“Fuck!” Sam rubbed the circulation back into his nipples. “I swear I am never going to do another scene involving nipple clamps again. I had no idea how much the bastards hurt when they come off.”
“Not even on Lexi?” Matt managed to look innocent, even while devilment danced in his eyes.
“For her, I’ll make a special exception.”
Chapter Seven
“Lexi, wait up.”
She turned around when she heard the shout. It was almost five thirty. Surely they didn’t expect her to work late again?
Maddie was out of breath from racing after her. “You’ll never believe this. Josh Mackenzie’s wife has gone into labor.”
“And?”
“He called the office and told me to get someone to go to the gala dinner for the hospice charity. You’re the only one free.”
“Ah Maddie, can’t you tell him you missed me?”
Maddie shrugged. “Sorry, Lexi. It’s at eight at the country club, but I got you a last minute appointment with the hairdresser.”
Lexi sighed. “That bad, huh?”
“Sorry, hon, but you look washed out.”
“Okay. Tell Josh I’ll do it.” Lexi shook her head as she watched Maddie’s departing figure. Since the horrible day with Sam, she couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm for anything. She could barely drag herself out of bed in the morning. The only good thing about the past week was losing seven pounds because she wasn’t eating.
Sam. Even the mention of his name was enough to make her want to cry. She hadn’t seen him since she’d left him tied up at his apartment. She knew he was okay. A phone call to his cell phone from the phone booth across the street had assured her he was still alive, but she’d avoided Starbucks like the plague since then. She was too ashamed to meet him.
What a terrible thing to do to anyone. How could she have accused him of being a monster when she had tied him up and left him there alone? She could have killed him. No matter what he had done to her, no one deserved that.
* * * * *
Lexi sat through the hairdresser’s monologue and smiled politely when she saw the finished product. Her hair looked too big, too glamorous. It was only some boring dinner. Or maybe it was something more? On impulse, she called Maddie.
“Is there something about tonight you haven’t told me?”
Her question was met with a heavy sigh. “Sorry, Lexi, but he’s going to be there and I didn’t want you to turn up looking like…”
Lexi closed her eyes. Sam was going to be there. She swallowed hard. Maddie was right. If she had to face Sam, she needed to look good. She couldn’t bear him to know how much she missed him. How much she regretted the way she had treated him.
When she got home, she rifled through her wardrobe. A gray suit wasn’t going to do it. Lexi sighed. Sam liked red. He said it made her look pretty. She eyed the suitcase on the top shelf of her closet. It was full of her special clothes. All the things she’d bought when she’d started another diet. Lexi grabbed a chair from the kitchen to climb up and pulled the bag down.
The suitcase was a treasure trove of all the lovely, colorful clothes she was going to wear when her life changed, when she got thin, when Joe loved her. Lexi sank down onto the bed. All the wasted years with Joe and her unfulfilled dreams were contained in one small suitcase. She had nothing to show for fifteen years of marriage except a few more wrinkles and a tattoo of angel wings on her back. Don’t, Lexi. Don’t do this now. Get your big girl panties on and face Sam. You have to do it sometime.
She pulled out the red dress. It was five years old and had cost three hundred dollars in a sale. Lexi pulled it against her, smoothing out the wrinkled silk. It was cut low at the back. Everyone would see her tattoo. What the hell, maybe it was time to stop hiding.
One hour, a pair of sheer stockings and some industrial-strength underwear later, she was ready to go. She could barely breathe, there was no way she could eat a mouthful of her two-hundred-and-fifty-dollar-a-plate dinner, but she looked good.
When she arrived, the country club was lit up as brightly as a Christmas tree. Lexi took a deep breath and stepped into the crowded ballroom, searching for table eight. She was the first one to arrive. The place settings were laid out as neatly as a row of gravestones. Mr. Anton du Lac, du Lac Images. Mrs. Blythe Lincoln, Mr. Matt Weston, CEO Weston Construction. Ms. Alexandra Campbell-Carter, Vanity Model Agency. Mr. Philippe de Sorza, de Sorza Security and finally, Mr. Sam Lincoln, Lincoln Partnership Architects.
