Claiming Her Heart (6 page)

Or maybe it was the way her heart rate accelerated when she looked at the white, nearly see-through peek-a-boo chemise and matching frilly shorts she’d be wearing in front of an entire room full of people tonight.

The outfit hung on the rod near the hotel towels, taunting her.

Even in her club days, she’d never been the type to go to a scene so scantily dressed. Leather shorts and a tank top with thigh-high boots had been more her style. She’d feel naked in the outfit Blake had picked out for her. And even more exposed because
he
had been the one to choose the ensemble. It was obviously the kind of thing he would have wanted his girl to wear.

Tonight she would be his girl.

He would finally touch her, tease her, dominate her, for what might very well be the last time. And he’d do it all in front of a room full of people.

Public displays weren’t her breed of kink, but Erin vowed she was going to make the most of the coming hours with Blake. Nerves be damned. She wasn’t going to let her last chance to be mastered by Blake slip through her fingers. She had to put on a good show for Abby’s sake, and she needed to feel Blake’s strong hands upon her for her own. She needed the chance to say good-bye with more than words, to have one last kiss, one more chance to bask in the bliss of pleasuring the man she loved.

God, she loved him. It hadn’t been some madness inspired by their crazy weekend. The feeling was still there now, simmering inside of her, growing stronger every day.

“Erin?” Blake’s voice at the door made her jump and her heart race a little faster.

What was he doing here? Had he decided a team shower made more sense as well?

Before she could second-guess herself, Erin turned to the door, not bothering to cover her body with a towel. She was still wearing her bra and panties, and it wasn’t like Blake hadn’t seen everything she had to offer.

“Hey. What’s up?” She opened the door, breath catching to see Blake standing in front of her wearing nothing but his faded black jeans.

His massive chest was bare, every muscle sharply delineated from his morning workout at the hotel gym. It was hell to resist the urge to lean forward and trace the lines of his six-pack with her tongue. She wanted to taste the light salt of his skin, wanted to kiss her way down his strong stomach while her fingers worked the close of his jeans.

It felt like ages since he’d had his hand fisted in her hair and his cock down her throat. She wanted to feel his hot, steely length shoving between her lips again, wanted to—

“Um, Ken said…” Blake’s voice trailed off, his breath rushing out between his parted lips.

His dark gaze met hers and Erin had no doubt he knew exactly what she’d been thinking. He swallowed hard, his eyes drifting down to take in her simple white bra and cotton panties. They weren’t nearly as scandalous as what she’d be wearing tonight, but apparently Blake found them plenty interesting.

Erin smiled as she watched the crotch of his jeans grow tighter. “Ken said?”

“He said to make sure to wear your hair up,” Blake said, his eyes lingering on her breasts until Erin’s nipples pulled tight inside her bra. God, he could make her ache with just a look, make her pussy slick without laying a hand on her. “The cameras are hidden in the earrings he brought, and he doesn’t want your hair getting in the way.”

“Okay. Not a problem.” She stood in the doorway, unmoving, wondering if she should risk making the first move. “Is there anything else?”

“No. Nothing else.” He shook his head and stepped back, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Erin’s heart sank in spite of herself. They were going to be together in a couple of hours; she should just suck it up.

But in a couple of hours they were going to be putting on a show for Scott. She wanted Blake to touch her before the pretense, to let her know he still felt something for her. Even if it was only lust.

“Blake, I—”

He was gone before she could finish her sentence, fleeing from the bedroom like his hair was on fire. That was how desperate he was to get away from her. His cock might still respond to the sight of her nearly naked body, but that was the end of it.

Blake didn’t want her anymore. It was as if he’d forgotten the passion that burned so hot between them a few short days ago.

“Then I’ll just have to make sure he remembers,” Erin whispered as she closed the door and flung her bra and underwear onto the floor.

She stepped into the shower, determined to scrub, soap, shave, and loofah herself into a state of unparalleled desirability. She’d show Blake what he was missing and give him a night he’d never forget.

She might not be able to change his heart, but at least she could make sure she would haunt his mind. Blake would never enter another BDSM club again without thinking of what they’d done together.

She was going to make sure of it.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Blake

Under My Thumb was classier than Blake had anticipated. Compared to many of the clubs he’d frequented in Vegas, the joint was downright restrained.

Thick, gold and brown fabric wallpaper covered the walls of the main room, muting the soft rumble of conversation and lending a warm, cozy feel to the lounge area. Dozens of low tables and thickly padded black and gold chairs surrounded the circular bar at the center of the room, and a waterfall on one wall all but eclipsed the music coming from the play areas with the soothing sound of water tumbling over rocks.

If it weren’t for the glimpses of bondage equipment and spanking tables in the darker rooms to his right and left, and the scantily clad submissive chained to a revolving platform above the bar, he and Erin could have been in any posh L.A. bar.

Well, any bar that allowed its patrons to bring their dates in on leashes.

A few feet ahead of them, half a dozen collared women and a couple of collared men knelt on the floor next to their Dominant partners’ chairs, eyes downcast and secretive smiles on their faces. The sight put Blake’s mind at ease about the personality of the club itself.

Safe, sane, and consensual seemed to be the rule. The patrons looked laid-back and relaxed, unconcerned for their own safety or anyone else’s.

In fact, many of the couples were laughing and chatting, the subs fetching plates from the hors d’oeuvres table and the Dominants feeding their partners while they knelt at their feet. There was a loving feeling in the main room, and Blake knew he would have genuinely enjoyed spending a night here playing with Erin if they weren’t here to confront her ex.

“Looks like I’m missing an important accessory,” Erin whispered, glancing at the rhinestone-inlaid collar of a young blond sub as they made their way to the bar.

