My Wicked Valentine (Club Wicked 1) (9 page)

“If only it were that easy.” His cell phone vibrated on the
corner of the desk, and he glanced at the incoming call. It was from Lucia. “Hold
on one sec.”

Moving a little too quickly to be casual, he picked up the
phone and answered the call. “Hello, Lucia.”

“Hi, Isaac. I’m still at Laurel’s dress shop. This place is
amazing! I mean, seriously, it’s like stepping into the costume warehouse of a
major Hollywood studio. She said that she is going to dress me for tonight and
wants to do my hair and all of that. Like I’m her Latina dress-up doll.”

He heard Laurel laughing in the background. “Tell her I
don’t share my toys.”

“I’m not repeating that. Oh, and can you bring some dinner
with you?” Laurel said something in the background, and Lucia laughed. “She
said you need to wear your leathers. Okay, I have to go. I’ll see you in a few
hours.”

“See you then.” He hung up and turned to find his sister
smirking at him. “What?”

“You should have seen your smile when you answered that
call. Was that her?”

“I have some work I need to take care of. Why don’t you go
to the spa, my treat?”

She laughed and gathered up her things. “Fine, fine, I’ll
go. But I want you to know you can call me if you get nervous. And I would like
to meet her at some point. You know, if she lasts longer than two weeks.”

He glared at her as she left. Gloria made it sound so easy,
but it wasn’t. Not only did he not want to get hurt again, but he didn’t want
to hurt anyone else. His ex had done a number on him in the brief year they’d
been married, and it had taken him a long time to heal. Now that he finally
felt whole and happy with his life, he didn’t want to complicate things. And Lucia
would definitely complicate them.

Yep, he needed to stay as far away from Lucia as he could.

That goal lasted him all of about three seconds before he
picked up the phone and ordered dinner for the three of them. His refusal to
fall in love also didn’t stop him from leaving work early and going to his
house and changing into his jeans and a T-shirt. He even grabbed the bag
hanging in the closet containing his leathers, imagining her pleased reaction
at seeing him fully in his role as her Master. And it didn’t stop the
anticipation at seeing her again that burned through him during the drive to
Laurel’s business.

* * * *

Two hours later he smiled at Laurel as she held the door
open for him. “Oh God, you brought us BLT Steaks! Did you get me the aged New York
Strip?”

“Of course.” He stepped into the cavernous first level of a
big building with its racks and racks of clothing. Laurel was married to one of
the top producers on Broadway and was also a professional seamstress. She not
only supplied costumes for movies and theater productions all over the world,
but she also made fetish clothing for select friends. Usually she had a small
army of seamstresses working beneath her, but today they were alone in the
enormous space.

“Where’s Lucia?”

“She’s getting back into her street clothes.” His
disappointment must have shown, because she laughed. “She’ll be here soon.”

“Where do you want this?”

“Follow me.”

She led him through a maze of costumes hanging in clear
plastic and paused when they reached a section containing what looked like fur
coats. “This Lucia, she isn’t like the girls you usually slut around with.”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, and I don’t slut
around with anyone.”

“It is my business because I like her, and she
really
likes you.”

“I don—wait, she likes me? She told you that?” He sighed and
closed his eyes. “Fuck, I sound like an idiot.”

“Men often sound like idiots. It’s perfectly normal.” She
started walking again but kept her voice low. “She had a bunch of questions about
the lifestyle for me today but swore me to secrecy about them. I can tell you
that you should be ready to negotiate with her before you do anything, likes
and dislikes, safe words, and all of that fun stuff.”

He wanted to throttle Laurel, but his hands were full of
food bags. “What have you done?”

“Don’t worry. It was mostly stuff pertaining to the
Valentine’s Day party. You know, the one Morgana always does.”

“Used to do.” He shrugged. “It’s not like Morgana needed the
work. She’s loaded, and I’m tired of her dark and creepy-themed parties.”

“Well, don’t leave Lucia alone around her. From what I’ve
heard she is having quite a tiff about it, and you know how blunt she can be.”

“If she does one thing to make Lucia upset, I’ll get her
booted out of Wicked faster than she can blink.”

“Easy there, tiger.”

