Claiming London Read online

  He lifted his hands, palms out. “Not a chance. I don’t have any right to say a word. I just got here. Besides, I have no idea what I would be lecturing you about. You’re a grown woman. You can do whatever you want.” He didn’t like those words, but he said them anyway. He had to. If not, he would alienate her before he ever got a second chance.

  “Good.” She relaxed her stance. “You want to go get a coffee or something? That was my only scene for tonight.”

  Interesting. “I’d love to.” He glanced at her robe. “You going to wear that?”

  Her eyes danced. “I can if you want.”

  He swallowed.

  She stepped closer, rounding the coffee table, leaned over, and set her hands on his thighs. Her robe slid open enough for him to see… everything.

  He dropped his ankle to the floor and willed his cock to simmer down. Other than that, he didn’t move a muscle. Was she seriously flirting with him?

  She closed the distance and set a kiss on his lips before whispering, “But one thing, if we’re going to be the kind of friends with benefits where you show up every six months without calling or texting in between, let me know. I’ll need a little time to pencil you into my schedule.”

  “It wasn’t intentional,” he reminded her, swallowing his frustration. She said that like he was one of many men she slept with. Part of him had been hoping she’d been obsessing about him as much as he’d been thinking about her.

  As they stared at each other, he warred with himself over whether he should reach for her hips and haul her onto his lap. No. What he should do instead was encourage her to go change. This was Aaron’s office, so Pierce would not be touching her here.

  Besides, how many people was she currently sleeping with? Maybe he could have done the benefits thing six months ago. Though he’d been skeptical even then. But he had known he wouldn’t have been able to share. At the time, she’d agreed not to sleep with anyone else. Now? He wasn’t so sure.

  She pushed off him and righted herself, not bothering to close the robe. He could see her pussy covered only in the small triangle of her thong. If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d shaved herself bare.

  His cock liked that too. His mouth watered.

  She giggled and then whipped around and headed for the door. “Be back in a few.”

  Before he could react, she was gone. He was breathing heavily. His dick was harder than a rock. And she’d caught him unable to look at her face because he’d been fixated on her sex.

  He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.

  She was going to be the death of him. He had his work cut out for him if he was hoping she might slow down her apparently fast-paced lifestyle and see him as someone worth slowing down for.

  Chapter 4

  London leaned against the door to Aaron’s office for several seconds, trying to catch her breath and regroup. What the hell was she doing?

  She’d been so shocked to see Pierce after so many months, that she’d completely been pulled from the scene she’d been in the middle of. She’d finally given up hope of getting back in the zone and excused herself, apologizing to Mark, the man she sometimes played with.

  She’d known she would find Pierce in Aaron’s office. She hadn’t expected to stride in there with her cocky attitude and boldly flash him all her assets. He hadn’t touched her or responded. He’d looked rather shell-shocked actually.

  When she thought she could walk in a straight line without swaying, she shoved off the door and headed for the women’s room where she had a locker. She quickly removed her robe and grabbed her jeans. She had her bra on and was pulling a sweater over her head when Rayne walked in.

  “Is it true? Aaron says Pierce is in his office.”

  “Yep.” London sat on the burgundy plush loveseat to put on her socks and boots.

  “Did you speak to him?” Rayne asked.

  “I did. We’re going for coffee now.” Rayne was the only person who’d known that London and Pierce had slept together six months ago. She had even kept the secret from Colin.

  Not that is was a huge secret. If Pierce hadn’t disappeared, London wouldn’t have minded people knowing they were sleeping together. But it seemed like an unnecessary thing to discuss when it became apparent she wasn’t going to see him again, not as a booty call or a friend.

  The only reason Rayne had known was because London asked Rayne if she knew where Pierce was or if she’d heard from him after a few weeks of silence. Rayne and Pierce were friends. They’d known each other for a while, having met originally during a divorce case Rayne was working on that required police intervention.

  London had gone through a full range of emotions concerning his disappearance.

  Even though he’d texted her, she had figured he would do so again soon. Not weeks or months later. So, when she asked Rayne a third time, Rayne got suspicious and plied her with margaritas until London spilled most of the juicy gossip.

  “Coffee, huh?” Rayne sat next to London, smirking. “Did he say where he’s been?”

  “No. Working on a case. I’m sure it’s not something he can discuss.” She finished zipping her boots and faced her friend. She took a deep breath. “I wish he weren’t so damn smokin’ hot.”

