Claiming London Read online

  “True. I can understand that. Think about the copy-editing idea. Maybe something will pan out. If fixing other people’s grammar makes your heart beat faster, maybe you’re onto something,” he teased.

  She flushed, her face heating in the front seat of her car where she still sat staring out the windshield. “There are a few things that make my heart beat faster than grammar,” she purred.

  He didn’t laugh that time. Instead, he groaned. “Save that sex-kitten voice for when I’m not sitting in the middle of the precinct.”

  She giggled now. This was fun. “You want to know what I’m wearing?”

  He groaned louder. “No. Stop it. The guys will make fun of me if I walk through the office with a hard-on.” His voice dipped to a whisper as he spoke.

  “Mmm. This could be fun. Are you planning to meet me at Zodiac tomorrow night?”

  “No, you nymph. I’m not.”

  She flinched, her body going rigid. “Why not?”

  “Because I’d rather pick you up from your apartment and take you there myself. If the idea doesn’t make you feel pressured, that is.”

  She blew out a breath. “I’d like that actually. Thank you.” It wasn’t as if anyone would be shocked if for once she arrived with the man who’d claimed her like a caveman in front of everyone.

  “Great. What time do you want me to pick you up?”

  “Why don’t we discuss it tonight over pizza?”

  He chuckled yet again, a sound she liked a lot. “You really don’t cook, do you?”

  “I can cook. I did so for five damn years. I make several amazing meals in fact. Not once did I do anything well enough to please my fucking husband, however. Therefore, I went on strike after I left Louis, and honestly I haven’t quite managed to enter a kitchen without cringing yet. Another casualty of my abusive husband. The list is long.”

  “Understandable.” His voice was serious and soothing. “I’d love to come over for pizza tonight. Not sure what time I’ll get out of here, but if you don’t mind a late dinner, I’ll be there.”

  Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed. What possessed her to invite him over, arranging to see him two nights in a row? And why was he undaunted by her refusal to cook? Nothing bothered him. It was as if she could do no wrong, and that made her nervous.

  “London?”

  She sighed. “Is there anything I could say to you that would turn you off from me?”

  “Why would you ask such a thing?”

  She swallowed, feeling the onslaught of emotional overload. “You’re so nice to me,” she managed. “You don’t care that I don’t cook or keep house or that I don’t have a real job or that I’m a daredevil. Nothing bothers you.”

  “I’m not dating you because you clean a mean toilet, London. I’m dating you because I like you. In fact, some of those aspects of your personality are the very ones that appeal to me. You’re easygoing and unpredictable. You read poetry and bartend and jump from planes with a level of freedom I envy.”

  Okay. That makes sense. I really need to get a grip. “That reminds me.”

  “This ought to be good.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

  “I’m going bungee jumping on Saturday.”

  Full-on laughter. “Can I go with you?”

  “Of course not,” she blurted.

  “Why not? I’m off on Saturday. Maybe I want to spend some time with my girlfriend.” It was the first time he’d used the term, and she found she liked the sound of it. But no way in hell was he going bungee jumping with her. He hated heights. “Crap. I’ve got to go. My boss is waving at me from across the room. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “It’s a date.”

  “Perfect. Later.” He disconnected before she even said goodbye. It was a bummer that their conversation got cut short, but she understood. He was at work. His job was important and unpredictable and demanding.

  She might not consider herself to be worthy girlfriend material, and she wondered about his mental stability in pursuing her flaky self, but never ever would she complain about his job or in any way insinuate he put too much into it.

  Apparently his first wife had done a number on him when she cheated and left him. Eventually Pierce needed to understand that it wasn’t his fault that Janet wasn’t cop-wife material. That was on her, and the woman seemed to be pretty self-aware of the fact. Now Pierce just needed to realize it. Whether or not London could ever find a way to fully commit to another human being after the scars she’d endured from her first marriage remained to be seen. However, Pierce’s job was not a factor in her decision.

  Not a chance.

  Chapter 17

  Pierce was pleasantly surprised later that evening to find out that he and London agreed on pizza toppings. Score. They sat at her small kitchen table, leaning over the box, and devouring the mushroom, green pepper, and sausage pizza. London drank a soda while Pierce nursed a beer.

  In the end, he hadn’t arrived until after seven because work had gotten chaotic and he had needed to follow a few leads on his case.

  Luckily, he’d finished up, rushed home, showered, and hurried to London’s apartment.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t get here earlier,” he said for the second time. “You were obviously starving waiting for me.”

  She narrowed her gaze at him. “Pierce. Do not apologize again about your job. It is what it is. I get it. I’m not complaining, and I don’t think I’ll die of starvation just because dinner is an hour late.”

  She was clearly sincere, but the entire situation was making him uneasy. He never should have pushed her to get involved with him on this level while his stupid promotion was still up in the air. It wasn’t fair to her. Even under the best of circumstances, he was often gone about half the time. It was always ill-advised to start a relationship when he was in the middle of a case. And this current case wasn’t giving him warm fuzzies. The perp was slippery. He didn’t follow any sort of pattern. He showed up at random locations on random days. It was difficult to track him and nearly impossible to catch him in the act.

