Working_Out

by Marie Harte

  Ian just had to figure out how to get his nephew on board the love train. He grinned at the thought of it.

  “My, my. They do make them handsome out here, don’t they?”

  He turned to see a gorgeous creature in a fuchsia workout getup so bright he feared his retinas had been scarred. A mature woman with dark red hair frosted with white, merry green eyes, and rings covering all of her fingers, smiled at him.

  He had a hard time breathing. Magnificent didn’t come close to describing her. The woman had presence, something he hadn’t come across in years. “And who might you be?” he asked, unable to disguise his interest.

  “Oh my God. That accent. I think I’m in love.” She stepped closer and held out a hand. “I’m Mimi Vanzant. A friend of Maggie’s. She’s an instructor here.”

  He knew that name, Vanzant. Ian took her hand and brought it to his lips. “A pleasure.”

  She flushed and withdrew her hand, but if anything she stepped closer. “Mine as well.”

  “So you’re here to see Maggie, eh?”

  “I am. You know her?”

  He realized he hadn’t introduced himself. “Ian Jameson. You might know Mac, my nephew.” Pieces connected in his mind, and he understood fate had dropped this woman in his lap. “You’re Shelby’s mother, aren’t you?” The same woman who’d interfered in her daughter’s life and snagged her a man. Ian’s grin broadened when she nodded. “Mimi, why don’t I treat you to dinner, and we can talk. I’ve got a problem I think you’re more than qualified to help me with.”

  She stared at him with wide eyes. “Really?”

  Realizing she might have mistaken his intent, he hurried to reassure her. “Strictly a platonic dinner. I have a nephew who could use some help. Like the kind you gave Shelby and Shane.”

  Mimi nodded. “Sounds right up my alley.”

  Ian had to add, “And after that, well, I’d like to take you out on the town. Been a while since I’ve had such a striking woman on my arm.” He intensified his brogue because she seemed to like it.

  Her eyes sparkled. “I don’t know how I could refuse such a charming offer from a gentleman.” She grabbed the hand he held for her and let him tuck it into the crook of his elbow. “Mac’s uncle, hmm? I think you and I might already be working toward the same goal. I’m Maggie’s spiritual mother, you know.”

  “You don’t say.” Ian escorted her to his BMW. After he’d closed the door after her, he took a deep breath and let it out, reminding himself not to blow this. He was a bit rusty when it came to dating, but it hadn’t been so long that he’d forgotten how to handle a woman as sexy as this one. He joined her in the car. “Now where would you like to go, my dear?”

  “Hmm. I think I have just the place. It’s quiet, the food is good, and if I’m right, we’ll need the backup.” She took out her phone and called someone named Ron. After she gave him directions, she sat back and sighed. “This car is wonderful. I love the smell of leather.”

  “Me too.” He paused. “So that Ron. Not your boyfriend, is he?”

  She laughed, rich, honest amusement she didn’t try to cage. He liked her more already. “Ron is my business partner and best friend. We’re going to his and his boyfriend’s new apartment for dinner and some planning. Will that work?”

  Ian smiled. “Sounds perfect.” Her best friend had a boyfriend. Outstanding. Now he had a shot at not only snagging a woman for his nephew, but maybe a girlfriend for himself as well. A glance at her widened his grin. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Mimi.”

  She rested her hand on his shoulder, and he felt a flare of heat all the way to his toes. “I think you may be right.”

  Chapter Ten

  Maggie dropped Mac off at his house. He waved goodbye without a backwards glance. He hadn’t made a move or a suggestive comment the whole way home. No mention of payback or their next Master/sub session either, which irked her.

  Okay, so Maggie didn’t want a relationship with him. She wouldn’t mind the opportunity to turn him down, though. Granted, that might make things between them a bit hairy, but it would reinforce her confidence, letting her know he wanted her.

  Instead, she had to wonder if he’d gotten what he wanted out of her after all. Like a few before him, once they had her in bed, they backed off. As if sex was the only thing Maggie had to offer. Of course, most of the guys she’d been with had been less than satisfying. Not that she’d dated that many men, but of the ones she’d had sex with, she could count on one hand the number who had sexually fulfilled her.

