Claiming London Read online

  “Okay, London.” She exhaled too loudly. “Relax. I said okay.” He lurched forward, grabbed her waist, and flattened her onto her back again. He leaned over her, cupping her neck. “You’re a difficult woman to bargain with.”

  “I’m an empowered woman who isn’t going to let someone dictate one second of my life ever again.”

  “You’re hurting. It’s understandable.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Do not speak to me condescendingly, Pierce. I’m not a child. It doesn’t matter what my reasons are. Don’t go into this thinking you can change my mind. You can’t. If you want to fuck me occasionally for mutual gratification, I can handle that. And I’m even okay if it’s just you since it’s not like I’m looking to have more men in my life. But I can’t handle more than that.”

  “Okay,” he whispered. “Message received.” He lowered his forehead to hers and then kissed her lips. “Relax.”

  She took several deep breaths and finally forced her heart rate to slow. Maybe he got the message. If not, she would kick him to the curb.

  It was simple.

  London Wynne was not tying herself to another man. Period. Not even a sexy detective who gave amazing orgasms and kisses that made her knees buckle.

  “Have you eaten dinner?” he asked.

  She shook her head and smiled. “Nope. That’s what the doughnuts were for.”

  “Dinner? Doughnuts?” He chuckled.

  “You going to judge my eating habits now too?” She narrowed her gaze at him.

  “Not a chance. I hope you got a cream-filled one. That’s my favorite.”

  “Maybe.” She finally relaxed some more, grateful that the awkward phase of the evening was over.

  Chapter 3

  Six months later…

  * * *

  Pierce took a deep breath as he approached the front door of Club Zodiac. He had no idea what he might find on the other side. The last time he’d been there, it hadn’t opened for business yet. In fact, it had been bare floors, studs, and unfinished ceilings.

  He wasn’t there to see how the place had progressed, nor how business was doing, nor even to visit with friends. He was there for one reason only: London.

  In the past six months, he’d thought about her every day. She’d managed to burrow her way into his mind and possibly even become larger than life. The last time he’d seen her, she’d been naked and warm in his arms. She’d also been reluctant to commit to him. Granted, he had moved them from the friend zone to her bedroom in just seconds and then expected her to fall in line and become his girlfriend. She hadn’t been willing to take that path, which hadn’t really surprised him.

  What he couldn’t have foreseen that morning as he kissed her forehead and promised to call her was that he would get yanked deep undercover two hours later without the chance to speak to her again.

  He’d left her a text to let her know he would be unreachable for a while, but he hadn’t dreamed that time period would stretch into six months.

  When he’d left, she’d been helping her brother, Colin, out with the preparations for Zodiac, planning to be the receptionist when it opened. Pierce had no idea if she would be here tonight, but when she hadn’t been at her apartment, he’d decided Zodiac was his best option of finding her to explain.

  He pushed through the front door and stepped into the small reception area. The woman at the front desk wasn’t someone he’d ever met. She smiled at him. “Can I help you?”

  “Yes. Uh, does London Wynne still work here?”

  The woman shook her head, her high dark ponytail swaying. “No, but if you want to give me your name and number, I can pass it on to her.”

  Deflated, Pierce went with plan B. “Is Colin here? Or Rayne or Aaron?”

  She smiled. “Sure.” She jumped off her stool. “Give me a second. I’ll find one of them.” She opened a door on the other side of the small room and said something quietly to the man standing in the doorway, who then stepped into the room as the door shut. A bouncer. He nodded at Pierce. Pierce nodded back and then glanced around at the reception area. Anything to occupy his mind and keep his heart from racing. He hadn’t realized how hopeful he’d been about seeing London tonight. Enough that he was disappointed now.

  A minute later, the door opened again and Aaron stepped inside. The receptionist slid past him and resumed her post. Aaron smiled wide. “Hey.” He reached out a hand. “Where the hell have you been? You dropped off the face of the earth.”

