Innocence Uncaged

by Jenna Jacob

  Dragging in a breath, I straightened my spine. Whatever weird shit Burk was doing in there didn’t concern me. Nothing in my job description said I was responsible for his moral code. Which was a good thing, since the man didn’t seem to have one.

  Syd glared Ozzy’s way before sliding the hat back over his eyes. “I was trying to be tactful.”

  “Why start now?” Ozzy chuckled.

  “Suck my guitar strap.” The bass player scowled.

  “Why don’t you just text Burk and tell him we’re out here waiting?” I asked.

  Ross’s resting murder face sliced me like an axe, unnerving me as much as his imposing size. “I already did. Six times. He hasn’t replied. Sorry, sweet cheeks, but you’ll have to go in there and haul him out.”

  Clearly, none of them were going to do me a favor and go after Burk. As Ross had succinctly pointed out, it was my job.

  Bastards.

  Stifling a curse, I stormed off the bus and crossed the sidewalk. After yanking the door open, I stepped inside a large, empty foyer decorated in lavish shades of cream and burgundy. At the far end of the room, an unmanned podium stood in front of a thick curtain. Muffled voices melded with strange slapping and cracking noises, accompanied by a pungent scent I couldn’t quite place.

  Suddenly, from behind the drape, a woman screamed in agony.

  I jumped as a blast of adrenaline slammed my chest. My heart rate tripled. I darted a wild stare around the room. Scared and unsure if I should help the girl, I inched closer to the curtain. Lifting a shaky hand, I reached toward the fabric when a mountain of a man in black leather stepped from behind the barrier and blocked my view.

  “You lost, girl?”

  With a frightened yelp, I stumbled back from the badass biker, retreating another foot as he dragged a disapproving scowl at my Licks Of Leather T-shirt and yoga pants. And when he crossed thick, tattooed arms over his even thicker chest, my brain began imploring, Please don’t hurt me.

  “Um…” I couldn’t seem to find the rest of my words.

  His frown fell away. “I’m Drake. Tell me why you’re here.”

  His deep voice held unexpected compassion that partially eased my fears of a terrible, torturous death.

  “I’m here to pick up Burk Jennings. Would you please let him know we’re waiting for him on the bus?”

  “Bus?”

  I mutely nodded as I turned, pointing to the windows. To my surprise, a false wall completely covered the panes visible from the street, as if not to keep people from looking out but rather in.

  A wary chill slid up my spine.

  Drake frowned. “There’s no member here named Burk.”

  “That’s just great.” I huffed, slapping my hands on my hips. “Now what am I supposed to do? Obviously, Quinn gave us the wrong address.”

  “Quinn MacKinnon?”

  “Yes. You know him?” A sliver of hope sprouted wings within me.

  Drake’s lips flattened. “Wait here. I’ll get Mika.”

  As he disappeared through the curtain, a gust of air wafted over my face. The potent, musky scent of sex filled my senses. But there was an underlying essence that brought back memories of the saddle I’d used when I’d taken horseback-riding lessons as a kid.

  I was still trying to dissect why this place would smell of leather when I heard a woman moaning. “Oh, god…yes. Please…please…oh, please…”

  A wave of heat rolled up my body. She sounded as if she was about to have a really happy ending. And since Burk was somewhere behind the curtain, I wondered if he was the guy providing it.

  Lucky girl.

  Moments later, a bald, muscle-bound man stepped into the foyer and flashed me a welcoming smile, his white teeth contrasting with his dark skin. “Hello. I’m Mika LaBrache. You’re here to see Burk?”

  “Yes. Please.”

  “I’m afraid he’s… Well, he’s busy at the moment. What’s your name?”

  “Sofia Jackson. I’m Burk’s road manager.”

  “Have you ever been to a club like this with him before?”

  I had no idea what like this meant. “No. I don’t join the band when they”—bang babes—“um, party.”

  “I see.”

  “I mean. I know Burk’s here to get his freak on, so…”

  Mika’s eyes widened as he repressed an amused smile. “All right, then. I’ll buy you a drink while we wait for him to finish.”

