Unraveled (Undone) (14 page)

Tears track down my cheeks and my chest squeezes so tight my heart might burst. I glance behind me. “I didn’t want to disappoint you in front of them.”

He brushes his mouth over mine, wraps one arm around my waist, and wipes away my tears with his free hand. “You
never
disappoint me. I know you’re upset, and you’re not going to understand this, but I’m proud of you. The word is there for a reason. And using it just continues to build the trust between us. Do you understand?”

I shake my head and wave my hand toward the room. “But.”

He runs a finger down my cheek. “No buts.”

I start to speak, but he stops me. “Hang on.”

He leans down and feels under the table.

I have no idea what he’s doing, but I stare out into the darkness, wondering how many people are judging me.

The room is deathly quiet. Uncomfortably so.

Suddenly the lights click on, I blink against the harsh brightness, trying to adjust from the shift of focused to dispersed light.

Leo stands back up.

Finally, my eyes adjust and I stare into the room.

I blink. And blink again.

I gasp. The room. It’s empty.

My gaze flies to Leo. “How? Did they all leave?”

Leo strokes over my cheek. “They were never here. The room has always been empty.”

I’m so confused. My forehead creases. “But, I saw. Heard the opening and closing of the door.”

“Brandon.” Leo gives me a soft smile. He unhooks me from the chain at my throat and takes my hand. “Come on, there’s a couch in the corner. Let’s go talk this out.”

He helps me off the table. My legs are shaky, with shock and relief.

He walks me over to the couch, where he flicks on a small lamp, and then goes to the wall where a panel resides and the spotlight clicks off. The overhead lights go out and all that’s left is the soft glow from the lamp next to me. Intimate and personal, just us. Relief floods through me. Leo returns to the couch, sits down and cuddles me into his lap.

I immediately feel better. This is really all I need. The connection between Leo and me.

He pulls a throw over me and I shiver as his body warms away the coldness clinging to my skin. I lick my lips. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s important for me to know you trust yourself. You were right to safe word. This is a learning experience for both of us.”

“How? Did you know I wouldn’t be able to go through with it?” How could he know me that well?

“I didn’t.” One arm cradles my back and the other big hand cups the swell of my hip. “I wasn’t sure how it would go. I knew it was something you were convinced you wanted. I knew you fantasized about it. But it was something so out of the norm of anything we’d done, I didn’t feel comfortable trusting you to a room full of strangers. So this was my solution. I figured if it ended up not meeting your expectations, you’d feel relieved you were alone. And if you loved it, next time I’d fill the room and make sure the lights were on without any worry that you’d suffer negative impact.”

I curl into him, wrapping my fists into his shirt to keep him close. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He rubs his hand over my hip. “My first priority is to keep you safe.”

I kiss his neck. “I swear I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

He squeezes my thigh. “We still need to talk about this. Since you do like exhibitionism, this will help us figure out where your line is.”

I run a finger over his jaw. “And what about your line?”

He smiles. “I won’t pretend my line wouldn’t have been tested if you loved it. I’m still not sure what I’m comfortable with. My plan was to see how this went and figure out what I could take after.”

I meet his gaze. “I didn’t love it.”

He nods. “Tell me why?”

I try and process out my emotions. Riffle through the million thoughts in my head and start with the easiest. “I didn’t like the thought of strangers as much as I thought I would. It was easy to stretch the fantasy of what we’ve already done, thinking that if I was okay with you occasionally doing something in front of Brandon, that hundreds would only increase the excitement more.”

“What do you like when it’s Brandon?” His fingers play along the skin of my thigh.

“He’s our friend. He’s safe. I know he won’t touch me. That he won’t even probably see me naked.” I smile. “Well, at least not all at once.”

After that disastrous night at Brandon’s, Leo has always been very strategic in what he let’s Brandon witness.

He chuckles and tucks my hair behind my ear. “So I think what you’re saying is that in order to get into the game, you need to trust the person watching you.”

I tilt my head. Thinking. “Yes, that sounds right.”

“What about out front. You liked that. I could feel how wet you were, and they were strangers. What was the difference?”

I rest my head against his chest and listen to the steady thump of his heart until I figure out the why. “That was just fun, like a flirty little game where I was making you the star. I think because you’d already told me, and it seemed like everyone else in the place, that you were going to take me to a room, I knew nothing of significance was going to happen there, so I could relax. Flirt, have fun and make people jealous of us.”

He laughs. “I see. You want people jealous?”

I grin up at him. “Duh, of course.”

“It sounds like, unless you’re in front of people you trust, that you like the idea of possibly getting caught over actually getting caught. That you like people knowing what we did, versus them watching us?” He shifts me on his lap, and when my legs slightly part, he circles his fingers over my inner thighs. “Is that fair?”

My breath catches. “Can you give me an example?”

His hand dips lower. “Like that night we all went to dinner and I fucked you in that dark stairwell and made sure everyone knew what I’d done to you when we got back to the table.”

All the cold from before evaporates as the heat of his body overtakes me. “Yes, like that.”

His fingertips brush over my swollen skin. “Not that I had to tell them, with your just fucked hair, pink cheeks and obscene mouth.”

