And when it came to sex, Luke wanted it all. He wanted his partners to be willing to give in to his every whim. There were lines that would be crossed, and up until the night he had lost all control and taken Cole in a way he had never done with another man, Luke knew there weren’t many lines that he wouldn’t cross.
The problem he knew he would run into would be finding a woman who could handle that side of him. The side of him that sought to find the sheer pleasure from sex – boundaries be damned.
Despite the anger and frustration that continued to build because Luke didn’t believe there was a release for the personal demons that haunted him. The one’s that made him feel like a sexual deviant at times for wanting the full and complete submission of a woman, her willingness to give herself over to him, to trust that he would care for her and take her higher than she had ever dreamed possible.
Not that being with Cole had changed any of those wants, but Luke had found a release that night. One he had never known before. And that had scared him beyond measure. To the point that he wondered about his sexual preferences and wondered if he had been looking in the wrong place the entire time.
Then he realized that he hadn’t been. He wasn’t gay; although that night, the thought had crossed his mind. No, being gay would have been easy to accept, but Luke knew his interest wasn’t only in one gender. He liked women and apparently he found just as much sexual satisfaction in men.
Scratch that. One man.
That life altering realization had come to him after a week of being holed up in his vacation cabin, forcing himself to think things through. To decide what the hell it was that he wanted. And to stop thinking about the fact that he couldn’t change the man that he was, even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.
And no, Luke wasn’t in any position to talk about, or even deal with what had happened. At least not now.
“So, why did you come?” Luke asked, suddenly more than willing to get this conversation over with.
“I need a favor.” Logan said, this time smiling that mischievous grin that told Luke he wasn’t going to like what came next.
Tipping one eyebrow up, urging Logan to get on with it, Luke didn’t move, and he didn’t say anything.
“XTX has a vendor’s conference in Vegas this weekend. I owe someone a favor and she’s called me on it.”
“A favor?” Where the hell was Logan going with this?
“Sierra is Veronica Sellers’ daughter.” Logan stated.
“So you’ve said.” Luke’s testy response was met with Logan’s even broader smile.
“Sierra’s an interior designer who just moved to Dallas from Nashville to be closer to her mother. She’s looking to build her business here, but she doesn’t have many contacts. Veronica seems to think this conference might be just the place to get her daughter’s name circulating.”
That sounded reasonable enough, but it didn’t explain why Logan was there. “So how does this involve me?” Luke asked, trying to tie it all together.
“I need you to accompany Sierra to Vegas for the conference.” Logan said, taking a step back as though he were already anticipating Luke’s reaction.
Luke pushed up from his chair, ran his hand through his hair and then directed a death glare at his brother. “Are you fucking serious?”
Luke didn’t quite know what to make of his brother’s request. The woman he’d just been introduced to, the one that made his dick stand up and take notice, needed a date. To Vegas.
What the hell was Logan thinking bringing her here?
“Did you completely fucking forget who you’re talking to, Logan? That sweet, innocent woman out there doesn’t stand a chance around me, and you know it. You know me better than anyone else, and hell, you saw my reaction to her. You bring the two of us together, and you’re opening up Pandora’s box.”
Surely his brother had gone insane. Logan had his own sexual preferences, a little on the dominant side, but the two of them weren’t even in the same league. What Luke wanted, no, what Luke needed, was far darker than any single woman could give him. And that woman, with her sleek black hair, long legs, and tight body was a temptation that Luke wouldn’t be able to resist.
“I know what I’m asking, Luke. I wouldn’t have come here if I had any doubts.” Logan’s calm, assertive attitude pissed Luke off.
Fuck.
He was fucked no matter how he looked at it. The part of him that wanted to shield that unsuspecting woman from a man like him was being held back by the part of him that wanted to strip her naked, right in the middle of his club, and fuck her blind.
“Ok.” Luke heard himself say, against his better judgment.
“Ok? You’ll go?” Logan’s incredulity was obvious.
“I’ll go.”
“One more thing.” Logan said as he turned toward the door. “Cole Ackerley’s attending. He’s going as a representative of CISS. Alex can’t make it, and Cole has contracted for him before. I just thought you should know.”
Sonuvabitch.
Luke watched his brother walk out of the room, but he didn’t make a move to follow him. He didn’t think his heart could handle the movement. What the hell was he getting himself into? Being around either of them wasn’t going to be a hardship, but Luke had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to control his baser urges.
Alone with both of them. In Vegas. For a weekend.
What the fuck?
Luke was so totally screwed.
Chapter Four
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
Sitting at a small table close to the bar, Sierra forced her gaze to the woman sitting across from her. Despite the overwhelming desire to search the room for the sexy, brooding man she had been introduced to only minutes before, she fought to focus.
The man made her skin tingle. Everywhere. The way his eyes had grazed her, the equivalent of a sensual caress, had sent a shiver down her spine. Had he looked closer, and yes, she knew he had tried, he would have seen her nipples pebbled beneath the shiny black halter she wore.
Looking down at her hand, she remembered the feel of his skin on hers, the way heat had spiraled low and fierce in her belly moments before her internal muscles had contracted. She had never had a reaction as all-consuming as the one she had to the feel of Luke McCoy’s giant, calloused palm on hers.
