On either side of the room, there were large overstuffed chairs and two loveseats arranged to face the walls, which were made almost entirely of glass. And on the other side of those glass walls were two rooms.
On the left was a bedroom very similar to the one they’d just seen, and on the right was one of those rooms without a bed that Parker had mentioned earlier.
Instead of a bedroom set, there was a series of benches and… things attached to walls and some sort of apparatus hanging from the ceiling. It was baffling. Not that she’d admit that to anyone else, especially Parker.
She knew he thought she was in way over her head. He’d been pretty clear about that last time, and she had the distinct impression that this grand tour of his was more of the same.
He was trying to embarrass her or scare her off with all the dirty details since she clearly couldn’t handle anything beyond missionary with the lights off.
Well, she’d chew off her own arm before she’d back down from a challenge, and whether he realized it or not, that’s exactly what he’d given her the moment he pulled her into security and asked what she was doing there.
Sure, he wasn’t exactly wrong. She wasn’t sure what all that stuff was for, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a few ideas. And it sure as hell didn’t mean she couldn’t handle finding out.
She may not have had a very adventurous or prolific sex life, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have fantasies and ideas about things that she wanted to try.
He seemed so sure that she was clueless, it made her wonder how much he knew. Maybe it was time to issue a few challenges of her own.
She studied the focal point of the room, which happened to be a large structure made of polished wood in the shape of an “X.” She’d heard of them, though she’d never seen one in person.
“Nice,” she said softly as if she were speaking to herself. She knew Parker would be watching her closely, waiting for her to turn green or faint from the scandal of it all, no doubt.
“What?” he asked, stepping up beside her.
“St. Andrew’s cross. The wood looks so smooth and shiny. Not really what I expected.”
He looked at her sideways, his eyes flashing with surprise and something else she couldn’t quite identify.
“Wouldn’t want to get splinters, would you?” he murmured, bending down close to her ear.
She swallowed and shrugged.
“Some people might be into that sort of thing.”
He raised an eyebrow but returned his attention to thethe other side of the glass as the door to the room opened from the hallway. A good-looking couple walked through the door, hand-in-hand.
“Should we go?”
“It’s up to you, but that’s sort of the point of this room. To watch. If it’s not your thing, we can go.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to stand there and watch other people have sex. Especially that kind of sex. She didn’t know what to expect, but she knew she couldn’t chicken out now.
Even if she weren’t trying to prove to Parker that she wasn’t going to back down, she’d already come this far. The whole point of coming here in the first place was to learn and to try to find… something that would satisfy her.
“I’m good.”
She wasn't even sure if she was lying or not. She guessed they'd both find out soon enough.
CHAPTER SIX
She was lying. She may not even know it herself, but she was anything but good.
She was breathing fast and the side of her neck was pulsing in time to the beating of her heart. Her cheeks were flushed and she was spinning the silver ring on her right hand. It was a habit of hers, he’d noticed. She was nervous.
Unfortunately, she was too stubborn to admit it, and damn his hide because he’d phrased it exactly wrong. He’d made it sound like a challenge, and that hadn’t been what he’d meant to do. Was it?
He was pretty good at reading people. He’d had to be. And he was well aware that Amanda wasn’t going to back down from a challenge. She’d practically bitten his head off last week for daring to tell her what to do. The fact that she’d shown up here, again, was all the proof he needed to confirm that assessment. She’d fight tooth and nail to prove she could do anything and everything she wanted.
It was one of the things that drew him the most. He had a thing for contrary women.
Maybe Jackson was right. Maybe he did need to see a shrink. That sort of thing probably wasn’t healthy.
The silence stretched on as they watched the couple in the other room and for the first time in seven years he wanted a damn smoke more than his next breath.
They were young, probably late twenties, and both conventionally attractive. Straight white teeth, tanned skin, nice clothes- all the hallmarks of people with money.
He watched while the man helped his partner out of her dress and draped it neatly over the padded bench. He removed her bra and helped her step out of her panties and added them to the pile.
When she was standing there in her birthday suit, Jackson could tell she’d had some work done. Her breasts were unnaturally high and full without any support, and they were at least a cup size too large for her frame.
He still couldn’t figure out why some people liked that. Personally, he’d rather have the real thing, no matter the size. Sometimes less was more. Quality over quantity and all that.
He snuck a sidelong glance at Amanda where she stood beside him. She was just about perfect in that department. A nice handful. Not too much, but definitely enough.
He mentally kicked himself and turned his eyes front. This was an impossible situation, but he had to find a way to get through it without doing anything stupid.
It would be worth it though.
Goddamn it all.
Parker crossed his arms over his chest and watched the Dom adjust the straps that held his Sub's wrists in place against the wood of the St. Andrews Cross. Naked, and clearly excited, she watched him tug on the leather straps with glassy-eyed anticipation.
What would it be like to see Amanda look at him like that?
No, Dammit. Keep it in your fucking pants, Hanson.