  Pierce didn’t think he’d have to go completely dark anytime soon, but he would be putting in long hours.

  He must have gotten distracted inside his head because suddenly London was shoving the pizza box out of the way. She pushed the table back several inches next. And then she rose from her seat, stalked to his, and straddled his lap.

  When her pussy pressed against his crotch, he gritted his teeth. The instant hard-on made him speechless. All he could do was grasp her hips and pull her tighter.

  “Have I got your attention?”

  “Totally. Sorry.”

  She shook her head, frowning down at him. “I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to give yourself a break and trust that I can handle your job. If you can handle my lack of job, surely I can handle yours taking up a lot of time.”

  He lifted a hand to her face and stroked her cheek. “I want better for you.”

  “But I’m not asking for better. I’m fine. You’re fine. I’m not Janet.”

  “I can’t give you all of myself right now.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Your definition of all is warped. You don’t have to prove anything to me every moment of every day, Pierce. I’m super clear by your relentless pursuit of me that you like me. A lot. I’m not insecure about your feelings. It’s probably better this way for now. I’m still struggling to avoid my own freak-out over our relationship status anyway.” She leaned in closer and kissed the corner of his mouth, probably to soften her words.

  God, she was amazing. “Okay.” He continued to stroke her cheek, but he pulled her down for a kiss. When he released her, he held her gaze. “I might be incredibly busy for a while.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll be looking for work myself, anyway.” She gave him one of her winning smiles.

  “I’m not sure I can get off Saturday even.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Why do you need Saturday off?”

  “Bungee jum
ping.” He forced a smile.

  She rolled her eyes. “Pierce, for God’s sake, you can’t even walk out on a balcony to the edge. You’re not going bungee jumping.”

  “Maybe I need to face my fears,” he lied.

  “Maybe you need to realize that we each have separate lives, and sometimes we’re going to do things that don’t interest the other person, and that’s okay. I wouldn’t want you to do something you’re not interested in or terrified of, in this case. Likewise, I wouldn’t want you to insinuate I shouldn’t pursue stuff I want to do just because you don’t.”

  Yeah, she was amazing. “You sound like a therapist yourself. Maybe you’ve gone to yours for so long that you can quote her.”

  “Probably.” She squirmed against him. “Now, are you going to take those jeans off and let me ride you?”

  “Nope.” He lifted her off his lap. “I prefer to make you suffer before I let you come.”

  He stalked her. She backed up until her ass hit the wall, missing the short hallway. He pressed his body against hers, needing the contact, needing so much from her. More than she was willing to give him yet.

  Setting one hand on the wall next to her head, he wrapped his other around her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. And then he lowered his face and kissed her. Not a gentle, soft, quick peck, but a deep, insistent, demanding connection. One that would leave her breathless and needy.

  Her hands went to his hips and then spread up his chest as he angled farther to one side and deepened the kiss. He wanted more. So much more. He had to be back at work in about eight hours, but he didn’t care if he was tired tomorrow. It would be worth it.

  When she moaned into his mouth, he broke the connection, but didn’t move. He stared down at her. They needed to agree on a few ground rules so that he wouldn’t spend half of every day worrying about where she was emotionally with regard to their relationship.

  He finally spoke. “Tell me how many times a day you’re comfortable with me texting you. How many times can I call without freaking you out? Give me a number so that I won’t worry that I’m doing too much or too little.”

  She licked her lips. “I’m a horrible girlfriend.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. You’re you. I understand perfectly. I just need you to set specific boundaries. That way if I can’t see you for several days in a row, I’ll know I communicated just the right amount to ensure you’re aware I’m thinking about you without scaring you off.”

  “I’m not scared.” Her voice was weak.

  “You’re petrified.” He smiled.

  “Okay, maybe a little.”

  He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I just want to be able to check in with you and take your pulse a few times a day. If we agree on a number, you’ll be expecting me and it won’t be overwhelming.”

  “You’re probably right.” She winced.

  “Two initiated texts from me and one phone call at night. Yeah?”

  “I feel like we’re negotiating a truce to end WWIII.”

  “Nah. We’re negotiating a truce to prevent it from ever starting.”

  “What if I text you?”

  “Ah, see, that’s something else entirely. You’re permitted to text me as often as you want. I get two initiations and one phone call. You get unlimited. But none of yours count toward mine.”

  She giggled. “And you think this will prevent WWIII?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  Her face sobered as she tugged him in closer, wrapped her arms around his middle, and set her head against his chest. “I don’t deserve you.”

  “You do,” he told the top of her head. “You just don’t know it yet.”

  Chapter 18

  The following night London ended up going to the club by herself after Pierce texted her to let her know he was running incredibly late and couldn’t get away for a while still.

  When she arrived, she changed into a short denim skirt that barely covered her ass and a white bustier. It was new, and she liked the way it pushed her breasts up, barely covering her nipples. She smiled as she pictured the look on Pierce’s face when he eventually saw it.

  Maybe she would do a scene with someone else at the club before he arrived. He seemed to think he wouldn’t get there for a few more hours.

