Prue's Promises [Submissive Sirens 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) (2 page)

Prue mopped her eyes and looked around, seeing the same childlike expressions of glee on the faces of her friends. They grinned at one another and paddled back and forth, content to simply spend time with one another. Only after half an hour of swimming did Lila clamber out of the pool, wrapping a towel around her small frame.

“Well, girls, I’m starving. I propose we have dinner, and then afterward we go dancing. There’s supposed to be an awesome club here, exclusive and for grown-ups only. No under-agers with fake IDs.”

Prue watched as Jessie’s hand fluttered to her throat, unconsciously seeking the heavy necklace she usually wore. More than just a piece of jewelry, Prue knew it was the collar Gabriel had given her, marking her as his submissive. She’d taken it off to go swimming, but Prue knew it would be back in place as soon as Jessie had dried off. Prue could see exactly what Jessie was thinking before she’d said a word.

“Dancing? I don’t know…I can’t imagine Gabriel would be okay with that.”

Cleo rolled her eyes as she began sloshing up the pool stairs. “Gabriel’s not here, sweets.”

Remy eyed Jessie with sympathy, and Prue knew she was thinking of her own collar, safely in its case in her bedroom. “Drake will probably tan my ass if I go dancing. Then Knox and Joss will torture me with ropes and feathers and anything else their perverted minds can come up with.” Prue was surprised to see a calculating gleam come into Remy’s eyes. “Will one of you make sure to tell them I spent the night grinding some guy?”

Lila grinned, her sweet face going from cherubic to naughty in a heartbeat. “I will do so personally, Rem.”

Jessie had obviously come to a decision. “Same for me. Liam told me last night on the phone that Gabriel got a new paddle for him, and I really think it’s unfair that they get to play while I’m not home.” She pouted for a moment before her face brightened. “Girls, let’s go dancing.”

Prue laughed as she whirled on the dance floor, her arms raised above her head as she moved to the pounding beat. She grinned at Lila dancing beside her. This had been a fantastic idea.

The song ended, and Prue stopped to catch her breath, snagging Lila’s hand in her own as they made their way off the crowded dance floor and back to the table where Cleo sat with Remy and Jessie. Cleo had been holding court all night, with gorgeous men of all ages stopping by to flirt with the stunning redhead. Remy and Jessie had alternated between dancing and glaring at the men who tried to hit on them.

“Phew.” Prue grabbed the pitcher of water that sat on the table, pouring herself a glass and almost draining it. “This place plays terrific music.” She fanned herself with her hand, grinning at her friends.

“And have you seen the clientele?” Cleo was positively drooling. “These men are yummy!”

Jessie laughed. “Almost makes me wish I was single. Almost, but not quite.”

Prue squealed as another of her favorite songs started to play. She set her glass down and turned to her friends. “Who’s coming?”

Lila waved her toward the dance floor. “You go ahead, love. We’ll catch our breath and watch you.”

Prue wrinkled her nose. “You sure?”

Cleo grinned at her. “You’re the dancer, baby. Go bust a move.”

Prue stuck her tongue out and twirled away, shimmying her way back to the dance floor. She didn’t mind being teased about her dancing, because it was really the only thing Prue thought she had going on. She’d been taking dance classes since she was a child, and she’d even competed as her mom had realized she was genuinely talented. She’d won her share of competitions in ballet and hip-hop, but her real love for dance had come when she’d started exploring options that allowed her to unleash her inner diva. Prue put some of that education to work now, using what she’d learned in her pole dancing classes to pop her hips and undulate to the music.

Dancing like this made Prue remember what the next few weeks held in store for her, and she danced more energetically to try and forget about it. After her annual holiday with the girls, Prue would be heading to a BDSM club in a town just north of Albuquerque, New Mexico. If it was just going to a BDSM club, everything would be awesome, but Prue had an ulterior motive for going there. As an agent for Homeland Security, Prue had spent years working with domestic and international organizations to stop human trafficking, particularly the traffic of women in the sex trade. Homeland Security had received intel that the club,
Cuero
, which meant “Leathers” in English, was a hub for pimps and traffickers, and it was Prue’s job to investigate.

