Caged (2 page)

“No, it isn’t and I’m not. But I think I’m open to the idea
of finding out how I could feel about her. There’s something, I have no clue
what, but something between us. I like her and how she makes me feel. If we get
together and try a dating relationship, I’m fine if love comes into whatever we
have and I’ll be good if it doesn’t.”

Who knew, maybe he was going crazy and merely wanted more
time in the club with her and her delightful body.

“Fuck it. I wish you nothing but luck. I mean it. I’ll do
whatever you ask to help. Only, don’t think I’m going to make the same trip.
There are too many ladies who want to get their freaky sides spanked and
tickled for me to settle down.” Shane slouched farther into his seat and
smiled.

“Spanked and tickled? Is that what you call it these days?”
He laughed at his friend’s soft way of putting his preferences for flogging and
whipping. Max had a feeling he was in for an interesting journey. All he wanted
was for whatever was between him and Cassandra to work out. Be they friends or
lovers, he wanted to know her better. Shit, at this point he hoped she met him,
period.

He’d picked a nice public place for them to meet. It wasn’t
until later he’d remembered it was also a hotel. He hoped she didn’t think he
meant for them to sleep together. Although, he wouldn’t say no if sex was what
she wanted.

No way would he say no to anything with her.

Time flew by as if on wings. With each swing of the hour
hand, she became more confident and prepared to meet with the curators. When
she looked up at the clock in her studio at home, she found it was almost five.
She was ready for her meeting at the Victoria & Albert, beyond ready.
Feeling good about her preparations, she decided to meet Max. The answer to the
question she’d been thinking about earlier—whether to meet him in the real
world or not—was, in the end, easy to make.

Repacking her portfolio with drawings of her designs and a
briefcase with samples for a final time, she went upstairs and took a hot
shower. Being in charge of her career kept her striving forward. The good and
the bad were on her shoulders alone. She welcomed the challenges and could
handle whatever was thrown her way.

An hour later she was on Cromwell Road, hailing a cab to
take her to The Dorchester.

Before she’d finished paying the driver, a doorman stepped
forward and opened the car door. He was holding an umbrella to protect her from
the drizzle as she made her way into the posh hotel. Thanking him, she looked
around the lobby. She couldn’t remember where she was supposed to meet Max.
Before she could pull the note from her purse, she found him standing near one
of the restaurants.

He looked calm and gorgeous. Shifting the shawl from
covering her head to her shoulders, she stood a little straighter. After
seconds passed, she sucked in a breath and took a few steps to close the
distance between them.

“Hello, Max, I’m Gabrielle Porter. Gabby.” She held out her
hand and her stomach dropped when he lifted it to his lips. Giving him her real
name was a risk. No one at
Succulent
knew who she was and couldn’t connect
her jewelry line to the woman who enjoyed submitting to men.

Looking into his intense, light-blue eyes, she silently
reaffirmed she’d made the right decision to meet him. There was what she
believed was joy and passion, amongst other things, reflecting back at her from
his beautiful gaze. Need and sensuality were there as well, although patience
seemed to shine brighter than everything else.

“Gabby suits you.”

“Thank you.” She blushed, suddenly unsure what to say or how
to act with the man who had the incredible ability to send her screaming into a
climax.

Apparently she was turned-on by him, both in and out of the
club. With Max for less than a minute and she wanted to sink to her knees and
beg to take his cock in her mouth. Before the image had fully settled in her
mind, she reminded herself of the line she’d chosen to walk. She would not move
too fast into the sexual arena. She didn’t want to jeopardize their play at the
club if the personal thing didn’t work.

“Shall we go in?”

“Yes, sounds good. I’m afraid I can’t stay out too late. I
have a big meeting tomorrow morning.” She wanted to get her plan to leave early
out there so it wasn’t looked at as a poor excuse to escape.

“Don’t worry. I’d planned on us having dinner this evening,
nothing else.”

