On the Ropes 2: Insidious Obsession (7 page)

Lexi shook her head. “I’ve had those shots before, and they not only make me all loopy but also sick to my stomach.”

“He could have given you something for the nausea,” Logan growled.

“It was easier to just deal with the pain,” she replied.

“And she did,” Jason added, apparently oblivious to the tension radiating between the couple. “She turned as white as that tablecloth, but she never uttered a peep. He had to try and set it twice before it actually set properly.”

“It was unnecessary for her to suffer like that.” Logan grumbled. “She was just being a stubborn brat.”

“Oh, now I’m a brat?” Lexi shot back.

Logan leveled a look on Lexi that made Amber want to crawl under the table. “That’s what I said.”

She’d only been with the group for less than three weeks, but in that time, Amber had never seen Logan and Lexi have a fight. Doing so now left her with an uncomfortable feeling in her chest. It was as if guilt had decided to return in force and sit on her ribs. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured.

Lexi jerked her attention back to Amber. “Why are you sorry?”

She looked between Lexi and Logan. “I’m sorry because it’s my fault you’re hurt. If I hadn’t gotten sick yesterday—”

Lexi held up her cast hand, stopping Amber midsentence. “Now wait just a minute. My injury is completely my fault.”

“Finally, something we agree on,” Logan added. “I told her not to do that move when she was talking about it with Brooklyn before we went live.”

“I’m a highflyer,” Lexi protested. “That’s what highflyers do.”

“Highflyers get injured,” Logan countered. “I told you before that I don’t want you performing high-risk moves.”

“Really?” Lexi dropped her fork into her salad and pushed back from the table. “Well,
want
in one hand and
shit
in the other and see which one fills up first.” She stood and stalked out of the restaurant.

“Lexi,” Logan called after her. “Damn it!” He threw his napkin on the table, pushed his chair back, and headed after her.

Stunned by what she’d just witnessed, Amber turned to look at Cole. “What just happened here?”

Jason grinned from across the table. “Lexi poked the bear.”

“Poked the bear?” Amber cocked her head to the side and glanced from Jason to Cole.

“Yep.” Jason leaned back in his seat. “I still say that sometimes she does it on purpose. The girl has a serious masochistic streak.”

Amber’s confusion grew. “Why would she intentionally pick a fight with him?”

“’Cause she likes getting her ass beat.”

Cole shot Jason a look of reprimand, then turned on his hip to face her. “Lexi and Logan have a unique relationship. You see, Logan is the kind of guy who likes to be in control all the time.”

“So?” she replied, wondering exactly what Cole was trying to say.

“Well, as you can tell, Lexi has a strong will and is very opinionated.”

She leveled her gaze at him, still not quite understanding his point. “I know. What does that have to do with
poking the bear
?” She air quoted the words.

Jason leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “What Cole is so delicately trying to tell you—and failing miserably, I might add—is that Logan is a Dominant and Lexi is his submissive.”

“Really?” Shocked and curious at that revelation, Amber glanced over her shoulder toward the empty door they’d both exited through. Lexi was always so strong-willed and sure of herself. Amber would never have pegged Lexi for a submissive. “So when Jason said Logan was going to beat her ass?”

“He meant it,” Cole replied.

She’d read books about BDSM and romance novels that played with the subject, but she’d never met a couple who practiced in real life. The knowledge piqued her curiosity, and she looked at Cole. “Are you?”

“A Dom?” He grinned. “Not really. I’m not into all that kneeling and eyes lowered stuff like Logan is. Although, I will admit to a few dominant tendencies.”

“Like taking care of me yesterday and getting me to talk,” she replied as everything began to make sense. He had the ability to pull things from her she’d never shared with anyone, little patience for nonsense, and amazing control…most of the time.

“There is that, and” —he leaned in close and whispered— “taking control during sex.”

His statement caused a shiver to slide through her as she thought about Cole as her Master. What would it be like to give up control and not have to do anything but feel? How would it be to know that by simply existing, you were giving another pleasure? She wouldn’t mind finding out.

He pulled back, his smile wider. “You’re thinking about that awful hard, baby. I’m wondering if you like that idea.”

“Me too,” she murmured and looked up at Jason, who remained across from them, a look of amusement on his face. “What about you?”

