Oh, he could so play this up. Those two big knuckleheads deserved to squirm— Wait. He frowned, doing a quick rewind of what Justin had said right after he’d slugged him. “What was that about Heather being at McLafferty’s and hearing— Fuck!”
Pierce quickly rose to his feet, his sore jaw fading into oblivion. “No wonder she won’t return any of my calls. Not being able to get a hold of her is the reason I returned earlier than I’d planned. I was going to drop Janis off and let you three get acquainted while I headed over to Heather’s apartment.”
The brothers shared a look that gave Pierce a distinctly uneasy feeling.
“Well…” Quinn rubbed his shaved head.
Not a good sign, especially since he did it whenever he was uncomfortable about something. “Well, what?”
He drew the kind of fortifying breath someone took before delivering bad news. “She’s not at her apartment.”
“Where is she? I’ll go there.”
Justin shrugged, looking even more uncomfortable than his older brother, if that were possible.
A very bad sign, considering he was the never-let-much-bother-him kind.
After a prolonged moment, the younger brother tentatively supplied, “New York.”
“What the mother double-fuck—” He winced. “Sorry again, Janis.” He turned back to his partners. “What is Heather doing there? And you’d better not tell me she’s hooking back up with that pussy-whipped gynecologist she almost married.”
“Hell no!” Justin rolled his eyes. “Give her more credit than that. The place she worked for, The Halo Group, called with an over-the-top offer a few days ago. She had no intention of taking the offer until she saw you two at the coffee shop. Stuffed some things into a carryon and stopped here just long enough to tell us she was catching the next flight out. They’re so anxious to get her back, they told her it didn’t matter how late she got in they’d arrange a meeting for negotiations.”
Pierce set his sights on the company’s main computer, since it was always running, reached it in six angry strides and began beating away at the keyboard.
“Whatcha doin’?” Quinn asked as Janis moved behind Pierce to look over his shoulder.
“He’s looking for flights,” his sister supplied.
“Won’t do any good,” Justin said.
“Why not?” Pierce looked up from the airline schedule he’d pulled up.
“She left on a commercial flight, but after the negotiations, they’re returning her on the company’s private jet. No telling how long the talks will take or when she’ll be back. Your chances of catching her are nil to none.”
“Fuck me.” He turned to his sister. “Sor—”
“Dammit. Will you all stop with the apologies already? I’m a realtor, for God’s sake. I’ve been around enough construction workers to hear plenty of vulgarity. Picked up a few choice favorites of my own it might surprise you to know.” She huffed.
Smiling, Pierce wheeled back from his desk, not missing the sharp interest in the men’s eyes at her disclosure. Always on the lookout for potential business contacts, she’d definitely snagged their attention. It was more comfortable for him to believe that than to acknowledge the sexual interest he’d noted earlier in Justin’s eyes. Oh, hell. His friends hadn’t been hypocritical about their sister’s sexual preferences and he could do no less where his sister was concerned. Janis was old enough to make her own decisions as far as men were concerned. The irony of one of them hooking up with his sister wasn’t lost on him.
Shaking his head, he covered and squeezed the sympathetic feminine hand that landed on his forearm. “Don’t worry, Tink. Everything will work out.”
His sister wasn’t thrilled with him calling her the shortened version of Tinkerbell, so his not receiving her usual retaliatory hard pinch showed her level of concern over the situation.
“Well hell, man. We sure as hell hope everything turns out okay.” Justin’s statement was thick with frustration. “No way do we want to be stuck working with your moping mug all day for God knows how long. You’re badass ugly when you sulk and a bitch to work with.”
Pierce scoffed. Apparently Justin’s sarcastic humor had returned full force. Not a bad thing from Pierce’s perspective as he took in the comforting familiar sights and smells of the office. The odor of strong coffee and a hint of ink from the blueprints, some rolled, some flattened across various surfaces.
It was comforting to know the men’s attitudes were veering back toward normal. Especially since the most important part of his life was going to be a lot harder to get back on track.