How was it possible for a man to come across so mysterious, so powerful, that Sierra felt it all the way down to her toes? The way he looked at her, the way his penetrating hazel eyes touched every inch of her overheated skin had Sierra wanting to search the room for him once more.
“So, the flight leaves Dallas on Thursday morning at seven. Logan and I will be glad to give you a ride to the airport if you need one.”
Sierra had to process Sam’s comment and erase the graphic images of Luke from her brain.
Flight. Airport. Oh, right.
“I’m good, but thanks. I figure my mother will want me to come along with her.”
Sam nodded her understanding, taking a sip of her drink. Sierra stared down at the half empty glass of cranberry juice and vodka she’d ordered. Despite her original concern that it was a little too early to be having a drink, she found the combination was just what she needed to calm her rioting nerves. Yes, Luke McCoy was driving her to drink.
And to think, she’d just met the man.
He owned a night club, Sierra thought as her eyes drifted around the room, taking in the sleek, modern decor – smoky glass, metal and wood – that decorated the room, giving it a sophisticated feel. Admittedly Sierra had never seen a night club in the harsh light of day; the decision maker lights at two o’clock in the morning notwithstanding.
She glanced toward the grand staircase that led to the second floor, and she wondered what was up there. From where she sat, Sierra could see a set of heavy wooden double doors that were closed, and she had a desire to go up there to find out where Luke had gone.
“Have you been to Vegas before?” Sam asked, interrupting her t
houghts once more.
“Several times. Some of my girlfriends and I would try to go out there a couple of times a year.” A sudden homesick ache stirred inside of her.
Sierra had only been in Dallas for a couple of weeks and leaving the comfort of the place she had grown up had been difficult to swallow at first. Granted, the opportunities that were presented to her in Dallas were vast, but that didn’t make the transition any easier.
“Well, this will be my first time.” Sam stated quietly, and Sierra was almost positive the other woman blushed.
“Really? Aside from the conference, I’m sure you’ll have a great time.” Sierra laughed. “Not that you won’t have fun at the conference.”
Sam laughed in return. “I hope we get some time to ourselves to enjoy the sights.”
“We’re in a great location. The hotel we’re staying at is one of the nicest in the area, even though it is at the south end of the strip, it’s still close to other resorts we can visit.”
“So, do you gamble?” Sam asked with a twinkle in her eye. Sierra got the impression her question had a double meaning.
“A little. I like to play blackjack, and of course, drop some quarters in the slot machines.” Sierra took a sip of her drink, letting the tart, liquid fire flow down her throat. At this rate, she’d need another, and surely it was too early in the day to actually get drunk.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Cole Ackerley stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, clicking the door shut behind him.
He’d just spent the last hour and a half with the Prescott’s, succumbing to Ava’s every desire, yet the yearning that had consumed him for the last two months hadn’t been sated. Which was unusual because Ava and Daniel Prescott could generally scratch that insatiable itch with minimal effort. The woman didn’t know the term inhibition when it came to her desires. Between her beloved strap-on, which she used rigorously on her husband, and her desire to direct every movement, Cole could generally get lost in the sensations that the man and woman inspired within him.
Not so much today.
Sure, Cole found his release, but only when he closed his eyes, pretending the man plowing into him from behind was Luke McCoy while Ava used her very skilled mouth to suck him dry. Yep, that had certainly worked, but now, as he walked down the empty corridor to the main doors that would take him back to the main floor, Cole felt… alone.
That was a new emotion for Cole, considering he’d grown accustomed to his solitary life, enjoying it actually. Yet in recent months, Cole had found out some things about himself that he wasn’t sure he thoroughly understood.
Taking the stairs down to the main floor, Cole’s attention was drawn to two women sitting at one of the tables near the bar. He recognized Samantha McCoy immediately. The other woman, he’d never seen before, but he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from her. Sitting at the table, talking animatedly with Sam, Cole admired her momentarily. She was exquisitely beautiful, in a very sensual, extraordinarily exotic way.
Damn near tripping over the last step, Cole focused on his feet, slowing his movements because he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the black haired beauty. When her gaze landed on him, apparently drawn to his less than graceful entrance, Cole’s heart thumped hard in his chest.
Those eyes.
Even from across the room, Cole could see the glimmer of silver in her blue eyes, a color he’d never before seen. When one slight eyebrow arched, Cole tilted his head slightly, trying to read her intent. Oh, he’d seen that look before. Numerous times.
Women were attracted to him physically. He knew that. And without ego, he accepted it. He was a big man, which in general, drew attention, often unwanted, but attention nonetheless. At six feet, four inches, two hundred and seventy pounds of solid muscle, Cole would never be considered average. And thanks to his rigorous training regimen, he kept himself in shape.
He maintained eye contact with the woman until his attention was diverted to Sam, who turned to glance in his direction.
“Cole.” When she called out to him, Cole faltered only briefly, wondering whether he should just wave a hand, acknowledging Sam, or take this opportunity to be introduced to this woman.