  Rayne grinned. “Yeah. All that muscle can really make a girl’s panties wet. Not mine, of course. At least not as far as I would admit.”

  “Yeah. Don’t let my brother hear you say that.” London stood. “Okay. Coffee. I can do coffee with a hot man who ghosted me for six months, right?”

  “You can probably do more than coffee, but be careful, okay?”

  “Of course. I don’t think he’s dangerous,” she joked as she grabbed her leather coat.

  “Not physically, of course. No. But I know you like him.”

  London frowned. “Just because I slept with him one time doesn’t mean I’ve been pining over him and I’m hoping he’s come back to claim me. In fact, it worked out better this way. Gave me a chance to find myself without the distraction of a man, especially one who’d indicated he wanted exclusivity.”

  Rayne stood also. “First of all, I would hardly say you’ve found yourself. And second of all, there’s nothing wrong with exclusivity. You should try it sometime.”

  “No thanks. I’ll pass. Been there. Done that. Got the emotional scars to go with it.”

  Rayne sighed. “He’s a good guy. Be gentle with him.”

  London gave an exasperated gasp as she set her hand on the doorknob. “He’s the one who ghosted me. I hardly think the guy’s been pining for me or all emotional about things. He’s probably just looking to get his rocks off, which I’m okay with.” That said, London left the locker room.

  When she got back to Aaron’s office, Pierce wasn’t there. For a moment, she kind of panicked. She’d been mentally prepared to spend some time with him. Had he left without a word?

  She should count her blessings if that were the case. Even if she’d had the best sex of her life with Pierce, that didn’t mean she was up for the hassle of another disappearing act.

  London headed for the club, pushing through the door that was only unlocked from the inside. Even though she was one of the manager’s sisters, she couldn’t ordinarily get to these back offices without an escort. Charles, one of the bouncers, had let her in after her botched scene earlier.

  She scanned the room. The place was more crowded now. Every apparatus was being used. Several people were watching. Pierce was still there. He and Aaron were speaking to Rex, one of the Doms.

  London headed their direction.

  Rex spotted her first. “Hey, London.” He smiled. She had intended to seek him out tonight for an impromptu scene, until Pierce showed up, and she’d known she’d rather leave with him and attempt a repeat performance of the last time they’d had sex.

  No matter how many men she scened with, or even the few she’d slept with, no one had come close to comparing to her one night with Pierce, which totally unnerved her.

/>   “Ready?” Pierce asked.

  “Yep.” She glanced at Aaron. “See you later. Tell Rayne I said goodbye.”

  “Will do.”

  Pierce set a hand on her lower back as she passed him. It felt nice, but it also felt possessive. She didn’t do possessive, and she hoped he hadn’t somehow thought she might have changed her mind about their possibilities together in his absence.

  For one thing, she hadn’t seen him in months. He couldn’t just waltz into the club and lay claim to her. For another thing, nothing for her had changed. There was a flutter in her belly at the anticipation of another round of sex with him to see if they still had that chemistry, but there was still not a chance in hell she would commit to anyone for any reason. Not even good sex.

  “Do you have a car here?” he asked when they stepped outside.

  “No. I took an Uber. I hate driving late at night.”

  “Good. It’s not safe anyway.”

  She climbed into his SUV when he opened the door and looked back at him. “It’s not my safety I’m worried about. The parking lot is well-lit here, and I park in a gated garage at my apartment. However, I do leave here drowsy in the early hours of the morning.”

  He grinned. “See? Like I said. It’s not safe.”

  She rolled her eyes as he shut the door and rounded the hood.

  He drove to a diner just a few blocks away, and neither of them said anything of any importance until they’d ordered coffee and pancakes.

  He set his elbows on the table and met her gaze. “I really am sorry. It wasn’t my intention to be gone without a word for so long.”

  “I understand. You’ve apologized. You’re forgiven.” She smoothed her napkin on her lap.

  “You look good. Healthier.”

  “I might have put on a few pounds.” She shrugged. She’d known she was too skinny when she finally left Louis. The stress of living with him hadn’t been conducive to a good appetite. She felt better too. Her new life included doughnuts, and not one person ever insinuated she had a fat ass.

  “So, tell me what you’ve been doing. Where are you working?”

