Strictly Business: Hooded Pleasures, Book 1 (18 page)

Gotcha.

He loaded up two plates with fruit and cheese and headed back to the table to sit with Monica. Jane and Mike joined them a few minutes later.

“You look good.” Jane punched Alex’s arm playfully. “Everything going okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” Alex wasn’t sure how else to explain his emotional roller coaster. “Everything’s just fine.”

“Excellent. Eat up, drink up, put on your happy face, and let’s get back glad-handing.” Jane drew a deep breath. “Time to earn your keep, bro.” She gestured to a nearby pack of visitors. “Keep smiling and don’t forget to push for donations.”

Alex shoved a slice of cheese into his mouth and took the glass from Monica. “Understood.”

The rest of the night disappeared in a flurry of babbled pleasantries, shaking hands and trying to be as friendly as possible to people with big wallets and hopefully bigger hearts. Alex did his best, thinking of keeping his sister happy and doing right by his parents.

But in the back of his mind, he was already weighing his options, trying to figure out his next step.

Kate said she didn’t want him.

She was wrong.

That moan, that grip on the back of his neck and that kiss—it had been real. More real than anything else they’d done before.

Just because she didn’t want to accept it didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

But what could he do to make her see he belonged to her and her alone?

He couldn’t go back to the way things were before he’d signed on with Hooded Pleasures.

He wouldn’t settle for another Domme.

He wouldn’t settle for a vanilla relationship with anyone else.

Now what?

A few hours later, Alex sat in a chair, watching the last of the guests stagger out the doors. The waiters were already clearing off the tables, and the buffet was nothing but a pleasant memory. He resisted the urge to pull the napkin out and study it, sniff it, fondle it and imagine Kate drawing the image with short, stiff strokes of her pen.

The same strokes she used on his back.

The woman was an artist. A damned good one, if she’d scratched this out on a whim.

If he wanted to, he could probably find her now. Take the art and start the hunt. It was more than he’d started the night with, and between this and her gaming, it would be more likely than not he could track his lovely Katherine.

But if he found her—

The nagging question returned.

Where would he go from there?

Her words had changed the problem, reshaped it into a different one pointed directly at him.

How could he refute her statement that he only wanted a Domme, not necessarily her? She had to know he’d refused Danielle, but it could be explained away as a fluke, a case of personalities clashing.

The irksome question tugged at him.

He was sure it was the woman, not the scene. What he felt, what he felt from her, couldn’t be explained away as just the desire for the whip. Those minutes on the floor in his house had proven that to him, shown him his feelings for her went deeper than just wanting to get his ass spanked.

But how could he prove her wrong?

How could he make her realize what she kept denying, that she wanted him as much as he wanted her?

And why was she fighting it so much?

Alex ran his fingers along the edge of the soft fabric in his pocket, feeling the abrasions rub against his fingertips.

Time to explore his options.

He could rotate through the rest of the Dommes at Hooded Pleasures to see if it was Kate and only Kate he wanted, not any woman with a whip and an attitude. Take Kate the numbers and let her see it was her, only Katherine he wanted.

Alex’s analytical mind ran through the routine and imagined her answer.

She’d laugh and shake her head.

These women were paid to deliver the experience. Whether they enjoyed it or not, they’d go to the appointment.

There was a big difference between paying for it and receiving it as a gift, a present from your lover.

He hated to admit it, but her reasoning was sound.

Kate thought he’d never know the real emotions until he got the real thing, went to a club and found a Domme to take him in hand.

Both of them able to walk away at any time if the situation broke bad. Safe-word out without any issues, no operator waiting for a code tapped in on a cell phone to call the end to the session because of time restraints.

Nothing keeping them there but the desire for each other.

She expected him to settle for any woman with a whip.

He had to prove her wrong.

The answer came to him in a bleary rush accompanied by a stomach-twisting lurch in his gut.

He knew what he could do to bring Katherine to him.

What he had to do.

