Lured By My Master

by Jenna Jacob

  I didn’t wait for him to rise to his feet. Instead, I threw my vehicle into reverse and slammed my foot on the accelerator. With the squeal of tires and a cloud of burning rubber, I flew out of the parking garage, trembling like a palm tree in a hurricane.

  Racing toward my apartment, I sucked in several deep breaths to calm the fear thundering through me. Though I knew it was unlikely he’d recovered enough to follow me, I kept checking my rearview mirror, like a scared rabbit. Wiggling my cell phone from my pocket, I quickly scrolled through my contacts and pressed Liz’s number.

  “You made it home fast,” she answered with a light laugh.

  “I-I’m not there yet. I… Can you talk to me until I get home?” I begged as my voice cracked with fear.

  “What’s wrong?” A tone of worry slathered her words.

  “Darnell…he just…attacked me in the parking garage.”

  “Oh, shit. Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Where are you now?” she asked, her voice rising in terror.

  “No, I’m fine, just a bruise,” I replied, looking at the rising purple patches on my wrist. “I pepper-sprayed him and kicked him in the balls, then left him where he fell. Right now I’m in my car…on Deerfield Avenue…just past Highway Forty-One.”

  “Cin’s ex-fiancé just attacked her in the hospital parking garage.” Liz relayed my plight, to probably to her lovers, I wasn’t sure. “Take a deep breath. You’re almost home, baby. Me and the guys will meet you at your complex. Try to stay calm and don’t get in a wreck. I’ll be here with you…I’m not hanging up. Tell me what happened.”

  The reassuring tone of her voice did wonders to settle the panic consuming me. As I told Liz the events, I heard one of her men talking in the background. Relief that they planned to meet me at my apartment further soothed my jagged nerves. The less frightened I became, the more foolish I felt for letting Darnell unhinge me to such a degree.

  “Where are you now, Cin?” Liz asked.

  “I’m pulling into the parking lot of my complex.”

  “Good. We’re maybe thirty seconds behind you. Stay in your car. We’re on Deer River Run.”

  “You don’t need to walk me in or anything. I’m here. I’m safe. You guys go on home.”

  “Nope. We’re pulling in now,” she stated as the headlights from James’ gas-guzzling truck blinded me in my rearview mirror.

  When he pulled in next to me, Liz nearly climbed over Ian as she scrambled out and raced toward me. Wrenching my car door open, she all but yanked me from my seat, then wrapped me in her arms as she trembled.

  “All I could think about was what Ryan did to me. Oh, god. I’d die if I lost you,” Liz sobbed as she clutched me tight.

  The horror rushed back, unbridled, as we stood holding on to each other, crying for several minutes while James and Ian tried to soothe us both with reassuring words. The sound of tires squealing on pavement had me jerking from Liz’s arms. A blast of fear flashed through me. But when I saw the familiar red Audi careen into the parking lot, fear bled from my veins.

  After bolting from his car, Sam slammed the door, then marched toward me. Without a word, he wrapped me in his arms, stealing the air from my lungs, and pulled me off the ground. He pressed his face against my neck, breathed in my scent, and held me tight as his entire body shook.

  “I called the cops and told them to check the security footage at the hospital. I’m sure they’ll have him picked up soon,” Sam assured. “I’m sorry I got held up longer than I expected and wasn’t with you.”

  “Oh, Sam. It’s not your fault. You were dealing with your emergency. Neither one of us could have predicted what Darnell was going to do. He wasn’t initially waiting for me, anyway…he was waiting for you.”

  “For me?”

  “Yes. He thinks you, or rather, the two of us are to blame for what happened in Isaac’s office. Of course, I still don’t know what the hell happened.”

  “Come on, let’s all go inside and have a stiff drink,” Ian suggested as he slung his arm around Liz’s shoulder and snuggled her close beside him. “I think you’ve earned a few, Cindy.”

  “You got that right,” Sam agreed on a powerful exhale. “Then you’re going to pack up your things because you’re moving in with me for a while.”

