The Playground Read online

  He’d spent too many hours at the office, going over documents, checking things, rechecking things, thinking up new angles for deals gone bad, all in the name of learning from his mistakes. Except that every time he’d drift off, he would start to think about the one failure he couldn’t learn from. The woman who’d captivated his heart, mind, and soul had haunted his dreams. Her image teased him. Even now as he perused files to know what he was getting into, his body tensed. His cock hardened beneath his trousers.

  Devon threw his head back against the wall, closed his eyes, and pushed the papers and files aside. He set his arms behind his head and let out a deep breath. Things had to go perfectly for him if Madame Eve was going to even consider this fantasy one-night stand. He’d have to make damn sure his intentions came across as nothing but pure. Shelly deserved a chance at happiness. And he deserved a chance to show her once more, how deeply he cared for her.

  He picked up his phone, hoping for a text from Eve saying she was game, but nothing showed up.

  “Damnit.”

  Chapter Two

  He’d kept tabs on her, watched her serve other patrons, and felt his irritation rise as she seemed to avoid him at every turn.

  Devon sipped his bourbon. He moved his gaze over her body, watching the way her curves moved when she bent to serve an older man his drink. He took a puff off his cigar, blew smoke into the air, and inhaled the scent of stale cigarettes, fine tobacco, and sweat.

  Why he never moved into an airier space was beyond him. But for the last twenty four hours, he’d watched her, feeling like a coward while Madame Eve ran through his background check, scrutinizing the answers he’d provided to her questionnaire. The extensiveness of the event was becoming ridiculous; she wanted things most people didn’t even know existed. Tax records were one thing, even surrendering his birth certificate he could understand. What he was asking for from Madame Eve and her service was a bit over the top, but he was willing to see this through.

  Shelly needed to know how he felt, or she needed to be burned from his system so he could move on. Part of him knew how silly this all seemed. All this money spent for just one taste of a woman. Part of him thought his foolishness had come about due to stress and insanity. She was the type of woman a man could easily find himself drawn to on a permanent basis. She possessed the traits to rule the world, or at least his world. But she couldn’t see that in herself.

  His phone beeped. Setting his cigar down in the ashtray, he picked up his phone, and read the text.

  You will have your request fulfilled. Funny, you Americans are always so interesting when you come to me, but I’m not here to judge. I’m here to provide a service. The folder provided for you will have the wire transfer information.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, Madame Eve had managed to convince Shelly, now called Marcy, to fulfill the request he’d made. There was a park not far from the hotel that he had spotted some time back. Upon closer inspection, he’d found it lacking in visitors, probably due to the extreme heat and dryness of Las Vegas. But at night, things were just slightly cooler than Hell.

  He’d seen playground equipment.

  His toys were with him. Restraints, whips, floggers, plugs, all packed neatly into a suitcase, ready for play, but he planned to do something more simplistic with Shelly.

  His phone beeped again. He slid his thumb across the touchscreen and read the message that came up.

  One more thing. If you harm her in any way….

  He replied with one word. Understood. The bartender came around and Devon called to him. He needed another bourbon, a double. That would calm his nerves.

  Shelly stood by one of the slot machines, fixing her hair. It was still the same shade of raven black, so dark it appeared blue. And pulled back, it emphasized the lines of her neck and face. Those oval eyes, the purple swirls of her irises were still so mesmerizing that he swore he could dive in and drown. Yet the storm that brewed in her raged forward as she served patrons. She smiled for them, made the gestures when they flirted, but it all seemed empty and angry from his vantage point.

  He could calm her if she’d only let him.

  The palpitations in his chest wouldn’t slow down. Blood pumped through him at an alarming rate and his cock grew hard at the prospect of seeing her again, wearing the clothes he’d requested. Bound for his pleasure.

  And hers.

  Now if he could just convince her of the fact that everything he was doing was for her. He had to lay it on the line. He had to pour his heart out to her. Feelings were left to nonbusiness decisions, and keeping personal lives separate from business was what made a lot of men a ton of money. It also made them sharks.

  Devon had built his business on his gut, a trait Shelly taught him.

  He slipped his phone back in his pocket, reached for his credit card, and paid the bar tab.

  She hadn’t left his field of vision yet. Still standing by the slot machine, she looked dazed. That glossy look in her eyes said she had plans tonight. In just a few short hours, she’d be bound, mostly naked and writhing in pleasure from his fingers, his words, and then maybe she’d admit her deepest fears so he could comfort her.

  Or perhaps she’d just throw him away once and for all.

  His heart would shatter but he’d move on. Closure.

  Devon shook his head. He had to stop thinking about worst case scenarios. Shelly was going to require him to lay it all on the line. Any good relationship required work and re-examination of values.

  An hour later, he’d showered, shed his corporate image of Dockers and dress shirt to something more fitting of who he really was.

  Black.

  Black T-shirt that clung to his muscled frame showed off his arms and chest, pants that fit tight enough to make a woman wonder, and boots. Both his boots and leather pants had been polished.

  He kept his long, blond hair down. Shelly liked that.

