Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) (24 page)

“That’s easy. The lines are blurred. Most of us are friends; at the very least, we have a healthy respect for each other’s abilities. We have to. Without that trust, we could die.”

“I can’t imagine trusting my life to anyone at work, except my father, of course.”

“That may be. But every one of CFF’s employees has entrusted you with their livelihood, if not their life.”

He had to stop and think about that for a moment. It wasn’t the way he usually pictured the employer-employee relationship. He shook his head. “It’s not the same.”

The sommelier arrived to take their wine order. William scanned the wine menu and made his decision. “We’ll have a bottle of the 2001 Le Salette Amarone.”

“An excellent choice, sir.”

When he left, Danielle crossed her legs and rubbed her toes along William’s calf. “I think you meant something a little different when you brought this up.”

He pressed his lips together. Why was he torturing himself with this? She took a sip of water and his gaze zeroed in on her lips, red, glistening, and so very fuckable. “Sexually.” His voice cracked and he took a sip of his water to loosen his throat. “How do you keep from crossing the line?”

“These guys, they’re like my brothers. I don’t have sexual thoughts about them. Besides, most of the time, we’re too focused on the job to think about anything else.”

“But in a 24-hour shift, there’s bound to be downtime. What then?”

“I won’t lie. It happens, just like office romances everywhere. We’re together more, so there are more opportunities for our guards to be down. But most of the time, it’s friendship, camaraderie, rather than lust. What’s this really about, Will?”

He watched a gull swoop down and scoop a fish from the water’s surface. That’s how he felt right now, like a fish plucked from its world and carried to a different reality. “What happened this afternoon with Jamie, how will that affect you at work?”

She squirmed, her mouth opening and closing several times before she crossed her arms and slumped her shoulders. “I don’t know.”

“You said he’s like a brother.”

“Yes, but he isn’t really, is he? Jamie and I are close, very close, but he’s still my boss.”

“It’s not like he can say anything without incriminating himself.”

She snorted. “If there’s a way, your brother will find it. But I don’t think he’ll say anything. Hurting either of us wasn’t his intention.”

“You think it was just an attempt at matchmaking?”

A strapping young waiter, who introduced himself as Tonio, arrived to take their dinner orders. They’d been so caught up in their conversation, neither had even glanced at the menu. “What do you recommend, Tonio?” Danielle asked with a smile.

He stepped closer to her. “I’d suggest an appetizer of baked oysters Florentine, followed by a caprese salad and the
brasato all’amarone
.”

“
Brasato
, I’m not familiar with that. What is it?”

“It is beef marinated and then slowly pan cooked in red wine and herbs.
Brasato
is a very elegant dish, traditional of the Northern regions of Italy where Papa V, the founder of Vicenzo’s, is from.” Tonio leaned in close and pointed to her menu. “It comes with polenta and a grilled vegetable medley.”

She winked at William, then looking up at Tonio, pushed her hair behind her ear. “That sounds delicious. I’ll have everything you suggested.”

William watched the interplay between his date and the waiter. Was Danielle flirting? Was Tonio? Curiously, he wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about it. He should be outraged, insulted. But with that wink, she’d included him in the exchange.

The sommelier returned with their wine. Once William had gone through the tasting ritual, the man poured him and Danielle a half glass, then he and Tonio left.

Danielle picked up the napkin and placed it carefully on her lap. “Jamie’s known about my feelings for you for some time. That’s why he kept inviting me over when he was living with you.”

Great. “Does anyone else know?”

“Erica. Why do you care?”

“Because they’re going to think I’m a shit when this ends,” he snapped. She lowered her eyes and fiddled with the edges of the napkin.
Fuck.
She was the last person he wanted to be angry with. “I’m sorry. Since learning I’m a sexual freak, I’ve been a little out of sorts. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“If you’re a freak, then I am too,” she said, her voice as soft as a feather.

His muscles froze in horror. “No. No, Danielle. Don’t say that. It’s me, not you.”

