by Nadia Aidan
Playtime Is Over
Nadia Aidan
Book two in the Red Velvet Rope series.
Sonya has been in love with Joshua for the past five years and for just as long he has taken her love for granted. When she confronts him about her needs and discovers he has no intention of pursuing a serious relationship with her, Sonya ends their affair.
Playtime is over.
Brokenhearted, Sonya sheds everything that reminds her of her life with Joshua. In the process she discovers the depths of her true nature and awakens inner sexual yearnings she never knew she possessed, as well as a painful past she thought long buried.
Old hurts and dark secrets cloud Sonya’s and Joshua’s every interaction, threatening to tear them apart forever. But Joshua refuses to allow Sonya to walk away from him again. She has long held his heart, but now he willingly surrenders his body to her—a sexual Dominant submitting to his submissive. It’s something Joshua has never done for any woman, and never Sonya, but he’s determined to do anything to win Sonya’s love, no matter the cost.
Playtime is Over
Nadia Aidan
Dedication
To CH, my inspiration for writing this story.
Chapter One
Full, sensual lips stained in scarlet stood out against the cream of her flushed skin. Sonya blinked, her heavy lashes framed with dark liner fluttering over flickering golden eyes that refused to cry.
The woman beside her shifted, drawing her gaze for what was easily the hundredth time. Besides the two of them, the ladies room was empty, the mirror before them reflecting two stark figures—their features incomparable.
The diminutive figure beside her was nondescript. From the severe bun restraining brunette locks, to the simple black sheath that adorned a petite frame—everything about the woman who hovered at her side was understated, subtle. She was plain, which meant she was perfect—because she was everything Sonya was not.
Swallowing the bitterness that settled in her throat, abruptly she spun away from the mirror that reflected the image of the woman she could not compete with, and just as quietly as she’d entered, Sonya left the restroom.
As she weaved a path through the maze of tables where patrons dined for the evening, Sonya acknowledged nothing about her was understated or remotely plain. Gazes clung to her, their attention shadowing her every step. Her body moved with a feline grace that would not be ignored. Even her hair was sensual as a cloud of raven curls swept across her bare shoulders, settling against the smooth satin bodice of her strapless dress.
She was not unattractive but neither was she especially lovely, yet she possessed an indescribable allure that was magnetic, drawing the usual interest that on this evening she did not seek. She corrected herself as she drew nearer to a table tucked in a shadowed corner.
His interest, his attention she sought desperately, on this night, and on so many others.
Another bitter lump lodged in her throat, joining the one that had begun to form the moment she’d laid eyes on him and his date. She’d felt his presence as soon as he’d entered the trendy restaurant. Chill bumps scattering across her nape, her heart stuttering then leaping in her chest. It was always the same when he was near but apparently she was the only one who experienced these physical stirrings, the longing that even now made her ache. Her throbbing awareness of the man paling only in comparison to the ache in her heart.
Before she could consider her actions, she halted before his table and grabbed the first thing she saw—a glass of water. Without thought, she hurled the contents into his face, catching him by surprise.
He sputtered then moved to stand but the coldness in her eyes must have stilled him.
“It’s over.” Her voice was as cold as her gaze, and as deadly quiet as the main dining room where several of the guests had stopped mid-conversation to observe the interplay before them.
Sonya was done. Her brief display of fury now over—much like her relationship with Joshua Diaz.
As abruptly as she’d exited the restroom, she spun away from Joshua’s table and headed for the door. Her gaze captured that of her dinner companion’s, and Katherine rose immediately, but Sonya shook her head. She wanted to be alone—she wanted to leave alone, go home alone, she just wanted to be alone.
Katherine nodded, though her eyes protested, but Sonya was resolute. Slipping out the door, she left Katherine no other choice but to just let her be.
Within seconds she’d hailed a cab and settled into the quiet interior of the backseat to stare out the window at the iridescent brilliance that was Las Vegas. Sonya saw none of it. She closed her eyes and did not reopen them for the rest of the drive. Instead she cocooned herself within the musty leather of the seat and allowed the tears she’d kept at bay for longer than just that night to finally fall.
* * * * *
Desperation was something Joshua was not intimately familiar with, but he was starting to understand the emotion more than he cared to. Desperation and an almost painful longing coursed through his blood seemingly every waking moment until he’d begun to physically ache for her.
He’d lost her. He’d fucked up and now she’d left him.
After she’d hurled a drink in his face, he’d remained frozen in his chair, his gaze following the sensual undulation of Sonya’s hips until she’d disappeared from the restaurant.
He’d not anticipated such a response from her, although her reaction was not entirely a surprise.
How long do you expect Sonya to wait for you? Seth’s voice echoed beneath the sound of his own pounding heart.
Forever?
Not at all?
Joshua could not say, which was why he’d failed to answer his closest friend when questioned of his intentions months prior. Sonya had just always been, he’d never imagined her absent from his life, but neither could he imagine a future with her.
