She's All Tied Up: Club 3, Book 2 (22 page)

“Middle of the dance floor?” Carlie winced. “Maybe not.”

“There’s Trace,” Daisy said slyly.

Carlie looked at Sara and shook her head vehemently. “Nope. He’s into redheads.”

Sara said nothing, taking a drink of wine, but her cheeks were pink. Daisy widened her eyes at Carlie.

They sipped their wine.

“I know,” Daisy suggested. “Come to the club next weekend with me and Dack, and I’ll have him hook you up with someone. There are a couple of new guys I haven’t met. One’s pretty cute. Oh, and there’s Griff, the bartender. Although I hear he never scenes with the same sub twice in a row.”

Carlie shrugged. “Sure. Whatever. I just wanna have fun, y’know?”

Sara looked at the level of wine in the bottle. “You’re sloshed, Car. Which is okay, I guess, since you don’t have to drive anywhere.”

“Just don’t be making any drunk phone calls,” Daisy warned. “I did that once. Not pretty.”

Carlie giggled, picturing her bubbly friend reaming some guy over the phone. Her friends joined in, and Carlie laughed until her eyes filled with tears.

Her mirth turning to grief, she sniffled, swiped at her eyes and gave a shuddery sigh. Jake might as well have called her a whore, because that was what she felt like.

“Damn,” she whispered. “I really thought he was the one…you know? When he tied me up, I felt so safe, ’cause I knew he’d take care of everything.”

Sara leaned over to hug her. “We know, honey.”

Carlie hugged her back. Sara did know about heartbreak—she’d married her first love, who’d then proceeded to cheat on her with every woman who caught his eye. Since his eyes roved, that was a lot.

“Now I’ll have to watch Jake walk upstairs with every other sub at Club 3, and I can’t even say anything,” she said thickly. “It’s not cheating, since he’s a dom. I’m not even s’posed to feel hurt.”

Daisy squeezed her hand. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry. Lots of women fall for their first doms. I’m just lucky mine fell for me too.”

Carlie sniffled. “How could he help it?” she asked loyally.

Daisy gave her an air kiss, then sobered. “This is such crapola. I know Jake’s really into you. Why is he being such an asshat?”

“Maybe you just surprised him,” Sara offered. “Guys don’t like surprises, unless it’s ‘Hey, honey, what do you think of this new combination power drill/video player loaded with porno I got you for your birthday?’”

Daisy laughed, but Carlie shook her head woefully. “No, I know what it is. Kissing,” she said, pointing her glass at her friends to emphasize her point, “is intimate. Jake Stone is an island. Mr. Ice-Cold Marine is in control, twenty-four/seven. Sex, but no mushy stuff. ’Cause that would imply he
feels
something.” She drained her wineglass again.

Daisy’s head reared back in surprise. “Wow. Since when are you so into psychology?”

Carlie snorted. “You can say it. I’m so into Jake Stone. For alla good it may do me.”

“A-and, time for bed,” Sara said, removing the wine bottle from Carlie’s reach. “You’re going to have a bad headache in the morning as it is.”

“You want me to stay the night?” Daisy asked, giving Carlie a searching look.

Carlie shook her head. “No, thanks. Gonna go cry m’self to sleep. And inna morning”—she gave them both a rebellious look—“I’m havin’ donuts. So there.”

Sara shrugged. “Some occasions call for Dark Magic. Call me when you wake up, I’ll meet you there.”

“Dang it. Can’t come, Dack and I are going to the beach tomorrow,” Daisy said. She rose and gathered the wineglasses. “May have to stop and pick up some maple bars on the way.”

“With bacon bits,” Carlie agreed. Then she pushed herself upright, wobbled only a little as she let go of the table. She’d be just fine. She would. Screw Jake Stone and the horse he rode in on.

The phone on Carlie’s desk buzzed. She picked it up without looking away from her computer screen, where she was finishing a last check of the new website design. She’d been working like a robot all morning, doing her best to keep so busy no stray thoughts could worm their way through her shield. It was working, she was in the zone, she was irritated at being interrupted.

