Bailey: Independence #1 (17 page)

Gabriel slid his hand on her waist, guiding her beneath the portico and toward the double front doors. Another keypad and another code before the door opened and he urged her into the warmth. Lights came up softly in the wide hallway that separated into three sections: straight ahead, the left and the right.

“Bedrooms are to the left. Kitchen, dining and living areas straight ahead. My workout room to the right,” Gabriel hung his coat on the rack just inside a large closet. He reached for her shawl but stopped when she moved forward, stopped and inhaled.

“There’s a pool. Or hot tub,” she turned and looked at him expectantly, surprise on his face. “I can smell the chlorine. My parents said it was part of my DNA.”

“The lower level has an indoor Olympic pool and the playroom,” he responded, watching the nervous way she shifted. She was expressive, biting the corner of a mouth he wanted to ravish without stopping the entire weekend. “Would you like a tour?”

Bailey didn’t hesitate when his palm was held out to her. She walked slowly beside him, her gaze on the wide corridor and frames arranged on the wall.

“Is this your family?”

Short of dragging her away and slamming down on his answer, Gabriel stopped and faced the wall that he’d put up over a year ago. He really hadn’t looked at it once it was there. It was a collection of colors and faces that had blended into the house.

“Some of them. Some friends,” a small shrug followed. “Some memories.”

“Who is this?” Bailey stared at the tall blonde surrounded by two women and three men, one of them making her squint and lean closer. “This is you.”

“A very long time ago.”

“And the blonde?”

“My ex-wife,” Gabriel wasn’t sure what to expect but met the green eyes that turned and looked him over slowly. “I was twenty-two. Twenty-three when we divorced.”

“She looks like the woman in the paper.” Bailey turned away and looked down the hall, releasing his palm and striding into the back of the house. The living area had a high vaulted ceiling above it, the dining and kitchen off to the right. Her fingers touched the cool marble counter that broke between the kitchen and living area.

“Stephanie Blake is Belinda’s younger sister by two years. You saw the photo on the society page,” he said simply, the one shoulder she raised and let fall making him sigh.

“Was it a secret?”

“It was an ambush,” he answered coldly. “Belinda has decided she made a big mistake and sent Stephanie to assess my interest.”

“Did she…play? Your ex-wife?” Bailey wasn’t sure why she asked. She really didn’t want to know. She should have insisted he take her home since the lieutenant dismissed her ride. She didn’t care. He was just a sex partner. Like she had a lot of those. Her eyes rolled at the conversation inside her head.

“No,” Gabriel walked around her, putting himself into her line of vision and forcing her face up to look at him. “I don’t know if she does or not. That was before I realized what I was, what I needed. She isn’t in my life and hasn’t been for almost twelve years, Bailey. I can’t stop people from snapping photos with their damn cell phones.”

“I haven’t said anything, Gabriel. I don’t care who you date.”

“The hell…I did not date her.”

“You said you weren’t interested in anything except the play.” She stepped to the side, her eyes catching on the wide staircase. “Does that lead below? Can I go down?”

“Go explore. I’m going to change clothes and I’ll be right down,” he wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “Bailey, we’re going to talk. About the play but about other things, too.”

“Whatever. Keeping me alive means the police won’t arrest you for murder. It’s okay. You have a life really excused from what I’m part of and that’s fine.” She tugged on her hand and kept walking without looking back, even when he swore loudly. She heard the heavy sound of his feet on the hardwood floors and wandered down the staircase.

She was glad she’d gotten it off her chest. She wasn’t the clinging type. She didn’t need a man before she met him and she’d be fine when he moved on. She just had to keep telling herself that each time she thought about him.

Heels made an echoing sound on the tiles that surrounded the large mirror like pool, a delicate wafting of steam coming off the water and fogging the thick glass. She continued walking, a set of double doors at the end holding her attention.

He’d said the playroom was down here.

Her fingers tapped the light switch outside the double doors. A low orange glow slowly built inside the room. Bailey stood in the doorway and stared.

Bolts of all sizes and positioned at all heights dotted the walls, secured in thick, dark beams that highlighted the entire area. They made it look old, medieval and rustic. Manacles, chains and all types of leather covered shackles were hung or dangled from large steel looking rings.

A waist high bondage table had cuffs lying off each end. A massive cross stood off to one end, large eye hooks decorating the smooth, heavy wood. She stared, uncertain what it was for but her imagination sent a flush of heat through to her core and back, tinting her cheeks and dampening her panties. She remembered the club in a rush of breath and the woman that had been attached facing the cross with red streaks along her body and the screams of her orgasm.

Bailey gulped.

Narrow shelves lined one wall and held all manner of paddles, whips and things with dozens of soft strands of leather. Then her gaze landed on one piece that resembled a piece from a gymnastic layout.

A vault horse. But this one was covered in firm, dark leather. The top was rounded and smooth with leather cuffs lying on both sides, the chains holding them in place had clips that meant they could be moved. Depending on the person, she guessed. Small cuffs on one side, larger ones on the other. Bailey felt her eyes widen as Gabriel suddenly gripped her shoulders, walking her forward until she stood next to the bench.

“A spanking bench. For bad girls who don’t know how to behave,” Gabriel said softly, his palm gliding over her behind possessively. His palm was up and circling her wrist when she reached forward, slender fingers out to stroke the leather. “Not this time. This time I want to talk to you.”

“No,” she said instantly, her body clenched when she tried pulling her palm free and it wouldn’t budge.

“Excuse me?” His voice was low, his body slowly pulled up to his full height.

Chapter Seventeen

“I don’t want to talk,” she answered defiantly, her chin up but her insides a little mushy. She heard the words inside her head asking if she really knew what she was doing. “I want to play.”

