Her heart sputtered.
Her stomach swirled.
Burk.
No. It couldn’t be. He only hooked up with pale, skinny blondes…not dark-haired, tanned women with lush curves, like her. Sofia was still struggling to process the visual input colliding in her brain as she watched Burk bend and kiss the toffee-skinned woman.
A blast of irrational and corrosive jealousy singed every cell in Sofia’s body. Tears stung the backs of her eyes. But she quickly blinked them away and silently began chiding herself for foolishly clinging to sophomoric fantasies about Burk. That didn’t stop her from touching her own lips or imagining how they would tingle after his kiss.
When Burk stood upright, she saw that he’d tucked his long hair up into a messy man bun. Her heart sputtered at the definition accentuating his rugged, scruff-covered jaw. Her fingertips burned with the desire to scrape them over his golden stubble.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the pregnant bartender return with their drinks.
She somehow managed to drag her gaze off Burk and send a tiny smile of appreciation the woman’s way.
“Thank you, little one,” Mika directed to the bartender. “Just add them to my tab, please.”
“You got it, Sir.” Samantha nodded with a smile.
Sofia’s hand trembled as she lifted the cup to her lips and took a big gulp. The contents hit her twisting stomach and she prayed the soda wouldn’t come roaring back up and spew all over the top of the bar. A succession of swallows kept that embarrassing scenario from happening, but unwilling to press her luck, she set the drink aside.
“Looks like I might have spoken too soon.” A hint of laughter danced in Mika’s statement. “Burk might be a little longer, after all.”
Every fiber in her being told her not to turn around, but Sofia couldn’t stop from twisting in her seat just in time to watch Burk’s jeans slide to the ankles. In spite of all the times she’d spent imagining the size of his junk, she wasn’t prepared to see the thick, hard slab of meat jutting out beneath sculpted abs. Her mouth watered and her heart damn near tripped from her chest. Sucking in a quivering breath, she stared, mesmerized by the virile sight. The man of her dreams was hung like a flippin’ horse and all she wanted to do was ride him hard and dirty.
The mocha-skinned woman was now on her knees. The hungry look on her face as she stared up at Burk while cupping his heavy ball sac in one palm and stroking his mighty shaft with the other made Sofia want to howl in rage.
Her lungs seized.
Her pulse thundered.
Blades of envy shredded her soul.
She knew what was coming next…knew it would totally eviscerate her. But like a masochistic idiot, she couldn’t pry her gaze away. Not even when the woman parted her lips, engulfed Burk’s glorious cock down her throat, and made love to him with her mouth.
Heart crumbling to dust, Sofia sat watching the woman do the thing she dreamed of doing to Burk. She had no idea how to compartmentalize the blistering fire of jealousy, the debilitating pain of rejection, and the other million emotions ricocheting inside her.
Clenching her hands into fists, she watched Burk toss back his head as he lifted a sculpted arm to drag the elastic band from his hair. He scrubbed his fingers over his scalp sending a mass of wheat-colored hair spilling over his shoulders to lick the small of his back.
Anger briefly won out over her other emotions. Sofia fought the urge to run across the room, shove the bitch off his cock, and take her place. But the satisfied growl rolling off Burk’s lips along with the erotic pleasure stamping his face quickly doused her rage…white-hot rage to be exact. Revulsion surged through her once more.
Dammit! That should be me giving him that much pleasure.
She silently cursed the baffling attraction she felt toward him, but then she always did when he herded a half dozen groupies into his dressing room after concerts. She wanted to loathe his horny ass, but Burk was a complicated man…a dichotomy. When he wasn’t acting like an arrogant demigod or tossing scathing barbs her way, he displayed a compassionate and benevolent side. And that whiskey-smooth laugh of his never failed to make her tingle all over. He played the starring role in her masturbation fantasies. Still, Sofia never let her true feelings show.
Unfortunately, that mask was now cracking and crumbling, leaving her vulnerable and exposed.
