Temptation - Leigh Lennon Page 0,30

deems my soap is washed off most of my body and turns off the shower, throwing me a towel.

Tossing me a pair of skinny jeans and a light gray sweater that attaches to my body like a second skin, she has my pair of booties and some earrings ready for me. “Fuck, you’re hot. If you ever submit to Mr. Westbrook, we should hook up. I swing your way and would love to bury my face in those tits.” My mouth gapes open. Taya is all business, all the time, and this side of her surprises me. “And Todd, he loves watching me with a girl. I think Chadwick would find this acceptable, too!” She turns to grab a jacket for me and is back to all business. My head is spinning, wondering what sort of craziness I will find myself in next. I’m like Alice in the looking glass. What sort of ultra-new age, free-spirited craziness is next for me?

We are escorted to the terminal through a part of the airport I’ve never frequented. He tells me his jet is in Los Angeles and another jet couldn’t be secured. The problems that Chadwick has are certainly different than my own.

But at the gate, we make it in time for boarding. When they announce first class, Chadwick hands me my ticket. I stand with him to follow when his eyes narrow on me. “Ms. Lipton, where are you going?”

“With you, I assume we’re sitting together.” A haughty laugh has me inspecting my ticket. “Sorry, Kitten, they were sold out.” He leaves me in his dust, entering the jetway for the plane. Looking at my boarding pass, I’m in zone three. I line up with the three hundred other passengers and am one of the last to board the plane.

Sitting in first class is Chadwick with champagne. But looking around, it’s him and only him. “Sold out?” I ask, walking by him, wanting to bitch slap the son of a bitch.

“I forgot to mention, Kitten, it was sold out by me. But it’s not like you have ever flown first class. You can’t miss something you’ve never had.” His hands dismiss me, but we’re not alone. A flight attendant is behind us. Her gasp says it all. He shocks the normal population, but after two weeks with this prick, nothing surprises me anymore. I find my way back to my seat, and the asshole has me sitting in the middle row between two larger men. I hide my head in my lightweight jacket as tears stream down my face. After all, I’m Alice in the fucking looking glass, and I will escape this controlling dickhead. I always do.

Just before landing, he sends the same flight attendant to come get me. “Sit with me, Kitten,” he demands. “I don’t want to have to wait for you in the airport once we deplane.”

Before a smart-ass comment can leave my mouth, he’s continuing. “Apparently, there was a raid at my Los Angeles club this morning. I have no idea what to expect when I get there, so my club manager’s submissive will meet us at the airport and take you to my place downtown.”

My mind is catching up with his words. “What, what do you mean, a raid?”

“It happens every so often. I mean, we’re a legitimate club, but every once in a while, some Bible thumper wants to take us down. I run it through a variety of business holdings, but we’re legal. I have to jump through hoops, which you can imagine I hate. I’ll have to be on-site for this shit. It happens the most in Los Angeles. Cord is out of his mind.”

“Cord?” I ask.

“One of my best friends growing up. Actually, all my managers at my clubs are my best friends.”

He’s displaying a bit of his humanity, and like the affection he’d shown for his grandma, I see the same slice of compassion when it comes to the people he cares about. Who would have known?

“Jared, you know. Cord is in LA, Maddox is in Seattle, and then the twins, Anton and Gio, one is in London and the other is in New York. Then there’s Greer, my lead lawyer.”

I raise one eyebrow his way. “You’re surprised I have friends?” he asks.

How do I delicately answer this question without getting my ass reddened? “You have a certain way about you, and I could see how it would push people away. Well, you know how you are.” I pause, and