  “I’m what?” I blinked. “No way, Sam. I’m not—”

  “No argument. That’s exactly what you’re going to do.” His tone was harsh…ten times stricter than his most ominous Dom voice.

  It was just as I’d feared. I’d given the man an inch of submission and he wanted to take a mile. I had no intention of following his command like a spineless, helpless little girl. Darnell might have scared me, but I’d taken that asshat to the ground all on my own. The last thing I needed was for Sam to don his Superman cape and swoop in to save the day after the fact.

  “Fine. Then I won’t argue, but my answer is still no,” I bit out angrily.

  Setting me on my feet once more, Sam gripped my shoulders and pinned me with a glare. “Goddamnit, Cin. That fucker could have done anything to you…taken you, raped you, or worse, killed you.”

  “But he didn’t,” I barked. “I handled it. I kicked him in the balls and pepper-sprayed him. Then I got the hell out of there. I’m fine. Now leave it alone.”

  “The hell I will!” Sam yelled. “Why the fuck didn’t you call me? You didn’t think twice about calling Liz, so why not me?”

  “Because you were busy.”

  “Bullshit. I’m never too busy for you.”

  “Come on, guys,” James interjected, glancing at the people now popping out on their patios and craning their necks toward the scene Sam and I were making. “Let’s take this inside and sort it out privately.”

  “No.” I shook my head, and I wiggled free of Sam. “I’m fine. Everyone go home. Ian and James, thank you for driving out here to make sure I made it home safe and sound.”

  “Someone needs their ass reddened…fired up, proper,” Ian mumbled under his breath.

  “Don’t I know it,” Sam grumbled.

  Ignoring them, I turned to Liz, whose eyes were wide with shock. “Thank you for talking me off the ledge. I had no business letting Darnell freak me out. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry? That asshole attacked you,” Sam barked.

  Like a rabid dog, I turned on him. “Enough.” I wasn’t trying to be a bitch, but Sam’s overbearing attitude wasn’t only suffocating me to death, it was pissing me off.

  A flare of fury flashed in his eyes, followed by a cold, hard stare. His expression said everything far more effectively than words could. If I’d been a betting woman, I’d have wagered it all that a knockdown, drag-out was in our near future.

  Sucking in a calming breath, I turned to Liz. “I’ll call you tomorrow when I wake up. Thank you again for everything.”

  Liz nodded sympathetically. “If either of you need us, just call.”

  “Come on, pet,” Ian drawled as he held open the truck door for her.

  “Thanks guys,” Sam called out. “I appreciate you calling me while you followed Cin home.”

  “No thanks needed,” James called back with a wave before climbing in behind the wheel.

  As Sam and I watched the trio drive away, a part of me wished I hadn’t run them off. I had a feeling, before the night was through, I might need a referee or two.

  “Want to come in for a drink?” I offered. A part of me prayed he’d say no, but I knew Sam was champing at the bit to get me alone so he could rip into me properly.

  “I’d love one,” he drawled derisively.

  Oh, yeah, things were about to get ugly. Very ugly

  Without another word, Sam followed me into my apartment. I’d no more shut the door than he scooped me into his arms and claimed my mouth with a wildly possessive kiss. His cock sprang to life, nudging against my belly, before he’d pushed his tongue past my lips.

  “You scared the life out of me, girl,” he murmured as he dragged his lips and teeth down my
neck. “Don’t ever do that to me again. Understood?”

  Tears prickled the backs of my eyes. He wasn’t angry with me. No, he was freaked out that Darnell had gotten to me so easily, and that Sam hadn’t been there to protect me. If I hadn’t been so damn defensive in the parking lot, I might have seen past my own anger and realized that Sam was acting out of panic. Guilt, hot and oily, slid over me like sludge.

  “I’m sorry, Sam. I’m sorry I didn’t call you first. I just—”

  “If you ever need me, call! I’ll drop everything to come help you. Don’t you know that?”