Jane approached him, carrying her high heels in one hand. “Ready to go home?” Jane nudged him. She beamed as she swept her hand around, encompassing the ballroom. “We made our target and more.”

“That’s fantastic.” He kissed her cheek. “Mom and Dad would be so proud of you.”

“Of both of us,” she replied. “I know you don’t like these things, but trust me, you being here tonight made a difference. Changed a whole lot of lives.”

He allowed himself a smile, unable to tell her how much it truly had.

“Am I taking you home or—” Jane nodded toward Monica, who was busy chatting with a group of women.

“Yeah.” Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “Home, please.” He forced himself to burp. “No offense, but I don’t think I’ll be interested in much else tonight other than my own bed. Alone.” He rolled his head back and forth, hearing bones pop. “Unless she likes holding my head above the toilet.” He hiccupped to complete the lie.

Jane scrunched up her face. “Uh, no. I’ll save her from that.” She paused. “Did you at least have a good time?”

“Yes.” He was honest now. “I had a great time.”

Kate knew the interrogation was coming.

Thankfully, Ann waited until they’d driven home, another white-knuckled experience. She’d invited Kate in, and Kate knew it’d be unwise to refuse.

A few minutes later, she was on the couch, and Ann approached with two cups of coffee. “Okay. What happened?” Ann fixed her with a steely look usually reserved for early morning chats after a walk of shame.

“Nothing.”

Ann glared at her.

Kate sighed. “There was this guy—”

“What did he do?” Ann picked up her coffee mug. “Pinch your ass? Stick his cell phone between your legs to get a photo of your panties?”

“Nothing.” Kate shifted her weight. “We talked. That was all.” She rubbed her hands together, finding them suddenly cold. “That was all,” she repeated.

“All enough to get you twisted out of sorts.” Ann eyed Kate. “Was he a gigolo? Did he proposition you? Offer you a roll in the hay for a wad of cash?”

Kate couldn’t help giggling. Then laughing. Then guffawing to the point that she fell over and buried her face in the cream-colored cushions.

Ann let out a snort and waited until Kate sat up, wiping her eyes.

“How much booze did you have?” She sipped her coffee, watching Kate. “I feel like I’m way behind.”

“Ah.” Kate sighed, feeling the momentary levity leave. “He’s one of my clients. Was, I mean.” She rubbed her cheeks. “The one we talked about before.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say his name.

Ann’s eyes went wide, and she put the mug down on the table with a loud thump. “No shit.” She covered her mouth in shock. “No. Shit.”

“Yeah. That.” Kate shook her head. “Of all the places—”

“Wait.” Ann put her hand up. “Alex showed up? What the hell happened? How did he end up there?”

“He—” Kate paused. The slow burn from hearing his name began in her gut, sending her stomach into nervous flip-flops. “His last name’s Hanson. It’s on the damned info booklet about the charity event we were all handed when we walked in. His family’s one of the big names sponsoring it. I didn’t put it together until he saw me and I saw him and—” She broke off, seeing Ann’s smile.

“So it’s like Cinderella.” She waved her hand in the air. “You think he’s a techie geek, and suddenly he’s there all cleaned up and waving a silver spoon.” She raised her eyebrows. “That’s kinda sexy.”

“No. No,” Kate said. “Not sexy at all.”

Ann ignored her, a dreamy look in her eyes. “Totally sexy. Oh my God. What are the odds of that happening?” She shook her head.

“I’m not interested in figuring it out,” Kate said. “All I know is that he was there and I was there and—” She covered her face, suddenly at a loss for words.

“So what did he do? What did you do?”

Kate mumbled between her fingers, “Nothing. He was there with another woman. I said hello and left.”

“Bullshit.” Ann reached for her mug. “No way you walked up to him, shook hands, thanked him for having a wonderful charity gala and said good-night.” She wagged a finger at Kate. “Not the way you were mooning over him. Give.”

