His lips remained sealed, but she sensed a war being waged inside him, a war between what turned him on and what he believed was proper. It was a war she understood all too well.
“We don’t have to ever do anything like this again. The last thing I want is for you to feel forced or pressured,” she said.
He laughed, the sound like a shotgun blast. “Dani, fuck. If anything, I pressured you. I knew they had at least one camera in here.”
She cocked her head, studying the parade of emotions on his face. “Why’d you do it?”
“I don’t know.” He looked down at the water, at the swirling patterns of sun and shade. “When I saw you at the end of the lane, all wet and sexy, I wanted you, and I didn’t really care if anyone saw us.”
“And now? Do you regret it?”
Leaning forward, he kissed the drops of water off her face, ending with a sizzling kiss. A kiss so hot, Dani expected to see steam rising from their lips. When Will released her mouth, he held her in place, their noses touching, his breath feathering her lips. “Now, I just want to do it again.”
Hoo-boy! “Here?” she squeaked, her breath coming in short bursts.
A mischievous grin curved his lips. “We probably shouldn’t chance it. There’s only so much the guards will put up with.”
Dani knew a place they could go. Should she tell Will? Should she risk it? If he wasn’t ready, it could ruin everything. But if he was ready, it could be the start of a whole new phase in their relationship. One where Will knew and appreciated what he really was.
Will sucked on her shoulder. “You okay? You look like you want to say something.”
She gently extricated herself from his hold and treaded water in front of him. His gaze swept her body below the surface, reminding her that she was naked. His eyes slowly travelled back up to her face and he smiled. She swallowed hard and resisted the urge to push back into his arms and rub her pussy against his thigh. “Please, feel under no obligation to say yes.” She paused and exhaled. Damn, this was hard. “There’s this club I go to sometimes. They’re having a party on Thursday. We could go, if you want.”
“A club? I’m not much into dancing.”
“Ah, no. This is a fetish club. The one I talked about when we were at Vicenzo’s.”
He reached out and tugged her closer to him. “You didn’t really tell me much about it. What do people do there? Just have sex all over the place?”
She chuckled, hanging on to his neck. “Sex isn’t allowed on the main floor. They have private rooms for that.”
“Like a hotel?”
“No.” She snorted. “Private is kind of a misnomer. There are windows where people can watch. They can join in too, if everyone is okay with that. Didn’t you say you’d been to sex clubs before?”
“Yeah, years ago. But I never went below stairs. If I liked a girl, we went off-site. When we talked before, you said something about ‘anything goes’ there. What did you mean?”
“You know, it’s open to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Some clubs have rules excluding gay men. In terms of fetish, you’ll see everything there. Sometimes these parties have themes, but this one is for beginners.”
He frowned. “I’m not going in drag.”
“That I’d pay to see. If we do this, we’ll have to come up with costumes, and you’ll have to decide what your limits are. We don’t have to have sex there. But if you want an audience, that’s a safe place. Everyone who enters has to sign a confidentiality agreement. No photos. No videos. And no ‘outing’ another club member or guest.”
“What are the consequences if someone breaks the agreement?”
“A large fine, plus they get blacklisted from every club in the US.”
“When is this party again?” he asked.
Dani’s gut clenched. Was he going to say yes? “Thursday at nine.”
“And you’d pick out our costumes?”
Excitement bubbled over into her voice. “Yes!”
When he just smiled at her, not doing anything, not saying anything, she almost bounced off his lap. His smile grew wider.
“What are you saying, Will? Do you want to go to this party?”
He touched her lips with his. “I do. I’d do anything for you.”
She frowned. “Don’t do this for me. Do it for us.”
“For us.”
Wrapping her legs around his waist, she kissed him. His erection pressed into her and she knew if they didn’t hurry this along, they’d be starting part two of their adventure right here. “There’s just one more thing.”
“What’s that?” he murmured into her neck.
“I want you to pick out a collar for me.”
He looked up. “A collar? Why?”
The heat in his eyes let her know he liked the idea. She licked away a drop of water at the corner of his mouth. “It’ll let people know I’m taken.”
“Do I get one too?”
Her pulse raced and her temperature soared despite the cooler water. Will was taking to this better than she’d ever imagined. She grinned. “Absolutely. You’re mine, and I don’t share.”
William sighed and picked up the phone. He’d made his decision, and it was time to come clean with Kathleen. She’d been nothing but kind to him and didn’t deserve to be strung along.
“Hello Kathleen,” he said, when she answered the call.
“Why hello, William. I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
Completely taken off-guard, he stammered, “You didn’t?”
She laughed softly. “I saw the photo in the papers this morning.”
He sucked in a breath as he pawed open the copy of the Seattle Times he’d brought from home. And there they were, right on the front page, him crushing Dani to his chest as they kissed. Warmth tingled in his belly at the joy on her face.
Kathleen interrupted his thoughts. “She’s quite the hero, your little firefighter.”
“She is.” And he was fucking proud of her.
“I hope she’ll make you happy.”
“She already has.” He traced the contours of Dani’s face with his finger. He cleared his throat. “Listen, uh, Kathleen. I’m sorry about how I acted at the charity event. You didn’t deserve that.”