“Yes?”

“Carlie? You have a visitor,” said Monica in a sugary voice.

Carlie’s eyes cut left, toward the front of the office. Had Monica flipped out? She was never sweet. Unable to see around the carved wooden screens and tropical plants that shielded the main office from the entryway, Carlie shrugged.

“Thanks. I’ll be right out.”

“No hurry. I’ll be glad to take care of your guest.”

Carlie wrinkled her nose in disgust. Whoever this was, they did not need a large helping of sticky sweetness dripping all over them—metaphorically, at least.

She rose and walked quickly through the desks and around the screen. There she stopped, staring. Trace stood by Monica’s desk, a paper shopping bag under one arm, smiling as she spoke vivaciously, fluttering her hands and batting her lashes. Carlie got Monica’s attraction, she really did. The guy was walking man-candy, his lean frame and blond good looks accentuated by a charcoal suit, peach shirt and green tie with peach flowers. He looked like a magazine ad for haute business attire.

Carlie wished she could see the look on Monica’s face when she learned he liked to tie women up and spank them, among other things.

He turned as Carlie appeared, and jerked his chin. “Thank you,” he said to Monica. “You’ll excuse us, won’t you?” Then he walked toward Carlie, took her arm and steered her out of the entryway into the empty area by the elevators. Carlie walked with him, too surprised to do otherwise.

When he stopped, she looked up at him. “Nice to see you?” It turned into a question.

He pushed the Down button on the elevator and grinned at her. “Brought you a cold drink. Though we could sit outside in the shade for a bit, or walk, if you’d rather.”

Carlie stepped into the elevator when he held out his hand, indicating she should precede him. This was something to do with Club 3.

“Are you going to revoke my membership?” she asked as the elevator slid downward.

Trace raised his brows. “Hadn’t planned on it. There a reason we should?”

Carlie faced the doors, her face hot. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry, babe. That’s not why I’m here,” he said, his dimples showing.

The doors opened on the main floor, and they walked out into the sunny atrium. The outer doors swung open as they approached, letting in a whoosh of warm, grass-and-pine-scented air.

“Walk or sit?” he asked.

She looked at his fine wool suit. “We’d better sit, or you’ll get too warm.” She led the way across the walk to a park bench in the deep shade of the evergreens. It was flanked by pots of shade plants in chartreuse, russets and darker greens and backed by a low, curved cement wall.

They sat, Carlie smoothing out the skirts of her light-gray-and-white-checked sundress. She accepted a bottle of iced tea from Trace, checking the label. Diet raspberry Snapple. “Thanks, I love this flavor.”

Trace nodded. “Noticed you drinking it at the gym after a workout.”

She raised her brows at him. “You’re observant.”

He gave her a level look. “I’m a dom.”

Right. She looked away, taking a drink of the cold, tart tea.

He leaned back, comfortable and relaxed. “Beautiful spot to work.”

“I like it. Take walks when it’s not raining. Where do you work?”

“KOIN Tower. Fifteenth floor. Nice view of the bridges.”

She nodded. He said nothing further.

Finally Carlie sighed and turned to him. “I, um, appreciate the visit, but are you going to tell me why you’re really here?”

He met her gaze. His eyes were brown, she noted, his long lashes dark blond mixed with brown, like his brows. “Jake and I have been friends for a long time,” he said. “He’s one of the best men I know. Do anything for the people he cares about.”

Hurt clutched at her heart, and she put her drink on her knee, holding it tightly. It was cold through her dress and slip. “Nice for those people,” she muttered, staring at the trailing orange blossoms by her seat.

“Not real good at letting people in, though,” he went on as if she hadn’t spoken.

“I’ve noticed,” she snapped. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, Trace. I get that Jake is your friend. But I don’t…really think he considers me important. I’m just a-a sub.” And could someone just shoot her now, because she could not believe she was having this conversation on EbiTeck grounds, during her work day? “So I don’t think there’s much point to this conversation. Other than, it was really nice of you to try to do something for your friend.”