“Yes.” I rock into him. “That’s exactly what I like.”

Then he takes my mouth and sucks me under his spell and everything, but him finally fades away.

Ruby

Brandon gave us the grand tour, showing us every nook and cranny of the main space. Apparently, he’d bought the whole building and was planning on converting the top levels to offices of some sort to expand his empire. The place is spectacular, and Brandon is clearly excited about his new venture and it’s been a pleasure to listen to him talk. Now Chad and I are sitting comfortably in Brandon’s office and I’m relaxed for the first time that evening.

Brandon hands first me, then Chad, a snifter full of brandy. I grin. “Fancy.”

From what I understand Brandon comes from very old money and by the looks of this place, he has a taste for the finer things in life.

Brandon laughs, and sits across from where Chad and I rest on a plush leather couch that probably cost more than all my furniture in my tiny studio apartment combined. I run my hands over the material. “This is gorgeous.”

“It’s imported from Paris.” Brandon shrugs. “My designer loves to spend my money.”

Chad nods, glancing around the place. “She or he has spent it well.”

“She,” Brandon says and then winks. “I’m positive she goes over budget so I’ll take her over my knee and smack her ass red.”

Chad laughs. “I’m sure it’s worth the hardship.”

“Oh, it is. She’s a lovely little redhead with a fiery temper to match.”

I flush, the reminder of who these men are, rushing back to me. A slow heat kicks up in my belly and I gulp down the brandy and the stirring of…something at his words.

Brandon tilts his chin at me. “That’s a pretty flush on your cheeks.”

His words only make my skin heat more. A blush on top of a blush. Kill me now.

Chad turns his attention on me, his blue-eyed gaze speculative.

When I don’t say anything, Brandon swirls the amber liquid in his glass and asks, “What are you going to do about that curiosity of yours, Ruby girl?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. I’m not curious. I’m just not used to everyone being so open.”

It’s true. I come from a family of devout, God-fearing Christians, and growing up sex was a four-letter, forbidden word. They are loving and they mean well, it’s just that such things are not discussed. I’ve mainly gotten over the ultra-conservative upbringing. I share sex details with Layla. Of course, my details are about a million times tamer than hers, but that’s not the point. She’s my best friend. Brandon and Chad are strangers to me.

“How’s that?” Brandon asks. “You’re friends with Layla and Jillian and I know for a fact they aren’t shy. And this is the twenty-first century. You’re a grown, modern woman, surely the mention of sex isn’t enough to give you an attack of the vapors.”

I wave my hand, mild defensiveness stirring in my chest. “I blushed a little. I hardly had a heart attack. Besides, you weren’t talking about sex.”

He grins, shrugging. “What’s a little spanking among friends?”

I can’t help it, the laugh spurts forth, and I shake my head. “You’re the worst.”

“I know, everyone says so.” Brandon raises a brow at Chad. “What do you think? Do you believe her?”

“Yes.” Chad’s gaze narrows on mine and I resist the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. “And no.”

I swat at his arm. “It’s true.”

Brandon takes a sip of his drink. “You know, Ruby, I’m sure Chad, myself, or both of us together would be happy to give you a little taste. Safely, of course, without any actual S-E-X involved. Don’t you agree, Chad?”

The squirming instinct gets the best of me, and I shift in my seat, eyeing the door for my escape. I risk a glance at Chad whose attention is intent on mine.

Slowly, he says, “Definitely.”

Now they are making me nervous. Very nervous. Oddly, the image that flashes through my mind is of Chad, not Brandon. His big, tanned hands skimming along my pale, white skin.

I blush even harder and want to bury my face and hide. But I manage to remain composed, despite the heat crawling up my neck. I hold up my hands. “Very nice of you, but I can assure you, that’s not necessary.”

Brandon grins. “We wouldn’t even have to touch you.”

“We’d just direct you,” Chad adds.

I experience a mixture of terror and arousal. My nipples pull tight and I’m thankful I’m wearing black. I clear my throat. “That’s very thoughtful of you, but I’ll have to pass. Besides, we’re friends and everyone knows what happens when you mix friendship with…” I trail off and look back and forth between them. “Whatever it is you're offering.”

Brandon starts to speak, but then his phone goes off, and he picks it up from the table and sighs. “I have to take care of something. But you guys feel free to stay here and chill.”

He gets up and strolls out of the room, leaving an awkward tension in his wake.

I take a sip of my brandy, and it burns down my throat, hitting my stomach and warming me all over. I stare into the glass, watching the play of light ripple along the amber surface.

“I think you’re lying,” Chad says and my head jerks up.

I blink. “About what?”

He slides his arm along the back of the couch, watching me in that intent way he has. His body is relaxed, his muscles loose, but it’s his eyes that tell the story behind the affable, charming good guy. “I think you’re more than curious. And I think eventually that curiosity is going to get the better of you.”

I should deny this, but as my heart skips a beat, I ask, “Why do you think that?”

He leans forward. “Because you try very hard, but you can’t quite hide the longing.”

“That’s absurd. I am not longing for anything.” My voice is shaky and I point to the door, to remind him of our conversation before. “What about what you said out there in the bar? About how you’re not going to try and convince me.”