by Tara Rose
Her workout was halfhearted because she kept losing her concentration. After she showered and got dressed for work, she was surprised to hear her doorbell ring. It was barely eight in the morning. A woman in a uniform stood at the door, holding a package. Julie signed for it then checked the time. She had just enough to open it before she needed to leave for her office.
The package contained a red and black flogger with thin leather strips. Julie’s pussy grew wet just looking at it. Good God. What the hell was she going to do? When she flipped the package sideways a note fluttered onto the counter, this one asking her once again to bring the toy with her on Saturday. Holy fuck. How the hell had this happened?
* * * *
Maddox reached over and hit the snooze button on his alarm three times before he realized it was his damn cell phone ringing. Who the fuck was calling him before noon? Someone had better be dead.
“Hey.”
It was Sean. What the fuck? “Are you drunk, Sean?”
“No, are you?”
“Why are you calling me this early?”
“I need to talk to you. I’m at the front gate. Tell your servant to let me in.”
Maddox groaned inwardly. Was he kidding? And he hated it when Sean called his staff “servants.” It was so juvenile. “Fine. Give me twenty.”
“Take ten. I have to go to work soon.”
“Then why didn’t you stop over after your shift?”
“This can’t wait.”
“Whatever.” After he called down to tell Bill to let Sean in, Maddox took his time brushing his teeth and putting on something more suitable than his birthday suit. He strolled down the stairs to find Sean cooling his heels in the hallway. “You want some coffee?”
“No.” Sean glanced around. “Where can we talk privately?”
Maddox waved him into the front parlor and shut the doors behind them. He sank into the sofa and crossed one leg over the other at the ankle. “What’s going on?”
“Julie Carruthers.”
Maddox couldn’t stop his smile in time. Just three more days and that luscious body would be back in his bed. He had such things planned for her… “What about her?”
“What are your intentions? Sub? Fling? Window dressing? What?”
“Why the fuck do you care? Seems to me I recall you referring to her as ‘one of the nameless, invisible girls who took up space in class.’”
Sean leaned forward, his eyes dark and dangerous. “Maddox, I’m not sixteen anymore and here’s a newsflash—neither are you. Grow the fuck up already.”
Maddox uncrossed his leg. “Fine, fine. Chill, okay? Why the sudden interest in Julie?” Was she involved with Sean? Fuck. She should have said something.
“Let’s just say she’s a friend, okay? A naïve friend who could easily get hurt.”
“Did she tell you she’s been hurt?”
“Don’t fence with me, Maddox. She’s not in the lifestyle. She could easily misinterpret your intentions. You’ve been down this road before.”
If Sean wasn’t a cop, Maddox would have decked him. He didn’t want to have this conversation. It always led to the same place, and Maddox didn’t want to rehash painful memories this early in the morning. “I’m not going to use her and toss her aside, if that’s what you’re worried about. If that were my intention, I wouldn’t have invited her back here on Saturday. Julie knows what my club is, and she’s knows I’m a Dom.”
“Does she even understand what that means?”
“I should hope so, considering she has subs for clients.”
“That doesn’t automatically mean she understands what she’s getting into.”
Maddox rose and went out into the hall. Bill appeared out of nowhere, giving off that creepy stalker vibe that Maddox paid him so handsomely to maintain. “I need strong coffee.” What he really needed was a few seconds to formulate a coherent answer that Sean would accept. The men had been best friends at one time, but had drifted apart over the past few years. Maddox didn’t need Sean treating him like a younger brother who needed to be guided through life. The fact that he was right this time made it all the more difficult to swallow.
If someone had asked him to explain why he’d seduced Julie, he wouldn’t have been able to give an answer. He hadn’t been able to stop it. He hadn’t wanted to stop it. But the truth was that he’d behaved irresponsibly, both as a Dom and as a man. He’d have to talk to her on Saturday and find out what she really wanted.
Maddox took his seat again but this time he left the door to the parlor open. “Sean, I’ll be careful with her. Okay?”
