WanttoGoPrivate (9 page)

“They are,” Isabel said, feeling as if the woman had somehow
seen straight through the simple, black-knit dress that covered her body.

“Mmmmm. They are delightful.”

“Mr. Polino is one of our newest patrons. I thought perhaps
you might escort him and Ms. Helton around, show them the items that are
available for the silent auction and such.”

Isabel reconsidered her opinion of the older woman. The last
thing she wanted to do was be alone with Larry or the Amazonian date he’d
shared info with.

“Oh, Eleanor, I’m so sorry. I promised Lucy that I’d relieve
her from her duties at the silent auction table. She hasn’t had a break all
evening.”

“I’ll be more than happy to spell her for a bit. I think
perhaps it would be best if you start with the Tiffany area. Perhaps the Maui
chocolate pearls?” She turned and looked at Larry’s date. “They would so match
your eyes.”

“Eleanor, really—” Isabel began but the older woman put a
quick end to any further comment.

“Mr. Polino,” Eleanor said, “why don’t you two meander
toward that end of the table and one of us will be right with you.” She
gestured to her left and took Isabel’s arm in a grasp that was surprisingly
strong.

“We’re fine, really,” Larry said. “We don’t need—”

“No, no. We insist. Excuse us for just a moment.” Eleanor’s
words, while delivered in a sweet tone, left no room for argument.

Isabel found herself expertly guided away from the couple,
unprepared for the Hyde-like change in Eleanor’s personality.

“Lawrence Polino just wrote us a check for fifteen thousand
dollars, so discussion over. Stick with him and that lady, and I use the term
quite loosely. Show them the auction items and urge them to bid. We want him as
more than a one-time patron, so act accordingly.” Without another word she
turned and glided across the room, offering a beatific smile to everyone she
passed.

“Holy crap,” Isabel whispered, admitting defeat. She squared
her shoulders and adopted a calm façade. She’d dealt with everyone from
pompous, corporate bigwigs to creative artists with diva complexes. The couple
she was closing in on couldn’t be that difficult to entertain. As long as no
one brought up that evening at the bar.

“Ah…the Mistress has spoken and you obeyed?” Larry offered
her a huge grin and motioned for her to precede them in line.

“Eleanor is a force to be reckoned with,” Isabel offered,
ignoring his smirk as she walked in front of them. “It seems I’m all yours.”

“Oh, doll,” Alexandra purred, grabbing her arm and lacing it
through hers. “If only.”

* * * * *

Chris stood near the double doors of the ballroom and
watched Larry and Mistress Alexandra vie for positions of prominence next to
Isabel. If given more time to plan, he’d have absolutely avoided involving
either of them, especially since Larry’s idea left much to be desired on a
multitude of levels.

“May I get you a beverage, sir?”

A waiter appeared at his side and Chris shook his head. He
wanted to be in full control of his faculties tonight. The last thing he needed
was not to be one-hundred percent attuned to the situation and how to make it
as authentic as possible, without scaring the bejesus out of Isabel. According
to their conversations on the blog, that’s exactly what Isabel desired. He’d
implement one of her top-three fantasies and, before the sun came up tomorrow,
she’d see just how talented he was and give him a chance to make her happy for
more than a few hours.

Or she’d nail him in the gonads and tell him to go fuck
himself.

Good chance that’ll happen either way.

He really did wish that voice of reason would shut up. It’d
nearly killed him, waiting for her get in touch. It wasn’t the
I’m-sorry-please-forgive-me messages he usually got, but she had made the
initial contact. Now she was waiting for him to respond and he was going to.
Just not the way she expected.

There wouldn’t be a return note. There wouldn’t be a series
of events she could compare with the advice in the latest
Cosmo
dating
column. He slid his hand into the front pocket of his suit pants and smiled
when his fingers brushed the hard plastic of the room’s keycard. As soon as the
silent auction closed, he’d head back upstairs. He knew he could count on
Larry. And his sexy Dominatrix of a date. He couldn’t imagine what they would
say to get Isabel to the suite but he had no doubt they’d be successful.

