by Poppy Flynn
Still, regardless of the kink, just like any lifestyle choice, there was still the danger of getting jaded and stuck in a rut. It was good to shake things up a little bit, on occasion, and Logan considered the chance to spend a little time with a beautiful woman outside the D/s community his good fortune. It was nice to kick back sometimes and explore the alternatives. It was something he had little opportunity to pursue, as a rule. Not that he was tempted to stray too far out of the box. His was a pretty mild kink, compared to many, but it would still never be viewed as anything but a fetish.
Hojojutsu, the ancient Samurai martial art of restraining captives with cord, which had evolved into Kinbaku, or erotic rope bondage, was now generally referred to in the west as 'Shibari'. Of course, Logan liked to pair it with suspension techniques, as well. Recently, he had been turning his attention to photography, another hobby of his, but one he had been increasingly interested in pairing with his first love. He had yet to find a satisfactory model for the series of artistic Shibari photographs he was keen to produce, but he was constantly looking.
He couldn't help the speculative look he gave Luanna, as inappropriate as it might be. It had become almost a reflex action to consider virtually every woman he came into contact with for their suitability to his pet project.
In fact, Luanna Morgan ticked a lot of boxes. She was curvy but tall with it, exactly what he was looking for; and her red hair and pale skin would provide the ideal canvas for his rope work and would look stunning in photographs.
Logan bit back a groan. If he started teasing himself with just how perfect she might be, then he'd drive himself mad because he knew damn well that Desi's finance manager probably wouldn't be open to the suggestion. Just his luck!
The truth was that he found himself hugely attracted to the woman, in a way that hadn't hit him for years. It wasn't just her looks, although he had to admit that, for him at least, she had the perfect figure. It was her whole persona.
Throughout the day, regardless of the normal wedding stresses and nerves, never mind the appalling fiasco with Charlotte Chapman and the subsequent, last minute change in plans and accommodations that had sent everyone else into a frenzy, Luanna had remained composed, serene and supportive. Her well-modulated voice had stayed calm and soothing throughout, and her compelling aura of tranquillity had rubbed off on everyone around her for the entire time. The woman was quite beguiling, and Logan couldn't help but find himself irresistibly drawn to her. And he also couldn't help fantasising about just what it would take to ruffle all that poise and self-control.
Damn, but she was appealing. It wasn't like him to be thrown so off kilter by a woman. Within his circle of friends and, further, throughout his career and even the club, Logan was considered to be the male counterpart of Luanna. Always the cool, calm and collected attorney, always the dignified, unflappable voice of reason. And maybe, if he was honest, always the most dull and unexciting. Hence the tattoo, the shoulder length hair and the contact lenses that he replaced his spectacles with outside of the office in an attempt to counter the staid and sombre lawyer persona that he seemed to carry with him everywhere. Logan frowned and wondered if Luanna was perceived in the same manner. Never one to beat about the bush, he had the feeling that Luanna was indeed of the same ilk.
Rounding the breakfast bar that separated them, Logan stood in front of Luanna and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. She tipped her head only slightly to look at him, a good five-foot-nine to his own six-foot. Her eyes were clear and questioning—no coyness and no calculation.
"I'm attracted to you, Luanna. Are you involved with anyone?"
The slight widening of her eyes was the only evidence that he had surprised her, but she held his gaze and neither pulled away nor swayed against him.
"I've been a single parent for the past fifteen years," she replied frankly. "I've had my son to think about and haven't considered myself as a participant in the dating game."
Though she remained smooth and unfazed, Logan noted the gallop in the pulse at the base of her throat. His lips drew up slightly in the merest hint of a smile, and he searched her eyes.
"Do you have any objection to trying?" he asked.
"I…" Luanna was momentarily lost for words, but the truth settled undeniably into her consciousness. She was thirty-two years old. She had no ties. Her son was old enough to take her dating in his stride and not be disrupted by it. In fact, he'd be delighted. For the first time since her mid-teens, her life was her own. Dating had never been a consideration but now that she was confronted with the opportunity…
"No," she replied then clarified, "I don't have any objection." Still mesmerised by his stunning amber eyes—eyes that reminded her of those of a lion. Eyes which, right now, had darkened and softened but were still no less intense.
His lips curved sensuously. "Good," he breathed against her mouth as his head dipped closer. And then all thought ceased as his soft, full lips covered hers.
The world spun away as Logan nipped and nibbled, feathering licks against the edges of her mouth, softly probing and discovering. He gathered her closer, one arm around her waist, the other cupping her cheek while her soft curves nestled perfectly against his hard edges as if they had been made for each other. Two halves of the same whole, being fitted back together. In a brief moment of clarity, Luanna was shocked at her own uncharacteristic romanticism, but then his tongue breached the seam of her lips and tangled with her own, and all her usual sensibilities receded in the wake of the pleasure he invoked.