  Pierce shook his hand. “Work. It happens.”

  “I figured that. Secret undercover detective stuff,” he joked. He nodded behind him. “Come on in. You haven’t seen the place since it opened.”

  Pierce followed. What he really wanted to do was ask Aaron where London was, but that would make him look overly anxious. So, he followed the man to the main room instead. Besides, Pierce had no idea what Aaron knew about him and London. Had she told anyone about their night together?

  They stepped into a lounge first. It was filled with couches and comfortable chairs. A few people were sitting around talking. There was a long table filled with snacks and a refrigerator on the right wall. Aaron spread out his hands. “This is our mingling room. Most people socialize in here so they don’t interrupt a scene in the main room. Some people like to come here for aftercare, though there are other more private spots too. Less bright.”

  The room was well-lit. It was inviting. A few people nodded toward Pierce in silent greeting. He didn’t know any of them. “How’s Colin doing? Is he here?” Pierce knew Colin better than Aaron. After all, Pierce had known Rayne for a year before he met her then new boyfriend, Colin, and his business partner, Aaron.

  “Not tonight, but he’ll be glad to hear you’re back in town. You should call him.” Aaron continued through another door on the opposite side, and Pierce followed him into a much darker space. A large room filled with a variety of apparatus. It was a busy night. Pierce had intentionally arrived at midnight, knowing that the place would be filling by then, and he stood a better chance of finding London at the front desk. Apparently not.

  He was disappointed, but he tried not to show it. After all, he hadn’t seen Aaron for six months either. This was his club that he managed with Colin. He was proud of it and wanted to show it off. Later, he could ask about London. There wouldn’t be any way to be sly about it, but he didn’t care.

  Maybe he’d put her on too much of a pedestal over the last six months. It was possible his memory had expanded to recreate that evening in a way that made their night of fantastic sex seem far more enchanting than it had been.

  He didn’t believe that, though. Not really. He remembered every moment in detail as if it were yesterday, from slamming her against the door to making her come hard beneath him in her bed with his fingers inside her and her eyes on his. Damn, she had been hot.

  Of course, there had been that unsettling moment when he’d suggested they start actually dating. Exclusively. And she’d shot him down, insisting she couldn’t offer him more than friends with benefits. He’d hoped at the time that she would come around in the following days. What kind of mindset would she be in now that he’d been gone six months? Could he dare hope she might be interested in him still now?

  Pierce knew one thing. It hadn’t set well with him that she couldn’t make more of a commitment. He’d been willing to give her the space she needed because she had only been free of her ex for three months, but he’d wanted more even then. And he still wanted more now.

  Aaron wandered around the room. Pierce followed him, eyeing the equipment. He was no stranger to BDSM. He’d been an occasional visitor to the other local club, Roses and Thorns, for years. The owner, Master Robert, was a friend. It wasn’t something Pierce needed in order to breathe, but he enjoyed spending a few nights a month dominating a willing submissive.

  Something familiar caught his attention in his peripheral vision, and he turned his head that direction to see long beautiful thick curls dangling towa
rd the floor. And then the owner of that glorious hair turned her head and he saw her face. London.

  He froze. His heart also might have stopped. She was strapped to a large wheel of some sort, spread eagle, wearing nothing but a black G-string. Her amazing tits—the ones he’d explored extensively with his mouth for one glorious evening—were exposed to the entire room.

  The wheel was turned so that her head was near the floor, which was why her hair was hanging so low. She was strapped onto the wheel in many places. She was also giggling because the man dominating her was tickling her belly with a feather.

  Shock didn’t begin to describe how Pierce felt.

  Aaron stopped walking and snickered quietly. “Now you see why Colin isn’t here tonight.” He turned his back to London. “It’s weird enough that I catch glimpses of her playing in my club. Colin won’t even come in when she’s here.”

