Desire for Love (The Club #13) Read online

  “The fun is only beginning, babe. Feel me. Feel me while I fuck us both senseless.” He growled, bit her right bottom, then he reached around underneath her.

  She heard him scrabbling about the bedclothes and the next instant, he lifted her lower torso up with one hand while he placed a fetish position master covered with a thick, rough, hairy material under her. With her bum now higher than her head, he snapped the buckle over her back, locking her in place. His hands grasped her thighs, pulling her legs further apart.

  Breathing harshly, he moved. His cock poked at her entrance. His hand brushed against her as he slid his knob over her aching flesh. He sucked in a loud breath. Thrust. Madeline moaned as he drove deeper and deeper, filling her emptiness with all his heat, hardness, and hungry need.

  He thrust. Faster and faster.

  Deeper.

  Harder.

  She could barely breathe. The air became rich with his musky scent and the ripe smell of sex that tantalized her senses. Her fingers clawed at the fur.

  With each thrust, her naked mons dragged up and down the position master. The roughness scraped over her skin. The combination of mild pain and the intense pleasure from his fucking were mind blowing.

  “Come with me, babe. Let me take you to our special place.”

  He pounded into her, so fast he barely eased his cock out before he thrust again.

  “Harder,” she pleaded, her eyes squeezed shut.

  Groaning, he obliged and sent her plummeting into the most intense orgasm of her life. Ecstasy shot through her, blackening her vision even as bright light exploded in the darkness. Her whole body pulsated in one mass of pure pleasure.

  He grunted, stiffened, and shot his seed into the condom.

  Panting, his body slick with sweat, he rested on top of her while she fought to regain her senses.

  “Not bad,” she managed.

  “My hour’s not up.” He rolled over and undid the buckles before pulling her upright.

  Breathless, still reeling from the pleasure that continued to ripple through her, she helped him fling back the fur cover to reveal the slinky silk sheets.

  He lifted the top sheet and invited her to slip between them where he quickly joined her. Pulling the sheet up over until they were hidden from the eyes behind the security cameras, his mouth claimed hers.

  Chapter Three

  Madeline sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a red, satin sheet and stared at the business card Harrison had pressed into her hand before he left. Talk about rocking her world. She felt different, uncertain, like she’d been suddenly presented with a beautifully gift-wrapped box. If she unwrapped it, what would she find? Hope? Love? A different life to what she’d mapped out for herself? Or a bomb that would explode in her face and destroy everything she’d worked so hard to make happen?

  Of course, she could simply pretend nothing momentous had occurred; that the cage she’d built around herself hadn’t been thoroughly shaken.

  Damn Harrison.

  Damn his ocean-deep blue eyes that gave the impression they glowed with more than desire for her. With tenderness.

  And damn his mighty fine body that had lured her into making what could end up being the biggest mistake of her life.

  Her gaze shot to the security camera nestled in the closest corner of the room.

  By now, Roberta would know Madeline had lost the Club the bet.

  Under cover of the sheet, Madeline pulled her clothes back on. Her fingers shook as she slid the thin cardboard into the top of her corset. She shoved aside the sheet and, knees trembling, pushed to her feet.

  The door flung open with such force it slammed into the side wall and bounced back. If Roberta hadn’t been moving so fast, it would have whacked her in the face.

  I wish.

  “What a major fuck up. What the hell were you thinking?” Roberta’s eyes blazed with fury, her face as hard as granite.

  Had she been in the security room the entire time watching? Madeline’s skin crawled at the thought. The top sheet had covered them, but only an idiot wouldn’t recognize the movements beneath.

  There was nothing Madeline could say in her defense. And there was no way she’d indicate any of the confused emotions whirling inside her heart.

  “And what the fuck are you doing in this room? You’re supposed to be in the green one tonight.”

  “The board said The Red Room.”

