Take a Chance (19 page)

She slipped her knee over his thighs and
shifted her weight to straddle him as he went over onto his back.
The hard length of his cock jutted out in front of her. “Oh, good.
Mr. Big wants to play.” She wrapped her hand around it and slid up
and down the shaft with a slow steady rhythm.

A half laugh half groan came out of his mouth
and he pulled her forward with a quick jerk. As her chest met his,
her hips rose and their bodies aligned. He thrust upward, impaling
her. “Damn, woman. Laughter during sex is scary for a man. Help me
out, here.”

“
I heard what you said
outside my door the day I made you leave.”

“
I remember. I just said it
again. What do you think about it?”

She placed her mouth on his and nibbled on
his lower lip. “I said it, too, but you were already gone.”

He took control of her mouth in a
blisteringly hot communion and when they stopped for air, he rolled
until she was under him. “Don’t take this for domination, doll.
This is called the missionary position by most of the world.”

He didn’t give her time to reply, his kisses
keeping her mouth busy while he drove in and out of her body until
they both exploded.

Steve reached for his alarm as soon as he
heard it beep, hoping to let Dena sleep a little longer. He’d taken
her three times last night, each time sweeter than the last. He’d
never been a fan of vanilla sex, but Dena in all her glory was an
angel he never wanted to lose. He rolled over to watch her sleep
and found her side of the bed empty.

He checked the house and found not one sign
of her, not even a note. Damn the woman. Last night was about
coming together as a couple, or, at least, he thought so. Sometime
after the third orgasm, she’d changed her mind and skipped out on
him.

No point in staying in bed, so he showered
and fired up the Keurig for his morning coffee, knowing he and
Derek would work through a full pot by noon. Checking his phone
before leaving the house, he finally found her message.

A text sent while he was in the shower.

Sorry I left while you slept. Thanks for
helping me work this out.

Fuck. She left him with nothing. Not one
fucking hint about what she’d decided or when he’d see her
again.

Son of a bitch.

He had half a mind to camp out in her office
until she explained herself, but he and Derek had a pile of shit to
take care of at G&L today, not to mention the final walk
through of the Lindsay job. He’d track her down when he got there
and make her face the fact that they belonged together.

Hell, he’d already used the L word more than
once. And he didn’t think either of them was ready for the M word,
but he might have to use some version of it to bring her around.
Maybe.

Chapter 21

Dena slipped out of Steve’s bed when the sun
was still hiding, a light blue glow on the horizon the only hint of
daybreak. He’d given her an amazing night and she’d slept deeply
between each interlude, as had he. Still dazed by all he’d said and
done, she’d awakened in the wee hours of the morning and then slept
fitfully for the past hour, her head and her heart trying to decide
what to do next. The only compromise she had was to escape before
he woke and asked what she’d decided.

She wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Not yet.

Once home, she showered and made some
breakfast before calling her brother. The request for a day off was
easily acknowledged. She’d been a mess since Sara’s death and her
brothers were still in bend-over-backward mode where she was
concerned. She didn’t like to miss work, but Steve would be in her
office for the final walk through for the security system and she
didn’t want to see him there.

Best to wait on their first meeting post
vanilla sex.

Susan called at nine.

“
Yes, I’m fine. He was home
and alone, and we talked.”

“
Is that all you did?
Talk?”

Dena laughed and had an immediate image drop
into her head of Steve’s face when she’d laughed in his bed. “No,
we did other things, too.”

Susan’s reaction was a heartfelt. “Thank
goodness. So, what did you decide?”

“
I’m going to continue
seeing him.”

“
And he agreed?”

“
Well, he didn’t disagree.”
She’d put the sleepless morning to good use, figuring how to make
up for her melt down with Steve, and she’d conceived a plan. “What
do you have planned today?”

Susan groaned. “I have to work the evening
shift tonight. Why?”

“
Can you help me with a few
things this morning and let me buy you lunch for your great
advice?”

“
Great advice, huh? Sure,
I’d love a free lunch and some shopping.”

Dena kept an eye on the door while they
waited for Mark, but Susan was the first to see him, even though
she didn’t know who to look for.

“
Wow. That is one
good-looking man. Look at the guy waiting for a table, Dena. He’s
gorgeous.”

Dena turned her head as Susan said, “Hey,
he’s coming this way.”

“
Yes,” she laughed. “That’s
Mark, Steve’s friend and one of his business partners.”

“
Really.” Susan’s blush was
a soft pink by the time Mark sat down, but it flared again when he
shook her hand.

“
Ladies, as much as I love
having lunch with beautiful women, I’m not sure why I was invited.
Clue me in, please. And no, I didn’t tell anyone where I was going
when I left. My PA will call if I’m needed.”

The waiter arrived and they ordered quickly,
knowing Mark had other obligations. When they were alone, Dena
answered. “I want to show Steve that I’m willing to participate in
the club.”

Mark’s brows rose with curiosity. “I thought
you’d walked away from him. He’s been irritated as hell for the
last week or so but wouldn’t talk about it.”

“
I kind of kicked him out of
my house after Sara’s funeral.” Dena kept her gaze in her lap. “I
wasn’t very nice to him.”

“
And now?”

Mark’s dark tone implied trouble and when she
looked up, she recognized the dominance in him even before he
spoke. “If this is about hurting him with my help, I’m out. I don’t
play those games.”

His chair squeaked when he pushed back from
the table and she grabbed his wrist.

“
No, please. It’s not like
that at all.”

He didn’t look happy but he stayed at the
table. “Talk.”

“
I saw Steve last night. I
was trying to figure some things out.”

“
Like what?”

Total Dom mode. Great. “I wanted to know if I
was, I mean, I was trying to decide if I cared about him or craved
the stuff in the club. You know, the um, the dominance.”

