Claiming Lauren (eXclave) (4 page)

"I watched many remarkable sunsets from this beach," Jacob said
without turning. "Of course I didn't appreciate a single one of them. I
was too caught up in myself to understand the size of the world beyond my
immediate desires."

"You were very young." Lauren ventured into the room, drawn to
him by a force she didn't want to acknowledge but couldn't ignore.

"Youth stops being a viable defense after a certain age, and I was
certainly past that age when I married you." He tossed back the rest of
his drink and finally faced her. His lips quirked as he examined her face.
"You could at least pretend you're not stunned speechless."

"I've been finding it harder and harder to pretend," she
replied, not bothering to deny his words had stopped her in her tracks and
dashed her composure like waves against the rocks outside.

His smile faded. "I believe that's my fault. Should I
apologize?"

"I don't know. Do you think driving me to honesty was a
wrongdoing?" Because even though he didn't bear the entire burden--she had
a voice and a vocabulary of her own--there was no point in absolving him of
guilt. Jacob had done his part.

"I think you should reflect upon the matter during the course of the
evening. We'll revisit the topic later." He crossed the room and, taking
ahold of her elbow, steered her from the study.

Jacob's guiding touch acted like a magnet to her scattered thoughts,
sucking them back into order like so many steel filings. He stood at the center
of the starburst and Lauren was startled to realize Master was nothing but a
nebulous presence at the very farthest fringe. Guilt nipped at her heels as
they left the house and Jacob helped her into his car, a sleek, sporty model
with dark paint, its exact hue unidentifiable in the quickly-descending dark.
Despite his height, Jacob slid confidently behind the wheel and soon they were
on their way.

He broke the silence. "My New York office is undergoing structural
changes and I've decided to personally oversee the new direction. I'll be
staying in the city for the next several months."

"I see." Lauren frowned at the passing scenery, shook her head
slightly, and said, "Actually, I don't see. What prompted this
decision?"

"A combination of factors."

When he didn't elaborate, she turned her frown on him. May as well
address the elephant before it stepped on one of them. "Was my phone call
one of the factors?"

"Not the way you're probably thinking." He reached between them
and programmed the stereo to a classical station. Lauren knew she should
question him further, but the soothing piano music left her relaxing into the
seat.

Jacob drove in silence and her eyelids grew heavy. She didn't precisely
sleep but she did drift into a disconnected space, where the reality of sitting
within arm's reach of her husband bled into the reality of her night with
Master. Jacob's face kept slipping over Master's shadow-shrouded visage, Jacob's
voice filled in Master's low whispers, and for a brief, fleeting moment,
Master's scent teased her senses. Her eyes flew open, but nothing had changed.
Jacob navigated traffic with expert confidence, the soft piano melody teased
her ears, and the light fragrance of his aftershave was the only thing she
smelled.

"You're tired," he said, glancing away from the road long
enough to make eye contact. "I should have realized."

Instead of mentioning her flight and opening the door of discussion, she
merely nodded.

Jacob apparently didn't need the open door. "You should have taken a
day to rest before coming home."

Heat crept up her neck. She did not want to talk about this with him.
"If I had, you wouldn't have a dinner companion now. It's fine. I'm fine.
As long as you have no objection, I'll just nap during the drive home."

"There's no need for you to sleep in a cramped car. We're having
dinner with a personal friend of mine and she has no shortage of guest rooms.
We'll stay the night and you can enjoy a bed."

She frowned. "I'm not prepared for an overnight stay."

"Elizabeth will arrange for anything you need." Jacob merged
off the freeway and onto local roads while Lauren chewed over her misgivings.

Requesting separate accommodations at a private residence would not only
be rude but also awkward. She glanced at Jacob, whose unconcerned expression
roused her annoyance. Of course he was unconcerned. He would return to London
and she would be the one left with whispered rumors. And if the way her body
reacted to him was any gauge, rumors wouldn't be her only problem.

