Claimed

by Jaymie Holland

  Claimed

  Jaymie Holland

  Copyright 2011 Jaymie Holland

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Also by Jaymie Holland

  The Auction Series

  Sold

  Bought

  Claimed

  Taboo Series

  Taking it Home

  Losing Control

  Alluring Stranger

  Taboo Desires: 3 Tales of Lust and Passion

  Playing Rough: 3 Stories of Sensual Submission

  Paranormal Novels

  The Touch

  Come to Me

  Chapter 1

  Leslie Adams smiled as she slipped through the crowd of people mingling before the exclusive charity auction in Washington, D.C. The air smelled of elegant perfumes and diamond jewelry glittered in the room’s low lighting. An undercurrent of energy seemed to run just below the surface of the night’s event.

  But what she was focused on was a man across the room.

  “SEAL is on the menu tonight,” she murmured to herself as she watched him. “That Navy man is mine.”

  He was even sexier in the flesh than he’d been in his photograph. His features were well cut and his skin tanned, showing he was outdoors quite a bit of the time. She could almost feel how soft his short dark hair would be as it sifted through her fingers. His muscular body would feel smooth and hard against her palms. His suit fit him well and he wore it with ease, as comfortable in it as he no doubt was in a wetsuit.

  Thoughts of how he would look with his suit off had her running her tongue along her lower lip and caused a tingling between her thighs. His body would be buff and perfect beneath his clothing and she would be happy to lick his naked body all over. She wondered how he had been roped into allowing himself to be auctioned off for charity.

  She couldn’t believe her fortune. She loved her men tough, strong, and sexy, and from what she’d read, Rick Pierce appeared to be all of that and more. After studying the auction program and reading through the information about him, she all but had him tied up with a nice red bow as a present to herself.

  Tying him up was the plan.

  She needed to talk with him, but if he was only half of what was described in the program, she wasn’t about to let anyone outbid her tonight. No one.

  Her silver dress felt slinky and sexy against her skin and with her white-blonde hair up, the air in the room was cool at her nape. She reached up and ran her finger along the edges of the decorative triangle pin on her left shoulder. It signified she liked to top submissives from KC, the Kink Club. The tougher they were, the more desire she had to control them. She’d never come across a man since Michael who’d had the power to make her submit to him.

  That will be the day.

  Thoughts of Michael always made her stomach pitch and she stuffed thoughts of him back into the box she always kept them in.

  She was several feet from Rick when a man stepped in front of her and blocked her path. She had been so focused on the SEAL that it took her a moment to register that the man in front of her was one of the most sought after male models in the industry. He was with a competitor’s agency. At one time she would have given her firstborn—if she had one—to have Armand Moreau with her own agency.

  “Leslie, dear.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “What a pleasure.”

  He had been in the auction program as one of those individuals being auctioned off, but she’d had no intention of purchasing him for a weekend alone so hadn’t given him a lot of thought.

  “Armand.” She smiled despite the fact that she wanted him to be gone so that she could continue on to her prey. “It’s good to see you. Now if you please excu—”

  “I see that you are a bidder.” He indicated the white corsage on her shoulder, near her triangle pin. “How wonderful. No doubt you saw that I have given myself up for auction to benefit this event.” His French accent was heavy, his rather large ego intact.

  For a moment she thought about what it would be like to tie him up and have him at her mercy. She doubted if he could take what she would have in store for him if she purchased him during the auction. It might actually be quite interesting to find out.

  But she wasn’t into more than one man at a time, and right now her goal was a certain SEAL named Rick and this man was in her way.

  “You are bidding on me, no?” He said the words as if it was a foregone conclusion.

  “I am certain the ladies will be fighting over you tonight,” she said.

  “Yes.” His look was what she might define as smug. “But I would only be happy to have you in my arms this weekend.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Then it will be a lonely weekend for you.”

  He frowned. “Are you not bidding?”

  “I am.” She gave him a tight smile. “But I’m going to leave you for the ladies who would give you the appreciation you so richly deserve.”

  And she would bid on someone with considerably more intelligence, not to mention a physical prowess Armand would never have in the same way Rick appeared to. Besides, she didn’t “do” male models anymore, she reminded herself. To a one, none of them had been able to handle her.

  “I am disappointed.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it again. “If you change your mind…”

  “Enjoy the auction, Armand.” She extracted her hand from his. “I look forward to seeing you another time.”

  “As do I.” He glanced over her shoulder. “There is Dahlia. I must say hello.” He took Leslie by her shoulders and kissed each cheek before moving away from her. “Dahlia, darling,” she heard him say and she shook her head in amusement.

  “Hi, Leslie,” Kelley Bachman said from behind her.

  Leslie turned and smiled at her good friend. “You made it.”

  “I was a little worried I wasn’t going to be able to.” Kelley pushed her golden blonde hair away from her face. “You know how Dr. Brown likes to keep me late whenever possible.”

