Dangerously Bound (4 page)

His pupils widened, his nostrils flared. Then his jaw ground so tight she could see
the tick in his cheek. He rose to his feet so fast his chair tipped over behind him.

“Fuck no.”

I
T HAD BEEN
thrown at him so fast he could hardly wrap his heads around the words. Him play Allie?
The one person in the world he’d sworn to protect from that side of himself? Insane.
Beyond insane.

“Mick.” He heard a small threat in Jamie’s tone. He didn’t give a damn. Rage was simmering
in his system. Rage and a wild, fierce protectiveness when it came to Allie he couldn’t
find a damn
place
for in this mess.

“I was right the first time—you are out of your fucking minds. Both of you.”

Jamie stood, not quite as tall as Mick was, but he had his Dom on. “Mick, sit down
and shut up for a minute.”

“Not a chance.”

“Let her have her say.”

“You’ve both said more than enough.”

Jamie stared him down. “I don’t think so.”

“Goddamn it, Jamie—”

Allie shot to her feet. “You two stop it. You’re making a scene. And Mick, I’m telling
you right now, if you don’t have this conversation with me, I’ll have it with someone
else.”

She grabbed his arm again, and her touch scorched his skin. He had to grit his teeth
not to pull away. Not to grab her and pull her in for a long, hard kiss. She moved
in closer.

Yep. She still smelled like summer. Damn it.

He started to shake his head.

“Mick, sit down. You, too, Jamie,” she demanded, dropping down into her chair.

He looked down at her. She was so beautiful it almost broke his heart to see the urgency
in her big brown eyes. Jamie sat but Mick stayed on his feet, leaning on the edge
of the table.

“This is the Goddamn craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“This is reality, buddy,” Jamie put in. “Oh, go ahead and shoot me that dirty look.
But you’re going to hear us out.”

“I don’t know how the hell you did it, but it looks like I don’t have much choice.”

“Sure you do. You can walk away knowing Allie means it—if you aren’t the one to bring
her into the club, there’ll be a dozen men lined up for the privilege, and we both
know it. She can handle the trolls, I’m pretty damn certain. I just wasn’t sure she
could handle
you
on her own. And I wouldn’t have let her. She came to me about this, which makes her
my responsibility.”

“Christ, Jamie.”

“You know I’m right. That’s part of the code we live by. She’s under my protection
now. Until someone else takes over that role. It could be you. Or it could be some
other Dom.”

Mick straightened up and rubbed both hands over his face, dropped them. “Never.” He
heard the danger in his own voice. “And that’s what you were counting on, wasn’t it?”

“I was counting on you,” Allie said, her voice soft.

His laugh was ragged. “I don’t know why. You’ve never been able to before.”

“That’s true. And maybe it’s crazy, but I want to give you one last chance to redeem
yourself.”

So did he. That was all he’d ever wanted. For what he’d done to her. For what he’d
done to his life by being an idiot at eighteen with that damn motorcycle.

A flash of that day—the flashes he had too Goddamn often. The green and gray of the
trees shading the wide street whirring by, becoming a watercolor blur as the bike
started to go down. The strain in his muscles as he struggled to right himself. Then
the world exploding as he hit . . .

Fuck.

But that wasn’t the only reason he needed redemption.

He’d done without Allie—and the motorcycle—since he’d screwed up so badly. Screwed
up his life, his future. He’d given up Allie before the accident even happened, but
that had been the nail in the coffin of the life he’d once wanted with her. He still
felt with utter certainty he’d done the right thing.

But he had to focus on what was happening right now. Such serious expressions on both
their faces—his best friend and the woman he’d loved since he was seventeen. Both
of them offering him something he’d always wanted. Tempting him with things he could
never have.

They had to be fucking kidding. Except they weren’t.

He could not play Allie at The Bastille—or anywhere.

“Jamie, I can’t believe you’d be a party to this . . . this insanity.”

“Someone had to facilitate a conversation between you two.”

