Under His Control (For His Pleasure, Book 18) (7 page)

Not to mention the fact that Easton has blatantly refused to contact you or
respond to your attempts to contact him.

He’s not interested. This is a coincidence, this is his own personal record to
remind himself of where he needs to be tonight.

Except Kennedy refused to believe any of that. She stood up, her heart pounding.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she went into her bedroom, letting her bathrobe fall to her feet.

She felt naked, sexy and a little drunk as she stood before her closet and considered her options.

Seductive.

You know he still wants you, Kennedy. Now it’s time to remind him why he wants
you.

She smiled a little as she picked out a short black skirt that clung to her in all the right places. Next, some stockings. High heels. Very high, so high that her calves ached when she wore them.

Well, nothing like a little pain to go with the pleasure. Isn’t that how this game is
supposed to be played?

Next, a sheer top that exposed more than it hid. Normally she’d have been terrified to walk out of the apartment wearing such a getup. She’d bought it with Easton in mind, but had never really believed that she’d have the guts to wear it in public.

Once she was dressed, Kennedy applied some makeup. Not a lot, just enough to cover up some of the tired lines and darkness beneath her eyes.

The lipstick enhanced her lips, and drew attention to the fullness of them—how they might feel when kissing and sucking. Wasn’t that right? Wasn’t that the idea?

She gave herself a seductive smile, pretending that she was looking into Easton’s surprised but excited eyes.

Okay, so I need to work on my sexy smile
, she thought, not feeling that natural at it.

But this is the best I can do on short notice, and it’s going to work.

It has to work.

Kennedy went and chugged the last of her wine for a little extra help before grabbing her purse and heading into the night to find him.

***

This time of night, The Church was already packed with people. Kennedy could tell just from walking past the entrance. She could see behind the bouncer and into the bar where men and women were drinking and talking, shoulder to shoulder as loud music blared out, filtering into the night air.

But The Church itself didn’t really concern her.

What concerned her was what was going on in the other part of the building, the secret part where she’d spent so little time previously, and yet so much had happened.

Even being close to the place where she’d stripped for Easton, where she’d waited alone in that room, knowing he was coming for her—it made Kennedy wet.

This time, she went to the secret door unaccompanied.

When the Italian man opened the door and looked at her, his eyes registered faint recognition. “You here for Signore Rather, yes?”

“Yes,” she replied, nodding.

“Tell me account number.”

Kennedy reeled off the numbers effortlessly, as if she’d always known them, instead of having glimpsed them briefly on Easton’s card once for a handful of seconds.

The Italian guard whispered into his headset and then let her pass.

As she stepped into the hallway, she turned and looked at the man who’d just let her go inside. She realized that she had absolutely no idea where to find Easton this time.

“Does Signore Rather know I’m here?” she asked, trying to sound confident.

The Italian man’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You tell me.” He came towards her. “He expects you, yes?”

“Yes, of course. But…I was checking. Is he in his normal room?”

The man folded his arms. “His room. Yes, the normal one, as you say.”

She thanked him, then started walking again, checking over her shoulder once to see if the man was watching her go. He was.

Kennedy started walking faster, rounding a corner as she attempted to get away from the guard’s suspicious gaze. As she went, Kennedy stumbled, her extra high heels causing her ankle to roll.

She fell to the floor, skinning a knee and ripping her stocking.

“Dammit,” she hissed. The knee burned, as did her pride. And she was back in the creepy long hallway with all the doors.

As before, the doors were closed. Behind them, she could both hear and imagine all sorts of dark and obscene activities taking place.

She hoped that the Italian guard hadn’t been toying with her when he’d agreed that Easton was in his usual room. She’d pulled it out of thin air, but it made sense that Easton might make use of the same room he’d directed her to last time.

And in any case, she’d needed to say something to keep that guard from questioning whether she really belonged in the club.