“Do you think I should have found you a collar?” Blake leaned down and breathed the words against Erin’s neck, relishing the clean smell of her.

She looked so beautiful with her hair up, her neck long and graceful. He could amuse himself for at least half an hour just letting his lips play up and down that smooth column of soft flesh.

“There’s a woman selling gear at one of the tables in the corner.” Erin angled her body closer to his, the tips of her breasts brushing against his arm as he ordered them each a snifter of brandy. “I could follow you around on my hands and knees if you’d prefer.”

“I don’t need a collar to feel in control.” Blake glanced down at her, catching the faintest glimpse of her berry-colored nipples through the white fabric of her lacy top.

It had been driving him wild since the second she stepped out of the bathroom and every male jaw in the hotel room had dropped to the floor. Even Rafe, who had done his best to make his dislike for Erin known, had gotten that wolfish look in his eyes. Like he wanted to pounce on Erin and devour her whole.

It had been all Blake could do to keep from teaching them all a lesson about where to keep their eyes when it came to Erin—on her face, nowhere else. Friends or not, he couldn’t stand to see anyone else look at her with desire.

She was
his
, and no other man should touch her, not even with their eyes.

No, she’s not yours, asshole. She deserves a better man and you’re going to make sure she’s free to find him, remember?

Blake paid the bartender and took a deep pull on his brandy, wincing as the liquid burned a trail down his throat.

He’d seen the way Erin had been looking at him since they’d returned to L.A. She wanted to pick up where they’d left off at the cabin. He did, too, but it wasn’t what was best for either of them. He needed to get his head on straight and she needed the chance to meet a man who wouldn’t do crazy things like kidnap her and try to tattoo her against her will.

He and Erin couldn’t have that second chance he craved with every cell in his body. But they could have tonight.

One last night to last a lifetime.

“All right. But it looks like she’s selling whips, too.” Erin sipped her drink as she traced a trail from his stomach to his chest with her fingertips, making him shiver. Even through the thick leather of his sleeveless shirt, he could feel the heat of her touch. “Are you going to spank me in front of everyone? Is that why the legs on these shorts are so loose?”

“Maybe.” Blake’s hand tightened reflexively on Erin’s hip. He wanted nothing more than to find a bench and make her fantasy a reality, but they needed to take stock of their surroundings before they chose a place to play.

His next words were softer than a whisper. “Do you see him anywhere?”

Erin’s wicked smile faltered. “No. Not in here. But he might be in one of the playrooms.”

“Then let’s take a tour.” Blake tossed back the last of his drink and put a hand on the small of Erin’s back, leading her into the room on their right.

Eyes followed them as they walked, but he wasn’t surprised. Erin was easily the most gorgeous woman in the room, and he wasn’t ignorant of the effect his own imposing bulk had on the average submissive. Together, they were the poster children for every BDSM fantasy—the delicate sub and the large muscled Dom.

They were going to have their share of observers once they settled in to play; there was no doubt about that. It wasn’t the way Blake would have preferred to spend their last night together, but drawing attention was what they were trying to do tonight. If every tongue in the club was wagging about the new kids in town, there was no way Erin’s husband could miss them.

“He’s not here,” she whispered.

It wasn’t a big surprise—there were only four couples active in the large playroom at the moment—but Blake still felt his spirits sink.

What if Scott had decided not to come? Blake wasn’t in any hurry to see the sociopath who’d made Erin’s life a living hell, but after all their planning, it would be infuriating if Scott didn’t show. And Erin would be devastated. She was so thrilled by the thought of seeing her daughter again.

Blake was excited, too. He couldn’t wait to meet the little blonde, brown-eyed girl he’d seen in Erin’s pictures. Abby was the spitting image of her mom, a fact that made him love her before he’d even met her.

Fuck…he was hopeless where this woman was concerned. And probably the world’s sappiest Dom. If Erin knew half the thoughts running through his head, his “big and bad” rep would be out the window in seconds.

“Nope, no Scott, but I like that big bench in the corner.” She ran her tongue lightly over her lips. “I mean really,
really
like it.”

“It’s called a Black Stallion,” Blake said, letting his hand wander down to cup Erin’s ass through the soft satin of her shorts as he leaned down to murmur his next words into her ear. “They’re made to support a lot of weight. I could position you at one end, spank you until your pussy is dripping down your thighs, and then climb up and fuck you from behind. It would support both of us.”

Erin’s breath came faster, her breasts rising and falling in a way that made Blake ache to get her tits in his mouth. “You think the boys in the van heard that?”

“No. I haven’t switched the mics on yet. The power switch is built into my watch.” His fingers teased under the hem of her shorts, tracing the curve of her ass, making her shiver. “I don’t want any of them hearing or seeing anything but what they need to hear and see. Tonight, you’re mine.”

“Yes.” Her eyes slid closed and her lips parted, an invitation Blake couldn’t resist.

He captured her mouth with his, slipping his tongue between her lips, tasting the brandy she’d sipped and a sweeter, spicier taste that was pure Erin. As his tongue sparred with hers in an erotic dance, his fingers dipped between her legs. Pulling the scrap of fabric masquerading as her panties aside, he plunged first one finger and then a second into the molten heat of her pussy.

“God, you’re so wet already, Erin,” he said, his own breath coming faster.

“Wet and ready,” she whispered, contracting her inner muscles until they gripped his fingers. “And dying to get fucked.”

Blake kissed her again, moaning against her lips as his cock thickened within the tight confines of his leather pants.

God. Damn. How had he managed to go nearly three days without touching her? How had he resisted the overwhelming need to get his fingers, his mouth, his cock inside her sweet little pussy?