“Ha. That’s a tired old line. Surely you can do better.”

“I’m serious. He’s
my
brother. I should have been scandalized, not turned on.”

Her eyes cleared like a puzzle piece had just slipped into place. She took his hand. “What excited you was that someone else was there, not
who
was there. It could have been anyone.”

“So, you’re saying I’m an exhibitionist?”

“Not exactly. I’m not a psychologist, but I’d say you have some voyeuristic tendencies, and maybe a little candaulism.”

“Candau—what?” He frowned.

“Candaulism. It’s where a man exposes his female partner, or pictures of her, so other people can get off on it. The thing is, by definition, it’s without her consent. So, it doesn’t quite work for us.”

The hair on his arms rose, sending a chill throughout his body. Holy shit! He really was sick. “It works perfectly. You didn’t agree to what happened in the bathroom.”

She gave him a sad half-smile. “I could have wrapped that towel around myself. I could have shut the door. I could have kicked you both out. But I didn’t. You
had
my consent.”

“I’m not sure I like that much better.” He rubbed the spot between his brows where a headache was building. “I shouldn’t have enjoyed it.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

“I guess you don’t get many chances to
exhibit
yourself.”

“More than you might think.”

“Is it the main course for you or more of a…” Not sure how to phrase the question, he let it hang.

“Appetizer?” she supplied.

“Yeah, that works.”

“It’s like foreplay. It turns me on and heightens my responses. But I can’t come just because someone sees my boobs or my ass.”

He smirked. “Good to know.”

All amusement fled when her foot rubbed his cock and pressed against his balls.

“Want to see?”

With all his blood rushing to his groin, his only response was a groan. Very unobtrusively, she nudged the strap of her dress so it rested at the edge of her shoulder. On cue, Tonio arrived with their appetizer. Giving the waiter a wide smile, she selected the small oyster fork and sampled a bite of the baked oyster Florentine, moaning loudly as she chewed. William almost smiled.

When she reached to pick up her wine, she managed to knock her napkin off her lap. Tonio crouched to retrieve it from the floor. At the same time, she braced her foot against William’s cock and leaned sideways. He hissed in a breath at the sudden pressure. His heart started to hammer and he curled his fingers in his lap. She was including him in this, and he loved it.

As he watched, breathless, the strap fell off her shoulder and slid midway down her bicep, exposing the top of her braless breast. Tonio’s gaze was riveted on Danielle’s chest. He gasped as a hint of nipple appeared above the red of her dress. William’s blood pressure skyrocketed.

“Oh!” She scooped up the strap and brought it back to her shoulder. Her laughter was light and guileless. Beet red, the waiter handed her the napkin, bowed and scurried away without even glancing at William.

He studied Danielle’s face, the flush on her cheeks, the arousal in her dilated pupils, the pout of her pink lips. With her toes curled around his ready-to-blow cock, he considered his own responses. Oh yeah. That had worked for him too.

“This kind of invalidates what you said earlier… about consent.”

“Oh, he was consensual.”

“How do you figure that?”

“He’s been checking me out since we got here.” She chuckled.

Fair enough. He’d noticed the waiter sneaking a peek down her top when he took her order. William sipped the dark ruby wine, giving himself time to process his thoughts. The aromas of prunes, licorice, spices, and coffee played with his taste buds. “How far are you willing to go with this?”

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she grinned. “All the way, babe.”

“Sex in public?”

She toyed with the stem of her glass, her expression serious. “I have to protect my reputation if I don’t want to get kicked out of the fire service. So, no. I’ve never done that in Seattle. Not unless you consider sex clubs public, which I don’t.”

William choked on his wine. “Sex clubs?” he sputtered.

“Never been? Seattle has many.”

“I’ve been, with J—” He cut himself off. Not his story to tell. “Just not in a long time.”

Danielle cut two slices of the crusty homemade Italian loaf and offered him one. He buttered it and ate it slowly. She kept quiet the whole time, as if sensing he wasn’t done with this topic. Which he wasn’t. He just didn’t know how best to ask. Might as well blurt it out. “You go to these clubs and have sex with strangers?” His gut clenched and he set the bread down.
Christ.
He really didn’t like that idea. She was
his
.