Kennedy walked slowly down the hallway. As she approached the mid point, a door on the left opened. An older man, shorter than her, with a big belly and a beard, stood in the doorway. He was unrolling his shirtsleeves, perspiration rolling down his brow, chest heaving as if he’d just finished an intense workout.

Behind him, she could see a woman, stark naked, lying face down and tied to a bed, red lashes across her back and bottom.

The bearded man laughed at Kennedy’s startled reaction. “You like what you see?” he asked, his voice deep and throaty. “I have energy left. Come inside with me, I’ll show you how to behave.”

“No thank you.”

The man wiped sweat from his brow as she passed him. She could smell his sweat mixed with his aftershave. “You would thank me,” he said. “I promise you.”

She ignored his leering and his comments, and continued to walk with a purpose, though she was now shaking and frightened.

You shouldn’t have come here
, a voice whispered.
They can tell you don’t
belong. And what will Easton say?

Her confidence was draining fast.

A sick feeling came over her, penetrating her stomach, causing it to knot and twist and writhe. Kennedy slowed and put a hand on her churning belly and tried to get a hold of her emotions.

She wasn’t far from the room Easton had directed her to when she’d last come to this place. Should she really open that door, not knowing what she would find behind it?

Easton might be there, or he might not. If it was someone else, she’d better have a good excuse for intruding. Who knew what the punishment might be doled out for going to the wrong place and ruining the privacy these people seemed to covet?

Kennedy started walking again.

Maybe I’ll text him and let him know I’m here
.

She slowed in front of the door in question and pulled out her cell. As she was about to text Easton, she thought better of it.

Why come all this way just to text him? What if he simply texted her back and told her to leave?

She couldn’t bear the thought of having come all this way for nothing, all this way to not even see him. She needed to see the look on his face when he saw her again. It would tell her so much.

Now she was putting the phone away and stepping toward the door. She could see every grain in it’s paneling, smell the paint. Behind it, she strained to hear the sounds, just to know if Easton was in there.

What if he’s having sex right this very second?

The thought repelled her. But she had no choice except to press forward. If he was having sex, then so be it. That’s what went on in this place, more or less, and Easton certainly wasn’t breaking any vows.

She must be prepared for anything. She needed to focus and stay in the zone—to do whatever it took to get his attention and keep it.

Don’t knock
, she thought.
Just open the damn door.

As her hand reached out and grabbed the cold knob and started to turn it, she heard a woman’s voice coming from inside.

“Master, I’ll do anything. Anything.”

“Quiet,” the male voice replied.

Kennedy hesitated. Was it even him? She needed to be sure. She thought it did sound like him, but there was a chance she was wrong.

She took a quivering breath and waited. Her hand released the knob. As she did so, it creaked loudly.

“Someone’s trying to get in,” the woman said now, her voice only slightly muffled from behind the door. “I just saw the door handle turn,” she continued. “I swear someone’s right outside the room.” Her voice was anxious, almost panicked.

Kennedy started to back up, realizing she’d been caught. Her plan to ambush Easton and surprise him had backfired.

The idea, in that very instant, seemed suddenly very bad. The courage that the alcohol and her state of mind had given her abruptly left, and she was standing exposed in the empty hallway as footsteps approached the door and it swung open.

Kennedy was greeted by Easton, just as she sensed she would be. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, but he had on perfectly pressed dress pants and shiny black shoes. His eyes were intense and his hair was a bit mussed. His beard had grown in slightly, little more than a shadow. But it gave him a rough look that frightened her.

His bare upper torso was muscular, glossy, a little pumped up from whatever shenanigans he’d been engaged in with the woman.

Behind him, a tall, long-legged blonde woman who might have been a super model stood wearing nothing but panties and a bra. Her arms appeared to be tied behind her back.

Kennedy gulped.

Easton stared at Kennedy, his jaw working, twitching. “What. In. The. Hell. Are.

You. Doing.” He practically growled the words.

