Tangled in Chains (4 page)

“You’re welcome to come by this evening but I must warn you, I don’t cook.” She gave a soft laugh.

“You like Asian cuisine, right?”

She nodded, impressed by his attention to detail and polite mannerisms.

“I know of a smashing good restaurant not far from your apartment. Would you like me to bring dinner?”

Resting her chin on one hand, she gazed at him dreamily. “Are you British? I love your accent.”

He appeared taken off guard by her sudden change of subject and perhaps her silly grin, but smiled casually nonetheless. “I have lived abroad most of my adult life. I suppose I’ve picked up some of their dialect.”

“It’s nice
—
your voice, it’s nice.”
Get hold of yourself!
Despite her attempt to hide her rocketing attraction to him, she failed miserably and inwardly scolded herself.

“Thank you. I like yours too. Very sweet and soft…like a love song.”

“Aw…” She felt her cheeks grow warm. “Nobody has ever said that to me.”

“Hm. I’m surprised. Blaze has quite the gift for gab, sweet talking all those people into trusting him with their money.”

She sighed. “He must save his charm for them then, though he does have a persuasive way over me.” Again the peculiar look from him as if she’d said something puzzling. Still, he didn’t reveal his concern, if he had one. She didn’t feel comfortable questioning him, especially since he’d be leaving town soon.

“Are we on for dinner tonight? I really should head back to the station.”

“Yes, I’d like that. I need to get back to work too.” She stood up and tossed her trash into a nearby can trying to seem casual and hide the effect he was having on her.
I can’t let myself get attached to Blaze’s best friend. This is not permanent.

His hand caught hers and she found herself pressed against his chest with his free hand at the small of her back. She gazed up at one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. For the first time she noticed his long lashes and how they formed a black rim around his eyes giving the appearance of liner, making them look even darker.

“A kiss until we meet again?”

If that was a question or a demand, she couldn’t sort it as his aura swept her away. At that very moment he could’ve done her on the table in public and she wouldn’t have resisted. His scent, a mysterious blend of sensuality and class, wafted over her, taking her under. They remained locked in what seemed like an endless gaze as his eyes searched hers.
What is he looking for?
She felt him reaching.

As if in slow motion he lowered his head until their lips met, lightly at first then heavily until his arms swept up her back and he breathed a deep sigh. She relaxed against him with surprising ease and parted her lips, inviting his tongue to explore and tease. The urge to taste him deluged her. With her arms curled around his neck she twisted her fingers into that luscious, silky mane and returned his thrilling kiss with all the passion in her soul.

She wanted him, and there was no denying it now.

“You didn’t call me, babe.” Blaze sounded mildly perturbed.

Sapphire plopped into a chair in the back office of the floral shop. “I’m sorry. I had an unexpected guest for lunch.” He didn’t bother to ask who which annoyed her.
Everything’s always about him.
“But I have good news, Marge gave me tomorrow off. We finished our order today.”

“That’s great. Did you have time to think about our conversation this morning?”

“Is that all you’re worried about? Don’t you want to do something special tomorrow?”

“Oh sure, baby, we can do whatever you like. Maybe since you have the day off we can party tonight. I will be busy toward the end of the week. I signed a couple new clients so there will be business lunches and dinners to attend.” He rattled on for a bit telling her where they’d be meeting and how the new contracts would impress the firm.

“I’m not sure if I can make it to all those social events in one week. Marge needs me, you know.”

Silence hung on the line for a few minutes then he spoke. “Baby…we need to have a discussion about future plans. I’m looking at big money with this firm and people will expect to see my wife by my side at socials. The other wives don’t have jobs. They organize luncheons and charity affairs. My associates will expect me to fit in.”

“Can we
not
talk about this now?” She sighed and rubbed her head.

“Okay, babe, can we at least discuss the immediate matter at hand?”

“I assume you mean Shook and another threesome?”

“Yeah, have you made up your mind?”

“He is bringing dinner so we’ll see how it goes.”

“How do you know that?”

She laughed cynically. “As if you didn’t know, obviously you sent him over today to nudge my decision along.”

“He came to see you today?”

“Blaze, were you not listening to a word I said? I told you I had an unexpected guest for lunch!”

“Oh…well, I didn’t know about it.” He paused again. “Did he help?”

His lack of concern stunned her and she failed to understand his obsession with the threesome.
Maybe he is paving the way for future romps to further his success. Could he really be that selfish?
She began to question her decision to marry him.

“I like him.” That’s an understatement, she mused. “He seems nice, so like I said, if you could try to focus for one minute, we’ll see how dinner goes, okay?”

“All right, sorry to push but he’s flying off at the end of this week and well, with my hectic schedule and yours…tonight may be our last chance.”

Last chance?
The words echoed through her mind and she felt an unexpected wave of disappointment wash over her.

“See you at home, then.” She ended the call and tossed her phone into her bag. Though Blaze’s peculiar behavior disturbed her, even enough to reconsider their future, she felt more distraught that tonight might be the last time she’d see Shook. The fact that it bothered her was also troubling.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Blaze looked her over in a slow, lingering manner. “I take it you’ve decided to entertain our guest tonight?”

“Yes.” Sapphire offered him a coy smile. “He is charming and since you said this may be the last time we see him for a while…but don’t even think of asking me to do this with one of your clients to advance a sale.”

He pulled her into his arms for a hug. “Baby, I’d never share you with a stranger and in case I haven’t said it, I’m extremely grateful for your gift. Once we’re married there will be no one else in our bed except us.”