“Afterward, when I calmed down, I realized it was a test. One at which I failed,” she said, sounding disappointed. “I’m sorry as well, William. I think we could have been content together. But the truth is, you never once looked at me the way you look at her.”
“You’ll meet the right man someday.”
“I hope so. And I hope we can continue to be friends.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” And he really meant that. Kathleen was a sweet and wonderful woman. She just wasn’t at all what he needed. “I’ll see you at your next event then?”
“You and your lovely lady.” She paused. “Be happy, William.”
They said their goodbyes, and he hung up the phone. He’d made the right decision. They’d have bored each other to death and been miserable. Still, he felt like a shit for the way he’d acted. He didn’t know how he’d make it up to her, but some day he would.
Someone knocked on his open office door. He smiled when he saw Dani, wearing a pretty sundress and holding a picnic basket. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said, closing the door. “I thought since you were working on a Sunday, I’d treat you to some lunch.”
Getting up, he met her halfway and pulled her into his arms. When their lips met, the rightness of it was achingly sweet. Because of his own insecurities, he’d almost fucked everything up. He could have lost her, could have lost this, could have lost the best thing that had ever happened to him. Crushing his lips to hers, he poured all his feelings into the kiss. When they came up for air, he smiled and pointed to the basket. “No Jimmy John’s this time?”
“I decided you were right about my eating habits.”
He patted the top of his desk. “Show me what you’ve got.”
>
“If this were a different time and a different place, I’d take you up on that.” She winked and proceeded to remove several sandwiches, cut vegetables, fruit, and two cans of tomato juice from the basket.
William picked up a sandwich. “Roast turkey breast. You weren’t kidding.” He almost missed the huge subs and chips, but his arteries didn’t. He carried one of the guest chairs over to the desk and helped her sit. “You look beautiful, by the way. Is this new?”
“Why do you ask?”
“It seems…” Conservative. “Different from your usual style.”
She shrugged and cracked open the cans of tomato juice. “I bought it when I went shopping with Erica last week.”
He sat across from her. The dress was very nice and fit her well. Still, something about it niggled at him. He frowned. “I meant what I told you before. I don’t want you to try to be Kathleen.”
“You don’t like it?” She sounded genuinely surprised.
“I love it. But that doesn’t matter.”
“I just thought I could try to dress a little more circumspect when I’m here or at one of your work functions.” She grinned. “It’s me, just a little fancier.”
Relief seeped into his stiff neck muscles. “That I can live with.”
She cleared her throat, putting him instantly on alert. “Speaking of Kathleen…”
He stared down at his sandwich. “I won’t be seeing her again. At least not in any personal capacity.”
Dani crossed her legs and primly laid a napkin across her lap. This ultra-proper version of Dani would take some getting used to. He’d grown so accustomed to her rough-and-tumble approach to life that the change in her demeanor was unsettling. She arched a brow, her eyes twinkling. “Good. Because I’m revoking the nonexclusivity clause in our agreement.”
William threw his head back and laughed. His Dani was still in there. “Unilaterally?”
“Absolutely.”
“Done.”
They grinned at each other. William couldn’t remember a time in his life when he’d been happier. Sitting here, sharing a picnic lunch with the woman he loved—all was perfect with his world.
“What? Do I have mayonnaise on my chin?” she asked, wiping her face with the napkin.
He shook his head. “I never thought lunch at my desk could be so fun.”
She shot him a naughty look. “It could be a whole lot more fun, but… well, you made up the rules.”
His heart racing, blood pumping through his body and straight to his cock, he glanced at his watch.
“Oh no,” she said, holding up her hand. “I’m not ending up under your desk again, Mr. Caldwell.” Her eyes shifted to the window, and she blushed.
William couldn’t believe it. His Dani blushing? “Tell me what you’re thinking.” His own temperature rose as images of them flashed into his mind.
“I’ve always wanted to do it at night against a floor-to-ceiling window with my face pressed against the glass.” Her throaty voice and the heat in her gaze sent chills scattering over every inch of his skin.
His hand froze, holding the sandwich midway to his mouth. “Fuck, Dani.”
“Yeah. That’s the idea.”
Everything inside him coiled, grew hard. He wanted her right here, right now. Forever.
Loud voices in Larissa’s adjoining office finally filtered through the haze of lust clouding his brain. He pushed up from his chair and opened the door to see what was going on.
Gordon, Matt’s father, was arguing with his assistant. Both stopped and turned to him. “What’s going on here?” William asked.
Gordon stepped forward. His features were strained, his eyes shadowed. “Sir, I have some information. It’s rather urgent.”
“About the fire?” When Gordon nodded, William invited him into his office. “Thank you, Larissa. I’ll handle this.”
He shut the door and sat in his chair, indicating the seat beside Dani.
Gordon seemed embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had a guest.”
“Mr. Walker, how is Matt?” Dani asked gently.
Gordon’s features softened. “Much better. The doctors are letting him come home today. Matt really appreciated you bringing Coco by the hospital.” He paused and swallowed. “My family, I, owe you so much, Firefighter Harris.”
