Take a Chance
Authors: Lavender Daye
Tags: #dangerous men, #protective lover, #sensual bdsm
Take a Chance
…a Private Delights novel…
By Lavender Daye
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2014 Lavender Daye
This ebook is licensed for your personal
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and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work
of this author.
Special thanks to my editor, Jen FitzGerald
Cover art via Hot Damn Stock and ST Graphics
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or
are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any
resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No
part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the author, except in the case
of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Steve Gladston pulled into the lot of Simon
Lindsay & Associates and parked, enjoying the early morning
solitude. The glow in the east intensified as the sun made its
appearance. Steve surveyed the building and formed a plan of
attack. All of his ducks would be in a row by the time the owners
arrived.
One lone car sat in the lot, probably a
member of the custodial crew, or maybe a security guard. Not
likely, or Simon Lindsay wouldn’t have called him.
Perfect time for a look-see.
Considerably early for his appointment with
the owner, Steve wanted to do a thorough walk-around of the
premises before he worked up a proposal. Much more effective
without the client following and talking while he worked.
It was a nice piece of property, with a
well-manicured lawn surrounding the brick one story building and
concrete and brick steps leading up to the glass entrance. Too much
glass for his taste, since it was easily breached and a definite
red flag for overall security.
He’d fix that first thing after he got the
job. Steve picked up his clipboard and headed for the front door to
check off the first few items on his list, primarily safety issues
that public buildings were required to adhere to. Shouldn’t be an
issue here, but best to check before getting to the deeper elements
of building security.
The muffled scream came out of nowhere and he
stepped back to check his surroundings. When it repeated, he put
his ear to the glass door.
Fuck. It was inside. A woman shouted. A male
voice spewed profanity and cried out in pain. Steve tried the door
but it was locked. Not sure why anyone was locked inside, he
knocked on the glass door. On the off chance he was interrupting an
early morning love call, he’d at least warn them of his presence.
He thumped harder, hoping to get someone’s attention.
The response wasn’t good. The female voice
shouted for help. Pulling his Maglite from his belt, he gave the
glass panel next to the lock a firm tap at a sharp angle.
He got a loud noise and another cry from
inside for his trouble. Apparently, Lindsay’s glass was stronger
than he’d thought.
He doubled the force for the second attempt
and the glass cracked. One more hit had a small section of glass
falling into the building’s foyer. With just enough space to get
his arm inside, he flipped the lock, making a mental note to
recommend a keyed lock when he talked to the owners.
Nowhere near a silent entry, but he was in.
The screams continued and he raced in that direction, his work
boots announcing his approach. The scene he encountered had him
burning with disgust. Violence toward women went against every
truth he held dear.
The man before him wore a ski mask and gloves
and was wrapped around the woman, curses coming from them both. Her
arms were pinned to her body but she squirmed to get free while she
kicked back at his shins.
Steve admired her spunk even as he moved to
intercept the fight. The way she moved kept the assailant from
getting to the open door across the hall, even though he was taller
and bulkier than she.
Her eyes widened when Steve neared, fear
intensifying, but he laid a finger across his lips and turned his
focus to her attacker.
Years of combat training took him to the
man’s side in a few quick steps. Using the handle end of the
flashlight, he popped the man’s head and the jerk went down like a
rock. The woman flung her body forward, ending up on her knees.
When a body shot landed in his midsection,
Steve spun and engaged the next opponent. Another darkly clothed
man ran past them, heading away from the front door, but Steve
didn’t want to leave the woman alone until the current fighter was
subdued.
A door slammed in the distance just as Steve
landed a punch to the man’s gut and he went down.
Steve turned to check for other combatants
and when his eyes finally fixed on the woman, she had a phone in
her hand.
“
Police are on the way,” she
told him, her breath sawing in and out. “Who are you?”
“
Steve Gladston, G&L
Security. I have an appointment with Simon this morning.” The cable
ties in his pocket worked well as restraints and he quickly had
both men cuffed while they waited for the police. “Are you all
right, miss?”
“
I’m fine.”
Her words and her face told conflicting
stories. It looked like she’d been roughed up a little before he
got inside. He took a step closer, hoping like hell he didn’t scare
her half to death, and put a finger under her chin. He wanted a
good look at her face and, sure enough, the area below her left
cheekbone was pink and splotchy, a bruise rising as he watched.
Dammit.
“
What’s your name,
doll?”
“
Dena Lindsay.”