It couldn’t be a good thing that his features never moved. Not even a fraction of an inch. Nothing. No reaction. Bailey cleared her throat and stared straight ahead, noticing his suit was gone and he wore a plain tee shirt and jeans. Her eyes went to the floor.

No shoes. She stared back at his chest.

“You said that’s how it worked. One of the…the couple says those words.”

“And it’s either accepted or not,” Gabriel kept his fingers around her wrist, watching her tongue play over her lips. He could easily feel the rapidly thumping of her pulse beneath his hand. “There are things we need to discuss.”

“No.”

“Are you trying to anger me?”

“I don’t want to talk,” she said loudly, her gaze sweeping to the stiff arm holding her wrist. “I don’t want to think. I don’t want to see the…the picture of her from the news shows and I definitely don’t want the image of the body beneath the sheet! I don’t want to talk. If that isn’t clear enough or what you want, then let me go and I’ll leave. I don’t belong here anymore than I belonged at that club.”

“You belong where ever I want you to be, Bailey.” He wasn’t sure how he managed to keep his voice firm, his tone level, because the very last thing he felt was calm.

“I have to go. I can call up a cab…”

Gabriel moved quickly, his free hand going to the nape of her neck and into her hair, pulling her head back until he could stare into her eyes. To her credit, she didn’t close them or shy away. It didn’t surprise him that there were so many emotions inside her right now. And he should have been smart enough, intuitive enough, to realize what all this was doing to her.

“Are you using your safe word, Bailey? Because that’s the only way I’m releasing you and the only way I’ll take you to your apartment.” He waited, steeling himself against the moisture he saw gathering in her eyes. He abruptly released her and took a step back, dark eyes cold and flat. “Take off the dress.”

Bailey wobbled back a step, blinking at the sudden change in him.

“If you value it, Bailey, move quicker or I’ll grab and tear.” Gabriel turned from her and went to the shelf.

Never play in anger, he heard shouted in his head as he reached for the familiar black handle of the multi-strand flogger. The strips were from the softest deer hide and could caress or smart, depending on the person using it. And he was an expert.

Her hands shook when she lifted the silver strand of her purse over her head, crossing the room and laying it on the leather bench near the wide double doors that were open. She reached behind her, the zipper sliding down before she shrugged it over her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Bailey was reaching for one heel when his voice bit through the silence.

“Leave the shoes,” Gabriel ground his teeth together when he turned and saw the dress fall to the floor. His cock thumped hard and ready against the snug denim when she bent and lifted the dress, laying it over the shawl and purse on the bench. “Don’t turn around,” he ordered gruffly, moving in behind her and letting the handle caress along her hip.

“Do you have parties here?” Bailey jumped visibly when his palm slid between her legs and closed down on her mound.

“You don’t have permission to speak tonight unless it’s to utter the safe word. I wanted to talk. You chose play,” he informed her bluntly, squeezing his fingers and raking his nails over the satin covered mound. He knew she was smooth beneath the panties and slipped his palm inside the leg opening.

Bailey made a move, trying to bring her feet closer together.

“No, sub,” he said flatly, his foot going between hers and nudging it further out. “Mine to play with as I please. And you’ve made me very hungry with your defiance.” He pulled his palm free and wrapped it around the back of her neck, guiding her toward the spanking bench. “Don’t move.”

Fine. She could be stubborn, too.

He thought he was so smart. She glared at the leather bench, stiffening her spine. It was her fault. She knew it. She didn’t know why someone was stalking him, using her, but she knew it was her fault. She could call the lieutenant and offer to help. There had to be a way to stop…

A high-pitched yelp broke from her lips when the sharp crack struck her pantie covered ass.

“Where’d you go, Bailey?” He brought his palm around and cupped her chin, forcing it back. “Answer me.”

“You told me not to speak,” she pushed back, the bright flare in his dark eyes at her challenge making her squirm. Just a little. Okay, more than a little, she thought as she realized exactly how much trouble her mouth could get her into.

Gabriel released her and dropped to one knee, his hands working the leather cuff around her ankle, adjusting the length before moving to the other foot.

Bailey stared down, the taut chains holding her from moving her feet closer together and any further apart. She knew exactly what a wishbone felt like.

“Step onto the block by your foot.” Gabriel stood up and adjusted the height of the bench. When she didn’t move her foot, his palm came down hard on the other cheek of her ass. “Move, sub.”

Bailey swallowed the yelp this time, clenching her teeth and carefully lifting her feet to the wide blocks. She had no idea what he was doing but at least most of her mind was off the murders. Then she saw him on the other side of the spanking bench, one brow arched and full lips drawn taut.

Uh-oh.

“Thinking again, Bailey?” He watched her chin go up, the bow of her mouth set and closed. “You really are intent on pushing the limits tonight. Bend forward,” he saw a moment’s hesitation and moved to the side when she quickly did as he said, laying her ribs against the softly rounded leather bench. It was worn almost like a saddle with her trapped neatly and firmly inside.

Her eyes hadn’t lost their wide-eyed anticipation and her heart was thumping wildly against her chest when he took one wrist and bound it into a leather restraint. He adjusted the length and moved to the other, her frown deepening when she realized there was no movement available to her.

“Stop struggling. It’ll only make it worse for you.” Gabriel stepped back and licked his lips before striding to a small bureau and pulling out a band of red fabric. “It’ll match your corset. Which I find really appealing on you, Bailey.” He laughed when she bit her lip to keep from commenting, his hands moving efficiently to tie the band around her eyes. “Now…we will talk.”

Bailey grit her teeth. She would listen. Nothing was going to force her to talk if she didn’t want to. She laid her cheek against the side of the bench and tried to slow her breathing. Like yoga, she thought, focusing on the position and watching her breath going in and out.