Tempt, page 2
“And what is that?”
“They’re soaked.”
“What?” She spun to face him. “That backpack is waterproof.”
“Maybe water resistant, but not waterproof.”
“This night just keeps getting worse and worse.”
“Maybe I can improve it.” He lifted her as she swayed once again. She was a light thing. She needed more meat on her bones. He couldn’t wait to take care of her.
“Why did you pick me up again?”
“Because you’re swaying on your feet.”
“I am?”
“Yes.”
At least she didn’t struggle or protest. Maybe he was making progress.
“Where are we going?”
“My office.” He turned left out of the women’s bathroom and strode down the hallway. Her head swiveled as they walked past the club entrance. The music had changed to a techno-beat. Someone must be doing a flogging.
“That sounds like one hell of a party,” she said.
“It is.” Max didn’t elaborate. At the end of the hall, he opened the door to his office and then sat her on the dark brown sofa. “You told me you walked from the campground.”
“Yes.” Her blue gaze met his.
“Why?” He wanted the rest of that story.
“Why what?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Defensive little thing.
He liked it. “That campground is about four miles from here, so why did you walk?”
“That far? No wonder my legs hurt.”
Max leaned against his desk and stared at her. She would learn that, when he asked a question, he expected an answer. He waited, studying her with narrow eyes.
“Fine,” she burst out. “My now ex-boyfriend thought a weekend camping would bring us closer together, but he didn’t tell me it was a horror campout complete with all sorts of gory crap. When he wouldn’t take me home, I packed up and left.”
His jaw tightened with each word. Give him five minutes with her ex-boyfriend... Max blew out a breath.
“You never told me your name.” He didn’t want her to know he’d been snooping in her wallet. It wasn’t his finest moment, but sometimes a man did something he wasn’t proud of.
“Sierra. Sierra Blake.”
The name suited her. “Your clothes are being washed and dried; it will probably take about forty-five minutes.”
“That wasn’t necessary.”
“It was.” He reached over and picked up his cell phone from where it sat on his desk. “Since I didn’t find a cell phone in your pack, I’m assuming you don’t have one.”
“It was part of the camping trip. No electronics.” She glared at him. “You went through my pack?”
“It was soaked.” He patted her wallet and keys where they sat on his desk. “Your belongings are safe with me, just as you will always be.”
She held his gaze. That was new. Most women he knew lowered their gazes when they tangled with him, but then Sierra didn’t quite fit the sub profile.
“You could have brought my pack to me to empty.”
“I should have, but I didn’t want to interrupt your getting warm, and this way, your clothes are already being taken care of.”
“Let the record show I’m not happy about this.”
“Noted.” Max held his phone out to her. She took it from him and dialed, letting out a loud sigh. “Hey Crys, it’s Sierra. I need your help. Can you call me back...” She glanced up at him, and he rattled off his number. Sierra repeated it. “I’m in a jam, and I need you to pick me up. Call when you can.” She hit the off button and held his cell out to him. “Thank you. I’m sorry.”
He put his finger against her soft lips. “No more apologizing. You are the victim.” He took his phone and set it on his desk. His phone would stay here in the office. The club had rules and one of them was no cell phones.
“I’ve taken you away from your party.”
“They’ll survive without me.” A knock sounded on the door before it was pushed open. Jordan stepped into the room.
His friend was dressed much like him, black pants, and shoes, bare chest. He also wore a pair of devil horns and pointy ears. His black hair was mussed.
“Max, we need you for a moment.” Jordan turned his head, and his gaze raked over Sierra.
Sierra put her arms over her stomach and seemed to shrink into herself. Interesting. She didn’t do that with him. Max snapped his fingers. “Can’t you handle it?” Why did he dislike the way Jordan was looking at Sierra?
Jordan glanced from Sierra to him. “They want you.” Jordan’s gaze returned to Sierra. “And who is this lovely morsel?”
“Not for you.” Max placed himself between Jordan and Sierra. Jordan’s eyebrows rose. “I’ll be there in a minute.” Why was he getting defensive with his friend and silent partner in the club?
Jordan grinned and bowed. “Okay, boss.” He turned and left the room.
“Boss? Ralph called you that too.”
“Jordan’s just being a smart ass.” He ran a finger over her cheek, enjoying the feel of her soft skin against his. “Will you be okay for a few minutes?”
“I think I can manage.” The spunk was back in her voice, and damn if his dick didn’t react to it.
“Do you need anything to eat or drink before I go find out what’s happening at the party?”
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Make yourself at home.” He turned and left the room. Jordan was waiting for him.
“So, what’s her story?” Jordan asked as they walked toward the club.
“She got caught in the storm and needs a ride home.”
“Car break down?”
“No car.”
“Then how the hell did she get here?” Jordan was frowning.
“Walked from the campground.” Max held up his hand. “Short version: Her ex-boyfriend took her camping, didn’t tell her it was the horror campout. He refused to take her home, so she packed up and started walking.”
“The ex is an asshole.”
“Bastard is more like it.” Max clenched his hands.
