Dark Perception: The Corde Noire Series (27 page)

“
Let’s do it again, without
the ties this time,” she begged.

He pushed her back down on the bed. “I
think I’ve created a monster.”

Chapter 16

Melinda was rushing to apply the last
touches to her makeup as she tugged at the black cocktail dress
Nathan had bought her to wear for the evening’s event. The beaded
bodice itched and the long sleeves were suffocating considering the
warm, humid weather outside. But she had happily donned the dress
for him because he had seemed so excited when he walked through her
front door carrying it earlier that day.

“
Darling, are you almost
ready?” he called over the intercom in her bedroom.

She glowered at the intercom. Over the
past few days Nathan had taken great pleasure in paging her
incessantly, wanting to be kept abreast of her activities.
Initially, she thought the direct line between their apartments
novel; now, she found it intrusive.

Pressing down on the yellow intercom
button, she frowned. “Just finishing up.”

“
I’m on my way,” he said
over the speaker.

“
The front door is
open.”

Returning to her bathroom mirror,
Melinda hurried to dab the lip-gloss to her lips just like Bonnie,
the makeup specialist, had shown her.

Bonnie had been one in a long line of
people that had visited Melinda over the past several days. While
Nathan was tied up in meetings, a parade of hairdressers,
manicurists, massage therapists, and dressmakers had come and gone
from her apartment.

When she stepped back from the mirror,
Melinda was pleased with her efforts. Her red hair looked good in
the french twist she had tried to recreate after seeing the stylist
do it. Her makeup was subtle, her pale skin glowed, and her dress
showed enough curves to flatter, but not so much to make Nathan
uncomfortable.

As she walked out of her bedroom, she
heard a faint knocking coming from the direction of the storage
closet. Melinda stood motionless as she stared at the metal door.
She crept closer and examined the deadbolt securing it. No one had
touched it. Had the knocking been her imagination?

“
I like what you’ve done,”
Nathan purred behind her.

She wheeled around and saw him
standing at the entrance to the hallway.

“
I can see all the money
I’ve spent on your makeover team was well worth it.”

“
You’ve had so many people
coming and going out of my apartment lately. Perhaps it would have
been cheaper for me to go to them. Might be nice to get out for a
change. I feel like I’ve been cooped up here for days.”

“
That’s why we are going
out this evening. Besides, there is no need for you to go running
all over the city when I can afford to bring the best to you.” He
pointed to her neck. “Where is your black collar?”

Melinda’s hand went to her throat. She
had forgotten to put it on after her shower. “I must have left it
in the bathroom.”

“
Then get it,” he grumbled.
“You need to have it tonight.”

“
Why? What’s so special
about tonight?”

He inched closer, his eyes two dark
flames. “Because I want the men there to know that you belong to me
… completely.”

“
How will a necklace tell
them that?”

He adjusted the sleeve on his tuxedo
jacket. “There will be a few members of my Corde Noire Society at
this party tonight. They need to see you in that
collar.”

“
Are you ever going to tell
me more about this club? What you do, for example?”

“
Soon I will tell you all
about it, but for the time being … get your collar.”

Melinda returned to her bathroom and
found the black silk cord necklace was just where she had left it
on her white-granite vanity. Snapping it up, she hurried from the
bathroom.

When she trotted up to Nathan, he
smiled. “Good girl.” He took the black necklace from her and
secured it around her neck. Patting it lovingly, he turned her
around to face him. “I’ve got the car waiting downstairs, so we’d
better get moving.” Taking her elbow, he escorted her down the
short hall toward the front door.

“
What’s this event again?”
she asked, grabbing her black-beaded clutch from the
sofa.

“
A celebration of Ren
Plancharde’s artwork at the New Orleans Opera Guild Home. Denise
Becnel is hosting the event and personally invited both of us.” He
waited by the open front door for her.

“
Ren Plancharde?” Melinda
came up to him. “The artist whose work is hanging in your
penthouse?”

“
The very same. It’s going
to be an important function for the social set, and a great
opportunity to start selling slots in our retail space to a few
local business people.”

She approached the door. “Things are
going well with the negotiations, I take it.”

“
We’ve hit a snag or two,
but nothing that can’t be worked out. If we’re lucky, we might get
ground broken in a few months.” He guided her through the front
door and then pulled it shut. “Let’s get a move on before we’re way
beyond fashionably late.”

* * *

The New Orleans Opera Guild Home was a
white Greek Revival mansion built in 1854 with a small octagonal
tower, and was used for wedding receptions and special events.
Hidden behind a line of elegant oak trees on Prytania Street, the
former residence of the wealthy Davis-Seebold family had been
acquired by the Women’s Opera Guild in 1966, and after being
restored was opened to the public.

“
Are you sure about this?”
Melinda murmured to Nathan as they climbed the front steps to the
entrance of the regal home.

He patted her back. “Just relax. I’ll
never leave your side.”

The front parlor was
decorated
in eighteenth and nineteenth
century European and American furniture with dark pine floors,
white-inlaid plaster ceilings, a crystal-beaded chandelier, and a
green-granite hearth adorned with a long ornate gold-framed
mirror.

A few paintings resting on easels were
strategically placed about the front parlor as a handful of guests
filtered through the room. Nathan picked up a program from a table
to the left of the entrance and handed it to Melinda.

“
All the paintings being
showcased this evening are described in this. Find the ones you
like and I’ll buy a few for our new place.”

Melinda looked up from the program.
“Are you serious?”

“
We’re going to need
something to put on the walls in our new apartment.”

“
But I don’t know anything
about art, Nathan.”

“
Neither do I. That’s why
I’m leaving the decision making up to you.”