“Okay. It was more than a talk.” She sighed. “He figured out I wasn’t really sick when I canceled our meetings. Pressed me for a reason why I didn’t want to see him again. Thought it was his fault. I told him it wasn’t.” Kate picked at an errant thread on her dress. “Then Alex got pissed when I told him it wasn’t me he wanted, it was the experience.”

Ann sucked in her breath through clenched teeth. “Ouch. I can see him getting a bit snarly. You telling him that you could be replaced with anyone, anything that could smack his ass.” She shook her head. “Especially when it’s not true.”

Kate glared at her. “Excuse me?”

“Honey, you wouldn’t even be worried about him if there was a bit of truth in the story you’re spinning. He didn’t believe it because you don’t believe it yourself.” Ann shook her head. “When you first told me about him, you were worried whether he loved you or was just getting off by being spanked by a woman, any woman. The fact he spoke to you in a public forum proves he cares for you far beyond just your business relationship. Right?”

Kate frowned.

Ann continued. “When he saw you, he didn’t have to do squat. He’s not a kid, he could figure out the truth about you supposedly being sick. He got that you didn’t want to see him, and definitely not in the middle of a thousand other people all standing around, looking for something to gossip over. So why even exchange words with you when he doesn’t have to?”

“But I went to him.” Kate’s mind began to spin. “He didn’t seek me out.”

Why the hell
did
I approach him?

Ann held up a finger. “I’ll get to that in a second. He could have turned away, given you the cold shoulder. Played like you made a mistake, picked the wrong guy. He could have treated you like crap—don’t forget, he’s the rich guy who used to pay you. He could have looked down his snooty nose at you and snapped his fingers to get your ass tossed out of the hotel. He did none of these, correct?”

Kate nodded.

“So he wanted to see you, to talk to you, even though he knew you might hurt him. And he didn’t expose your other persona right to the world even after you blew him off.” Ann paused. “So to speak.”

Kate flinched, both from the bad phrasing and the harsh truth.

She hadn’t even thought about that. All Alex had to do was say it out loud, call her out on her other profession. It might have hurt his social standing and maybe caused a few laughs behind closed doors, but it would have destroyed Kate’s status with Hooded Pleasures.

To start with.

She couldn’t begin to imagine how ticked off Wendy and Evan would be. It might destroy the company—at the very least, the exposure would hurt them economically as clients shied away and canceled their contracts for fear of being found out and exposed.

But Alex had stayed silent on that front.

“So you see him, go to him, tell him you did lie to him, but whatever, you won’t see him again and walk away,” Ann said.

“Yes.”

“But you didn’t need to do any of that. He knew you weren’t there for him,” she prompted. “You were there for your own reasons. For all he knew, you could have been there as a paid companion for some goon on the side.”

Kate scowled. “That’s not what I do. Not what I would ever do.”

Ann shrugged. “Point is, he didn’t have to say a word to you. And you sure as hell didn’t owe him anything, much less an explanation as to why you called your arrangement off. You could have stayed away and let him be, not go near him in the first place. So what does that tell you?”

Kate shook her head. “No. I told him it was over, I didn’t want anything else to do with him. It was time for him to move on. He didn’t need me anymore.”

“Except you need him. Bad.”

“No.” The word came out harsher this time, grating on her ears. “I don’t need Alex. He doesn’t need me. He needs any woman who can handle a whip, and it doesn’t have to be me. It can’t be me.”

Ann reached out and tapped her hand. “I know next to nothing about BDSM, but I do know, whether you’re using a feather or a whip, the heart wants what the heart wants, Kate. And your heart wants him. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be all torn up about it. The question is, what are you going to do about it now?

“I don’t know,” Kate answered. “I don’t honestly know.” She rubbed her forehead. “All I know is that I can’t go to him like this, not now. I don’t know what I want. I sure as hell can’t tell him what he wants.”

Ann nodded. “Then wait. Better to do nothing than to do the wrong thing.”

Kate laughed and sniffled, holding back tears. “That’s what I thought I was doing already.”