He focused instead on watching as the Dom chose his weapon of choice and tested the weight of it against his palm. It was a cat of nine tails in soft suede. Nothing too hardcore, but it would deliver a nice stinging strike if wielded properly.
Good place to start.
Parker found himself nodding in approval before he noticed Amanda peering over her shoulder at him. She looked away as soon their eyes met and her ears turned as red as a tomato. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile before he forced his eyes forward again.
The Dom got to work, spreading out the strikes across the Sub’s thighs and torso, but paying particular attention to her too-large breasts.
Her back arched with each strike and sweat had begun to bead on her skin. She was panting and writhing in her restraints until her wrists began to turn red.
Parker frowned. The Dom should really do something about that before she hurt herself. He was frowning to himself, waiting for the Dom to take care of it, when he noticed Amanda watching him again.
He relaxed his face by degrees and turned to look at her, giving her plenty of warning and plenty of opportunity to look away. This time she didn’t.
He stared back at her as she studied him from over her shoulder, her lower lip clamped firmly between her teeth.
Between one heartbeat and the next, he imagined tugging that lip out from between her pearly whites and pulling into his mouth to soothe it with his tongue.
“You could have told me,” Amanda said quietly, turning back to watch as the Dom finally released his Sub from the restraints, rubbing her wrists and making sure she was okay before they moved on.
“Told you what?”
“That you…” She cleared her throat. “That you have experience with this sort of thing.”
He tried not to register the shock he felt on his face and f
ailed. Luckily, she’d turned her attention back to the scene on the other side of the window.
“What makes you say that?” he asked, trying to sound as unconcerned as possible.
“The way you’re watching,” she said with a shrug.
“That’s the point, remember?”
“Yeah, but you’re not just watching her,” Amanda pointed out. “And I’m pretty sure it’s not because you bat for the other team.”
“Nope,” he said, shaking his head. Dick just wasn’t his thing. “But it’s kind of impossible to ignore him since he’s standing right there.” He gestured toward the couple with his chin. Her Dom was now bending her over a padded bench until her ass was up in the air and her legs were spread wide.
Parker nearly choked. He had not thought this through. At all. And he certainly hadn’t thought this far ahead. He was about to watch two people actively fuck while Amanda stood less than a foot away.
As if his cock wasn’t already trying to bust through his pants just being in the same room with her in that see-through shirt and those fuck-me heels.
“But that’s not it, is it?” Amanda asked, turning toward him and crossing her arms beneath her breasts, which only stretched the material of her shirt and drew his focus to the black lacy lingerie beneath. As if he hadn’t already been struggling not to stare.
“Then what is it?” He tugged on his cuffs, refusing to look at her.
“You’re critiquing him.” Her smile was triumphant. “I know the look. You’re not casually observing, and it’s not making you drool- you’re watching his technique, making note of his mistakes.”
Well, fuck.
He sure as hell wasn’t going to admit to her even a tenth of what he was into. She was already a Hughes and way out of his league. He didn’t need her looking at him like a fucking pervert.
Injury, I’d like you to meet Insult.
He turned and leaned a shoulder against the glass, effectively blocking out what was happening on the other side. He wasn’t interested.
Facing Amanda now, he allowed himself a slow perusal. Goddamn, she was gorgeous. His mouth was watering, his fingers were itching and he wouldn’t even go into what the little head was doing.
Focus: Distract, Disorient, Disengage.
He gave her a sardonic smile, cocking his head to the side.
“I don’t know, Princess, that sounds like wishful thinking on your part.” The effect was immediate, though not quite what he’d expected.
He’d hoped for blushing and flustered, though he knew surly and insulted was more likely. What he hadn’t counted on was… Well, he wasn’t even sure what was happening.
She cocked an eyebrow, tilted her head, and gave him a once over in the same way he’d just done. Then she smiled as if she’d taken his measure and was confident she could handle whatever he threw at her.
That look had his heart beating fast and his pulse pounding in his cock. That fucking defiant streak in her triggered some primal part of him that craved the chase. He wanted to run her down and make her beg for mercy. He wanted to outsmart and outmaneuver. He wanted to tame her, and-
Oh, fuck. Oh, no. Oh, fuckity fuck fucking shit.
✽✽✽
Amanda kept the smile on her face even though something in Parker had clearly snapped. Lightning-quick he’d gone from trying to bait her with the douchebag act, but now… He was just staring at her.
His hazel eyes had gone wide for a moment and then narrowed on her as if he’d suddenly remembered he was a lion and she was a gazelle. And apparently, he was fucking starving. Like any prey animal faced with a predator, she had a choice to make. Fight or flight.
Normally she’d choose to fight every time, but fighting with Parker didn’t feel like fighting. It felt more like… foreplay. Which could potentially leave her with wounds to more than just her ego.
She was clearly out of her mind. What had been in that drink she’d had earlier? Acid?
Flight it is.
