Nailed Page 6

  “That’s what I’d like to know. Ness and I both got home late for work and were headed out for dinner. We thought you might like to join us but you didn’t answer either your landline or your cell. What’s that all about?”

  Tyler desperately searched for some kind of answer. He always turned his cell off at Finesse. It was one of the club rules. They expected members to make arrangements so even emergencies could be handled. He sure hadn’t expected either of his brothers to be looking for him.

  “I went for a run,” he said finally. “Forgot my cell.”

  “Yeah?” Alex gave him a weird look. “So how long did you run? Because I tried to call you around ten and couldn’t get you either.”

  “Jeez, what is this?” He sat up straighter. “I didn’t think I had to check in with you guys every hour or anything.”

  Josh shrugged. “Never mind. It was just a damn dinner invitation. I didn’t think I was invading your personal space.”

  Tyler gritted his teeth. The three brothers had an incredible relationship and he didn’t want to change that. But he still believed they’d never adjust to his particular sexual preference and he didn’t want to take a chance and find out.”

  “Sorry, guys.” He drank from his mug. “I didn’t sleep too well so I’m a little cranky. Anyway, I have one other subject I want to touch base on—Larkin and Associates.”

  “What about them?” Josh wanted to know.

  “Remember I mentioned I met one of their junior partners? Jack Shelton? He said his boss would love to have a meeting with us and tell us what they have to offer.”

  Both brothers looked at Alex.

  He shrugged. “Sure. I said I’d like to hear what they have to say. The way we’re expanding, our accounting’s about to get more complex so, okay. Set something up.”

  Tyler nodded. “Maybe I’ll drop down and see him. He seems like a good guy. Someone we’d hang out with.”

  Alex laughed. “Maybe you would but unless he’s married we’d bore him to death.”

  “I don’t know his marital status but I’ll check it out.” He unfolded from the chair as casually as he could. “Think I’ll see if he’s in now.”

  He could almost feel his brothers’ eyes boring holes in his back as he wandered out of the office. Too bad. He wasn’t about to satisfy their curiosity. Certainly not until he satisfied his own. He thought about calling first then decided he’d just drop in casually. If Jack was out or busy, he’d leave him a message.

  Jack Shelton was not only in, he was happy to see him and pleased about the opportunity to work together.

  “I’ll tell the big boss,” he said. “Score a few extra points.”

  “Happy to help.” Tyler paused. “Say. The woman who hustled past us the other day.”

  Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Jenyfer? Miss Tightass?”

  “Yeah. About her. What’s up, anyway?”

  “Why? Something happen?”

  Tyler shrugged. “Not really. It’s just that I bumped into her leaving the garage the other day and she ran like her hair was on fire. That wasn’t the only time. And this morning I came in early to get some stuff taken care of and she walked up behind me. Sort of, anyway.”

  “Sort of?” Interest gleamed in the other man ‘s eyes.

  “Yeah. I heard her heels on the concrete and turned to see who it was.”

  “She comes to work well before anyone else,” Jack said. “Can’t figure out why. She spends all day doing her thing in her office. And she always leaves when everyone else is gone.”

  “Well, this morning I spotted her in the garage and when she saw me, I thought she’d have a heart attack. She turned around and hurried back to her car. What’s with her, anyway?”

  “Don’t know. For a while I thought she was gay because she avoids interacting with just about everyone but Larkin. But she’s the same way with the women.”

  “Maybe she’s got some kind of bad incident she hasn’t gotten over.”

  Jack lifted a shoulder. “Don’t know. She’s a mystery to everyone. But she’s got the best brain for figures of anyone I’ve ever met. She’s also a hell of a forensic accountant. If someone’s hidden money she’ll find it like a homing pigeon. Larkin says she’s better than he is, which is saying something. I guess that’s why he puts up with her oddness.” He studied Tyler. “Don’t tell me you’re interested in her.”

  “No, nothing like that,” Tyler hurried to assure him. “Just curious is all.”

  “Good, because she’s bad news where men are concerned.”