  Leslie put her hand on her friend’s arm. “Maybe it’s time to transfer into another area of the hospital.”

  Kelley smiled. “You’re right. It’s just been so hectic lately. Work just never lets up.”

  “The nerve of people getting sick.” Leslie laughed. “I don’t know how you handle being a nurse. It takes someone pretty special to have that as a career.”

  “I love my job.” Kelley raised her glass of wine. “If it wasn’t for Dr. Jeffrey Brown being after me all of the time, I’d be perfectly satisfied right where I am.”

  Leslie touched her hair to make sure it was still smooth. “Have you thought of filing a sexual harassment suit?”

  Kelley shook her head. “It hasn’t gotten to that point. He’s done nothing that would qualify as harassment. He just does everything he can to keep me close. It’s in his eyes though, but you can’t file a claim based on the way someone looks at you covertly.”

  “Anyway,” Kelley went on as she brought her fingers to the circle pin she wore, signifying she was a submissive in KC. “We’re here for fun and I intend to enjoy myself and hope that the right guy bids on me.” She looked at Leslie’s triangle pin. “Have anyone in mind that you’re looking to bid on?”

  “A Navy SEAL.” Leslie gave Kelley a naughty grin. “Just think of the fun I’ll have.”

  “Nice.” Kelley laughed. “Yo
u always did like the best of the best.”

  Leslie gave her a quick hug. “Good to see you, honey.”

  Kelley hugged her back. “Go get him.”

  When Kelley moved away, Leslie looked to where the SEAL had been standing, but he was no longer there. Disappointment eased through her but she slowly pivoted to see if he was nearby but she didn’t see him anywhere.

  “Excuse me.” A deep voice from behind her had her turning to face whoever had spoken.

  It was the SEAL.

  The moment that his tawny eyes met hers almost took her breath away. Her heart started to pound and her blood warmed as his gaze swept over her from head to toe.

  His presence was almost magnetic, as if she could move closer to him and her body would fuse with his.

  Tingles ran up and down her spine. She’d never had this kind of reaction to any man. Ever.

  Must have been too much wine.

  She put on a sensual smile, doing her best to make sure her reaction didn’t show on her features. She was good at that, putting on one face for the world while on the inside she was feeling entirely different.

  His lips curved into a smile so sexy it made her shiver inside.

  “Rick Pierce.” When he clasped her hand, a flood of heat rushed through her. His hand was much larger than hers and his grip had a natural power to it. In his eyes was a confidence that for a moment made her wonder if he was a man who could control her and that she would actually permit to control her.

  Of course not. No man would.

  “Leslie,” she said as she looked up at the tall man as he released her hand. “Leslie Adams.”

  He wasn’t wearing a circle pin, which would ID him as a submissive from KC, but she could teach him the ropes. Literally. She had a thing for luring in men who had never experienced BDSM. As for this SEAL, she’d heard Navy men knew how to tie all kinds of knots but that didn’t mean he could get out of hers. She planned to see.

  “I saw you in the auction program.” She cocked her head. “How did a Navy boy like you end up being auctioned off for charity?”

  “My sister is on the committee.” He had an almost boyish expression, as if a little embarrassed to be up for bid. “She asked me to help out and I’ve never been able to refuse my little sister.”

  A server stopped with a tray of glasses filled with bubbly. “Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She accepted a glass from him that he picked up from the tray. “Thank you.”

  He touched his own glass to hers. “To new friends.”

  She took a sip then lowered her glass and smiled. “I know many of those on the board,” she said. “Which one is your sister?”

  He lowered his glass. “Jessica Pierce.”

  “Ah.” Leslie nodded. “With the dark hair and tawny-gold eyes, I should have guessed.”

  “That would be us.” Rick shook his head. “Jess and I take after our father. My brother, Mark, is blond-haired and blue-eyed like our mother.”

  “How many siblings do you have?” Leslie asked.

  “Just the two,” he said. “Little sister, big brother.”

  “Hard to imagine you having a ‘big’ brother.” She let her gaze drift over his easily six-four frame.

  “Mark and I are the same height and build, but he’ll always be my big brother.” He raised his glass in a gesture that meant it was time for her to answer some questions. “What about you? Any brothers or sisters?”

  She took a sip of wine before answering his question. “I’m an only child.”

  “You were lonely growing up.” He stated the words in a way that made her feel like he’d just seen straight through to her soul, as impossible as that was.

  It was as if he had seen the layers of loneliness, hurt, and pain that had accompanied her childhood. It was good she didn’t have any brothers and sisters to go through what she had. At least the cold indifference of her parents hadn’t gone any farther than her.

  She shrugged off his statement. “You don’t miss what you have never had. Besides, who needs siblings when you have a bevy of nannies at hand?”

  He looked at her for a long moment. “I apologize for bringing up something that bothers you.”

  She took another sip of wine “It doesn’t.”

