Claiming Her Heart (9 page)

And again.

She was hooked with one go, like a heroin addict in the making.

Blake pulled his fingers from between her legs and repositioned her shorts before leaning down to whisper into her hair. “Was that as good as it looked, gorgeous?”

“Better,” she said, shivering as he dropped kisses along her bare shoulder.

A simple kiss shouldn’t be able to make her entire body begin to ache once more. But it did.

He
did.

“I love you, Blake.”

One large hand smoothed her hair from her face with a tenderness that threatened to break her. “I love you, too, Erin. And I always will.”

And then he kissed her, softly, gently, making love to her lips with his. In every caress, in the languid way his tongue stroked into her mouth, she felt the truth of his words. He loved her, in the same soul-shattering way she loved him. It was going to cut him apart to leave her, but he was still going to do it.

He was still going to leave. That truth was in his kiss, as well.

“I think it’s just about show time,” he murmured against her lips, as he typed a combination of numbers into the remote control masquerading as his watch. “Are you ready?”

It took a few seconds for Erin to remember what Blake was talking about. She’d been so lost in the pleasure he’d given her, she’d forgotten all about Scott. Now she remembered, but for some reason, she felt stronger after submitting to Blake.

She was ready to face the man who had been the monster in her bed and put that dark chapter of her life behind her once and for all.

“I’m ready,” Erin said. “Let’s get these cuffs off.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He squeezed her hip, a comforting gesture that sent another surge of confidence sweeping over her. That subtle touch reminded her she wasn’t alone. She had backup, at least for tonight, and she was ready to face her demons.

Good thing, because Blake had just started to work on freeing her hands when a familiar voice sounded from her left.

“Well, Erin,” Scott sneered. “What a good little slut you’ve become. For someone else.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Erin

The way Scott said “slut” made the word sound exactly like what it was—an insult, a term used to demean a woman and make her feel small and dirty. But she wasn’t small or dirty. She was loved and safe.

Blake was here, right next to her. She wasn’t alone.

She drew strength from that knowledge as she met Scott’s eyes. They were nearly the same brown as Blake’s, but devoid of the warmth that made Blake’s so compelling. The fact that they were bloodshot didn’t help. He must have been drinking before he arrived at the club.

“Scott, how are you?” Erin asked as Blake finished loosening the cuffs from around her wrists.

She climbed off the spanking bench with as much dignity as she could muster. At least all of her key areas were covered so she didn’t have to suffer the embarrassment of adjusting her clothes in front of her soon-to-be ex and his new friend.

The bleached blonde with the enormous breasts was glaring at her from slightly behind Scott, but she was staying out of the way. Erin didn’t anticipate encountering any resistance from her when she asked Scott to step outside for a talk. And assuming the cameras and mic were operational, she could make the suggestion at any time.

She’d seen Blake do something to his watch, but were they really online? She wished she’d been able to get confirmation from the guys in the van outside before she launched into this stage of the plan, but now there wasn’t time. Scott had made the first move.

“Very well. Business is excellent, and Abby is getting so big.” Scott smiled, a nasty twist of his lips that made it clear he knew how it hurt her to hear Abby’s name. “She and Jill have really hit it off.” He turned to the woman behind him. “Jill, this is Erin, the biological mother.”

Erin bit her lip, fighting the urge to fly at Scott and tear at his face with her fingernails.
Biological
mother indeed. She was Abby’s
only
mother, and there was no way in hell she was going to let another woman take her place.

“Nice to meet you,” Jill said, her voice an octave higher than Erin had expected it to be. She sounded like a little girl, something Erin was sure Scott enjoyed.

He loved feeling like a big man, and he needed all the help he could get from the sub in his life to get the job done. Scott only felt Dominant when everyone else around him was performing at less than their potential. He’d never had what it took to master a woman who was more than a two-dimensional Barbie doll. He wasn’t strong enough.

The realization made Erin feel taller, stronger, and certain for the first time that she was going to win this battle. Her daughter would be in her arms by the end of the night and Scott would be on his way to a restraining order and maybe some time in a jail cell with men who would show him what it felt like to be an abused partner.

“I wish I could say the same, Jill. But it’s not nice to meet you,” Erin said, maintaining the pleasant smile on her face even when Scott’s expression went from smug to dangerous. “I’m not in a nice mood. Scott has been keeping me from my daughter and it’s time that ended. Don’t you agree, Scott?”

“I think you should watch your mouth,” Scott snapped. “And remember what we decided about this.”

“No one tells Erin to watch her mouth. Except me.” Blake stepped closer, until he loomed over the much shorter Scott. “You’re not in charge here anymore.”

“Erin, outside. Now. We need to talk. In private.” Scott barked orders with as much authority as ever, but Erin saw the spark of fear in his eyes. He saw there was a bigger dog in town, hence the sudden urge to get her alone. “Obviously your memory needs a little refreshing.”

He was playing right into their hands. Erin’s pulse raced faster as she silently prayed everything was going to work out the way they’d hoped.

“May I go, Master?” Erin turned back to Blake, lingering on the last word. Scott had always wanted her to call him “Master,” but she’d refused.

She was a submissive, and she loved to be mastered, but for some reason, the term never tasted right in her mouth. “Sir,” she liked just fine, but “Master” made her feel like one of those male slaves who went around licking their mistress’s boots.

Or the hunchback guy that worked with Frankenstein, which wasn’t a visual she enjoyed during sex.

“She can go.” Blake put a hand at the small of her back as she turned to face Scott. “But if you hurt her, I’ll make you bleed.”