“Why don’t we seek this guy out and show him a thing or two about how to treat a lady? I’m sure Damon would enjoy it as well.”
Max grinned. Jordan and Damon were his two best friends and silent partners in the club. “I’m sure, but not tonight. Right now my priority is getting her dry and home.”
“Are you going to take her?” Jordan asked.
Max shook his head. “She insisted on calling her friend. She’s already upset that she’s taking me away from my party and I’ve taken a few liberties that have pushed her buttons. I figure if I try to drive her home, she’ll fight me on it.”
“No woman fights with Max.” Jordan grinned.
“I’ve done enough already, and I don’t want to scare her off permanently.” It was the truth. He’d tried to keep his dominant side toned down, but it still came out. It was a natural part of him. He didn’t know if she was in the lifestyle and consent was a big thing. He needed to remember that even with his protective instincts on high.
“What’s going on?” Jordan leaned toward him.
“I don’t know.” Max rubbed his neck. From the moment he saw Sierra standing in his doorway, soaking wet with those big blue eyes, something inside him snapped into place. “Besides, she doesn’t know about the club, and I wasn’t about to tell her tonight.”
Jordan nodded. “Will you tell her?”
“If I see her again.” Why did his gut tighten at the thought of not seeing her again? “Why do you need me?”
“Walt wants to use the bull whip.”
“No.” Max ran his hand over his face.
“That’s what I told him, but he’s insisting on talking to you.”
“Fine let’s get this done, then I need to get back to Sierra.”
“Sure.”
Max glanced around his club: Wicked Sanctuary. He smiled. The Saints and Sinners party was in full swing. Moans, groans, and cries of pleasure could be heard from various corners. Yes, it was a good night. He wondered how his guest would react if she saw what went on here.
* * * *
Sierra blew out a breath the second the door closed behind Max. Now she understood what women meant when they said “a man’s man.” Max was that and more. Testosterone flowed from him like ocean waves, and her body reacted.
Weird. She’d never had this kind of reaction around a man before, bossy or not. But with Max, it was different. She wanted to obey him. Sierra shook her head. She wasn’t a submissive type of woman. It must be the lack of sleep messing with her mind.
She glanced around his office. The chocolate leather sofa was soft beneath her. An oak desk sat across from her, big and imposing, like the man himself. She stood up. There was a matching five-shelf bookcase and three filing cabinets.
Sierra wandered over to the bookcase. Her gaze took in the books. Computer code? Was it possible Max was a computer geek? No geek she ever knew looked like a Greek god.
She bent down to look at the lower shelves, scanning titles, and one caught her eye. BDSM For The Novice. Was Max into BDSM? She reached for the book, then pulled back.
Well, he had said to make herself at home. She slid the book out and carried it over to the sofa. The spine was well worn, like it had been read over and over again. She was curious.
She’d messed around with kink a bit in college. It had been fun and exciting. She had read what she could find about the lifestyle. It just didn’t seem to fit for her. Heck, one of her best friends was always bringing romance books to her, and almost all of them had some sort of kink to them, from mild to the outrageous. The books where the women were treated like slaves Sierra didn’t like very much. That was so not her style.
Wiggling on the sofa, she found a comfortable spot and opened the book. Within a few minutes, her eyes grew heavy, and she snuggled down onto the softness, thinking she’d only close her eyes for a few minutes.
* * * *
Max walked down the hallway to his office. Walt had the nerve to argue with him about the bullwhip. He wasn’t trained enough to use it, and it had been on the sub’s hard limit list. Max issued Walt a warning about that. No one violated a sub’s hard limit. Not in his club.
He opened his office door, stepped in, and automatically glanced to the right. There was Sierra, stretched out on his sofa. The robe covered every tantalizing bit of her. Her ankles were crossed, a book lay open on her chest, and her eyes were closed.
Max looked at the title of the book. Was she interested in kink? Or merely curious about the book?
He glanced at her serene face and the slow rise and fall of her chest. She was sound asleep, and he didn’t want to wake her. When his cell phone rang, he snatched it up and answered it. “Max here.”
“Umm, this is Crystal. I’m looking for my friend Sierra.”
“Hi.” He kept his voice low. “She’s asleep right now, but wanted to see if you could come and pick her up.”
“I got that from the message. Is Sierra okay?”
The concern in Crystal’s voice soothed Max’s nerves. She sounded like a good friend. “She’s fine. She just got soaked walking from the campground to my place. Let me give you directions.”
“It will probably take me a good thirty minutes or more.”
“No worries. Her clothes should be dry by then. If we’re not out front when you arrive, call to let us know you’re outside. And thank you, Crystal.” The last thing he needed was another non-member wandering into the club.
“What are best friends for?”
The line went dead. Max set his cell down and continued to watch Sierra. Maybe he could figure out why he was so attracted to her and if she was into kink.
* * * *
Sierra opened her eyes slowly, then blinked several times. She was on a buttery soft sofa. Sitting up, something hit her hand, and she glanced down at the book she’d been reading.
“Better?” An amused male voice asked.
She turned her head to see Max lounging against his desk.