They rounded the corner and came to a big circular white
table covered with sewing stuff. Laurel moved a stack of fabric and drawings
onto the counter beneath the cabinets and shelves along the back wall. She
pulled out a stack of mismatched plates and cups while he set the meal next to
her. She paused and arched a brow. “That’s a lot of food. Are we having
company?”

He tried to ignore the heat burning his cheeks and focused
on the packages. “I didn’t know what Lucia would like.”

“So you got her one of everything?”

“Not everything. Just chicken, steak, and fish.”

Laurel grinned but wisely didn’t say anything, and they
finished setting up in silence. As he was filling their glasses with water, the
sound of feet coming down the stairs made him look up. Lucia paused near the
bottom step and smiled. His heart stuttered, and his cock twitched. Dressed in
a pair of jeans and a pink T-shirt, she looked good enough to eat. The sexy way
her long hair swung to her hips made him yearn to bury his hands in it as she
sucked him.

She tilted her head and gave him a smile. “Hi. Take off your
jacket and stay awhile.”

Suddenly all of his anxiety went away, replaced by
happiness. He grinned and set the glass down. “Suppose I could take my jacket
off.” He removed the black wool trench coat and slung it back over the chair.

“Where are your leather pants?”

“I’m not going to eat in them. You wouldn’t find me so hot
if they smelled like steak.”

She finished coming down the stairs while Laurel chuckled.
“I don’t know. It might be tasty.”

Minx
. He stared at
her swaying backside as she passed him and took a seat at the table. With
effort he forced himself to keep it light and easy, smiling at Lucia as if he
didn’t want to throw her down on the table and fuck the hell out of her.

He managed to control himself, and they had a nice dinner
together. Lucia laughed at the variety of meals available. She ended up going
with the chicken. The moan of pleasure she made at the first bite tightened his
balls. He thought that jerking off twice in the shower would have made it
easier to control libido, but he found himself as aroused as ever. Everything
about Lucia captivated him, and he tried to keep from staring at her.

He watched her eat, the way her full lips parted for the
fork, how her silken throat moved when she swallowed. When her tongue darted
out to catch a bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth, he forgot to swallow,
and when she asked for a bit of his steak and he fed her, the need to kiss her
almost overwhelmed him. But it was her quick wit and humor that enchanted him,
the way the world came to life when she was around. Smart, ambitious, kind, and
beautiful, she was the total package. He knew he was playing with fire, that
his feelings for her were getting harder to deny, but like a starving man
standing before a banquet, he couldn’t tear himself away.

Finally Laurel stood up and tossed her napkin on the table.
“Do you mind cleaning up while I get her ready?”

Lucia stood as well and rubbed her belly. “Great. Stuff me
full of food, then put me in that outfit.”

The women laughed and headed upstairs while Isaac slipped
into one of the dressing rooms. He quickly changed into his leather pants and
black T-shirt, deciding on wearing the leather vest another time. He went back
out to the kitchen area and cleaned up their mess. He’d finished drying the
last dish when the sound of whispering women’s voices and giggles came from the
stairs.

He moved to the table and leaned against it, trying to
appear like he hadn’t been eagerly waiting for her. He caught a glimpse of gold
jewelry and sparkles adorning her leg before the rest of her appeared and he
forgot to breathe. Intense emotions and lust flooded him, and he tried to control
his expression, to not let her know how much her beauty affected him.

In his experience once a woman knew he’d fallen for her,
she’d then use her beauty and his desire against him. His ex-wife certainly
had, and although Lucia was nothing like her, he still couldn’t help trying to
hide the strength of his attraction from her. A small, vulnerable part of his
soul was afraid of what she would do if she knew how much power she had over
him. If Lucia asked for the sun, he’d burn himself up trying to get it for her.
And now, standing before him like every erotic fantasy come to life was a woman
who personified beauty. He’d move mountains and drain seas for the honor of her
company. His mind spun, torn between his body’s craving for the beautiful woman
before him and his need to protect his heart. Then she smiled at him, and there
was such shy pleasure in her eyes that he couldn’t help but give her his honest
reaction. He let the heat, the ball-tightening need burning him from the inside
out show in his eyes, and her breath came out in a soft gasp as her gaze went
dark and liquid.