Jill’s eyes widened into big blue saucers, but there was arousal in their depths, mixing with her fear. Erin couldn’t blame the other woman. Blake was irresistible, especially compared to a worm like Scott.

“Touch me and I’ll have you thrown out of here so fast your head will swim, he-man,” Scott said, his voice shaking.

Erin stifled the strange urge to giggle.
He-man?
That was the best insult he could come up with on the spur of the moment? This was the Dom she’d lived in fear of for years? He was nothing but a sad, insecure little man. She’d been a fool to fear him, but that was ending right now.

It was payback time.

“Make your threats,” Blake said, his tone still calm and even. “But make sure you listen to what Erin has to say and know that I back her up completely. You can’t get away with bullying her anymore.”

Truer words had never been spoken. Even without Blake there beside her, Erin knew what he’d said would be true. She was different, tougher, and as ready as she’d ever be to finish this thing with Scott.

“Come with me, Erin. Jill, wait at the bar.” Scott turned and headed for the front door.

Erin took one last look back at Blake, drawing strength from the confident expression on his face, and followed.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Erin

Erin’s heart raced as she tailed Scott back through the crowded lounge area. The bar and surrounding tables were packed and the alcohol flowing freely. It was only a matter of time before everyone would be loosened up enough to start heading back into the playrooms.

She knew how it worked. She used to be one of those people who needed a few glasses of wine to be in the mood to start a scene, but not anymore.

Now, a look from Blake and a few well-chosen words were enough to banish all of her inhibitions.

“I’ll be coming back in,” Scott said to the bouncer at the exit before shoving past, not bothering to hold the door for her.

But then, manners had never been his strong suit, and he wasn’t exactly a happy camper right now. She took a deep breath, hoping that unhappiness would work in her favor.

“I’ll be coming back in, too.” Erin smiled at the large man working the door, and obediently held out her hand to get it stamped for readmission.

“The door closes in thirty minutes, so be sure you’re back before then,” the bouncer said kindly before turning his attention back to the lobby.

Erin nodded and pushed through the door, apprehension skittering across her skin. The nearby street lamps illuminated the sidewalk, but it was pretty deserted outside the club. Everyone was still going in, not coming out.

Don’t worry. The boys in the van are watching. You’re safe.

But the thought didn’t give her much comfort when Scott ducked into the shadowed alley beside the club and spun to face her, fury distorting his features.

It was darker here than out on the sidewalk, but she could still see him clearly, still see the way he had been transformed by rage. It made her mouth run dry with fear, even though she knew she shouldn’t be surprised by the strength of his response.

She’d
never
defied him. She’d talked back and gone against his wishes when it came to Dom-sub stuff, sure, but she’d never said a contrary word when it came to big decisions. Scott had always been the walking boss in their relationship, and he obviously didn’t take well to having his authority questioned.

“What exactly do you think you’re trying to pull, Erin?” he asked, the vein on his forehead pulsing unhealthily.

“I’m not trying to pull anything,” she said, hating the way her voice trembled. “I just want to see my daughter. I deserve to be a part of her life.”

“You don’t deserve shit.” He stepped closer, and she had to fight the urge to back away. She couldn’t give him an inch or he’d take a mile. She knew that, but it was still hard to stand her ground with her knees beginning to quake. “You violated our contract the day you walked out. I don’t owe you a dime.”

“I’m not asking for money. I just want to be Abby’s mother.”

“You think you’re fit to be Abby’s mother? A slut like you, out getting her ass spanked at some club by a stranger?” Scott moved nearer still, until she could smell the alcohol on his breath. “I saw you on the bench. You were grunting like a pig when you came. It made me sick to think my daughter came from that diseased hole between your legs.”

“I am not diseased,” Erin ground out, but the insult still hurt. “And if going to clubs is a problem, I’ll stop. Though I have to say, it seems pretty hypocritical that you get to do whatever you want while I—”

Her words ended in a shocked gasp as Scott’s hand snapped out, catching her across the face.

He’d hit her.

He’d finally done it and as her hand came to cup her stinging skin she realized she’d known he would. Eventually. When his words stopped getting the job done. Her right cheek burned and her ears rang from the impact, but she still refused to back away.

Instead, she stood up even straighter, glaring up at Scott, hoping the camera was catching every second of his abuse. “You can’t bully me anymore. And any man who would hit the mother of his child isn’t fit to be a father.”

“Watch your mouth, bitch,” he panted, his breath coming as fast as if he’d just stepped off the track. He was weirdly out of breath for a man who worked out three times a week. But maybe he’d given up the runs along the beach. He certainly looked thinner than he had just a few weeks ago. “I don’t take orders from whores.”

“I’m not a whore. I never touched another man while we were together. I was faithful,” she said in a calm, even tone. “I know you can’t say the same. So in my book that makes
you
the whore.”

Erin was prepared for the blow this time, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Stars danced behind her eyes and her cheekbone throbbed and she had a feeling that strike was going to leave a bruise.

Good, more evidence against the bastard.

The thought made her smile. “Do you hit Abby, too, Scott?” she asked. “Is that the kind of father you are?”

“I treat Abby like a princess,” he snapped.

“Keeping her away from her mother isn’t treating her like a princess,” Erin said, mind racing, trying to figure out what to say next.

She had to get tape of Scott threatening Abby, not just slapping his ex-wife around. She needed to prove to the court that Scott was a danger to his daughter if she wanted a shot at getting sole custody.