by Tara Rose
“My fucking point is that you’re still doing it. You’re still refusing to let people help you.”
“Chad is on this, and he has someone watching Kane.”
“Congratulations. Two cops are watching Kane stroll through Racy, looking for you. Wow.”
“What do you think you can do, Maddox? Seriously?”
Maddox shook his head. “Did it ever occur to you that I have just as many friends in low places as you do? I worked for the FBI, remember?”
“I know. I just didn’t realize you kept in touch with anyone. You left rather abruptly.”
Maddox took a sip of his drink, and then he glanced at Julie to make sure she was still asleep. “I left because my father decided to give us our inheritances early, and because I was close to being outed. It would have jeopardized my career.”
“Why? You weren’t an agent. You worked in IT.”
Maddox gave him a droll look. “You forget how unusual Racy is. Trust me when I tell you that if my superiors found out about the clubs I frequented, I’d have been conveniently out of a job.”
“And the fact that Marie was willing to follow you here was a bonus, I suppose.”
Maddox drained his drink as the painful memories washed over him. “Yeah, a bonus. I should have had my fucking head examined before I left.”
“You didn’t know what she was really like.”
“I knew. I just didn’t want to believe it.” Julie stirred in her sleep, so Maddox lowered his voice. “Sean, I know this guy is bad news, but don’t shut yourself up in your condo because of him. Go out and have fun. Don’t turn into me.”
Sean’s features softened. “You know, nothing is stopping you from taking Julie out.”
Maddox chuckled softly. “Well, as a matter of fact, I did ask her out, but she already had plans.”
“What?”
“I asked her out for Valentine’s Day.”
“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know.”
Maddox shrugged. “You got to her first. All’s fair in blah, blah, blah.”
“Maddox, I don’t want Julie caught in the middle of this shit with Kane.
He looked Sean in the eyes. “You care about her, don't you?” he asked quietly.
“Yes. I do. And so do you.”
Maddox nodded. “Yep. But I guess you’ve already figured that out.”
* * * *
Monday morning Sean and Chad spent three hours in Racy Police Chief Dean Ramsey’s office, outlining everything they knew about Kane Dodger, Sarina Kole, and the cops in Chicago that were known to have protected Kane. Dean listened to everything with a neutral expression, the way he always did, but Sean knew he was formulating a plan as they spoke.
By noon on Monday, Dean had reached out to his own contacts in Chicago, and pulled Sean aside to let him know Internal Affairs Division in Chicago might be contacting him to give testimony during the next few months. Sean was beyond impressed. He hadn’t known his Chief had such pull.
Dean had also put several men on surveillance to watch Kane, but so far all he’d done was wander through town on Saturday night, stopping in various establishments to ask vague questions about Sean. They didn’t think Sarina was with Kane, and he was staying in a motel off US Route 231, about forty-five minutes from Racy.
“We’ll sit on him, but if he is up to something, he’s playing it low key for now.”
“Thanks, Chief. I appreciate that.”
Dean clapped him on the back. “Hey, no problem. We needed some excitement around here now that Brad Foster is in the hands of the NYPD. Any new developments on that?”
Sean shook his head. “No. I think our part in it is over.”
“Good.”
After lunch, Sean drove past the office building that housed Julie’s office, wishing he could simply walk in and talk to her. She’d slept all night Saturday, and he and Maddox had agreed to let her. She’d stayed in bed with both of them most of Sunday, and by the time Sean walked Julie out to her car late Sunday afternoon, he knew two things for certain. There was no way he was going to give her up to Maddox, and he was falling in love with her.
“Talk about bad timing,” he muttered as he drove into the parking lot. He didn’t want her mixed up in whatever shit Kane might be up to, but if he backed off now, Maddox would swoop in and Sean would be out. He put his car in park and mentally ticked off every girl in school that Maddox had stolen from under Sean’s nose. It would surprise most of their classmates to know that had occurred.
