Den of Desire (8 page)

She was in love with Joe Gates.

She wasn't sure when it had happened or why. All she knew was that it was true. Somewhere in the midst of her sexual discovery, she had done the worst thing possible. She risked a glance at the sleeping man who had unwittingly stolen her heart. He tightened the hold on her waist subconsciously.

How had a fling become so important?

And what would she do when that fling suddenly ended?

* * * *

A noise from downstairs jolted her awake. She glanced around the room to find it empty. She sat up, pulling the sheet over her bare breasts. Sunlight crept through the lace curtain on the window. She slid out of bed as she spotted a white dress shirt hanging on the bedpost. Pulling it over her shoulders, she fastened several buttons to keep it together. After a quick brushing out of her hair with her fingers, she crept out into the hallway. She could hear sounds coming from downstairs as she slowly descended to the lower level.

She walked through the dining room, the wood cold on her bare feet, as she moved toward the kitchen. Panic crept up her spine as she realized that the man sitting at the kitchen table was not Joe. His gray hair was slightly mussed, and he held a newspaper up in front of him. She started to turn to leave, but his voice stopped her.

“Hello.”

She turned to face him. “Hello,” she replied.

He offered her a warm smile. “Do I know you?” he asked as he pushed his glasses further up on his nose.

“No, I'm Mara,” she answered, self-consciously gripping the hem of Joe's shirt to pull it down farther.

He put his paper down to cross the room to where she stood holding out a hand to her. “I'm James. It's nice to meet you.”

She shook his hand as an uncomfortable silence settled between them. His eyes swept over her nearly naked state. She waited for the frown of disapproval, but it never came.

“Are you here for breakfast?” he asked.

Before she could answer, he motioned for her to sit next to him at the island in the middle of the kitchen. He picked up his newspaper and began to read. She stared at him for a moment, feeling increasingly awkward.

“Have you seen Joe?” she inquired.

He tilted his paper down to peer over it. “Joe? No, I don't believe that I have.”

She heard the front door open and close and turned on the barstool. Ellen walked into the kitchen, her hair pulled into a loose bun at her nape. She offered Mara a welcoming smile as she walked over to put an arm around his shoulder.

He turned to face her, his confusion clear. “Do I know you?” he asked.

Mara frowned at the odd comment.

Ellen laughed as she replied, “Well, I sure hope so, handsome, because we have a date to go to the library today. Now, go get your jacket so we can head out.”

He grinned like a little boy as he got to his feet and left the room. Ellen stared after him for a moment before turning to face Mara.

“Funny how as we get older we become more and more like the children we started out as. We didn't get a proper introduction last night. My name is Ellen Butterman.”

Mara reached over to clasp the other woman's hand in hers. “Mara Templeton,” she returned.

Ellen nodded. “I know. Joe told me. I'd swear that boy is a saint with the way he takes care of his grandfather. I sure hope I have someone like him who loves me enough to take care of me when I get to be that age.”

“So you help take care of him?”

Ellen offered a smile. “I'm here when Joe needs me,” she replied.

Mara's eyebrows drew together. “What about his parents? What happened to them?” she asked.

Ellen opened her mouth to answer but stopped when she heard the front door. Joe walked into the kitchen, his gaze jumping back and forth between the two women. James came back in, struggling with the zipper on his jacket. Joe crossed the room to zip the jacket for him.

“Thanks,” James said, giving him a wide smile. “What was your name again?”

“It's Joe, Grandpa. Remember?”

Color crept into his cheeks. “I forgot again, didn't I?”

Joe nodded. “It's okay. You're going to go to the library with Ellen, remember?” he prodded.

His head bobbed up and down. “How could I forget a beautiful woman like her?”

Ellen came over to slide an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, handsome. We'll be back in a little while, Joe. It was nice to meet you, Mara.”

“You too,” Mara called out.