She was his sexual submissive, not a woman he could marry, have children with—at least that’s what he’d told himself. In the weeks since she’d been absent from his life he’d recited these same words, until he’d returned to the familiar spaces where he expected to find her, only to discover she was officially gone.
It’s over.
The husky lilt of her voice played havoc with his senses as a gnawing frustration clawed through his gut. Her words roused his dominant nature, taunting everything inside him that made him a skillful Master.
It was not over between them. They still had unfinished business.
It had been a month since the incident at the restaurant, and he’d lost every measure of his patience and reserve waiting for Sonya to return until it had finally dawned on him that morning that she wasn’t.
“Where is she?” he demanded of his boss, who was also one of Sonya’s closest friends. His tall frame cast a shadow over the sienna cream beauty who refused to be cowed, even as she was seated behind her desk.
Katherine Higgins-Kyoto lifted a single, imperious brow above swirling toffee-cream eyes.
“Where is who?” An equally imperious tone joined her defiant expression, forcing him to coil his hands into tight fists to temper his rising exasperation.
“Katherinnnnne.”
“Do not take that tone with me, Joshua Diaz.”
Not Josh, or even Diaz. To use his full name told him Katherine was pissed.
“You know where she is.” He tried again, his voice gentler, despite his inner struggle to cage the anger mounting within him.
“Why do you care where she is? You obviously didn’t care about Sonya or her feelings when you asked another woman out on a date—”
“I didn’t—” He raked a hand through his hair. He then took a deep breath
before he lost what little control he still had of his temper. “You make it sound as if I cheated on her. Sonya is my submissive. You of all people should understand our relationship.”
The blazing fire in Katherine’s eyes revealed neither understanding nor sympathy for his cause.
“If you mean your sexual relationship, then of course I do. As for your emotional relationship, that’s another story. You’ve been with Sonya for five years. If you had no intention of ever claiming her, I don’t understand why you didn’t just let her go.”
Let Sonya go?
Golden eyes specked with silver flickered before him. Ripe lips that seemed to be designed to pleasure a man taunted him in the shadows of his subconscious. Winding, unending curves—his fingers tingled as if he could feel her supple flesh beneath his hands.
She was his sexual equal, even as she submitted to him beneath his touch. He could never let her go, but neither could he claim her. Sonya must have finally realized this.
It’s over.
The cold finality to their five-year affair ricocheted in his head as if a pinball had been set loose inside his skull. She could not leave him, not without his permission, and not in the manner in which she had—without warning or explanation.
“I need to talk to her, Katherine.”
Maybe the plea in his voice would soften her heart.
Katherine’s eyes narrowed, cutting him to the quick. “Right now I care about Sonya’s needs, and she needs space and some time away from you.”
“I thought I was your friend too,” he argued, “and yet you’re taking her side.”
“It’s not about sides, Josh.” Her expression softened, even though the blazing intensity that reflected her displeasure with him did not dim from her eyes. “You hurt her and unless you intend to rectify that, I think you need to stay away from her.”
He opened his mouth to protest, even as he knew nothing he had to say would pacify her. He selfishly needed to see Sonya. As for rectifying the situation, he could not promise Katherine that, for he had no idea what would transpire the next time he encountered Sonya.
Standing before Katherine, he was at a loss for words so he was oddly grateful for the interruption of Seth Kyoto’s presence.
His friend hesitated at the doorway to Katherine’s office for only a second before ambling into the room with a casual, long-legged stride.
“I thought I told you not to harass my wife about Sonya’s whereabouts.”
Seth barely glanced at Josh as he crossed the room to stand beside the chair where Katherine still sat. Guardian angel or avenging hero, Josh could not decide between the two for Seth Kyoto exuded the qualities of both.
He had to force himself not to shake his head at his friend’s protective stance over his wife. Seth knew the last person who would ever hurt his wife was him, especially since just a year ago he’d worked by his side to catch the stalker threatening Katherine’s safety. Just as it was equally laughable that Katherine needed protecting period. Owner and CEO of the Vegas hotel Taboo, Katherine was well known as a ball-buster throughout the city.
If anything, Joshua needed protection from her.
“It’s fine,” Katherine interjected, her hand lightly stroking Seth’s forearm. “Josh knows I’m a dead end and besides, he was just leaving.”
Weren’t you, Josh?
The message in her eyes was clear and he gritted his teeth in frustration. Against Katherine or Seth he could have stood a chance, but the two of them together…he would have had better luck questioning a brick wall.
“In that case, I’ll walk you out,” Seth offered, already moving to escort him from the room.
A dead end was right. He hadn’t expected to get much out of Katherine, but he’d thought she’d show him just a little compassion. He glanced over his shoulder at Seth, who hovered close by. Seth? Seth was as impenetrable as the Iron Curtain. He’d anticipated that his friend wouldn’t help him. After all, he’d warned Joshua.
“I told you not to go to Katherine,” Seth stated flatly as soon as they stood in the hallway beyond Katherine’s office.