  So depressing. Then to find a man who not only gave her orgasms, but was into the exact kink she needed? There had to be some way to ensure Mac and she could continue their special friendship. But what if he’d accepted an offer from Megan yesterday? Perhaps Maggie had pushed Mac too hard, and he didn’t want to deal with her anymore.

  Bah. She hated feeling torn over a man. She needed to stop thinking about him anyway. Maggie had shopping to do tomorrow.

  She made sure to get a good night’s sleep and was raring to go the next day. The clouds had disappeared, leaving the streets awash in melting ice and the glow of a rare December sun. A sure sign Maggie needed to indulge in the positive and embrace her Christmas spirit.

  Humming while she readied for her big day, she wasn’t prepared to hear a knock on her door. Curious, because she had the day completely free and Shelby knew not to call her, Maggie reached her door and looked through the peephole.

  To her surprise, she saw Mac standing outside. Dressed in jeans and a winter coat, the man appeared masculine, sexy, and good enough to eat. She had the experience to back up such a claim, and knowing that brought a flush to her cheeks. She calmed herself and straightened her hair before opening the door.

  “Mac.”

  “Hey, Maggie.” He pushed past her and headed toward her coffee pot.

  “Hey, yourself.” She closed the door before following him. “Gee, Mac. Why don’t you come on in?” Yet she couldn’t deny she liked seeing him in her apartment.

  “Thanks.” He winked at her, and her heart raced.

  “So.”

  “So.” He grabbed her coffee and took a large sip out of it. “Ech. Too sweet. But man, I needed the jolt.”

  Sighing, she found a clean mug and handed it to him.

  He smiled and after pouring himself a huge helping, finally explained what the hell he was doing there. “I have a favor to ask.”

  “Another one?”

  “So after you drop me off at the car dealer—”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I need you to pick me up something for Shelby. Something girlie, but not too personal because I don’t want Shane on my ass.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re going Christmas shopping today, right? You bitched about not having any time so much that it made my ears bleed.”

  “Jackass.”

  “So will you do it?”

  “Why don’t you shop for her? It’s the thought that counts, right?”

  He groaned. “Women. You tell men you want us to think of something, and when we do, it’s wrong.” He narrowed his gaze. “Take you for instance.”

  “What about me?” She put her hands on her hips, annoyed. “I haven’t asked you for anything.”

  “Besides a spanking,” he murmured before quickly following with, “if I were to get you something for Christmas, I’d buy you a pretty teddy. Some lace panties, maybe some edible body butter.”

  “For Christmas? Who is this for, you or me?”

  “See? I thought you’d be this way.” Yet his smile told her he’d intended to rile her. “So use your taste to buy Shelby something she’d like. What do you want for Christmas? Think along those lines. So what are we talking? Books, lingerie, perfume?”

  “Is this your pathetic way to see what I want for Christmas?”

  “Nope. I just know you and Shelby think alike.”

  “Well, that’s true.” She thought about it. “I
don’t know. Candles, soaps. Some perfume, but you have to get the right kind. Perfume is kind of like shoes. Everyone has a certain taste.”

  “See? I’d be wrong already. So no chain and collar, eh?”

  She tamped down the excitement at the idea. “And no on the nipple clamps,” she added drily.

  He made a sad face, and she laughed.

  “Okay. I’ll pick something up for her for you. But you’re wrapping it.”

  “Awesome.” He dug in his pocket and handed her a hundred dollars, cash.

  How nice to be able to spend that much on your friend’s girlfriend. She stifled a sigh. She’d saved all year long to make her Christmas budget and still afford her bills. The year hadn’t been that bad, and her overtime at the gallery and extra gym hours helped. But still…

  She pocketed the money. “Anything else, moneybags?”

  “Yeah, this.” He kissed her on the cheek.

  The cheek.

  “Thanks for doing this, Maggie. I owe you.” He finished his coffee, put his cup in the sink, then grabbed her keys off the counter. “So you ready to go or what?”