He should be up there waiting right now, but he wanted to
see her in her element. A man could glean a lot of knowledge from simply
watching and not the way her late husband had. That was a whole other ball of
wax, one that Chris doubted he could have handled. The thought of another man
ordering her to spread her legs or get on her knees sent a rush of anger
through him. He recalled the soft, sexy little noises she had made as she was
grinding her hips against his fingers and he slowly unclenched his fists. She
wouldn’t have done that with just any man, he knew that long before he’d been
on the chat with her. Long before they’d taken their few public missives
private.

Her confidence shone in the way she held her body, the
smooth, steady pattern of her motions. She wasn’t nervous or uncomfortable. Not
here. But later, when her hands and feet were bound…

He ran his fingers through his hair and focused. Her dress
might be an issue since he couldn’t tell what it was made of. It hugged her
body well enough that there had to be some stretch to it. Ripping the fabric
would be more in line with what should be done, but the damn thing had probably
cost more than his mortgage payment, so that aspect of the scenario would have
to fall by the wayside. With any luck, the scooped neckline could be pulled
down and the hem pushed up until both were in a tight band that would encircle
her waist.
That
would be fucking hot. At least his cock thought so as it
gave a tiny leap, letting him know he was on the right track.

The announcement that the silent auction would be closing in
three minutes sparked a flurry of activity. To Chris’ surprise, Larry strolled
away from the women and bent over the table, taking out his cell phone and
dialing before he picked up a pen, ready to bid on something. Isabel rushed
toward another item, Alexandra following at a more reserved pace.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and Chris looked at the
caller ID and answered in a low voice.

“What’s up?”

“You need to get back to the room soon. My uncanny senses
kicked in as soon as you walked through the door.”

“Really? You the only one who noticed?”

“Definitely,” Larry replied. He stood up but didn’t turn in
Chris’ direction. “You want to go in half on tickets to the Super Bowl?
High-level seats but they’re a steal at three thousand for the pair. I figure
we can resell if something better comes along.”

“Sure.” Chris laughed. “You’re the king of multitasking.
What’s Alexandra bidding on? With your money, I take it?”

“A necklace and don’t try to fish for insight into the
dynamic that is our relationship. You know that phrase ‘it’s complicated’?
Well, that doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

An air horn sounded and more than a few squeals echoed
through the room.

“Okay, dude. Hightail it,” Larry said. “Your target should
be within arm’s reach soon enough.”

“What? We’re back to playing soldiers and bad guys?” Chris
grinned, walking toward the exit doors.

“No pretending at all, dude, because the offensive you’re
about to launch is scary real. I’ll consider it a successful night if I don’t
get a call from in-house security that a maniac was found in my room. And just
so you know, once Alex gets back down here, I’m telling the front desk we’ve
lost our keys and having them reprogram the door. That way, if any of the
auction workers still have a card, they aren’t getting in. And you two won’t be
able to leave and reenter unless one of you stays inside and lets the other in.
So, if she tosses you out the door naked, you’ll be totally fucked.”

“Thanks for the head’s up…and for everything else.”

“Stop it. You’d do the same for me. Hell, you’ve already
done more for me so not a problem, dude. But if you totally fuck things up, I
think my darling Alex would love a crack at your lady’s fine ass, no pun
intended.”

“She’s not into Fem Domme, that much I know.”

Larry snorted. “That much you
think
.”

“Goodnight,” Chris said with finality as he walked to the
elevator.

“That’ll be up to you, now won’t it?” Larry responded and
clicked his phone shut.

“Yes it will,” Chris said under his breath, happy he’d have
enough time to double-check his preparations. A trickle of sweat rolled down
one side of his face and he wiped it away. A great deal depended on his skill
but the anxiousness that rolled through him proved there was a whole lot more
at stake. It would be a test and he wouldn’t fail her. Not now…not ever.

Chapter Six

Isabel kept a congratulatory smile plastered on her face
while her mind was screaming,
Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

“Larry, darling! I won the pearls.”