Prue taught dance classes part time at a studio in Boston, and her burlesque class had caught the eye of a sub from
Cuero
. The woman had been on holiday, visiting her parents in Boston before returning to her Dom at the club in Albuquerque, and she’d loved Prue’s class so much she’d taken her card with a promise to give it to her Dom. Prue hadn’t expected anything to come of it but had been beyond thrilled when an invitation from
Cuero
had arrived in her mailbox for her to come teach a six-week session of dance classes for the club’s subs. Prue had already been signed up to take a series of workshops offered at
Cuero
for subs as a cover for her real mission, and the invitation to stay for six weeks had been the icing on the cake. Hopefully with that much time she’d have the opportunity to do some nosing around while she was there.

Prue gave herself a mental shake. She didn’t start the job until two weeks from now, and until then there was no real need to think about it. She’d have ample time to learn more about the place, and right now she just wanted to dance.

With that thought firmly in mind, Prue abandoned herself to the music. She threw herself into the dance, feeling herself get swept up in the grinding rhythm. As she danced, she became aware that the hairs on the back of her neck started to prickle, and she slowed her movements and began to turn around in time with the music. Someone was watching her. Prue didn’t feel any particular malice in the gaze directed at her, rather she was aware that someone was very, very interested in watching her dance.

She nearly stumbled as she finally located the source of that burning gaze. Standing in the shadows beside the dance floor, leaning against a pillar, was easily the most gorgeous man Prue had ever seen. Piercing blue eyes shone in his tanned face, and his almost-black hair hung over his forehead in a way that made Prue want to reach over and brush it back. The stubble that shadowed his square jaw gave him a rugged sexiness that had Prue catching her breath. Now that man was
hot
!

The ghost of a smile played on the lips of the sexy stranger, and Prue quirked her eyebrow at him, daring him to join her as she regained her footing and whirled away. She was conscious that he continued to watch her, and she changed the steps of her dance to a sensuous, rolling rhythm. Prue was shocked as she could practically feel his gaze burn even hotter. Damn, this man was getting her panties wet and they hadn’t even spoken, much less touched!

Prue fanned herself as the song ended. She was a tad disappointed that the gorgeous man hadn’t joined her for the dance, and when she glanced back over to where he’d been standing, she was even more disappointed that he’d vanished. Shrugging mentally, Prue made her way back over to the table where her friends waited. It was too bad the man hadn’t gotten any closer than watching from the sidelines, but at least he’d been good for a quick thrill.

Prue stood at the table, chatting with the girls. They giggled over the sheer amount of phone numbers Cleo had amassed, none of which she intended to follow up on, when Prue became aware of a presence behind her. In the same instant the conversation died, and Prue saw that Cleo’s jaw hung open and Lila was slurping at her straw even though the glass was clearly empty.

Turning around to see what was happening, Prue came nose-to-chest with the hunk who’d watched her dance. She tried to take a step back since he was standing so close, but she backed right into the table and would have fallen. The hunk put out a strong arm and steadied her. Prue felt his touch like a jolt of electricity, and her lips parted on a gasp.

The man wasn’t smiling at all. In fact, apart from a wicked gleam in his piercing blue eyes, he looked downright cold. “Care to dance?”

A pulsing Latin beat swelled, and Prue felt her body respond. She loved to dance to Latin music, and this man affected her like a strong drink. Prue realized he was waiting for an answer. She gathered her wits, which seemed to have scattered all over the dance floor, and regarded him coolly. “That depends. Can you dance?”

The man’s gaze grew even colder, if that was possible, and the look in his eyes had Prue thinking only one thought as she felt her own gaze slide away as her friends gasped.

Dom
.

Prue felt her gut clench. She inhaled deeply, hoping she hadn’t offended him. She really should have recognized what he was as soon as he opened his mouth, but instead she’d let her damn mouth run away with her. Time to make amends.

“I’m very sorry, sir. I’d love to dance.” Prue smiled shyly up at the handsome stranger, gratified when his breath hitched ever so slightly even though the cool look remained in his eyes.