“Good. Not that I mind Shook, he was really quite enjoyable, but your behavior lately is a bit out of character.”

Sliding one hand up her thigh beneath the short hem of her dress, he whispered, “Better to know my dirty little secrets before we say our vows, don’t you agree?”

“Mm-hm.” She took a deep breath as his fingers pushed past her thin lace panty.

“I’ve always loved this dress,” he murmured while stroking her sex. “Really accentuates your curves and shows off those killer legs.”

“You’re not going to chain me up again, are you?”

“Uh-uh, have something new planned for tonight.”

“What?” Visions of Shook flashed through her mind.

Blaze was breathing heavier now. “I’ll surprise you.” He began kissing her neck while finger-fucking her. “Ah, baby, you feel good.”

She felt the heat begin to rise and the pleasing sensation of sexual arousal trickle through her body as his talented fingers stimulated her sex. Higher and higher it rose until the need to climax besieged her.

Abruptly he stopped, then withdrew his fingers and licked them while staring into her eyes. “Perfect,” he muttered.

Standing there gasping for breath, she didn’t understand his new demeanor. He’d become someone completely different. The sweet, attentive man she’d agreed to marry was now driven by lust for money, power and sex. She wondered where she’d fit into his scheme of things for their future—or if she still wanted a future with this man. Tonight’s part two of the wedding gift might be the first stage of her farewell gift.

Maybe when this ménage thing is out of his system he’ll revert back to the man I fell in love with. If he pushes for me to give up my career then we’ll have another problem.
At the moment she was very relieved the wedding was six months away. She’d need time to reassess their relationship once his fixation with this fantasy passed.

Chapter Three

“Hi.” She couldn’t have wiped the smile off her face had her life depended on it when Shook walked through the door.

“Nice to see you again, beautiful.” He laid a dozen pink roses in her arms. “And I’ve brought dinner.”

Her stomach filled with flutters as she carried them into the kitchen and gently worked the pink roses into the vase with the white ones from the night before. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to draw the heavenly floral scent into her soul. She knew they’d been purchased from an upscale florist by their freshness, vivid color and strong bouquet. Cheap flowers faded and lost their aroma quickly. He had impressed her yet again.

“They look lovely, but pale in comparison to you, love,” he said while pulling cartons of Asian food from a bag. “And such a natural touch with flowers, the way you’ve blended them so nicely.”

“They’re beautiful.” She smiled up at him. “I’ve always loved working with flowers.”

Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he nuzzled her neck. “You have a delicate touch. Too bad your hands were bound last night. I’d have loved to feel them on me.”

He’s incredibly romantic for a man dropping by for a threesome before leaving the country,
she thought. Regardless, his enchanting aura had begun to take effect and her thoughts began running amok.

She pivoted in his embrace and his hands dropped to her hips. They were alone in the kitchen and his scent swirled around her. Without thinking she turned her face slightly upward, hoping he’d kiss her. Their eyes met and she felt hers mist over with intense emotion from his overpowering charisma.

“Sweet,” he purred, then laid a gentle hand alongside her cheek seconds before his lips touched hers.

God help me, I’m falling for him.
She released a quivering sigh as his tongue filled her mouth and they melted against one another in a heady exchange of affection. When he drew back his heated expression stoked the fire in her soul and suddenly she couldn’t wait for the games to begin.

“I have a feeling things will work out well for us,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

His brows furrowed in that questioning manner again.

Without warning Blaze breezed into the kitchen. “Are you two starting without me?”

Startled, Sapphire backed away and nervously smoothed her dress. She caught Shook’s puzzled expression before she hastily began setting the table.

Blaze followed her. “I see you’ve hit it off with my best man.”

“It was just an impulsive act, thanking him for the flowers.”

“I’m not worried, babe, so relax. In fact, your enthusiasm will make our last night with him all the better, unless you’re interested in a permanent threesome?”

“You know I don’t roll that way.” She didn’t look at him for fear he’d see the truth in her eyes that she’d fallen for his best friend.

The three of them gathered around the table for drinks and dinner. Sapphire drank more than usual to calm her nervous tension. Her mind raced with impossible questions. How had her life gone from conventional to crazy in one day? And how could she be falling out of love with her fiancé and into the arms of a stranger so fast? Then the most baffling mystery
—
what was Blaze really up to? No man could be that nonchalant when finding his woman kissing another man.

The possibility that he had ulterior motives surfaced again and she couldn’t dismiss the nagging feeling that his fantasy was a guise for something darker. She did her best to force her paranoia aside and enjoy the evening.

After dinner Blaze dominated the conversation. Shook appeared mildly frustrated that every attempt to draw information about her was overridden by Blaze going on about his new accounts.

She gave him a consoling look and shrugged. “He gets very excited about his work.”

“I see that.”

“Well, seems I’ve bored you two, so how about we kick up the heat?” Blaze walked into the kitchen, and returned with a bottle of chocolate syrup. “Anyone for dessert? Do you still have a passion for chocolate, mate?”

Shook cocked one brow and grinned. “I’ve a passion for many things. But yeah, chocolate is still one of my favorites when drizzled over the perfect treat.”

“And we do have the perfect treat.” Blaze cast a mischievous wink her way. “C’mon, baby, let’s play.”

They wasted no time once in the bedroom. Standing sandwiched between both men, she felt her dress fall away followed by her lacy bra and panties. Shook knelt at her feet to remove her shoes, then his hands slid up her legs ever so slowly.