  Or what, she thought half an hour later. Mac Jameson had kissed her friggin’ cheek. That bastard. No sexual innuendo, no groping, and no hints about more spankings. What the hell was he thinking?

  She stewed about him most of the morning as she bought Shelby a few purchases with his money. But as the day progressed, she put him out of her mind and threw herself into the Christmas spirit. The day was too fine not to enjoy peppermint cocoa, carolers downtown, and her barrage of gifts. She couldn’t wait to see Mimi’s face when Maggie gave her more bangles to add to her collection. Or Ron’s face when she gave him the special tea he liked—the stuff was rare, expensive, and almost impossible to find, even in Seattle. For Shelby she’d found a cashmere sweater that cost a pretty penny, and for Shane a framed picture of him and Shelby that Maggie had had professionally mounted.

  For Trevor she’d bought a collection of anime her weirdo older brother loved, as well as a new wool scarf and gloves, because more than likely he’d lost the last pair she’d given him. The man was forever losing hats too, so she’d added that to her list. She’d keep it all wrapped so that when he returned in the spring, they could have a belated holiday together.

  She had everyone done… almost. Mac. She didn’t know what to give him. The man seemed to be interested in fitness, the Marine Corps, and women. He worked at a gym, had all the Marine stuff he could want, and she had no intention of hooking him up with anyone but herself.

  An idea sparked, and she headed to a few stores she’d seen but had never had the courage to enter before now. A corset, fuzzy heels, a collar and chain later, she left the downtown area with her purchases. She felt warm all over, not having had this much fun in a long while.

  Later that evening, her phone rang. Mac’s number. All at once, his dismissal from that morning came rushing back, and she felt like an idiot for blowing so much on sexy clothes. Especially when he asked for yet another favor.

  “Hey Maggie. Could you pick me up at the car dealer? My uncle left me here, and my car isn’t ready yet. Shane’s busy, and I can’t get a hold of Shelby either.”

  “Call a cab,” she said flatly, all her Christmas cheer gone in the space of one phone call.

  “I guess I could call Megan. She gave me her number. Sorry for bothering you. I’ll—”

  “Damn it. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” She hung up before he could change his mind. Megan? He’d call that floozy? More to the point, why did he have her number on hand? It was one thing to take her number and stash it somewhere, but to have it on his phone? On his person?

  She stewed on her drive to pick him up, and after getting him, continued to brood all the way to his place.

  While he talked about what a productive day he’d had at work, she remained silent.

  “Hey, you okay?” Mac tapped her leg, and the traitorous limb wanted to leap at the contact.

  She forced a smile. “Fine. Just tired. I did a lot of shopping today.” Shopping for you, you big jackass.

  “Oh, right. Was the money enough?”

  He had no right looking so concerned, so masculine and commanding and…

  “It was enough.” She hated that she sounded hoarse.

  He smiled. “Good. So you’re done your shopping? Nice. I still have Ian to get to.”

  “Is it Ian or Uncle Ian?”

  “Either. Man answers to most things I call him.” Mac chuckled. “But he doesn’t take any shit, that’s for sure. Swears up and down, but God forbid I tell him off when he’s earned it. Man has control issues.”

  She parked the car in front of his house. “You did not just say that. He has control issues?”

  He shrugged. “I get it honestly, don’t I?”

  How would I know? It’s been forever since I’ve experienced my master, she wanted to say but didn’t. Instead she waited with a brittle smile.

  Mac paused. “Despite ordering you around all the time at the gym, I feel bad about doing it on your day off.”

  That surprised her.

  “Would you mind coming in for a minute more? I swear I won’t take up the rest of your night. You probably have plans.”

  “Yeah. It’s a Wonderful Life is on TV tonight.” And a bottle of wine sat in the fridge. She should have felt happy about having so little to do for once. She could enjoy herself without guilt. Her last project to hand over to Kim had nearly finished drying. Maggie would have it done in a few hours at most. But instead of looking forward to her night, she felt lonely. Shelby had Shane. Trevor had his work only God knew where, which seemed to satisfy him. Mac had his uncle. Who did Maggie have?

