Playing With Pleasure (6 page)

“Thank you for the coffee, but I’m assuming you’re really here to get all the juicy details about last night?” Paige guessed.

“Of course I am,” her friend replied unabashedly. “You don’t expect me to wait until next month’s Cocktails and Cocks club meeting to find out what happened, do you?”

“I guess not,” Paige said with humor.

Just a few nights ago, the Cocktails and Cocks group had gotten together at Raina’s to give Paige the last bit of encouragement she’d needed to follow through on the invitation to The Players Club her friend had given her. They’d all indulged in shots, toasted to Paige’s night of debauchery, and spent the evening talking and laughing about all the racy and risqué things she needed to indulge in once she was inside the decadent mansion.

Not even
she
could have anticipated or imagined just how hot and carnal her evening would be, or with whom. Hell, she was still trying to process the fact that Sawyer was a man who liked tying her up and got off on being in control in a sexual situation. And what about the fact that she’d loved every single thing he’d done to her?

“So, did you find a tall, dark, kinky stranger to fulfill all your dirty fantasies?” Kendall asked, snapping Paige out of her thoughts.

“Tall, dark, and kinky, yes,” she admitted and took a drink of her latte before revealing the rest. “A stranger? Not so much.”

Kendall’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. Tell me who you hooked up with.”

Paige exhaled a deep breath. “Sawyer.”

The shock that transformed Kendall’s features was almost comical. “Get. Out.”

Her friend probably thought she was insane for getting involved again with the man who’d broken her heart, and even Paige questioned her own judgment for letting Sawyer seduce her. But she couldn’t change things, and honestly, last night had been incredible sexually. While she was struggling to understand the range of emotions flowing through her when she thought of Sawyer, it was difficult to regret something that had felt so good and so right. And yeah, that realization scared her, because it meant she didn’t hate him as much as she wanted to.

“I didn’t go there with the intention of hooking up with him,” she said, unable to look directly into Kendall’s eyes. “It just…happened.” She shrugged.

Kendall was quiet for a long moment, then gently placed a hand on Paige’s arm. “Are you okay?” she asked.

The genuine concern in her friend’s voice made Paige lift her head back up and smile. “I’m good. I promise.”

“Okay. I’ll take your word for it, but you know if any of us girls find out that he so much as looked at you cross-eyed or hurt you in any way, there will be hell to pay in the form of some balls being busted.
His
. I don’t give a shit that he works for Jillian’s husband, either.”

Paige laughed, though she knew that Kendall wasn’t exaggerating by much. She truly had the best girlfriends, and they always had each other’s backs. Especially when it came to the men who’d scorned them. But her friend had nothing to worry about, because it wasn’t as though she was going to see Sawyer again. Or allow him close enough to cause her any more emotional pain.

Kendall set her coffee cup down on the worktable and grabbed the file folder she’d brought with her. “So, I thought you might like to see how some of the photos I took of your models turned out,” she said, leaving their serious conversation behind in lieu of something more fun and upbeat. “Your bridal collection of couture corsets is absolutely stunning, and I hope you like the shots I took.”

Anticipation filled Paige as she stepped closer when Kendall, who specialized in boudoir photography, opened the folder and spread out a dozen glossy photographs of beautiful women wearing exclusive Couture Corset designs—hand sewn, beaded, and created by Paige. The pictures were exquisitely shot, the women wearing her corsets equally gorgeous with their hair and makeup all done up. And Paige was very proud of the fact that the models she’d chosen ranged in weight from slender to plus-size, to let every woman know that regardless of her shape, she had every right to look as beautiful and sexy as any other female.

The soft lighting that Kendall had used gave the photos a seductive feel, and the array of sensual poses she’d had the models execute—stretched out provocatively on a bed, sitting elegantly on a chair, standing dreamily by a window, and more—all showcased the fine details of pearls and crystals and other embellishments that elevated these corsets to high-end couture status.