“Gotta plan, bud?” This from Quinn as the brothers planted themselves expectantly in front of the desk.
“Yeah. I think. Either of you dick wads have a key to Heather’s apartment, know a good locksmith or someone good at picking door locks?”
“She hadn’t gotten around to making us copies of her key,” Quinn answered.
The delicate clearing of a throat drew the men’s attention.
Pierce quirked an eyebrow at his sister. “Since you don’t have a key, which of the other two?”
A mischievous grin spread across her lips. “I can…pick.”
“No way!” Shock from Justin.
A short gruff laugh from Quinn.
Janis shrugged her slender shoulders. “Former boyfriend—”
“All righty then, little sister.” Pierce pushed up from his chair, causing her to take a hasty step back or risk the chair wheel cruising over her foot. “I’d rather not know the details, but I’ll take the help.” He ruffled the hair on the top of her head, something he knew aggravated her. But, hey, what good was having a kid sister if you couldn’t tease her. He had a lot of time to make up for. “And your tools of the trade are…?”
“In my purse.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Hey! Ya never know when they might come in handy. Say someone accidently locks a baby in their car. Or a friend leaves her house key at the bar,” she said with a twinkle in her cat-golden eyes.
“Hmmm. Drunken, forgetful girlfriends. When can I meet them?” Justin asked with a shit-eating grin.
“Pfft. Introduce you to my friends? Never.” She scrunched her nose.
“Hey, I’m not such a bad guy once you get to know me.”
“Yeah. Right. And you can get me a great deal on a bridge too.”
“Okay, children. Let’s go before another fight breaks out. Or you,” Pierce lightly grasped his sister’s arm, “start snapping kneecaps.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Justin was hanging back, well out of kicking range. He wasn’t about to tell him his sister was all bluff and, like Heather, had the heart of a softy and would pick up an injured mouse or even a snake off the road and actually had. Thank God, Melvin wasn’t a damn boa constrictor, just your everyday average garter variety that still lived in her backyard. The mouse she’d rescued lived safely inside, contained in an elaborate hamster habitat. The chipmunks and other small rodents wandering into her well-tended garden from the woods behind her house…not so lucky.
“Gosh, bro, you sure are a party killer. What’s the loss of a teeny kneecap between new friends? You’re always so…so… I don’t know. Vanilla?”
The Thompson brothers simultaneously let loose those guy indefinable laughs that fell somewhere between a snort and a huff.
Pierce gave them a warning look before addressing Janis. “Whatever. Let’s go.”
“Hold up.” Arms crossed over his chest, Quinn blocked their path with his sizeable bulk as they turned in the direction of the door.
“You gonna try stopping me?” Pierce took up a defensive stance, both surprised and somewhat hurt since the three of them had always had each other’s backs, no matter the circumstances. Then again, Heather was their sister. But he’d gladly give his right arm before he’d ever hurt Heather. Quinn should know that. He winced at the mental anguish he’d already caused her. A hurt he had every intention of making up to her.
> “No, I’m not going to stop you. Just wanna know what you intend before you go off half-cocked with some wild-ass idea. Dig yourself into a deeper hole. Just need to know if I have to send Justin over to one of the construction sites to grab up a shovel to bury your sad ass when Heather’s done with you.” The slight grin on his face made Pierce relax.
“Hey. So not fair,” Justin whined, or what would pass for a whine coming from a six-foot-tall dude with supersized muscles. “I always end up doing the grunt work.”
“Relax, moron.” If he weren’t so upset, Pierce might’ve laughed at the peeved expression on the younger man’s face. “No shovels needed. I’m just gonna wait at your sister’s apartment until she gets back and explain about me and Janis.”
“What if she’s accepted the job?” Quinn, ever the voice of reason.
“Then she damn well will have to call them back and tell them she changed her mind.”
“Uhhh.” Janis tugged on his shirt hem. “I don’t know Heather personally. But from what you’ve told me I doubt if she’ll be inclined to forgive you if you go about this in gorilla mode.”