“Oh, okay.” Somehow his words eased her nerves, but didn’t
help alleviate her raging need. Nothing would sort out her passion except his
touch. She needed to move on, as it wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t pleased
with his quick confirmation. Maybe secretly she’d wanted him to make a play for
her at least once.

“Please, baby girl, don’t be disappointed. I’m trying hard
to keep our previous play at the club out of my head. Trust me, it’s
difficult.”

“Seriously? You definitely make it appear as if it weren’t a
problem.” It was driving her nuts how easy he made accepting her position look.
It definitely wasn’t easy for her.

“Calm? Not really, but I am happy because you’re here,” he
offered with a small smile.

They stopped in front of the maître d’ who asked for their
coats. She took her shawl off, holding it out for the man to take. Max stepped
up behind her and put one arm lightly around her waist. Spreading his hand
across her stomach, he used the other to hold out his coat. When he moved in
closer, the breath she’d been about to take stopped in the back of her throat.
His hard-on nudged her lower back and she had proof of exactly how their
meeting was affecting him.

“Table for two, Stephenson.”

“Yes sir, right this way.”

A feeling of intimacy settled in her as they were shown to a
table behind a pillar. Once they were sitting, they both took their time
looking over the menu. Any discomfort she might have had in meeting with him
slowly slipped away. She was ready to start getting to know him, start asking
questions, but he beat her to it.

“Tell me what you do and about this big meeting tomorrow.”
It was an obvious opening question, but she figured it was a good place to
start.

“I’m a jeweler and Victoria & Albert Museum curators are
thinking of including a few pieces I’ve created in a retrospective exhibit
they’re organizing.”

“What an honor,” he said with what she took as honesty and a
smile hinting at pride. His kind and supportive words had her relaxing even
further.

“It’s more than I ever believed possible and absolutely
terrifying.” Gabby wanted to start their conversation in the same way she meant
to be with him. Upfront and to the point.

“They wouldn’t have asked to meet with you if they didn’t
think your work was worthy.”

“I’m hoping so. Hope being what’s currently holding me
together,” she said while laughing.

“Are you wearing anything you’ve designed?”

“No, these are by Elsa Puchella. I love her work. Her pieces
have a wonderful organic feel I enjoy.” Fiddling with the long gold earrings,
she was comfortable because they were talking about jewelry. “These are snakes
from her Ark collection. For me, the design is simple, exotic and elegant.
Those ideals and a few others is a mixture I strive to achieve in my own
designs.”

“You wear them well.”

“Thank you. Now, speaking of jewelry, I have to know how you
ended up with your piercings? I’ve never come across a man with both an
ampallang and an apadravya. Have to be honest and tell you I’m having a
difficult time seeing any man being sober enough to ask for both.”

“I was sober before and while they were being done but not
after. It’s called a magic cross.”

“Yes it is.” Reaching for her glass, she quickly took a sip.
Heat exploded and raced through her body, trapped beneath her nice black dress.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up, well, you know, sex.” The last word came out
on a whisper while her gaze raced around to see if anyone was within hearing
distance.

“I don’t mind, I quite enjoy the subject.” He reached across
the table and took hold of her hand. “I particularly enjoy it when you’re added
into the mix.”

The man seemed to know exactly what to do and say to have
her ready to slip under the table and take his hard rod in her mouth. If it
weren’t for his hand touching hers, she had a feeling she’d be less grounded
and at a loss of what to say next. Trying to hold back from satisfying her own
desires, she asked what he hadn’t answered.

“Okay, stop trying to divert my attention. Seriously, I’m
curious about why you have such a wicked piercing.”

“I’m comfortable with my body, happy with how it looks and
embrace what I find exciting. Being turned on makes me feel alive and ready for
anything. These two silver bars and their caps running through my cock add a
bite, a hunger, into the equation. All of it suits me.”

“How long have you had them?”

“Almost five years now.”

“They’re divine from what I’ve experienced through a condom.
I imagine without one they’d feel delicious when the four silver balls run up
and down the sensitive walls of a woman’s pussy,” she whispered.

