Fear's Whisper (Club Risque Book 2)

by Poppy Flynn

  They had come to a mutual agreement not to visit Club Risqué that evening, though Charlotte wasn't sure if that was Jake's own preference or if it was simply his response to her own very emphatic decision that she was far too stiff and achy to enjoy herself so soon.

  Instead, they spent the afternoon chatting and catching up with the past twelve years of each other's lives, getting to know tastes and preferences in food, entertainment, lifestyles, holidays and even the weather.

  Charlotte was mildly surprised at just how much they seemed to have in common. She had always thought of Jake Blackwood as some kind of unique, larger than life, incarnation of perfection rather than a real, fallible human being. She knew it was the result of her immature teenage hero worship, but somehow, her psyche had never really updated the image until now.

  She found she liked this new understanding of Jake, the man, even more than her adolescent fantasy. Which meant her heart was probably in even bigger trouble than before.

  Jake mulled over his feelings toward Charlotte as the evening shadows lengthened across the room and plunged them into a dusky twilight. They hadn't delved into anything heavy, just skimmed the surface of their daily lives. Maybe it was better that way. The dark stuff, like Jake's fall from grace at the hands of the gutter press and the trauma of Charlotte's teenage years at the hands of the Disciples of Modesty—whether by chance or by design—had been avoided. Maybe they just weren't ready for that yet. It was all too painful, too deep for where they were right now, although Jake guessed, thanks to Micah, that he knew more about Charlotte's secrets than she knew of his…although it was entirely possible, as quiet as everyone had tried to keep it, that she remembered the scandal that surrounded him during college since she'd been there and was Desi's closest friend.

  Still, he liked the connection he felt with her. It was real, somehow.

  For as long as he could remember, it seemed like all the women who came into his life had wanted something from him. There was the prestige craved by the society debutantes—although that had worn off pretty quickly after the bad press that had blighted him. Sometimes, he could almost be grateful for that. It certainly weeded out those who were only after his money or social position. Then there were the subs who wanted his endorsement to get membership into the clubs and the masochists, who only knew he wielded a whip and not his personal ethos for its use, who invariably got narked when they realised they wouldn't get what they wanted from him.

  And finally, there were the reporters whose sole interest was in getting a juicy story that would further their careers and pad their wallets. The mere hint of past scandal seemed to be a magnet for them and the fact that attempts had been made to infiltrate the club filled him with a familiar dread. Despite the lengths to which Joel, Logan, Connor and he had gone to keep their ownership of Club Risqué under wraps—and outside the four of them, only Micah, Trinity and Desi knew the truth—he remained the weakest link, with the press looking at his past and always trying to find ways to tie it to the present. They may have thwarted the latest endeavour, but with much bitterness, Jake knew there would be more. It turned out to be sooner than he expected.

  Night had fallen, and as darkness slipped quiet fingers across the floorboards, Charlotte lit candles around the living room, giving it a feeling of intimacy. The atmosphere altered almost perceptibly, and the light companionship they had been enjoying gave way to darker desires.

  Charlotte's breath hitched in her chest as Jake reached over and grasped her chin in his hand, his smouldering eyes immobilising her with his intent.

  "Stand up and strip off your clothes, Charlotte." His velvet tone deepened and stroked her senses, leaving her mesmerised as her insides stood up and squealed then dissolved into a warm, gooey puddle.

  "H-here?" she stuttered, her voice measuring barely above a whisper as she wondered if her legs would hold her up if she tried to stand.

  His intense gaze never left hers as he commanded, "Right here, right now."

  Pleasure shuddered through her and Charlotte wondered if she could orgasm just from listening to that smooth, rich Dom voice that seemed to resonate to her very core.

  Sucking in a breath, she uncurled herself from her comfortable position lounging on the sofa and stood in front of him as he directed, locking her wobbly knees to keep herself upright.

  She felt strangely self-conscious about standing there in her own living room and undressing for him, despite having done almost the exact same thing in a public club in front of dozens of people, just yesterday. Somehow, this felt different. More real. More profound.

