“I’m sorry.”
I glanced at him as I took another sip of my coffee. “So you’ve said.” His nose looked more swollen and discolored in this light. “Does your nose hurt?”
His lips twitched. “Have you ever been hit in the nose?”
“Yep.”
“Then what do you think?”
I grinned at him. “That it hurts like a bitch.” I paused, and couldn't help but add, “I’m not sorry.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to be.” He moved from the couch to the chair across from me, his expression serious. “I don’t know where to go from here.”
“I’d rather you not keep apologizing.” I kept my voice nonchalant. Selecting a strawberry, I popped it into my mouth and waited until after I swallowed before I said anything else. “I get it, you’re sorry. I’m sure you regret it. And I bet you’d do the same thing tomorrow if you thought it necessary.”
“Not to you.”
My hand stilled over the plate and I pulled it back to drop it onto my lap.
“You want me to believe that?” The question came out flat.
“I don’t expect you to,” he said softly. “But it’s the truth.”
He closed his hands into fists, then opened them, flexing as he stared off into the distance. “It won’t help, but I’d like to explain, if I could.”
“Feel free.” I shrugged and settled more comfortably in my chair, prepared to be entertained if nothing else.
***
Entertained...
That wasn’t the word I was thinking right now.
I was...disgusted. Disillusioned. Tired. Not even close to entertained.
After reading the PI's report a second time, I tossed it on the table and stood up, moving over to the window and staring outside.
Ash had explained everything in short, simple terms and then he’d given me the images that had been shot of me with my brother, and all of the ones taken of us at my parents’ house. There had been a report too. A neat and concise one that started with all our meetings together and ended with an in-depth report on my brother's history.
Including his arrest on felony drug charges when he'd been eighteen. But Ash had already known about that. I knew for a fact that he did because I'd been the one who'd told him.
What I hadn't told him about were the rumors. Specifically, the ones about Vic being involved in a kidnapping attempt.
“Vic wasn’t trying to kidnap that girl,” I said softly, staring out the window. “He was the reason she was rescued.”
“It doesn’t matter. Toni, I–”
Slowly, I turned to him. The look in his eyes was carefully blank, but I knew what that meant. He didn’t believe me.
“He wasn’t involved,” I said again, carefully and slowly saying each word. No one outside of our family and a couple of cops knew what I was about to say, but Ash needed to hear it. “Vic was supposed to be flirting with her, charming her...then when he asked her out, he was supposed to grab her. He went to the police instead. He wore a wire. For two whole days, he wore a wire. If he’d been found out, he could have been killed. My brother is the reason that girl didn’t end up dead.”
Ash started to say something and then he stopped, shaking his head.
I grabbed the report and wadded it up into a ball. “Ask your source if he had access to confidential reports or to the undercover officers in the gang unit. Because that's who my brother was working with. If your source hasn’t talked to one of them, he doesn’t know shit. Vic risked his life to save that girl and if anyone ever found out what he'd done, his life would be at risk again.” Wrapping my arms around my middle, I turned back to the window. “Some things are worth more than money.”
He was quiet for so long that when he did speak, I actually jumped a little.
“I know you don’t want me to keep apologizing.”
He was closer now. Nervously, I darted a look back at him. He was only a foot away. “No. I don’t.”
“Want to take another swing at me then?”
My gaze dropped to his nose. Then, to my surprise, I laughed. “No.” Flexing my right hand, I winced at the bruises. “You’ve got a face like a rock. Next time you need to get hit, I’ll let Franky do it.”
“But you seemed to enjoy it so much.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
I shrugged. “There’s something to be said for a physical outlet when it comes to blowing off steam.” I kept my voice light, but I made the mistake of looking at him when I said it.
Our gazes connected.
Heat arced, snapped.
I spun around. I should go. I really, really should go.
“If you’re still in the need to blow off steam, I have an idea.”
***
Blowing off steam didn’t involve a bed.
Part of me – a very bad, bad part of me – was disappointed. Not that I would've given in anyway. Sex with Ash was one thing I didn’t plan on letting happen again. Ever again.
But this, well, this wasn’t bad.
Instead of suggesting we go to his bedroom, his playroom or even the couch, he’d escorted me down to a personal gym that was better outfitted than some of the ones I’d seen people pay for.
We weren’t using any of the equipment, though.
I had a pair of gloves on, as well as padded protectors on my feet. Ash had told me they weren’t necessary, but then I’d caught him with a roundhouse to the side of the head, and he’d decided that maybe they weren’t a bad idea. Then he’d grinned and come at me.
We were now flat on the floor. Ash had dropped down first after we’d agreed to a time-out. Right after he’d gotten me in the ribs with a punch I hadn't been able to block, I’d plowed a sidekick directly into his gut and knocked the air right out of him.
Panting, more than a little exhilarated, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on letting my pulse slow.
“I haven’t had a match like that in a long while.”
I twitched and opened my eyes. Ash rolled over to his stomach and was staring at me, his eyes just a few inches away.
Sweat gleamed along his shoulders and as I stared at him, one bead started to roll down his jaw to his neck.