“Won” really didn’t begin to describe the reality of what
had just happened but Isabel wasn’t about to point that out. “Outbidding with
the finesse of a drunken sailor” might have been a more apt way to put it.
Alexandra had increased the previous bid by two thousand dollars and, even if
the other bidder had wanted to up the amount in the final seconds, the Amazonian’s
demeanor would have put a stop to that. She’d stood with her hands on her hips,
glaring, making the people around her take a few steps backward.

“That’s my girl,” Larry said, walking to their side. “What
are the chances I have enough in my wallet to cover it?”

“Extremely thin,” Alexandra said, bending to offer him a
quick kiss on the lips.

“Then I’ll have to go back to the suite and get my checkbook
since I just won tickets to the Super Bowl. Alex, why don’t you get in line to
pay? I’ve done these events before and it turns into a free-for-all.”

“You know I can’t stand still. Plus, no one will talk to
me.” She pushed her lower lip out in an exaggerated pout.

“I wonder why,” Larry laughed. “Isabel, would you mind
walking to the room with her? It shouldn’t take long. And can you grab my
reading glasses, darling?”

“But of course, my pet. Then I can touch up my makeup,”
Alexandra said. “Isabel?”

Isabel looked up and saw Mrs. Wolcroft headed their way. Let
Larry deal with the old turd. “I’d be more than happy to, Alexandra. Shall we
go now?”

She took the woman’s arm and they walked with determined
strides toward the door. Within minutes they made it into an elevator and
arrived at the suite.

“Make yourself at home, I’m going to quickly freshen up,”
Alexandra said over her shoulder as she walked into the master bedroom.

Isabel milled around the living room, which was no longer in
the pristine state it had been in when she and Lucy had left hours before.
Decorative pillows had been tossed onto the floor in a pile. The newspaper had
been dissected, the business section draped over the arm of the loveseat and
the sports section spread out on the coffee table. The latest issue of
Vogue
rested on one of the couch cushions. The couple was definitely opposites. Which
was probably why they seemed as if they were the perfect pair.

“I think Larry had a fruit tray delivered.” Alexandra’s
voice came from far away and Isabel smiled. The bathroom would make anyone
sound like they were in a canyon.

“I’m fine,” Isabel replied in a loud voice, eyeing one of
the plush chairs. If she sat down now, she might never get up.

Alexandra reappeared, tapping her rhinestone handbag. “All
set and ready to go, although these shoes are killing me for some reason.”

Isabel opened the door, surprised that Alexandra hobbled
around the room and shut off all the lights except a small lamp in the living
room. She met Alexandra’s eyes and the woman shrugged.

“I wasn’t always this fortunate. Once upon a time I couldn’t
even pay the electric bill, so old habits die hard.”

Isabel nodded and waited for her to pass before pulling the
door tightly closed. She’d love to hear the story the woman had to tell. She
sensed there wouldn’t be anything conventional about it at all. The elevator
sounded with a little
bing
and, as the doors opened, Alexandra swore.

“I forgot Larry’s freakin’ reading glasses. Oh my god.
Isabel, would you mind being a darling and run back and get them?” She had
already opened her purse and pulled out the key. “They’re probably on the
coffee table. He was reading the paper right before we left. I’d go but my feet
are dying.”

“Not a problem,” Isabel said, taking the key.

“Do you mind if I head down now? I need to find a seat.”

Isabel was going to tell her she didn’t mind at all, but the
elevator doors were already closing. She walked back to the suite and swiped
the keycard, the light from the hallway helping to illuminate the path to the
living room before the door slowly closed. The single light that Alexandra had
left burning should have made the room feel cozy but the tiny hairs at the base
of her neck suddenly rose and she spun back around and glanced at the door, her
heartbeat accelerating.

Nothing. She stared at the dimness for what seemed like
minutes, but she knew was actually only a handful of seconds. Good lord, when
had her imagination become so vivid? She gave herself a mental shake and took a
step toward the coffee table when a viselike arm circled her waist and captured
her against a hard, masculine body as a huge hand covered her mouth. One
knuckle pressed against her nostrils, nearly blocking her air and survival
instinct kicked in and she struggled.