by J. M. Walker
“What’s wrong?” Charlie asked, pulling his phone out of the inner pocket of his jacket.
“Nothing.” The hairs on the back of my neck tingled. Glancing out the window, I frowned. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on our street. Other businesses were closed this time of night. Especially with it being a Sunday. A few cars sat at the curb. A large black SUV drove down the street, almost as if it appeared out of nowhere. Maybe I was being paranoid but it felt like they had been watching me the whole time.
“Have you talked to Luther?”
My body heated at the mention of his name. I headed behind the counter and grabbed the cloth before making my way to the back. “No, I haven’t,” I told Charlie.
He followed me. “Is he paid off yet?”
My back stiffened. I frowned, glancing at him over my shoulder. “Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering if maybe that’s why he hasn’t been by.” Charlie met my stare head on. “Why? Does it bother you that he hasn’t been by?”
Yes. “No.”
“I heard that he’s been spending a lot of time at ToKnight.”
“ToKnight?” I repeated. “What’s that?”
“His restaurant.” Charlie pulled a pie off the cooling rack.
“Where is this restaurant?” I needed to talk to him anyway, but I wasn’t sure how he would feel about me showing up unannounced.
“I’ll text you the address.” Charlie nodded once. “Just be careful. His restaurant stays open after hours but only for him and his people.”
“I don’t even know what that means,” I confessed. His people. God, who the hell had I let inside my body?
“Be careful. That’s all I ask.” Charlie left the kitchen, taking the pie with him.
Miss Vee had given me another check after my Master left the room abruptly the other night, after my damn slip up. I knew the rules, but I had still begged to see him. Although I was being paid, we still owed Luther money. Even if we didn’t, something held me back from telling Charlie that information.
I stared after my brother, wondering what had gotten into him and why suddenly he was forthcoming with information about Luther.
ToKnight.
Looked like I was making a trip.
***
I stood outside ToKnight and stared up at the large building, not really sure why I was here in the first place. Luther had messed up my life and while I wanted to be pissed at him for it, I couldn’t. It was exciting and dangerous. And why my brother actually gave me the location of Luther’s restaurant, was beyond me.
There was no open or closed sign in the large bay window of the restaurant, so I wasn’t actually sure if it was open or not.
Crossing the street, I was just about to try the door when it opened suddenly. A large man peered down at me, his brows furrowing in the middle.
“We’re closed,” came his gruff reply.
“Oh.” My heart sunk. “Okay.” I was about to turn away when a deep voice stopped me.
“Let her in.”
My body heated at the rough demand.
The man stepped out of the way, revealing Luther.
“Hello, Lexi,” he greeted me.
I swallowed hard. “Hey.
“Are you hungry?” Luther asked, his dark eyes roaming down the length of me.
“I can eat.” What could I say? I loved food and there was no way I was turning down food from this place.
“Good.” He turned to the large man standing off to the side who watched the exchange between Luther and me. “Tell the cook not to shut down yet.”
The man nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“Do you drink wine, pet?” Luther held his hand out.
“I do.” I placed my hand in his.
“Grab us a bottle of the pinotage that was just shipped from South Africa.” Luther led me to the back of the restaurant.
“Yes, Sir,” the larger man called out.
“So what brings you by, Lexi?” Luther asked me, releasing my hand and cupping my nape.
“We need to talk.” But now that I was here, I wasn’t sure how to say what was on my mind.
He searched my face. “Everything okay?”
“I think so.” Hell, I wasn’t sure anymore.
We headed to the back of the restaurant in silence. The place was big, much larger than what it looked like from the outside. The furniture was black with raindrop chandeliers hanging from the ceiling over each table. It was classy and modern with a vintage vibe.
“Did you design this place yourself?” I asked, once we stopped in front of a booth. I slid onto the black leather bench.
“I did. When I’m not controlling the city, I’m an interior designer.”
I gaped at him. “Seriously?”
He chuckled, sliding into the booth after me. “No, pet. While I designed this place, I’m not an interior designer. I can’t ruin my rep and all that shit.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I actually believed you,” I said, gently punching his shoulder.
“I know.” He grabbed my hand, kissing my knuckles. His tattooed hands were dark in comparison to my pale skin. “What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You’re…” I pulled my hand out of his grasp. “We need to talk. Or I need to talk rather, and you need to listen.” I took a breath, playing with the napkin folded on the table. “I…I slept with someone else. Well, it wasn’t really sleeping. We had sex. The same day you and I had sex. And I know how that sounds. But I’m sorry. I also know that we haven’t made anything official and it was obviously just a one-time thing, but I still feel guilty because I’m not that girl. So yeah…” A leaden weight sat in the pit of my stomach. “That’s all.”
“You feel guilty for fucking another man after I fucked you?”
My chest tightened. “Yeah. I do.”
Luther cupped my jaw, forcing me to look at him. “Why?”