  Did I really want to see what was beyond that heavy velvet drape? Probably not, but I followed the man, noting the sensual sounds growing louder and the carnal scent stronger. Just as I was about to chicken out and rush for the bus, Mika wrapped a firm grip around my elbow and led me through the red velvet barrier.

  The second I caught sight of what was happening in the massive room, I felt as if I’d stepped into the pages of the steamy romance novels I secretly consumed. Equipment I’d only read about lined three walls—and people were using it in ways I’d only ever dreamed of.

  Oh. My. God. I was in an honest-to-god dungeon.

  My heart sputtered. The rumors were true. Burk actually shared my dark desires. Hell, he lived them.

  I was drinking in the erotic sights and absorbing the intimate sounds, knowing I should look away. But I couldn’t. I’d been aware this kind of lifestyle existed, but fictional tales hadn’t prepared me for the spine-tingling images of Dominants spanking, whipping, flogging, and fucking their restrained submissives.

  My mouth went dry. My stomach whirled. My nipples tightened. My girl parts tingled with forbidden delight as I watched my naughty fantasies playing out mere feet away.

  To my left, a woman, bound to a table, panting and launching her hips up toward a man’s mouth as he latched onto her pussy, nearly caused my knees to buckle. Like a much-needed lifeline, Mika gripped my elbow tighter and led me deeper into the dungeon. Three steps later, he tugged me back to prevent me from stumbling into a young girl wearing nothing but a leather collar.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, realizing why Drake had scowled at my attire. Clearly, I was overdressed.

  “No worries. It gets a little crazy here on the weekends.” Mika smiled as he pulled a stool from the bar and nodded at the seat.

  It wasn’t a request.

  Working to reel in my nerves, I complied.

  Seemingly satisfied, Mika eased onto the stool beside me and returned a smile from a very pregnant blonde behind the bar. Behind her, a massive Viking dude leaned against the wall. His tree-trunk arms were crossed over his mile-wide chest as he watched her like a protective sentinel.

  Mika’s bouncers weren’t little boys.

  “Evening, Sir…miss. What can I get you to drink?” she asked, absently caressing her round belly.

  “Would you like a soda or juice?” Mika turned to me, inquiring brow raised.

  “Soda is fine. Thank you.”

  “Two colas, Samantha.”

  “Coming right up, Sir.”

  As the woman waddled away, I glanced over my shoulder, hoping to spy Burk among the crowd. My glance first skimmed over the people sitting at the tables and chairs clustered in the center of the room, then at the play stations lining the walls, but most of those men had their backs to me. Still, I didn’t see Burk anywhere. Was he in some kind of private playroom?

  Shoving down a pang of envy, I peered over at Mika. “Do you have any idea how much longer Burk will be?”

  Swiveling on his stool, he gazed across the room. A slow, knowing smile speared his lips. “I’d say not much longer.”

  Following his line of sight, I locked onto the back of a stunning shirtless man with dark jeans slung low on his hips. He was bent over a light-skinned African-American woman kneeling on a padded bench. His sun-kissed muscles rippled and bunched as he worked the buckles of the cuffs from her wrists. As I stared, fixating on his every masterful move, a sick sense of déjà vu slid over me. Something about him was familiar. And when he lifted his hand to caress the angry welts striping the sub’s ass,
I caught sight of the familiar tattoos on his fingers.

  Burk.

  Pain stabbed. I gasped a rough breath as I struggled to process the sight of him with a woman who was anything but his usual type. A woman who looked a lot like me.

  Confusion rocked me to the core.

  As the sub raised her head, he brushed the dark curls—so much like my own—from her face. Then he leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She flashed him a dreamy smile and eagerly nodded before he bent and pressed his mouth to hers. Fingers trembling, I lifted them to my own lips and imagined the warmth of his kiss. A kiss I’d never know the pleasure of.

  A flamethrower of jealousy suddenly scorched me raw.

  Burk stood straight before thrusting his shoulders back, parting his legs, and clasping his hands behind his back. His unyielding Dominant pose sent a wicked explosion of yearning ricocheting through me. I couldn’t peel my eyes off him as a familiar tingle slid through me and gathered between my legs.

  I wanted to touch him. No. I wanted him to touch me. Wanted him to kiss my lips and whisper naughty things in my ear.