He struggled a minute to keep the fury out of
his tone, unwilling to show his temper. She’d had enough for the
day. “Dena, honey, can you do me a favor and turn around? Just
stare at the wall for a minute.”
Big brown eyes looked up at him, a hint of
fear trickling into her expression. Shit, he didn’t want to
frighten her any more than she’d already been. “I promise nothing
bad will happen. Just give me a little trust for a minute, maybe
two.”
Such a pretty little lady shouldn’t have to
deal with this kind of shit, and he’d definitely have a long, hard
talk with her brother when he finally arrived. For now, he waited
for her to turn her back.
Swift steps took him to the intruders as soon
as she looked away. They were both rousing and shifting their
bodies in an effort to get loose. Not likely with the zip ties. He
squatted, leaned close to their faces, and kept his voice low to
spare Miss Lindsay’s ears. “Only a fucking jackass beats a woman.
Remember that while you’re sitting in jail and trying to breathe.”
A well-placed punch to the ribcage for both of them and the welcome
sound of cracking bones ensured they’d remember his lesson.
When he stood, Miss Lindsay’s eyes were wide
and staring. “Why did you do that?” she asked. “They were already
tied up.”
He moved back to her, unable to keep his eyes
off of her. Damn, such a beauty shouldn’t be working in an office
with little or no security. Simon should’ve at least taught her
some basic self-defense. Unable to keep his hands to himself, he
cupped her chin and brushed his thumb across the forming bruise.
“Do you have an ice machine in this place?”
“
Why?” Rich brown eyes
followed the movements of his mouth like he was giving her the
benediction in church.
“
You need to put some on
this pretty face real soon. Doesn’t it hurt?”
“
No,” she whispered, but he
could see her body begin to tremble. Adrenaline overload was fast
approaching.
“
What the hell happened
here?”
The words echoed down the hall and Steve
watched her eyes drop along with her chin. Her oldest brother was
in the building, probably with the other two, and she wasn’t ready
to face them. He pulled a chair out from the closest workstation
and planted her cute little ass in it. “Stay.” Then he hot-footed
it around the corner and met the other men in the foyer before they
got a look at her face.
“
Simon, good to see you
again.”
“
Gladston, what the hell?
You couldn’t wait until I got here to let you in?”
They shook hands and Simon introduced him to
his younger brother, Grant.
“
I did break the glass out
front, and I’ll pay for the repairs, but I’m thinking I’ll make it
back with my commission for your security system.”
Grant gave him a dark look and Simon’s
expression stiffened. “Tell me.”
Steve took a slow breath to give the girl an
extra minute or two. “I got here early to check the outside area
before we started talking hardware. From the front door, I heard
screams and a fight.”
“
Dena’s car’s in the lot.”
Grant started moving and Steve stuck an arm out to hold him
back.
“
She’s fine, just a little
shaken up. Police are on their way.”
“
How?”
“
The front door was locked
when I approached. I haven’t had a chance to check anything else,
but your sister was trying to fight them off when I got to her. She
can tell us how it began, but it might be a good idea to wait and
let her tell the police at the same time.”
A police cruiser pulled into the lot and
Grant volunteered to meet the officer while Steve and Simon went
back to Dena.
_space_
“
I’m fine,” Dena repeated
out loud, a personal reminder that she was relatively unscathed.
Her cheek hurt and her pride was skinned a little. She was
breathing hard from exertion or maybe the exhilaration from the
struggle, but regardless, it was time to rejoin the gym. Being a
wimp wasn’t a good idea. A few other spots began to ache and she
bit back a groan. Her brothers were in the building and she didn’t
want to be babied in front of her rescuer.
And what a rescuer he was. A gorgeous man had
come to her aid when she couldn’t protect herself, even though
she’d had a self-defense class her sophomore year of college. A
hardcore refresher was in her future, even if her brothers
disagreed. They wouldn’t approve. Maybe she could ask Mr. Strong
and Hunky for help. He could be a buffer from her brothers’
overprotective ways.
And there they were. The security guy was
telling them all about the poor woman he saved while Simon and
Grant had worry written all over their faces. So not how she wanted
her Friday to go.
She had plans. Wild party plans with friends.
Knowing her brothers, she’d be locked in the family home by noon
and sequestered in a convent by Monday morning.
Dena groaned as they circled her. It had
taken years of hard work to get them out of her hair enough to have
a life of her own. She couldn’t let her brothers take her freedom
away because of a little scuffle.