Sean knew he’d had a reputation in school for being some sort of Casanova, but it had been hogwash. He and Maddox had gone after the same women so many times that it was enough to make Sean believe in ancient curses and bonds. He hadn’t been able to get away from Maddox even by moving to Chicago after graduating from high school.
The bastard had moved there, too, and had no trouble insinuating himself into the lifestyle. His uncle Russ—Ellis’s father—had been taking Ellis, Maddox, and Adison Kincaid, one of Kari’s Doms, to BDSM clubs since well before the boys had been old enough to legally enter them. Maddox had contacts in Chicago that dated back to fucking puberty.
There were plenty of clubs in Chicago, but finding one where Maddox wasn’t held in high esteem had proven to be a challenge. Sean only moved back to Racy when the mess with Kane and Sarina hit. Otherwise he wouldn’t have done so because Maddox had moved back, built his house, and started his club by then. Sean hadn’t wanted to start over in a new city, and he’d missed home. But things had never been the same again between him and Maddox, even though Maddox had never made Sean feel unwelcome at his house.
A car cruised by slowly, and Sean realized people would be wary of a police car idling in the parking lot, so he pulled off onto a side road and killed the engine. So much for driving an unmarked vehicle. Everyone in Racy knew his car and Chad’s. What a joke.
What the hell was he going to do? Why couldn’t he cut a fucking break? Why hadn’t he swallowed his pride when he’d been a stupid kid and asked Julie out? Maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe he never would have gone to Chicago and met Kane or Sarina. And then he wouldn’t be sitting on the street next to where Julie worked, wondering whether to pursue a relationship with her or give up yet another woman to Maddox.
It would be for her own safety, but how could he explain that to her? He couldn’t. He couldn’t say anything to her about Kane. But if Kane was watching him and saw him out with Julie, she might be in danger as well.
Fuck it all. Julie wasn’t just another woman to him and he knew it. He didn’t want to give her up, and certainly not to Maddox. He wanted to take her someplace where people like Kane could never find them. Yeah, right. How about Mars?
Sean sighed and picked up his phone. He’d texted her five times already today, and she’d texted back. Was Maddox doing the same thing? Sean didn’t see Maddox as a texting kind of guy, but then he hadn’t seen him as the kind of guy who’d deliberately seduce a woman he knew wasn’t in the lifestyle either, but he certainly had done so. Never mind that his hunch had been right. It was a shock that Maddox had even pursued Julie the night of Alexa’s party. That’s why Sean knew if he gave up now, that would be the end of any chance he had with Julie. No woman could resist Maddox.
A woman walked out of the building, and Sean watched her get into her car and drive away. Had she been in Julie’s office? Her clients were lucky. They got to spend an hour alone with her in an office where only an emergency or a disaster would disturb them.
Grinning, Sean had a sudden idea. It was wicked and wrong, but it just might work…
Chapter Sixteen
Maddox stared at his phone Monday afternoon for a long time, debating. He’d asked her out once and he’d been too late. What if it happened again? This was ridiculous. He’d had countless dates in high school and college. Maddox McCree wasn’t the kind of guy who was afraid to ask a girl out on a date. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he sitting here acting like a loves
ick twelve-year-old?
He knew why. He knew exactly why. Julie might not be anything like Marie, but she’d touched his soul in a way no one had since her. And he wasn’t going to be able to make this go away by hiding in his house and pretending to be the Dom Extraordinaire three nights a week. Not anymore. He’d gotten away with it for so many years now that everyone assumed he was perfectly happy. He’d carefully cultivated an air of such mystery that no one questioned his hermit-like life. No one but Sean, that was. Sean had noticed. And if Sean had noticed, Julie had as well.
He pushed the buttons, his finger hovering over the last digit of her phone number. He hadn’t yet added it to his contacts because if he did that it would be easier to call her. It would probably go to voice mail anyway. She’d be with clients, of course. And he hated leaving voice mail messages. He never knew what to say. Maddox had always been much better with face-to-face communication.