  “Find who you’re looking for?” Mika prompted.

  “Yes,” I whispered automatically.

  When Burk pivoted, I caught a heart-sputtering view of his profile. Though he clearly was with someone else, that didn’t stop desire from expanding inside me. If anything, his impressive pose exposing the rugged line of his jaw, the sensual slope of his nose, and masculine outline of his Adam’s apple made him even more alluring.

  Samantha returned with our drinks, and I forced my gaze off Burk to give her what I hoped was a grateful smile.

  “Thank you, girl,” Mika acknowledged with a regal nod.

  “You’re welcome, Sir.”

  Then she was gone.

  My hands shook as I lifted the cup to my lips and gulped. The carbonation landed in my churning stomach and threatened to launch back up. Quickly setting the cup on the bar, I swallowed desperately and sucked in a deep breath.

  “I may have spoken too soon.” Mika grimaced apologetically. “Burk might be a little longer after all.”

  Alarm bells and whistles rang in my head, warning me not to turn around, but I couldn’t stop myself. I swiveled on my stool as Burk slid his jeans to his ankles. I’d spent hours pleasuring myself to thoughts of him, but I was wholly unprepared for the sight of his thick cock jutting out from beneath his sculpted abs.

  The man of my darkest, wettest fantasies was gorgeously and generously endowed.

  A shiver rocked me, and a puddle pooled in my panties. My clit throbbed like a jackhammer as visions of him fucking me wild and dirty assaulted my brain.

  When the mocha-skinned woman slid to her knees and stroked his thickly veined shaft, I could almost feel the heat of him in my own palm.

  But the pleasure playing over his face as she touched him hurt me until I all but shattered. And even though I knew what would happen next—knew that seeing her take him into her mouth would eviscerate me—I couldn’t look away.

  I held my breath as she parted her lips and engulfed Burk’s cock, bestowing the indulgence I’d always imagined giving him. Watching him being orally pleasured was a humiliating slap to the face—and a million times worse than seeing him invite a group of band bunnies to his dressing room. Worse, the gratification stamping his face, coupled with the low growl rolling off his lips, told me he was loving it.

  My white-hot envy quickly morphed into crushing rejection. A cold sweat broke out across my skin. The walls of the cavernous dungeon began closing in around me. My heart dissolved.

  I had to get out of there—fast.

  I launched to my feet, sending the barstool toppling to the floor with a loud crash. Ignoring it, I turned for the exit.

  Mika blocked my path and clasped my elbow. “What’s wrong?”

  “I-I need to go.”

  The stern set of his jaw didn’t give away his thoughts. “I’ll walk you outside after you tell me why you’re so upset.”

  “I’m not upset. I’m annoyed,” I lied. “When Burk and his little play toy are done, tell him to get his ass on the bus.”

  Wrenching from Mika’s hand, I turned and stormed toward the curtain. I would have made a clean getaway if I hadn’t made the fatal mistake of glancing over my shoulder one last time.

  As if sensing my gaze, Burk turned and focused his heavy-lidded eyes on me. Our stares locked. Betrayal I had no right to feel seared me. Anger, mostly at myself for being so stupidly naïve, followed.

  Shock replaced the ecstasy on his face. Apology slashed his brow. And as his image blurred behind my tears, regret softened his expression.

  No way would I let him see me fall apart like this.

  Tearing my gaze free, I ran—past the people milling in the dungeon, through the heavy velvet curtain, and out the door before skidding to a stop on the sidewalk.

  Finally, I was alone. Well, except for… I stared at the bus. No part of me wanted to climb those stairs and be subjected to the taunts and jeers surely awaiting me. There was zero doubt in my mind that the men inside that bus had purposely sent me into the club to either shock or embarrass me in the hopes I would quit.

  “It’s not going to happen, assholes,” I murmured under my breath.

  Swiping the foolish tears from my cheeks, I raced down the sidewalk shrouded in murky darkness. If Burk could take time out for a little slap and tickle, I could damn well steal a few minutes to myself, too.

  I found a wooden bench at the end of the sidewalk. Plopping down, I hugged my chest and let the irrational tears flow.