She was surprised at how she felt the loss of his lips as Logan buried his hand further into her hair and grazed the skin below her ear. But then he tightened his fist, and the slight pull against her scalp sent splintering sensations zinging all the way to her core. Her nipples pebbled against the thin tank she wore and, as he nibbled his way down her neck to her collarbone, her skin felt unusually sensitised. Luanna shuddered and pressed instinctively closer. She could feel the hard length of his erection pressing into her belly and was overcome with the desire to throw her customary caution and reserve to the wind and revel in the new and decadent responses this man evoked in her.
Since Danny's conception, she'd had only one other sexual encounter. In her mid-twenties, not long after she had moved into her first flat, when she was newly independent, finally out of her parents' home and feeling unusually lonely, she'd given in to what had turned into a brief fling. She'd been flattered by the interest, overcome by the longing to have something for herself—a little personal consideration, a little attention.
Of course, Michael had decided he didn't want to become an instant father to a ten-year-old and had kept his distance from Danny, which, at least, meant that her son hadn't become attached to a man who would have eventually let him down. And sadly, that was probably the only good thing to come out of the whole encounter. The novelty had worn off within weeks. The reality of trying to juggle a child-reserved boyfriend and the inevitable babysitter requirement was exhausting and expensive and, coupled with the mediocre sex, she decided that it simply wasn't worth the time or the effort. She had chalked it up to experience, resolutely learned from the brief encounter and not bothered to consider men as an addition to her life for years…not until now. Not until Logan Thornton had whirled into her life, caused her to throw out an uncharacteristic, overnight invitation and proceeded to turn her carefully crafted life upside down.
The question now was how far she was prepared to let things go.
Logan drew back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he apologised. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you and take things quite that far…just a simple kiss; that was my plan, but you are so very tempting." He smiled softly, genuinely, as he took her hand in his and placed a sweet kiss on the back of her fingers.
In that moment, Luanna knew exactly how far she was prepared to take things with this man. The speed with which things had progressed may have surprised her, but she instinctively knew that she would al
ways regret not exploring all the possibilities with someone who could turn her insides to jelly with just a kiss. Someone who had elicited more of a response from her entire body, with only the slightest intent, than any man before him.
"I'm not very experienced, and I don't know the first thing about seduction," Luanna said plainly. "But I think I would like it if you made love to me."
"Oh, I'd make certain of that!" Logan murmured, kneading his free hand down her back, gentling her. The sensual stroking did more for Luanna than if he'd fondled and groped at her. She had too many sour memories of that kind of behaviour from her teenage years when her big boobs had led to all the lads having a one-track mind.
She felt an inherent respect radiating from Logan, which filled her with the certainty that he would never push, never try to manipulate her into more than she was happily ready to concede. Conversely, that knowledge made Luanna all the more willing to acquiesce to anything he wished to propose.
Luanna shook her head and laughed. "This isn't me! I don't do one-night stands with men I barely know. I haven't had a lover in over five years." She looked carefully at his expression, watching to see if she could detect horror or doubt in his features, since he was undoubtedly so much more worldly-wise and experienced, but there was nothing but appreciation in his eyes.
"I'm not looking for a one-night stand, Luanna," Logan reassured, feathering long fingers down her cheek. "I'd like to see where this goes."
Luanna nodded and pressed an almost chaste kiss to his tempting lips. "I'm a pretty straight forward kinda gal. If I decide to do something, then I'm all in. No matter how this works out, there'll be no regrets. No recriminations. I don't persist in unrealistic expectations; whatever we decide, here and now, I'm very well aware that there are no guarantees."
"I like that attitude, sweetheart. It's very refreshing." Logan's fingers continued to massage her spine, each movement sending little pulses of sensation to run throughout her nerve-endings and pool in her lower abdomen. The feeling was as thrilling as it was alien, and it made her uncharacteristically squirmy.
"That said, I don't go in for the whole 'subterfuge' thing. Despite having a teenage son, I'm not up for creeping around and pretending we're not what we are, so you need to be on board with that," Luanna declared. "If office politics dictates that you refuse to acknowledge me in front of our co-workers, then say so now. We can enjoy what's left of the night and go our separate ways."
Logan had the feeling that Luanna would always keep him on his toes. She had surprised him yet again. Basically, confirming that, even if he balked at the prospect of dating someone within the company, she would still be prepared to take him to her bed and make the most of the chemistry which sizzled electrically between them in the here and now. The knowledge deepened his fledgling feelings for this woman in an instant. He liked a woman who was prepared to be honest about her pleasure. She was definitely a keeper.
"I'm too old for creeping around, myself, believe me. I have no interest in any kind of subterfuge. That's not how I work," Logan reassured. "But what about your son? If he's used to having you to himself, will he be okay with you having a new man in your life? I don't want to rock the boat."