“Dani, please. It’s my pleasure. And if you ever decide to let Matt have that dog he was pestering you about, let me know. I’ll help you pick a good one for him.” She stood and gathered up the remains of their meal. She smiled at William. “I should let you get back to work.”
He rose and stayed her with a hand on her arm. “You don’t have to leave.”
“I think I do. Whatever I hear is potentially a conflict of interest.”
He nodded. Picking up the basket, he walked her to the door and kissed her goodbye. It was sweet and tender, and not nearly enough. “I’ll be home as early as I can,” he whispered.
“I’ll be waiting.”
After she got into the elevator, he closed the door and returned to his desk. “Tell me what’s so urgent.”
Gordon leaned back in his seat, a file folder in his lap. “The SFD arson team investigated the warehouse from top to bottom. The fire was initiated using wood in the northwest corner. A variety of chemicals were used as accelerants.”
“I suppose those were taken from the hazardous materials locker.”
Gordon nodded. “Yes.”
William tapped his fingers on the edge of his desk. Something was going on here, and he wanted to know what it was sooner rather than later. “Why did you need to tell me this in person? I’m sure it’s in the SFD incident report.”
Gordon’s lips thinned. “When I examined the wood, I noted the inventory number and looked it up.”
“Good thinking, but why?”
“It was exceptionally dry and brittle. Low quality.”
William frowned. “We always use top-of-the-line materials. What happened?”
Gordon pulled out a purchase order from his folder and flattened it on the desk in front of William. “You tell me.”
William blinked at the man, confusion muddling his thoughts. When he read the form, his blood ran cold. His signature was at the bottom of the order for the shoddy wood.
“I ran a search in our database. No design has this specific wood listed in its bill of materials.”
All of Dani’s carefully selected healthy food turned to rot in his stomach as William’s mind made the connections. He scanned the form to see the product line for which the wood had been ordered. The beating of his heart came to a screeching halt when he saw it. “Product number 14670. That’s the Pioneer queen headboard.”
Gordon narrowed his eyes. “Yes. But this wood isn’t in the BOM for that product.”
“I know. This line has experienced a surge in returns in the past six months. And this crappy lumber is the reason.” All the evidence was neatly tied with a bow, pointing straight at William.
He was being framed.
Forcing a neutral tone, he asked, “Does the SFD know about this?”
“About the switch in materials, yes. That you ordered it, no.”
His throat was so tight, he could barely speak. “Do they have a theory?”
Gordon nodded. “The wood was burned to cover up the fraud.”
William’s jaw clenched, along with every muscle in his body. “And you think I did it.”
“Your signature on the purchase order is pretty convincing evidence.” Gordon met William’s glare and sighed. “But no, I don’t think you did it. Your entire family and your girlfriend were at the party. Had the fire gotten out of control, any one of them could have been hurt. I don’t think you’d go that far.”
Damned with faint praise.
“I sign hundreds of these POs a day and quite frankly, most of the time, I have no idea what I’m signing. I assume the supervisors have reviewed and approved whatever hits my desk. Obviously, this is another process
that will need to be revised.”
“So what’s next?” Gordon asked.
“Someone is replacing the materials with cheaper ones, but the savings are not going into CFF’s coffers. My auditors have already determined money is being siphoned from the company. Until now, we didn’t have any idea of how. I’ll get this information to my team right away. With any luck, it will lead us to the arsonist.”
Gordon stood and offered his hand. “I’ll let you know if I find anything else. Again, sorry for interrupting your lunch. Firefighter Harris is one hell of a woman.”
William shook Gordon’s hand. “That she is. Please send me all Matt’s medical bills. I’ll cover whatever our insurance doesn’t.”
“Sir, that’s not necessary.”
“I insist. Dani is quite taken with your son, and I want to help him in any way I can. He deserves nothing less.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Gordon turned, opened the door, and came face-to-face with Torval. “How’s your boy doing, Gordon?”
“Much better. Thank you for asking, Stephen.”
William sighed and dropped back into his seat. This day had definitely peaked with Dani’s visit. “Torval, I told you. No more talks without the lawyers.”
“Arnold’s on his way.” Torval looked out into Larissa’s office. “And there he is right now.” Gordon took the opportunity to slip out of William’s office, otherwise known as Grand Central Station.
William indicated the two guest chairs. “Gentlemen.”
Torval, unusually spiffy in a suit and tie, sat in one. Arnold Powell shuffled across the room and dropped heavily into the other. Deep grooves were etched on his brow and on either side of his mouth. What little hair he had was gray and brushed over the top of his head. The greenish cast to his features worried William. He made a mental note to strongly suggest the lawyer take a vacation.
“Okay, Stephen. Let’s hear what’s so important it couldn’t wait until Monday morning,” Arnold said, his voice gruff and laced with impatience. William was glad he wasn’t the only one who’d reached his limit where the union leader was concerned.
Torval straightened in his seat. “The union members of Local 22 would like to lodge a formal complaint against CFF and its CFO, Mr. William Caldwell IV.”
Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) Page 24
