Take a Chance

by Lavender Daye

  Dena took her bowl to the kitchen sink and washed it out while Sara expounded on her past relationships and the new man in her life.

  “He’s older, too. He has a job at his family’s company and there’s money in the family, I think. Anyway, I haven’t slept with him yet. But soon. Maybe.”

  “And you’re giving me advice?” Dena pulled two glasses out and filled them with ice and water, passing one to Sara. They settled on the sofa and Dena deftly changed the subject. “What’s going on with Susan these days? I haven’t heard much from her.”

  “She and Kellie rented a condo together. She’s working at a law firm part time while she finishes her masters in marketing.”

  “Kind of strange that you’re prelaw and working at a computer company while Susan works at a law firm while studying marketing. It’s like y’all switch brains once a month or something,” Dena said with a laugh.

  “Not really. We have a lot of shared interests, you know, and it gives us things to talk about when we hang out together.”

  “I guess, but tell me this. Why is it you just started working on grad school and she’s almost finished?”

  Dena hadn’t gone that route, getting her bachelor’s degree in office management made her more than qualified to run the day-to-day operations at her dad’s firm. She’d grown up listening to business conversations and knew she wanted to be part of the firm, just like her brothers. They’d all followed their father into brokerage and investments. Except Brent. He was the youngest and a little wild, but he’d come around eventually.

  “Easy answer. I goofed off more than she did.” Sara looked at her watch and stood. “I need to get gone so you can get dressed. When is he due?”

  “Six.”

  Sara hugged her tight. “Have fun and call me tomorrow with the scoop. The whole truth and nothing but.”

  When her doorbell rang an hour and a half later, Dena was itching to get the night going. She opened the door with a smile to find one tall, stylishly handsome man eating her up with his eyes. Heat crept up her chest and into her cheeks when his slow smile followed his gaze back to her face.

  “Ready, doll?”

  Chapter 3

  Damn, she looked good. Simon’s baby sister had grown into a beautiful woman and Steve had promised her a night to remember, but sex hadn’t been on the menu until the door opened. Fuck it all. He’d told Simon he had no designs on her, just wanted to help her get over the trauma of the morning. The brother’s reluctant agreement came with a reminder that the lady in question was twenty-five and innocent.

  The bombshell in front of him was no innocent. Maybe she hid it well, but from where he stood, she was dressed for seduction. Waves of long dark hair fell over her shoulder, some lying across the bare skin above her breasts.

  Steve squashed a growl that threatened to rise in his throat. Her most delectable body was showcased in a dress designed to make a man crazy. It clung to her curves and accented her hot little figure. No wonder Simon was so protective. Dena was a wet dream waiting for nightfall.

  He anticipated a long hard night ahead while he fought to keep his hands to himself.

  “You look lovely, Dena. Shall we?” He offered her his hand and waited on the stoop while she locked the door. Then he captured her hand and drew it around the crook of his arm for the walk to his truck. The pressure of her fingers on his arm didn’t help him stick to his original plan for the night. She was like a tiger cub, ready and eager to play, even as she had no idea what she might get into tonight.

  The drive to the restaurant he’d chosen was uneventful and he relaxed. The dress was just something pretty she liked and she was what her brother described, a sweet young lady with a desire for independence. As long as he acted the part of a gentleman, she’d be comfortable with him. But once the menus were collected, she shifted closer to him.

  “Thank you for inviting me to dinner. This morning was a little intense and I was afraid my brothers were going to lock me up in a tower,” she said, her hand moving closer to his on the tablecloth.

  “They were worried and rightly so. I’m just glad I was at the building early enough to help.” He caught her hand under his and kept it still. “By Monday, everything will be forgotten and you’ll have a regular workday.”

  “If you truly believe that, you don’t know my brothers,” she said, a cute smile lighting her face. “How long did Simon argue with you about taking me out?”

  “We discussed it, but I always get my way.”

  “I’m sure you do,” she said, her soft voice adding heat to her words while her eyes met his for a long minute. Desire and something else, something unknown, lingered in her gaze. She was surprisingly sensual for an innocent young lady.

  Their salads arrived and he freed her hand to open his napkin. Sometime between the first and second bite, he realized more than his napkin was in his lap.

  The little lady needed to learn her limits, and he wouldn’t mind being her teacher, despite Simon’s warning. Keeping his tone low, he leaned close to her ear. “You will keep your hands in your own lap or on the table.”

  His lap was vacated immediately and her chin dropped. A pink stain rose on her cheeks, embarrassment instead of flirtation, and her bottom lip quivered. “I’m sorry.”

  He let her stew for a few minutes while he ate his salad and watched her pick at hers. “Eat, and we’ll talk when I’m ready.”

  Her flush deepened and his chest tightened with a hint of real interest. She’d responded to his comment with what he might take as submission.

  He laid the fork across his plate and steepled his hands. ”I’m not sure what you envisioned this night to be. Tell me what you thought would happen.”

  Dena glanced in his direction before turning her gaze back to her almost empty salad plate. Her chest rose and fell once, twice, a third time before she spoke, her voice wobbly. “I’d hoped to… I’d hoped you would…”

  A waiter appeared to take their plates and she flinched.