  If I could hate the man, this wouldn’t hurt so damn much…

  Of course, that wasn’t possible because beneath Burk’s arrogant exterior lay a man I’d seen extend benevolence and compassion. Not only did he treat his fellow bandmates like brothers, but he welcomed the fans—who constantly mobbed him on the streets—like family as well. He even took time to visit children’s hospitals in each city along the tour. He and the other musicians would stroll from room to room, autographing casts and handing out posters, CDs, T-shirts, and ball caps. Even when the other guys tapped out and headed back to the bus, Burk remained, laughing and joking with the sick kids. He encouraged the ones with terminal illnesses to keep fighting, bribing them with free concert tickets the next time the band came through their town. The smiles he coaxed from every child with his kind words and generous gifts etched my heart deeply. And unlike the other guys who didn’t need any ammunition to gripe and complain, Burk never said a derogatory word about the multitude of interviews and special appearances I scheduled. Though he constantly made us late, he always showed up brimming with enthusiasm and smiling for disc jockeys and reporters alike.

  I was attracted to Burk for those reasons—and a million others. I couldn’t hate him any more than I could turn off the jealousy now ripping me to shreds. The agony only confirmed my worst fear: I was falling for the man.

  Surviving with him in close quarters for another seven platonic weeks was going to be utter hell.

  ♫

  Burk

  In a rush to find Sofia and mitigate the trauma of seeing went on in a kink dungeon, I was grateful that Honey declined my aftercare and that Mika shoved me out the door. But once I discovered that Sofia wasn’t on the bus, I panicked.

  As I squinted into the dark shadows along the sidewalk, my mind replayed the sight of her crying and running from the club. I winced. I didn’t want to imagine the shock running through her head. But at the moment, I was more worried about her safety. Club Genesis sat in an industrial area, but gangbangers, lowlifes, and rapists could be lurking anywhere. I had to find her.

  “Sofia!” I bellowed into the inky shadows.

  “Get on the bus, Burk. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  The bleak defeat in her voice sent alarm bells pealing in my head. Guilt stuck in my throat. I forced it down and set off in her direction.

  Now way am I leaving you out here alo
ne, sweetheart.

  A few steps later, I found her on a bench, shoulders hunched, staring at the pavement. As I paused in front of her, Sofia didn’t bother lifting her head. Hell, she wasn’t acknowledging me at all. The deflated posture of our new road manager looked nothing like the arctic, schedule-driven professional of the past few weeks.

  I’d done this to her.

  A deluge of remorse spilled through me.

  What in the hell was she doing inside Genesis to begin with? Deep down, I knew the answer. We, the band as a whole, resented Quinn appointing another babysitter to keep us in line. Since our immature antics had prompted the previous road managers to quit, I knew one of the guys had sent Sofia in to find me, hoping she’d do the same.

  I could have told them their plan wouldn’t work. Sofia was far different from the others. She was hard-core driven, living for deadlines and schedules, and definitely not starstruck by any of us, especially me. Which truly sucked.

  She’d never quit, which meant I had to do some serious damage control.

  “Go away, Burk,” she mumbled passively.

  “Not until we talk about what you saw in there.”

  “There’s nothing to discuss. The chick with her mouth latched onto your junk was self-explanatory. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a grown woman. I know what a blow job is.”

  Instantly, cock-straining images of Sofia’s plump lips wrapped around my dick exploded through my head. I blinked them away and focused on her caustic tone, hoping it was a sign she wasn’t totally traumatized.

  “I’m talking about the paddles and whips and—”

  “Oh, we’re especially not discussing any of that. Why aren’t you on the bus?”

  “Because I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  Jerking her head up, Sofia sent me an icy stare. The headlights of a passing car illuminated tearstains on her cheeks and hurt reflecting in her pale-gray eyes. The sight nearly ripped my heart in two.

  “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

  She wasn’t, and the fact that she was lying made my palm itch. When she lowered her chin, clearly dismissing me, I dropped to my haunches and peered up at her face beneath a veil of loose copper curls. I balled my hands into fists to keep from touching those taunting ringlets as her dizzying scent of warm jasmine poured over me. Staring at her plump lips—all but begging to be plundered—I ached to kiss her senseless…taste her. Claim her. Fucking own her.