Claiming Her Heart (5 page)

Blake’s heart lurched in his chest as he watched her disappear.

Her words only cemented his decision. He had to get out of her life, as soon as possible. He didn’t deserve a woman like Erin.

He never had, and now he never would.

CHAPTER SIX

Three days later

Erin

“So we’re all straight on where we need to be when?” Blake paced the luxury hotel suite where they’d been staying since their return to L.A. He’d thought it would be best if they stuck close to plan their strategy, which had been more than fine with Erin.

The suite was twice the size of her studio apartment and she still couldn’t get enough of Blake. Even after the sex marathon they’d had at the cabin, she’d been eager to get back between the sheets with the man. Making love to him was swiftly becoming an addiction.

Too bad he didn’t feel the same way…

He hadn’t touched her in three days. Instead of joining her in bed, he’d sacked out on the couch, leaving her one of the suite’s bedrooms and his partner, Rafe, who had flown in from Miami, the other. Something was obviously bothering him, but she hadn’t had the chance to talk to him about it. Rafe or one of his other friends always seemed to be around. They hadn’t had ten minutes alone together since the ride back to L.A.

But if she were honest with herself, she’d felt him pulling away even then. Ever since their brief and embarrassing encounter with the police, he’d been acting differently. He was still committed to helping her get her daughter back, but he didn’t seem interested in continuing what they’d begun up at the cabin.

Erin knew she shouldn’t let that hurt her so much. Two days was nothing in the scheme of things, and saying you loved someone didn’t necessarily mean you were ready to try to make a relationship work. Hell, she wasn’t even sure
she
was ready. She only knew she missed the connection they’d had, missed it so much it made her feel hollow inside.

But she had to pull herself together. Blake had his own life, his own plans for the future, and they had nothing to do with her. She should just be grateful he was using his connections to help her get Abby back.

And she was. But she was also disappointed. Profoundly.

For a moment or two there, she’d actually let herself believe that the future might hold something beautiful for her and the only man she would ever love.

“Rafe,” Blake said, turning back to his friend, “do you remember where you’re supposed to wait for the call?”

“Blake, we’ve been over it a hundred times.” Rafe reached for the television remote, sinking farther down into the overstuffed couch. “Let’s check out what’s on pay-per-view and relax for a couple of hours, man.”

His blasé attitude bugged Erin. A lot. This was her daughter’s life on the line, after all. “If you don’t want to help out with this,” she said in a cool voice, “I totally understand. We can change the plan. Blake and I can do the bit at the club and then—”

“Of course I want to help, and I’m your man for breaking and entering. Believe me,” Rafe said, turning his attention back to where Erin and the two cameramen sat at the mahogany dining table.

The monstrosity was bigger than her bed back at her studio apartment and reminded her way too much of the ostentatious furnishings in her former home. Scott had picked out all their pieces himself and his tastes ran to the large and overly embellished.

Just another thing they hadn’t had in common. Erin had felt more at home in Blake’s cabin after two days than she had in three years of wandering around Scott’s garish showplace.

“This isn’t breaking and entering,” Erin said. “I have a key and the code to the security system.”

“And what if the code has changed? What would you do then?”

“I don’t know,” she said, trying to keep anger from her tone. The man wasn’t trying to be argumentative, but he rubbed her the wrong way. “I’d figure something out.”

“Figure something out. Good plan.” He snorted, a derisive sound that made her grit her teeth.

Maybe the bastard
was
trying to be argumentative. Fine with her.

“Well, what are you going to do if Abby starts crying and wakes up the nanny?” Erin asked. “She doesn’t know you, and I’m betting she’s not going to like you very much.”

“I’ll have you know I’m good with ladies of all ages,” Rafe said, that smirk on his face she knew most women would find sexy, but only made her want to strangle him. “You want references? I’m sure Blake would be willing to testify to my many successes with the fairer sex.”

“Rafe.” Blake’s tone was a warning to cut the crap.

He was right. They didn’t have time to argue.

Erin sighed, her anger flooding away as the cold reality of what they were planning set in once more. She was placing way too much trust in a man she didn’t really know, and it scared her.

“Listen, I’m grateful for your offer to help,” she said in a softer voice, “but I honestly think it would be better if I went.”

Rafe met her eyes, the hard look on his face softening for one of the first times since she’d met him on Sunday. She’d been surprised to find Rafe fairly hostile, but had tried not to take it personally. She wasn’t here to make friends. She was here to get Abby back.

“I grew up helping out with six little brothers and sisters,” Rafe said, rising and coming to lean on the back of the empty chair across from her. “I’m good with kids, and if Abby is like most babies she sleeps like the dead once she’s down. Am I right?”

Erin bit her lip, not wanting to admit he had a point. Whenever Abby fell asleep in her car seat, Erin had to move heaven and earth to get her awake enough to sit up in the buggy when they went grocery shopping. It had driven Scott so crazy she’d started riding in the backseat so she could play with Abby while they drove, keeping her awake until they reached the store.

“See. I know a few things about kids,” Rafe said with a smile. “And I promise you, I’ll have your baby here by the time you crazy kids get back from your kinky time.”

“Speaking of, I’d like you dressed in about an hour.” Steve, the sound guy Blake had convinced to help them, reached for another slice of pizza.

He’d been eating nonstop since he arrived at the hotel room three hours ago and showed no signs of slowing down. It was obvious he came by his impressive bulk honestly. With his thick brown beard, friendly face, and giant belly, he resembled a twenty-something Santa Claus.

If Santa was a big porn fan.

