Chapter 17
Get me the number to Exhale Publishing.
Dallas
Istayed at my condo last night since it’s closer to the club than my penthouse.
I bought the condo when I first moved to L.A.
and held onto it after purchasing something bigger, for sentimental reasons.
It was my first home, my restart. Where I spent countless nights planning and making shit happen until I made my first fortune. Selling it just doesn’t make sense.
I walked over and grabbed the mug from the cabinet.
I needed coffee since sleeping wasn’t easy last night.
Horny as fuck and completely feral. I could have taken my choice of any woman in that club last night, God knows they were not subtle about wanting me to do just that – but there was only one woman I wanted.
I sent Jacob to drive Delaney home since Lacy was clearly going to be tied up for a while.
I would have driven her myself, if I hadn’t gotten called away to deal with a business matter that ended with my fist being covered in another man’s blood and a huge mess to clean up afterward.
We had someone sneak in and get handsy with a dancer, just one more reason snaking out new rules necessary.
Delaney was stubborn at first, refusing the lift home, but once Jacob reminded her no more buses were running until the early hours of the morning, she hesitantly agreed.
I’ve got to remember to take extra care of him come Christmas bonus time.
Delaney, that woman was a mystery. A riddle, I was dying to solve.
Her inexperience was something that called out to me.
I couldnt help but fantasize about all the fucking filthy things I could teach her, the world I could introduce to her curious mind.
She may act innocent but I saw the way she rubbed her thighs together and the flush that crossed her cheeks when I pressed against her.
That wasn’t fear, or disgust…that was desire. I could smell it on her.
* * *
Pulling the coffee beans from the refrigerator, I was shaken from my lustful thoughts when I heard someone at the door.
I already knew who it was, I could tell by the distinctive knock used.
Jacob has a background in law enforcement, it was one of the reasons I was interested in hiring him out of the many applications.
His entire family is retired law enforcement.
Jacob was expected to follow their lead and keep the generational occupation going when he had a fall out with his parents and stumbled into my club.
So his loud and assertive knocks have been here ever since.
“Morning, sir.” He announced cheerfully as I opened the door, gesturing for him to enter.
“Did you deliver the package I requested you to purchase?” I asked, by way of greeting. When he didn’t answer, I looked to see he was staring.
“What?”
“I’ll never get used to seeing you without that mask.”
“Well?” I snapped back to my initial question, disregarding his comment. There aren’t many outside of a handful of staff members at the club that have seen me outside of Crawl and even fewer that have seen me without my mask.
“Yes, sir. I hand delivered it this morning. When Miss Delaney leaves for work today the package will be the first thing she sees leaving her home.”
I smirked, knowing the shade of red she would likely wear once she opened that package.
Delaney’s rejection, while it was expected it was no less hard on my ego. I needed a way to get her to respond to me, more in my favor.
I sent Jacob a list of items I wanted him to get and sent him to deliver them to her. A little something to get her attention.
“Were you able to get it all?” I was staring down at my cell phone looking up the instructions for using this damn coffee maker. It serves me right for trying to get all high techy with a cup of joe.
“Yes, sir. The robe, the rose vibrator– ” Jacob choked out with a smirk as he handed me a pumpkin spice coffee that I didn’t notice him carrying when he came in. I tossed the open bag of beans into the sink and grabbed the cup from his hold.
“Not many men I know will openly drink pumpkin spice, and make sounds into the cup as you drink it.” Jacob chuckled.
I gave him a pointed look over the brim of the cup halting my movements mid slurp of the hot pumpkin deliciousness.
“Well brother, I’m not like most men. I’m the one and only Dallas Fucking Kingston. Got that?!” I snapped, with a wink, before I took a second sip.
I raised the cup in Jacobs direction with a nod , thanking him for the gesture.
“And the invitation?” I continued.
“Yes sir, along with the handwritten note you instructed me to write.” He blushed.
For a man that works in a kink club and sees lots and lots of unthinkable scenarios take place, he sure was having a hard time with the little task I asked of him.
It was funny to see all 280 pounds, covered in tattoos with red cheeks over a couple of intimate items. It’s not like I asked him to demonstrate them. Sheeeeesh.
I chuckled before waving my hand, dismissing him. “I’ll see you down stairs, give me fifteen minutes, maybe you could drive me without blushing like a bitch.”
He threw his head back and laughed, “That coming from a massive man, drinking his wittle pumpkin spice coffee.” He teased, closing the front door behind him.
Most people see my size and my tattoos and they cower down or at least tread lightly. Not Jacob.
* * *
Sitting behind my desk, my eyes stayed glued to the monitor as I watched last night’s surveillance footage.
I got in the habit of double checking that I or my staff didn’t miss something, especially when there’s an incident.
Distraction could be as simple as a fight breaking loose, just enough time for someone malicious to be destructive.
Luckily I hadn’t found anything yet. I didn’t anticipate I would, but you could never be too careful with Teddy and his fucking antics. I wasn’t too worried about getting shut down or anything like that. What I was most worried about was the privacy of my members being breached.
I opened club Crawl as a safe space to practice kinks without judgment.
A safe haven for your dirtiest fantasies to be played out and experienced.
There are some very important people who pay a lot of money for the discretion of this club.
If anything should jeopardize that discretion, it would ruin me and my club for my members, some who are genuinely good people.
Protecting what’s mine is my main priority. I don’t care what it takes.
* * *
I sat back in my chair and rubbed my hand down my face.
Letting out a big sigh, I hadn’t been able to concentrate all damn day, wondering if Delaney had gotten my gift.
The handwritten note left with it had my phone number attached so I was hoping to hear from her.
I knew I probably wouldn’t get a thank you, she’s too bratty for that – but I thought maybe at least she would call and tell me how disgusted she was with the explicit items that were in there.
The morning was turning into afternoon and it had been crickets.
I stood as my chair scooted across the marble flooring, echoing throughout my office.
I wasn’t going to waste another minute waiting for her to call me, I’m too stubborn for that. I pulled my phone out and dialed Jacob. He was helping Enzo with installing the extra cameras we ordered and had expedited.
“Sir,” he breathed into the phone clearly out of breath.
Enzo had him doing all the climbing, up and down the ladder while he supervised. I saw Jacob nearly lose his footing and stopped himself from tumbling, when I was watching the monitor a bit ago.
Walking out the front door toward my SUV I snapped instructions at Enzo.
“Jacob let’s go, and get me the number to Exhale Publishing.”