Commanded (9 page)

She laughed, snuggling into him. “How about we’re both amazing?”

“That’ll do.”

A blissful silence overcame them as they basked in the afterglow of release. When
Chloe’s heartbeat at last returned to normal, she pulled away slightly to look at
him.

Her breath whooshed from her lungs. Sawyer after a climax looked
hot
. His lips were puffy, his eyelids were half closed, and a sexy blush had crept across
his cheeks. She stared at him while he watched her in return. “So I’m in bed with
you.” She noted the amusement in his eyes as she added, “You’re pretty good about
getting what you want, aren’t you?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m good at getting
you
.”

“Which is different because…?”

“I know what turns you on.” His eyes twinkled as he ran his thumb over her mouth.
“Once you said yes, I would’ve done whatever I had to do to get you beneath me.”

“Playing dirty, huh?”

His smile was pure sin. “Playing dirty is what I do best.”

At a quarter after nine the next morning, sitting at her desk in her office, Chloe
placed her coffee cup beside her keyboard. She had things to do—important things—which
much to her dismay didn’t involve staying next to Sawyer in bed and increasing the
number of times they’d had sex last night and this morning.

Today she’d come into work to talk to her parents. They always called Friday mornings
at nine-thirty. Since they traveled so much, they called this their safety net; that
way her parents knew she was safe and she knew they were okay, too. If either of them
missed the call on Friday morning, they’d know to call the police. Chloe needed to
have access to her Skype to ensure she didn’t miss the call.

With the quiet office surrounding her and the sun shining through the windows, she
powered up her computer. While Sawyer had asked Chloe to go to the hospital this morning
to visit Ashlyn, she thought brother and sister needed some time alone to talk.

Once her computer booted up, she opened her inbox and scanned her emails, her thoughts
shifting to Sawyer. She’d wondered how she’d feel about having casual sex without
love first. But she didn’t feel shitty about the whole thing, as she’d thought she
would. On the contrary, she felt happy—and sore in all the right places.

She continued to look through her emails, while the radio playing through the speakers
in the walls switched from a rock song to the weather, indicating today would be hot
and dry. Not much of a surprise for Vegas.

She deleted the spam from her inbox and fired off a couple of responses to new potential
clients. Knowing she had a lot on her plate today, she picked up the phone on her
desk and dialed Shane.

He answered on the third ring. “You should know better than to call me this early
in the morning,” he said in a curt, snappish voice.

“I do know better.” Chloe glanced around the office, enjoying the solitude—her fellow
PIs were out investigating. “I just don’t care.”

Shane snorted. “You’re lucky you’re so charming, or I would hate you.”

She laughed, stretching in her seat, and becoming aware of the ache between her thighs.
A wonderful ache that made her think of a naked Sawyer pumping into her this morning.
“I take it since you didn’t call last night that you didn’t get anywhere.”

“Actually, I
did
call last night.”

Feeling like a fool, Chloe reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. The
volume had been turned off. She hadn’t done that. Sawyer must have. The woman in her
liked that he’d put her first last night. The investigator didn’t. “Shit. I’m so sorry.
Update me—what have you found out?”

Shane grumbled a bit before he reported, “On the email front, still nothing. Lots
of spammy stuff. But when I got nowhere digging there, I started looking into his
Internet history. One thing that kept coming up was how to make meth.”

“Crystal meth?” Chloe asked.

“You got it.”

Curious now, Chloe grabbed her notepad and pen and started taking down the information.
Thinking that maybe Travis’s choice of drug had changed, she began tapping the tip
of her pen against her desk. “Sawyer’s sister said Travis was doing cocaine, not meth.”

“Maybe she didn’t know.” Shane paused, and Chloe heard his fingers clicking against
the keyboard. “Google just told me that sometimes meth can make a person violent,
or at least become a different person while doing the drug, so to speak.”

“That’s good to know, and it actually makes sense. As far as I know, Travis wasn’t
violent before with Sawyer’s sister, only recently.” Chloe nibbled the end of her
pen. “Anything else?”

“That’s all I’ve got right now. I’ll keep an eye on his financial accounts and will
be in touch if I find anything.”

“You’re the best.”

“You know it.” The phone line went dead.

Chloe laughed to herself and put her phone on the receiver, only to be cut off by
the ringing through her computer speakers. Well aware of who was calling, she clicked
the Skype icon. Her parents’ faces popped up on the screen. Behind them were the plain
white walls from the kitchen of their boat. “Good morning,” Chloe said, and smiled.

