"Marcus?"
"Yes? Huh?" Marcus turned to face her.
Tabitha walked to his side and curled her arm over his shoulder. She arched up toward him and their lips met. Marcus's arms came around her in a tight embrace and their tongues met in a duel of desire. Tabitha pulled back and then rested her forehead against his chin. He kissed the top of her head.
Tabitha took a deep breath. "I enjoyed the time we spent together. I hope everything goes well when you get back."
"It will." His determination was clear. Marcus brushed her hair back off her forehead. "Enjoy the rest of your time here in Hawaii. I'm sorry I won't be here with you." He turned back toward the suitcase.
Tabitha turned and exited the bedroom, walking across the living area toward the door. Every step her legs became heavier and heavier. She had to force her feet to continue. As she exited the suite, Tabitha filled her mind with blankness. She couldn't think about this right now. She couldn't deal with this right now.
The elevator ride was a blur and soon Tabitha was stumbling into her own room. She closed the door, collapsed on the bed and lay there, numb. As images of her time with Marcus flooded back into her mind, tears began to leak from her eyes. Had she been so stupid as to give her heart to this man? As Tabitha realized the answer, she dissolved into sobs.
~ * ~ * ~
Tabitha had been back at work for two weeks when she finally managed to push Marcus from her mind for more than an hour at a time. People were still inquiring about her Hawaiian vacation, and she simply told them that it had been lovely. It had been, right up until the end and that pesky little being abandoned thing. But what were you supposed to say when you'd been to Hawaii? People didn't boast of bad times in Hawaii and she didn't care to elaborate on the details.
Tabitha wondered if Marcus thought of her. Her heart still longed to see him and her body still ached to feel him. She pushed him out of her mind, but he kept sneaking back in. Time. That's what she needed. Getting through the days right now, today, tomorrow, and the day after would be hard. Once people stopped asking about the trip, perhaps it would fade away into distant memory.
Tabitha looked up as her coworker, Kim, approached her desk. "Tabitha, can you take these copies to Conference Room C? There's a client waiting there."
Tabitha rose from her seat, welcoming the break. "Sure, no problem." She took the papers from Kim and made her way down the hall to the elevator. There were all sorts of bigwigs in the building today. A major deal was in the works, there had been scrambling and rushed document production.
The door to the conference room was closed. Tabitha knocked gently before opening the door and stepping inside. "I have your …." The words died in her throat as she saw who was seated at the table. Marcus. It was Marcus. Tabitha simply shook her head. Speech was beyond her. Marcus. The man who tormented her days and haunted her nights.
Marcus rose from his seat and approached her. "You didn't think I'd forgotten about you, did you, Tabitha? After all, I collared you."
Tabitha found her voice. "What?"
Marcus pointed to the choker around her neck. "You accepted my collar. Did you think that meant nothing?"
Tabitha's spine stiffened. "I didn't realize the significance."
Marcus nodded. "Fair enough. But you're wearing it, aren't you?"
She was. Tabitha had been wearing it since he'd given it to her, only removing it to shower. She hadn't wanted to think about what that meant. Now he forced her to examine her actions. "It was a gift."
"It was, but it was also more. We have unfinished business you and I, don’t you think?"
Tabitha looked into his eyes. She traced the familiar planes of his face and her heart swelled. Did they have unfinished business? Could she open herself to him again? There was only one answer. "Yes … Sir."
Excerpt from His Desire, Her Surrender
"Tabitha?"
She tilted her head, waiting.
"Take off your clothes." Dominance filled his voice. This was the Marcus she remembered. This was the Marcus her heart refused to release. Tabitha unbuttoned her blouse and shrugged it off. Her back still toward him, she slid her skirt down over her hips, along with her panties. She stepped out, revealing stockings and garters instead of pantyhose. Her fingers reached for the garter.
"Leave them. I like the stockings. They look quite lovely on you. And your shoes. Don't they call those fuck me heels?" His teasing conveyed a hint of challenge.
