Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Annie
Although I was sure Ciaran meant well when he told me to stop searching for Danny Mulhearn, I couldn’t just give up. I’d flown thousands of miles to find my late mother’s relatives. I spent every penny of my savings on this trip, treating myself to first-class travel and a suite at a luxury hotel. Going home and telling everyone I failed was not an option.
I wasn’t na?ve enough to think I was going to experience some emotional reality-show-style reunion with Danny. The way people spoke about him told me he was unlikely to be interested in developing a relationship with a distant cousin from across the Atlantic. Even if we didn’t have anything in common, I was hoping he’d point me toward other family members who might want to get to know me. I recalled my mother thinking Danny had a sister. If he did, it would be nice to meet her.
I walked toward the arena, hoping the security guard I spoke to yesterday would be on duty again. Tony was helpful in pointing me to Lola’s Lounge, and he might have other suggestions of where I might look for Danny.
The closer I got to my destination, the more I felt as if I was doing something wrong. Ciaran’s warning rung in my ears, and a shudder slipped down my spine as I remembered his words. Though I was startled when he warned me off my quest, I couldn’t help being turned on by the stern tone of his voice. It did funny things to my insides when he threatened to spank me if our paths crossed again.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to think about that. On the one hand, I was shocked a man would say something so blunt to a woman he’d only just met. On the other, I was intrigued by the possibility of experiencing something new. For a long time, I’d wanted to meet someone who was willing to experiment with some light bondage and the occasional spanking.
Neither of my former boyfriends would have been into it, so I’d never expressed my desires. I’d been too scared they would react with disgust. Jamie was too unimaginative to do any of the stuff I’d read about in books. Colin didn’t even want to have the lights on when we had sex. Neither of them had the right personality to make a successful foray into BDSM. They both lacked that necessary air of dominance. If one of them had tried to take me over their knee, I would have died laughing.
Ciaran struck me as someone who knew what he was doing in the bedroom, but even with him I doubted a spanking would be the orgasmic experience it was in romance novels. I’d built up such a life-changing image in my mind, the real thing could only be a letdown.
Not that I’d ever get a chance to find out if Ciaran could deliver. The chances of running into the handsome American again were small. Detroit was a vast city, after all. Unless fate smiled on me, I wouldn’t see him again. I’d just have to consign Ciaran and the tantalizing promise of his kiss to memory.
As I sauntered along the street, enjoying the pleasant warmth that would probably turn to unbearable heat later in the day, I realized someone was following me. Last night’s visit to Lola’s might have made it seem as if I was oblivious to the hazards of being a woman alone in a big city. In fact, I was constantly alert to danger and the hairs at the back of my neck were prickling in warning right now. I didn’t turn to see who was behind me, but I could tell from their heavy footsteps it was a man.
Quickening my pace, I hurried toward the building that housed the arena’s box office. I was getting close when a black SUV screeched to a halt in front of me and a man jumped out. Tall and muscular, with long dark hair and a scruffy beard, he looked like a barbarian who’d been stuffed into a smartly tailored suit. As I tried to step around him, he moved with me, blocking my path. I turned to find another man hemming me in. Presumably this stocky redhead was the person who’d been following me.
“Get in the car please, Miss Calder,” the dark-haired man said.
How did he know my name? I narrowed my eyes as I tried to work out who the hell these guys were. They carried an unmistakable air of authority. Were they police? FBI? Had my search for Danny Mulhearn landed me on some CIA shitlist?
No, that was crazy. My imagination was running away with me. I shook my head to rid myself of those ridiculous thoughts. The man in front of me took the gesture as a refusal to do as he asked.
“Please don’t make this difficult, Miss Calder. I will use force if I have to.”
Shock froze me to the core. He was threatening to use physical means to get me into the car. These guys couldn’t be on the right side of the law, could they?
“Why?” I asked. “What do you want with me?”
“Our employer requests the pleasure of your company.”
As polite as that invitation was, it told me absolutely nothing. “Who’s your employer?”
“Mr. Reilly.” He said that with a level of pride that made me think the man he worked for was someone to be admired, but I had no clue who he was.
“I don’t know anyone called Reilly.”
“Well, he knows you.” The dark-haired man wrapped a hand around my upper arm. “He doesn’t like to be kept waiting, so get in the car.”
As he manhandled me closer to the vehicle, I frantically scanned the street around us. There was nobody who could help me. Lots of cars were passing, but I doubted anyone could see us as we were shielded from view by the enormous SUV. I was being abducted in broad daylight and there wouldn’t be any witnesses. Shit. These men knew what they were doing. I got the distinct impression they’d done this before. Were they mafia? Was there a big mafia scene in Detroit? I didn’t even know, but these guys sure seemed like they’d be some sort of mobster thugs.
I squealed in shock as the man grabbed my waist and lifted me into the car, forcing me out of my musings. Scrambling across the seat, I tried to open the opposite door and found it locked. Damn. I should have expected that. The dark-haired thug slid onto the back seat next to me, but kept a respectful distance.