She wore what could only be described as an intricate piece
of gold and diamond body jewelry that covered her from head to toe but left
most of her flesh deliciously bare. A bikini top covered her breasts, and a
tiny scrap of fabric shielded her pussy from his ravenous view. On her arms and
legs she had glittering chains wound about in an appealing way. Her feet were
bare, and the chains going down her legs attached to gold rings on her toes.

He tore his gaze from her body and watched her face as she
took the last few steps. Her hair lung loose down her back like a cloak. A
bright blush lit her cheeks, and she clasped her hands together over her
midriff, her fluttering fingers trying to hide the round curve of her belly
that he found so fucking hot. How Lucia couldn’t recognize her own beauty
surprised him. If she’d been one of the socialites he’d grown up with, she
would have been winding him around her little finger right now with coquettish
looks and suggestive comments. Lucia’s honest and unsure response enchanted
him. The Dom part of him wanted to hold her, to let her know that he was
pleased with her, that her efforts to look beautiful for him were the greatest
gift she could give him. The old wounds that his ex had left on his heart
ached, and he tried to pull back emotionally.

She must have noticed his efforts to distance himself,
because her gaze dropped to the floor. Her voice came out soft and hesitant as
she asked, “Do you like it?”

Dammit, he’d made her feel unsure about herself all because
of his fucked-up head. While he couldn’t be everything she deserved, he could
at least be her Master. That part of him wasn’t conflicted. His dominant side
knew exactly what she needed and strove to fulfill her every desire. She’d
trusted him to be her Master, however temporarily, and he wasn’t going to fuck
that up. Unable to stop himself, he took her hands in his, then pulled them
away from her body, putting the feelings he couldn’t speak into his tone. “You
are the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen.”

She flushed and looked down at herself. “I feel like Jabba
the Hutt’s slave girl from a porn version of
Star Wars
.”

His laughter burst from him, and he grabbed her in a hug,
pressing all that softness up against himself. It was torture to not ravish her
right here. “
My
slave girl.”

Laurel came down the stairs with a swath of gold fabric.
“Hey, get your hands off her. I want her to look good when you arrive at the
club. So that means no messy, sweaty encounters in the limo.”

He pulled himself together and released Lucia. The affection
that he couldn’t show her as a boyfriend he could show her as a Dom. It was
expected, a part of the intricate dance of dominance and submission that Laurel
knew so well. Hopefully she wouldn’t notice that this time, he actually did
feel a proprietary hold over his submissive that went way beyond a casual BDSM
physical relationship. “Actually, I drove tonight, so while I’d love to do
terrible things to the lovely Lucia, I’m afraid I must attend to her safety
first and get her there in one piece.”

With a gentle tug Laurel tried to pull Lucia from his arms,
but Lucia held on to him until Laurel gave a disgruntled snort and pulled
harder. “Here, put this robe on.”

The glittering fabric swirled around Lucia and completely
covered her, but it was semitransparent. He caught glimpses of sparkle and
flash through the cloth, and it made him wonder what she looked like under
there, even though he already knew.

Lucia fingered the robe. “Thank God. I was praying you
weren’t going to make me walk around in there dressed only in that bikini.”

“I don’t share,” Isaac said and brushed back a stray wisp of
hair from her cheek. He moved behind her and pulled the medallion with the word
mine
out of his pocket. “Lift your
hair.” She complied, and some urge drove him to kiss the back of her neck
before tying it on, breathing in her warm vanilla scent. His lips brushed her
skin, and she stilled, then let out a soft sigh when he licked the smooth spot
where her neck met her shoulder. She leaned back against him, tilting her head
and encouraging more.

Her trust in him was evident in her every action, and he
relished it even as he cursed himself for liking it. Yes, trust between a
Master and a submissive was essential in any BDSM relationship, even just a
physical one, but he cared more about the soft smile curving her lips when she
leaned her head back on his chest than any evidence of her body’s arousal.
Making her happy made him happy, and he tried to ignore the insidious voice
inside him that warned he was only going to get hurt. No, he wouldn’t get hurt,
because he was doing what any Master would do for his submissive. Before he’d
only picked women who needed his physical dominance, but Lucia was different.
Her submission was total, not just her body but her mind and soul.