  “Go on, tell me, little girl. What did you expect?”

  Finally, a response other than a hidden face. Her eyes flashed with heat and held his, her glare proving she had a backbone. With three brothers, she had to have a little inner strength somewhere in her soul and he was glad to see it.

  “I’m not a little girl.”

  Her words came out in a flurry of subdued anger, harsh, direct, but barely audible. She didn’t want to make a scene in the restaurant, and her spunk almost made him smile, but it wasn’t the time or place to applaud her fierceness.

  “I’m a grown woman and my brothers treat me like a baby. I just want an adventure, a life of my own.”

  Her hand came up fast to cover her mouth and her pretty hazel eyes went wide. She tried to stand but he’d have none of it. His hand clamped down on her thigh to keep her in the seat. Eye contact was immediate and he held her gaze until she dropped her chin and focused on the napkin in her lap.

  Their food arrived and Dena leaned back in the chair, her face a mask of calm control while her hands trembled in her lap. Steve angled his body toward hers and said with quiet authority, “Dena, eat and we’ll talk. I’m not angry. I want to discuss this with you. Don’t be embarrassed.”

  “Are you going to tell my brothers what I did?”

  “Do you really think Simon wants to hear that you felt me up?”

  Her head swiveled to see his expression and he smiled. Dena sucked her top lip into her mouth, bit down lightly, and released it and her nervousness. She let out a soft laugh. “I guess not.”

  He took a bite of his steak and watched her cut into hers. Once it was in her mouth, he quietly said, “What exactly did you expect to happen tonight?”

  Unable to respond with food in her mouth, irritation flashed across her face.

  “Ah-ah, stop and think about your answer while you chew.”

  Her chewing slowed as he watched, and her eyes slid shut. Not from the succulence of the food, but because she’d taken h
is advice, and it warmed him a little more. Dena Lindsay was a beautiful hot mess of a woman and from her response to him, he was fairly certain she hadn’t had many men. Boys, maybe, but not men.

  She looked into his eyes with conviction. “I want a man in my life who won’t be intimidated by my brothers.”

  “That’s been a problem lately?” he asked, knowing the answer. Hell, if she was his sister, he’d be standing on the front porch with a shotgun.

  Dena pursed her lips and blew out a puff of air. “You know my brothers. What do you think? Every man I’ve dated since high school has dumped me by the second week. A few even told me they couldn’t deal with my family.”

  “Honey, you’ve been dating boys, not men.”

  A slim grin made him rethink his part in this conversation. She might be innocent about men, but she was smart about people in general.

  “So where does that put you?”

  He took another bite and she followed suit, allowing him equal time to think, and he needed it. While he’d love to take her to bed and make her scream, Simon would have a fit about Steve’s lifestyle, and rightly so. Introducing his innocent sister to bondage and submission was well past Simon’s comfort zone.

  But the thought of giving this beautiful young lady her first real orgasm was like a siren’s call.

  He wanted her.

  He wanted her wet and begging while he eased his dick into her tight sheath.

  He wanted to watch her face when the climax took her and she screamed his name.

  “What do I get for being the sacrificial lamb?” he asked her, interested as to what she’d come up with as incentive.

  “Anything you want.”

  Ah, damn. Not the best answer right now, but exactly what he loved to hear from a woman. And Dena wasn’t his ordinary woman. She didn’t come with a history and preferences. He’d be free to teach her to be everything he wanted in a submissive, and that one thought made him the ultimate bastard.

  But it wouldn’t stop him.

  “Brave girl. You sure about that offer?” Damn. She had no idea what she was getting from this deal, and he was glad he’d been the one to field the offer. At least, he’d take care of her. So many other men would take her at face value and run roughshod over her body and soul.

  “I trust you, Steve.”

  He chuckled, the sound rough to his ears. “Remember those words. You might change your mind once you know me better.”

  He cut into his steak and asked a question about her hobbies, letting the sex talk die down. He wanted her relaxed and at ease in his presence, even as his cock pulsed against the cloth napkin in his lap. Three layers of fabric and it still felt like he was bare and ready. It wouldn’t happen tonight or the next.

  She needed to learn obedience and he was an excellent teacher. He watched her face while she spoke about her friends, college days, and the volunteer work she and one of her girlfriends did at the children’s hospital every month. So full of life and excitement, she brought her own energy to the room and the people in it.

  She declined dessert and wasn’t interested in seeing a movie, so he took her home, sure she expected sex. At her front door, she turned with a smile.

  “Would you like to come in?”

  Steve looked down into the cleavage showing from the cleft of her sexy blue dress and knew she’d be a handful to take on. And he was willing, but only on his terms.

  “No, Dena, I’m not coming inside, but I will kiss you goodnight. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven and feed you again.”

  “Oh.”

  “We play by my rules, Dena. No others.”

  He took her mouth in a soft kiss, lips on lips in a gentle slide, and waited for her to respond. When her mouth opened, he plunged in, taking what he wanted until he felt her body fall into his.

  Her moan lingered in the space between them when he set her away from his body. “Good night, Dena. Lock the door behind you. I’ll be listening for the bolt to engage.”