Tabitha blushed and turned around as she unfastened her bra. He was right about the shoes. The black patent leather gleamed even under the fluorescent lights of the conference room. The heels, high and spiky, were just barely office appropriate. She dropped her bra on the carpet and raised her eyes to his, trapped by the compelling intensity of his stare.
"Undress me." His gaze invited her touch.
Tabitha smiled. "It would be my pleasure." All thoughts of self-preservation fled her mind. This was Marcus. He was here, right now. And she needed him.
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
Tabitha rephrased her response. "It would be my pleasure, Sir."
He gave an almost imperceptible signal of approval.
Tabitha advanced toward Marcus, clad only in her shoes, stockings and garters. She shivered, goosebumps rising on her skin. She softened inside as she reached for him. Her fingers grasped the top button on his dress shirt and, one by one, she slowly unfastened them. She moved close, close enough to feel his radiating heat. Her fingertips trailed down one arm and undid his cufflink and then turned to the other, repeating her actions. With her fingertips, she brushed the fabric off his shoulders until the shirt drifted free of his body. She caught it, folded it neatly, and placed it on a chair.
Tabitha ached to wrap herself around him, but resisted. She reached for his belt. Her fingers shook as she unfastened the buckle, followed by the waistband of his pants. She lowered the zipper, brushing against his growing erection. She pushed his pants and underwear down only to realize his shoes were still on. Embarrassed, she met his eyes.
"Don't worry, we'll practice." He slid off his shoes and stepped out of his pants and briefs.
Tabitha picked up his slacks and folded them along the creases, smoothing the fabric with her hands. She tucked his briefs inside the pants and placed them by his shirt.
Marcus was naked. Gloriously naked. Tabitha swayed as the memory of their powerful encounters in Hawaii swept through her. She quivered and her nipples puckered. Her hand reached out toward him.
Purchase His Desire, Her Surrender.
About the Author
Malia Mallory lives in Hawaii with her husband and daughter. She's been working with words since alphabet blocks rolled into her crib, not only writing her own work but copy editing and proofreading the work of others. She has loved to read about relationships since she first sneaked off with her mother's Harlequin.
Malia Mallory is the best-selling author of The ABCs of Erotica series, which covers the erotic spectrum from BDSM to ménage and everything in between. More releases in the series are on the way. She has also released the Mia's Cop Craving series and Santa's Backdoor Baby. Malia’s books have hit the bestseller lists in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Austrailia. Her books are available in electronic format at major retailers like Amazon.
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THE BILLIONAIRE’S CLUB
By Terry Towers
Chapter 1
"Did you get it?" Lexie looked up anxiously from the computer screen where a young brunette woman was strung up and being caned. She watched as her roommate entered their apartment, after her shift at the Billionaires Club. Her roommate, Nadine, a beautiful and
slender twenty-two year old, black woman worked as a shooter girl at the club.
"What? No hello? No, how was your shift tonight Nadine? Nothing, huh?" Nadine huffed at her childhood friend as she hung her jacket and tiny, black designer handbag in the coat closet by the front door.
"I want you counting the lashes!" the man in the video yelled out.
Laughing, Nadine made her way across the living room and peered over Lexie's shoulder to the video she'd been watching. "I see you've been doing your homework." Nadine watched for a moment as the brunette counted down between lashes.
"8... 7..." the woman called out, wincing - but only slightly - each time the cane made contact with her reddened ass.
"That girl is taking it like a pro. Props to her," Nadine joked, turning away from the screen, suddenly disinterested.
Lexie huffed and exited the video. She had more important things to find out, such as, whether or not Nadine secured a member badge to the club for her. By the smug look in Nadine's expression she would wager it was a yes.
"So, did you get it?"