But now that her voice mail message was playing, he’d have to say something. Knowing her, she not only had his contact information saved, but she had it alphabetized and sorted by zip code. She’d know he’d called and when, and would wonder why he hadn’t left a message.
“Julie, it’s Maddox. How are you?” Lame! “It’s Monday afternoon, and I was wondering if you’d like to do something.” Oh my God. Could he sound any less intelligent if he tried? “We could grab dinner, or see a movie, or whatever you’d like to do. Um…tonight, or tomorrow…or any night you want really. I’ll call you later.” Just before he disconnected the call he thought of something else he wanted to say. “I had a wonderful time Saturday and yesterday. Thank you, Julie. See you soon.”
Yeah, right. That message will pretty much guarantee she won’t call back ever again. How had this happened? He was the one whom women spent time mooning over, not the other way around. He hadn’t let that happen since Marie, and he didn’t want it to happen again. He couldn’t go through it.
But that wasn’t fair. Julie wasn’t Marie. Julie wasn’t flirting with other men or playing head games with the other Doms in the club. He hadn’t actually asked her, but he was fairly certain Julie hadn’t had a decent orgasm before last Friday night. And based on what Sean had told him, her past sexual experiences had been embarrassing and hurtful. He hoped like hell he and Sean had changed all that for her.
But how long could this go on? He wasn’t about to give her up to Sean. No fucking way. She was too far under his skin. He liked her. He liked her a lot. Ah, hell…why sugarcoat it? He was falling in love with her. As fucking impossible as that seemed, it was the truth. Fuck it all. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to Maddox McCree.
* * * *
Monday afternoon as she drove home from work, Julie listened to Maddox’s phone message three times, a big smile on her face. Never would she have expected him to sound unsure or flustered while leaving her a message. She called him back and it went to voice mail, so she left a message telling him she’d love to go out with him. She told him to choose the date and place and she’d make sure to be available. She thought that might appeal to his dominant nature, and it gave Julie a thrill to place a decision like that in his hands.
It made her feel like a real submissive, and she realized at that moment that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to be submissive to Maddox and to Sean. The idea aroused her so much she nearly had to pull off the road to keep from driving into another car or the curb. Did they want that, too? Should she simply ask them? She tried to imagine the conversation but she couldn’t. Not a chance. Maybe she could ask Kari how to approach the subject with them? But not right now. She knew she’d have to mull it over and analyze it a dozen times first.
She heard from Maddox an hour later, and he asked if she wanted to go to Luke’s Bar on Wednesday night. He told her that Adison, Noah, Kari, Alexa, and Chase were going out to celebrate Kari’s birthday. Luke had arranged for his siblings to run the bar so he could join them.
Julie was flattered, and she said she’d love to go. She wondered if Maddox had simply invited himself, and hoped it wouldn’t be awkward for Kari or Alexa if they showed up, but Maddox solved that issue for her with his next sentence.
“I checked with Adison to make sure it was all right if I come. He said I was being ridiculous and that they’d love to see me out of the house.”
“You stay in a lot then?” She knew he did, but she didn’t want to sound rude.
“Well, the club is open three nights a week, but I don’t do much otherwise.”
“Well then, let’s go out and have some fun. Shall I meet you there Wednesday?”
“No, I want to pick you up. You know, like a real date.”
Julie smiled. “That would be wonderful, Maddox.”
* * * *
Tuesday morning she checked her appointment list for the rest of the week. She usually did that on Monday mornings, but she’d been so distracted yesterday she’d forgotten to. There was a new patient booked as her last appointment that day, right after lunch. Her usual client for that spot had cancelled two weeks in a row now, and she’d been about to call him to make sure he was all right.
After she left a message for him, she read the preliminary intake form her office manager always filled out for a new patient. Julie liked to get at least a vague idea of why someone was seeking her counseling. It was odd that she didn’t recognize the name. In a town this size, after you’d lived in it for thirty-five years, you knew everyone by name, at the very least.