He bristled at the steely tone of Seth’s voice. It seemed so easy for everyone to stonewall him, but he’d done nothing wrong. Sonya had known what to expect of their arrangement. Why couldn’t everyone else accept that he wasn’t the callous prick they all made him out to be?
“I just want to talk to her, apologize, at the least.”
“She doesn’t want to talk to you, and I can’t say I blame her.” Seth’s voice was as cool and indomitable as the man himself. The only person who seemingly had the power to get past his implacable exterior was Katherine, the woman who’d claimed his heart. “I told you this would happen. I warned you.”
“What you suggested of me was unheard of. Everyone doesn’t marry their sub like you did,” he snapped.
“Watch it, Diaz.”
Seth’s eyes hardened but Josh already knew he was tiptoeing along a precarious line, balancing without a net to catch him like one of those Cirque du Soleil performers. Yet he didn’t heed the warning in Seth’s gaze for he was past the point of seeing reason.
Sonya had changed her phone number, his name had been removed from the guest list to enter her gated community. She’d taken a leave of absence from running the business he knew she loved, The Red Velvet Rope. It was as if she’d vanished, leaving a tangible void where she’d once existed.
He’d given her space, thinking she would get over it and come around.
She hadn’t.
A week had passed, then two…
He’d pretended he was fine without her. He’d even gone out on another date with Elisa.
Spending time with Elisa should have been enough.
She was a kindergarten teacher, a small-town girl from Utah. She was soft-spoken, proper, respectable. She was everything he’d convinced himself he wanted now that he was starting to seriously consider marriage and children. She was predictable, steadfast….she was boring.
She didn’t challenge him on politics with fire in her eyes. She didn’t tempt him with just the slight curve of her lips into a wanton smile.
“I need to see her,” Josh pleaded, almost embarrassed by the desperate edge to his voice.
Seth’s eyes widened then narrowed, and the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth hinted at a mocking smile. He knew what Seth saw when he looked at him—dark circles beneath his eyes, a shadow along his jaw. He looked like shit and hell’s love child but Josh didn’t care. He was past the point of pride. Sonya’s absence had finally humbled him. A ragged breath escaped him. It was that simple—he missed her.
“You don’t deserve even a hint, but you look horrible.” Seth let out a long breath while Joshua waited. When he finally spoke, Josh could not mask his surprise.
Of all the places he’d expected her to go, to be, he’d never expected her to go there and to him…
Chapter Two
Sanctuary.
What she needed the most this palace of seduction shrouded in secrecy promised to offer her.
It was an odd, ironic twist. There were only two clubs in Las Vegas that catered to the lifestyle. Sonya co-owned one, while she now worked for another. Seth had been surprised when she’d told him of her plans, but in that silent, resolute way he had about him, he’d approved with just a nod.
He understood.
She was hurting, her heart aching, and for the first time in a long time she felt as if she was floundering, gasping for air, and searching for something that would anchor her.
Sonya closed her eyes, her chest expanding with a deep inhalation of air. She sighed, the crisp coolness of her breath escaping her.
For five years she’d been Joshua’s sexual submissive. She’d thought she was his lover, his friend, his partner in every way.
A knot of shame festered in her belly until she thought she was going to be ill. A cold reality had been revealed to her the night Joshua had brushed her off after they’d made love just
hours before only to go out on a date with another woman. In his eyes, she was not good enough for him. She never would be. She’d glimpsed the truth long before that night, but in the recesses of her heart, she’d hoped he would open his eyes and see her, truly see her as the woman who loved him, who’d stood by his side for so many years. But Joshua did see her. The problem was he saw her as nothing more than a sexual being, and not as the woman she was.
What a fool she’d been. The heavy weight of humiliation threatened to buckle her knees, but she steeled herself. Drawing in another breath, Sonya managed to find calm, and the shame began to ease out of her, draining from her body, much like everything else that had escaped her—her pride, her will.
That was why she was there this evening, at The Sanctuary.
It was time to move on, time to start over. Joshua had never wanted her support, never desired her love. Not once had he asked for her unwavering devotion as his submissive and the woman in his life. She needed to accept that.
“Anya, he is waiting for you. You need to hurry.”
Sonya glanced up from her perch upon a stool in a small, private dressing room. Her eyes met that of a handsome man with brooding eyes. Erik Johanssen. Until this night, he’d been a casual business associate. Now he was her new boss. She gave him a curt nod and he disappeared from the doorway when she began to stand.
Anya. She toyed with the name in her head, before rolling it across her tongue. That was the name she’d taken upon entering The Sanctuary just weeks ago in search of a position.
With a rueful smile, she acknowledged she’d taken on many traits she’d not possessed before.
After deciding to leave her position at The Red Velvet Rope, she’d entered The Sanctuary, not knowing what to expect. What she’d encountered had certainly not been something she’d anticipated in the least.
“I take it you’re here for the job,” Erik had barked at her, his shrewd eyes assessing her. “You’re late. If you work here I expect punctuality. You may keep your subs waiting, but not me.”
