Read Online Beck & Call by Emma Holly - Free Book Online

Management’s next command. She ducked behind it as it fell. “Are you two all right?”
    Jake squeezed Mia’s shoulder. “I think we are. I’m really sorry about the scene.”
    Management waved away his apology. “Not your fault. That young man earned himself a blacklisting. From here and Diogenes.”
    Well, hell, Mia thought, her sense of injustice switching targets. She hoped Curtis didn’t like the club too much. At least he’d been interacting sort of romantically with people. She looked at Jake, who warned her with a small headshake not to plead on her friend’s behalf.
    “Let me get you out of these chains.” He hunkered down to do it. A moment later, his brows lowered. “You’re shaking. Why didn’t you warn me that was too much? It’s important for subs to communicate their limits.”
    Was that what she was now? His sub? Jake had one hand on her knee and the other behind her hip. Both touches were unusually comforting. Under the circumstances, Mia gave herself permission to enjoy them.
    His eyes were so stunning and intent she temporarily forgot to respond to what he’d said. With a little jerk, she remembered. “What you did wasn’t too much. It was just … a lot. Plus, I think I might be in shock from getting fired. I’ve never seen Curtis that angry.”
    She hoped she wasn’t talking too much. She wasn’t the best actress. Jake patted her upper leg. “This is my fault. I’ll help you find another job. You’re a good receptionist.”
    He began unwinding the chains that held her to the chair. She watched him take them off with as much fascination as she’d watched them go on. She sensed him working not to react to what he was doing. That was illuminating. Jake really enjoyed bondage. She guessed it was lucky he wasn’t getting barred from Diogenes.
    Standing again was awkward. Her muscles had tensed and her panties were really wet.
    “Ma’am,” Gabriel interrupted, coming in from the wings again. “Mr. C would like to speak to these two.”
    Management’s eyes narrowed. “Would he now?”
    “I think I should take my friend home,” Jake said. “She’s had an upsetting day.”
    “I might be able to help with that,” Damien Call said smoothly.
    He didn’t wait for permission but stepped past Gabriel to join them on the stage. He was tall in person, broader than Jake but not bulky. Mia estimated he was around thirty, so younger than both Jake and Curtis. He was handsome in a square-jawed Captain America sort of way—privileged and polished. His hair was gold-streaked brown under the rafter lights. The strands were straight and as perfectly styled as a magazine cover. He seemed unruffled, as if his evening clothes didn’t dare wrinkle.
    He stopped more than an arm’s length away. Possibly his personal space needs were bigger than most people’s.
    A little tingle of … something coursed through Mia as his impassive gaze raked her up and down. His eyes weren’t polished. They reminded her of a mountain lion—like he was deciding how to eat her up. Though the onceover had been quick, she suspected it was thorough.
    Jake stepped slightly in front of her and pulled himself straighter. “We’re not looking for help.”
    “Aren’t you?” The men’s gazes locked, the battle of wills interesting to watch. Both commanded their own sort of power, and both definitely had a thing for control. Damien Call blinked first, though this might have been because he decided to. “It sounded as if you might be seeking employment.”
    “Playing at Diogenes is my hobby, not my career. Anyway, you don’t know us.”
    “I don’t know her ,” Call corrected. “You I’ve seen operate.”
    This seemed to surprise Jake a bit. “You’ve watched me.”
    “I especially admired your work with Gabriel. Staff submissives tend to get thick-skinned. You took him higher than anyone I’ve seen.”
    “Great,” Jake said, but not like he was flattered. Mia concluded he was playing hard to get.