  “Well, thanks for the info.” Tyler pushed himself out of the chair. “I’m only in town until the end of next week. Then it’s back to Wyoming for a month. Think we can manage lunch before then?”

  “I’d like that. And I’ll have Larkin call your office for an appointment.”

  “Tell him he wants Alex. He’s the business brain.”

  “Will do.”

  Riding up to his floor in the elevator Tyler kept replaying the scene from this morning over and over in his mind. Not only was the woman odd, there was something about her that tickled his subconscious. He just didn’t know what. He hoped he didn’t drive himself crazy trying to figure it out.

  Back in his office, he swiveled his chair to look out the window. He loved the view from here, a panorama of a city with new life. The northwest area of the city was growing but that wasn’t what was on his mind right now. Instead, he thought again about his session from the night before with Flame. It wasn’t like him to let some woman get under his skin this way.

  He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers. As if he could rub away the image of a naked and bound Flame with her ass beautifully reddened. But then without warning the image morphed into Miss Tightass, Jenyfer Mayhew. In his mind he saw her tapping back down the concrete, her body stiff, her walk efficient, if a walk could be called that.

  His eyes popped open. He was really losing it. Miss Tightass naked? He wasn’t just losing it. He was delusional.

  The phone buzzed on his desk and he answered it, grateful for whoever had jolted him out of that bizarre reverie.

  * * * * *

  Wouldn’t you know he’d choose today to come to his office early? Why isn’t he out of town?

  She’d overheard Ed Larkin talking to one of the associates about McMann Development and this huge project they had going in Wyoming. Apparently Tyler was the brother in charge of construction so why wasn’t he there now? What was keeping him in town? Deep down she’d like to think it was her but the thought she might be letting her emotions get involved frightened the hell out of her.

  You’re not the same person you were four years ago. And Tyler is a different type of Dom.

  She hovered near her car until she heard the ding of the elevator arriving at garage level then counted to one hundred to make sure Tyler had gotten on and disappeared from sight. Only then did she hurry over and push the button, waiting for the elevator to return and take her up to her office.

  Her heart was hammering in her chest. Had he gotten a good glimpse of her? Paid more than casual attention to her? Found something familiar about her that tickled his curiosity? Lord, she certainly hoped not. She guarded her secret life so carefully. Wasn’t it just her damn bad luck that the first Dom she’d met who could mean something to her since…since a while ago turned out to work in the same building she did.

  After their first full session night, she’d spent an hour soaking in a hot tub with the healing salts she used. The ones from the Dead Sea that seemed to do such a good job. Then she’d mixed a vitamin E ointment with a topical anesthetic and liberally applied it to her ass and thighs, looking over her shoulder at herself in the full-length mirror. But even as she lounged in the tub, the memory of the pain and the pleasure it caused excited her. She’d finally taken a mild sedative, slid into her bed between silken sheets and fallen asleep.

  Since then, her dreams were disturbed over and over again by a blond
god with broad shoulders, muscles that looked as if carved by a sculptor, hot chocolate brown eyes and a cock that made her mouth water. In her dreams she stood naked, looking at him over her shoulder, peeking as he lifted a crop and applied it to her ass.

  Night after night, the dreams were so real they awakened her, heart thudding and lungs begging for air. Her cunt throbbed so insistently that she’d only been able to fall asleep again by using her hand to bring herself to climax. She’d lost count of how often that had happened.

  Holy shit!

  She stepped out of the elevator into the carpeted reception area. As she walked to her office she noticed, thankfully, that only two other offices had lights on. Good. She’d deliberately arrived even earlier than usual so no one could ask her why she was walking so strangely.

  Now as she sat very gingerly on her desk chair, she set her thin briefcase next to her computer and dropped her head into her hands.

  I am in such deep trouble.

  She should have known better after that first encounter. All the feelings and emotions she kept locked down deep inside her began hammering to get out. Only the fear of what would happen if she released them helped her hang onto her last thread of control.