  Pierce’s gaze was still on London. He wasn’t sure he was seeing the same woman who he’d left all pliant in bed. Six months ago, she’d told him she’d never even had sex against a door before. Granted, she’d just gotten out of a relationship with an abusive asshole who apparently didn’t care about her at all. But it was one thing for her to want the freedom to do whatever she pleased for a while, and it was totally another thing for her to be spread eagle at her own brother’s club.

  The man dominating her turned the wheel upright and stepped away for a moment. That was when London spotted Pierce. She smiled and then scrunched up her face. “Hey, stranger. I thought you dropped off the face of the earth. When we discussed being friends with benefits, I had expected you to seek me out far more often than twice a year.” She winked at him. “Let me finish my scene. I’ll come find you.”

  Pierce nodded, realizing he had not spoken to her. He wasn’t sure he could if he wanted to. His lips were dry, and his brain wasn’t firing proper commands. She wasn’t mad at him? Why wasn’t she mad at him?

  Aaron continued. “Come on. I’ll show you the offices.”

  Pierce glanced from London to the man holding the feather. He was lean and fit with dark skin and a clean-shaven head. His gaze was speculative. Undoubtedly so after the crazy remarks from London.

  Pierce nodded toward the man, hoping to convey that he should carry on. After all, this was his scene. Pierce was the intruder. He hadn’t seen London for six months. He had no claim on her at all. At least not yet.

  His dick was hard, though. As he followed Aaron through the main room without glancing back, he adjusted himself. Even shocked and confused, there was no avoiding the effect London had on him. All that hair swaying and those delicious tits puckered and exposed. The G-string she wore did very little to cover anything, but at least knowing she had it on indicated she probably didn’t intend to get fucked while spinning on that wheel.

  Pierce followed Aaron to a door with a keypad. Aaron punched a few numbers, and then they went through. When the door shut behind them, it blocked out the sounds. Neither of them spoke until they rounded a doorway and stepped into a small room that held a desk, a chair, and a loveseat. It also had a mini fridge and a coffee table. Aaron pointed at the loveseat. “Have a seat.”

  Pierce tried to focus his thoughts on anything but London’s nearly naked body in the middle of the crowded club. “Love how the place turned out.”

  Aaron sat in his desk chair and leaned back. “I didn’t realize you and London had been…” His voice trailed off.

  Pierce gulped, feeling the heat rise up his face. Apparently London hadn’t shared much.

  Aaron gave Pierce a reassuring half-grin. “But I’m not surprised. I suspected you two might eventually hit it off. She was so raw after she left Louis. Broken. We all noticed she paid attention to you and figured as a cop you’d seen abuse before and could handle it.”

  Pierce set his palms on his thighs. “Yeah, we, uh…” He stopped. “Surely, you don’t want to hear the details.”

  Aaron shrugged. “She’s been experimenting with every damn apparatus and Dom in the club for months. I don’t think you could say anything that would shock me at this point, but no. I’ll pass on the full story.”

  Pierce swallowed. “She plays here often?”

  Aaron leaned back in his chair. “Yeah. She decided she’d rather experience the club than sit out front and be the receptionist. She fancies herself a demo girl.”

  Pierce gulped again. “A demo girl?”

  He shrugged. “Yep. Her words. She volunteers to try just about anything so people can watch.”

  “Jesus,” Pierce muttered before he could stop himself. Was she also sleeping with all these men?

  Aaron leaned forward, setting his elbows on the desk. “You’re surprised.”

  “Yes.”

  “And unnerved.” He grinned.

  “You could say that.”

  “Good. Maybe you can talk to her. Get her to calm the fuck down. God knows she won’t listen to her brother or me or Rayne.”

  “Get her to calm down?” That line sounded loaded. “What else is she doing these days?”

  He rolled his eyes. “What isn’t she doing? We thought at first that she was just testing out her newfound freedom. But it’s like she’s on a mission to try everything known to mankind. I think she feels like she has to make up for lost time after living with Louis for five years, so she jumps from job to job and signs up for every crazy daredevil thing she can.