Biting back a whimper of anguish, Sofia forced her eyes away. But that didn’t erase the image of his beautiful, blissful face or the reason the expression had been etched there. No, that shit was seared into her brain for all eternity.
Why are you still sitting here putting yourself through this torture?
The fact that Sofia couldn’t come up with an answer filled her with panic.
A cold sweat broke out over her skin.
The walls of the cavernous dungeon began closing in all around her.
Alarm and sorrow rolled through her like thunder, stealing the air from her lungs and making her dizzy.
Lurching to her feet, she sent the barstool toppling to the floor with a loud crash. She dismissed the chair and turned toward the exit. But before she could make her less-than-glorious escape, Mika was up and out of his seat, firmly clasping her elbow once more.
“What’s wrong?” Concern was stamped all over his face.
“N-nothing…I-I need to get back on the bus. I-I can’t stay here anymore.”
His piercing amber eyes and the set of his jaw told her she hadn’t convinced him she was all right. “Okay. I’ll walk you to the bus, after you tell me what’s upset you so badly.”
She might be a fool—that much was obvious—but she wasn’t that much of a fool to spill her guts and confess her stupid fantasies about Burk. Tapping into the anger still bubbling inside her, Sofia wrenched free of Mika’s grasp.
“I’m not upset,” she lied. “After Burk shoots his load, tell him to get his man-whoring ass back on the bus.”
Teeming with self-righteous indignation, she turned on her heel and began to storm away. But she made one fatal mistake…she glanced back at Burk, one last time.
As if sensing her gaze, he jerked his head up and pinned her with a heavy-lidded stare. As if a defibrillator had shot its currents of sizzling electricity, her heart lurched. Unadulterated shock instantly replaced the ecstasy that melted off Burk’s face. He sent her a look of apology before her tears blurred his image.
Her mask had disintegrated. She couldn’t let him see the turmoil and pain screaming inside her. Ducking her head, Sofia raced toward the wide curtain. Once she reached the empty lobby, she made a mad dash for the door. Skidding to a stop in front of the massive tour bus, Sofia shook her head. There wasn’t enough money in the world to climb those stairs and let the men inside watch her fall apart.
Angrily swiping the senseless tears spilling from her cheeks, Sofia bit back the howls of anguish burning the back of her throat and ran down the sidewalk…letting the murky darkness swallow her up.
Chapter 2
Still riding the adrenaline high after their sold-out concert, Burk had been doubly pumped when Quinn MacKinnon slid a guest pass to Genesis—Chicago’s premiere BDSM club—into his hand. But his excitement had died when the club owner introduced the uncollared submissive he’d chosen to scene with Burk tonight. Honey, the mocha-skinned submissive, looked too much like the new assistant Quinn had hired so he could spend more time with his bride, Ava.
The second Quinn had announced Sofia was joining them on tour, Burk’s life had turned into a frustrating, cock-straining nightmare. He constantly fantasized about melting the woman’s ice-queen armor…and her pussy, until she was nothing but a sizzling, steaming orgasmic puddle. He dreamed of diving between her shapely legs and lapping the hot cream spilling over his tongue while her screams of ecstasy sang a lover’s song in his ears. The sassy, haughty beauty ignited an insatiable hunger inside him, consuming him with the need to drag her beneath him night and day. Being around her twenty-four seven was dri
ving him out of his fucking mind.
Burk had no idea how the aloof ice queen had crawled so deeply inside him, but the perpetual hard-on he sported and had to camouflage every damn day was testimony enough. The fact that he couldn’t escape Sofia frustrated him even more. But sharing space on the bus with the other band members left little privacy. Of course, the fact that her sleeper berth was right across the aisle from his only fueled his fantasies all the more.
But Burk wasn’t a fool. He knew mixing business with pleasure was a recipe for disaster. So far, that had been the only incentive to stop him from sneaking into bed with her, binding her wrists with his leather guitar strap, and making sweet love to her all night long. Unfortunately, he’d had to learn to live with a constant case of blue balls.