His brain told him to head out the back door, as was his original intention, but his dick instructed him otherwise. Several steps later, Cole was stepping up to the table, being greeted by Sam with a quick hug.
“Cole, I’d like you to meet Sierra Sellers. Sierra, this is Cole Ackerley.”
When Sierra stood from her chair, all five feet of her, Cole nearly took a step back. The woman was tiny. And when she held out her hand, he hesitated briefly before returning the gesture and taking her small, cool fingers within his grasp. A powerful torrent of desire spiked his blood stream at the contact, causing Cole to abruptly pull back.
“Nice to meet you, Cole.” Her husky, seductive voice slid over him, making the hair on the nape of his neck stand up.
“You too.” How incredibly eloquent, Ackerley.
“I hear you’re attending the conference in Vegas as a representative of CISS.” Sam stated, interrupting his temporary lapse in cognition.
“Yep.” Ok, maybe it wasn’t temporary.
“Sierra’s attending, as well. She’s new to the Dallas area, establishing her interior design company here, hoping to meet some potential clients at the conference.”
Cole couldn’t speak, so he nodded his head. Good Lord, he looked like a total idiot, but his vocabulary skills had suddenly been rendered useless.
The sound of footsteps from behind him jolted Cole, making him turn in time to see one of the McCoy brothers walking down the stairs. Logan. That certainly wasn’t Luke all decked out in an Armani suit. But it wasn’t the suit that was the main difference in the brothers. Logan had a gleam in his eye, an easiness about him that Luke hadn’t seemed to inherit, which set the otherwise identical brothers apart.
“Cole.” Logan greeted, holding out his hand.
Cole gripped Logan’s hand, returning the hand shake. “Logan. Good to see you.”
“Same here.” Logan slid his hands into his pockets. “Alex tells me you’re attending the conference this weekend. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to have a beer at some point.”
Again, Cole couldn’t seem to find his voice, the thought of Sierra’s eyes boring into him was a clear distraction, one that he couldn’t seem to shake. Just when he realized that he needed to say something, do something, so he didn’t look like a clumsy idiot, Luke McCoy descended the steps and Cole’s heart damn near plummeted to his toes. His heartbeat increased, and there was a sudden roaring in his ears. It was a visceral reaction, one only Luke managed to instill in Cole.
Well, that was until he’d laid eyes on Sierra Sellers.
“I look forward to seeing you in Vegas.” Cole managed to choke out, seconds before he headed in the opposite direction.
He might look like a stammering fool, but that was nothing compared to what would happen if he was within ten feet of Luke. After what had happened between them months before and the fact that Luke had successfully avoided him since, Cole hadn’t been able to look the man in the eye. And it had nothing to do with embarrassment and everything to do with the fact that he longed for an instant replay of that night.
Which was another first for Cole.
Hell, the day had been full of them already, and as he walked through the doors leading to the parking garage, Cole wondered just what this weekend had in store for him.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Sierra’s attention was drawn to the omnipotent male descending the stairs. As far as appearances went, and the way that both Luke and Logan carried themselves, Sierra was pretty sure she had never seen two men look so much alike, yet so vastly different. There was something intensely masculine, and yes as Sam mentioned, very reticent about Luke.
Though Logan was the mirror image, and sexy as hell in his own right, there was something more demanding about Luke, something darker, more intriguing. Sh
e glanced quickly at Sam, who was smiling back at her knowingly.
“Don’t worry. You aren’t the only woman who has had that reaction.” Then she lowered her voice a little. “Like I said earlier, brace yourself.”
Sierra watched Luke move toward them, briefly glancing toward Cole who was exiting through the main doors at the same time.
Was it her imagination, or was Cole leaving because of Luke? She hadn’t gotten a good read on the incredibly handsome man because he had seemed incredibly nervous, or maybe that had been her.
When their eyes met, Sierra had felt an intrinsic longing reflected in the midnight blue gaze staring back at her. She’d been surprised by the all-consuming heat that rushed over her.
Hadn’t she just been thinking about Luke and the way the man seemed to make her libido awaken from a decade long coma? It seemed ironic that she would have a similar reaction to another man so soon afterward.
Hormones. That’s what it was. Luke must have awakened her to the point that she was now flooded with them.
“Let’s go next door and get a bite to eat while these two have a few minutes to talk.” Logan’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts and had her attention returning to the couple standing beside her.
Not to mention the man fast approaching, whose eyes were riveted to the doors that Cole had just exited. Interesting.
Sierra felt the butterflies take flight once more. Just being near Luke was short-circuiting her insides and now she was going to be left alone with him. She took a fortifying breath and then graced him with a smile. She could do this.
Surely she could do this.
When he smiled back at her, a sexy, crooked, mischievous grin, Sierra knew she’d need more than courage to get through the next few minutes.
“I hear you need a date for Vegas.” Luke stated as he took the seat that Sam had been sitting in, motioning to the chair across from him. The man clearly didn’t have a problem with getting to the point.
“Depends on who you ask.” Sierra stated, returning his playful grin and easing into the chair.
Temptation (Club Destiny) Page 3