“What about me?” He tipped his chair back on two legs.

“Are you also a Dom?”

“Nah.” He shook his head. “Most of the time I can barely keep myself in line and out of trouble. I have no business trying to control anyone else.”

She dared a glance at Cole, who stared at her with a heated gaze that shot directly to her core. After the horrors she’d lived through, she shouldn’t want to be controlled by anyone, yet she found the idea of freely surrendering to someone she cared for intriguing, especially if that someone was Cole Collins.

Chapter Eleven

She watched him through hooded eyes as he secured the scarf around her wrist and lifted it above her head. He looped the scarf through the slats on the headboard, then lifted her hand and secured her other wrist. “Okay?” he asked.

She tested her bindings, and a giddy thrill raced through her at the realization that she was now at his mercy. On a nod she swallowed hard. His lips tipped up at the corners. “That’s my girl.” His words warmed her all the way to her soul.

He took a step back and pulled his T-shirt up and off. Her heart sped up, beating faster as anticipation began to build. Next he stripped out of his jeans, taking his boxers with him. The pounding in her chest grew until she could hear it in her head.

Aroused and ready, he climbed onto the bed and settled himself between her legs. “I love you, Amber.”

“I love you, Cole,” she replied, her voice lost to now incessant pounding.

“Amber?” She shook her head at the faraway voice suddenly calling to her, only to hear it again. “Amber, open up.”

Amber opened her eyes and sighed at the loss of such a wonderful dream. The pounding came again, louder this time, and she realized some of it was real.

She glanced at the clock, threw the covers off, and scrambled from the bed. Who in the world was pounding on her door at six o’clock in the morning? She paused only long enough to check the peephole. Seeing a mass of bright red hair through the tiny glass, she pulled back and frowned. Why was Brooklyn pounding on her door? She flipped the lock and pulled back the door. “Brooklyn?”

“Amber, are you okay?” Brooklyn asked, her voice tinged in fear.

“I’m fine. Why did you think something was wrong?”

Brooklyn grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face the open door. For a moment Amber wondered if she was seeing things. No way was the word Slut spray painted in red on her hotel room door. She stared blankly at it while reality slowly sank in and her body began to shake. “Oh my God.”

“Now do you understand why I thought something was wrong?”

“W-why?” Amber asked. “Why would someone do this?”

“I don’t know.” Brooklyn moved farther into the room and looked around. “Where’s Cole?”

“H-he’s not here,” Amber replied as she stared at the dripping red paint.

Brooklyn held out her arms. “What do you mean he’s not here? I thought you two were a couple?”

“We are,” Amber said. She frowned as Brooklyn’s question distracted her. Were they a couple? “But that doesn’t mean we’re sleeping together.”
At least not yet.

“Well, if he’s not with you, where is he?” Brooklyn asked as she reached for the phone.

Fifteen minutes later, wrapped in her robe, Amber sat on the edge of her bed ensconced in Cole’s arms. Logan held Lexi close, and Jason paced back and forth while the hotel manager spoke on his cell phone.

“Okay,” the manager said as he hung up. “The police are on their way, and I’ve asked corporate to pull the last six hours of video feed for this floor.”

Mark rushed through the open door, stopped, and stared at the paint. He frowned before he continued inside. “Amber, are you okay?”

She nodded.

“When did this happen?” He pointed to the door.

“We’re not sure,” the manager replied. “I’ve contacted the police, and we’re pulling the video feed. I assure you, Mr. Lane, we’ll find out who did this.”

“You do that,” Mark replied. “In the meantime I want Amber given a new room.”

“She’s going to stay with me and Jason,” Cole added.

Brooklyn shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

His arms tightened around Amber. “And why the hell not?”

Brooklyn pointed to the door. “That’s why not. It’s obvious by that statement somebody already thinks you two are sleeping together. Hell, I thought that. Take her into the room you share with Jason and see how quickly the rumors fly.” She turned to face Mark. “She can stay with me. Fiona’s been bitching about the newbie getting a room by herself. Put Amber with me, and let Fiona room alone.”

Mark nodded. “Agreed.” Cole opened his mouth to protest, only to have Mark silence him with a stern look. “We’ll arrange to have Brooklyn and Amber in a room next to you and Jason. That way you can keep an eye on her without making things worse.”

