His to Take (Wicked Lovers #9)(59)
Author: Shayla Black

Tara tried to hold in a smile. “That looks like trouble for you.”

“It would be like Thorpe to decide that his birthday present is to find a new way to torture me in the dungeon.”

Bailey stole a glance Joaquin’s way. When she caught him looking back, she jerked her stare toward Sean. “I think your other man might be in on that.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me at all.” Callie winked at her fiancé.

“Great,” Sean said into the phone. “See you back here in a few.”

The second he hung up, Sean shoved the phone back in his pocket, and Callie hustled over. “How long?”

“Less than five.”

She nodded. “We’re ready. I kept it small, so that helped.”

Sean cocked his head. “Thorpe will still want to light up your ass for this.”

“The only people I asked over were those who could legitimately be helping Joaquin with his case. If their wives came and fun ensued . . .” She shrugged as if the matter was out of her hands.

“Nice try. But that’s still going to get you in trouble, lovely.”

“I didn’t invite the whole dungeon.” She mock pouted.

“Yet. That shindig you have planned once the three of us come back from our honeymoon?”

She bit her lip. Her starkly vulnerable expression surprised Joaquin. The woman seemed so confident, so the insecurity on her face took him aback.

If Callie, who had two men so obviously madly in love with her, could feel unsure, what must Bailey be feeling?

“I’m hoping his birthday present will be exactly what he wants.”

Sean pulled her close. “Oh, lovely. We’ve talked about this. It will. Have faith.”

Callie drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I do.”

“Don’t forget those words before Saturday.” He tapped the end of her nose.

She laughed. They kissed.

Joaquin stared. Envy pierced him, which made absolutely zero fucking sense. He had no idea what Thorpe’s gift might be, but he knew those three were going to be ridiculously happy. Joaquin was pretty sure he’d die alone. For the first time ever, that bugged the shit out of him.

Well, wasn’t he a bright ray of sunshine?

“Kill the lights,” Sean barked at Axel behind the bar.

The big slab of muscle nodded, and the windowless room went pitch-black a moment later. Joaquin heard Bailey’s little gasp of surprise and fought the oddest urge to go to her side and comfort her. She was a grown woman, and the dark wouldn’t hurt her. Nor would anyone currently in it. Somehow, logic didn’t diminish the need.

He moved through the blackness, heading to her most recent location. There she was, right where he’d left her. Joaquin knew her by her scent. He wrapped an arm around her, bringing her body against his own. Being near her instantly soothed him.

She tensed, struggled to escape.

“It’s all right,” Joaquin assured her with a whisper. “It’s just me.”

Then he winced. That would probably make her fight harder.

Instead, Bailey relaxed, almost melting into him. That unconscious show of trust made everything seem oddly right in his world.

Earlier today, he’d listened well and hard to Thorpe and Sean talk about what it meant to be Dominant, his responsibilities to a sub, the dos and don’ts of BDSM. The more they talked, the more he wanted what they described. He saw now that he’d largely sought control of his partners. He’d fantasized about bondage off and on since his teen years, but restrained the desire to nothing more than holding a partner down to the bed. Ropes and cuffs weren’t casual hook-up conversations. He’d never stayed with any one female long enough to “explore.” But Bailey’s sweet submissive nature, coupled with her quiet strength, flipped some switch in him. No turning off his desire to be on top of her in every way he could fathom.

He caressed her arm, gentling and soothing her, as the door to the club opened, then shut. The click of a man’s loafers resounded on the concrete. The man entering the room sighed.

“Why is it dark in here? Where the devil is everyone?” He tapped the wall, presumably fumbling around for a light switch.

Suddenly, a bright glow flooded the room.

“Surprise!” everyone else in the room shouted.

Thorpe stood there, looking utterly taken aback. He blinked, looked at the crowd, the decorations, at Sean . . . then his stare landed on Callie.

“Pet,” he drawled. “I appreciate the thought, but we discussed this.”

His pissed-off Dom voice sounded like he’d sharpened it on the edge of a straight razor.

Joaquin noted that, under his grip, Bailey tensed. Yeah, she would hate disappointing anyone.