complete lie; my body liked Derek Carter very much. That much was obvious,
as much as I would like to deny it.
“Probably not as much as I like you,” he said with a wry smile. “You still think
I’m an ass.”
“Yes,” I admitted easily. “But you think I’m a bit of an ass, too. So we’re pretty
much even.”
“Pretty much,” he allowed, not even pretending to deny it. “But like you said: you
just need to release some stress. I’m sure you’re actually a lovely person.” He
eyed me up and down, the flagrant appreciation in his gaze making me flush with pleasure.
“And if you’re half as lovely on the inside as you are on the outside, you’re a goddamn
sweetheart.”
I couldn’t help dropping my eyes in the wake of such an astounding compliment. No
one had ever said anything so sweet to me before. Or so sexy. Not even Steven, and
I had considered marrying him.
The thought of Steven grounded me, dulling the spell Derek had cast over me. I took
a small step back and managed to lift my chin.
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” The coquettish tone I managed to adopt sounded
odd coming from my mouth. It wasn’t like me to flirt, but I would try to use my feminine
wiles if I had to. “I’ll train with you. But only in private.”
I knew Reed would disapprove of that stipulation. My partner would want to watch
my back. But I wasn’t about to act like a submissive in front of an audience, especially
not in front of one of my coworkers. I was coming to like Reed, but I couldn’t stomach
the thought of him seeing me in a submissive position.
Derek didn’t miss my slight cringe at the thought, and he frowned.
“Does the thought of being alone with me bother you? Because you can’t have it both
ways. Either you trust me enough to train in private, or we do this in the club.
Do you trust me, Sharon?”
“I do.” I wasn’t sure if the swiftness of my response was the result of honesty or
fear of screwing up my op. I decided not to contemplate it. “But I’d like to stay
in the club, just not in front of people. Could we use a private room?”
There. That should appease Reed. Hopefully.
Derek nodded slowly. “Yes, if that’s how you would be most comfortable. I’ll reserve
one of the rooms for us.”
Us. That one simple word tied my stomach in knots and sent heat rushing through my system.
Careful, Silverman. It was rapidly becoming my new mantra. Derek managed to thrill my body, despite my
mind’s insistence that his lifestyle was inherently wrong. I shouldn’t be aroused
at the idea of being alone with him, at his mercy.
It’s all about getting close to him for the op. If I react to him physically, that
just helps my cover. I can do this.
“Come.” It was a single, deeply-spoken word. It hummed through me, the order eliciting
the heat of my anger and a different, more disconcerting, heat lower in my belly.
Derek’s fingers closed around my wrist, and he abruptly tugged me forward. He turned
his back to me and began striding towards the corridor that led to the private rooms.
“Hey!” I protested, hating the way the high heels made me totter along in his wake.
The look he shot me over his shoulder was pitiless.
“I told you. You should go barefoot if you can’t walk in heels. That’s lesson one:
listen to your Dom.”
I full-on stumbled. “Damn it, Derek!” I cursed him as I started to go down.
He pivoted to me instantly. One second, I was sure my ass was about to hit the floor,
and the next I was being hoisted up. A puff of air left my lungs when his arm closed
around my upper back, his other hooking beneath my knees.
He was carrying me.
“I can walk!” I protested hotly, my cheeks flaming. We were still in the main area
of the club, and I could feel dozens of curious gazes burning into me.
He glanced down
as much as I would like to deny it.
“Probably not as much as I like you,” he said with a wry smile. “You still think
I’m an ass.”
“Yes,” I admitted easily. “But you think I’m a bit of an ass, too. So we’re pretty
much even.”
“Pretty much,” he allowed, not even pretending to deny it. “But like you said: you
just need to release some stress. I’m sure you’re actually a lovely person.” He
eyed me up and down, the flagrant appreciation in his gaze making me flush with pleasure.
“And if you’re half as lovely on the inside as you are on the outside, you’re a goddamn
sweetheart.”
I couldn’t help dropping my eyes in the wake of such an astounding compliment. No
one had ever said anything so sweet to me before. Or so sexy. Not even Steven, and
I had considered marrying him.
The thought of Steven grounded me, dulling the spell Derek had cast over me. I took
a small step back and managed to lift my chin.
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” The coquettish tone I managed to adopt sounded
odd coming from my mouth. It wasn’t like me to flirt, but I would try to use my feminine
wiles if I had to. “I’ll train with you. But only in private.”
I knew Reed would disapprove of that stipulation. My partner would want to watch
my back. But I wasn’t about to act like a submissive in front of an audience, especially
not in front of one of my coworkers. I was coming to like Reed, but I couldn’t stomach
the thought of him seeing me in a submissive position.
Derek didn’t miss my slight cringe at the thought, and he frowned.
“Does the thought of being alone with me bother you? Because you can’t have it both
ways. Either you trust me enough to train in private, or we do this in the club.
Do you trust me, Sharon?”
“I do.” I wasn’t sure if the swiftness of my response was the result of honesty or
fear of screwing up my op. I decided not to contemplate it. “But I’d like to stay
in the club, just not in front of people. Could we use a private room?”
There. That should appease Reed. Hopefully.
Derek nodded slowly. “Yes, if that’s how you would be most comfortable. I’ll reserve
one of the rooms for us.”
Us. That one simple word tied my stomach in knots and sent heat rushing through my system.
Careful, Silverman. It was rapidly becoming my new mantra. Derek managed to thrill my body, despite my
mind’s insistence that his lifestyle was inherently wrong. I shouldn’t be aroused
at the idea of being alone with him, at his mercy.
It’s all about getting close to him for the op. If I react to him physically, that
just helps my cover. I can do this.
“Come.” It was a single, deeply-spoken word. It hummed through me, the order eliciting
the heat of my anger and a different, more disconcerting, heat lower in my belly.
Derek’s fingers closed around my wrist, and he abruptly tugged me forward. He turned
his back to me and began striding towards the corridor that led to the private rooms.
“Hey!” I protested, hating the way the high heels made me totter along in his wake.
The look he shot me over his shoulder was pitiless.
“I told you. You should go barefoot if you can’t walk in heels. That’s lesson one:
listen to your Dom.”
I full-on stumbled. “Damn it, Derek!” I cursed him as I started to go down.
He pivoted to me instantly. One second, I was sure my ass was about to hit the floor,
and the next I was being hoisted up. A puff of air left my lungs when his arm closed
around my upper back, his other hooking beneath my knees.
He was carrying me.
“I can walk!” I protested hotly, my cheeks flaming. We were still in the main area
of the club, and I could feel dozens of curious gazes burning into me.
He glanced down
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