Power Play [Pleasure Playground 2] (9 page)

Using every ounce of strength he possessed, he walked away. There were other ways to get what he wanted. Seduction for one. He could have bent her over and fucked her until she said yes—and she would have. Daegan closed the bathroom door behind him and rested his forehead on the opposite side. That wasn't the way he wanted her. His instincts about her ran deep, and he knew for certain coercion would never last long. She'd fight him every step of the way. Of course none of that knowledge did a bloody thing to relieve the ache in his dick or the pressure squeezing his chest.

Looking for some relief, he unzipped his pants and freed his erection. He then fisted his cock and began slow and easy strokes along the aching flesh. Masturbation definitely wasn't what he had in mind, but if he wanted to deal with her with a clear head, then he had to do something. He couldn't stop thinking about the image of her bound and spread on his bed. All that smooth creamy skin practically begged for more than a few swats with his crop. He imagined spending hours with her and a flogger, bringing out a lovely shade of pink from head to toe.

It had been so long since he'd felt a sweet longing such as this. Normally these feelings would have had him running for the hills, given his last few years. He'd moved to the States to escape, and somewhere along the way, he'd begun to heal. After a while he'd begun to realize that while he could live well without a submissive, the lack of one took a lot of pleasure out of his life. Then he'd met Jennifer in the middle of a photo shoot. She'd been naked except for a pair of thigh-high boots, and he'd been enchanted by the expression on her face as Murphy bound her from breasts to ankles with thick black rope.

Whether she was ready to admit it or not, she used her job for far more than a paycheck. Everything about her changed the minute a scene began. Either at the club or in the studio. From that day on, he'd found ways to observe some of her shoots, and then when he'd discovered her participation at the local BDSM club, he'd watched her there as well. He wasn't surprised she didn't engage in actual penetration all that often. Her needs ran deep. She went to the club for something other than simply getting off.

Daegan tightened his grip and stroked harder. This wasn't going to take long with the wild images of Jennifer running through his mind like a porno film. Before he knew it, his body began to tingle at the base of his spine. The rising orgasm drew closer. He bit back a groan when the first spurt hit the back of the door. Frustration warred with relief as he continued to pump until he was completely spent.

Outside the bathroom, a door slammed closed. Daegan froze. It couldn't be. He quickly re-dressed, cleaned up, and yanked the door open. Silence. That's all he heard. He moved quickly to the kitchen holding his breath until he saw Jennifer on her knees at his table. Only that's not what he found.

Empty. His goddamned apartment was empty.

Daegan glanced around, unwilling to believe the facts right in front of his face. He'd planned to give her space while he took a nice long shower, not drive her to run away. He shoved his hands into his hair and blew out a hard breath. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Daegan dropped into one of the kitchen chairs. “I should have known.” He'd gone too far. Not that it made him want to do anything different. He'd put a lot of thought into her rules and had expected her not to take them so easily. Her job and the club had become her identity, and taking those away was meant to make her vulnerable.

That thought made him sit up straight and take notice. Why was getting so deep inside her head so important? He'd decided she would be his first in-depth foray back into the world of D/s since his wife died. That didn't mean he wanted the kind of long-term relationship he'd been steering Jennifer toward without even realizing it. Hadn't he learned with his wife?

Claire.

Daegan rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes. His relationship with her had evolved slowly for years before he'd decided to put a collar on her, and more years had passed before he'd agreed to take Claire deeper. Her desire to be a 24-7 slave had made him uncomfortable, but by then she'd become his wife and he felt a duty to give her what she needed even if that meant going outside his own boundaries. In the end, his wife had thrived, and he'd grown resentful. Guilt tore through him. She deserved a better memory than that.

So why would he want to push Jennifer so hard now? God, he didn't want to get into this. He was sick to death of the second-guessing and constant analyzing of every move. He still needed a shower, and then he'd dig up some bourbon before he went any further.

Either way, Jennifer had walked out. Common sense told him to let her go, move on. Except with her it wasn't quite that cut-and-dried. Instead, he needed a new plan. They'd start over if they had to. It was high time they both moved on from the ghosts of the past.

Whatever happened tonight or tomorrow, he had a gut feeling this wasn't over.