He gave her a searching look, then shrugged, smiling. Still perfectly at ease. “Worth a try. But I respect your feelings too, Carlie. You’re as important as Jake.”

She looked at him, shocked. “Why?”

“Because you’re a beautiful, well-bred, nice woman who is brave enough to trust herself to the doms at my club,” he said. “I respect you, and I like you.”

“Thank you,” she said, staring at him. “I…I like you too. What you did for Sara was really sweet.”

At the mention of her friend’s name, something flickered in his gaze. Carlie filed that away for further consideration later, when the man wasn’t busy rocking her world.

He shrugged again. “We take care of our own. Now, you gonna come back to the club?”

She bit back a nervous giggle. “Are you inviting me?”

“Yes, I am. You and Jake don’t suit, there’re plenty of other guys.”

Her flash of humor popped like a bubble. “Right.”

“Although,” he said, on a wince, “Jake can be a little…territorial. Hope he’ll let them near you.”

“What?” Carlie sat up straight, clutching her tea like a weapon. “He does not have a say in who gets near me. Does he?”

“Not if you’re not wearing his key,” Trace agreed, but he frowned, uneasiness flashing through his eyes.

Carlie huffed indignantly. “We’ll see about that.”

“Right. Well, I better run,” Trace said. “Have an appointment over on Pacific in about twenty minutes.”

He bent and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek, then winked at her. “See you, gorgeous.”

Hand to her cheek, Carlie stared after him as he strode toward the parking lot, a handsome, carefree man in the summer sun.

“What just happened?” she asked. Had she been played?

Hearing no answer but the sound of distant vehicles and the chattering of a squirrel on a branch above, she shook her head and walked back into the building. Even if that had been Trace’s intent, she was not letting Jake Stone derail her voyage of self-discovery.

No matter how hard it would be to go back to yearning from afar.

Chapter Sixteen

As if Trace’s visit was not enough, Daisy called Carlie Saturday morning to ask if she would come to the club with her and Dack.

“You can just have a drink, see if there are any other guys you’re interested in,” she coaxed.

Shop for another sex partner? Carlie might have thought this was a good idea after three glasses of wine, but now it left her chilled, and not in a good way. “I don’t know, Dais.”

“Just have a drink with us,” Daisy insisted. “Then you can leave if you want.”

“Fine,” Carlie sighed. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay,” Daisy agreed. “Just wear a pretty dress.”

“No theme night?” Carlie asked, relieved. She had some red leather burning a hole in her bureau drawer, but while she often opened the drawer to stroke the soft leather and admire the color, she was not ready to don the ensemble quite yet. Maybe never.

“No,” Daisy said, sounding disappointed. “Although the guys have been planning something for later in the summer. Can’t wait to find out what that is—I think.”

“Let me know, I’ll skip that night.”

Daisy laughed. “See you tonight.”

However, Daisy called again when Carlie was just pulling into the parking lot of Club 3.

“Um, you know your plan to shop around? Well, Dack told Jake you’re coming in tonight. Jake is kind of waiting for you,” she told Carlie, her voice muffled as if she was trying to be quiet.

“
What?
” Carlie’s eyes narrowed with anger as she got out of her car and slammed the door. “We’ll see about that. I’m not his sub.”

“Right. Just wanted to warn you. Gotta go,” Daisy whispered.

Carlie walked into Club 3 with her head high and murder on her mind. Her gaze found Jake Stone immediately, standing with his arms crossed, staring at the door just as Daisy had warned her, as Trace had promised. Waiting for her.

Well, let…him…wait. She glared at him and then looked away. She smiled at the next man she saw, Mase, and walked toward him, rolling her hips so that her skirt swished around her bare legs.

“Hi, Mase,” she said breezily.

He gave her a nod, but his amused, regretful gaze flicked over her shoulder. Carlie stiffened as a deep voice spoke behind her.