He’d nearly swallowed his tongue when he first gazed into her pale gray eyes, streaked with shards of silver and framed in dark lashes. But as he’d taken inventory of her silky golden flesh, lush curves, perky breasts—begging for hours of attention—and full, plump lips, blood surged straight to his cock. The first time Sofia had turned and Burk took in the sight of her heart-shaped ass, his palms itched to redden each ripe cheek. Even her low, sultry voice had made his dick hard enough to pound concrete.
Everything about the sinful beauty called to the primitive animal inside him to claim, own…devour.
He’d spent nearly every night since Sofia had joined their tour in his bunk, jacking off like a fourteen-year-old virgin. Unable to block her from his fantasies, Burk had decided to try and fuck her out of his system. He’d started hooking up with as many willing groupies as possible after each concert, but that didn’t dent the lurid kinky things he ached to do to his new assistant.
Sofia was the reason for his knee-jerk reaction to decline Mika’s offer to work Honey. But the longer Burk stared at the striking sub, the more he realized that fucking a million vapid blondes wasn’t going to exorcise Sofia from his system.
He might actually succeed with a woman who resembled his fantasy girl. And didn’t that make him a first-class asshole?
Not only was it morally wrong—on every level—to use the sub as a replacement for Sofia but an unforgivable insult to Honey. But Burk was beyond desperate to tame the gnawing, rabid attraction he felt toward Sofia. And so far, everything he’d tried had failed…miserably.
Dismissing his already guilty conscience and the red flags waving in his head, Burk took Honey by the hand and led her to a quiet table in the back of the dungeon. He knew his subterfuge would likely bite him in the ass, but he shoved aside his misgivings and forged ahead.
After carefully negotiating their scene, Burk led Honey to one of the stations and watched as she peeled off her clothes and knelt over the spanking bench. Her eager willingness to please sent an anvil of guilt down on his head. Pausing to reconsider his actions, Burk’s skin grew tight. He felt as if he were trying to squeeze himself into a suit two sizes too small.
But when he glanced down at the sub and spied the hopeful willingness sparkling in her eyes, he tamped down his ulterior motives and focused on giving this sweet sub exactly what she needed. Burk let the sights, sounds, and scents of the dungeon flow through him before he dragged in a deep breath and skimmed his hands over Honey’s warm flesh.
After cuffing her to the wooden frame, Burk warmed her up slowly, keeping up a constant flow of communication to make sure things were staying on a consensual level. Earlier Honey had made it clear she wasn’t a pain slut, but midway through their session, she asked if he could put a little more muscle behind the paddle. Burk chuckled and granted her request.
Tuned in to painting Honey’s ass a rosy shade of crimson, Burk’s subconscious behaved. No alternative images of Sofia wiggled their way into his head. Well, at least not until he’d brought Honey back from the throes of subspace and she was on her knees wrapping her hot mouth around his dick. Honey had given him far more than he deserved and Burk knew he was destined to burn in hell, but an earth-transforming apocalypse couldn’t stop him from closing his eyes and letting his fantasies of Sofia run wild and free.
Lost in the spine-bending sensations surrounding his cock and the dreams uncoiling in his head, Burk dropped his chin and stared at the riot of dark curls bobbing over his throbbing shaft. There was a clatter somewhere near the bar, but he ignored it and focused on the sub’s gliding, sultry mouth. Sofia’s hair was streaked with copper highlights, but he was too far gone to let it diminish his fantasies.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. As he slid a languid gaze across the room, he locked eyes with Sofia. Stark pain was shimmering through…tears?
Fuck!
In an instant, Burk’s whole world came crashing in around him.
Frozen in shock, he could only watch as the woman of his dreams raced from the dungeon.
Heart slamming against his ribs, he reached down and pried Honey’s mouth from his dick. He quickly scooped his jeans up from around his ankles and tucked his slippery member away.
“I-I’m sorry, Sir. Was I not…um, doing it right?” Honey stammered. Her face was etched in horror.