  “You just cost m…I mean the Club, a shitload of money. Nothing to say for yourself?” Roberta planted herself in front of Madeline and leaned into her personal space. She squinted. “Oh. My. God,” she said, spacing out the words. “You fell for him. That’s rich.” Roberta laughed harshly. Leaning forward she spat, “You fool. He knew about the bet. He was working you the entire time. And you fell for it.”

  I knew there was the possibility he was in on the bet. But there’d been no smug satisfaction in his face and Madeline prided herself on her ability to read people. In her job, it was imperative to know how hard to push the dominance, when to ease off, when to give her clients a break. Surely I didn’t imagine that expression of dazed awe? I must have if he was in on the bet. I’ve been conned. Sick to her stomach, Madeline hugged her waist and went to walk out of the room.

  “Don’t you dare turn your back on me.” Roberta grabbed Madeline by the arm, pulling her to a stop. “Clear out your locker. You’re fired. Do you hear?”

  Madeline raised her chin, while everything she possessed shook inside. “My contract is with Jet.”

  “Consider it null and void. As your supervisor and…” Roberta paused and lifted a finger with a nail filed to knife sharpness into the air “...since you have refused to perform your duty as requested by management, you are out of here.”

  “I need to speak with Jet.”

  “That will get you nowhere.”

  “That bet…that bet was downright disgusting. I can’t believe Jet would have had anything to do with it.”

  Roberta’s face turned purple.

  Shit, she looks like she’s about to have a stroke. “I need this job. I’m sure if I could just speak with Jet, we could work something out.”

  “Oh! Like how you can repay half a million dollars? I don’t think so! You’re nothing but trailer trash and I want you out of here this minute. Or do I have to call security?”

  Madeline repressed a shudder at the humiliation of being strong-armed out of the building. What Roberta was doing was probably illegal, but considering the rage the woman was in, now wasn’t the time to debate the point. I’m not going to let this lie though.

  Madeline said, “That won’t be necessary. I expect to be paid for this week’s wages.”

  “You’ll be paid for the hours you’ve worked and not a dollar more.”

  “Let go of me before I sue you for assault.” Madeline shook her arm, dislodging the other woman’s hand and stalked to the door, head high. I’m not going to cry. And certainly not in front of this bitch.

  She’d hoped to have a quiet word with the other staff before she left, but Roberta walked behind her every step of the way. I have Sasha’s address and I know she’s a friend of Brittany’s. I’ll go over tomorrow and see if Sasha can give me Jet’s private email address or his mobile number. If that doesn’t work, I’ll seek legal advice.

  ***

  The following morning, Madeline dragged herself out of bed, showered, dressed in a flannel shirt over a T-shirt and sweat pants before staggering out to the kitchen to where her brother was wolfing down a bowl of hot oatmeal.

  “Wow. You look like shit.”

  She wasn’t surprised, having spent what was left of the night tossing and turning, worrying over their future. What was worse were the tears she spilled whenever her wayward thoughts turned to Harrison. You would have thought I’d learned my lesson by now. I’m better off alone. Just me and Matty. Her vision blurred as she stared at her younger brother. “Tone down the language, Matty, please.”

  “I left you some br
eakfast. Check the pot on the stove.” Matty turned his attention back to the textbook he was reading as he ate.

  “Thanks. Maybe later.” Madeline eyed her brother’s down bent head. Do I tell him I’ve been fired? Maybe I should wait until after I’ve spoken with Jet. She did some mental arithmetic and calculated if they were careful, her savings would last five and a bit weeks. Plenty of time to sort out this mess. “I’ll drive you to school. It looks horribly cold outside.”

  “Thanks, sis. Give me ten.” He shoved to his feet and carted his empty bowl to the sink to rinse it out and place it on the drying rack. He shot her a quick grin as he grabbed his book in passing.

  Alone, Madeline pushed aside the curtain and stared at the rain running down the pane. Looked like today was going to be miserable weather wise. Exactly how I feel. But I’m not going down without a fight. If Roberta thinks she is going to get away with whatever shady scheme she’s involved in, she is dead wrong.