“Why Julie? Your club is always full of willing women who know exactly what they’d be getting into.”
“Why not? She’s gorgeous, or hadn’t you noticed that?”
“I noticed. She’s also funny and intelligent, and has a trusting spirit. Perfect setup to get hurt by something she doesn’t understand.”
“She’s an adult. She can make up her own mind.” Should he tell Sean that Julie had done a fair amount of flirting last Friday night?
“She’s an adult without much experience. It would be too easy to take advantage of that.”
“Are you dating her? If not, I’m going to have to politely ask you to fuck the hell off. This isn’t your concern.”
“We had dinner last night.”
“Congratulations. Are you sleeping with her?”
“Not yet.”
“Hard to believe this trusting, innocent woman would be stringing along two guys, Sean.” What the hell kind of game was he playing? It certainly wasn’t the first time he and Sean both had their sights set on the same woman, but usually one of them backed down. Maddox didn’t want to back down. Julie had touched something deep inside him that he didn’t even fully understand yet, although he’d endure torture before admitting that to Sean.
“She’s not stringing us along. She’s confused. That’s why I’m here to find out what the end result of this will be. I don’t want to see her hurt.”
“The end result? Sean, when did I ever know the end result of anything until I reached it?”
Bill walked in with coffee, and again Sean declined. Maddox poured himself a cup after Bill left. “Since we’re both interested in her, there’s only one obvious solution.”
Sean narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
“We’re going to have to let her choose.”
Sean exhaled loudly and rose. “I have to get to work. Maddox, I’m not fucking around here. Don’t hurt her, or you and I will have issues.”
“Are you threatening me, Sean?”
He shook his head. “No, not at all. It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.”
Maddox sat in the parlor for a long time, wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into.
Chapter Eight
Julie kept glancing at her cell phone during her morning appointments. She normally turned it off when she saw clients, but Sean had said he’d call, and she’d put it on silent so the ringing wouldn’t distract her clients. She felt guilty when she kept having to ask people to repeat what they’d just said. It wasn’t like her not to be totally absorbed in a session, and her clients knew that, but no one remarked on it.
He called just before noon, and when she wrapped up the session, she called him back before warming up her lunch. “Hi there. Sorry I missed your call. I was with a client.”
“Yeah, I figured you would be. I only have a minute, but I wanted to ask if you’d like to go to a movie tomorrow. It’s Valentine’s Day.”
He sounded slightly embarrassed. Julie hadn’t honestly thought about what day it was, but she didn’t want to say that. It would sound fake. Guys always expected women to know it was Valentine’s Day. “I’d love to, Sean.”
“Great. Can I pick you up about six? We could grab something to eat first, or just pig out on out on popcorn and Gummy Bears at the theater.”
Julie laughed, and a warm tingling sensation spread through her limbs. She hadn’t
been to a movie in ages. “First cheeseburgers and really bad salad, now popcorn and candy. Sean, you’re going to ruin my healthy eating habits.”
“Well, someone has to.” His voice was sexy and full of humor. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Julie smiled so much the rest of the afternoon that by the time she ushered her last appointment out the door, her cheeks ached. She was picking up groceries for dinner when her cell rang again. She answered without checking the caller ID.
“Julie, it’s Maddox.”
“Oh…hi.” She almost dropped the produce she’d just selected onto the floor. A phone call on the same day from each of the men who’d recently swooped into her life. Now she was positive the planets had aligned. “How are you?”
“I’m just fine, thanks. I know we’ll see each other Saturday, but I was wondering if you had plans for tomorrow.”
Oh, shit. “Maddox, I do. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” His voice was smooth as silk, but Julie caught the undercurrent of disappointment, and guilt washed over her. “I can’t expect to monopolize all your free time, after all.” Why should she feel badly? They had no exclusive claims on each other. This was crazy. Julie had never had to deal with a situation like this, and she didn’t have a clue how to handle it.
