Never Say Love (Never Say Never #1)
Page 18
The sleek black hired car stopped moving. My driver moved to exit his seat and open my door for me, but after the week of formalities back in Visalia, the thought of being waited upon made me cringe. I flung the door open myself and didn’t look back as I strode past the long line that waited for admission, though I still felt my muscles tense, waiting for people to recognize me.
“Is that Prince Reign?”
“Oh my God. Do you think it’s true? That he’s into… that kind of stuff?”
“Quick, my camera. I need a selfie!”
Usually I would just roll my eyes at the inevitable frenzy that my appearance caused in public, maybe even stop and pose for some photos. The commotion had nothing to do with me, after all, and everything to do with my family. But there was something strange in the air tonight, an electric current that had me on edge.
I wanted the comfort of the darkness, not the harshness of light.
Just stepping inside the club was soothing. Here, here was something that I hadn’t just been given—I’d helped make this. Helped to build it. No matter what the family threw my way, they could never take this away.
The club was busy tonight—and when the main floor was packed, the upper ones usually were as well. My presence here would only drive more people to the line outside. Good for business. And good for the soul.
For a moment I considered bucking my commitment, cancelling my appointment and instead getting that icy glass of vodka that I was craving and losing myself in the rhythm of Restraint’s pulse.
I pushed away the thought as soon as it occurred to me. Not only did that undermine a new submissive’s trust right from the start, but the action just wasn’t in me. From the cradle I’d had responsibility shoved down my throat. So much so that when it come time to choose between family and love, I’d let go of the one I should have kept.
Why was Everly weighing so heavily on my mind tonight?
Stopping behind the bar to pour myself that drink, I checked the time before heading for the stairs, then deliberately slowed my steps. Showing up late would set the tone that I wanted for the scene, and more than that, it would piss Ilya off. Petty, yes, but the thought boosted my spirits immeasurably.
As if he could read my thoughts, my phone buzzed with a text from him.
Stop dragging your ass. Your sub is waiting in room seven.
Narrowing my eyes, I considered replying, then ultimately figured that ignoring him would have a better effect. I continued to take my time, pausing to watch a scene between Nolan, one of the other owners, and the woman that he had chosen for his evening’s play.
My phone buzzed again, and I knew that I’d pushed it long enough. I ignored the message, drained my scotch, and forced my thoughts away from the day I’d had, away from Ilya, away from the fact that I didn’t want to be here. The woman inside room seven had trusted Ilya to find her a good match for her first scene, and that meant that, by extension, she had placed her trust in me.
She deserved my full attention.
Gripping the doorknob, I softly opened the door. My gaze flickered around the room first, taking in the scene that Ilya had set—soft shadows cast in the glow of candles, scenting the room heavily with vanilla, an intricate display of silk scarves and feathers and blindfolds laid out on an antique trunk that I myself had purchased for the club. Lilting music danced softly in the air. Altogether a far more romantic scene than I would have set, and my need for control grumbled for a moment, protesting that I’d walked into someone else’s scene.
But then I saw her, and a bright, unexpected flash of pleasure snapped through me, pulling tight in my veins. She knelt on the bed, facing away from me, knees braced on the silken sheets. Her hair, a long cascade of gold that fell halfway down her back, was streaked through with pink. Her body mimicked the shape of an hourglass, making my hands instantly itch to touch.
Best of all? The back of her bright blue dress dipped low enough to show the delicate curve of her spine, which was lavishly adorned with ink.
Not the kind of woman I would have chosen for myself at all… and yet the knife edge of pleasure told me that, with the past weighing so heavily on my mind tonight, this—she—was exactly what I needed.
My irritation at Ilya dissipated as I stepped into the room, letting the door shut behind me loudly. Deliberately. I noted the shiver that passed over the woman’s skin as the sound echoed throughout the room, and I savored the reaction.
No, this woman definitely wasn’t what I’d wanted. But the anticipation swirling through the room told me that maybe she was going to be just what I’d need.
The Billionaire Next Door – available for preorder now!
About the Authors
Carly Phillips
Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.
Lauren Hawkeye
Lauren Hawkeye/ Lauren Jameson never imagined that she’d wind up telling stories for a living… though when she looks back, it’s easy to see that she’s the only one who is surprised. Always “the kid who read all the time”, Lauren made up stories about her favorite characters once she’d finished a book… and once spent an entire year narrating her own life internally. No, really. But where she was just plain odd before publication, now she can at least claim to have an artistic temperament.
Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. You can contact Lauren through her website, www.laurenhawkeye.com or on Twitter @LaurenHJameson. And if you’d like a chance at getting advanced copies of books, are interested in reviewing, or just want to chatter about hot men and interesting things, make sure to join the Reader Group that Lauren shares with the amazing Suzanne Rock on Facebook, Lauren Lovelies/ Suzanne and Ava’s Awesome Readers.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Thank You
Excerpt from Dare to Love
Excerpt from The Billionaire Next Door
About the Authors