MakeMeShiver (22 page)

The only thing watching them was the lifelike dummy bartender standing a few feet in front of her. There were speakers mounted into each corner of the room and a tiny circular button just in front of her.

She pressed the small nodule and heard the same voice that startled her earlier. “What can I get you?”

What the hell?

“I told you’d I’d never do anything to embarrass or hurt you,” Michael said, exhaling against her back. “I would never do anything you didn’t want.”

“What is this place?” She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Where are we?”

“This is a room for people who want to explore exhibitionism. If a Dom has a submissive who is excited by the prospect of playing in public he can bring her here, invite experienced couples to watch and control the environment.”

It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. There had been people here when Michael stripped her clothing away and fucked her silly. If they’d been alone, some inner part of her would have recognized it. She would have known that it was only the two of them.

Wouldn’t she?

“No one else was ever here?”

“No.” His hair caressed the area between her shoulders and she felt his lips brushing the middle of her spine.

It had all been a trick. From the moment they’d entered this room it had only been her and Michael, no one else. She should have felt duped. The knowledge that none of it had been real should have made her as angry as hell.

So why didn’t it?

Because he asked you to give him your trust and he proved he wouldn’t break it.

Michael never said he would take her against the bar while people watched. He never insinuated he would fuck her in front of God and everyone. Those were her own insecurities, her own doubts. Each time she’d hesitated, he’d offered her the easy way out. There was nothing but total honesty on his part.

The truth wasn’t easy to take but it was necessary. The point Michael so desperately wanted to make was far more important than the D/s trust and honesty code. From the moment they’d entered into a relationship he’d always been open with her. When the cards were down and he needed her support, she’d taken that honesty and crushed it, treating him as if he didn’t deserve any kind of credit. She questioned him time and again, despite the numerous things he had done to prove his loyalty.

It was so obvious now. So clear. She knew how far he’d go for her. He just needed to know how far she was willing to go for him.

“It was just a test?” she whispered, stunned by the realization.

“I’d say it was more than that.”

“Did I pass?”

He pulled free of her body, turned her around and pulled her into his arms. “We both did.”

Then he kissed her, and she knew he’d been asking for her trust because he’d never take advantage of something so important to him. Michael was the man she’d always wanted, standing right before her, but it took her being blind to the world to finally see.

Sagging against him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and knew this time she would never let go. He made her shiver. He made her melt. And as promised, when he finished, everything but the two of them disappeared.

Epilogue

Candice parked her car in front of Lacey’s house and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to go inside and have dinner with her best friend and her brand-spanking-new fiancée, but if she wanted to remain a part of Lacey’s life she was going to have to make some adjustments.

She looked at herself in the rearview mirror, smoothing her hair. “This entire situation is fucked up.”

All right, maybe that was taking it too far. She was happy for Lacey. She’d managed to find a man who treated her right and had her best interests at heart. Mike doted on her friend in a way that made her as jealous as it did nauseous. The courtship had been fast—too fast to most in their small town—but their affection and love appeared genuine. They were like newlyweds already, sharing secret whispers, exchanging knowing looks.

Not to mention they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

The trouble was, watching the two of them together made her yearn for something she didn’t understand. She didn’t want a relationship. She wasn’t interested in putting her heart on the line in order to establish one. It was best to keep things on a strictly sexual level when it came to men. She enjoyed what they offered, she gave them what they needed in turn and both parties walked away happy.

So why did that suddenly sound so callous to her? As if she were mistreating the men she made arrangements with who were eager to accept her no-strings-attached policy?

“You can lie to the world but don’t lie to yourself,” she told her reflection, studying her face. “You know exactly why it bothers you so much.”

Brady fucking Stone.

Either God was trying to send her a message or she had shitty timing, because everywhere she went she bumped into the man. She’d seen him at the grocery store, when she was staking out the local pet store to do a story on a puppy mill and then again when she’d met with Brian Laing and Trevor Carmack at Rolo’s Café to discuss the whereabouts of a woman who’d left their home weeks ago and never returned.

She righted the mirror and sighed. That last visit had turned out to be far more than she anticipated. When she explained she needed assistance from the Plainview Police Department, which would have information she couldn’t gather on her own, they told her it was no problem and Brady showed up. Brian and Trevor were quick to point out how useful Candice and Brady could be to each other. She could question the people who phoned in with anonymous tips while Brady could screen the information against what he had in the database at work. It was a match made in heaven that totally wasn’t.

Faced with paying her rent or saying no, she’d decided to take the job and investigate the whereabouts of one Alyssa McIntyre. Unfortunately, that meant she could no longer avoid Brady’s calls or tell him to leave her alone. This was business, after all, and she was a professional.

“Keep lying to yourself,” she murmured and reached for her purse. “Maybe you’ll start to believe it.”

She climbed from her car, adjusted her shirt and tugged her purse over her shoulder. Lacey’s windows were open, so she could see inside. Michael had Lacey pressed against a wall, kissing her hard, and his hand was between her legs. They didn’t seem to notice or care she was coming up the walkway.

Candice’s libido kicked into gear and she realized soon she’d have to make a trip to Atlanta and release some pent-up tension. That had to be the problem. The last time she’d had sex was when she’d tied Brady’s beautiful body to the bed, teased him mercilessly and ridden him so hard she’d thought the headboard might break. The entire time she’d used his arms as leverage, keeping her hands balanced on his bulging biceps. As he’d strained his prominent muscles, she’d thought the rope, the clasp on the cuff or the latch on the wall was going to splinter and fall apart.