“Maddox, thank you so much for the gifts.”
“I’m so pleased you liked them.”
A toddler screamed as Julie watched a young mother push the cart toward her, seemingly oblivious that her daughter was screeching at the top of her lungs. Julie finished putting the produce in her basket and walked toward the back of the store. “Maddox, I’m overwhelmed by them. I’ll bring them on Saturday, of course. And”—she glanced around and lowered her voice—“I hope you like the lingerie I bought.”
“I can’t wait to see it, Julie. I haven’t stopped thinking about you all week.”
Julie shivered, and the fact that she was standing next to the frozen food section had nothing to do with it. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, either.”
“Good. That’s how it should be. I’ll see you Saturday, Julie.”
* * * *
Thursday afternoon, Julie’s last appointment cancelled and for once Julie was thrilled. She now had more than enough time to go home and change for her date with Sean. When she pulled up to her condo, she glanced at the porch and her pulse quickened. Two boxes were on the front stoop. Oh my. This was getting interesting.
Maddox had sent a dozen lavender roses with a simple note that said:
Happy Valentine’s Day. Looking forward to seeing you Saturday.
Sean had sent a dozen red ones, with a funny sexy Valentine’s Day card that had Julie both blushing and laughing at the same time. This was crazy. Julie Carruthers had the attentions of two of the most gorgeous men in her past—men who, until last week, wouldn’t have given her the time of day. What had changed? And why was she trying to analyze it? Why couldn’t she simply shut off the fucking psychologist in her head and enjoy it?
She ate a sandwich in case Sean had been serious about making movie popcorn and candy their dinner, then spent a half hour trying to figure out what to wear. What did people wear to the movies these days? She debated which of her colleagues to call and ask, and finally decided to call Kari. She didn’t know anyone else that she could trust to keep this under their hat.
“Movies? No one dresses up, if that’s what you mean. But since this is a special occasion you still want to look sexy. I’ll tell you what. I have an hour before I need to be at the club. How about I stop over and help you throw together an outfit?”
“You would do that?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Within half an hour, Kari had helped Julie pick out skinny dark jeans, black boots, and a red sweater that showed off what little cleavage Julie had. She was also wearing the musky perfume Maddox had sent.
Kari had spotted the bottle, and as soon as she opened it, she handed it to Julie. “And you have to wear this. It smells like sin.”
Julie wasn’t about to tell her that Maddox had sent it specifically for their rendezvous Saturday night. But Sean wouldn’t know about that either, so Julie figured it would be safe to wear it tonight.
Kari took a sniff after Julie dabbed some on. “Whoever this mystery date is, he won’t be able to stay away.” She stepped back and looked Julie over from head to toe. “Perfect. It’s sexy without being obvious, but it’s still casual enough that the teens won’t be rolling their eyes at you.”
Kari was dressed in PVC, and showed enough skin to make Julie uncomfortable. The idea that she was giving Julie advice on how to tone down a sexy outfit would have been laughable if Julie hadn’t been so damn nervous.
“Thanks, Kari. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. Just curious about something, so I hope you don’t mind my asking. When you wear an outfit like that to Maddox’s club, do you also take street clothes with you?”
“Sometimes. It depends on whether we’re going somewhere else afterwards, but we usually only do that on weekends.”
“Oh? Where do you go?”
Kari gave her a curious smile. “Out to eat. Why all the questions about Maddox’s club? Could he be the mystery man? You seemed pretty chummy with him at Alexa’s party.”
Ah hell. She’d forgotten about that. “I have a difficult time imagining Maddox would leave his club to go to a movie.” But obviously he’d been willing to leave it tonight, because he had asked her if she had plans. Or, had he meant that she would come to his house?
Kari nodded and began to help Julie put away the clothes she hadn’t chosen. “That’s true. He hardly ever leaves that house. It’s creepy. He lives like a monk or something. Noah and Adison told me he used to go out all the time, but when he and Marie finally called it quits, he stopped.”
