Body Rush (3 page)

“I don’t know. I think I’m getting worn down from burning the candle at both ends.”

Trent moved toward Lydia’s chair and sat down. “I’ve been feeling the same way, but now that it’s turning a profit we can start thinking of hiring more help.”

Mac’s usual grin was replaced by a scowl. “That could be tricky as hell, considering what we do during the day. We have to protect our interests.”

“That’s why we have the employees sign a confidentiality agreement and it’s also why we never go out to the floor without our hoods.” Trent reminded him.

The members of the club thought they wore the hoods for effect; never allowing anyone to see their faces lent to the dark mystery. The truth wasn’t nearly as enticing. Dane knew the legal end was secure, but society didn’t always care about laws and regulations. In the end, the general population would still view the club as a place that catered to sexual deviants. “Can you imagine if someone found out we run a BDSM club? We’d be finished as lawyers.”

“It’s not illegal, Dane,” Trent growled. “You make it sound like we’re drug lords or pimps.”

“Our clients wouldn’t give a damn about legalities, Trent, and you know it. They’d find a new law firm quicker than any of us could blink.”

“You’re forgetting one important factor here, buddy,” Mac said, a mischievous gleam lighting his eyes.

“What?”

“Some of our clients are also members at Kinks. They want their privacy protected just as much as we do.”

Dane nodded. “No shit. And they’re way more connected than we are. We give them a place to play in safety. They’ll damn near kill to keep that little privilege.”

“Besides, it’s not like anyone at Kinks is beyond reproach,” Trent said. “I’ve yet to see a single goody-goody come near the place.”

Trent’s words brought Dane back to his talk with Lydia that morning. “Speaking of goody-goody. I’m about fed up with Lydia’s constant refusal to call me by my first name. The woman’s been my paralegal for two years.”

“It’ll never happen,” Trent said, his voice resigned. “I don’t know why you even bother. Lydia is way too professional. In her mind it’s inappropriate. End of story.”

“Damn, can you imagine her coming into Kinks?”

Mac’s question tore straight through him. Hell yeah, Dane could imagine it. He’d done so a hundred different times, usually while he jacked off. “She’d faint dead away,” he mused.

“There’s just something sexy about that librarian getup she wears though,” Trent added. “It makes me want to tear it off her and see what she keeps hidden.”

“Paradise,” Mac assured them. “I can feel it in my bones. That woman is built.”

“Then I’m not the only one who’s fantasized about my delectable paralegal?” Dane asked. Trent and Mac both shook their heads. Somehow that made Dane feel better, like less of a debaucher of virgins. “If she ever does venture into our lair, she’ll be in for one helluva ride.”

They all three grunted in agreement.

2

L
ydia slammed her car door before pulling her cell phone out of her purse. She dialed with shaking fingers. Roni answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“I’m heading to lunch, do you have plans?” Lydia asked, her mind still reeling from the look on Dane’s rugged face. It was the expression of a man bent on seduction, but why had it been directed at her?

“Nope, I was just heading for some fast food.”

“Ah-ha!” Lydia cried. “I’ve saved you from a heart attack.”

Roni laughed. “Most likely. Where do you want to meet?”

“How about Alejandro’s?” Lydia asked, referring to one of their favorite Mexican restaurants.

Lydia heard Roni sigh. “You’re determined to kill my diet, aren’t you?”

“You don’t need to diet; your body is perfect.” Lydia secretly wished she looked as good as Roni. It seemed the older they got, the better Roni looked. It wasn’t fair.

“Fine, but if my pants are tight tomorrow, I’m blaming you.”

Lydia pushed the key in the ignition and started the car. “Deal, meet you there.”

They hung up and Lydia sat there another few seconds to let herself calm down.
Why do I always let Dane do this to me?
She needed a vacation or she really would lose her mind.

As she put the car in gear and headed out of the parking lot, she recalled the day Dane had hired her. She’d been nervous as hell and she’d spilled coffee down the front of her tan skirt. Dane had handed her some tissues, a kind smile tilting his sexy lips. Trent had frowned at her as if she’d spilled the coffee on him instead of her. Mac had simply winked. Flustered and near tears she excused herself and nearly bolted for the restroom. When she’d finally managed to face Dane again, he’d offered her the job and told her she could start right away. She’d always wondered why he’d bothered to hire her. She’d been a total klutz, completely unprofessional, and yet he’d taken her under his wing.