  Driving down the street where the park was, he made sure to tuck his car out of sight for protection reasons. No one needed to know about his use of the service or what his plans were. If he took Madame Eve’s meaning literally then no harm would come to Shelly.

  Slowly, he made his way toward the park, gravel crunching under his boots. The humid air annoyed him slightly, but he was about to create an even hotter scene than what Las Vegas heat could throw at him.

  His fingers itched to touch her skin. He walked toward the playground, eyeing the plastic and metal equipment.

  Devon spotted her, several feet away. Shelly stood, bound to a rung on monkey bars. Gray shorts clung to her and the black sports bra did little to hide the size of her lovely, round breasts. Hair cascaded down her back. Standing with legs spread, blindfolded, and arms secured to the monkey bars, she looked ready, inviting.

  He stopped ten feet away from her, eyes drawn to nipples that poked the fabric. Slowly, he drew closer.

  The sun had just set beyond the horizon. A car passed occasionally in the distance. Devon scanned the area for potential threats or discovery. There were plenty of trees and bushes to cover certain acts, but the dirtiness of fucking her on the playground equipment…. Well, that was a turn-on.

  Hopefully, she’d feel the same.

  Devon took a step closer. Then another, and another, until he could hear her breathing. Clear, pale skin begged for his touch. Her hair appeared even thicker than he remembered. He wanted to touch it. Ached to feel its silky smoothness through his fingers.

  But not yet.

  “You’re Marcy now, hm?” He deepened his voice, hoping to disguise it.

  She gasped, lifted her head. “That voice.” Her throaty gasp hardened him so that his cock strained against his leather pants, making him itch to unzip himself and plunge into her.

  But he couldn’t do that just yet.

  “Yes. This voice. You know me, Shelly.”

  Another gasp and rattle of ropes caught his attention until she spoke, “They told me I was getting a surprise if I’d only go
along. I didn’t realize….” She stopped.

  He hated that she did that. “You always stopped talking before giving away your major point, dear.” He set a hand firmly against her warm skin, palms itching to taste more of her. She was hard this time, flesh not nearly as soft and malleable as he remembered. Still, she was soft in the way only a woman could be. “You’ve had a hard life since we separated.”

  She didn’t respond verbally, but the shake of her body into his hand, clued him in.

  “You always had that way about you, Shelly. Why,” his hand roamed up her spine, fingers walking up it slowly, tiptoeing so light he could barely feel her, “do you do that defensive movement?”

  “Because what you’re offering is putting me there.”

  “I’m offering only,” his fingers crept up her neck, brushing through her thick mane, “what you need.”

  “Ha!” She snorted. “You never offered what I needed. Only a misogynistic viewpoint of what you thought I wanted and needed. Just like this entire scenario.”

  “Are you going to tell me,” he leaned into her body, so close he could smell her, taste her almost, “that if I slipped my finger beneath your shorts—”

  “I wouldn’t cry rape?”

  He feigned surprise. A hand cradled her ass, cupping her before giving it a firm squeeze.

  Shelly squirmed against him but settled her ass into the palm of his hand like they’d never been apart. Her jaw tensed, muscles in her neck flexed.

  He shook his head, “I didn’t think so. Besides, I’d never hurt you.”

  She scoffed and turned her head away from him.

  “I mean it. You and I were good together. Can be good again.”

  “That’s why you hired an agency to bring us back together? What kind of coward—”

  He brought his hand down against her ass.

  She yelped and arched into the pain. It must have been an unconscious act because she quickly moved away from his hand.

  “I already had the ‘I’m a coward’ speech with myself. But you disappeared.” He stepped close enough to her now that he could smell the spicy scent of her arousal beginning to flow between those long, pale legs. His pulse quickened. “But I had to do something, and you obviously agreed to it.”

  She sighed heavily. “Yes, I did.”

  “You had to know it was me. You avoided coming near me, so you must have seen me.” He leaned closer, nostrils flaring at her scent. Heat radiated off her, so much that it made him feel even warmer, standing a mere few inches away.

  She shook her head. “Yeah, I did know you were there. But I had hoped I was seeing things. You haven’t been around.”

  “You were the one who left me, as I recall.” It was hard to keep the curt tone out of his voice, even with her bound and practically naked before him. His hand moved from her ass to the small of her back, touching exposed flesh. “If you knew, then why did you come?”

  “Madame Eve offered me a chance at the one thing I wanted. I hoped….” She didn’t finish her sentence.

  His fingers walked back up the length of her spine, carefully caressing her flesh while raven colored silken strands fluttered between his fingers. “You wanted one more taste, too. Admit it.” His voice remained gruff, low. “You wanted to see for yourself that we had a chance.”

  “Close,” she lowered her head, blatantly fighting the urge to arch further into his touch, “I wanted one last tryst, yes. When I received a text from Madame Eve telling me she’d been watching me, I freaked out. I wasn’t even aware of her service. I’ve been working here for two years now.”

  He sighed. It had been two years since they last met, since last their flesh fell upon each other’s and hearts beat in tune before she walked out. “Yeah, Madame Eve is something else.”

  Shelly nodded.

  “Will you look at me if I remove the blindfold?”