He smiled down at his sister and affectionately stroked her cheek. “Don’t worry, Sis. I know some major groveling will be involved, as I’m sure seeing us isn’t the only thing on her pissed-me-off-royally sheet. And once I get her back into my arms, I’m going to tell her how much I—” No! He wasn’t going to tell anyone before he told that stubborn woman of his that he loved her. With every beat of his newly unchained heart. Hmmm, chains. That kicked up some interesting thoughts. Too bad he hadn’t brought any. He gave passing thought to stopping at his place, but not sure how much time he had before Heather came home, he didn’t want to risk not being there when she arrived. Maybe he could find some rope at her place. Might as well indulge in some snooping of his own while he waited for his gorgeous brat to get home.
* * * * *
She was lucky enough to get a parking space right in front of her building. Heather grabbed her small travel bag and purse from the car upon exiting, and pressing the lock remote, she trudged up the steps to the front stoop and unlocked the door. Inside, she re-secured the lock, and with a tired sigh, continued her trek up the long flight to her loft.
She was dead-dog tired. The trip had been grueling and taken its toll on her already frayed emotions. Not the contract negotiations. That portion of the trip was a breeze. The three partners of the marketing firm had bent over backward, giving her pretty much anything, no matter how small the matter or how large the amount. They’d wanted her back that badly. The coup de grâce—a full partnership at the end of two years. Not totally surprising, since she’d brought in a ton of new clients during her time with the company.
Too bad someone else hadn’t wanted her that much.
No. No. I will not cry. I shed enough tears on the flight to New York and back. Thankfully, she’d sat next to a window both ways, feigning sleep so neither flight attendant wouldn’t bother her and just let the silent tears flow. At least she’d had the foresight to grab a wad of tissues and stuff them into her purse before leaving for the airport.
At JFK, she’d stuck on a pair of dark sunglasses and kept her head down until she could scoot into a miraculously empty restroom for a much-needed makeup repair. By the time a few stragglers had come in, she’d looked halfway decent and less like one of those scary creatures that jumped out at you in a haunted house around Halloween.
When the company jet arrived along with a couple red-eye flights at Hopkins, her ravaged face could have used another repair, but since more than half the people around her were sleep deprived and looked worse than seasoned zombies, she’d figured she had probably fit right in.
At the moment, all she wanted was to forget her troubles for now and find her bed.
Shoulders slumped, she keyed the deadbolt at the top of the steps and entered her apartment. She haphazardly dropped her small travel bag on the floor, and ignoring the dull thud, gave the bolt lever a halfhearted twist.
Expelling a deep breath, she turned.
“Agggh! Christ!” She slapped her hand over her thudding heart until she recognized the identity of the shadowy, masculine form leaning casually against the large sectional dividing the living room from the entryway.
“Pierce? What…” She had to swallow twice to get her heart out of her throat. “What are you doing here? How’d you get in?”
“Hello, sweetheart.” He agilely pushed away from the couch and made his way toward her.
She took a step back. Bumped into the door and thrust out her hand. “Don’t come any closer.”
He stopped short of arm’s reach. “I take it you’re not glad to see me. Not that I blame you. Since you wouldn’t return my calls, I decided nothing less than a face-to-face discussion would do.”
“The last time I called, you cut me off,” she accused, stiffening her resolve. Tall, all hard masculine muscle, she wanted nothing more than to fall into his embrace and be comforted by the strength of his arms.
“For which I’m deeply sorry.”
“I think it best you leave.” Her voice trembled slightly in spite of her efforts to keep it steady. She’d made a decision regarding their relationship and was determined to stick by it.
He shook his head. “Not happening, love. Not until I’m forgiven for my insensitive stupidity and anything else I’ve done to cause you needless pain. And,” he brought his hand from around his back and held up a set of fur-lined black leather cuffs, dangling from the ends of small linked chains, “I get to use these.”
She gasped. Firmly shook her head. Focused on his shadowy, handsome features, she hadn’t even noticed he was hiding something. Damn, but those looked familiar. Nah. Couldn’t be. She lifted her gaze. “I don’t think so.”