  “No. I mean, yes, I assumed you would, but I didn’t want you to have to. I didn’t call Liz with the intention of them coming to rescue me. I didn’t need them to do that. I just wanted Liz to talk to me while I drove home. She has this knack of calming me down.”

  “And I don’t?” he challenged.

  “No. You do, too. It’s just that…I knew you were—”

  “Busy? So you’ve said.” He narrowed his eyes on me. “Is that the only reason?”

  “Of course. I didn’t want to disturb you if you were up to your elbows in ovaries and fallopian tubes.”

  That made him smile. It was undoubtedly the most beautiful sight I’d seen all day.

  “Silly girl,” Sam chided. “It doesn’t matter if I’m delivering sextuplets, if you’re in danger and need me, you’d better damn well call.”

  Leading me to the couch, Sam pulled me down onto his lap as he sat. “Tell me what happened, sweetheart.”

  “Wait. First, what possessed you to call my father?”

  “To find out what he knew about Darnell leaving New York,” he replied.

  “And?”

  Sam frowned. “Let me start at the beginning. After I left you and Liz in the cafeteria, I went up to Isaac’s office. You can imagine my surprise when he introduced me to the prick, but of course, I stayed—”

  “Calm, cool, and in control…as always.” I smirked.

  “Pretty much.” Sam shrugged. “Anyway, as the conversation in Isaac’s office proceeded, there was something about Edmonton’s demeanor that didn’t sit right. At first, I thought he’d come to Chicago to try and rekindle things with you. But he mentioned something about a wife and daughter, so I nixed that assumption. And when Isaac started showering your ex with accolades, Darnell grew nervous and visibly uncomfortable. Nothing like I expected from such an egomaniac. Something was definitely off. So, when I returned to my office, I looked up your father’s number and called him. I introduced myself as a friend and fellow colleague of yours, then bluntly asked him why Darnell was applying for a position at Highland Park. Your father was…less than happy to discover Darnell had come to the same city and hospital you work at.”

  “You didn’t tell my father we were dating, did you?”

  “Why, are you ashamed of me?” Sam smirked.

  “No. Oh, god no. I was just curious. My mother called me earlier. It seemed too coincidental is all.”

  “No, sweetheart. What you tell your family is for you to decide.”

  “Thank you. But trust me, Sam. I’m not ashamed of you. It’s just…well, you’re the type of man my mother would love for me to marry.” I slapped my hand over my mouth and groaned. “Oh, god. I didn’t mean to blurt that out.”

  Sam laughed once again. “It’s okay, Cin. After your father cooled off a bit, he told me that Darnell had resigned his position at Belleview Hospital. And that he’s pretty much been blackballed in New York.”

  “Why? What did he do?”

  “Well, your father didn’t go into great detail, but told me the Medical Board was preparing to bring Darnell up on charges of sexual assault, sexual misconduct, coercion, and attempted blackmail. He’d been caught having an affair with one of his patients. She was a young woman who suffered from manic depression and frequent migraines…thus the reason she sought out his neurological services in the first place.”

  “The man is a snake.”

  “Indeed. Anyway, Darnell resigned and skipped town before the board could strip him of his license.”

  “How did Isaac not know any of this and offer him a position?”

  “I asked him that. He was rather embarrassed when he explained that he hadn’t bothered to check Edmonton’s references. That he’d simply let the man’s reputation—or former reputation—color his decision.”

  “Idiot,” I grumbled. “But why Chicago? Darnell could have gone to any city.”

  “No clue. Neither your father nor I could figure that out.”

  “Thank you for acting on your suspicions. I wouldn’t have been able to work with that jerk.” I shuddered at the thought.

  Sam smoothed an errant strand of hair behind my ear and dragged his finger down my cheek. “I, too, would have serious issues with that. So, what happened in the parking garage?”

  As I began retelling the events, Sam’s expression remained unchanged, but I felt his body tighten, tensing in anger.

  “Ice queen?” Sam choked in disbelief.