Once they were left alone, Joe turned to face her. His gaze traveled over her length from the collar of his shirt to her bare feet.

“Nice outfit,” he commented.

Mara pulled at the hem of the shirt. “I didn't know that you lived with your grandfather,” she explained.

Joe walked over to the island to remove the dirty dishes. He placed them in the sink. “He moved in with me a couple of years ago,” he stated brusquely.

Mara stared at the rigid line of his shoulders as he stood at the sink. “What happened to him?”

He lifted his head to stare out the window over the sink. “Doctors say it's Alzheimer's.” He turned to face her as he continued. “At first, it was just the little things, like forgetting to grab bread at the store. Then it was forgetting to lock the door. When he started forgetting to turn off the stove, I made him move in here.”

Her heart went out to him as she began to realize that everything she had believed about this man was untrue. She took a step toward him, needing to feel close.

“What about your parents? Couldn't they help out?” she inquired softly.

He turned to face her. “My mother took off when I was three. And my dad ... well, my dad decided that she had the right idea when I was ten. After that, I lived with my grandfather.”

She reached out to take his hand in hers. “And so now you take care of him,” she finished for him.

“He was the only one who stuck it out for me. I could never turn my back on him or put him in a home. I owe him more than that,” he said.

Her fingers linked with his as she took a step closer, her body brushing against his. “I didn't know.”

He sighed heavily. “Not many people do. I thought they would be gone before you woke up,” he offered.

She reached up to caress his cheek. “I'm glad I got to meet him. He's a sweet man.”

His eyes met hers. “Mara...”

She put her finger over his lips to stop him. “Shhh,” she said. “No more talking. You know, I was hoping to take a shower before I left. Maybe you could give me another private tour,” she suggested with a wink.

His lips slid into a mischievous grin. “Then let's get started.”

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Chapter 12

Mara walked up to her apartment with a grin on her face. She had spent the entire morning getting the private “tour” with Joe. It still amazed her that everything she had believed about him was false. Climbing the stairs, she mentally replayed their last few moments alone together. Reaching into her purse, she felt around for her keys. When she found them, she lifted her gaze to the door.

What she saw made her heart stop.

A white silk scarf was wrapped around the doorknob. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was following her before turning back to face the door. She blinked several times, wanting the image to disappear, but it didn't. Reaching out, she let the silk sift through her fingers.

It couldn't be the same.

But it was.

It had to be.

The woman from the club in the white dress was real. She hadn't imagined it. She was staring at tangible proof. The odds of someone leaving a scarf on her door a few nights after she saw the woman in the club were too uncanny.

She slid the key into the lock opening the door. After she was inside, she closed it and locked it. Throwing the scarf on the couch, she fell into a chair across the room. She gripped the arms for support.

Someone was playing a prank on her. But who?

Who would go to so much trouble for a simple joke?

And who knew she would be at the club that night?

She grabbed the scarf as she walked into her bedroom. Pulling the closet door open, she stuffed the scarf into a box on the top shelf. She was supposed to meet Joe at the club tonight, but she couldn't tell him about this.

Not yet.

Sounding like a flake was a quick way to end what they had. And she wasn't ready for that. If she was honest with herself, she wasn't sure she ever would be.

* * * *

Joe leaned back in his chair, staring at the monitors. Things had gotten complicated, more complicated than he had ever anticipated. Being with Mara was opening a door that had been closed for years.

A door he wasn't sure he was ready to open for anyone.

As if merely thinking about her could conjure her, she appeared on the screen. He watched her glide through the darkened corridors. The grainy monitor could not capture the sleek line of her body or the tightening of her nipples, but he knew he would see it if he joined her. Despite the overwhelming desire to join her, he remained where he was. Giving in to his desires with Mara had already gotten him into hot water. Maybe it was best not to entertain them. She knew too much about him. She was too close. And, deep down, he knew that he had to do something to stop it. A relationship wasn't something he was ready or equipped for. It would never fit into his life.