"Danny is fifteen and mature for his age." She chuckled wryly. "We are very close but, to be honest, he's been at me to date for a while now. I think it's so he can leave for college with a clear conscience instead of entertaining any guilt at leaving me on my own."
An unexpectedly cheeky grin spread across Luanna's face. "He might be quite surprised if I actually do it, though!"
Logan smiled back at her, surprisingly content just to hold her in the circle of his arms.
But before he could do more than dip his head to taste her lips again, Luanna spoke once more, the seriousness clear in her tone. "There is one thing." She brought one hand to his shoulder as if to hold him back.
Logan nodded once in acknowledgement and waited for her to continue.
"My friendship with Desi means I'm privy to certain..." she paused, clearly thinking about how to word whatever she had to say "…'sensitive' information."
Logan frowned, wondering where this was going, but he didn't jump in.
"I'm aware that Joel and Desi—and also Jake—share certain…ah…appetites."
Logan raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected a conversation about kink quite so early on in their relationship.
Luanna pursed her lips and considered him carefully. "I also know, from the conversations we've had, that several of their friends share those proclivities." She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but seeing you all together today and how you interact, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that you are probably one of them."
Logan gave a measured nod and held her thoughtful gaze. "What is it you want to know?" he asked."
She seemed to relax imperceptibly in his hold, now that first hurdle was breached.
"I want to know what that means for any relationship we embark on."
Logan's smile lit up the corners of Luanna's dimly lit kitchen before he dipped his head and nipped possessively at her lips. "You are a remarkable woman, you know that?" He chuckled.
Luanna shrugged. "I'm just honest."
Logan nodded. "Like I said, remarkable," he reiterated, pulling her close and wrapping her tight in a protective kind of hug and burying his face into the crook of her neck, kissing the skin there before he loosened his hold and looked down at her again.
He let out a deep breath. "I had no agenda when I accepted your invitation to stay here tonight," he told her candidly. "I've been attracted to you since we first met, six months ago, but I wasn't necessarily going to act on that. I didn't know whether it would be acceptable or appropriate."
Luanna nodded, appreciating his frankness.
"After spending the day together, getting to know you better, experiencing the chemistry between us, I realised that I wanted to explore the possibilities." Logan cupped her chin and smoothed his thumb across her cheekbone, enjoying her dewy, soft skin and wondering idly if the rest of her body would be as sweet.
"Even when I stated my interest, there was no calculation involved. In the back of my mind—and I'm definitely speaking subconscious here—I guess I imagined that we'd see how things went. If it seemed like something you might be open to, then I suppose I would have broached the subject, but I definitely thought it would be one of those conversations that we'd have when we knew each other a whole lot better and had a more definite idea about where things were heading."
Luanna frowned. "So it's not something that you can't live without, then?" she asked pragmatically.
"I've never tried," Logan replied honestly. "I've never been in a position where I've needed to make a choice, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't, if the right woman came along."
Luanna shrugged. "I don't know anything about any kind of kink." She frowned. "Heck, I barely know anything about sex!" she added, her voice laden with self-mockery. "But I'm not generally against trying new things." She tipped her head to one side. "What is it you like doing to your kink partners, Logan?" she asked guilelessly.
Logan stroked his thumb against her mouth, liking the way his name sounded on her lips, his eyes intense as they bored into hers.
"I am generally considered to be a Dominant, and my 'kink partners', as you so quaintly put it, are submissives."
Luanna drew in a breath. She wasn't so far behind the times that she didn't have an inkling of what those things meant. She'd read 'Fifty Shades of Grey', even found it titillating. For a moment, however, her mind went completely blank and she forgot to breath.
Logan watched Luanna's pupils dilate, and one side of his mouth kicked up in a half smile as he wondered what she was thinking. The silence swirled heavily around them for several long seconds.
"What I like to do with those submissives…" he whispered when she didn't say anything more "…is tie them up."
Luanna swallo
wed and realised that her mouth had suddenly gone dry.
"Have you ever heard of Shibari?" Logan asked, moving his thumb to stroke at the length of her throat and short-circuiting her thought processes.
Realising that he had asked her a question, Luanna scrambled for an answer. "No," she rasped, stopping to clear her throat before she continued. "But I have heard of Google."
Logan threw his head back and laughed; the sound was deep and throaty, and it did funny things to her insides all on its own. Jeez, the man was lethal!
"Damn, I like you, Luanna," he replied with an equally killer smile. "I think we could have something really good together."
Chapter 2
Luanna took a deep breath and centred herself for a moment. After damn near sixteen years of pretty much not dating at all, was she really embarking on a potential relationship with a man who didn't actually live locally, was involved, albeit indirectly, with her work, and who was self-professedly into kink? And was she about to agree to a night of unbridled passion, straight off, and without as much as the benefit of a first date?
Well, I sure as heck hope it's a night of unbridled passion and not another complete letdown, a little voice whispered in the back of her mind. She guessed that subconscious attitude said it all, really.