She had just walked into her worst nightmare.
Lexi waved to a passing waiter. She wasn’t going get through tonight without a drink. She downed the glass of champagne in one gulp and replaced the glass on the tray just as Blythe and the stick insect arrived.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the other Lexi Carter. I love the outfit. It’s so brave of you to wear red with your figure.” Blythe was as sweet as honey.
Someone dropped a light kiss on her shoulder. “Cat fight already? And I thought this was going to be a boring evening. Hello, chica, you look sensational.”
Lexi smiled gratefully at Philippe. “Thanks, you look pretty hot yourself.”
“With clothes on, you mean?” His expression was innocent, but the skin around his dark eyes crinkled with laughter.
Philippe ignored Blythe and her spiteful friend and flirted openly with her. Blythe’s stunned expression stirred her inner devil and Lexi gave him a bright smile.
He reached for her hand, stroking her palm lightly with the tips of his fingers. “Chica, how about we skip dinner? We could have dessert at my place. Would you like that, mmm?
“She would not.”
Lexi didn’t have to turn her head. She knew that voice. The muscles in her stomach clenched as a scowling Sam took the seat opposite her. He ignored Blythe and nodded coolly to Lexi.
Oh God, she hadn’t realized how much seeing him would hurt. She had been spending so much time trying to keep her distance that she hadn’t noticed him creeping into her heart. She kept reminding herself what a bastard he was so she wouldn’t have to deal with the pain of not having him in her life. When had Sam become so important to her?
Seeing him was a blow to her heart. He looked so good tonight, with those sharp cheekbones adding character to a face that was almost too handsome. He was born to wear a tux. It looked so natural on him. Of course, he was born to wear leather as well. Or even nothing at all. His hazel eyes were remote when they looked at her. She missed the warmth that had been in his eyes.
And yes, she missed the hot hunger she had glimpsed in her Dom’s eyes. Why the hell did I have to fall in love with a man who was always going to break my heart?
Anton pulled up a chair beside her. “Oh lighten up, Sam. He’s just playing. If there’s any serious competition at this table, it’s me. Anyone who can top you definitely gets my vote.”
Blythe looked from Anton’s mischievous face to Sam’s stoic one. “What did she do?”
Lexi flushed deeply while Matt and Anton laughed. Matt said, “That would be telling. But if you are very nice to me, I’ll show you the photographs.”
He took photos? Lexi felt worse than ever.
Blythe gave a theatrical shudder. “It’s something disgusting, isn’t it? Please remember there are ladies present.” She looked at Lexi in a way that made it clear she didn’t include her.
The food arrived. Lexi dug a fork into her shrimp salad and added some more dressing. The model waved the waiter away when he tried to serve her and asked for more sparkling water instead. She widened her spectacular eyes. “It’s so refreshing to meet someone who isn’t worried about the danger of cholesterol.”
That set the tone for the rest of the meal. Blythe and the model took turns after that.
“I’m fascinated by your dress. Is it vintage? I haven’t seen one of those for years.”
“It must be nice to be able to eat without worrying about calories.”
“Isn’t it amazing wha
t a good hairdresser can do?”
“I envy your confidence going out with your makeup that way.”
Lexi had no comeback to the veiled insults. Instead, she kept her head down and toyed with her napkin. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of responding.
“We can get you seconds,” Blythe assured her helpfully.
“And maybe a doggie bag for later,” the stick insect offered.
Lexi was moving from depression to fury. That pair of bitches were having great fun at her expense, and Sam was eating rib-eye, totally oblivious to their taunting. She no longer felt sorry for tying him up. She just wished she had stuck that ball gag into his mouth while she had the chance.
The dessert trolley came around. Lexi hadn’t eaten dessert for a month, and accepted a small slice of cheesecake. The stick insect waved it away. Blythe made a big production of exclaiming over it, before finally choosing a fruit salad that consisted of two grapes, a strawberry and a blueberry. “After all, we can’t let our appetites rule us, can we?”