  Eyes half glazed, she nodded and went inside. Once the lock clicked in place, he went back to the truck, already planning what he’d do with her tomorrow. As much as he detested vanilla sex, he might have to begin there and move into kink slowly.

  Or not.

  Chapter 4

  Dena leaned against the door and kicked out of her shoes. Stilettos were difficult enough to maneuver at the end of the day, but with the addition of her trembling knees, it wouldn’t happen.

  She’d be lucky to crawl to the sofa barefooted. Every single inch of her body tingled and throbbed after his kiss.

  What in the hell had she gotten herself into?

  Forcing the image of a puppy frolicking in the grass into her brain gave her a minute of semi-clarity, but it slipped away just before she made it to the sofa. The expression on Steve’s face just before their mouths touched slammed into her head again and she sagged onto the couch while her breath caught up with her heartbeat.

  Damn. She’d never survive sex if one kiss laid her this low. He was too much man for her. Out of her mind, she thought about sending him a text and calling off tomorrow’s date, but couldn’t convince her fingers to follow through.

  She’d asked for an adventure.

  Now she had a willing accomplice. Or rather a madman. Maybe a sex maniac. But she couldn’t imagine him wild. He was too controlled, too in charge of himself and his surroundings.

  The home phone rang and she fumbled to reach the handset, wondering who was selling what. All her friends used her cell number.

  “You’re home already?” Sara asked. “What happened to the hot date? I was expecting to leave a message.”

  “It was great,” she replied.

  “So great that you’re home before ten?” Sara asked, the sound of music and laughter in the background. “What happened?”

  “Why did you call if you thought I was out?” Talking about Steve wasn’t a good idea. It was too fresh, too soon to break down the date with a friend. The need to savor it kept her quiet.

  “I was going to suggest brunch tomorrow so I could hear about the date, and don’t think I didn’t notice you deflected my question. What happened? Was he mean to you?”

  “No, he wasn’t mean. He’s…he’s charismatic.”

  “He’s religious?”

  Dena’s head dropped to the back of the sofa with a thump. “No. He’s charming and sexy and disarmingly intense.”

  The sounds of the crowd dissipated and Sara’s voice cleared. “Are you telling me you had dinner and sex in less than three hours, not counting the drive? Who does that?”

  “Not me. Never.” Then why did her body feel like it happened moments ago? “Hey, what happened with your date?”

  Sara sighed. “He called this afternoon and dumped me. Said he was going on vacation with some friends and didn’t want to feel awkward while they were picking up women.”

  “Ew. You should call that a win for you.”

  “I know. Anyway, we’ll discuss it ad nauseam tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Call me in the morning and we’ll get together.”

  Sara started to argue, but Dena said goodbye twice and ended the call.

  Talk about a cold shower. Well, maybe tepid. Her body still responded to his kiss but her brain was back to normal functionality. Getting to her feet, she turned off the lights and went to bed, crawling under the covers nude, a habit she’d started the first night in her own place. Tonight, the sheets rasped a little too much and sleep was elusive.

  * * * *

  Sara slipped back onto the barstool and leaned close to her sister. “Dena’s already home, but says she had a good time. Want to get breakfast with us tomorrow?”

  Susan nodded and passed the word to her best friend, Kellie. All three sat around a high table and watched the dancers in the middle of the room. A few of the couples on the floor needed to get a room. Public exhibition wasn’t her thing, but this club had a reputation in the singles community.

  Conversation was
n’t the objective. Hooking up and getting busy was the new meet-and-greet. Sara watched the crowd while her friends talked to each other and to the random men who stopped at their table. A tall man caught her eye as he moved through the crowd. He looked older than most of the people in the room, like he’d lived a little harder than the rest. Built like a football player, he exuded athletic grace and power.

  When he stopped next to her chair, she sucked in a breath. He wasn’t the usual type she attracted. Most of the men she’d dated were more the nerdy type. Academics. Jocks didn’t give her a second look.

  Until now.

  “Dance.”

  A midrange voice pronounced the word, and it wasn’t a request. More like a demand, but slightly softer. What the hell? Fresh from being dumped, a dance or two wouldn’t hurt. Sara slipped off the barstool and was surprised when he gripped her hand and tugged her into the crowd. His arms came around her and held her close to his chest.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Sara.”

  “You’re with me tonight, Sara.” His hand moved down her back and settled on her rear, a little too intimate for a first dance, but she let it slide since they were surrounded by swaying bodies.

  “I’m Ethan.”

  “Ethan who?” she asked. If he was going to grope her ass, she wanted at least a last name and maybe a family history or blood test.

  “Jenkins.”

  “Where are you from?” she asked.

  Ethan pressed her head against his chest. “Dance. We’ll talk later.”

  Maybe there was a reason she didn’t date jocks. They didn’t like to talk, and it was her favorite pastime. They moved around the crowded dance floor, her head against what felt like a well-defined chest. At least he didn’t stink. She recognized the scent of sandalwood and male sweat, a nice mixture that reminded her of the outdoors. When the song changed, he kept her in his arms. She stayed on the floor with him for the next two dances and then he took her back to the table.