“I’d still rather have her with me,” Cole grumbled.

Mark nodded. “Understood, but I’m with Brooklyn on this. Considering the situation, I really think that would just make things worse right now.”

“Excuse me.” A uniformed officer walked up. “Ms. Star, can I ask you some questions?”

* * * *

Three hours after finding graffiti on her door, Amber sat with Lexi and Brooklyn in catering and picked at her scrambled eggs. Lexi eyed her with some concern. “Eat, Amber. You can’t afford to be missing meals again.”

Brooklyn nodded. “Cole let you off easy the first time. You really don’t want him hovering over you like a mother hen, do you?”

Amber sighed. “No, but it’s hard to eat when my stomach is in knots.” She glanced between her friends. “I’m scared and pissed off at the same time. Seriously”—she dropped her fork onto her plate—“what in the hell did I do to deserve this?”

“Nothing,” Brooklyn replied. “Except for possibly falling for one of the sexiest, most eligible bachelors to come through here in a while.”

“I didn’t intend to fall for him.” Amber shrugged. “He’s just so…”

“Sexy?” Brooklyn grinned.

Amber returned her smile. “Actually I was going to say commanding.”

Lexi nodded. “I know what you mean. After my last relationship I didn’t want to get hurt again, and I tried really hard not to fall for Logan, but he was just so overpowering.”

“Luckily,” Brooklyn interrupted, “your plan failed miserably.”

Lexi grinned.

“Speaking of which,” Amber began, “you look awful happy for someone who was seriously pissed off at her fiancé last night.”

Lexi’s grin widened. “Water under the bridge.”

“Really?”

Brooklyn leaned back in her chair and laughed. “Logan has ways of getting her to forgive him.”

“That’s what I’m learning.” Amber leveled a look on her friend. “So is what Cole and Jason told me true?”

Lexi’s smile turned mischievous. “That depends on what they told you.”

“Are you really going to make me say it?” Amber asked, though by Lexi’s response, she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

Lexi cocked her head to the side and shot her a wry look. “Say what?”

Amber couldn’t help but laugh. “You really are a brat, you know that?”

Lexi giggled. “Thank you. I try. But to answer your burning question, yes, Logan and I are in a Dominant/submissive relationship.”

Amber leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand. “Fascinating. You have such a strong personality. I’d never peg you for being subordinate to anyone.”

“Me either.” Lexi shook her head. “Until I met Logan. He’s a man who not only knows what he wants in the bedroom, he also knows how to please a woman.” She lifted her good hand and fanned herself. “He has this way about him that usually makes me want to give him whatever he desires.”

Amber sent Lexi a small nod as she thought about her relationship with Cole. Strange how she felt the same way about him that Lexi did about Logan.

“Lucky bitch,” Brooklyn grumbled.

“You say that now,” Lexi argued, “but I’d bet you’d feel differently the first time your ass was red and sore.”

“I have a solution to that problem,” Brooklyn replied.

Lexi quirked a brow. “What’s that?”

“Stop provoking him.”

“Now what fun would that be?” Lexi countered.

Amber bit her lip as she tried to hide her grin. Jason was right. Lexi had a masochistic streak. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.” Lexi lifted her coffee for a drink.

“Do you like being a submissive?”

Lexi lowered her cup and leveled her gaze on Amber. “I never thought I would, but I really do. Logan respects me enough to allow me to be my own person and express myself, except when it comes to the bedroom. Then he’s in charge.”

“What about situations like what happened last night?”

Lexi smirked and set her coffee on the table. “We disagree, and we argue. Sometimes I win, and sometimes he does. Sometimes we agree to disagree. I’m not his slave, and he doesn’t make decisions for me. Last night was a spat that we eventually settled.”

“But who won?”

Lexi tilted her head and rolled her eyes skyward. “Let’s just say that on that one we agreed to disagree, but I will admit I did have to apologize for being disrespectful.”

“He made you apologize?” Amber was amazed by the information her friend so freely shared.

Lexi nodded, and a small smile tipped her lips. “Naked and on my knees. I had to give him an oral apology, if you get what I mean. Still…” She shrugged. “Even that wasn’t really a punishment since I enjoyed it nearly as much as he did.”