  It didn’t make sense. Tyler McMann didn’t look anything like him. Or act like him. The only similarities were they were both Doms and both knew how to wield the instruments of punishment effectively. But Tyler didn’t have that hard, unrelenting edge that he’d had. He who shall be nameless. He who had recognized the symptoms of a pain junkie and used them against her. He who had led her into a place where there was no control and the consequences were devastating.

  And there was one other danger point. Tyler McMann also awakened feelings in her that she’d sworn never to allow to surface again.

  “Headache?”

  Jen startled at the sound of the voice and looked up to see Jack Shelton looking at her. Damn! She should have closed the door.

  “Um, yes. Just a little one. I’ll pop a couple of aspirin and be fine.”

  He frowned. “Maybe you should go home. You don’t look like you slept too well.”

  No, I didn’t. I dream almost every night of a naked god striking my ass. The ass that now still stings with the memory.

  “I’ll be fine.” She swiveled in her chair and turned on her computer. “In fact, I have an account analysis that needs to be finished for Larkin before noon, so I’d better get to it.”

  Go away. Please go away.

  “Sure. Okay.” The friendliness had disappeared from his voice. “I’ll just leave you alone. Want me to close the door?”

  “Yes. Please.”

  “Oh. One more thing.” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Remember that guy I was talking to in reception the other day?”

  Remember? Oh, yes. She couldn’t get him out of her mind. For more reasons than Jack could ever know about.

  “Um, yeah. Sort of. Why?”

  “I think he’s interested in you.”

  Jen froze, suddenly unable to breathe. “What makes you say that?”

  “He stopped by my office to tell me to go ahead and set up an appointment for us to meet with his firm about their account.”

  She shook her head. “That doesn’t have anything to do with me.”

  “No, but he did ask some questions about you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Uh huh. But I told him he’s wasting his time. You’re not interested in dating.” His voice dropped a little. “Right?”

  “Yes. Right. Thanks for telling him that.”

  Now please go away.

  She slid a glance sideways at Jack, still in her doorway. He looked at her as if waiting for something. Then he shrugged.

  “Well, your private life is none of my business. I’ll let you get back to work.”

  When he closed the, door Jen let out the breath she’d been holding.

  Damn, damn, damn.

  She’d have to be very careful here not to run into him. Although with them both working in the same building, that would require extra vigilance on her part. Maybe she should stay away from Finesse for a while, too.

  Of course that wasn’t what she really wanted. At Finesse she could become Flame, the person who lived inside her. The person she really was. The one her chosen profession forced her to hide. The one that had scared off her first really serious relationship. But also the one that had gotten her into the situation from hell.

  Will I never learn?

  Deliberately she put everything out of her mind and pulled up a file on her computer. She’d focus on work. Obsessing with numbers would block everything else from her mind. But even as she began to analyze the information on her screen, she shifted slightly in her chair and her ass felt as if she’d sat down on a bed of stinging nettles. Well, that was what she got for breaking her rules—weekends only, avoid emotional attachment, limit her interaction with any one person. Maybe her sore ass would keep her from doing anything else foolish.

  Chapter Six

  Tyler was just about to head for the elevator when Alex stopped him.

  “Off to the job sites?” he asked.

  Tyler nodded. “We may have the timeline pushed up on one of the jobs and I want to eyeball where we are just in case. But I’ll be back after lunch.”

  “What’s up?”

  “The two men I’m hiring on permanently will be in to do their paperwork. Pass the word. I’d like to introduce them to you and Josh at the same time.”

  “Okay. I’ll let him know.” But he still didn’t move.

  “Something else?” Tyler wanted to know. “I’d like to get going.”

  Alex shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at his feet. Tyler stared at him. What was going on with his brother?

  “If it’s trouble, just spit it out. I can take it.”

  Alex chuckled. “Maybe yes, maybe no. It has to do with Livy.”

  Tyler gawked at him. “You want to talk to me about your wife?”

  “Sort of. Maybe not exactly.”

  “Jesus, spit it out already, will you? I’ve got stuff to do.”