  She swiped up her handbag and car keys, and marched to the door where she pulled on a pair of flat-heeled boots and her overcoat.

  “Hustle, Matthew!”

  “Okay, okay. Geez, give me a break.” Her brother trundled down the hallway, grumbling while Madeline opened the front door.

  The roads were slippery. The light drizzle falling from the sky wasn’t sufficient to wash away the residue oil and grease left by the traffic. It took them longer than normal to drive to where Karim Academy was located in a more affluent section of town.

  Madeline double-parked, leaving the engine running while her brother opened the passenger door.

  He hopped out, then about to shut the door, ducked his head back inside to say, “I should have asked at breakfast, but are you alright, sis?”

  “I’m fine.” She smiled. “I didn’t sleep, that’s all.”

  The driver in the car behind leaned on the horn.

  Matty frowned. “If some guy is giving you grief, let me know.”

  Tears pricked Madeline’s eyes. “I will. Now, shoo. The first bell’s sounded. You want me to pick you up?”

  “That’ll be great but I’m staying back to do some work in the lab. Later suits me better, say five-thirty?”

  “It’s a date. Be good.” Smiling, Madeline waved him on his way and drove off. Out of sight, she pulled over to the curb to dry her cheeks and blow her nose. Fifteen but already showing signs of the man he’d become. Looking out for his older sister.

  She wiped away the last of her tears. It’s not like me to be so emotional. Must be hormonal. It certainly has nothing to do with being suckered by a guy with an engaging grin and warm blue eyes.

  After digging her mobile out of her handbag, she checked for messages, in particular looking for a response to the text she’d sent Jet’s business mobile last night.

  Nothing.

  Next she scrolled through her list of contacts until she found Sasha Childs, who had been rostered on to work in the main bar last night. Madeline brought up the details and address. Of all the other staff in the Club, Sasha had always been the friendliest. She’d even sent Madeline a Christmas card with her address on it and an invitation to come over any time. To date, Madeline had managed to come up with plausible excuses and as their working hours rarely aligned, she’d been able to avoid alienating Sasha with her reluctance to be friends.

  She checked the time. Nine o’clock. Probably a bit early for a visit for a woman who’d worked most of the night before but Madeline didn’t want to waste any time. She needed this job issue sorted, fast.

  She tossed her mobile onto the seat and pulled out into the traffic. Sasha lived in a new apartment building situated in the old quarter of town. Some enterprising developer had pulled down the gloomy Victorian structure that originally stood on the allotment and built an imposing building of glass and pre-cast cement painted black. Madeline had to cruise around two blocks to find a parking spot and then slog her way back to the apartment, huddled deep in her overcoat.

  After pressing the buzzer to Sasha’s apartment, Madeline stamped her feet and shivered as a blast of icy wind buffeted her. When Sasha tinny voice asked who was there, Madeline spoke her name. The lock released and she hurried inside to take the elevator to the fourth floor. Sasha answered on her third knock, only opening the door a crack revealing her swollen, red-rimmed eyes and a white woolly dressing gown she clutched at her chest.

  “Madeline. You shouldn’t be here,” she said in a flat tone.

  Madeline frowned. There was a hard-edged note in her work colleague’s voice she’d never heard before. “Is everything okay with you?”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “Um, I don’t know, you look…. My mistake. I’m sorry for barging in on you like this, but you’re the only one who can help me. I need Jet’s private mobile number or email address. Or even Brittany in accounts. I’ve tried their business ones and haven’t had any luck.”

  “Not gonna happen.” Sasha made to close the door.

  Madeline pushed against it with her full body weight. “Wait. Please. I don’t know what you’ve heard but I need this info.”

  “Shit, Madeline, it’s all around the Club. Probably all around Karim by now, too. I can’t help you. No way do I want a police record as an accessory.”

  “What?” Madeline’s heart thundered in her ears. “What are you talking about?”