Without a word, the man reached his hand out to her, and this time Prue didn’t hesitate before she slid her palm against his much larger one. He immediately closed his hand over hers, but rather than making her feel trapped, it made Prue feel safe and protected. Whichever club this man had trained at did a damn good job with its Doms!

Prue tore her eyes away from Mr. Gorgeous long enough to look back at the table where her friends still sat. Lila was grinning like a fool, and when she caught Prue’s gaze, she fanned herself and rolled her eyes dramatically, mouthing the word “hot.”

Cleo fist pumped before miming the action of a whip, and Jessie and Remy seemed to have been taken over by fits of the giggles.

Prue turned her attention back to Mr. Gorgeous when he squeezed her hand lightly, and Prue felt her body respond to the man as much as the music as her partner laid a possessive hand low on her back. Prue looked up at him as she laid her hand on his shoulder and promptly got lost in his beautiful eyes. She hauled herself out of his baby blues when he started to move. There was no way she wanted to stumble over her own feet—or worse, his—when this all seemed to be going so well.

Mr. Gorgeous was a kick-ass dancer. That was Prue’s first thought as he led her in a salsa, and her second thought was that she’d better up her damn game if she wanted to keep up with him.

That thought in mind, Prue disengaged her hand from his, lifting both her hands to tangle in her hair as she raised both arms and popped her hips in a Latin rhythm. Mr. Gorgeous clearly approved as he smiled slightly for the first time, nearly bowling Prue over with his sheer attractiveness. She grinned back, turning away from him and dancing a few steps away before dancing her way back and laying a playful hand on his chest when he reached for her.

His eyes flashed, and Prue wondered if she’d gone too far, but he countered her by mirroring her move, turning away from her and dancing away before returning. When he returned, he hauled Prue close, making her gasp and lose her footing, before he took both her hands in his and neatly twirled her. Prue found herself with her shoulders pressed to Mr. Gorgeous’s massive torso, her bottom and lower back pressed against his groin. Prue felt her hands tighten where he held them prisoner, crossed across her ribs, as the press of an erection against her bottom registered.

Mr. Gorgeous kept her immobile, forced to dance against him in a sexy sway and grind as they moved to the pounding music. Not quite dirty dancing, they kept up the steps to the dance, but Prue had never been more aware of a dance partner. Mr. Gorgeous made no effort to hide his hard-on, but he also wasn’t gross about grinding it into her. It was like a simple statement of fact. He was turned on, and he wasn’t embarrassed about it.

Prue was more than willing to admit she was right there with him. The way he held her, the way his big body moved to the Latin rhythm, all of it created a sexy, oversized package of Dom that had Prue’s pussy softening as she gave herself over to his masterful lead.

Mr. Gorgeous seemed to sense the moment Prue gave up control of the dance. Prue heard him growl low in his throat, a delicious rumble that tracked up Prue’s back from her bottom to the nape of her neck, making her gut clench and sending a sweet little spasm down to her clit. He spun her around again so that she faced him once more, and this time instead of holding one of her hands in his own, he pulled both of her hands up around his neck before settling his own oversized palms on Prue’s hips. The intimate grip they had on one another was perfect as the fast Latin song faded out and was replaced by a sultry, slower number.

They danced like that until the song ended, and Prue was willing to admit she spent the whole time lost in her partner. His eyes, his arms, his dancing…she felt like a total idiot as the song ended, realizing she’d probably been staring at him the whole time.

When she made to step back though, Mr. Gorgeous was having none of it. He hauled her close once more, splaying a possessive hand on her lower back as with his other hand he rubbed a strand of her hair between two fingers. Prue felt her eyes drift shut as his head bent toward her shoulder, his breath hot on her neck.

“What’s your name?” He murmured the question directly into Prue’s ear so that she’d hear him over the music, and she felt a delicious trail of goose bumps rise where his words touched her ear and neck.

It took Prue a moment to register that he’d spoken, and she had to give her head a little shake before her befuddled mind would cooperate. She stood up on her tiptoes and clung to his neck, raising her chin so she could speak into the ear he turned toward her. “It’s Prue.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Prue? As in, short for Prudence?”