Page 56 of Delicious Surrender
“Right, I mean Tink, short for Tinkerbell, I’d like to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Cole Bradford.”
She grinned, and Gage realized she had never bestowed that kind of smile on him. “Very nice to meet you, Mr. Bradford.”
“Please call me Cole.” He rose to his feet and took herdelicate hand in both of his. The bastard was pouring on the charm, making a spectacle of his height. In university, he would tell the girls he had several inches on Gage—and advised them to make an educated choice about whom to go out with. He towered over Brynne by more than a foot.
“The pleasure is all mine, darlin’. Where have you been hiding all my life?”
Gage snorted. “I should have warned you. He’s a lecherous Texan, and you can’t believe a word he says.”
Brynne giggled and pulled her hand out of his. “Not to worry,sir. I know how to handle lecherous Texans, depraved Russians, andcantankerousScotsmen.” She winked at Cole, and he laughed loud enough to draw the interest of the other guests.
Gage leaned back and took a sip of his drink, his eyes glinting like ice. “You want me to take you over my knee, don’t you?”
She leveled a look at him. “You know I do. I’m not sure why you insist on denying us both when I’ve done plenty to deserve it.” Brynne turned to Cole. “Have a lovely visit, Cole. I must run. I have tables to get back to.”
She turned and fled in a flurry of tinkling beads. Cole sat down and grinned at him. “Now I understand what the fuss is about, man. She is ripe for the picking.”
Gage ran a hand roughly through his hair. “You see what I mean? She’s not submissive. She wants to play around—and fulfill her fantasies of what she thinks BDSM is.”
“Well, if I were in your shoes, I’d toss her into the deep end to see if she’s all talk or not.”
“I have no interest in training a novice, only to find out later it isn’t what she really wants.” He looked at Cole and saw sympathy reflected in his eyes. “Sierra pretended for months to love it and she had me fooled.”
“I get it, man, but not all women are as dishonest as that witch. And don’t take this the wrong way, but you fell for a cold-hearted bitch, who was just like your mother.”
Gage swore and stared into his glass of scotch, swirling the amber liquid. “That’s pretty fucked up.”
“Yeah, it is. Bottom line, we have to get you laid. But right now, you should show me the sights. What is happening in this Arabian den of delights?”
Gage shook himself free of his dark thoughts. He finished his drink and rose. “Let’s go up to the second floor. I’ll show you the sheik’s playground.”
Brynne arrived at the club an hour early so Mel could help with her hair and makeup. She used extra smoky eye shadows and black kohl to make her eyes stand out and curled and styled her hair in a way Brynne could never do herself. She stood staring at her reflection, admiring how the pretty colored jewels on her top shimmered in the light. When she moved, the dangling beads on her waist and ankles jingled so everyone could hear her coming. Sexy didn’t describe how she felt. It was far more powerful. The outfit would draw attention to her curves. It made her feel exotic. Wanton. Carnal.
When she delivered the drinks, Gage had looked strange—like he was in pain. His friend was charming and handsome, but she only had eyes for the broody motherfucker who wouldn’t make a move. Brynne had made her desires clear enough and held out hope that he would act on them.
There was no time to worry about it now. She had tables to serve, and thedepraved Russianhad just arrived with his entourage.
Brynne could see him searching for her as he made his way to his table. Unfortunately, he didn’t bring any subs with him. Her hopes of him focusing his attention elsewhere were dashed. She wanted to see how he treated them—and what he might make them do. Instead, he brought two massive bodyguard types with shaved heads and glowering faces. They were out of place in the sumptuously decorated room.
When Dimitri saw her, his eyes lit with a feral gleam that caused her to falter. The fancy beaded mules didn’t help—she almost tripped twice over her own feet.
Brynne took the drink order for Rory and his friend and went over to the bar. She needed to take a breath and center herself before dealing with him.
“Look out for me tonight, Bill. I feel like a rabbit amongst a pack of wolves!”
“Don’t worry, Tink. Every security guard in the room will watch you and your fellow harem gals closely. You will be safe.”
Brynne kept her eyes on the floor on the way to Rory’s table and delivered their drinks without her usual flair. Rory took her hand as she was turning away and asked, “Sweet Tink, will yoube getting into trouble tonight?”
“I hope not, Sir Rory. I’m planning to be on my best behavior.” She winked at him.
“Mores the pity.” He kissed her hand and let her go, a wistful look in his eye.
She took a deep cleansing breath, her head held high and walked to the corner booth. Dimitri’s eyes devoured her, but she refused to let him unnerve her.
“Good evening, gentlemen. May I get you something from the bar?”
The beefy henchmen looked to Dimitri, not daring to speak first. His lips were white, his jaw stiff.Why does he look so angry? Nobody grabbed my butt on the way over.