“Ah, yes.” She lifted her hand to her head. The towel around her head was still in place. Oh man, her hair was going to be a mess. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“I told you to make yourself at home.”
“True.” With care, Sierra slid the book off her lap onto the sofa cushion, then unwound the towel from her head. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders. “I need to find my brush.”
“Here.” Max turned and then held it out to her.
She took it from his outstretched hand. “How?”
“Since your pack was soaked, Ralph emptied it.” Max gestured to his desk where her wallet, keys and now her comb sat.
“Thank you.” She began to draw the brush through her hair. Thankfully there was conditioner in the shower or her hair would have been a tangled mess for sure. “How long have I been asleep?” She braided her long hair using the hair tie she’d put on her wrist earlier to secure it.
“Only about twenty minutes. Your friend Crystal called; she should be here shortly.”
“Oh, I slept through the phone ringing.”
“You did.” Max gestured to a black bag sitting next to his desk. “Your clothes are in there.”
Color swept into her cheeks. “Thank you.” She stood and reached for the bag, but Max was there before her. He lifted it and placed it on the couch over the book. Had he noticed what she was reading?
He probably had. Not much slipped past his eagle eyes. Sierra opened the bag and pulled out clothing, then looked at Max. He gave her a smile.
“I’ll step outside while you change.” He picked up her bag and brush, then left the room.
Why had he taken the bag? Sierra shrugged her shoulders and began to dress. She felt better being back in her clothes. She folded the robe and laid it over the arm of the sofa. Then she picked up the book and put it back in its spot on the bookcase.
Picking up her wallet, keys, and comb, she opened the door to see Max lounging against the wall. “All done.” She held her hand out for her bag.
Max shook his head. Instead, he opened the side zipper and held it open for her to put her things in. She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it. This man took taking care of someone to another level. Crazy as it was, it warmed her insides. She put the items in the pocket.
“I think my boots are still by the front door.”
“They are.” He took her elbow and guided her to the front. The music from the party had changed again, but it still had a primal beat to it.
Sierra slipped her feet into the boots and laced them up. Max opened the door for her just as Crystal pulled up in her car. Max took her by the elbow again and escorted her out to the vehicle. Thank goodness it had stopped raining.
Max opened the car door for her. “Good evening,” he said to Crystal.
“Hi.”
Sierra slipped into the car. Max opened the back door and laid the bag on the seat before returning to Sierra’s side. “Call me when you get home.”
Max pressed a white card into her hand.
“Thank you for everything, Max.” She put her seatbelt on.
“I mean it, Sierra; call me.” He ran a finger over her lips before he straightened, shut the door, and took several steps back.
Crystal drove away, and Sierra let out a sigh. Would she ever see Max again? Probably not. While he was handsome, sexy, and very alpha male, she didn’t like dominant men. Another sigh escaped her lips. But damn if he didn’t tempt her.
CHAPTER TWO
“So who is the hunk?” Crystal asked as she pulled out onto the main road.
“That was Max.” Sierra rested her head against the seat. “What a day.”
“I gathered. Tell me what happened.”
Sierra told her friend about Carl and the campout. Walking to Max’s house, her wet clothes, taking him away from his party. She didn’t say how his touch made her tingle inside, let alone what his deep husky voice did to her bones.
“And Max?” Crystal asked.
“What about him?”
“The man was bare-chested, wearing a pair of black pants, and had devil’s horns on his head.”
Sierra laughed. “You know, after the initial shock of seeing him, I forgot all about the horns. He was hosting a Saints and Sinners party.”
“Are you telling me you didn’t flirt with that perfect male specimen?”
“Crystal, until earlier today, Carl was my boyfriend.”
“Carl was an ass. Max is a delicious hot fudge sundae.”
Sierra laughed. “Yes, to both.” She turned the card over in her hand. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“I’m sure Max would have driven you home.”
“I wasn’t going to take him away from his party. It was bad enough as it was.” Guilt hit her low in the stomach.
“I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have minded. You said a Saints and Sinners party?”
“That’s what Max called it. I really didn’t see much. The music had a primal beat, not what I would expect at the party.” Sierra glanced at the clock in the dashboard. “Is it really that late?” It was almost ten.
“You called me around seven, I called back at eight forty-five. I was surprised when Max answered.”
“I fell asleep.”
“You’re probably exhausted from not getting much sleep last night.”
“Max said I’d only slept about thirty minutes.” She’d spent a couple hours in his company, but it seemed much shorter.
“So Carl is history?” Crystal asked as she drove into town and turned toward their apartment complex. It was nice living in the same complex as your best friend.
“Yes.”
“Thank God.”
Sierra turned in her seat. “You didn’t like him? You never said anything.”
“I didn’t like the way he treated you at times. He was an ass when you told him you didn’t do horror, and look. He lied and took you anyway.”
“Well, it’s done and over with. I’m moving on.”
“Good. Now move on to Max.”
“Crystal.” Sierra tried to inject outrage into her tone but couldn’t. Once at their apartment building, after Crystal parked the car, they rode the elevator to the third floor, then parted ways. They lived at opposite ends of the building.
