanna wrapped the cloth around her head, then passed the
second end over her mouth. She tucked it in, just as he’d instructed her. He
kept his arms around her as he found the end of the tape on the roll, then gave
it to her. As she wrapped it over her mouth, ensuring her own silence, his
hands rose to cup her breasts. The leather felt sinfully smooth against her
skin. When she’d made one complete circuit with the tape, sealing the towel in
place, he began to roll each nipple between his finger and thumb.

Joanna wrapped the tape around her head again.

“Really tight the third time,” he commanded and she did as
he told her. She tore the tape and set it down. “Scream,” he whispered and
Joanna tried. She made no sound.

His smile was fleeting, then he nodded at the pair of long
gloves that were on her dresser. Joanna pulled them on quickly, smoothing them
past her elbows. He nodded at the tape and she picked it up again, finding the
end. She met his gaze, uncertain what he wanted. He gave her nipples one last
hard pinch, then took the tape, spinning her around so that she was in his
embrace.

“Fold them behind your back,” he ordered and she did, grasping
each elbow with the opposite hand. He taped her forearms together securely,
then tossed the roll of tape on the dresser and caught her waist in his hands
again. Joanna looked up to meet the familiar blue of Mike’s eyes.

“Here’s how it’s going to be,” he said in the rough voice
she adored. “I’m going to have you whenever I want. You’re going to be ready,
whenever I want. And if you ever fail to do what I order you to do, I’ll tell
Mike in a way that ends your relationship forever.”

It was a game, but exactly the kind of game Joanna wanted to
play. She loved that Mike had figured out a way to fulfill her fantasy without
risking everything else.

He flashed the card for the restaurant that had been in her
purse. “Is this where you’re going for dinner tomorrow?”

Joanna nodded.

“What time?”

She made a little moan, uncertain how she’d tell him.

“Seven?” She shook her head. “Eight?” She shook her head
again. “Six?” Joanna nodded. He smiled. “You’re going to go to the washroom
right after you get there. You’re going to go to the very last stall, the
handicapped stall, and wait for me. Understand?” Joanna nodded. He fingered her
breast. “It’ll be hard and fast tomorrow, so let’s take it slow tonight. Bend
over that chair. I need to give you a good spanking for avoiding me lately.”

He’d spank her pink. Joanna nearly fainted at the prospect.
He pulled the padded chair out of the corner of her bedroom and turned it
around so its back was facing the room. She bent over it obediently, her butt
in the air.

To her surprise, he bent and taped her ankles to the legs of
the chair.

“Look at that ass,” he murmured, running one gloved hand
over her. “You won’t be able to even sit down when I’m done. Bad puss.”

Joanna struggled as she heard him removing his belt. She was
so wet that she was sure she was dripping with it. He placed his left hand on
the back of her waist, holding her in place, and she adored the feel of the
leather on her bare skin. Then he swung the belt and it cracked across her ass,
making her gasp.

“We’re going to ten,” he growled. “Nice and slow, then we’ll
see how good you are. Spread your legs and arch your back. We both know that
you need this.”

Joanna did as she was told, moaning into her gag when the
second blow struck. She welcoming the sting of the belt leather, and loved the
firm grip of his hand on the small of her back. She closed her eyes and
surrendered to his command, doing her best to please him and finding bliss in
the loss of control.

After five, he moved behind her, pulling her up against him
as he caressed her breasts again. She was trapped between his pelvis and the
chair, her skin burning, her nipples aching as he tormented her. She could feel
his hard body behind and around her, the smooth leather encasing him and knew
there was nowhere she’d rather be.