Focusing on her plate, she scooped up another forkful of baked oyster. “I have. In the past. Swinger clubs are great for showing off your body. They like single women. But it wasn’t for me.”

“Where do you go?”

“I’ve tried BDSM clubs. Again, great opportunity to show off your body, especially if you volunteer to sub in scenes. But not all Doms or tops are created equal. After a while, I found the risks outweighed the pleasure. Anyway, now I go to fetish clubs. They’re a huge mix of everything. I can walk around half naked if I want. I can go to the private areas and watch or participate. But I don’t have to.”

“You go alone?” William was having a hard time concentrating on his food. He was much more interested in Danielle’s answers. But the food here was delicious, so he made an effort and took a bite.

“Sometimes.” She sighed and took a sip of wine. “Truth is, I don’t like having sex with strangers. But the parties are fun.”

“You never had a boyfriend who was into this?”

She shook her head, her expression grim. “I thought I did once. But when I finally screwed up enough courage to take him to a party, he accused me of being a twisted slut, a nymphomaniac. He left in a huff, and I never saw him again.”

Her sadness, her pain, tugged at his heart. Reaching out, he caressed the curve of her jaw with his fingers. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She rubbed her cheek against his hand. “At least he didn’t make trouble for me.”

William had to admit to some curiosity. But more than that, he wanted to prove to her he was different from the men who’d hurt her before. The men who’d put her down. He traced her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “Take
me
to one of those parties.”

“No.”

Feeling the burn of her response, he let his hand drop. “Why not?”

“You aren’t ready for that kind of thing. And besides, we still have a couple weeks left. I don’t want you running off early.” She laughed like it was a joke, but the tightness around her mouth told another tale.

He could argue. After all, he was no stranger to kink, but he understood, even shared her concerns. Meeting someone in a club, even having sex with them, wasn’t a big deal. With other women, he’d never felt possessive or jealous. But with Danielle, things were already very different. Without knowing her and her expectations better, he couldn’t predict his own reactions. Besides, if he got caught in a place like that, it would spell professional disaster for him. In the meantime, though, they could enjoy little repeats of what she’d done to the waiter. And if he set the next encounter up, well, that would be even better.

They enjoyed their meals and finished off the rest of the wine. When William asked for the check, Tonio set a serving of Ivy’s famous
crema brulatta
in front of him and Danielle. “Compliments of the chef, sir.”

“Oh!” Danielle exclaimed. “This looks delicious.”

William grinned. “Ivy’s won awards for her
crema brulatta
. Try it. You’ll love it.”

As she lifted a bit of the rich dessert to her lips, William almost shivered with anticipation. And she didn’t disappoint. The look on her face when the concoction hit her tongue was exactly the look she had when she came.
Fuck.
He shifted in his seat and tried to adjust his pants under the tablecloth.

Beside him, Tonio coughed. William shot him an annoyed stare. The man handed him an envelope. “What’s this?”

“A note from Mr. Rockney, sir.”

Sam? Why would his cousin send him a note? Searching the room, William asked, “Is he here?”

The waiter pointed to the far end of the restaurant, where Sam and Ivy were enjoying a meal. Sam met William’s gaze and mock-saluted him.

William opened the envelope.

William,

If you’d like to finish the evening with your beautiful lady in style, my yacht is at the Bell Harbor Marina on Pier 66. The captain will take you wherever you’d like to go. I’ve already called and let him know you might need his services.

–Sam

“Are you up for a ride out on the Sound, Danielle?” he asked.

She licked her lips, offering him a sassy grin. “Have I ever told you about my boat fantasy?”

A warm breeze, cool ocean spray, hot woman, cloaking night sky.
He couldn’t imagine anything more perfect. Beneath her foot, his cock bobbed in agreement.

William signaled the waiter. “Check, please!”