It was only a matter of time before he had to break things off.

He watched her stop to view a room. Her lips parted as her breathing increased. A less observant man might have missed the subtle signs of her arousal. But not him. He had made a career out of figuring out what turned people on. He raised the remote control to capture the scene that she was watching. A woman with red hair stood naked between two men. Their hands roamed over her body, seeking out every inch of her. One man kissed her breast while the other's mouth trailed over her neck. The woman's head was thrown back in abandon, her face a mask of pleasure.

His gaze returned to Mara. They had never discussed fantasies, but it was obvious from the look on her face that this was one she was harboring. Interesting. He had only shared a woman once before. As an owner of Club X, there wasn't much that he hadn't tried, except the really extreme fetishes. He was a very thorough man. Knowing what turned people on was practically a prerequisite for the business he ran. And in order to find out what turned people on, he had to start first with himself.

It had only happened once.

The girl that Cal was seeing had suggested it, and he had willingly played along. Cal had wanted to make it a very ‘special’ birthday present. And they had. Still, Mara was different. He wasn't the type to share something that he felt was his, and she definitely fit into that category.

For now.

His gaze traveled back to her. He was supposed to be teaching her about fantasies, and he didn't even want to fulfill the one she had.

Cal came into the frame on the monitor. Joe watched him talk to her, watched her smile. His fingers dug into the leather on the armrests.

No, sharing her was not an option.

* * * *

Mara stared at the threesome behind the glass. The man in front gripped the woman's hips as he pressed his cock against her pussy. The man in back rubbed against her buttocks as he reached around to tweak her nipples. The look on the woman's face left little doubt that she had discovered her own slice of heaven, and she wasn't about to give it up.

She couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to be taken by two men at the same time. To have her body commanded, filled so completely. Her arousal dampened her thong beneath her dress, and her nipples strained painfully against the fabric.

“Can I help you?”

She started in surprise at the voice. A man stood behind her, his tailored Armani suit a stark contrast to the dank corridor. He stared at her, his eyebrow quirked up in curiosity.

“I'm ... I'm here to see Joe Gates,” she stuttered nervously.

His eyebrows rose as he ran a hand through his sandy brown hair. Baby blue eyes twinkled in the dim light. Mara was struck by one thing. This man definitely did not look like he belonged here. He was too ‘all-American’ to be found in the middle of a sex club.

“Ah, you must be Mara,” he said, holding out his hand.

She placed her hand in his, trying to ignore the heat his touch created. She tried to pull her hand away, and he reluctantly released it.

“I'm Cal.”

“It's nice to meet you,” she replied softly.

He took a step closer to her, the heat practically radiating off his body. For a moment, he simply stared at her, his gaze running over her body and making it tingle uncomfortably. She shifted uneasily, embarrassed by her reaction.

“Are you enjoying the club?” he inquired.

She nodded. “I am. Thank you.”

His gaze traveled to the trio behind the glass. Unable to stop herself, her eyes were drawn back to the threesome.

“Have you ever been with two men, Mara?”

His question stunned her. Before she could reply, he continued.

“They say it's the ultimate pleasure.”

Mara arched an eyebrow. “They?” she prodded.

His eyes met hers, and he offered her a boyish grin. “Working in a place like this, you hear things,” he hedged.

“So you don't know from personal experience, then?”

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Joe came up behind them.

“Know what from personal experience?” he asked.

She looked away. Cal seemed unaffected by the unease.

“Whether everything you hear in the club is true or not,” he replied casually.

Joe's gaze remained firmly trained on Mara, and for an instant she began to wonder if he could read her mind.

Could he see the sinful thoughts that had flashed through her mind?

Would he be disgusted if he could?

“I think it's safe to say the answer is no,” Joe answered.

“Exactly. You can't believe everything you hear unless you know it's true from experience,” Cal added.

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she could swear he gave her a look at the end. Did he see through her, too?