A Little Harmless Obsession (8 page)

“You could have fooled me. You seem more concerned that I hit him than your own safety.” She pushed her sandwich away. Chris was just going to have to accept she couldn’t finish it with Evan glaring at her.

“I wasn’t worried about Rick. I was worried about you.” His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

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45

Melissa Schroeder

“Rick couldn’t hurt you physically, and well, I’m sure you scared the living hell out of him, but he’s petty. He might do something to hurt you…or your contracting business. I’d hate for that to happen.” For a second, he said nothing, and then he seemed to relax. “I can handle him. He might be a celebrity around here, but I’ve been here longer, have too many contacts.”

“I was also mad that everyone was treating me like a little girl.”

“I wasn’t doing that. I was just trying to find out the truth.”

“Why? The police had already talked to him, knew he had an alibi and you knew that too.”

“It isn’t that tight of an alibi.”

“When I talked to Officer Carino last night—”

“Why were you talking to him? Did something happen?”

Damn
. “Yeah. I got a letter in the mail.”

“Fuck. At your house?”

She nodded, and she could admit to herself she was more than a little creeped out by it. “They’re working on the fingerprints on the envelope but mine were the only ones they cleared. Anyway, Kai followed me to work. It isn’t like I didn’t take precautions.”

“The letter, what did it say?”

She told him and he let loose a stream of profanity that was a little much, even for Evan.

“I called the police right away. They’re looking into it.” Evan popped up out of his chair and started pacing. “But the bastard knows where you live.”

“A lot of people do. I’ve lived there since I was two years old.” He waved that away. “It’s taking it to the next level.” She nodded. “I agree. But—”

“I can’t believe you didn’t call me.”

“What?”

“I mean, would it have killed you to let me know…” He stopped in midsentence, halted his pacing and looked at her. “Never mind.”

She frowned at him. “I wasn’t alone. The whole family was home.” He settled his hands on his hips and nodded.

“I just want you to know that while appreciate your concern, I can take care of myself.” He opened his mouth but she rolled ahead. “Keeping my life as normal as possible is important. This sicko would get some kind of thrill knowing he screwed with me. But don’t think for a second I’m not taking this seriously.

It hurts that so many people in my life, mainly the men, seem to think I’m an imbecile.” His expression softened. “You’re one of the smartest women I know.” 46

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A Little Harmless Obsession

Heat filled her face and her heart skipped a beat. Everything in her felt giddy and just because he called her smart. Jesus. Was she that far gone over him? Would she never be able to move on? She cleared her throat.

“Thank you.”

“I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

She nodded, unable to even speak. The sincerity in his voice had a lump forming in her throat. She might never be his type of woman, but there was no denying he did care about her. Evan had a truly big heart for his friends.

“I’ll leave you alone about it if you promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Do you promise to let me know if anything else happens?” She didn’t answer right away so he continued “I know I don’t have a right to demand, but you’re one of my best friends…my only female friend other than Cynthia. I just worry about you.”

She relented because he didn’t order her. “I will.”

Something moved over his face but it was gone before she could even decipher it.

“Thank you.”

Silence filled the office as neither of them seemed to come up with anything to say. A second later, Evan’s face flushed with…embarrassment? Jeez, she would have never thought she’d see Evan Chambers blush.

“I’ve gotta get going.”

“Boss will probably be back in a second or two.”

He shook his head as he backed up to the door. “I was just taking a breather before I head to Aeia to do an estimate. On a kitchen rehab. In a house.”

She frowned at him. “Okay. I’ll tell Chris you stopped by.” He nodded, then turned on his heel and practically ran out of the room.

She sighed as she looked down at the schedule and then grabbed her sandwich. The men in her life were going to drive her insane.

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47

Chapter Six

May closed her eyes and allowed the techno beat of the club’s music to pulse through her blood.

Excitement skittered over her flesh as she tried her best to contain it. It might be her first time here, but she wanted to try her best not to look like a rookie.