  After talking to Aaron and Hope for a few minutes, she spent some time wandering around watching other scenes. After months of independence and playing with various Doms at the club, she felt different now. Uncomfortable with the idea of doing a scene with someone other than Pierce.

  No. That wasn’t it exactly. It was more that she didn’t feel like playing when he wasn’t there. If he were watching her, she could relax and know that he approved. Without him, it felt wrong.

  Suddenly, a man she hadn’t met before came up to her. He was smiling, but something about him made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. She rubbed her arms as he spoke. “Hey. I’m new here. Just thought I’d introduce myself.” He held out a hand. “TJ.”

  She stared at his palm for a moment before deciding she was overreacting and setting her palm in his. “London.” She couldn’t bring herself to return his smile.

  “I noticed you seem to be alone. Would you like to do a scene with me?”

  “No. Thanks. I’m waiting for my boyfriend. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  “Ah.” The guy lifted one corner of his mouth. “Well, I could warm you up for him?”

  What the fuck? She shook her head. “No, thank you.” She pointed over her shoulder. “I’ve got some people I need to talk to. You have a nice night.” She took two steps backward and then turned around and left him standing there.

  For a moment, she considered finding Aaron. Colin and Rayne weren’t at Zodiac that night, but Aaron would make sure she was safe. But then a part of her brain told her she needed to calm down. Just because some guy spoke to her didn’t mean he meant to harm her. She was overreacting.

  Instead of seeking out Aaron, she headed for the women’s locker room. She could pull herself back together in there where no man would follow her.

  The locker room was empty, and she was grateful for the reprieve. After pacing for a few minutes, however, she couldn’t get her heart rate to slow down. So, she grabbed her cell from her locker and called Pierce, hoping he wasn’t too busy to take her call.

  “Hey, baby. I’m on my way there now. Sorry it’s taking me so long.”

  London swallowed, rubbing the goose bumps on her arm again.

  “You okay? London?”

  “Yeah. Just kinda freaked out.”

  “From what?” His voice rose. “Did something happen?”

  She shook her head rapidly even though he couldn’t see her. “No. Not really. I’m sure I’m overreacting. Just some guy wanting to scene with me. He was a bit too pushy for my taste.”

  “You told him no and he badgered you?”

  “Yeah. Kinda.”

  Suddenly the door to the locker room opened behind her, startling her. As she spun around, she accidentally dropped her phone on the bench. At least it didn’t fall to the floor.

  Then, all the blood ran from her face. The guy named TJ was stalking toward her ominously. “I thought you said you were looking for friends?”

  “I was. I am. I thought they were in here. I was just about to go find them in the break room.” She backed up, getting farther from the door. “What are you doing in here? This is the women’s locker room.”

  He smirked. “I know. Adds to the excitement, doesn’t it?”

  Excitement? This was not exciting to her at all.

  In a flash, TJ was on her, his entire frame pushing her against the lockers, his hand over her mouth. He insinuated a knee between her legs and thrust upward against her pussy.

  She screamed, but the sound was muffled by his palm. Fear consumed her, making her heart race faster. She was shaking as she tried to grab his forearm and free her mouth.

  He laughed and slammed her harder against the locker
s. He was far too big for her to fight off. All the self-defense her brother had taught her fled her mind. She tried to remember something Colin had told her, but nothing came. Instead, she glanced at the door, willing someone to come into the locker room and save her.

  Time seemed to move in slow motion as TJ slid his free hand up her body and then cupped her breast, squeezing it too tightly. “You’re a sweet little thing, aren’t you? I bet you like it rough.”

  She tried to shake her head. She most certainly didn’t like anything rough. Rough was the life she’d lived for five years. Never again. She wished she could knee him in the balls, but his leg was between hers.

  Finally, she bucked and fought, jerking her head as hard as she could to release her mouth so she could scream. The second she had even a small opportunity, she did just that, but he managed to regain control in seconds, cutting off her voice.

  He laughed again. “Feisty bitch, aren’t you? You enjoy the chase?”

  Her eyes went wider. Memories of Louis chasing her down the hallway and slamming her against the wall filtered into her mind. She relived the feeling of her head hitting tile, the time her shoulder dislocated, the bruising pain of being taken by force when she wasn’t in the mood.

  God, please get me out of this mess.

  Suddenly, the door opened. Hope came in. She was already speaking before she even had a clear view of the scene. “London? You in here? Pierce is—” Her voice dropped off. For a split second, she stared at London and then the man holding her.

  London pleaded silently with her eyes.

  “Fuck,” TJ exclaimed.

  Hope spun back around and yanked the door open. She screamed at the top of her lungs. “Help. Please, somebody help.”

  TJ released London in less than a heartbeat, dropping her so fast that she lost her balance and teetered forward, almost falling. If she hadn’t gotten her hands out in front of her to balance herself against the bench, she would have slid to the floor or hit her face on the seat.

  Time sped up. In less than a second, TJ was gone, fleeing toward the back of the locker room where the emergency exit was. The alarm went off as he pushed through it. Simultaneously, several people filled the locker room door.