“Morning.” Her mother, Jenna Nash, smiled back. Her blue eyes lit up in the way they
always did when she first saw Chloe. Jenna wore little makeup, kept her shoulder-length
hair dyed light brown, and never really worried about her weight. She was comfortable
in her own skin. “Don’t you look happy this morning! Why the good mood? Has Josh done
something fabulous for you?”

Chloe winced. With all that had happened, letting them know about Josh hadn’t been
at the top of her list. “Actually, I have to tell you something about that.”

Chloe’s father, Derek Nash, lifted his eyebrows. “What’s happened?” He had a handsome
face, and with his open-necked white shirt he looked like a beach bum. Silver threaded
the sides of his dark hair, yet somehow it made her father look more distinguished.
Chloe’s parents lived stress-free lives, and it showed not only in their lack of wrinkles
but also in their bright smiles.

“We…well…” She didn’t even know why she paused. This news would thrill them. “Josh
and I broke up.”

Her mother said, “I see from the happiness on your face this was a mutual decision?”
Chloe nodded, and before she could say anything her mother added, “So you two finally
realized that you’re only friends?”

Chloe snorted. “Let me guess—you knew this all along?”

“Well, we
are
your parents,” her father mused.

She laughed, shaking her head at him.

Then her mother asked, “Don’t leave us hanging. Who’s the new guy?”

Chloe folded her arms, leaning into her seat. “How do you know there is a new guy?”

Her father’s grin widened.

“Because you’re my parents?” Chloe quipped.

“Exactly,” her father replied.

She wondered about not telling them, but then figured, why avoid the inevitable? Her
parents knew her inside and out, apparently even better than she thought they did.
“His name is Sawyer Quinn. It’s really,
really
new. I’m not sure where it’s going, but you’d like him. He works on the SWAT team
here in Vegas.”

Her mother gave her sweet smile that always held more mischief than Chloe’s did. “When
did you meet this Sawyer?”

“A month or so ago,” Chloe replied.

Her father frowned. “When did you and Josh break up?”

“A few days ago.” Chloe cringed.

Her mother gave a mock gasp, yet her grin gave it away. “My God, Derek, our darling
is doing something that is considered taboo. Dating another boy right after breaking
up with a longtime boyfriend.” Her mother smiled at Chloe, an inner glow in her eyes.
“I have never been prouder of you.”

She wasn’t kidding, either. That summed up Jenna and Derek. Chloe’s parents lived
outside the box, yet they’d produced a daughter who lived perfectly inside it. “There
is something so strange about the fact that you reward bad behavior. You know that,
right?” Chloe teased them.

“What I know,” said her mother, “is that you’ve stopped pleasing everyone else and
are going with your heart. Which is exactly what I’ve been telling you to do since
you were two years old. What I would’ve given for you to throw a temper tantrum.”

“You’re weird,” Chloe told her with a chuckle. “Who would wish for a poorly behaved
child?”

“We would,” her parents proudly said in unison.

“But I love you anyway.” Chloe smiled at them. She knew what they wanted was a child
who followed her heart, and she was doing that now. But she had no intention of filling
in the details. What would she say?
Hey! So I totally had sex with someone and he’s into kinky sex. Are you proud?
Some things were not for parents to know, no matter how close the relationship was.

“We love you, too,” her mother continued. “I’m sorry to hear about Josh, but I’m sure
he’ll still come around to see us, right?”

Chloe hadn’t thought about it much, but she did know Josh well. “I’m sure he’d love
to see you the next time you’re in Vegas.”

Oddly enough, she imagined Sawyer wouldn’t care about Josh, either. He seemed too
confident to feel threatened. At some point Josh would return to her life, and any
new boyfriend would have to understand that.

Her mother happily nodded. “I’m glad to hear that you two will stay close. He’s a
good friend.”

Just then her father said, “Ah, shoot, baby girl, I’m being called up top. We must’ve
come into port sooner than expected. We’re staying in France for a few weeks. You
should come and see us.”

Next to him, her mother nodded. “Yes, and bring that Sawyer along, too. I’d like to
meet the man who’s put such a sparkle in my daughter’s eyes.”

“I’ll think about it,” Chloe replied, having no intention of asking Sawyer. Things
were too new to go there. Hell, she didn’t even know if this thing between them was
just sex or something more. “Have fun.”

“We always do.” Her mother blew her a kiss. “We love you.”