Chapter Thirteen

Alex called Hooded Pleasures the next morning.

“I’m sorry, Kate isn’t available,” the voice on the other end said in a preemptive strike. “I can take a message—”

Alex dry swallowed two headache pills, trying to chase away the fogginess at the edge of his mind. He’d been awake most of the night making plans to prove his point and prove his love for Kate.

It was perfect. Logical, viable and offered immediate action.

The statement didn’t help with the nausea twisting his stomach into knots.

“Look, I know she’s not sick. So don’t try to give me that crap.” Alex leaned on the kitchen counter and ran a finger along the edge of Kate’s napkin. He’d laid it out on a piece of cardboard, pinning the corners securely. “I saw her at a party last night. She’s as healthy as it gets, so stop lying to me.” He drew a shuddering breath, remembering her words. “She told me she didn’t want to see me anymore.”

“I see.” The voice shifted from professional down to soft, gentle. “Tell me what you want to do, Alex.”

He forced the words out, even though he’d practiced them a hundred times during the night. “I don’t want another Domme. I want to cancel my contract.”

“I understand. We will send you a verification email within the hour. Click on the link, and it’ll confirm your cancellation. You do have twenty-four hours to change your mind, but you’ll have to be reinterviewed to be allowed back. This is all listed in your copy of the contract. Is this suitable?”

No
, he wanted to yell, it was not.

“Yes.” He exhaled softly. “Yes. Good-bye.”

“Good-bye, Alex. Thank you.”

Alex poured himself a cup of coffee, adding three teaspoons of sugar and a dash of milk.

He drank half of it before picking up the phone and dialing a number he’d never thought he’d have the nerve to dial.

The woman on the phone was polite and quiet. “It’s nice to hear from you, Mr. Hanson. Yes, we received your application, and it was approved.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t called before to activate my membership.” He felt the need to apologize. “I’ve been busy.”

“That’s totally understandable. Some of our members only visit once a month, some only every few months. Some weekly. It all depends on the individual’s needs.”

“How do I—” He paused, not sure how to even begin to discuss this.

“Don’t be nervous, Mr. Hanson. We understand this is a big step for some people, and we don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable with their choices.” The warm chuckle caressed his ears. “We have a new members’ night once a month. Tomorrow night happens to be the next one. If you attend, you can see if you’d like to continue visiting us. You have a seven-day period after your first visit to cancel your membership and receive a full refund.”

He felt like he was arranging a ski vacation.

Alex swallowed the last of the sweet coffee. “Okay. Let’s do this. What do I need to do?”

The faint sound of fingers tapping on a keyboard came over the line. “I’m sending you a confirmation email with the details. Please come to the address provided any time after six in the evening. Introduce yourself to the men at the front door—I’ll put your name on the list. Please check in with the front desk to receive your wristband.”

“Wristband?”

“It’s a way of identifying new members. You may use the facilities, but it alerts the other club members you’re unfamiliar with our establishment.”

Translation: we want to keep you from getting in over your head.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“You already have our information packet. If you have any questions regarding attire or anything else, please call us back. If you change your mind about coming to visit, please call, and we can either reschedule or cancel altogether.”

“Thank you.”

Alex hung up, his head spinning. When he’d originally bought a membership, he’d never thought he’d have the nerve to use it, to actually go to a BDSM club.

He could thank Hooded Pleasures for that much. At least now he knew what he wanted and where to get it without fear.

But Kate wouldn’t be there.

You could find her. You have a computer and mad skills
, his inner voice bleated.
You have a picture she drew. You could easily get the information on her Amazonian ogre from the servers.

Not if she doesn’t want me
, he answered.
She knows where I live. If she wants me, she’ll come to me. I’m not going to become one of those creepy stalkers.

And what are you going to find at the club?

He paused.

The proof I need to show her I’m in love with her, only her.

Only her.

He looked at the unsigned sketch.