She wanted so badly to turn and run. The look of disgust on his face was enough to make her want to curl into a fetal position and die. It was instant humiliation, and all her hopes that he would want her were dashed.

“I…You…You ignored my text and calls.” The excuse was as pathetic and feeble as it sounded.

“Get the hell out of here.” He went to close the door.

Kennedy was almost relieved that it was over so quickly and that he didn’t say or do anything worse. But then she saw the grinning self-satisfied smile of the tall blonde woman standing behind him, and her blood boiled.

“No, I won’t get out of here,” Kennedy said, the tone of her voice a surprise even to her.

Easton stopped short. “What did you say to me?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The blonde laughed mockingly.

Easton’s eyes were icy, his jaw stiff as he glared at her. “You don’t get to decide.

I’ll call and have them carry you out of here and throw you into the street. Would you prefer I do that instead?”

“Maybe I would.”

“Then I’ll arrange it.”

“I don’t think so,” she replied. Her arrogance was intentional, although she wasn’t completely sure why she was choosing to bait him.

Easton licked his lips and smiled, but the smile was cold. “You’re starting to become more trouble than you’re worth, Kennedy.”

Kennedy held her head high. “How would you know?”

This time the blonde’s laugh was even more obnoxious. “All he needs to do is look at you, honey. And then look at me.”

Easton turned and glanced at the woman in his room. “Shut up.”

The smile disappeared from her face.

When he looked at Kennedy once more, he was simmering. “You and I have to talk, but not here. It’s a matter for another time and place. And what you’re doing here is highly unprofessional,” he added.

“I don’t care.”

“Well I do. Are you really trying to ruin my career?”

“No.” Kennedy stared into his eyes. “But I’ll ruin my own if that’s what it takes.”

“You don’t even know what you’re asking.”

“Maybe you’re just scared,” she replied, shrugging.

He laughed, looking down again, as if in total disbelief at Kennedy’s arrogance.

The blonde woman was staring at Kennedy now, too. She had such a disdainful expression on her face, so haughty and confident just because of her looks. It enraged Kennedy that Easton would want to be with someone like that.

“I’m not scared, Kennedy,” Easton said. “But I am growing tired of your games.”

“Then let’s play one last game and I promise to stop.”

He sighed. “I don’t think so.”

“I’ll go away. All you have to do is tell me that you choose
her
over me.”

Easton glanced back at the blonde woman and then to Kennedy again. “What?”

“Choose between us. Tell me that you choose her, honestly, and I’ll go.

Otherwise, send her away and put me in her place right now.”

The woman barked another laugh. “Stupid ugly bitch,” she said, just loud enough for Kennedy to hear it.

But Kennedy didn’t back down. Instead, she waited for Easton’s decision, knowing that if he chose the other woman, Kennedy would turn and leave without looking back and without regret.

I tried. I tried, and if he doesn’t want me, what can I do?

Easton grit his teeth, his shoulders tense as he seemed to contemplate his decision.

“Easton,” the other woman said, “you can’t honestly be thinking of choosing her.

Just send her away, she’s crazy. You know what I can do for you.”

Easton opened the door wider, as if her outburst had settled the matter. Then he crossed to where the blonde was standing, aghast. He began untying her wrists.

“You’re serious?” the blonde asked, incredulous. “Her? Her over me?”

Easton nodded. “Learn to keep quiet. Nobody likes to hear a beautiful woman make herself ugly the way you did just now.”

“Fine. Have it your way.”

“Besides,” Easton told her, “you never stood a chance anyway.”

The blonde stalked out of the room, grabbing her clothes but not even bothering to dress as she brushed by Kennedy. “If I ever see you again, you’ll be sorry,” the blonde woman threatened in a low voice, before continuing off down the empty hall.

Kennedy didn’t bother to respond. Instead, she entered the room, and Easton shut the door behind her.

She could still smell the perfume of the tall blonde woman that had been sent away, and it disgusted her. The scent was both sweet and vaguely sour.