A giddy thrill of excitement shot through Paige that this bridal collection, and her dream of expanding, was actually going to happen. That very soon, these photos would appear on her website and in a brochure that would be distributed to upscale bridal shops. These same corsets would also make their debut at the bridal expo runway show in a few weeks. It was a possible game changer for her business, for sure.

“I think you’ve outdone yourself, Kendall,” Paige said in awe, her chest expanding in pride at their joint accomplishments. “These pictures are so striking. I absolutely love them.”

“I’m so happy you’re thrilled with them.” Kendall gave Paige a big hug, then grinned at her. “You’ve worked hard, and you deserve this success, and when you have high-end designers beating down your door to hire you for custom orders and more of your bridal collection, I can say that I knew you before you were famous.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Paige laughed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not looking for fame. I just want to continue doing what I love.” She wasn’t comfortable in the public eye and truly preferred being a behind-the-scenes designer.

“Paige?” Summer parted the crystal curtain in the doorway as she spoke, looking a little flustered. “There’s a guy out here to see you. He asked for you by name…and he’s
gorgeous
.”

Her assistant mouthed the last part of the sentence, but Paige read her lips. She had a few good-looking male clients who’d surprised their significant others with a custom-made corset, so she assumed it was a repeat customer. She headed out to the front area—with a curious Kendall following behind to get a glimpse of Mr. Gorgeous, too—and came to an abrupt stop when she laid eyes on a very familiar backside.

The very same backside she’d ogled just last night before he’d slipped a blindfold over her eyes. Even though he stood across the room, there was no mistaking who those broad shoulders belonged to, or the firm, toned ass that filled out a pair of crisp blue jeans. He was looking at one of her corsets that was on display, and when he reached out and absently rubbed the bit of lace along the hem of the design between his long fingers, her stomach did a little flip at the sensual contrast between masculine and all the feminine, frilly decor of her boutique.

She swallowed hard, not sure how she felt about Sawyer Burrows being in her shop, but she wasn’t about to give any hint of her uncertainty or the fact that her entire body felt flushed at seeing him again.

“Sawyer?” Damn, even her voice sounded breathless.

He turned around, and Kendall stiffened beside her when she realized who it was, clearly prepared to defend Paige if the need arose. Kendall knew the pain and heartbreak she’d gone through a year and a half ago with Sawyer, and despite Paige’s confession that she’d gotten down and dirty with him just last night, her friend was still obviously feeling protective.

Sawyer tipped his head in greeting as he strolled over to them, confident as always. And yes, so very mouth-wateringly gorgeous. His hard body, combined with all that bad-boy charm, was enough to make a woman weak in the knees. At least Paige’s legs were suddenly a bit unstable as he closed the distance between them.

“Paige, Kendall,” he said, acknowledging them both. “How are you ladies doing today?”

“That all depends on why you’re here,” Kendall said before Paige could reply.

Despite Kendall’s guard dog stance, the corner of Sawyer’s sensual mouth quirked in amusement as he shifted his gaze to Paige’s. “I’d like to talk to you, if you have a few minutes. And preferably in private,” he added, making it clear he didn’t want an audience for their conversation.

Paige debated making up an excuse not to speak to Sawyer or telling him she had nothing to discuss, but he’d always been a persistent man, and she knew a brush-off wouldn’t stop him from trying again. Case in point, just last night, she’d informed him they had nothing to talk about, yet here he was anyway. Besides, with him back and living in San Diego, along with working for Noble and Associates, there would be times when their paths would cross, and they’d need to be civil and polite to one another.

He was far from civil and polite last night
, a naughty voice whispered in her mind. No, he’d been hot and demanding and aggressive, and she’d thoroughly enjoyed every single wicked thing he’d done to her and had practically begged him for more. She’d gone to The Players Club to get Sawyer out of her system, and instead, he’d given her such intense, exquisite pleasure she was certain he’d ruined her for any other man she might sleep with going forward.

She sighed at that realization, pushed those depressing thoughts from her head, and granted his request. “Sure, we can talk in the back.” The sooner they got this conversation over with, the sooner he could be on his way.

She glanced at Kendall and gave her an
it’s all good
look, and her friend nodded in understanding and said pointedly, “I’ll call you later.”