Something flashed in his eyes, but it happened so quickly I wasn’t sure if I actually saw it or not. “B-Because it wasn’t right of me.” Not that my Master cared in the least. It seemed to only make him fuck me harder. My core clenched. I squirmed in my seat.
Luther’s jaw clenched. “We never made anything official. You said so yourself.”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah but I’m not this person. Hell, I hadn’t had sex in years and then you…”
“And then I fucked you. In your office. Like a damn slut. And you enjoyed it.”
I looked away, the back of my neck heating. “I did.” What the hell does that say about me?
Luther cupped my nape, giving it a light squeeze.
My stomach tumbled at the hold he had on me. It wasn’t rough, but it was firm, and it let me know that he was in control. Something hit me as familiar about his touch.
Master.
Before I could dwell on that thought, my face was pressed against the table top. I gasped, struggling beneath Luther’s hold on me but he was too strong. “Luther.”
He leaned down toward me, placing a soft peck on the corner of my mouth.
“There’s something you should know, Lexi. I don’t actually give a shit who you fuck.” His other hand cupped my knee, sliding beneath my dress and up my inner thigh. “I know you will always crave my cock. We may have only fucked once but I will make it so my dick is the only one you come for. So go back to whoever it is you’re letting inside this tight little body. Let him do whatever he wants to you but know that it will always be me you truly want.”
Lexi
“YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE you make me feel good, you can be an asshole and treat me like this?” I struggled beneath Luther, but he still didn’t move.
He only raised an eyebrow.
I continued. “I came here to tell you what happened because I felt guilty. I shouldn’t feel guilty knowing what you’ve done to my brother.”
“Your brother is a shithead, Lexi.” Luther’s hold on my nape loosened but he didn’t remove his other hand from my thigh.
&n
bsp; “I don’t care about that. I don’t care what he’s taken from you or what he owes. I sold my fucking body to pay you back. A man I like. And I have no idea why.” I pushed against him.
He released me, rubbing the dark scruff on his jaw. “This is interesting to me.”
“What?” I frowned, sitting up.
“I usually get women submitting to me with no issues but you are something else.”
I rolled my eyes. “I—”
A sharp pinch landed on my inner thigh.
I yelped, glaring at him.
He cupped my nape again, leaning toward me. “I like that you challenge me, Lexi, but that only goes so far. Your Master may take this shit, but I sure as hell won’t.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” It wasn’t like I could actually talk to my Master anyway. I hadn’t seen him since my slip up.
“No?” Luther’s mouth brushed along my ear. “I’m the one who gave you The Club’s business card, remember? I know what goes on there. I know what they do. What those rooms are used for.” His hand on my inner thigh grazed even higher. His fingers brushed over the crease at my thigh and pussy.
My heart started racing. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist. I should have pushed him away. I should have done a lot of things but instead, I encouraged him to go higher.
“I’m the one who introduced you to that life,” he murmured, pushing his finger beneath the crotch of my thong.
“Maybe I already knew about that life,” I grumbled.
He chuckled, brushing his thumb up and down the length of my neck. “You’re so damn beautiful but you’re also a shitty liar.”
I pulled the hem of my dress out where it had bunched at my pelvis and covered his hand. “Maybe.” Lifting my right knee onto the bench, I leaned my head against the back of the booth. “But you seem to like it. Me. This. All of it.”
His dark eyes searched my face. “I do like it. All of it and I can’t figure out why.” He turned his big body toward me and brushed the back of his hand down my cheek.
My eyes fluttered closed. The touch was so gentle. Nothing like the man with his other hand between my legs. Although he never took it further, he didn’t release me either. He teased. The touch was too soft for it to do anything but it still reminded me that he was, in fact, very much in control like he said.
“Lexi.” Luther kissed my forehead. “Spend the night with me.”
My eyes popped open, finding his face mere inches from mine. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
His jaw clenched. “Because I didn’t want to fuck you in your office, but I did. I don’t want to finger you in my restaurant but I am.” He thrust his fingers into me.
I whimpered, chewing my bottom lip to keep from crying out.
Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he leaned toward me and watched me. “I don’t want you to come in a public place but you’re going to.” He kissed the sensitive spot beneath my ear, the spot that had a direct connection with my clit, and continued pumping his hand between my legs. “You want to know why?”
“Why?” I whispered.
“Because I’m losing control. When it comes to you, Lexi, I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing. You challenge me. You opened up something inside of me. And I want more. I want you. I want this.”
“I…” I took a breath as pleasure threatened to consume me. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I want to play with you. I want to show you what true pleasure feels like. I want you to submit to me.”
Oh God. No. No. That was too much like what I was doing at The Club. Why? Why the hell would Luther even mention this?
“I…” A fast release shattered through me. “I can’t,” I moaned.
“You will.” Luther kept his fingers inside of me. “You want to know why? I’ll tell you. Because this body is mine. It was mine from the first moment I saw you. The first moment I touched you. I watched your eyes dilate. I had kicked your brother’s ass and yet, you still responded to me. It took everything in me that night not to carry you out of there.”