“I’m game anytime you want to fuck without protection.” He
curled his fingers, pulling her hand more intimately into his. “It can’t be at
the club. Fucking without a condom is against the rules, but name the place and
I’m definitely there.”

“Oh,” she murmured while trying to hold back the temptation
to say yes.

“I guess this is the perfect time to have the talk. You
already know I’m clean from the club. If it will make you feel more
comfortable, I can ensure my latest health certificate filed at Succulent is
made available to you. I should also tell you I’m a silent partner at the club,
although the rules apply to all.”

She hummed out loud as her mind was flooded with comments
and questions about unprotected sex.

“What?”

Gabby wasn’t sure this was the time or place to tell him
what was on her mind. Sex was an issue they were skating over. Talking about
his piercings had been a diversion. But since he’d jumped into the pool, she
might as well join him.

“I’m afraid.”

“Of what? Me?”

“No, no, not you,” she told him, worried she’d insulted
him—something she absolutely didn’t want to do.

“Come on, Gabby. Put it all on the table then we can talk
about it. Let’s start as we mean to go. I’d rather have no secrets between us.”

“Okay, total honesty. It started when I read your note. I
wasn’t sure I wanted to come and meet you. If I did, then I would have to leave
the submissive side of me, the one who enjoys playing with you at the club,
entirely out of whatever may come between us.”

“Why?” He sounded curious.

“You are the first man at
Succulent
who helped me to
experience all I wanted. I’ve had my fair share of intense scenes and
mind-blowing orgasms, but with you I strive for much more. I know I’ll get
whatever I want in triplicate. I usually only come out to play a couple times a
year, then I hooked up with you. You and your brand of passion had me showing
up the next day and the next, looking for more.”

“You had me showing up as well, Gabby,” he told her and her
confidence was boosted.

“You’re why I’m afraid. I don’t want to lose what we have
there if it doesn’t work between us out here.” There, she’d told him what
concerned her most and waited to hear what he had to say. She watched him while
he took a sip of water and was awed by his demeanor. His calmness was killing
her but she also found it soothing.

“How do you think it’s going between us tonight?” He put the
question to her without looking away. He spoke in a quiet yet confident voice,
making the query sound intense. She knew how she thought the night was going. Great,
although his expression wasn’t giving her any hints into what was in his head.
No matter what else may happen, Gabby was going to stay true to her feelings.

“I’m truly enjoying myself,” she confided.

“Same here. Why don’t we look on the up side and not worry
about what may or may not happen later?”

There was a yes on the tip of her tongue, ready to slip out,
but it didn’t. “What I’m looking for from you is more than an occasional night
at the club. I want to know your mind, what you’re thinking and feeling as well
as your body. I want to spend more time with you, both sexually and not.”

“Yes, I want the same thing. I’d like to get to know you and
what all of that entails.”

“Then let’s take tonight and see where it leads us.”

“Okay,” she told him and smiled, joy blooming inside her. He
made her happy. She hadn’t asked for him to make her feel anything and yet he
had. Gabby wasn’t in the mood to question what was happening.

“And before we go any further, will you go out with me
tomorrow night to celebrate?”

“Celebrate what?” He confused her with a couple words, but
her good mood didn’t change.

“Since you asked, we’ll raise a glass to your successful
meeting with the V&A people and us being together for another night. Will
you come?”

“I’d love to.” She smiled at his vote of confidence.

“Good, now I can relax.”

“You were nervous?” Gabby had a hard time believing he’d
been nervous. From what she’d seen, the man was confident.

“Of course I’m nervous. I came last night believing you
wouldn’t come, while desperately hoping you would. I had no clue if you’d show
up tonight or not.” Well, there was a boost to her ego if there ever was one.
“I’m flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to you and am finding it all
a thrilling trip.”

Laughing, she turned her hand around until she held his.
“We’re two peas in a pod.”

“I can’t wait to see where we’re headed.”

“No matter what happens, we’re going to have a great ride,”
she told him and finally relaxed.