It was the first sweet thing Lexi had tasted since she shared Sam’s gelato. At the memory of that evening, she felt sick. The rat had lied to her all that time. She wished she had put Icy-Hot on the cock ring. She jabbed her spoon into her dessert, wishing it was Sam she was stabbing.
Blythe put down her spoon, having left half the grapes in the dish, and turned to Lexi. “I was hoping to ask you about your tattoo.” Lexi nodded warily. “Was it very painful?”
“About the same as getting my legs waxed,” Lexi said. This was the first thing Blythe had said wasn’t a jibe.
“You’re so lucky to be able to do things like that,” the model butted in. “I’d lose all my contracts if I made myself look cheap.”
Blythe giggled. “Oh yes, what’s that expression? Tramp stamp?”
That was the end. Lexi didn’t trust herself not to take a knife to the pair of them if she stayed at the table for one more second. She pushed her chair back to get away from them. She had to get out of here.
“And then we doubled the amount of explosives, but the building still wouldn’t come down.”
Sam laughed at Matt’s story and glanced across the table at Lexi. She had hardly looked at him all evening and he couldn’t understand how she suddenly had so much in common with Blythe. He had been relieved at first that they were being nice to Lexi, but as the meal went on, the strained expression her face made him realize they were up to something. When she stood up suddenly, he realized something was wrong.
Philippe reacted quickly. “Chica, I hear music. Let’s dance.” He took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor before she could object.
Sam stood up to follow her, but first he spoke to Blythe and Lexy. “If either of you ever say anything else to upset the woman I’m going to marry, I’ll make you regret it.”
“She’s your fiancée?” The expression on Blythe’s face was almost comical.
“Not yet, but she will be. You’d better start being polite to her, she’s my family now. And you’re not.”
Anton and Matt whooped and Sam left them while he went looking for Lexi.
She was dancing with Philippe. Well, technically, it was dancing, they were both vertical and had their clothes on, but as far as Sam was concerned, it was sex on the dance floor. Philippe had his hands on her hips and was guiding her in some sort of sexy Latin rhythm and Lexi was following him. Every movement of her hips made her wings move in a sinuous dance. His angel. His.
He followed them onto the dance floor and tapped Philippe on the shoulder. “Take your hands off her.”
His friend smiled at him tauntingly. “Or what?”
“Or I’ll break both of them.” Sam didn’t care that Philippe was the state kick-boxing champion, he didn’t get to touch Lexi.
“No, you won’t. I love dancing with him. He’s not a lying rat like you.” Lexi turned her back on him.
It was too much. Sam grabbed her wrist and hauled her to the balcony that opened off the dining room. It was dark and far enough away from prying ears that he might be able to settle things with Lexi.
“We’re through with this nonsense.” He released her wrist, which she rubbed defiantly while glaring at him. “Yes, I screwed up, but I think you’ve had your revenge. We’re even now.”
“Oh no. We might be even for the night in Hades, but what about a full month of lying to me? We’re nowhere near even for that.”
“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you everything.”
She sniffed disdainfully. “Same difference.”
Sam moved closer, invading her personal space. Close enough to smell her perfume. Some kind of spicy scent—and aroused woman. She wasn’t immune to him. “Oh? Let’s not forget your lies.”
“What lies? I never lied to you.”
“No, but you lied to yourself. I may not have told you my name, but I never tried to disguise my voice. And I called you on your personal cell phone. You had to know it was someone you knew.”
He could see her struggling with that. She opened and closed her mouth without getting out coherent words. Finally she admitted, “You’re right. I wanted the fantasy, so I didn’t ask any questions about it.”
God, he loved a woman who could admit when she was wrong. He moved in closer, but she put her hand up to stop him. “But what about all that stuff in the last month, pretending to be Mr. Shy and Sensitive?”
“You didn’t want a Dom, so I was trying to be vanilla for you.”
“I never said I wanted that.”