  “Lucky for her, she was able to sell the house and its contents. She also cashed in a life insurance policy. Frankly, I was surprised Louis even had a policy, but apparently he did. So, she has been living off that money while working odd jobs, going to school, and trying everything that catches her fancy. Oh, and of course,” he added sarcastically, “being Club Zodiac’s demo girl.”

  My. God. He’d known she was spreading her wings a bit, but this sounded like a lot more than doughnuts for dinner and a cute tattoo.

  Pierce tried to absorb all that information. “Doesn’t sound like she’s going to listen to me.” Doesn’t sound like she’s even going to give me the time of day. Demo girl? He wasn’t stoked about the idea that his dick surely hadn’t been the only one hard watching her, but he sure as shit didn’t have a say in the matter. Yet.

  Aaron sighed. “Probably not, but if you had some sort of connection with her, we’d all love it if you tried.”

  A knock sounded on the door, and Aaron said, “Come in.”

  London floated into the room wearing a black silk robe that was loosely tied at her waist and barely covered her ass. Pierce would bet his last dollar the only thing under it was that black thong.

  Aaron stood. “I’ve got shit to do out front.” He rushed from the room as if it were on fire, shutting the door behind him.

  London stood in front of Pierce, hands on her waist, one hip cocked out, her head tipped to the side. Her expression was a conundrum. Part fake pout, part smile. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

  He leaned back, feigning comfort. He even set one ankle on the other knee. “Sorry about my disappearance. It wasn’t intentional.”

  “I got your text. It was cryptic. I thought you meant days or weeks. I assumed after a while you’d decided you weren’t interested in my proposal, so you ghosted me.” She lifted a hand to play with one of her curls. Her robe wasn’t pulled close enough together, which meant he had a fantastic view of her deep cleavage. She most certainly wasn’t wearing a bra.

  Her words indicated a lack of interest in his arrival. She was also working hard to pretend he wasn’t affecting her, but he could read her better than she thought. Her eyes were drawn together slightly, not matching her fake smile, and she kept licking her lips and shifting her weight.

  He’d been expecting her to tear him a new asshole because he deserved it, so this side of London was unnerving. Nevertheless, he proceeded to apologize. “I’m so sorry. I feel like a total dick. I didn’t expect to be gone that long. I was working a case. It lasted far longer than I expected.”

&
nbsp; She shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal. It’s not like we were a couple or anything. I’ve had some stuff of my own going on anyway. You don’t owe me an explanation.”

  Again, he could see through her façade. She was lying. At least he hoped so. He couldn’t blame her for keeping him at arm’s length, but he hoped he could work his way back into her good graces.

  Or maybe he was kidding himself and she truly didn’t care that he’d been gone. That thought made his chest feel tight. “I do owe you an explanation, London. You deserve better. I’m sorry.”

  She stared at him and then perked up, changing the subject. “So, do you like the club? It wasn’t finished when you were here last.”

  “It’s great.” Seeing you is better. “Aaron tells me you spend a lot of time here.”

  “Yep. I’ve been learning. It’s fun. They call me the demo girl.” She giggled.

  “So I heard.” He watched her, trying unsuccessfully to read her. She was just as sexy as he remembered, if not more. She’d put on a few pounds that she desperately needed. Her face was fuller. Her tits were amazing. Her hips flared. He jerked his gaze back to her face to find her smiling.

  “What else did Aaron tell you?”

  “He said you’ve been trying to find yourself.”

  “Mmm. I guess that’s true. Neither Aaron nor Colin approve. They often send Rayne to talk to me.” She rolled her eyes.

  Shocking. Pierce seriously doubted he was going to be gung-ho about this new London either. What was she trying to prove? And to whom?

  “If you’re even thinking of lecturing me, keep your mouth shut. It won’t bode well.” She narrowed her gaze.