Nadine reached down the front of her tight red cut-off tank top and produced a small silver badge, about an inch in length and half an inch in width and waved it under Lexie's nose. Lexie eyed the badge, a wide smile forming on her lips. She was finally going to get into the club that could quite possibly give her the news story of a lifetime, and would kick-start her career as a journalist. She was currently a gossip columnist for a small time local gossip paper in San Francisco. But this story could launch her into the big time; it could turn her into a 'real' journalist. Excited, Lexie made a grab for the badge, but Nadine snatched her hand back and quickly backed away.
Nadine wagged her finger at Lexie. "No, no girl. We're going over some ground rules first before I give you anything."
Lexie sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend. "Look, I know. I know. I heard you the first hundred times you stated your terms and conditions."
"Nah, I think we need to discuss them one more time." She flopped onto the thread bare floral patterned sofa, and gave the badge another shake in the air. "This could cost me the best paying job I've ever had. If anyone finds out you're not a member and I gave this to you then I will not only lose the best job of my life, but I could be facing legal action."
Lexie raked a hand through her long flaming red curls and sighed. "Even if caught, you know I would never, ever give you up."
"It wouldn't be that hard to link us Lex. We grew up in the same town in Nebraska." she waved at their surroundings. "We share an apartment. I think they'd catch on."
"My legal address is still listed in Omaha," Lexie reminded her standing, crossing the room and flopping into an equally worn matching armchair.
Nadine sighed and passed the badge to her. "I'm trusting you. Don't fuck it up."
With a wide grin on her face Lexie accepted the badge and looked down at it. On the silver plate was the engraving T5S in black letters "So what does T5S mean anyhow?"
"Ummm. Well, here's the thing. I just couldn't walk up to my boss and ask him to give me a member badge."
Lexie shrugged. "I suppose not."
"I managed to get lucky and noticed a badge had fallen from a member's clothing and it was lying on the floor. Now if we happen to see a badge and pick it up we're required to turn it in to management. Instead, I tucked it into my bra and kept working. I could be fired for that alone, you know."
Lexie nodded. She doubted she could ever come up with the words to describe the gratitude she felt towards Nadine for sticking her neck out and risking her career to help launch hers. "And I thank you for that. I promise I will make this up to you."
"You're damned right you will," Nadine teased, bending down and unzipping her thigh-high stiletto boot.
Lexie looked back down at the T5S and cringed. Something told her she wasn't going to like what it stood for. "So what does the T5S mean?"
Nadine sighed and gave her a sympathetic smile. "It means tier five submissive."
Lexie shrugged and stared blankly at her friend. "I have no idea what that means."
Pulling off her first boot she kicked it under the plain wooden coffee table and began unzipping the second one. "Well, to simplify things for their members the club has established a system with those badges. Those labelled with an S or D, submissive or dominant, are ranked one to five."
Glancing down at the badge, Lexie shrugged. "So what does a five do?"
Looking up and meeting her friend's eyes, Nadine grinned and gave her a wink. "You do it all baby."
All? What the fuck does she mean by all?
Nadine continued with her explanation. "You like it as rough as they'll give it to you. Caning, gangbanging, humiliation, electrode stimulation, you like it as hard as they'll give it. Pain is your thang' baby."
Lexie blanched, her jaw going slack. "Are you fucking serious?" She'd been watching the videos online that Nadine had directed her to, in order to be prepared for virtually anything and everything she may encounter going on at the club. Doing it all was not even close to what she was signing up for.
Nadine groaned, shaking her head. "It's not like you're actually going to do any of it. Geez, Lex. Be fuckin' happy I could get you one at all." She reached over to snatch the badge from Lexie's fingers, but Lexie was too fast, jerking the badge out of her reach.
"I am. Thank you Nadine." She stood and gave her friend a quick hug. "I owe you big for this."
Lexie's brow creased when she pulled away and peered over at her friend, noticing the devious look in her expression. "What's that look for?"
Nadine laughed and gave her head a quick shake. "You don't owe me a thing, girl. My payment will be getting to see you try and handle yourself in a place like that."
With a huff, Lexie threw herself back in the armchair. "And why would you say that? I've been watching the videos."