Her father waved.

“Love you, too.” Chloe ended the Skype chat and sighed.

Sometimes she felt like the adult in their relationship. Her parents were responsible,
yes, but they were also such free spirits. Even so, Chloe missed them. Seeing them
a couple of times a year didn’t seem like enough, but she loved her life too much
to join them on their wild adventures. She’d known for a long time that as much as
she loved her mom and dad, she liked a life on land.

A creak sounded in front of her.

Chloe startled, shooting to her feet. “Oh my God,” she shouted at Porter. “You scared
the shit out of me! I had no idea you were standing there.”

With a coffee cup in his hand, he grinned at her. “I assumed as much, since I doubt
you would’ve been so honest as to tell me that you broke up with Josh and now are
dating Sawyer.”

Her cheeks burned as she sank into her chair. “Well, I…”

“It’s fine, Chloe.” Porter took the seat in front of her desk. “I’m happy for you.”

Porter raised his coffee to his lips, and that’s when Chloe noticed the dragon tattoo
on his forearm. This was the other reason she’d wanted to come into the office today.
Before, she’d thought the tattoo was a sign of friendship; now she suspected there
was more behind it. Before she lost her nerve, she asked, “Can I ask you a personal
question?” At his nod, she continued, “What does that tattoo mean? Since Sawyer has
it, too, I’m guessing it must have a special meaning for the two of you.”

“Yes, it’s special, and we’re not the only ones with it.” Porter glanced to the tattoo.
“It’s a symbol of brotherhood.”

“What kind of brotherhood?”

Porter lifted his head. “Why are you asking?”

“Sawyer told me something last night, and I’m beginning to wonder if that, matched
with the tattoo on your arm, makes you two connected in a certain way. I guess it’s
left me wondering if there’s a good reason you’ve never extended friendship to me
outside of work.” His distance had never made sense to her before, because they had
a close relationship at work and she’d always felt comfortable around Porter. Now
she suspected why he hadn’t made more of an effort toward establishing a friendship
with her outside the office.

He had secrets. Big secrets.

Awareness appeared on Porter’s face. “Ah, so things between you are getting serious.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Chloe retorted. “But he’s being honest about himself,
that’s for sure.”

Porter watched her again for a long moment before asking, “Why are you coming to me
with these questions?”

“Because I’m just trying to understand it all. You’re a…friend, so I thought I’d ask
you, instead of being embarrassed and asking Sawyer.”

“I
am
your friend.” Porter’s features tightened as he addressed her. “And you’re damn good
at your job, girl. You don’t miss much, do you?”

She was great at her job and she never missed the little details, and that tattoo
was a big flashing sign to her that Porter was somehow connected to this club, too.
“No, I don’t miss anything. You’ve trained me to make sure that I don’t.”

His pause was longer this time as he regarded her closely.

He finally said, “Yes, Chloe, that is how I’m associated with Sawyer. We are experienced
sexual Dominants.” He lifted his arm that held his coffee cup. “This is what the tattoo
represents in the BDSM club we belong to.”

“Okay, so…” Chloe took a breath before getting to the heart of what she wanted to
talk to Porter about today. “Can you and Kenzie take me to the club without Sawyer
knowing?”

Porter’s brows shot up. “You want to go to a BDSM club?”

She shrugged again, trying to appear casual, even if she felt anything but. “I want
to see the lifestyle for myself. The only BDSM I’ve seen is from the cases I’ve worked,
which involved a mistress who treated the married man like a horse.” The exact reason
she needed to understand Sawyer’s type of BDSM was that what he said seemed different.
“Sure, I could read about it. But I’m thinking that seeing it for myself is easier.”

Porter took a sip of his coffee. “Why don’t you ask Sawyer to take you?”

“Because that’s…well, awkward.” Chloe flipped her hair over her shoulder, gathering
the strands in one hand. “I don’t even know where things are going with him. But I
want to understand what I’m getting myself into.”

His head tipped to one side. “Why are you asking me to take you?”

“Because I trust you and I don’t want to go by myself.”

“You trust me?” At Chloe’s firm nod, he added with a smile, “I’m happy that you do.”
Softness filled Porter’s eyes as he continued, “I want you to know that you’re right—the
only reason I don’t involve you in my private life is because I wasn’t sure how you’d
feel about my lifestyle.” His tone of voice told her that the BDSM lifestyle made
him proud. “It’s kind of a relief this is out in the open now, isn’t it?”