He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “What the hell do you want, Lexi? When I’m a Dom, I’m too bossy. When I’m not, I’m vanilla. I was trying to give you what you wanted. I watched Brief Encounter four freaking times just to prove I love you. And I went shopping with you. What more do you want from me?”
She moved in so close to him he could feel her body heat. “What did you say?”
“I hate shopping. For christsakes, no real man likes it.”
“No, before that.” Her mouth was within kissing distance.
“That I love you?”
She reached up, pulled his head down and kissed him. Vaguely, he was aware of the guys cheering him on. He didn’t care. He took over the kiss and ravished her mouth. He pulled her tight against him, so that the beat of his heart art echoed the beat of hers, and used his whole body to show her how much she meant to him.
Finally, he raised his head. Lexi’s mouth was open and she looked dazed. “What about you?” he asked. “How do you feel about me?”
She lifted her hand to show him the bracelet she wore. Solid silver, inscribed with his name. Demon. “I never took it off. So many times I wanted to, but I never did. I was waiting for you. I think I hoped if I was still wearing it, you’d come back to me.”
He picked up her wrist and kissed it. “I’ll get you another one, for your other wrist.”
Anton butted in. “Don’t let him. You don’t know what he can do with those.”
Lexi smiled. “I have a fair idea.”
Sam put his arm around Lexi. “Let’s go somewhere private, away from these losers.” She nodded and snuggled into his embrace. “After all, we’ve got something to finish, don’t we, angel?”
She nodded again before breaking away from him. “I’ve got to go back to the table for a moment.” She returned to where Blythe and Lexy were still sitting, drinking black coffee. “You’re getting frown lines ’round your mouth,” she told Blythe, then turned to Lexy. “And you’re anorexic.”
Then she picked up her bag and turned to Sam. “I’m ready. Let’s go home.”
Lexi shivered. Sam hadn’t said anything in the last five minutes while he concentrated on the road, but every time he looked at her it was with the same hungry expression. They were going back to his place and she knew Sam was in full-on Dom mode.
“Are you cold, angel?”
“No.” She managed a half smile. “I’m just a little nervous.”
His dark eyes flashed with amusement. “That’s the way a good sub should be around her Dom. A little bit excited, a little bit nervous, knowing he can do whatever he wants, take her anyway he wants…”
Lexi’s breath hitched in her throat. She knew Sam meant it, every single word. Lexi felt a pulse of excitement low in her abdomen. She was really going to do this and this time there would be no running away.
Sam parked the car and they entered the elevator in silence. Before they reached the second floor, Sam hit the emergency stop. “Strip, Lexi.”
Lexi stared at him, open-mouthed.
“Close that pretty mouth of yours, angel. I won’t ask you again.”
Lexi fumbled at the fastening of her coat. He really meant this. She cringed as she shimmied out of the red dress. The body-shaping underwear she wore beneath was deeply unsexy. It had taken her ten minutes to get into the thing in the privacy of her own bedroom. She had no idea how she was going to wriggle out of it in an elevator.
Sam raised one dark brow and folded his arms across his broad chest. “I’m waiting, Lexi.”
He was using his Dom voice again. By the time she got out of the body-shaper, Lexi felt as if she were a contortionist. She threw it on the floor and stared defiantly back at him.
“I’m going to spank that attitude out of you later, Lexi.” His stern glance told her he was serious. “But first, I have a little gift for you.”
She recognized the jewelled nipple clamps in his hand. Oh he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t dare. She felt a brief pinch as he tightened the clamp on one nipple and tried not to cry out when he fixed the second one in place. “Now, put your coat back on, and the heels. We’re going out.”
“Out?” She squealed.
Sam ignored her. He picked up the discarded clothing and waited until she put it in her bag before he started the elevator again.
Lexi followed him across the lobby, her heels clicking noisily on the marble floor. He took her arm as they crossed the street and paused at the entrance to a cocktail bar. Sam had to be joking. He expected her to sit in a bar with him with no clothes on?
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