Nadine's increased laughter unsettled Lexie - slightly. Of course she could handle it; it wasn't as though she was actually going to partake in the... activities or anything. She was going solely for the story. Get in, get the story and get out. Easy peasy.
****
"So, here's the deal. I can't guarantee they won't verify membership at the front door even with the badge since you're not a regular, so at 9pm sharp, fifteen minutes from now, the guard patrolling the back loading door is going on his break leaving it unguarded. I'll take my break at the same time and keep him distracted. Got it?" Nadine's voice instructed from the other end of Lexie's mobile phone.
"I got it." Lexie rolled her eyes and then peered at herself in the rear-view mirror.
"And for the love of God Lexie. Don't. Get. Caught. Got it."
Lexie huffed in exasperation. "Yes, yes, yes. I got it. Don't worry."
"K - bye."
"Bye." Lexie pressed the release button on her mobile and thrust it into her satin handbag. The minutes felt like hours as she sat in the car and waited for when she could walk down the street and then slip into the back of the club. She was so nervous she was nauseous. Nadine had picked out her outfit which consisted of a strapless red mini dress and black stiletto heeled thigh-high boots. She felt like a damned hooker.
Lexie fingered the diamond solitaire pendant around her neck. The necklace and the matching earrings were on loan from Nadine. Nadine had been given them as a gift from one of the regulars at the club. Talk about perks of the job. I may look like a hooker, but at least I look like a high priced one, she mused. She peered at herself in the rear view mirror again, and her anxious emerald green eyes peered back.
After what felt like a lifetime, the clock on the dashboard of the car flashed 8:55. Showtime, she muttered to herself. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves she opened the car door and slid out. Slamming the car door shut and locking it behind her, Lexie made her way down the street towards the club. Just before she came to the front entrance, she veered off into the deserted side alley.
Her heels echoed on the concrete as she quic
kly made her way down the length of the club towards the back. Just before she reached the corner of the building she stopped and listened. All was silent from behind the building from what she could tell so she continued and rounded the corner.
As suspected it was also empty. Giving the area a quick scan to make sure no one was watching her she confirmed she was indeed alone and hurried to the steel door left slightly ajar. Thank you Nadine.
Prying the door open with her finger tips, she slowly and as quietly as possible pulled it open. The beat of techno music greeted her as she peeked in with hesitation. The music wasn't near as loud as you would find at a dance club, but it was loud enough. As promised, the hallway was vacant. Slipping in, she closed the door firmly behind her and turned to her left. Nadine had told her to turn left and then take a right, which would take her to the main room. And that was exactly where she wanted to be.
A rush of excitement accompanied the fear as she squared her shoulders, pulling herself up to her full height of 5'3; luckily her heels gave her an additional five inches and began walking as casually as possible towards the main room.
As she came closer to her destination, the music was accompanied by the sounds of voices. Her excitement raised another notch. She slipped her handbag onto her shoulder making sure the lens of the tiny camera sewn inside was getting a good view of what she was facing. She also had an audio recorder going, but with the music and murmur of voices it would be hard to get anything useful from the audio.
To her relief, she didn't see a soul until she exited the corridor that brought her into the main room of the club. Aside from half dozen cages suspended from the ceiling with naked women trapped in them, at first glance it appeared to be like any other nightclub. Couples chatted at tables, people danced on the dance floor at the center of the room and people hung out at the numerous bars around the room.
"What in the fuck..." Lexie's green eyes widened as her eye glanced over to the far left corner of the room. A small stage was set up featuring a man with three women. The man appeared normal, black pants and a white button down shirt, but the women were dressed in odd looking black leather costumes. Gloves on their hands and boots on their feet gave the appearance of hooves and they appeared to have long bushy tails. Lexie took a few steps closer. Are the end of the tails stuck up their...? She grimaced. Oh God, they are! Damn!
The Alpha's Touch Boxed Set (14 Book Bundle) Page 98