  “Can you give me your opinion on something I got for Shane’s mom?”

  She hadn’t thought other women in Mac’s life, but she’d heard from Shane how tight Mac was with his family. “Sure.” It couldn’t hurt, and she had no rush to return to an empty home.

  After turning off the car, she got out and locked it up, conscious of her many gifts in the trunk. She followed Mac inside and sighed at the warmth that eased her frozen fingers. Her gloves seriously needed replacing.

  “Cold out today,” Mac’s low voice helped warm her up.

  “Yeah. It’s a wet cold. I hate that.”

  “No kidding. Ian’s always grumbling about his bones aching.” Mac took off his shoes and coat, then hung the jacket in the closet. He turned to her and removed her jacket before she could ask what the hell he was doing. “Habit, sorry.”

  “What, stripping your visitors without asking?”

  “Being neat about it. You don’t need a coat in here. I pay the heat bills.” He grinned at her, and she wanted to slap him for losing interest in her so quickly. Why was it he looked more handsome today? Because he wasn’t available anymore? God, she was such an idiot when it came to men.

  “The gift is upstairs. No etchings, I promise.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, right. You, etchings? I see nothing but photography on the walls. Not that they aren’t pretty, but you could vary the pictures a little.” After toeing off her shoes and leaving them by the front door, she followed him up the stairs.

  She hadn’t seen this part of his home before. The walls had a tan wash, white baseboards and trim that accentuated the brown. It felt warm and inviting, masculine without being too overbearing. She passed two bedrooms and a bath before coming to his bedroom.

  “This is it. Where all the magic happens.” He wiggled his brows.

  God, the man had been nothing but charming all day. He annoyed the crap out of her.

  “Yeah, yeah.” She entered, shocked to actually like his style. A dark blue wall brought focus to the king-size poster bed. “Well, that fits you. A big bed for you big ego.”

  He chuckled. “Aren’t you cute?”

  She blew out a breath. He wouldn’t even take the bait. So depressing. Maggie looked around, spotting a mahogany dresser and mirror facing the bed, a
n armoire, and a big leather chair in the corner, which would be a perfect spot for reading if the Neanderthal in front of her knew how to crack a book.

  “Nice, huh?”

  He seemed to be waiting for her approval.

  “It suits you.”

  He nodded. “It does. The present is over here.” He pointed to the bedstand.

  She frowned. “You’re giving Shane’s mom furniture?”

  “What? No, that box.”

  She saw the small box, what looked like a jeweler’s box. A nice gift. Curious, she went to the stand and picked up the box. When she opened it, she saw a slender chain with two funny looking ends. Some kind of weird necklace, maybe?

  Before she could ask him what it was, Mac wrapped his arms around her, hugging her into his aroused frame.

  Shocked, because he’d been anything but sexually aware of her, or so it had seemed, she struggled.

  “Now, now. You were a naughty sub, weren’t you? And yesterday, getting me all hot and bothered in the gym? Did you really think you wouldn’t get punished?”

  Oh, God. He wants me.

  Mac ground against her ass, and Maggie turned immediately wet. Joy infused her as Mac sucked hard on her neck, enough to leave a mark.

  His next action stunned her. With rough hands, he stripped her naked and shoved her onto her back on the bed. She froze, wondering what he’d do next. He tied her up to the posts, securing her enough that she couldn’t move. Splayed out like a human X, naked, vulnerable, and completely turned on.

  “That’s pretty.” He cocked his head and studied her. “But not right, not yet.” He leaned down and sucked both her nipples, first the left, then the right, until they stood on end. “That’s better.” He grabbed the jewelry box from the nightstand and removed the chain.

  Realization dawned, as did a fresh surge of excitement. “Nipple clamps? You lied to me about that present.”

  He grunted. “No shit. You’re so easy.”

  “Up yours.” The minute she said it, she knew she’d made a mistake. And she creamed like crazy.