Alex got up from his kitchen table and went to his work desk, carrying the art piece. On the way sat a corkboard, various notes pinned and posted as he worked through assorted projects.

He took a single pushpin and placed the elf on the board.

He had work to do before he went to the club.

Kate woke up to the phone ringing, a persistent buzz dragging her out of a deep sleep. She’d taken sleeping pills after getting home, not wanting to deal with the emotions and thoughts racing through her mind.

“Kate?” Tracy’s voice drove through the haze. “Are you okay?”

“Just a little tired. Rough night.” She forced herself to look at the clock. It was early afternoon.

“Okay.” Her tone indicated otherwise. “I wanted to let you know Alex Hanson canceled his contract. The confirmation email came through a few minutes ago.”

“Oh.” Kate chewed on her lower lip. “Thank you.”

“Do you want to be reinstated to—”

“No. Not yet, please. I need to talk to Wendy first.”

“Understood. I’ll give her an update and have her contact you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Then we’re good. Have a nice day.”

The line went silent.

Kate looked at the phone, wondering what to do.

If anything.

Alex was gone.

She should feel great. He was gone from her world, and she could get back to work fulfilling men’s dreams.

Instead, she felt like she’d been punched in the gut.

She put the phone down and moved back under the blankets, letting her mind wander.

I don’t need him.

Her mind went back to that explosive encounter, the one that almost broke her. The fire in his eyes as he asked permission to kiss her, his fingers digging into her hips as he pulled her onto him—

Kate swallowed, trying to ignore the desire building in her gut.

The scent of leather mixed with sweat, the brutal crashing of their lips together—

She flopped onto her back, clenching the sheets in her fingers.

She was
not
going to reach for her vibrator with Alex on her mind.

No.

That wouldn’t be good. Not when she was trying to get over him.

He’d be so good if you let him.
Just imagine—

“No!” Kate threw off the blankets and headed for the living room and her computer. She’d left it on all night, the screensaver blasting tiny space aliens as it waited for her return.

The keyboard shook as she bashed on the keys, setting out to kill as many orcs as she could find, slashing her way through the virtual world.

A half hour later she sat back, panting, and looked at her score, the tiny numbers at the bottom of the screen signaling her accomplishments.

It didn’t fill the hollow in her belly. Or the curiosity burning in her soul.

Or the desire pooling below her belly button.

Kate pushed the keyboard to one side and snatched up the phone. She dialed Hooded Pleasures.

“Yes?” Tracy said.

“Is Danielle available to talk to me?” Kate looked at the clock. “I know it’s unusual, but—”

There was a pause on the line. “According to her schedule, she’s between sessions. Let me text her and see if I can hook you up.”

“Will Wendy be upset?”

“Probably. But I’ll survive.” A few clicks interrupted her words. “You’re in luck. She’s available.”

“Thanks.” Kate propped her elbows up on the desk and laid the phone down, activating the speaker function.

“No problem. Connecting now.”

“Hello?” The unfamiliar voice crackled down the line.

“This is Kate. Are you Danielle?”

“If it’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday, I’m Danielle.” The light laugh had Kate smiling in response. “Pleased to finally speak with you. I’ve enjoyed taking on some of your workload. Love the change of pace.”

“Thank you. I—” Kate paused, her mind temporarily blank. She’d nodded to other employees when visiting the office, but she had no idea how to start a conversation like this.

“Let me guess. You don’t know how to say what you want to say. Even though we work in the same field and do the same basic work, we’ve got nothing in common.” Danielle giggled. “I know. It’s so strange. I go to my club once a month to get used to not being on the clock. You know, having something to think about other than watching the time and making sure I don’t get too turned on.”

Kate blinked, taken aback by the woman’s forwardness.

“Thank you again,” she repeated.

“No problem at all. Working at a job like this, it’s an emotional rush,” Danielle said. “I can understand you needing a break. Some of these fellows are pretty wired, and it carries on through to you. Extra baggage we all drag out even after the timer goes off.”