“Seatbelt,” he reminded me as the other man got into the front seat next to the driver, an older man with a mop of unruly black hair.
I didn’t have to be told twice. Since escape was impossible, I drew my seat belt across my body and clicked it into place. The car pulled away from the curb and merged into the free-flowing traffic.
Breathing in deeply to calm my nerves, I took a moment to assess my situation. Perhaps it wasn’t as dire as it seemed. If these men meant me harm, they wouldn’t be concerned about my safety. So far, they hadn’t done anything too sinister, like putting a bag over my head or tying me up. If I was being kidnapped, they’d mostly been civil about it. Perhaps I should be grateful for that.
We drove in silence, but thankfully not for long. Less than ten minutes passed before we pulled into the underground parking garage of a tall, glass-fronted building. The neighborhood seemed nice. It was clean and modern, with some greenery. Appearances could be deceptive, but this didn’t look like the kind of place where people were brought to be murdered.
As the car drew to a stop next to an elevator, the dark-haired man jumped out and moved around the car to the opposite side. For a brief moment, I contemplated trying to make an escape, but he pulled the door open before I could finish the thought and offered me his hand. Taking it, I let him help me out of the car. The moment I was safely on my feet, he released me.
“The elevator goes to the penthouse.” He keyed a series of numbers into a metal panel at the side of the sliding doors, too fast for me to see what it was. “Mr. Reilly is waiting.”
The doors opened, and he motioned for me to step inside.
“You’re not coming?”
He shook his head. It was ridiculous for me to be looking at him as a point of safety. The man had intercepted me on the street, shoved me into a car and brought me to this unknown location, yet I still wished he was coming with me. There was something reassuring about his stoic demeanor. Plus, he hadn’t actually hurt me. Who knew what this Mr. Reilly might do?
“Please, Miss Calder.” He gestured toward the open elevator.
I stepped inside and pressed the only button on the shiny gold panel. As the doors closed, I fiddled nervously with the strap of my purse. I reminded myself that Mr. Reilly, whoever he was, had no reason to harm me.
There was nothing to indicate how many floors I’d gone up, but by the time the elevator came to a halt, I’d managed to calm myself somehow. I stepped out into a large, open space that was bright and modern, with hardwood flooring and enormous windows that flooded the space with light. It took a moment for me to realize this was someone’s home. A faint scent of pine hung in the air.
A man stood by the window, hands in the pockets of his tailored beige pants. A white shirt stretched across the broad expanse of his back. He had a great butt, one I recognized.
“Ciaran?” I gasped as he turned around.
“Annabelle Louise Calder.” He acknowledged my presence with a curt nod, his use of my full name letting me know both that he’d done some research on me and that he was angry
“You’re Mr. Reilly?” The answer was obvious, but I wanted confirmation anyway.
“I am.”
Indignation coursed through my veins. “You had me kidnapped!”
Ciaran snorted dismissively. “I’d hardly call it kidnapping.”
“No, then what would you call having someone snatched off the street and brought to you?”
Rather than answering me, he shrugged. I watched as he crossed the room to sit on one of the enormous brown leather sofas that dominated the space. He set his cellphone down on the low wooden coffee table, unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. I couldn’t help staring. He had strong forearms. His hands were incredibly masculine, too. I found myself wondering what they’d feel like roaming all over my ass.
Blinking away that distracting thought, I focused on my annoyance at being picked up and delivered to him like some object he could have moved around on a whim.
“Why am I here, Ciaran?”
“To answer for your disobedience.”
My mouth popped open in surprise. “What disobedience?”
“You were heading to the arena to ask about Danny Mulhearn.”
I shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other, stunned at being caught. “You can’t possibly know that’s where I was going.”
Ciaran fixed me with a harsh stare that made me tremble and not just from fear. There was a familiar fluttering between my legs.
“Were you, or were you not, going to the arena to ask about that asshole, Annabelle?”
“Don’t call me that!” My parents were the only ones who ever called me Annabelle. “It’s Annie.”
“Okay, Annie,” he conceded, “tell me the truth.”
Crumbing under the weight of his scrutiny, I chose honesty. “Yes, I was going to see if I could find Danny.”
“Didn’t I tell you to drop it?” Ciaran’s voice lowered by an octave and I got the sense I was in trouble.
“You did, but you’re not the boss of me.” That sounded so juvenile, I cringed. Shoving down my embarrassment at sounding like one of the little kids I taught, I folded my arms across my chest. “Did you bring me here just to tell me I shouldn’t have been looking for Danny?”
Ciaran shook his head slowly.
“Not just that. Think about it, Annie. What did I say would happen if I saw you again?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I recalled his threat. “You said you’d spank me.”
“That’s right. “Now, come and put yourself over my lap like a good girl.”
He patted his knee, and I thought I might spontaneously combust.
“You’re not serious?” A nervous laugh escaped me.
“I am deadly serious.” If his tone didn’t confirm he meant it, his unflinching gaze would have. “Now, what’s it to be, sweetheart? Are you going to put yourself over my knee voluntarily, or do I have to come over there and get you?”