“You know, you might enjoy the atmosphere a bit more if you open your eyes.” She did and slanted a look at her best friend. Cynthia’s guileless blue eyes and innocent smile hid a very wicked mind and sometimes an even more wicked tongue.

Leaning over so she could shout in her ear, May said, “If I didn’t owe you for getting me in here, I’d smack you upside the head, sistah.”

Cynthia laughed and took a sip of her lava flow before answering. “You have to be nice to me. I won’t take credit for the offer, since I think Micah came up with that.” She shook her head. “Still, without me, you’d still be trying to figure out a way to come up with the five thousand dollar joining fee.” That much was true. Rough ’n Ready was Honolulu’s premier BDSM club and it did have a hefty price tag to ensure the patrons were serious about their lifestyle. May wasn’t poor. Chris paid her a good price to manage Dupree’s, but she also didn’t have money like that to throw around.

“That much we can agree on.” She looked around and noticed they’d lost Chris somewhere along the way. “What happened to your better half?”

“He’s talking to Micah. I still can’t believe you agreed to a public submission.”

“You’re the one who talked me into it.”

Cynthia laughed. “I know, but I am still surprised.”

May glanced toward the area where many of the people where gathered. She hadn’t seen it up close, but she knew there were glass squares that allowed patrons a front-row seat to the D/s play going on in the rooms below. The participants choose whether or not to allow the audience to see the session.

She shivered thinking of all those people watching her. She hadn’t completely come to terms with what she needed and she’d agreed to her first true session in front of a flipping audience. Crazy, or as her grandfather would say,
pupule
. She couldn’t contain the dueling emotions as they flooded her. Fear with a healthy dose of arousal and excitement fought for control and she was amazed she hadn’t gone completely
pupule
from the battle beneath the surface.

The desire to know more about herself, what she needed, was the only thing keeping her in the club. It wasn’t until she started talking to Cynthia a few months earlier that May realized why she might be bored
A Little Harmless Obsession

in the bedroom. She hadn’t slept with a lot of men, but she’d had enough lovers to know she was missing something. With a little research, she’d come to understand why she found most of her sexual partners lacking.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and studied the customers. There were a few faces she recognized, including one of the former line cooks from Dupree’s. It was crowded as she assumed it was every Saturday night, but she understood it was busy every night of the week. Most clubs like it were little more than meat markets. They played at being BDSM clubs, but they weren’t serious. They didn’t have the strict security guidelines Micah insisted on or the hefty joiner’s fee. Rough ’n Ready required a thorough background check for security. That made the other clubs not only subpar, but also potentially dangerous.

She glanced at her friend. “I didn’t have much choice. It was that or pay the five thousand. I just can’t spare that amount of money.”

Cynthia nodded. “I know, but…when I was starting out in this world, I wouldn’t have had the nerve to do it, not in a public forum. Of course, I don’t have your fantasy of exhibitionism.”

“Really?” May faced Cynthia. “I’d never guess you had any second thoughts.”

“I did. And third, fourth… You get the idea.” She shrugged. “Thank God for Chris, because I was really out of my depth. And seriously, I probably would have never made that leap if it hadn’t been for him.”

Something caught Cynthia’s attention over May’s shoulder. A second later, her whole face lit up with a smile and May knew who she’d seen. She couldn’t fight the little twinge of envy that curled in her gut.

Twisting around, she watched Chris make his way through the crowd. He kept getting interrupted along the way, and being the ultimate businessman, he stopped, smiled and chatted.

It gave her time to study the man with him, who she assumed was Micah. Taller than Chris by an inch or two, he probably outweighed him by fifty pounds—all muscle. Long, silky black hair spilled over his shoulders, a testament to his Native American background, as were the high cheekbones and strong jaw.

“He’s pretty, isn’t he?” Cynthia asked.