With another warning look at Sawyer, Kendall left the shop, and he followed Paige through the hanging crystal curtain to the back workroom. She had an office with a door that would ensure privacy, but Paige didn’t trust herself to be completely alone with this man who still had the ability to make her melt with a look, a touch.

Nope, not gonna happen.

Her large work area and the heavy-duty wooden table in the middle of the room allowed her to put much-needed space between them, which she did. She deliberately walked around to the far side, while he stopped across from her, his gaze taking in the bolts of rich, expensive fabrics and lace in a variety of colors shelved along one wall, the commercial sewing machine she used, and the mannequin wearing the half-finished corset she was currently working on.

When his gaze returned to her, she was startled to see a flicker of pride in his eyes before he said, “You have a really nice shop. I take it you’re doing well with your corsets?”

She nodded, surprised at the compliment, as well as his interest. A year and a half ago when they’d been dating, she’d been living in the huge mansion she’d grown up in with first her mother and father, then three years after her mother had passed away, she and her father had shared the enormous home with his new wife, Melissa, and her daughter, Ashley. Even after her father had died when she was nineteen, Paige had remained living at the house, using a spare room to design and sew her corsets while saving every penny she earned so she could build her business and open up her own boutique.

The incident between Sawyer and Ashley had propelled Paige to move out of the estate home sooner than she’d anticipated—and away from the one person who’d made her life so miserable for so many years—into a small, one-bedroom apartment, which was all Paige could afford at the time. She’d redirected all her anger and heartache into her designs, needing the distraction from the pain and tears, and kept her focus on building her clientele. A year later, she’d opened up Couture Corsets and was well on her way to fulfilling her dreams and goals, as well as being financially independent.

But Sawyer didn’t need to know how drastically her life had changed as a result of his indiscretion with Ashley, so she kept her tone all about business. “I doubt you’re here to order a corset, so what can I do for you?”

Holding her gaze, he placed both hands on the wooden table, as if bracing himself for a battle. “I really want to talk to you about…everything.”

And oh, what a huge quagmire of emotions the word
everything
encompassed. “I told you last night that there’s nothing left to say, and I meant it.” Wow, she actually sounded firm in her decision. Go her.

“I’d like you to reconsider that,” he said calmly, despite the frustration that momentarily clenched his jaw. “You may not have anything to say, but I do. All I’m asking for is a chance to tell you my side of the story. If, after that, you never want to talk to me ever again, I’ll respect your decision. I swear.”

The pang in the vicinity of Paige’s heart startled her. Why did the notion of never speaking to him again bother her so much? She shook her head of the thought. “Sawyer—”

“Please, Paige.” He moved around the table and toward her, his steps as determined as his voice. “Give me at least that much closure, and hopefully it will help you get the same.”

Did he deserve closure after what he’d done? She wanted to hold a grudge and say
no
, but she just wasn’t the kind of woman to carry around bitterness and resentment. She’d witnessed firsthand how those dark emotions had affected Ashley—Paige had been a casualty of her spite and cattiness way too often—and she refused to be anything like her self-centered stepsister.

But Paige
did
deserve closure to the situation, and yeah, maybe it was time to just get all the dirty laundry out in the open so she could finally move on with her life and hopefully be able to trust another man again. Counting Sawyer’s indiscretion, she’d already been burned badly twice, and it didn’t escape her notice that both painful instances had involved Ashley.

She suddenly realized how close he was to her, and his nearness washed through her veins as if she’d just downed a straight shot of whiskey, making her feel warm and a bit off-balance. It didn’t help matters that the light scent of his citrusy cologne went straight to her head, as well.

Resisting the urge to take a step back, she instead crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Fine, we can talk, but we’re not having the discussion here.”

He appeared relieved that he’d managed to convince her, though she didn’t miss the way his eyes slid down to her plumped-up breasts—
the shameless rogue
—which immediately made her drop her arms back down to her sides. But the damage was already done, and now her nipples were tight and hard and visible against the fabric of her blouse.