  Scening at the club was somehow similar to putting on a show with props, a stage and an audience. It was easy to pretend that it was all just a performance where, no matter how immersed you were, there was also always a measure of distance. Here, in her own home, there was no hiding behind that flimsy illusion.

  What happened here would be the reality of any personal D/s relationship she entered into, whether with Jake or any other man.

  Steadying herself, Charlotte inhaled a slow breath as she crossed her arms in front of her and grasped the hem of her simple vest top and whisked it over her head, dropping it onto the empty easy chair beside her. She was hyper aware of Jake's penetrating cerulean stare boring into her as she wiggled out of her yoga pants, taking her underwear with them. Finally, she stood naked before him, her breathing shallow as she fought the overwhelming urge to try and cover herself with her hands as Jake sat in silent scrutiny, his eyes never leaving her.

  She couldn't quite understand how she felt more exposed right now than she ever had at the club, but she thought it had something to do with the feeling that Jake was examining her very soul.

  Charlotte's insecurities came racing to the surface. She knew she was too thin, her breasts were small, and she lacked the curves that most men seemed to find so inviting.

  After what seemed like eons, but was likely only minutes, Jake gave a cursory nod which gave nothing away of his thoughts or conclusions and then pointed to the floor in front of him.

  Charlotte collapsed onto her knees before him with a decided lack of grace, since her legs no longer cared to hold her up once she unlocked her knees.

  Whatever else Jake excelled at, he was certainly a master at creating heightened anticipation and Charlotte's nerves were taut from it. Her mind was whirling. She wished she knew what he was thinking. He was so beautiful with his bright blue eyes contrasting sharply with his glossy black hair and his classic good looks with sculpted cheekbones and perfect lips. He was tall and muscled without being overly bulked up, and she knew he must be able to have any woman he wanted.

  And he's here with you! a heady voice inside her head cheered, boosting her confidence a notch.

  "Present your wrists to me, Charlotte," Jake rumbled in that deeply sensuous tone that never failed to make her insides quiver.

  She tried to control a tremble as she thrust her hands towards him awkwardly. One side of his mouth kicked up in a tiny smile, but he remained unhurried and unruffled by the gaucheness that filled her cheeks with colour and had her rolling her eyes in self-deprecation.

  Jake simply took her fingers in his, circled his thumbs soothingly across the back of her hands, then turned them palms up and brought her wrists together.

  Charlotte fought another tremble as he pulled out a vividly coloured silk scarf, which she recognised as her own, and proceeded to bind her gently with it.

  "Are you scared of me, Charlotte?" Jake frowned.

  She shook her head, but Jake just cocked an eyebrow.

  "No," she stammered, knowing he wanted to hear her say it out load.

  "You're trembling," he pointed out, placing a kiss in the centre of one of her palms and causing another small shiver to travel through her.

  "It's more like anticipation..." Charlotte whispered after licking her dry lips several times. "…and nerves. I don't want to disappoint you," she admitted quietly.

  At her admission, the
other side of Jake's sensuous mouth kicked up and he placed a kiss on the other palm.

  "You're beautiful, Charlotte. If any man is disappointed, then he's not worthy of you. I want you to remember that, angel."

  Charlotte thought she might just melt then and there.

  Her belly jumped, and her girly bits tightened as he beckoned her to lie across his lap. She felt her nipples tighten as he helped her into position, felt each press of his hand or stroke of his finger as wildfire skating across her bare skin. The rough denim of his jeans felt coarse against her torso. Electricity sparked in her veins at each and every touch as if it was all magnified and amplified, right down to the soft puff of his breath against her spine as he spoke in that low, sexy, commanding Dom voice that did such wonderfully naughty things to her. It was almost hypnotic. Hot damn! A voice like that should come with some kind of government health warning…'Beware, danger of spontaneous orgasm in possibly inappropriate surroundings' or some such thing.

  Charlotte yelped as a sharp slap across the back of one thigh brought her out of her wandering, decadent thoughts, even as her pussy dampened simultaneously.