Without taking her attention away from Micah, she nodded. His lips where full, sensuous, and even looking as irritated as he did now, he was gorgeous. The light was dim, but she could see the reddish gold tone to his skin. He stood out from the mostly leather-clad patrons due to his stature and his clothing. A dark blue dress shirt fit snugly over his impressive chest and the casual dress slacks hugged his lean hips. It wasn’t what May expected the owner of a BDSM club to wear, especially at work.

“I hate to say it, because it probably sounds bad, but all I can think of when I see him is a conquering warrior,” Cynthia said.

Again, May didn’t take her gaze away from the man who was now impatiently looking around the club. She wished she could see the shade of his eyes. They weren’t black, or even brown, but something lighter.

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Melissa Schroeder

When his eagle gaze zeroed in on her, she froze. The frown wrinkling his brow cleared, and one side of his mouth quirked. Touching two fingers to his forehead, he gave her a salute. Heat ping-ponged through her belly and her heart skipped a beat.

May licked her lips. “Oh, that is one dangerous man, sistah.” Cynthia laughed. “Yeah and you just agreed to submit to him to get in his club.”

“Holy Lord, what was I thinking?” She barely whispered the words, so not even Cynthia could hear her. Before she could come to terms with Micah and just what she’d agreed to, another man, one who used to make her knees go weak and her body vibrate with lust, stepped into view beside the club owner.

“What the hell is Evan doing here?”

Cynthia stepped up beside her and cocked her head. “He probably comes here most weekends.” Both women watched as Evan and Micah started arguing, Evan doing most of the shouting as the other man said little.

“That’s odd. I always thought they were on friendly terms. Evan is considered one of the top Doms, and Micah does like the way he draws a crowd when he performs.” May glanced at Cynthia whose frown deepened. “Oh, crap. Now Chris is getting into the middle of it.” With one last gulp of her drink, she set it down on a nearby table and grabbed May’s hand. “Let’s go smooth some male egos.”

Evan Chambers strode through Rough ’n Ready, searching for Chris Dupree while various scenarios of hurting his best friend flitted through his mind. All of them included an extreme amount of pain and degradation.

What the fuck is Chris thinking bringing May to a place like this, let alone setting her up for public
display?
She didn’t belong in a BDSM club anymore than Evan belonged at a monastery. Even that ridiculous image couldn’t cool his temper. Nothing would until he had it out with Chris.

Violence bubbled in his blood as he brushed past the milling patrons. When he spotted Chris chatting to Micah, Evan’s anger surged. Evan changed directions and headed straight for them, ignoring more than one person as he practically plowed his way to where they stood.

He ordered himself to calm down, to control his fury as he neared the two men, but as he thought of what he’d been told, a red haze filled his vision and he lost the ability to think straight.

“What the fuck are you thinking bringing May here?” Evan shouted.

“Well, good evening to you, Evan,” Chris said, then calmly sipped his drink.

“I don’t have time for this shit. What the hell are you doing?”

“I was talking to Micah.” He gestured toward his partner.

Evan felt his grip on his temper slipping. “Why did you bring May here? And what is this crap about her having a public submission to gain her membership?” 50

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A Little Harmless Obsession

“She told Cynthia she wanted to see what the club was like,” Chris said. “How did you find out about it?”

“Jay told me the moment I walked through the door.” Evan scowled, thinking of the way the bouncer had licked his lips when he told him about it. “It’s probably all over the fucking club by now.”

“Hell.” Chris heaved a sigh and shrugged. “There’s nothing that can be done now.”

“It isn’t like they wouldn’t figure it out soon enough.” Micah’s calm voice sent another surge of rage coursing through Evan’s veins.

He glanced at his friend who stood there in the middle of the most decadent club on the island, looking as if he were discussing the weather.

“And just what the hell are you thinking? Taking on a rookie sub? Hell, I can’t remember the last time you performed for a crowd.”

“What does it matter to you, Chambers?” Again Micah’s cool, composed tone set his annoyance soaring.

“May’s a friend and she just isn’t the kind of girl for something like this.” He ground his teeth together and bit out every word. “Definitely not for public display. And with her recent problems, I would think something like this would be ill advised.”