But his return to London wouldn't be imminent, would it? Prolonged
contact with Jacob would disrupt her tentatively forming plans. Suddenly her
skin felt too tight, too thin, and the air in the car wasn't sufficient. She
surreptitiously felt on the door for the window release. Before she could
locate it, fresh, cool air bathed her face.

"Do you need more or is that enough?" Jacob asked.

"This is fine. Thank you." Lauren closed her eyes and rested
her forehead against the window. Almost immediately, she straightened again.
This scenario was too familiar, and
this
ride would not result in the
release she'd come to crave. The thought of buttoning herself up again, denying
the self she'd only just discovered, made her chest ache.

"If you're unwell, tell me."

"I'm not unwell. I'm..." She started to dismiss her needs as
unimportant but stopped short. She deserved to be happy.
Visible
.
"I'd like to know how much of my time you'll require while you're in New
York."

"Much," he said definitively.

Lauren frowned. "I need something more specific than that."

"I'd like you to make arrangements to join me in the city."

"I can't do that."

"Why?" He slowed the car and turned onto a narrow, tree-lined
road.

"If you provide a calendar of engagements, I'll accommodate them,
but I can't be in your pocket."

"We'll discuss the level of structure you require later."

Swallowing a frustrated sound, she spent the remainder of the short, slow
drive in silence. They were accumulating a fair number of matters to be
discussed "later", none of which she actually wanted to revisit.
Minutes later, Jacob braked and parked in front of an elaborate mansion. Every
window glowed with light.

Oh, why hadn't she declined his invitation? Jet lag, a travel headache, a
previous obligation--any excuse would have sufficed, and she wouldn't be in
this situation.

Wondering what, exactly, this situation really was.

Before she found the fortitude to ask, a young man approached their car.
Leaving the engine running, Jacob opened his door and stepped out. Lauren
reluctantly followed suit. As their host's valet slid behind the wheel, Jacob
joined Lauren. He spread his fingers wide at the small of her back, the touch a
hot brand through her dress, and urged her up the wide stairs to the waiting
door.

She hurried to widen the gap between them but she couldn't gain any
ground. She seemed glued to her husband's hand, unable to part from him. At the
top of the stairs, he lifted the old-fashioned knocker and beat it thrice
against the door.

"I have something for you." He took her left hand in his and
rubbed the pad of his thumb over her naked ring finger.

Lauren turned her head to look at him, an inexplicable sense of dread
settling in her stomach. As if he read the emotion in her eyes--he probably
did, as transparent as she'd been--he smiled slightly.

"It was careless of you to leave it behind." Gold flashed
between his fingers, reflecting the torches that flickered at either side of
the door. Despite the chill in the air, the precious metal warmed her skin as
he guided her wedding ring into place.

Warmed her skin but left every other part of her iron-cold. Slowly, she
raised her eyes to his. Jacob mercilessly held her gaze, unflinching in his
intensity. Lauren didn't bother asking how. She wasn't stupid. The only
question she had was
why
, but before she could find her voice, the door
opened.

Chapter Four

"Good evening, Elizabeth. I hope you're well." With a slight
smile for their hostess, he stepped into the house. "Have you met my
wife?"

"I am. Thank you." The woman named Elizabeth, a tall, slender
beauty with long waves of ginger hair, smiled and squeezed Jacob's free hand in
welcome. Her smile remained genuine when she shifted her attention to Lauren.
"We haven't met but I'm familiar with her charity work. I'm pleased you
could join us tonight, Lauren."

"The pleasure is mine." She responded by rote, well-trained to
say the right things at the right times, but her manners failed there. A
movement, a flash of pale skin and smooth curve caught her eye, drew her
attention to the guests mingling in a room off the foyer.

Jacob and Elizabeth exchanged a few more words and Lauren surrendered her
wrap to a young man clad in...nothing. Her focus snapped back to her immediate
vicinity.

"You're welcome to stare," Jacob murmured in her ear. "He
wants to be seen."