She hadn’t worked in a legal office before, so the first few weeks had been murder on both of them. She’d made a mess of everything, from accidently deleting documents to overlapping meetings. If anyone had deserved to be fired, she had.

Lydia rounded a corner as she pondered the big question: Why had he kept her on? She hadn’t been the most qualified, not by a long shot. She wasn’t even all that attractive, so it wasn’t for the eye candy. As she pulled into the parking lot of Alejandro’s restaurant and found a space, her mind glommed on to that look on Dane’s face. She might not have known what she was doing two years ago, but she knew exactly what she was doing now, just as she knew that look. It said seduction. Her body warmed as she imagined being the object of Dane’s lust. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind he’d be something else in bed. She’d witnessed him when he was attracted to a woman. The few times he’d let his dates meet him at the office Lydia had glimpsed a rougher, more primitive side to her boss. What would it be like if all that sexual aggression was focused on her?

Lydia shook the thought away. That road led to disaster. Clearly it’d been too long since she’d had sex. Daydreaming about Dane wasn’t what he was paying her for. He would never mix business with pleasure anyway so there really wasn’t any reason to let her imagination go hog wild. Right?

A tap on her window yanked her from her thoughts. Roni stood outside her car giving her a what’s up look and motioning for her to hurry up. Lydia turned off her engine, grabbed her keys and purse and hurried out of the car. “Sorry, my mind seems to be somewhere else today.”

“I gathered,” Roni mused as they walked together into the restaurant.

Lydia’s stomach rumbled as the aroma of burritos and salsa hit her nose. They were led to a comfortable booth near the back, away from everyone else. They gave the hostess their drink order and settled in. After the woman left, Roni looked across the table and asked, “Want to talk about it?”

“Dane is making me insane,” Lydia gritted out. “I feel like I never have a chance to catch my breath and it’s making me want to make a break for it.”

Roni crossed her arms, a stern look settling over her features. “Did you tell him he needed to give you more time off? You have a high-stress job, Lydia. You’ll burn out at this rate.”

Heat flooded her cheeks as she started to pick at her paper placemat. “Not exactly. I sort of stormed out.”

Roni’s eyes went round. “You didn’t!”

For the first time in hours Lydia felt her muscles relax. “Actually, I did. And he even begged me not to quit.”

Roni grinned. “Wow, I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. I told him I wasn’t quitting.” Lydia’s shoulders slumped. “I have the hardest time standing up to him.”

“You always have the hardest time standing up to people. You’re a pushover. A sweet pushover, but still a pushover.”

Their waiter came and left two bowls of salsa and a basket of chips before glancing up at Roni. He licked his lips and stared, then dropped his order pad. He leaned down and picked it up, his face red when he stood back up again. As he stammered out a welcome, Roni grinned.
Ah, the goddess strikes again,
Lydia thought. It had been a joke between her and Jeanette that only Roni had the ability to make men of all ages stammer and drool. After Roni ordered her usual fajitas, he finally realized there were two people at the table. Lydia ordered two enchiladas and sour cream and shook her head as she watched him stride off. “You do realize that with you around, I’m pretty much invisible, right?”

“If you’d let me help you with your wardrobe a little, that wouldn’t happen. I told you before you’re a babe, you just like to hide it.”

Her anger rose. “I dress like a professional. My job requires it.”

“You hide,” she simply stated. “You still think like that little Catholic girl your mother raised. It’s not a sin to look attractive, Lydia, despite what your mother used to harp about.”

Lydia wanted to rail at Roni, but considering she was dead-on accurate, it would be a waste of time. Her mother had wielded her rosary like a whip. She’d tried to beat it into her that ladies should be seen and not heard, to honor thy mother and father, obey thy husband. Lydia had always felt like a huge disappointment because she’d never quite measured up. After her parents’ divorce, Lydia had gone to live with her dad, and she’d felt like an even bigger disappointment. It didn’t seem to matter that her mom had never really wanted her. After her father had died from a heart attack, Lydia had never heard from her mother again.