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Jennifer stood at her car door, legs trembling and hands shaking. She needed to get in her car and drive far away from here as fast as possible. When Daegan discovered her gone, he was not going to be happy. He'd probably come looking for her, and she couldn't face him now. Unfortunately, her body was being uncooperative. With her key at the ready, she reached for the lock, and her hand shook harder. Tears streamed down her cheeks and into her mouth and none of it mattered.

She'd run. She'd done exactly what he said she would. Her head buzzed with the words he'd spoken the night before. Disappointment slashed deep.

So what. She didn't owe him a thing. She'd agreed to his offer in the heat of the moment before she'd had time to think about it. It wasn't like her to make spur-of-the-moment decisions. Over the years, she'd learned to carefully consider all of her options and not rush into anything with the potential to backfire on her. Jennifer laughed through the tears. What a joke. She was like her mother always said. Fickle.

"One minute you want one thing, and the next it's something else. Which one is it, Jennifer?"

She heard her mother's voice in her head as if it'd been yesterday, not a decade ago. How long had it been since she'd talked to her mother? A sob sounded in her throat. She had to get out of there before someone found her like this. She tried again to put the key in the lock, and the keys slipped from her hand.

"Fuck!"

Jennifer slid to the ground and plopped on her butt. She couldn't drive across town like this. Maybe she could hide in the studio until she got herself under control. Yeah right. The minute Daegan found her car in the parking lot, the first place he'd look was the stupid studio. Thanks to his role as contractor, he had access to the entire building. There was nowhere for her to go. With trembling hands she fished her cell phone out of her purse and turned it on.

Who are you going to call?

She had no one. Story of her fucked-up life. For now her life consisted of her career. Friends were hard to come by, but she kind of had a few. She considered Chase and Murphy her friends, even if they'd betrayed her with that asshole and allowed him to say she couldn't work. Jennifer swiped at the tears that continued to flow. There'd be no talking to them. She'd watched them interact with Eve when they didn't realize she was looking. Her friend submitted to them on a level she couldn't comprehend. No matter what they asked for, she gave willingly. And with a smile on her face. Hell, the woman practically glowed.

Eve
. That's it. She jerked open the cell phone and dialed the number she knew by heart before she had a chance to change her mind.

On the fourth ring, Jennifer's hope wilted. Not available. Then Eve answered.

"It's-a-Jennifer,” she spat, knowing there was no way to hide her distress.

"What's wrong? Are you all right? You sound like you're crying."

Regret lanced through Jennifer. This was a dumb idea. She began to pull the phone away from her ear and disconnect.

"Don't you dare hang up on me, young lady. Where are you?” The demand in Eve's voice startled her. She'd never heard the other woman talk like that before.

"Downstairs,” she whispered.

"Good, don't move. Seriously, if you don't wait for me, I'll have Murphy track you down and whip your hide. You know he'll do it."

Jennifer nodded her head and felt a ghost of a smile cross her face. “Okay,” she mumbled. “I'm in the parking lot.” She folded the phone and pushed it into her pocket. She had about two minutes before Eve found her, and she didn't know what to do. There'd be no hiding the tears or getting cleaned up. With one last glance at her car and her only chance for escape, she turned and shuffled back toward the building.

Eve burst through the door, and all the emotion inside Jennifer boiled over. “I tried to run,” she blurted.

Her friend wrapped her arms around her. “Of course you did, sweetie."

She held up her shaking hands. “Fingers wouldn't work. Can barely hold the keys.” She knew the words tumbling from her mouth made little sense, but they were the best she could do at the moment.

"Come back inside, and you can tell me what happened.” Eve ushered her through the front door and steered her in the direction of the studio. “In here.” She pointed to Chase's private office, and Jennifer hesitated.

"Don't worry. Chase and Murphy aren't here."

"But Daegan—"

"Won't dare come in here without an invitation. Trust me."

Trust her
. Eve had no idea how foreign those words were to her. And what the hell was up with everyone today pushing her to trust them? Jennifer gritted her teeth against the desire to spit on that word.

"Have a seat. I'll grab us both a drink. I think we're going to need it."