“Not
this
conversation,” Mick ground out.

“Yeah, exactly this conversation. Because you know damn well, if you just calm your
ass down and think for a minute,
that our Allie is not going to give up kink just because the great Mick Reid is too
stubborn to play her. She could have her pick. Hell, I’m her friend—I’d fucking play
her. At least then I’d know she’d be in good hands.”

Mick’s hands curled into fists. “You fucking
will not
.”

Allie tugged on his hand, then released it and crossed her arms over her chest. “All
right, I may be the submissive at the table, but you are not going to tell me what
I can and cannot do, Mick. I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.”

He couldn’t help the grin that crooked the corner of his mouth. There was definitely
evil intent behind it. “Isn’t that exactly what you’re asking me to do, sweetheart?”

She huffed out a breath. “You’re impossible. You know what I mean.”

He shook his head. He liked to see her all riled up, her cheeks pink, her eyes blazing.
He couldn’t help himself. But he was damn well not going to play her. Even if the
idea made him hard all over.

Control.

“The fact is, you’re both impossible,” Jamie said. “But since you’re both my friends
and Allie asked me to present the terms, I’m going to do this right. As with any submissive
new to our club it’s my duty to see that it’s done correctly, so you’d better settle
down, Mick, and let us get started.”

“Christ, Allie. You’d really go and play with some other Dom? Just to irritate me?”

“I’d play with some other Dom to get my
needs
met. Surely that’s something you understand? But I’d rather it was you.” Her eyes
were shining—he wasn’t sure if it was a sheen of tears or the way the café was lit.
“How long are you going to think of me as a child, Mick? I’m no innocent kid anymore,
not by a long shot. Do you need my references? I can have three trainers
contact you by tomorrow. More Doms that I’ve played with in the next few days. I can
get you a dozen references that will testify to my experience and my fitness as a
bottom, including lists of toys I’ve experienced and the clubs where I’ve played.”

He didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t want to know about the things she’d done with other
men. The idea of some other Dom putting a collar around her neck . . .

His fingers flexed.

Control.

He took in a deep breath.

“Stop glowering at me, Mick. Jesus.”

“What? I’m not glowering, Allie. I’m thinking.”

She sighed. “Can you please think sitting down? People are starting to stare.”

He picked up his fallen chair and sat. “Are you saying exhibitionism isn’t on your
list of likes?”

“As a matter of fact, it is,” she said calmly.

Oh, she’d be perfect, tied up in his bonds, her naked flesh crossed with rope and
shadows from the dungeon lights.

He had to stop thinking like that.

Fuck it. Maybe he’d better start. Because no one else was going to have her.

“I never believed this was you, Allie. You know I never thought—”

“Maybe what you believe is wrong,” she interrupted. “Maybe it’s time you gave me a
chance to show you how wrong you are about me, Mick.”

“So?” Jamie asked him.

Goddamn this girl. But she was no girl anymore—he could see that much. But what was
she going to be after he took her to The Bastille and let loose the beast that lived
within him on her all-too-willing flesh?

That was what the ropes were all about. Restraining her. Containing the fire that
burned inside him, the animal snarling to get out. Was it possible
this
was what he needed? Or was that some excuse he was making to get his hands on her?

He dragged a hand through his hair, blew out a long breath. “Fuck. Fine. Let’s talk
terms.”

“That’s better, buddy.” Jamie leaned forward in his chair. “Let’s start with any health
complaints. Allie?”

“Just one—I sprained my right ankle last year, and it still gives me some trouble
from time to time, so I can’t do any inverted suspension.”

“Jesus, Allie, where did you learn about inverted suspension?”

She just glared at him. “Next question, Jamie?”

“Hard limits?”

“No face-slapping, no gags, no age play, no watersports or scat, no humiliation or
degradation, no rape play, no pony or puppy play, no heavy canes. Oh, and no blindfolds.”

“That’s it?” Mick asked, incredulous. “That’s your
entire
list of hard limits?”