  “Okay. We’re having some people over Saturday night to barbecue and Livy wants you to come.”

  Tyler studied his brother’s face. “And you didn’t want to invite me to dinner because? Are Josh and Ness coming?”

  “Yeah. Of course.”

  “So, you what? Thought I’d feel like the odd man out?”

  Alex shook his head. “Not at all. In fact we’re having a bunch of people.”

  “Then I don’t understand.” But then he did. “Oh, shit. Please tell me your wife isn’t trying to fix me up with some woman.”

  Alex sighed. “I wish I could say you’re wrong, but Livy’s got a bug up her ass about some woman from work who she thinks would be just perfect for you.”

  Tyler set down his bulky briefcase and crossed his arms. “What is it with you guys and your wives? Just because you both bit the big one you can’t stand to see me running around unattached?”

  “Would you believe me if I told you Ness and Livy think you’re too sexy to be without a woman?”

  Tyler laughed. “If your wives think I’m sexy, you guys must be doing something wrong.”

  “Maybe we’re doing it too well,” Alex joked. “They want you to have what we’ve got.”

  “Yeah, well, thanks but no thanks. I don’t want to be served along with the appetizers.” He lifted his briefcase and started toward the elevator again but Alex blocked his way.

  “Come on, bro. One night. It won’t kill you and I can score some points with my wife.”

  “Like you really need to. Can I go now?”

  “Only if you say yes.” Alex gave him a pleading look. “There’ll be a bunch of other people there. And you can leave any time you want.”

  Tyler had to laugh. “Oh. A bunch of other people—and one single woman. If I bug out I’ll look like an ass and then Livy will be mad at both of us.” He chuffed out a bre
ath. “Okay, I’ll do it. But you will so owe me big time for this.”

  For one scary moment Tyler thought his brother was going to hug him. Then Alex just held out his hand.

  “Thanks. And yes, I’ll pay you back big time.”

  “She’d better be worth the effort,” Tyler called to him as he punched the button for the elevator. “If I show up and she’s a character from Dorks R Us you will all be in very big trouble.”

  Now why the hell did I do that?

  He kept asking himself that question as he rode down to the underground parking. He already had a complication in his life. Her name was Flame and he was so intent on seeing how high he could build her fire that he could hardly think of anything else. He couldn’t seem to push her out of his mind.

  He didn’t think she’d show up again on a weeknight. She didn’t seem like the type of person who broke her pattern too often. But he could call Marco and see if she was available at all on the weekend. Should he try for Friday night so he’d be mellowed out for the stupid barbecue at his brother’s? Or late Saturday night after he’d dutifully put in his appearance as a blind date. Sort of.

  There was one other thing tickling the back of his mind, too. It became quite clear to him after the second time together that Flame was a pain junkie. He’d gotten a little carried away then applying the instruments of punishment because she enjoyed them so much. Her pussy was soaked by the time he finished, the muscles inside jerking in tiny spasms. If he’d prolonged that part of the session, he was sure she’d never have stopped him.

  As a good Dom, it was his responsibility to make sure when he took her to subspace he didn’t take her too deep and that he brought her back gradually. He’d paid more careful attention to it every time since then.

  And thinking about it, he wondered what her journey had been like for her to recognize that tendency in herself. And who had taken her there. Was that jealousy curling inside him? He never, ever got jealous. That was a good part of the reason Finesse was so important to him. It was better than no-strings vanilla sex without commitments. Friends with benefits. Whatever.

  He saw this as hot sex with anonymity and no expectations. How much better could it get? So why then had he suddenly taken a long look at his life and wondered if he was missing something? He thought back to his conversation with Daks days ago and then about Alex’s invitation to the barbecue Saturday night. He’d actually planned to go to Finesse, to see what this thing was brewing between himself and Flame. To find out more about her. Maybe it was just as well the invite came up. He could step back and judge whether he was letting himself get too emotionally involved. Although he sure wasn’t looking forward to meeting whatever woman his sister-in-law was determined to set him up with.