Jennifer nodded before collapsing into the closest chair. Eve reached into the credenza behind Chase's desk and pulled out a bottle of vodka and two tumblers. Desperate to think of anything other than what had happened with Daegan, she sat mesmerized while watching Eve go about retrieving ice, pouring generous shots of the alcohol into the glasses, and restoring things back to their original order. Even in the face of a crisis, the woman had efficiency down to a science.

She swatted at the fresh tears trickling down her face before Eve could see them.

"Here, drink this. It'll help.” The other woman thrust a glass into her hand and waited while she gulped at the clear liquid. Instantly the fiery burn singed her throat, and Jennifer began to cough uncontrollably. She grabbed the box of tissues Eve had set out on the coffee table and swiped at her watering eyes and worked to get herself under control. After a few minutes, the burn receded, and she was left with a warm sensation low in her belly. In a not so ladylike fashion, Jennifer blew her nose and lifted her lashes to find Eve waiting patiently across from her.

"Better?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now tell me what happened. Every detail from the beginning. I want to help you."

"Why?"

"Jesus, Jennifer. Why not? We work together all the time. My men care about you a lot, and that means something to me. I'm actually flattered you called me."

"I didn't have anyone else."

Eve winced.

"I mean..."

Her friend held up her hand. “I know what you mean, and I'm still flattered. Leaning on anyone is hard for you."

She wasn't sure that was meant as a question or not. Either way she had no desire to go down that road. “Daegan wants to dominate me."

Eve laughed. “That's not exactly news, hon. That man's been after you since he laid eyes on you. I take it he finally made a move."

Jennifer felt her eyes widen. “You knew?” Stunned, she waved away a response from Eve. “Doesn't matter, I guess. Last night we ended up locked in the Dark Room together."

"Seriously? Holy crap. I couldn't have planned something that good. And believe me if the two of you didn't do something soon, I was going to do it for you. Do you have any idea how frustrating it has been to watch you two circle each other for months?"

Speechless again, she simply gaped at Eve.

"So I take it things didn't go well in the Dark Room?"

"I couldn't resist him. God, how I've tried. But last night it was too much. His voice in the dark, my—my... Dammit. It's been too long since I've gone to the club, I didn't know what else to do."

Eve leaned forward and placed a hand on her knee. “Stop beating yourself up over this. Face the need, Jennifer. It's what drives you to the club when you can't take it anymore, and it's what you felt when Daegan confronted you."

"No, that's not it. It's just a release. It builds up."

"Tell me the rest."

Jennifer sagged back in her chair and poured out the rest of the story in practically one breath. From the Dark Room, to the dinner date to his apartment after. Then she revealed the rules.

Her friend shook her head. “I knew Daegan would be tough, but damn."

"Tough?” She nearly choked. “Try insane if he thinks I'm changing my life for him. This is not what I agreed to."

"What did you agree to?"

"Not that, that's for sure.” Jennifer shot from her seat and paced across the room. “I tried to tell him."

"Maybe you should start listening instead of telling him what you think you know.” Eve crossed her legs and sat back. “And I'm not just talking about listening to him. How about what's in here.” She pointed to her chest. “You push people away. You hide. Even when your clothes are off and Murphy has you tied in knots, you withdraw behind a shield. Do you even acknowledge your needs to yourself?"

She started to open her mouth and clamped her lips instead. She swore she wouldn't be the kind of person afraid to face the truth.

"What do you want, Jennifer? You say you don't want a Dom/sub relationship, yet you gave in to Daegan's requests with very little fight. There has to be some place inside, some instinct where it felt right, or you'd never have agreed in the first place. Then it got hard. Even then, you tried to run away, and you couldn't. Why is that? What stopped you from getting in your car and driving away? Dig deep, Jennifer. I know you've had a hard life, but this isn't about the past. It's about your future and what you want it to be. I can guarantee it will be hard at times. A Dom will bring you to your knees and make you look at things you never thought you wanted to. He'll see inside you to the very core of your vulnerability. That kind of intimacy can't be faked nor replaced with anything else. It's who you are. Don't be afraid to find out. Daegan is a powerful, dominant man. You have to decide if you can trust him enough to explore your needs."