Julie froze. “Marie?” She struggled to keep her voice calm, surprised by the surge of jealousy coursing through her veins. Of course Maddox would have past lovers. He’d been quite the ladies’ man in high school, and with his good looks and confident ways, Julie was certain he never lacked for female company.
“Marie Beaumont. Isn’t that a great name? My middle name is Marie. Why couldn’t I have had that name? Anyway, from what I heard, she was a sub Maddox met while he was working in Chicago, and she followed him home to Racy when his dad gave him all that money. That’s when Maddox built his house and started the club. He and Marie were off again, on again for a number of years until she finally broke his heart for the last time and he sent her back home.”
Julie pretended to be engrossed in folding her underwear. “Broke his heart?”
“She was always trying to seduce other Doms. Drove him nuts, but he was so smitten he just kept forgiving her. Finally he came to his senses and realized that while she may not have succeeded in her seduction attempts, in her heart she was cheating, plain and simple. He hasn’t had a sub since. He just stays in his house and keeps to himself. Noah and Adison said he’s getting worse all the time.”
Julie finally turned around. “But surely he’s had…I don’t know…girlfriends, flings, something.”
“I think so, although honestly I never asked Noah or Adison about that. Maddox likes to act like he’s a ladies’ man, but it’s a part he plays. Don’t misunderstand me. Maddox is a good guy at heart, you know? I’ve gotten to know him much better now because of Adison and Noah. I think he’s just hurt still and doesn’t quite know what to do to get over it, so he pretends all is well for the sake of the club. Hiding in that big house and playing host is his way of dealing with it, but inside he’s lonely and unsure.” Kari glanced at the clock on Julie’s dresser. “Shit. I have to go. I’ll get my ass paddled until it’s purple if I’m late. Are you all set, Julie?”
She nodded, hoping Kari hadn’t noticed her reaction when she said she’d be paddled for being late. Julie’s clit throbbed at the idea of Maddox or Sean paddling her for not arriving somewhere on time.
“Gre
at,” said Kari, rushing out the door. “Have a wonderful time tonight.”
Julie was still sitting on her bed thinking about everything Kari had told her when she heard Sean’s car outside. Her head swam with erotic images as he grinned at her when she answered the door. He was dressed in khakis and a sports coat, and smelled good enough to eat.
He wolf whistled. “Wow. Julie, you look like sin itself.”
She laughed and blushed. “Um, thanks.”
He held out his arm. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She took it, smiling up at him. They stopped on the sidewalk and Sean kissed her. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it sent a jolt of electricity straight to her throbbing clit. A flash of guilt shot through her as she suddenly wished it was Sean she was meeting at the club Saturday night.
“I just wanted to get that out of the way.” He leaned in close and sniffed. “You smell great.”
“Thank you. It’s new.” It wasn’t a lie…not really…
“It suits you well.”
The theater was crowded, and at least every other person Julie saw there she knew. A fair amount of surprised looks, pointing fingers and sideways glances greeted their arrival, but Julie didn’t care. She was doing nothing wrong by going out on a date with Sean, and she had no reason to feel guilty. In fact, she was proud to be seen with him.
He asked what she wanted to eat, and she explained she’d had a late lunch. He told her he’d had one as well, but still ordered a large bucket of buttered popcorn and several candy bars. He also got them each a soft drink, and at the last minute asked for nachos with cheese. “It was a small lunch,” he said, grinning.
They managed not to drop all that food as they made their way into the theater. “Do you mind sitting way up high in the back?” he asked. “I hate it when people are behind me kicking the seat.”
“Oh, I hate that, too. Great idea.”
They chose seats against the far wall and settled back to watch the ads and eat. Sean made jokes about everything and kept up a steady stream of gossip, whispered into her ear, about everyone they recognized. Julie was laughing so hard that she could hardly eat her popcorn, and at one point accidentally sprayed her drink all over her lap when she laughed right after taking a sip of it.