A shudder rippled through her, her husband's words such an unexpected
reminder of how well he'd come to know her without her knowledge. She needed
space to think, but now wasn't the time to figure out how she felt about
Jacob's...what? Deceit? Or revelation?

Would she have explored these feelings with Jacob face to face, eyes
open, identities fully disclosed?

Could she explore them with him now? Because clarity of truth lent
explanation to his appearance. If he had no intention of pursuing the matter of
her submission, he would have left her alone. His upcoming time in the city
would have been punctuated with the occasional summons and she would continue
on as his for-appearances wife.

While she was no longer satisfied with that life, was preparing to change
it, she hadn't planned on changing it with
him
. Not with Master, either.
She'd said goodbye and meant it. Even if speaking the words broke something
inside, she'd
meant
them.

Oblivious to her confusion, Elizabeth ushered Lauren and Jacob into an
elegantly-appointed, high-ceilinged room. Low music provided a sensual base
note while the ebb and flow of conversation, voices male and female, aggressive
and gentle, established the melody. Jacob greeted a few people by name but
Lauren barely registered them. Amidst the designer dresses and jackets, bare
flesh caught her eye. Nobody else displayed the same fascination she felt as
she surreptitiously studied the men and women kneeling beside their
fully-clothed companions.

No, that was wrong. Another young woman stood alone, nursing a glass of
wine and staring with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Lauren instinctively
recognized the signs of desire. She raised her hand to her cheek, felt the heat
of her skin, and knew she was looking into a mirror. It was a difficult
reflection to observe. She turned away to find Jacob watching her.

"What is this?" She asked.

He lifted his gaze to a spot behind her shoulder, prompting her to turn
around. She found the object of his focus immediately. A tapestry hung above
the room's large fireplace, silver and white stars embroidered on a lustrous
black background. At the center of the tapestry, a colorful starburst threw
threads of silk between the tiny stars, and at the center of the starburst, a
bold white X commanded the eye.

Her breath caught. She recognized the logo immediately. She should
recognize it--its graphic design counterpoint greeted her regularly, welcoming
her to the online community where she'd discovered the world of BDSM and gotten
to know Master.

Where she'd gotten to know her husband.

"Come with me." He drew her away from the other guests and led
her into the corridor. With the familiarity of a regular guest, he guided her
deeper into the house, bypassing closed and open doors. From the glimpses she
caught of the open rooms, she wasn't sure whether to appreciate that he passed
them by or be disappointed by the same. The sounds coming from behind closed
doors at once sent chills down her arms and heat to her core.

Jacob finally paused outside a closed door in the back of the house.
Lauren raised her eyebrows when he unlocked the door with a key from his key
ring. So many questions, but she held them, trusting he would provide answers
soon. Not sure she wanted to know the answers.

The room they entered was an office. The décor sage walls and blonde wood
furniture deviated from the remainder of the house, which was rich and dark.
Some of the weight of dread lifted from her shoulders as she crossed the
threshold, but it returned when Jacob closed and locked the door behind them.

"Elizabeth formed eXclave," he said. "She and I have been
friends a long time and we share certain interests. Fifteen years ago she was
involved in a scandal that erupted from her actions at a public fetish club.
The matter quieted but she decided people of our social standing and
responsibility--and interests--needed a private network with a more discreet
venue.

"The forum came later. Tony, another founding member, is an educator
and lecturer. He believes strongly in making accurate information available,
but like the rest of us, he values his anonymity. He persuaded Elizabeth to
launch the forum. Naturally, it grew. Elizabeth insisted she wouldn't have
outsiders in administrative or moderating roles but we're all busy people. Membership
is restricted, as you know, and the numbers are kept small for the sake of
community control and safety."

He slid his hands into his pockets and leaned against the edge of a
sturdy accent table. "You want to know how long I've known your identity."

"Yes." Fighting her instincts to adopt a defensive posture, she
distracted herself by examining the artwork on the walls. Watercolor prints
revealed an unexpected side of her hostess and mirrored the multi-faceted
nature of this man she'd married. "I also want to know why you continued
even after you discovered who I am."