  She nodded again. “I can do that. I’d rather you release me.”

  “The freedom I wish to give you,” he paused, reaching for her blindfold and tugging the knot free before moving to stand before her, “is the sort of freedom you’d cherish if you’d give in.”

  Slowly, Shelly’s eyes widened in an emotion Devon couldn’t quite read. Her arms still hung above her head, pushing well rounded breasts out beneath the tight, black sports bra. Her nipples were hard. He ran a hand over one.

  She shuddered.

  “You’re still lovely as ever.”

  She sneered. “I’ve lost weight since last we…. I’m not what you think I am.”

  He tilted his head slightly, dropped his voice to an almost whisper, “What do you think I believe you are?”

  She shook her head, “You think I’m some sort of….” Her eyes lowered, she blinked then looked back at him with what seemed like steady resolve. “You think I’m some sort of toy to be used and….” She started stammering. “And a doormat.”

  He gasped, “You got that how?”

  She glared, thrust her bound wrists at him. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “You still agreed.”

  Chapter Three

  Again, she lowered her head, sending thick strands of dark hair spilling down the front of her body and hiding her face. “You know I love you, despite the eccentricities, but I am not the girl you think I am. I’ve changed.”

  “No,” he growled. “You’ve grown. Into a more magnificent woman. Heartache, struggling, all of those things you endured while we were together made you a stronger woman. Now, I don’t even know what brought you to Las Vegas and to the casino, but the fact is, you,” he paused, catching his breath while trying to calm himself, “came out here, knowing what you would get into. How did you even get bound?”

  “That was handled by men with expert persuasion skills.” Her voice took on a dryness.

  He flinched but kept close to Shelly. He wasn’t ready to let go. Her stubbornness was a blessed thing most of the time. “I am not a danger.”

  “Not physically,” she whispered.

  Deciding not to push his luck, he opted for a more diplomatic approach. “Then fine. What if,” he watched her watch him, saw the wheels turning in her head as he spoke, “we did this the right way? No guesses, no games. Just you, me, a bed, and one last chance to see if we can work.”

  Her eyes perked up; her breath hitched. “You don’t like giving up control that easily. Even I know better.”

  Devon rubbed his chin. Hands ached to touch her shoulder, caress a breast, pop the nipple into his mouth and suckle her while her arms remained bound above her head and she moved with him, for him, for herself. “No, you’re right. But this is supposed to be a one-night stand, right? I mean, to help us at least move on.”

  Shelly blinked, lifted her head, and met his gaze dead on. “You can’t move on. If you could….”

  “Is there another man?”

  She shook her head slowly.

  He offered her a weak smile, “I’m glad.”

  “Solitude has been the best way to keep me safe and focused. I have a life now, a stable job, and that’s important to me.”

  “I’d never take that away from you. But I’m asking you for a chance. Just one chance. I’ll untie you, escort you back to the hotel, and by then we should have made dinner plans for tomorrow. Please?” His gaze dropped, hoping to captivate her the way he used to when they first met.

  “Damnit,” she let out another exasperated sigh, “Yes. Fine.”

  He had to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. “Thank you.”

  Once he’d untied her wrists from the monkey bars, she stretched her arms, bent them, patted herself, and wriggled her fingers to get blood flowing back again.

  He set a hand on her shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

  She turned toward him, “What for?”

  “I can’t rightly claim to be a dominant who cares for a submissive if I don’t put her needs in play.”

  She rubbed her wrists, “What needs? Sexually, we were fine.”‘

  “
Sensually,” he corrected, then squeezed her shoulder a little harder. She was all muscle, all feminine and sex. “But I don’t have water to offer you. I shouldn’t have had your arms up that long. Were you waiting a while?” He rubbed her back, grateful for the opportunity to touch her and offer her comfort.

  Long eyelashes fluttered over her cheek when she blinked. “No. I think you showed up ten minutes after the hired muscle left.”

  “Good. I don’t like to keep appointments waiting. Especially special ones.”

  Shelly laughed nervously.

  He waved a hand toward his car, “Come on, let’s take my car back. Unless….”

  There it was, the desire in her eyes. Desire intense enough to burn down the entire city of Las Vegas swam in her purple irises. “Just one kiss,” she whispered.

  “Just one?” He cocked his head to the side, set his hands on his hips. He couldn’t resist her. If he went down this path with her, it’d be all over. Not that he cared. It was dark enough outside that if they started and had to finish here, nobody could spot them.

  Except maybe the escort who brought her here.

  He did the only thing he could think of. He leaned into Shelly and pressed his lips against hers. Tasting her mouth took on an entirely new experience from the last time. Plump lips pushed back into his while a probing tongue slipped past his parted lips.

  A moan escaped her and vibrated along his jaw, sending volts of arousal straight to his cock. Her exquisite taste mixed with the humid Vegas air fueled blood coursing through his veins, blocking all rational thought. Arms wrapped around his neck while fingers interlocked and tugged at strands of platinum blond hair. They were quite a sight—he the light, she the darkness.

  Except that they were quite the opposite. Her free spirit shed light on the darkness in his soul.