The form said the man was suffering from a rare skin disease and had to hide his face a lot. He was socially awkward because of this, and wanted help. Julie frowned. Something about this seemed off. There was information missing—something Linda had never done before. The address was on a street she’d never heard of, and the phone number was obviously fake.
She walked out of her office to speak with Linda, and was told the man had refused to give any more information. “Did you take this information by phone or in person?”
“By phone.”
Julie forgot about the new patient until after lunch. As soon as he walked in, she sensed something familiar about him but couldn’t place it. A hood obscured his face, and that was such a shock that she struggled to maintain her professional composure. “Come in, Mr. Wilson. I’m Dr. Julie Carruthers.” She extended her hand, but instead of shaking it he pulled off the hood.
“Sean…what the hell?” Julie laughed at the ruse. “Are you nuts? How did you get past Linda?”
His grin made her panties flood and her clit throb. “Nuts? Nice pun, Julie. Don’t be mad at Linda. I bribed her with chocolate to let me make the appointment under a false name.”
Julie rolled her eyes. “Then you’re both nuts, and I’m not making a deliberate pun. Do you have any idea how many ethics this violates?”
“She made me wait until a half hour ago in case a real client wanted this spot before she called to say I had it.”
“It’s still wrong.”
He strolled over to the door and locked it. When he turned to face her, she let out a soft moan. As he advanced toward her desk, Julie bit her lip to keep from crying out. All sorts of wicked office fantasies raced through her mind, but Linda was sitting right on the other side of the door. How much could they possibly get away with?
“Ethics, Dr. Julie Carruthers?” His voice was soft and sultry. “You’re going to lecture me on ethics?”
He stood in front of her and stroked her face so tenderly that Julie couldn’t stop the groan. When he lifted her off the floor and placed her on the edge of her desk, she glanced toward the closed door. “Linda is out there.”
Sean grinned. “No she’s not. She went home as soon as I arrived. You let her leave early this afternoon.”
“Sean, we can’t—”
His kiss cut off her words. She moaned loudly into his open mouth and wrapped her arms and legs around him, every inch of her body humming with desire. He released her mouth and gave her a molten look. “Yes, we can. No one
will know. It’s the only way I can see you during the day, Julie, and I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“You can see me anytime you want, Sean.”
A quick look of fear passed through those turquoise eyes, but when he tugged at the band holding back her hair, she dismissed it as a figment of her imagination. He tossed the hair band on her desk and ran his hands through her hair. “I love the way you look with your hair loose.” Then he ran his hands down her calves, shaking his head in mock disgust. “Why you still wear hose is beyond me.”
Julie suppressed a giggle, remembering Maddox’s admonition that she never wear pantyhose again. “In this office I’m expected to look and act like a professional.”
Sean took off her heels and tossed them across the room. Then he hiked up her skirt and tugged at the waistband of her pantyhose. “How do you expect me to undress you seductively if I have to first deal with these damn things?”
“Use your imagination, Sean.”
“That’s Mr. Wilson to you, Doc.”
Julie gasped as he tore the hose at the seams. She watched the muscles in his forearms strain with the effort. She didn't even want to stop and analyze the fact that she was so fucking turned on right now it was ridiculous. She only wanted him to rip the clothes off her body and fuck her roughly right on this desk. This was more arousing than anything they’d done at Maddox’s house.
Sean tossed the shredded hose onto the floor and unzipped her dress. He pulled it down over her shoulders and did the same with the straps of her slip and bra. He unhooked her bra, and then he pushed the garments off her arms as his gaze roamed over her naked breasts.
Breathing was difficult, and Julie’s pulse raced. They were completely alone, and even though she’d been alone with him in her condo, this was more exciting because of where they were. If she pretended he was a client, it was dangerous and taboo.
“Stand up.” His voice turned rough and commanding. Julie knew it was a game, and she considered resisting, just to see what he would do. He watched her carefully—as he always did—and his eyes narrowed suddenly. “Don’t disobey me, Julie. You won’t like the consequences.”