He nodded. “Ohhh, yeah. Once they’re attached to those trim wrists of yours, we’ll test the sturdiness of those hooks behind your bedroom screen.”
She stiffened. “You snooped!” Sure now that those were, in fact, her cuffs he held, she took a long step forward, not caring she’d put herself well within his reach. “You have a lot of nerve.”
He barked a laugh. “Hell, yes, I snooped through your things. Figured turnabout was fair play after all the times you rifled through our junk. Jesus! We didn’t know whether to be pissed off at your audacity or laugh our asses off. Most times it was the latter, and somewhere along the line, it turned into a game. Challenged us to find more inventive ways to guard our private things. Devise hidden compartments.” He let a light smile claim his lips. “Speaking of which, while I was waiting I happened to stumble across your interesting collection of toys.”
Shit! He’d found her hidden stash in the closet. The image of his using them on her, the sensual torture she’d be made to endure until he brought her to a screeching orgasm, spurred a wave of heat that flushed her entire body. Especially those parts that stirred to life at the mere sound of his low, sexy voice. She shored up her determination. A herculean struggle, but she finally managed.
She shifted to the side, indicating the doorknob with a tilt of her head. “I think you know the way out.”
“Also…” he continued obviously ignoring her blatant dismissal. “I have no intention of leaving until I see you in the crotchless leather outfit you teased me about when we were at the country house.”
The snort she released was a far cry from feminine. “Dream on. I sure as heck won’t be wearing it for you.”
“Then I guess you won’t be wearing it for anyone. Especially not dear old Dr. Do-Right. In case you were entertaining the idea.”
The hint of jealousy in his voice as he leaned closer ignited a spark of pleasure in her. She marveled at the sensation for all of two seconds before shoving it back into the cave it slithered out from. “Fine. I’ll give the outfit to you on your way out. Consider it a going-away gift. Use it for your next sub. Although I highly doubt it will fit the petite black-haired chick I saw you with at McLafferty’s.” She shru
gged. “With a few tucks here and there, the fit might suffice. A little roomy around the chest, but she can leave it unzipped,” she said snidely. “Knowing you, I doubt she’ll be wearing it all that long anyway. And if you think I’m going to be your little fuck buddy on the side—”
“Heather, enough!”
Automatically reacting to his Dom tone, she jerked to attention. Nearly begged his forgiveness before she jailed the natural response behind clenched teeth.
The deep breath he took expanded his remarkably wide chest even farther. “I intend to do a fair amount of groveling. You deserve that much and I admit to fucking up. But you will listen. Sans spiteful remarks and without interrupting. Even if I have to tie you down and gag that sweet mouth of yours. Granted, a nervy move on my part, but I’m determined to do whatever necessary to make this right between us.”
He dropped the chains and cuffs with a chorus of clinks and light thuds onto the side table that defined the small hall space and turned back with a determined gleam in his eyes that had her taking a cautious step back.
Since she’d been stupid enough to put herself well within reach, it only took a single long stride for his hands to capture her in a sturdy grip.
Before she could form a protest, his lips hit hers with the speed and accuracy of a striking puff adder. Both were deadly. The poisonous snake’s bite to an inferior human body. Pierce’s kiss to her shoddy willpower. Damn. Sometimes loving someone sucked.
He slid his arms around her, securing her in his unbreakable hold.
Weak-willed, pitiful woman who she’d become, she melted against his hard muscled body for long drugging seconds. She needed to taste him, feel his warm strength against her one last time. Wallow in the safe feeling she always got when in his seductive embrace. Gather all the memories she could capture so she could drag them out on all the lonely nights ahead of her without him.
Needing to end the intimate contact or risk melting into a sobbing, begging puddle at his feet, she yanked her head sideways so he couldn’t recapture her lips.
He imprisoned her chin between his fingers and yanked her head back around. “Fine. Let’s get this over with so we can get back to the fun stuff.” His green eyes glittered with purpose.
Restrained and Willing Page 26