  Jake leaned across her back and, close to her ear, demanded, "Pay attention!"

  "Yes, Sir!" The honorific slipped effortlessly off her tongue without any conscious thought.

  "Your safe word is still 'red'. Even when we're not at the club, we'll still use the stop light system and there will be no deviation from your usual limits, understand?"

  "Yes, Sir," she agreed.

  "Do you have any questions, anything you're unsure about?"

  "Sex, Sir," Charlotte murmured unsteadily.

  Jake smoothed his hands in sweeping circles across her back and buttocks and down her thighs, leaving a delicious tingling sensation in his wake.

  "Don't worry, Charlotte. I remember that sex is by negotiation," he assured gravely.

  "I-I…" Charlotte's body felt soft and melty under his soothing touch and she had to stop and clear her throat to get the words out.

  "I'd like to remove sex from my soft limits," she whispered. Then, jolting her head up, she turned to look him in the eye. "For you!" she specified. "Only with you."

  She felt his indrawn breath as one hand tangled in her hair and he peered seriously into her face.

  "Let me get this straight so there are no misunderstandings," he bit out. "You are prepared to have spontaneous intercourse without negotiation but only with me, is that right?"

  Charlotte nodded.

  "I need to hear you," Jake prompted.

  "Yes, Sir," she agreed without hesitation.

  "Is that just for today?"

  Charlotte frowned then realised what he was asking. "No," she confirmed. "For the duration of our time together."

  Jake closed his eyes ever so briefly. When he opened them, they blazed with intense blue fire and he pressed a hard kiss to her mouth before settling her back across his knee.

  All Charlotte's senses quaked in anticipation of what was to come, but Jake was in no hurry. His hand continued its journey across her skin, varying only in pressure and whether or not he used just his fingertips to tease or his whole palm to massage. She thought he could maybe read her mind since her body lulled and tightened as he set her nerve-endings on fire, and her impatience grew. Her mind craved the elusive satisfaction that he dangled out of reach until she could barely contain her frustration. Then, just as she felt her patience might explode, his hand lifted, but before she could process his movements, it landed swiftly across one buttock, followed quickly by a stinging swat to the other. And it was heaven.

  Jake rubbed the bite away with his heavy palm, and the sting morphed into a sultry warmth that chased up her spine and dampened her pussy. Seconds later, he landed another pair, alternating the spanks with tender stroking. Sometimes more, sometimes less, never with any kind of pattern for her to settle into but always fuelling the seething mass of need and desire that tangled in her mind.

  Her skin burned and throbbed, and the effect was echoed in all the erogenous zones of her body. Her nipples were as hard as bullets and she wriggled to find some friction to ease their ache. Her core felt molten and she could feel trickles of moist heat between her legs with every swat. She found it harder and harder to keep still, despite the heaviness of Jake's free hand as it steadied across the base of her spine, his fingers curling around her hip to keep her in place.

  Suddenly, he targeted a well-placed smack across her sit spot. Once…twice…three times, and the vibrations resonated in her very core. She was vaguely aware of the keening cry of pure need that left her throat and then…bliss.

  Jake thrust two fingers deep inside her dripping sheath and, immediately, Charlotte found herself teetering on the precipice of her orgasm, needing only the tiniest shove to send her spiralling into delight.

  Instead, the fingers withdrew, and Charlotte wailed in denial before finding herself flipped and disoriented as Jake tumbled her onto her back on the soft, thick rug in front of her fireplace. The candles in the grate flickered as the air moved around them, but before she could regain her equilibrium, he pushed her legs apart and wedged his body between her thighs. A moment later, the flat of his tongue licked the length of her seam before plunging inside. She felt the quick climb towards release, but before she made it, he moved again, capturing her needy clit in his mouth and suckling hard over and over, worrying the sensitive nub with the tip of his tongue, then withdrawing before she could fulfil the raging, pulsing desire. Searching out her g-spot with his clever digits, he brought her to the edge again and again but never allowed her the ultimate completion.