Kate felt the tension in her back ease somewhat. This was a woman who thought as she did, performed the same tasks.

She got it.

“I want to ask you about Alex.”

Danielle chuckled. “Sweet fellow. A man like that, he’s damned tempting to ask for a little extra on the side. Take him off the books and give him a wild ride. Push his hard limits and see how he reacts.”

A dagger of jealousy surged forth before Kate remembered Danielle played by the same rules.

No emotional ties.

She gritted her teeth. “I was wondering how he was with you.”

“A good sub. Attentive, quick to answer and react. You trained him well.” Danielle’s tone shifted toward sadness. “He missed you something awful.”

Kate caught her breath before speaking. “Did he mention me?”

“No, but I could tell. Just the way he acted. He was with me but not really with me, if you get my gist. I can tell the difference, and he wasn’t in the scene, not as deep as he should have gone. Not like my other clients. I suspected he’d be moving on soon enough.”

Kate’s self-control wavered for a second, torn between hanging up on Danielle and pursuing Alex on her own or letting sleeping subs lie.

“I heard he canceled his contract. Too bad. I wouldn’t mind tag-teaming him with you,” Danielle said. “Give him a damned good rate on it considering how sexy he is. Man like that can make you forget the rules, take him in hand up close and personal.” She giggled. “Hope he makes it on his own. Make some Domme a lucky woman.”

“Thanks,” Kate answered, trying to find a polite way to end the conversation. “Appreciate the help.”

“No problem. See you ’round.” The connection went dead.

Kate looked at the phone in her hand before glancing at the images on the computer monitor. The pixilated figures dashing around trying to complete quests, gain experience, go up a level.

At times, her virtual life looked better than her real one.

His pulse pounded in his ears as the cab roared away from the curb, leaving Alex alone on the sidewalk. He was too nervous to drive and didn’t want to deal with parking.

The two huge men at the front door eyed him as he crossed the street. The door itself was made of black steel and resembled any one of a hundred underground clubs around the city. Anyone passing by would assume it was a rave or private party or some such venue.

“Alex H.” He cleared his throat as the first man checked a clipboard. He still had time to walk away. No one would notice—

“Please come in. Go directly to the desk at the end of the hall. Have a good evening.” He nodded at his partner, who opened the door.

Alex felt a rush of excitement as he stepped over the threshold into the brightly lit hall.

The door slammed shut behind him with a loud metallic thud.

For a second, he thought he’d been fooled, tricked into walking into one of those hidden-camera jokes.

The faux-wood paneling on the walls was out of another era, the silence already grating on his nerves.

The desk sat at the end of the hall. A woman dressed in a charcoal-gray suit sat behind it, her fingers entwined. A single wooden chair sat in front of the desk.

The only exit was the door he’d entered through and, maybe, the door behind the desk.

Alex swallowed hard, trying to steady his nerves. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he had to play it out.

At least until the wizard popped out from behind the curtain to laugh at him.

The blonde woman watched him approach without a word, waiting until he was close enough to hear her to speak.

“Welcome. Please have a seat.” She gestured at the chair.

He sat.

“Your name?”

“Alex Hanson.”

She opened a file folder and looked at the contents.

“Thank you.” She closed the folder and opened up the desk drawer to her right. “Wrist, please.” The blonde held out a green plastic band.

Alex watched her snap it into place around his right wrist.

“This signals that you have a temporary membership, just for tonight. You are technically a full member, but you need to spend your first time here as a tagged member to see if we’re right for you and if you’re right for us.” She tapped the band. “If you decide to stay, you’ll be given a bracelet. The color will inform others that you’re a submissive or a Dominant. You can leave it in your locker if you don’t want to take it home, but you must wear it while inside the club.”

He nodded.

She held up her right wrist and showed him a gold band. “For example, this is what Dominant members will be wearing. If you don’t see either a gold or silver bracelet, please ask for help—the bartender is always available for assistance.”