“Don’t,” Roni warned, as if reading her thoughts. “I’m sorry I brought it up. But I do wish you’d loosen up a little. It’s okay to let loose, honey.”

Their food arrived and Lydia just shook her head. “I should be eating lighter. I always eat when I’m upset, which seems to happen a lot lately.”

“We all eat when we’re upset. Besides, your metabolism doesn’t seem fazed.”

They both went silent as they ate; the waiter came back three times to ask Roni if she needed anything. Lydia didn’t even bother to point out that she’d run out of diet pop two visits ago.

As she finished off the second enchilada an image of her mother binging on chips and cookies sprang to mind. Lydia dropped her fork. It hit the side of the plate with a clang and fell to the floor. She didn’t bother to pick it up, she was too numb to move. “Oh, God, I’ve turned into my mom.”

Roni choked on her pop. Several seconds later, she squeaked out, “You’ve done what?”

“Look at me, Roni, really look. My mother used to eat when she was upset. She used to dress in clothes every bit as conservative as mine, and do you know the last time I had sex?”

“Uh, no,” she said, a note of concern in her voice.

“It was with that dork, Philippe. He was so lame I couldn’t wait to get him out of my apartment. How pathetic is that?”

“That guy really was a dork. I hated that nasally laugh, and the way he used to go on and on about himself made me want to hit him.”

“See what I mean?” Lydia’s voice rose a notch as her hysteria grew. “Maybe half the reason I’m so stressed at work is because my personal life has gone down the toilet. I’m a younger version of my bible-thumping mom.”

Roni rolled her eyes and reached across the table to grab her hand. “That’s a load of crap and you know it. You are not your mother. Maybe you need to loosen up a little, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, Lydia.”

“But what if—”

“No what ifs. I’m a psychologist remember? I say there isn’t a damn thing wrong with you.”

“You’re my friend; you have to tell me that,” Lydia bit out.

“You’re letting that boss of yours make you crazy. Just chill, I have a plan.”

Lydia sighed in relief and sat back. “Thank God. I really need a plan right now.”

Roni bit her lip, as if unsure how to proceed. Lydia had never seen Roni unsure. It was more than a little disconcerting. “Do you remember me telling you about that club I go to sometimes called Kinks?”

“Yeah, but what does a fitness club have to with anything?”

Roni blushed. Right there in the middle of Alejandro’s restaurant, Roni Smart actually turned red. If Lydia hadn’t seen it she never would have believed it was possible for Roni to feel embarrassment. Suddenly Lydia wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear any more of Roni’s plan.

“It’s not a fitness club.”

Confused, Lydia asked, “What is it then?”

“It’s a BDSM club.”

The acronym meant nothing to her. “Huh?”

“Bondage and submission.” Lydia was still confused so Roni explained further. “You know, masters and submissives, whips and masks.”

Roni was into kinky sex games? How could she not have known about that? They’d been closer than friends for years. Hell, they were practically sisters. Roni was watching her, worry pulling at her brow. Lydia wasn’t sure what to say. “Oh, uh. Wow.”

“It’s not so strange,” Roni grumbled. “Don’t look so horrified, damn it.”

“I didn’t say it was strange. Just…shocking. I never knew you liked that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, well, we aren’t sleeping together, so how could you know?”

Lydia’s lips twitched. “Okay, you got me there. But, what does any of this have to do with me?”

“I’d like to bring you there, as a guest.”

Lydia knew she couldn’t have heard right. “Can you say that again?”

“You and me at Kinks Friday night. Is that clear enough for you?”

“Yep, that pretty much clears it up.” Lydia looked around the restaurant, wondering if anyone could read lips.

Roni blinked several times before asking, “Then you’ll go?”

Lydia’s gaze shot to hers. “Not on your life.”

“So you don’t trust me, is that it? You think I’d take you someplace depraved, teaming with pervs?”

“Of course not, it’s just that—”

Roni pushed her plate away and sat back. “Be honest, Lydia, you think it’s weird.”

Lydia didn’t want to hurt her friend, but she wasn’t about to be led into something she had no experience with either. “Uh, sort of, yeah.”

“Come with me Friday night. Let me show you how wrong you are.”

“What makes you think I’d ever say yes to this? I’m not into that sort of thing, Roni. I’m not judging you, but it’s not my scene.”