  Charlotte writhed beneath him, fighting the bindings around her wrists in a subconscious effort to free her hands and aid her own desperate release.

  All around them, little cries and whimpers filled the shadowy corners of the room, but she was unaware they fell from her mouth, even when she started to plead with the deities to allow her relief.

  "Please!" she whimpered softly. "Oh, goddesses, pleeaasee…" She drew out the word till her lungs ran out of air, then gulped great breaths in.

  Jake crawled up her body, his cobalt eyes dancing with reflected light from the candles and a darker touch of wickedness.

  "I love to hear you beg," he breathed just before his mouth latched onto an aching nipple and drew it deep into his mouth while his fingers found the other and worried the sensitive tip between his finger and thumb in a move that sent her arching off the floor in delight.

  "Jake!" Charlotte wailed. "I need you now, please. Oh, please!"

  There was a brief flurry of movement, and the next second, Jake was buried inside her to the hilt and her cry of release echoed off the walls as fireworks went off in her head and she tumbled into ecstasy.

  Jake gathered a frantic pace, thrusting long and hard then rearing up onto his knees and hiking her long, sleek legs over his shoulders so he could plunge deeper and stronger, desperate to brand her as his own and merge their souls as if they were one single entity.

  What the hell was it about this woman? She undid him. Made him crave her like some kind of drug. His hips pistoned in a frenzied rhythm as he pounded into her soft body and he knew he was on the scant edge of discipline, hanging by the barest thread of self-control with only the fear of causing her actual physical harm keeping him from giving into it completely.

  The air ripped out of her in sobbing breaths with each furious thrust, but he felt her body contracting around him, triggering an answering tightening in his balls, a tingling at the base of his spine before he erupted with a roar of completion, grasping Charlotte's hips so tight he knew his fingers would leave imprints, which he somehow couldn't find it in him to be sorry about. She was his and he wanted to mark her so that the entire world knew it. How barbaric was that and when, exactly, had he turned into such a caveman he wondered, fleetingly, before collapsing on top of her.

  Charlotte gulped gasping breaths into lungs that felt like they couldn't expand enou
gh to let the air in, knowing that she couldn't move even if she wanted to. She felt as floppy as a wet noodle, blissfully sated, and strangely sheltered as Jake caged her with his body. She revelled in the weight that crushed her to the floor and the feeling of his face snuggled into the crook of her neck as he fought for his own breath.

  Before she was fully recovered, Jake scooped her up in his arms, leaned over to blow out the candles, and carried her to the bedroom as the smoky sulphur smell from the extinguished flames wafted behind them in wake of the displaced air.

  Jeez, the man had stamina…and where were his clothes? Charlotte had absolutely no memory of him getting undressed. Or of him donning the condom that she'd watched him dispose of. Or of him releasing the silk that had bound her wrists before he gathered her limp body so close that she could hear the rapid thumping of his heart still racing in his chest. He settled her gently on her bed, crawling in beside her and hauling her exhausted frame close until her back was plastered to his chest. His hair roughened arm curled snuggly around her midriff, legs entangled as they both slumped into a puddle of content satisfaction. Until an incessant ringing interrupted the relaxed stupor they'd fallen into.

  Jake fumbled around in the unfamiliar surroundings, cursing and trying to lay his hands on his phone. Finally grasping hold of it, he rubbed a hand over his face and squinted one eye at the display, groaning when he saw Micah's name lit up. His manager wouldn't contact him at three am if it wasn't important.

  Easing himself out of bed in an effort not to wake Charlotte, Jake tiptoed onto the landing before quietly asking, "What's the problem, buddy?"

  Micah sighed on the other end of the line. "Sorry to bother you, Jake, but we've had another security breach.

  "Reporter again?" Jake asked shortly.

  "Yep, I'm pretty certain we caught it in time. Just wondered if you wanted to come down here and check things out or if you just want me to deal with it."

  "I'll be there," Jake told Micah immediately. The reality was that even as an employee, Micah was the public face of the club, and while the rest of their identities were shielded, they needed to offer their staff every support when they were able to.