She nodded, watching him. “Other than the usual non-consensual stuff.

“And sex?” Jamie asked.

“Fuck, Jamie, you can’t ask her that!”

Jamie shrugged. “It’s a standard aspect of negotiations. You know that, Mick.”

“She and I will talk about that later,” he growled. “Move on.”

Jamie stared at him for several moments, challenging him, but no one was going to
win this power struggle but
him
. Not when it came to Allie.

“Okay. I’ll trust that you won’t try to skip that part.”

“You know me better than to believe I’d shirk my duties,
buddy
.”

Jamie nodded, ceding the point. “I do.” He pulled a piece of paper out from somewhere.
“Here’s a list of her kinks. Her preferences, if you will.”

He slid it across the table toward him. Mick picked it up, folded it and tucked it
into his back pocket.

“Aren’t you going to look at it?” Allie asked.

“I’ll study it later, then we’ll talk more.”

She looked surprised. But it had had exactly the effect on her he wanted—to allow
him to take back control of the situation.

“Tell me how I contact you, Allie. Email.”

He caught the slightest flaring of her nostrils. She was a little mad. Maybe more
than a little. Okay, he could allow her that. He knew he had it coming. And he’d find
a way to work the anger out of her in his ropes.

Jesus Christ. He was going to have Allie—Allie!—in his ropes. Under his hands. His
body . . . his mind . . . both were in some sort of slowly building turmoil. That
and a hard buzz of desire like a pulsebeat beneath his flesh.

“Mick, don’t you want to go over your limits as a Top?” Jamie prompted.

“That’s easy enough. Don’t fail to use your safe words if you need to. Total honesty
with me about what you need, what you want, what you don’t. Total honesty after a
scene if something didn’t work for you. Don’t ever try to play if you’re sick—I don’t
want you pushing yourself too hard. And I won’t draw blood on purpose, so if that’s
something you’re looking for—”

“It’s not.” Allie’s brown gaze was on his, smoldering with heat. A heat that went
through him like a small electric shock. Jesus—she wanted him.
Wanted
in the same way he wanted her.

Despite his arguments, this was about to get interesting.

“But you intend to push me,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

He smiled. “If you’ve done your research, then you know I’m a sadist, Allesandra.”

She smiled. “That’s why I’m here.”

*   *   *

W
AS IT?
A
LLIE
knew in her heart that was only partly true. She was there for Mick, kink or not.
Although the fact that there was going to be kink, well . . . it was a big part of
what had led her back to him. That and knowing she had something to prove in this
arena. To him. Maybe to herself when it came to him. That she could be the woman he’d
never believed she was. The woman who was exactly right for him, if he’d drop the
damn savior complex and let her show him.

If this didn’t work, nothing would.

“So?” Jamie asked before she had a chance to. “Are you both in?”

Allie nodded. “Yes.”

“Mick?”

“Goddamn it, Jamie. Yes, I’m fucking in. Okay?”

He ran a hand through his hair, something she knew he’d always done when he was agitated.
Apparently, Jamie recognized it, too.

“Buddy, you and I will talk more before this happens.”

“Damn right we will.”

“And you and Allie need to talk more, too.”

“When are we doing this?” she asked.

“Give me your email and I’ll contact you tonight,” Mick said.

“But I—”

“Allie. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it my way. I’m still the Dom.
And you’re about to find out to what degree I mean that. I suggest you start with
some level of compliance to show me you know how to be a proper submissive.”

She could almost feel steam coming out of her ears.

“I am submissive, but there’s nothing proper about me. And I suppose you’re about
to find out to what degree I mean
that
.”

They stared each other down, and she never blinked. But the intensity of his gray
eyes was making her legs go weak. Mick Reid was going to be one wicked Dom. She looked
forward to it, even if he was pissing her off. She knew she’d go down with a struggle.
But the fact was, she was going down. For Mick. It was everything she’d ever wanted.
She wasn’t going to ruin it by allowing him to be an ass—Dom or not.