  He continued to study her. It wasn’t unnerving, it was almost comfortable being under his scrutiny.

  “Are you currently on shore leave or whatever they call it?” she asked.

  “I’m an instructor in the physical education department now,” he said, “at the Naval Academy.”

  “Ah.” Leslie nodded. “In Annapolis.”

  “That’s the place.” He set his wine glass on a tray on a stand beside the table of cheeses and fruits for the wine tasting. “You know what I do for a living,” he said. “Tell me about your choice in careers.”

  She laughed. “I sort of fell into it but it has become a passion. I own a modeling agency with my partner, Raul.”

  “Now that’s an interesting career,” he said.

  “Sure, if you don’t mind putting up with egos and demanding and emotionally charged young men and women,” she said.

  He nodded. “Tell me, Leslie, what are you looking for tonight?”

  She didn’t miss a beat. “A strong man.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked into a smile. “Is that your criteria?”

  It was her turn to study him. “I love strong men who challenge me. Most men can’t handle me.”

  He looked at her with some amusement on his features. “Apparently you just haven’t found the right man.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.” Leslie gave a soft laugh. “But perhaps I can find one who is fun to play with for now.”

  “Play with?” He laughed. “That’s an interesting approach. So why don’t you think it’s possible?” he asked.

  “I like to control situations and most men have trouble keeping my interest,” she said. “I imagine you have had a lot of relationships.”

  “I like to have fun but I’m not really into relationships right now.” He shrugged. “And you are looking for a playmate as you say. Might be perfect.”

  “So you’re a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy.” She toyed with her wine glass as she flirted with him. He was like her.

  “I wouldn’t say that.” He held her gaze. “Maybe I just haven’t found the right woman. Not to mention, my choice in career has made it tough.”

  As she looked at him, she wondered if perhaps he could be someone she could settle down with. She mentally shook her head. Not likely. After a while, relationships bored her.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in the ballroom,” came a man’s voice over the sound system, interrupting her train of thought. “The auction is about to start. Bachelors and bachelorettes, please meet behind the stage. Everyone else find a seat and we’ll get started.”

  “My cue,” he said.

  “I will see you afterward.” She put on her most sensual smile. “Plan on it.”

  As Rick left her, she made her way into the ballroom and found a seat in front of the stage. She settled back in her chair as she waited for him to be announced. She casually glanced around her to see what other women were in the crowd who would be interested in bidding on him. Several women would be bidding on the few men in the auction, so there would be competition. But of course she would win. She was determined to.

  Her gaze met Daniela Danesworth’s and her hackles rose and her neck prickled with heat. Daniela owned the modeling agency that Armand worked for, and she found pleasure in competing against Leslie whenever possible. Daniela knew that Leslie didn’t give up easily. If Daniela was going for the Navy SEAL tonight, it was going to cost Leslie a small bundle to win.

  But that didn’t matter. Leslie faced the front again and settled into her chair. Rick was worth every penny. Besides, the money went to a good cause, a shelter for battered women and their children.

  About halfway through
the auction, the auctioneer said, “Ladies, we have a special treat for you. Captain Richard Pierce of the US Navy.”

  Rick walked out from behind the curtain and gave a casual wave as the crown applauded. He looked comfortable and confident. He didn’t carry himself with an arrogance about him like she had expected from one of the Navy’s elite. She had always heard that SEALs were confident to the point of arrogance because they had to be to do their job. They were the best of the best and sent into the worst situations a war had to offer. Their arrogance was well earned.

  “Captain Pierce is a Navy SEAL and has graciously taken on a new challenge.” The auctioneer smiled. “One of you ladies is his next assignment as he joins you in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a weekend for two.”

  Leslie’s heart beat just a little faster as adrenaline kicked in. Bidding brought with it a thrill, an excitement, that she didn’t feel with anything else. It was a challenge, something she could conquer.

  Bidding started low enough that multiple women bid on Rick. As the dollar amount increased, eventually only Leslie and Daniela remained.

  “Fourteen thousand dollars.” The auctioneer took Daniela’s bid. “Do I hear fifteen?”

  Leslie indicated that she had raised the bid.

  She glanced at Daniela whose mouth was tighter than normal. She wanted the SEAL and she was clearly frustrated that Leslie continued to bid against her.

  The bidding reached seventeen thousand. Leslie bid eighteen. This time when the auctioneer looked at Daniela, the woman gave a shake of her head.

  Leslie smiled to herself. The SEAL was hers.

  The auctioneer instructed Rick to meet Leslie at the bottom of the stairs leading down from the stage. He reached the bottom stair as she came up to him. He held out his arm and she took it.

  “You are persistent.” He smiled down at her. “I knew from the moment that bidding started that the other woman wouldn’t be able to beat you. You like to win, don’t you,” he stated.

  “Absolutely.” She returned his smile. “Do you plan on staying for the after auction dessert party and dance?”