Melinda gleaned the descriptions of
the paintings outlined in the program and her eyes nearly popped
out of her head. “Have you seen what’s in here?”

Nathan chuckled at her astonishment.
“Ren Plancharde is known for painting bondage-themed portraits.
These are a few of his more palatable works, trust me. The racier
stuff he sells only to collectors and never shows in
public.”

“
Is that why you have him
on your walls? Because of the bondage theme?”

Before Nathan could
respond, a fit, stunning man with wavy brown hair and dressed in an
impeccable black suit glided up
to
them.

“
Cole, how are you?” He
held out his hand to Nathan. “Heard you’re about to hit it big with
that Market Street property.”

“
Sebastian.” Nathan firmly
shook his hand. “Good to see you, and yes, it looks like we have a
launch on that property.”

Sebastian gave a deep, hypnotic
snicker. “My hat’s off to you, Cole. Denise Becnel is a tough bitch
to crack.”

“
We haven’t cracked her
quite yet.” Nathan turned to Melinda. “Sebastian Dane, this is
Melinda Harris. Sebastian owns Dane Shipping.”

The handsome man turned his arctic
blue eyes to Melinda. For an instant, she noted the flash of
interest in her black collar.

“
Yes, I’ve heard of Dane
Shipping,” she admitted, mesmerized by his edgy face and perfectly
carved jaw.

“
You allow her to speak in
public?” Sebastian queried, eyeing Nathan.

Melinda was floored by the
comment.
What in the hell did he mean,
‘allow her to speak’?

Nathan saw the incredulity swimming in
her eyes. “Sebastian is a fellow follower of the art.” Nathan
tilted closer to her. “He’s a Dom, like me.” He grinned at
Sebastian. “A much stricter Dom, of course. I never make my subs
adhere to rules, especially when attending parties.”

Sebastian’s icy blue eyes ran over
Melinda with a trace of interest. “Is everything arranged for my
little experiment?”

Melinda volleyed her eyes
between the two men.
What are they talking
about?

“
An apartment has been set
aside for you in my building as you requested. It’s right next door
to your … subject.” Nathan slipped his arm around Melinda’s
waist.

“
I’ll let you know when I’m
ready to begin.” Sebastian gave her a flirty grin. “Miss Harris, it
was a pleasure. Keep your eye on this man of yours.” He dipped his
head to Nathan. “He’s about to get a lot of people in this town
very excited.”

Nathan scanned the parlor. “Is Denise
here yet?”

“
In the solarium with
Plancharde. You know Denise, she loves his work.” Sebastian raised
his head to the entrance of the parlor. “You may want to get to her
before more guests arrive. Once she gets going at these things,
there is no getting a word in with her.”

Nathan nodded. “Thanks for the tip,
Sebastian.”

Before Melinda could say good-bye,
Nathan hurried her to the parlor entrance.

Melinda glanced back at the handsome
Sebastian Dane. “Why is he moving into your building,
Nathan?”

“
It’s just for a brief
stint. There is someone he’s out to … Master.”

“
A woman?” Melinda
guessed.

“
Afraid so.” Nathan rolled
his eyes. “With Sebastian Dane, it’s always about a
woman.”

He took her hand as they negotiated a
long hallway with brass wall sconces and delicate beige, paisley
wallpaper. Their feet creaked on the old floorboards as Nathan
peeked in each of the white cypress doors leading to adjacent
rooms. Near the end of the hallway, he stopped and tugged at
Melinda’s hand. Nathan turned back to her and gestured to a room on
his right.

When they stepped inside, Melinda was
amazed at the highly polished green-marble floor and long row of
white french doors decorated in intricately frosted leaded-glass.
The oval-shaped room had little furniture except for a few wooden
chairs and an assortment of easels supporting numerous large
paintings. In front of one portrait at the end of the room was a
couple with their backs to Nathan and Melinda. The woman, dressed
in a beaded gown of gold, stood with her arm about a tall man with
dark blond hair. The pair seemed to be talking intently about a
brightly colored piece of a half-naked woman before
them.

“
Ah, there she is,” Nathan
called into the room.

Denise Becnel spun around and her
hazel eyes zeroed in on Nathan. “Ah, glad you could make it.” She
came across the room to greet them. “I’m happy to say my son will
not be making an appearance this evening,” she added as she stopped
before them.

“
I want to apologize for
what happened at your party, Mrs. Becnel,” Melinda
remarked.

Denise waved a diamond-studded hand in
the air. “Please don’t worry about it, Melinda. Anytime my son is
involved, there’s always some kind of drama.” She paused and looked
over Melinda’s necklace. “James has told me quite a bit about you.
He seems very impressed with your talent.” She looked to the man
still standing by the easel across the room. “Ren? Come and meet
Nathan’s newest conquest.”

Melinda was instantly struck by the
handsome man. He had a long stride as he came across the room, and
his disquieting green eyes stood out against his rugged features.
He had an overly confident bearing, as if he knew he could sway
women with just a flash of his smile.

“
Ren Plancharde.” Denise
waved to Melinda. “I would like you to meet Melinda Harris. Melinda
is a friend of my son James.”

“
Hello, Miss Harris,” Ren
said in a gravelly voice. “Nathan, good to see you again.” He took
Nathan’s outstretched hand and shook it.

“
Ren, business is booming I
see.” Nathan’s eyes scanned the canvases in the room. “You’ve got
some wonderful pieces here.”

Ren gave Melinda’s black necklace a
cursory going over. “Thank you, Nathan. I see you haven’t been
doing so bad yourself.” He veered his gaze to Nathan. “Denise tells
me you two are planning quite a place over there on Market
Street.”

Nathan shrugged his hands into his
pockets. “We’re trying, which is why I need to steal her away for a
few minutes.”