I had an overpowering urge to lean in and lick it away.
Bad, bad, bad thoughts. Pull it together.
His gaze slid to my mouth.
I rolled away from him and got to my feet. My legs were rubbery under me and I covered my nervousness with a laugh that sounded so fake. I grabbed some water and gulped down half a bottle before turning towards him.
Ash had risen and was staring at me, his gaze hot and intent. My heart was still racing away, but it wasn’t all from exertion now. He came toward me and my fingers tightened around the water bottle. Anticipation clamored inside me while common sense tried to get a foothold.
But he veered to the left and I spent the next few seconds telling myself I wasn’t disappointed while he chugged water. He’d stripped away his shirt and swapped out his trousers for a pair of loose gym shorts. For the past thirty minutes, that hot body had been moving with mine and I’d been almost immune.
Of course, we’d been otherwise engaged, and I'd managed to preoccupy myself with punches and kicks.
Now though...
I busied myself with screwing the top back on the water bottle, my head lowered as I studied his physique from under my lashes. He was seriously a walking work of art, everything about him wonderfully defined, strong shoulders, his pecs solid and tapering down to a flat, chiseled abdomen and narrow hips.
I could remember sinking my nails into those hips, gripping him as he'd ridden me, driving me to the heights of pleasure.
He looked up as that thought flickered through my mind as if he'd heard the echo of it. He sucked in a harsh breath and closed the distance between us. We stood barely a foot apart now. Close enough that he could he reach out and touch me. Close enough that he could reach out and grab me, kiss me, take me...
Please...
/>
His body tensed.
I caught my breath, held it.
Then he turned away.
“There's a shower you can use down here,” he said, his voice brusque. Gesturing off to the far side of the sleek gym, he added, “Feel free to use whatever you need. Iz...sometimes she has friends drop by and hang out for a while so there's always plenty of toiletries, extra clothes in different sizes. Take whatever you need.”
An ache pulsed deep inside as he strode away and before I could even say anything more than thanks, he was gone.
***
He wasn't upstairs when I finished. Torn between leaving and looking for him, I wandered back to the small sitting room. I had some vague thought of trying to get some work done, but I'd reached the point where there really wasn't much I could do until either a few people got back to me or Isadora returned.
So I didn't have anything left to distract me from my memories.
Ash had been such an ass earlier and it was foolish of me to think a round of sparring had changed anything. I should just leave. I didn't need to be here. For that matter, I could just let him know to call me when there was news, and let my dad know I'd help out with the family business temporarily. My father would understand. It was the perfectly logical thing to do.
But I couldn't leave.
“I can call a car for you if you're ready to go.”
Ash's voice caught me off-guard and I spun around, staring at him. He'd showered and changed. And whoa...what a change.
He wore a silvery gray shirt, silk clearly, and it rippled against his muscular frame like it had been designed for him. Hell, I had no doubt it'd been designed for him. There probably wasn't a single piece of clothing in his wardrobe that wasn't tailor-made for that magnificent body. He'd paired the shirt with a pair of black trousers that fit like a dream and made me recall just how good those thighs had felt as he'd moved against me.
“You're going out.” The words popped out of my mouth without me thinking about how they sounded.
He cocked his eyebrow at me. “Yes. I...” He blew out a breath and then shrugged, sending that silvery silk rippling again.
I wanted to drag my hands down his chest and mentally scolded myself. One night had been bad enough, but I could excuse one slip up, especially when taking into consideration the emotions that had been running high. Now, I needed to listen to common sense. Still, I had to ask, “You what?”
“I need to get out of here,” he admitted. “Everywhere I look, I see my sister and I need to stop thinking.”
“I understand,” I said softly.
“Okay, then.” He paused, clearly waiting for something.
“Yes?”
“Should I have a car brought for you or would you prefer a taxi?”
I managed a smile. He had the right idea. “You know what? I think I'll just walk to the subway. Going out doesn't sound like a bad idea.”
I didn't let myself look at him as I moved past him to grab my purse. Next to it was a bag. I peeked inside and had to smile. Doug, on top of his game. He'd already had the clothes I'd been wearing yesterday laundered and folded. As I headed to the door, I gave Ash a vague smile.
“I'm going to a club.”
His words made me pause.
“Okay.” I glanced over at him, unsure of why he'd said it. After a moment, I added, “I'm thinking of doing the very same thing.”
“Going to a club?” His gaze slid over me again and the air began to superheat, charged with the same kind of tension that had flooded the gym not long ago.
“Yes.”
He put me on edge like nothing I’d ever known before. Put me on edge and pissed me off. Getting me worked up and then turning away like he did. I reached for the glib humor that had pulled me through whenever my brothers were riding me or when teachers were being asses.
“Shocking as this may sound, I actually go to clubs quite a bit.”
“Not like mine.” He took a step toward me.
The intensity of his voice might have had me backing up a bit. If I'd been the kind of person who ever backed down. I chuckled, but there wasn't really anything funny about what came out of my mouth.
“Wait, let me guess. You're one of those guys who go blow off steam at the kink palace, aren't you? What is it called? Olympus?”