Mark leaned forward, his elbows on the table
and his face close to hers. “What did you decide?”

She faced him, eye to eye despite his
dominant persona, and said, “I want him. In any way he wants. I’m
in love with him.”

He didn’t look surprised, but a little
apprehensive. “Have you told him this? Why am I here?”

“
I want to submit to him at
the club tonight. I need permission to be there without him and I
was hoping you’d give me your blessing.”

He leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping
on the table and eyes on something across the room. The waiter
deposited plates in front of them while he remained silent.

This was rapidly turning into a bad idea.
Mark was Steve’s friend, not hers, and she didn’t have the right to
ask for his help after what she’d done to Steve. A glance at Susan
confirmed it. The awed look she’d had when introduced to Mark had
faded to resignation. They both picked up their forks, expecting
him to leave after dressing them down for hurting Steve.

“
What did you have in mind?”
Mark said.

She almost dropped her fork, but Susan
remained in control with a surprised smile.

“
I’m not sure. I wanted to
ask you about what would be appropriate.”

Mark nodded and started eating, making her
wait while he tasted everything on his plate.

“
You can use the public room
upstairs. Do you still have the collar he gave you? I noticed it
missing from your throat. That’s why I assumed you’d broken it off
with him.”

“
It’s at home.”

“
Bring it, but don’t wear
it. He needs to put it back on you. If he agrees.”

“
Okay.”

“
You’ll need to offer
yourself to him.”

“
Okay.”

“
Naked and on your
knees.”

Susan gasped but Dena had anticipated the
requirement and wasn’t shocked. “Okay.”

“
How many witnesses do you
want?”

“
Witnesses?”

Susan’s echo of her reply didn’t help. Mark’s
brow rose, his mouth a thin line.

“
Putting a collar on a sub
is a commitment akin to marriage. I’ve seen a few elaborate
ceremonies performed over the years.”

“
He didn’t tell me anything,
just put it on me. I thought it was a gift.”

“
It was. But there’s
significance in any gift he gives. Me, I like to shower women with
tokens of my appreciation. Steve isn’t into it, though. You were
different from the start.”

“
Oh.” Overwhelmed and
staggered by what she hadn’t known, she stared at Mark and wondered
what other subtext information she’d missed. “Thank you, Master
Mark. Can you tell me anything else I need to know?”

“
Sure. He’s my best friend.
Don’t fuck with him. Be honest and he’ll appreciate you. Break his
heart and deal with me.”

The threat in his words warmed her heart,
even after she saw Susan’s shocked expression. This was a man who
cared about his friends, and she appreciated the way Steve’s
friends supported him. She felt the same way about her friends.
When she smiled at Mark and tipped her head in acknowledgement, he
met her expression with a respectful nod.

They finished eating in companionable
silence, her head buzzing with ideas. “How public should this be?”
she asked.

“
As large or as intimate as
you want it to be.”

Being naked in front of a crowd didn’t appeal
to her, even though she knew it was commonplace in the BDSM clubs.
“What do you think Steve would want?”

His eyes lit up and a mischievous grin
appeared for a minute. “Fuck,” he sighed. “He’d probably want
something small, something intimate. How about using his suite at
the club, with Derek and me as witnesses?”

“
What time?”

“
Come in around five. Better
yet, I’ll send my driver to pick you up so you won’t have to worry
about getting your car back home afterward. Once you’re ready, I’ll
call him with a good reason to come to Private
Delights.”

“
Thank you.”

He slid a business card across the table.
“Give me your address and I’ll have George pick you up at
five.”

“
I hate to be a spoilsport,
but what if he doesn’t show? Maybe I should drive you,” Susan said.
“I can wait outside in the car.”

“
You’re welcome to come
inside as my guest.” Mark flashed her a smile, then shook his head.
“I seriously doubt he’d no-show, but if something comes up and he
can’t get there, my driver will take you home.”

“
I appreciate your help,
Master Mark.”

“
My pleasure.” He took the
card and the lunch check as he stood. “I’ll see you later, Dena.”
Turning to Susan, he lifted her hand and rolled her wrist to press
a kiss into her palm. “Susan, if you ever want to walk on the wild
side, give me a call. I’d love to show you around my
place.”

She laughed. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m
happy with my everyday love life.”

He tipped his head and left the
restaurant.

“
Damn. What a silver tongued
devil.”

Dena nodded, suddenly wondering if she’d done
the right thing in asking for his help. It must’ve been apparent,
because Susan reached for her hand.

“
You look like a woman in
need of a mani-pedi and maybe a massage. Let’s get you ready for
this submission ceremony.”

* * * *

Mark met her at the door, his smile a welcome
sight. “Everything’s ready for you and once you’re settled, I’ll
call him.”

“
Thank you, Master Mark.
This means the world to me. I just hope Steve
understands.”

“
He will.”

She fell in step behind him, her eyes
watching the floor as he led her to the upstairs hall. Before he
swiped his card, he turned and cupped her chin. When their eyes
met, he smiled. “Steve’s a lucky man. I took the liberty of adding
a few things to the room.”

The lock beeped and he pushed open the door,
leaning against it to allow her entrance.

Her breath caught at the decorations. “Oh,
my. This is lovely. Thank you.”

The lights were dimmed and strings of white
twinkle lights were hung from the braces of the ceiling to
illuminate the room. A tall candle sat on the table and soft music
played in the background. A thick white rug was placed in the
center of the floor.

Mark walked over to the rug and bent down to
rub his hand across the thick pile. “You might have to wait a while
for him to arrive. This will be easier on your knees.”

“
Thank you, Master Mark. I’m
overwhelmed.”

“
You’re very welcome. I’ll
call him now and ring the room phone when I know his
ETA.”