“No, sweet girl,” he stressed adamantly while carefully drawing up his zipper. “Your mouth is…wickedly amazing. So fine I actually lost track of time. I’m sorry to end things so abruptly, but I was supposed to leave town about an hour ago.”
Confusion wrinkled the sub’s brow. She opened and closed her mouth as if longing to ask a million questions.
Burk helped her to her feet and hugged her to his chest. “You’re a lovely submissive, Honey,” he whispered in her ear before pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. “Thank you for the honor of working you.”
The bashful smile tugging her lips made him feel like a complete fraud. Every Dominant cell in his body bellowed that he pull his head out of his ass and take care of the girl.
Dammit! There was no way he could just leave her like this.
Struggling to hang on to his last thread of patience, he forced a small smile. “Why don’t we find a quiet corner where I can give you some proper aftercare?”
Honey scowled. “I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you earlier…I, um, well, I don’t do aftercare.”
Her statement took him by surprise. “Why not?”
“When my ass is throbbing, like it is now, thanks to you, I can’t stand being cuddled. The two sensations make me want to crawl out of my skin.” A self-deprecating smile curled the edges of her mouth. “I’m weird…I know.”
Burk shook his head. “You’re not weird…you’re wonderful just the way you are, sweet girl.”
“Thank you. Um, if you need to go…I’m fine.”
He studied her for several long seconds trying to determine if she was being honest or simply giving him an easy out. Honey giggled at him. Her secure nod told him that she was indeed telling the truth.
“Fair enough. Thank you for a wonderful night, little one.”
“Oh, no…thank you, Sir. It’s been my honor to have been chosen to serve you.”
A genuine smile spread over his mouth before he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Biting back a promise he had no intention of keeping, Burk gave her a wink and turned toward the bar.
Mika watched him approach like an expectant father.
“Honey said that she didn’t want—”
“Aftercare? No, she doesn’t, but Honey’s the least of your worries, I’m afraid,” Mika said with a soft chuckle. “I’m just wondering how many DMs it’s going to take to keep you safe climbing on your bus. Sofia tore out of here—”
“Yeah, about that. What the fuck was she doing inside the club to begin with?”
All traces of humor fell from Mika’s face. “You mean she doesn’t know you’re in the lifestyle?”
“Well, she does now, but…she didn’t before tonight.” Burk exhaled heavily as he dragged a hand through his long hair.
“Oh, fuck. Man, I’m sorry.” Mika looked shell-shocked. “Dammit, I asked her ou
t in the foyer if she knew why you were here. When she told me you were inside getting your freak on, I thought… Fuck! I should have asked her more questions.”
It was Burk’s turn to be blindsided. “Wait. She told you I was here getting my freak on?”
“Yeah.”
“How the hell did she know that? Son of a bitch! One of the guys must have said something. I’m going to kill at least one of my band members…if not all of them for sending her in to get me,” he growled. “Fuck. I don’t even want to know what’s going through her mind right now.”
“Nothing to do with your Dominance, I can tell you that much.”
“Why do say that?”
“Because I’ve got years of dealing with jealous females.” Mika cringed as he waved a hand around the room.
“Jealous?” Burk barked. “No way. That ice queen can’t stand me.”
Mika scoffed. “Open your eyes. I know women, and when Honey sucked your cock down her throat, Sofia crumbled like a cookie.”
No way. That’s not possible.
Doubts and a million questions swirled through Burk’s head. Sofia wasn’t attracted to him. She’d have to be an Academy-Award-winning actress to play her usual role of frigid, cold bitch. The woman had a stick so far up her ass it was a wonder she could even sit down. No, Sofia wasn’t jealous. More like appalled and disgusted by his kinky proclivities.
Mika might know women, but he didn’t know jack shit about Sofia, a.k.a, Cruella de Vil, the way Burk did. But he’d royally fucked things up this time. He’d have to do some quick-talking damage control to keep Sofia from calling Quinn and outright quitting.
Alphas of Seduction Page 20