She had only turned toward the door about an inch when she found herself surrounded by Parker’s large body. His palms on the glass on either side of her, hemming her in. She had to flatten herself against the glass just to keep a sliver of space between them. As much as she abhorred showing weakness, that much physical contact with him didn't seem like a good idea.
Because she was definitely weak when it came to him and he’d already made it pretty clear that it was a no-go. She didn’t need to look like an idiot on top of looking weak.
“So, is it?” Parker asked. His voice was low and rough.
“Is it what?” She tried in vain to keep her voice steady.
“Wishful thinking.”
“It was an observation.”
“I see. So, tell me. What are you looking for, Princess?”
She swallowed hard, trying to come up with an answer, any answer. She couldn’t think with him looking at her that way, and with his mouth so close to hers. He leaned in even farther, his mouth brushing the shell of her ear.
“Tongue-tied, hmm?”
“I don’t know.” It was the honest-to-God truth. She had no idea if this was what she’d been looking for. She’d been so preoccupied with who was in the room with her and she’d barely registered what had gone on in front of them, except to imagine a rearranging of the cast. And that only made her more confused.
“I have a few observations of my own, you know.”
He was still so close that she was breathing in shallow pants to avoid brushing her chest against his. That damn scent of his had her heart pounding in her chest until she thought it would explode.
“And?” she said, hating how her voice broke. She swallowed hard, squeezing her eyes shut.
“And I think this is exactly what you want. I think you’re sick of all the boys you’ve dated who have to ask you if you came because they can't tell. The same ones who couldn’t read your body if you gave them a fucking map. I think you’re tired of trying to teach them how to get you off because they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”
The air in Amanda’s lungs deserted her like she’d had the wind knocked out of her.
“And I would bet my last dime that all you’re really looking for is a man who knows how to do one thing.”
“What’s that?” she whispered.
“Take care of you,” he growled, his voice making her insides quiver.
“I can take care of myself.” A flare of anger gave her voice a little of the strength it had lost. She hadn’t even realized she’d made the innuendo until he chuckled against her neck.
Parker’s hands slid across the glass, closing in on her until she couldn’t have turned her head without smashing her face into one of his thick forearms. Oh boy…
“That gets a little boring, doesn’t it?” He pulled away a little, his eyes roving over her face as though he was trying to commit it to memory before settling on her mouth
Yes. God, yes…
“I prefer to think of it as efficient,” she replied. “But for the sake of discussion, if I were looking for a man like that, where might I find one?”
She held her breath, every fiber of her being screaming and willing him to give her the answer she wanted. It was so simple, just two words: “right here.”
He stared at her, hard. His eyes glowing in the soft light, lit with an inner fire that she wanted so badly to touch.
Just like that, he pulled away. His arms dropped as he took a step back.
“Not here,” he said, his voice hoarse. Without another word he turned and walked out.
Amanda’s body sagged and she dropped into one of the chairs.
What the hell just happened?
Amanda’s mind was scrambled. She was stuck between trying to imprint every one of the last few minutes into her brain so that she could replay them over and over again, and trying to make any kind of sense of what had just happened.
The disappointment of yet another rejection was a constant ache in the background,
and the rush of blood through her veins and the thumping of her heart was a humming in her ears. She felt dizzy- lightheaded as if she couldn’t get enough oxygen.
And suddenly the experience was more than just athe sum of its parts and she found herself putting her head between her knees and taking deep gulping breaths in order to stay conscious. Tears streamed down her face and she blinked frantically trying to clear her vision.
Completely forgotten was the couple on the other side of the glass, their grunts and moans and murmured words of praise drowned out by the sound of her own ragged breathing.
Damn Parker Hanson. Damn him…
When the tears had stopped and her breathing had slowed, she gradually regained vertical status. Her head had stopped spinning at least. Not trusting her legs just yet, she leaned back into the plush armchair and wiped at her eyes.
She needed to get out of here. She needed to call a cab, find Kate and make her apologies, and then get the hell out of here, all while avoiding Parker if at all possible. Once she was home in her own bed, she could have the mental breakdown that was looming on the horizon and take things one step at a time from there.
Except she couldn’t go home.
Shit.
Damn Rick and Bobby. Damn all men, really. The last thing she needed tonight was to walk in on one of her roommates doing the nasty on their sectional. But where else could she go? Alexandra had made it clear that she was going to be all kinds of tied up, possibly literally. She didn’t know what her sister was into and she didn’t really want to find out.
That left her with two options.
She pulled out her phone and checked the time. A little late to be calling, but not terribly so. She dialed her phone and waited until her mom answered.
“Amanda? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. But I need a favor. My roommates have kicked me out for the night and my plans sort of fell through. Mind if I come spend the night with you?”
“Um, well…” her mother stammered. “Have you tried Alexandra? She’s closer to your place isn’t she?”
“Yeah, but she and Connor were going to spend some quality time together tonight.”
Her Keeper Page 7