“What?” I laughed. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
Luther pulled his hand free from my body and cupped my jaw in a rough move.
I gasped, the scent of my desire wafting into my nose, the liquid of my release coating my cheeks.
“I suggest watching your mouth, little girl. I don’t like being second-guessed. I know what I saw. You wanted me. Whether you want to admit it or not.”
“Why are you nice and sweet one moment and then a complete douche the next?” I threw at him. “Do you have it out for me or something? You want to treat me like a slut and be done with me? Is that it? Are you having a mid-life crisis?” The sass that left my lips was not what I expected. The words just tumbled from my mouth and I couldn’t stop them at all.
Luther released me and sat back.
Much to my surprise, he sucked his fingers into his mouth. “Hmm…” He glanced at my lap before meeting my gaze. “Want a taste?”
I shivered, looking away just as a young man neared our table.
“Sir, your wine.” He poured the red liquid into two glasses and placed the bottle on the table.
“Thank you,” I grumbled and wiped my cheek before grabbing the glass. Taking a large gulp, I let out a sigh as it sent a flush of heat washing over me. It was sweet with a hint of bitterness, but it eased the nerves racing through me.
“Good?” Luther asked, watching me.
I nodded, my cheeks heating.
“Perfect.” He turned to the young man. “Have the cook make the usual for me. And have him do the same for my date. I think she’ll like it.”
“Yes, Sir.” The young man hurried off.
“Are you allergic to anything?” Luther asked me, cupping my knee and grabbing his own glass of wine.
“No.” I crossed my leg over the other and placed my hand on top of his. As much as he pissed me off, I actually liked this. His arm on my leg, his thumb brushing back and forth over my knee. And me, snuggled into his side. A yawn escaped me.
“Tired, pet?” Luther asked, reaching into his jacket and pulling out his phone.
“Yeah. A little.” I nodded at the phone. “Why do you do it?”
“Do what?” He glanced down at me.
“This job. You don’t seem to like it too much.”
The corners of his full mouth twitched. “I do like it but if I went around with a smile on my face all the damn time, these fuckers would think they could take advantage of me. While they still try to, it doesn’t last. It didn’t take your brother long to figure that out either.”
“What did he do? Or not do?”
“He had one job.” Luther scrubbed a hand down his face. “Listen, no matter what happens, you can’t trust him. I’m not just saying that to try and get you to spend the night with me. That’s going to happen regardless.”
I scoffed. “You’re full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Baby, you’re fucking wrapped around me right now.”
I went to pull away when his hold on my knee tightened.
“Don’t. I…” He shook his head. “Listen, just be careful. I’m an asshole. I get that. Do I want you? Yes. I meant every word I said. I don’t lie. I have no reason for it. Spend the night with me and I’ll show you me. Not the Luther that you see in public. But me. The real me. And if you still don’t like what you see, I’ll leave you alone.”
My eyes flicked back and forth over his face. “Really?”
He nodded. “Yes, Lexi. No woman has ever affected me like this.”
I chewed my bottom lip. “You terrify me.”
He smirked. “Good.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Lexi,” he growled.
I smiled.
He huffed, shaking his head. “You drive me fucking crazy.”
“Well, baby. Looks like that makes two of us,” I said, taking another sip of my wine.
<
br /> Luther went back to texting on his phone and doing who the hell knew what else. Answering emails maybe? Playing a game?
I swallowed a laugh at the thought of watching him play Toon Blast and getting frustrated over it.
“What’s that smile for, pet?”
My cheeks heated. “Uh…I was just wondering what you were doing and if you were maybe playing a game.”
“I don’t play games.” His brows narrowed. “But if I did, I would always win.”
“Why? Because you cheat?”
He laughed. “No, because I’d pay others to lose.”
“That’s not really losing then if they’re getting paid for it.”
He shrugged. “Semantics.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t make sense at all.”
“Doesn’t have to.” Luther kissed my cheek. “Just know that the man you’re letting spend time between your legs is fucking powerful.”
My body heated at that thought. “How powerful?”
He tilted his head, almost like he was thinking about what he should say next. But I never got an answer because the food was brought out. It smelled delicious, but I couldn’t help but wonder what his answer would have been. I also wondered how he could show me another part to him that I hadn’t seen yet. There were clearly different sides to Luther Knight and spending the night with him was either going to end badly or worse.
I could fall for him.
Lexi
THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS. The man sitting beside me, even more so. Luther kept his hand on my inner thigh, his thumb brushing back and forth. I ran my fingers over his tattooed knuckles. Symbols I had never seen before, covered his tanned skin.
“What do these mean?” I asked him, turning his hand over and noticing a scar sitting in the middle of his palm.
“Peace. Love. War,” he answered while typing on his phone. “And other shit.”
“Luther?” I ran my thumb over the soft pink skin. It was in the shape of a star. “What happened?”
His back stiffened. Pulling his hand away, he cupped my thigh, hiding the scar from me. “Don’t worry about it.”