  I felt my cheeks grow hot. I lowered my gaze. “He wasn’t…he wasn’t…Oh, hell. He only cared about getting himself off,” I blurted.

  Sam threw back his head and laughed.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but…” He stopped and chuckled some more. “Finding out the famous Darnell Edmonton, Esquire, the third or sixth or whatever, is an incompetent lover… That’s poetic justice right there.”

  “He’s pretty much a sixty-second wonder.”

  Sam howled. When he finally stopped laughing and dried his eyes, he cupped my face and settled a soul-stealing kiss on my lips.

  “Well, that’s one thing you’ll never have to worry about with me.”

  “Why do you think I keep you around?”

  Sam’s brows shot up in surprise before he narrowed his eyes. “That’s not the only reason you’re keeping me around, is it?”

  “Of course not.” I shook my head, then added, “You have a very talented tongue, too.”

  “I’ll show you just how talented after you pack your things and follow me back to my place.”

  Now it was my turn to tense. “Sam…”

  “I already told you, sweetheart. No arguing with me about this. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you stay here alone. I want you with me until Darnell leaves Chicago.”

  “Oh?” I challenged. “And what if he decides to stay here and get a job delivering pizzas or something?”

  “Then I guess you won’t have to worry about renewing the lease on your apartment,” Sam countered with a mischievous smirk.

  “You can’t be serious. I’m supposed to let one altercation with Darnell throw me into such a tailspin that I toss my independence to the curb and move in so you can protect me? I don’t need a bodyguard, Sam.”

  “What’s wrong with me wanting to guard your body, sweetheart?” he murmured, skimming a kiss over my lips. “I didn’t say anything about giving up your independence. That’s all in here.” Sam touched the pad of his finger to my forehead.

  Irked that I didn’t have a snappy comeback, I clenched my teeth.

  “You’ll have every freedom at my place that you have here. You can spend an hour in the shower or, hell take a long bubble bath, cook in the kitchen if you’d like, and go out with your friends. My house is not a prison. You can come and go as you please, as long as I know where you are and that you’re safe.”

  “Ah-ha! There’s always a catch. How can I be independent if you’re keeping tabs on me?”

  Sam inhaled a deep breath as if searching for patience. “I’m going to keep tabs on you regardless. Darnell has shown he’s decidedly unstable. God knows what he’s capable of. I, for one, have no desire to find out.”

  “You think I do? But locking me up in your ivory tower isn’t… I won’t stand for it, Sam. I won’t.”

  Sam smirked as I ranted. How the man found humor in any of this was beyond me. “What’s so damn funny?” I hissed.

  “If I te
ll you, it will likely piss you off even more.” He grinned.

  I narrowed my eyes and growled. Which he countered with more laughter.

  “I can’t help it, sweetheart. You’re just so damn cute when you’re all fired up, hissing and spitting.”

  “Oh, really? Well…fuck you, Sam. Just fuck you,” I snapped as I tried to climb off his lap.

  He pulled me back down, then stood and hoisted me over his shoulder like a sack of flour before heading toward my bedroom.

  “And just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” I asked as he tossed me onto my bed.

  “You said fuck you, so that’s what I’m doing,” he replied, loosening the buttons of his shirt and reaching for his belt.

  Gasping, I sat up. With wide eyes, I stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You’re nuts if you think I’m having sex with you.”

  “Oh, you will, sweetheart. Because the only time you stop trying to fight me is when I’m balls deep inside you,” Sam insisted as he slowly released his zipper.

  The minute his cock jutted free, my hormones silenced the rebellion in my head. Men taunted each another about being pussy whipped, but when it came to Sam, I was totally cock whipped. Still, if I lay back and spread my legs, I’d only be playing into his Dominant hands.

  Ugh. Why were men so damn complicated?

  As he stalked toward me, fisting his cock, I didn’t know if I wanted to beg or yell at him.

  “What’s it going to be, Allisinda? Do you want me as your lover or sparring partner tonight?”

  Dammit, I was putty in his hands, and he fucking knew it.