Heat spread from her tummy to her pussy. Not only was Brady tall and broad, so was his cock. It had only taken minutes for her to come, screaming, which didn’t happen very often. It was probably the loudest and most vocal she’d allowed herself to be with a submissive.

How did she know that for certain?

She had the damn disc he gave her after he visited her house weeks ago, a video of her fucking him like a common street tramp on the night they spent together. He was definitely worth the ride, although now it seemed to be turning into more of an extended trip.

“Stop it, would you?” She shook her shoulders loose and started walking. “Get your head out of the gutter.”

When she knocked on the door, she heard Lacey yelp and Michael’s muted laughter.

“I’m coming!” Lacey yelled.

“Not yet, you’re not,” Mike said and Candice heard a hearty slap, one she was sure was delivered directly to Lacey’s backside.

The door swung open and Lacey appeared. She was breathing fast and her cheeks were red. Mike joined her, wrapping his arm around Lacey’s waist.

“Hi, Candy.” Lacey rolled her eyes and took a step back, forcing Mike to do the same.

“You two are so sweet I think I might go into sugar shock.” Candice stepped inside and placed her purse on the floor.

“It’s all her.” Mike kissed the side of Lacey’s neck.

“You crazy kids.” Candice shook her head and walked to the table. The wine for dinner was already open and waiting. She was to going to need it if she was going to last the evening.

“Go ahead and take a seat,” Lacey said when Mike finally let her go. “I’ll get the lasagna out of the oven.”

Candice slid into her chair and Mike walked to a seat across the table. “How’s work?”

Poor bastard. He still didn’t know how to interact with her, which was mostly her fault. She’d kept him at a safe distance, just like she did every man aside from her father.

“Same ol’, same ol’.” She smiled and tried to keep the mood light.

He took the wine from the metal chiller and started filling his and Lacey’s glasses. “Any news about Aly?”

She shook her head. Brian and Trevor had contacted all the clubs in the southern portion of the United States but there was no guarantee Aly hadn’t traveled outside of their scope.

“Her parents weren’t any help?”

Candice wanted to cringe. “Have you met those people?”

“No. Aly said she hadn’t had contact with them in years.”

“Good for her. I wouldn’t have contact with them either.” The information Brady had shared wasn’t pleasant. Aly had an alcoholic father who used violence to sort out his issues and a passive mother who let her husband do whatever he wanted. Being anywhere near the McIntyre household wouldn’t be good.

“That bad?”

“Worse,” she answered and took a drink of her wine.

He didn’t say anything else when Lacey walked from the kitchen with dinner in her hands and sat the dish in the center of the table.

“I heard the two of you, you know.” She ran her hand along Mike’s shoulder as she sat in the chair between him and Candice. “If you want to discuss Aly, feel free. I’ve started to become concerned about her myself.”

Michael took Lacey’s hand, brought it to his mouth and ran his lips along the back of her knuckles. Trying not to notice the tender gesture, Candice decided to do as Lacey requested.

“Since she withdrew her savings and closed her account, we still can’t find a paper trail. There were a few leads but unless she slips up and uses her real name somewhere, it’s going to be impossible to track her down.”

“She’ll slip up.” Mike didn’t sound happy. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“If she’s anything like I’ve heard, I’m sure she will.”

Full-time submissives didn’t do well on their own. From the information Candice had gathered about Aly, the woman had to be hurting. First she was abandoned by her family for her lifestyle choice, which, all things considered, was probably a good thing. Then her stability with the Dom she’d trusted was broken when he decided he wanted change and a new life. Two strikes, back to back, had certainly hit their mark.

“How’s Brady?” Lacey smiled as she asked.

If she and her friend had been alone, Candice would have given Lacey an ear full. Damn her for bringing the sexy police officer into the conversation when she couldn’t fight back.

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.”

“I thought you were working together?”

“We’re sharing information, not working together.” Candice started piling food onto her plate so she could eat and avoid answering more questions.

“That’s odd.” Lacey turned to Mike. He gave her a warning look but it was too late. “You said he was working on a lead.”

“Hold up.” Candice didn’t bother reaching for her fork. “What lead?”

“Nothing.” Lacey shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll tell you if he finds anything.”

Son of a bitch
. Brady was supposed to run checks on the leads
she
acquired, not investigate. If he got information she needed and gave it to Brian and Trevor before she did, they might take that as an indication that she wasn’t doing what she was being paid for.

“What lead?” She glared at Lacey. “Don’t backtrack now. It’s too late.”

“He’s driving to Memphis to talk to a woman who saw the fliers Brian and Trevor passed around,” Mike answered and looked at his submissive in a way that promised she was going to pay for her interference. “The description the caller provided was on the money. He wanted to hurry to the club in case Aly might be there.”

“Which club? When’s he leaving?”

“The Den, and he left about an hour ago.”

Hell no
. Brady was
not
going to talk to his source alone. The Den was in a seedy part of Memphis, so he probably did it because he wanted to protect her.

How many times did she have to tell him she was fully capable of taking care of herself?

Candice rose from the table. “I’m going to have to cut dinner short. I’ll take a rain check.”

“Brady’s a big boy, you know.” Mike grasped Lacey’s arm when she started to rise from her seat. “He can take care of himself.”