  “You stole money from one of your clients. Took it from his wallet while he was showering. Roberta says the client intends to sue the Club and its owners personally and report you to the cops. We’ve all been told not to speak to you in case we come under suspicion too and investigated as accessories or worse, that we’re involved in a bigger scam. Roberta hinted there’s money missing from the bar till last night before you left.”

  Madeline squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, remembering how she’d helped herself to a small glass of white wine. And how the bar crew had been busy retrieving dirty glasses from a party in another room. There’d been no one around at the time. Shit. She’d opened the till and placed a five-dollar bill inside as payment—that meant her fingerprints would be all over it.

  Her stomach knotted as cold sweat formed along her spine. “None of that’s true,” whispered Madeline. What the hell is happening? What money? And what client? She’d only had the one last night and look what a disaster that turned out to be.

  “Honey, all I know is that security has been beefed up, there’s talk of warrants for the cops to poke through our lockers, and all the vid feeds for the past month are being scrutinized by the suits. You, Madeline, are a strictly no go zone.”

  The police? “Sasha, you have to help me. It’s imperative that I speak to Jet. Or Brittany, if possible.” She dragged in a deep breath to steady her racing pulse and tried to think logically. “You let me into your building. You didn’t have to do that and that tells me you want to help.”

  The other girl sighed. “I guess I’m finding it hard to believe it’s true. I wanted to hear what you had to say about it.”

  “I appreciate that, Sasha. I swear none of it is true. I don’t know what’s going on but I need a chance to clear my name before things get out of control.”

  “Honey, they are way out of control. Look, best I can do is give you Jet’s email. I don’t know if it’s going to be of any help though because last I heard he was incommunicable. He’s out of the state, in vacation mode. Wait here.”

  The door closed.

  Madeline stood in the passageway and waited until Sasha re-opened the door, slipping a piece of paper through the crack.

  “If it’s of any consolation, Beebee, who works the bar with me some nights, reckons she’s going to look into it, although what she thinks she can do is anyone’s guess. Good luck and remember, you didn’t get this address from me.”

  The door slammed shut and this time Madeline heard the lock engage. She was on her own.

  All the way home, she kept expecting a cop car to sweep up to her at any moment and order her
to pull over. Panicky thoughts chased themselves inside her mind like squirrels on speed. Matty. His future. Their mother lying dead on the floor in a pool of vomit, her eyes staring at eternity. Harrison. Roberta and that shitty bet. The impossibility of achieving her goal as a paralegal if she was charged with theft. Even the whiff of being under investigation would be sufficient to taint her chances of employment in that area.

  And she was so close.

  She’d been working on her online degree so hard, paying down the fees as and when she could over the past four years while working at the Club. With only one final exam to pass, the next step would be applying for work in a law firm for a year while she continued with fifteen hours a week legal education. Then, if all went according to plan, she could apply to the State Bar of Texas for membership. God, if she could never break away into a new career, how much would that jeopardize her brother’s future?

  Shit. There was more than her new career at stake here.

  Her reputation.

  There was her freedom.

  The knowledge that she’d let Matty down.

  That he could lose his place at the Academy, be sucked into one of the local gangs. Drugs. Violence. A sordid death.

  With a start, she realized she was driving down her street and coming up to her house. Her heart raced, slamming against her rib cage. Her head pounded. The palms of her hands were sweaty. She was on the verge of panic attack. Gasping for air, she pulled over and turned off the engine and windshield wipers. The street was quiet, the rain and cold wind keeping people inside their homes. Her hands clenched on the steering wheel as a car turned into the street. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second. When she opened them, the car turned into her neighbor’s driveway two doors down and disappeared from sight. It wasn’t a cop car.

  I need to focus. Get a hold of myself. Think!

  She locked the Chevy and hurried inside the house where she kicked off her boots. Still in her overcoat, she perched on the edge of the sofa and reached for Matty’s old laptop. A reconditioned model, several years old, and Madeline’s now after she’d given her brother an iPad for Christmas.