Steve had grilled Erin for over an hour for all the details on the former porn stars she worked with at The Hard Way, keeping at it until she’d fled to the balcony pleading a need for fresh air. She wasn’t a prude by any means, but porn wasn’t really her thing.

Why spend hours watching badly staged sexual scenarios that catered to the male of the species, when you could actually be having sex?

Or maybe even making love, sharing more than a bodily connection with another person. The way she and Blake did when they—

Not going there, remember?

Erin blinked away the mental images inspired by thoughts of her and Blake making love. “Do you want both of us dressed or just me?”

“Both of you. It could be tricky making sure the mics don’t show in tight clothing,” Steve said around a mouth full of pepperoni and olives. “It’s going to be tight, right? I can’t wait to see Blake in some second-skin leather pants.”

“Thanks, Steve,” Blake said dryly. “Though I have to confess, I didn’t realize you swung that way.”

“Only for you, Blake. Only for you.” Steve batted his eyes and all the men laughed. Even Ken, the rather quiet Asian man in charge of the cameras, chuckled into his giant mug of coffee.

Erin probably would have laughed, too, if she weren’t so nervous.

“I think I’ll go ahead and shower and get dressed now,” she said, taking her coffee mug to the sink and dumping the last of the contents down the drain. She was already hyped up enough, the last thing she needed was more caffeine.

“Me, too. I’ll use Rafe’s bathroom.” Blake shot her a reassuring smile as they crossed paths. Erin smiled back, trying not to think about how much more she’d enjoy the process of getting clean if they were to share a shower. She could use a little stress-relieving quickie right about now.

Who was she kidding? She could always go for a quickie if Blake were the man in question. She craved his hands on her, his voice whispering in her ear, telling her how to please him, taking away all fear and doubt. She really was hopeless, head over heels for another Dominant man before she’d even started divorce proceedings with the first man who’d taken control of her life.

Maybe
that
was why Blake didn’t want her anymore. He’d seen how weak she was and wanted no part of it. He’d said a submissive’s role required a lot more strength than a Dom’s.

Maybe he’d decided she didn’t have what it took to be his girl.

So what? If that’s what he’s decided, it’s his loss.

Erin froze in the doorway to what had been her bedroom for the past few nights, shocked to her core. How long had it been since she’d felt enough pride in herself to assume anyone would be better off with her than without her?

Years. At least two.

A part of her knew she had Blake to thank for that, too. If he hadn’t made her feel so intensely desired, who knows how long it could have taken to recover her lost confidence? The guys at The Hard Way had made it clear her body was still plenty interesting, but it was Blake who had made the person inside the body begin to feel whole again. She owed him for that, no matter what craziness had driven him to kidnap her in the first place.

So if he wanted out of what they’d started without a bunch of drama, she’d just have to do her best to let him go.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Erin

Erin sighed as she turned on the shower, ignoring the aching in her chest and the tightness at the back of her throat. She couldn’t let herself dwell on the likelihood of losing Blake. There was too much riding on her ability to pretend they were a happy BDSM couple.

With the help of one of Rafe’s many mysterious connections, they’d scored a copy of the guest list and a pair of tickets for a special scene being held at Under My Thumb, the club in the Valley Scott had been frequenting before they split. Scott Sakapatatis was on the VIP list for the “Knights in Black Leather, Ladies in White Lace” costume event.

The knowledge made her shudder.

Barring some unforeseen change of plans, she’d be seeing her husband in a few hours. But this time she wouldn’t be alone. She’d be accompanied by her new Dom, a man determined to help her get custody of her daughter. Though they weren’t going to let Scott in on that fact right away.

The plan was for her and Blake to engage in some public play, doing their best to capture Scott’s attention and hopefully inspire some old-fashioned jealousy, a tactic Erin was cautiously optimistic would work. Scott had found her undesirable for the past couple of years, but that didn’t mean he was ready to see her serving another man.

After all,
she
was the one who’d left
him
and she knew that stung. Above all else, Scott craved control of the people in his life. The day he’d tracked her down at her new apartment, that craving had led to an offer to take her back. It was only after she refused that he’d lost it and snatched Abby from her crib.

Hopefully, he’d get nice and angry when he saw Erin letting Blake do so many of the things she’d never wanted Scott to do to her in public. Because the angrier he was, the more likely he would be to incriminate himself. On the chance the threats he’d made had been a heat-of-the-moment thing, they needed him heated tonight.

Then, once his temper was boiling, she’d fan the flames by asking him to step outside for a talk. A talk in which she’d tell him all about her new knight in shining armor and do her damnedest to get any threats he made on tape.

Once that was accomplished, the men monitoring the camera and sound feeds from a nearby van would call Rafe and give him the go signal. He’d be on the move from his location near Scott’s house a few minutes later. Even if Scott left the club right after his chat with Erin, Rafe would still have plenty of time to get in, get Abby, and get out before Scott arrived home.

They’d decided it was too risky to wait and go after Abby a night or two after Erin and Blake’s appearance at the club. Scott would be on his guard and suspecting something from his soon-to-be ex. If he hadn’t changed the locks and security code previously, he would be much more inclined to then, and that would make gaining access to the home that much trickier.

This was the best plan they could come up with and it seemed to be a good one.

“Then why are you so nervous?” Erin asked her reflection in the steamy mirror as she stripped out of her white tee shirt and jeans.

Was it the chance of failure? The fear that she wouldn’t really be holding Abby by the end of the night? Was it anxiety over seeing Scott for the first time in weeks?