The memory of seeing him with some woman popped into my head. Her bound, moaning and begging as he fucked her ass. The way he hadn't even flinched when I'd caught him.
I didn't need to hear him say it, but he did anyway.
“Yes.”
Chapter 5
Ash
I should have kept my mouth shut.
I'd been almost rock hard ever since she'd come out of the changing room, wearing some of the extra workout gear Isadora insisted we keep on hand in case any of the staff or her friends wanted to use the gym. I didn't know of any of my sister's friends who were as tiny as Toni, but she'd managed to find a pair of yoga pants and a tank top that both fit her perfectly.
Too perfectly.
I'd been so distracted by her lithe body that she'd almost knocked me on my ass the first time out. She’d moved like a deadly dancer as we'd sparred, her eyes glowing, a grim sort of smile on her face. She’d gotten in more blows than I’d expected before I'd stopped thinking about what I wanted to do with her body and started paying attention. And it worked...until we stopped and all of those thoughts came rushing back.
I wanted to haul her to the floor and strip her naked, have an altogether different sort of battle with her, the kind she couldn’t hope to win.
Now, as she stared at me, her eyes wide, I said something else I knew I'd regret. “Want to come with me?”
I watched her carefully, waiting for the freak out since she'd obviously heard rumors about Olympus. Except it didn't come. She’d been surprised at first, but now she was...interested. Fuck. I wanted her to say yes. Wanted her to come to the club so I could show her a hundred, a thousand, things she’d probably never even dreamed of. I wanted to show her my world so I could make her a part of it. I'd never wanted anyone as much as I wanted her.
“It’s...” She paused, touching her tongue to her lower lip.
I had visions of her on her knees, doing that very thing right before I guided her mouth to my cock.
Her voice was soft, as if she was trying to ask her question without sounding insulting. “It's really a sex club?”
“Technically, it’s a private club for those with an interest in alternative lifestyles,” I said blandly, quoting the public lines before I explained further. “It gets dicey if you use a phrase like 'sex club.' But basically, yes, it is. There're any number of things that happen there, and it all depends to what you want to do. Have a drink, look around, enjoy the atmosphere...or take in other...options. As long as it's consensual, pretty much anything's allowed.”
I forced myself to quit talking, aware I was bordering on babbling. I just wanted her to say yes.
She blew out a slow breath, and then looked down at the clothes she'd changed into after our sparring session. “I’m not sure if I’m dressed right.” There was a strange undercurrent of vulnerability to her words; as if she was afraid she wouldn't fit in.
The black silk shirt she wore paired with slim-fitting pants would be sedate compared to what most of the women at Olympus wore, but she’d still stand out. She was simply that kind of woman.
“The club doesn't have a dress code.” I smiled slowly, hardly daring to hope that she'd agree. “You can wear as much, or as little, as you like.”
Her eyes met mine.
***
Heads turned as Toni walked along with me.
While I realized new faces always caught attention here, I also knew the interest wasn't solely because she was new.
Several of the Subs I knew checked her out, male and female alike, their expressions puzzled. Some of the Dominants did the same thing, wearing similar expressions, although for different reasons. Everyone knew who I was, k
new what I was, and they were all trying to figure out what the two of us were doing together.
Nothing about Toni Gallagher spoke of submissive. As a matter of fact, it was the opposite. The way she held herself, the look in her eyes, everything about her screamed that she wouldn't submit to anyone.
More than one of the Subs had speculative looks in their eyes and I knew what they were thinking. They wanted her, wanted her to dominate them, to take control. They wanted to be hers.
It shouldn’t have bothered me. She wasn’t mine in any way.
That shouldn’t have bothered me either.
But it did.
I resisted the urge to snap at everyone who was staring, to lay claim to her right then and there. I didn't, however, resist the urge to touch her. Using direction as an excuse, I put my hand lightly on her lower back and steered her towards the VIP section.
Once there, I took her to the seats closest to the railing. She settled on the plush love seat and I sat next to her. I told myself it was only because I didn't want someone else to sit there and make her feel uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with the fact that I simply wanted to be near her.
Before I could say or do something I'd regret, I gestured toward the stage in the middle of the lower area. The VIP section was on the highest level, which meant we had a prime view of any of the live shows going on below us. It was almost time for one of them to start, which was ideal. I needed a distraction. Coming here was supposed to be the distraction. It wasn’t working as I’d planned.
Because I'd been dumb enough to ask Toni to come with me.
“What’s going on?” Toni asked, leaning in close enough that her breasts brushed my arm.
“There’s a show.” The words came out more abruptly than I'd intended.
“What?”
Damn music. Turning my head, I pressed my mouth to her ear and tried not to think about how good she smelled.
The dance music abruptly cut off as I spoke, “There–” Toni jerked back with a laugh, rubbing at her ear as I finished in a normal voice. “A show.”
Heat rose to my face and I silently cursed myself. That had been real smooth. I felt like an idiot and that wasn't something I was accustomed to. I didn't like it, especially not around her.
Blindfold Vol. 3: Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 4