  “Well, let’s see. I was working for a florist for a few months, but the constant smell of too many flowers made my head hurt. So, I got a job at a daycare for a while, but the kids got me sick all the time. My nose didn’t stop running until I quit.”

  He held a curious smile while she spoke.

  “Then…” She tapped her lips. “Oh, then I applied at a hardware store.”

  He chuckled. “I can’t quite picture that.”

  “Yeah, I sucked at it. They were surely going to fire me if I didn’t quit, so I did. I knew nothing about tools, and no matter how many times they tried to teach me, I couldn’t remember.”

  “What came next?” He was grinning. Condescending, or was he finding genuine humor in her story?

  “I’ve been a bartender for about a month now. I’m much better at that, and it turns out the patrons aren’t nearly as handsy when you’re behind the bar as they are when you’re a waitress, so I don’t mind.”

  “Have you been a waitress too?”

  “I was working as a cocktail waitress when I met Louis.” She shuddered, as she did nearly every time she mentioned him.

  “Ah. I didn’t know where you met him.”

  She sighed. It wasn’t a big secret anymore. It didn’t even make her tear up to tell of her stupidity. She’d been in counseling for months. She was learning to live with her poor choices and move on. “He was a regular customer. Flirted with me every time he came in. I thought he was so suave. And he was, for a while. I was working my ass off to pay for graduate school. But Louis didn’t like me working there. I realize now he was slowly grooming me. But, hindsight and all…”

  Pierce reached across the table and grabbed her hands. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s over now. Done. I learned a lesson. Lots of them.” She sat up straighter and smiled. “I’m taking classes again too. Working on that master’s degree Louis promised he would pay for if I quit working in that bar and moved to Denver with him.”

  “That’s great. What’s it in?”

  “MFA in Poetry.”

  His eyes went wide. “I knew your undergrad was in English, but I didn’t realize you were interested in poetry.”

  “Yes.” It wasn’t as if they’d had numerous discussions about her past when they’d first met. London had been traumatized at first and then just when she’d started pulling her shit together and coming out of her shell, Pierce had vanished.

  “Why did you stop working for your brother at Zodiac?”

  “I decided I wanted to spend my time inside the club instead.” She smiled at him. “Fascinating world. I enjoy learning everything about it.”

  “By being the demo girl?” Again, she couldn’t read his expression. Was he smiling? Or was he smirking? Or a combo of two with a bit of a disappointed frown tossed in for good measure? And why did it matter what the hell he thought of her Zodiac activities?

  She pulled her hands free of his and picked up her mug of coffee to take a sip. “Are you judging me?”

  He sat back, hands still on the table. “No. I’m just worried about you is all.”

  She groaned. “You’ve been back in town like five minutes. I get lectured by Aaron, Rayne, and my brother quite often. I don’t need another mother. So, if they sent you to talk some sense into me, you’re wasting your time. I’m a grown woman. I can and will make my own choices. Nothing I’ve done has endangered a single living soul.”

  Pierce sat forward again, his expression serious. “You’re right.”

  “Don’t just say that to humor me.”

  “I’m not. I hear you. Aaron did tell me you’ve been trying out lots of different things, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

  “Really?” She narrowed her gaze at him, uncertain.

  “Really.”

  “What about you? You look good. I assume you were undercover.”

  “Yes. I didn’t look anything like this until about two hours ago.” He smiled. “Shave. Haircut. I’m a new man.”

  She set her chin on her palm. “I would have liked to have seen messy you. I bet it was hot. Like a biker dude.”

  “More like a homeless guy. Trust me. It wasn’t a good look.”

  “Mmm.” She imagined she might have disagreed. “I bet your job gets pretty exciting. Much better than florists, daycare, or a hardware store.”

  He tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m thirty-eight. It’s getting old. I’m getting tired.”

  “Thirty-eight is hardly old.” She herself was only thirty-one, but she didn’t consider him old. In fact, his age made him more attractive. She often found herself attracted to men who had Pierce’s level of confidence and life experience. Most of the men she did demo scenes with were older. The younger guys often seemed hesitant and lacked the self-assurance to take charge.

  In addition, this particular older man knew how to make her body hum. She shook that thought from her mind and held his gaze.

  “Old enough for me to start considering getting out of the undercover business,” he responded.

  “What would you do instead?”

  He shrugged. “Not sure yet.”

  “Are you thinking about leaving the force?” She was surprised.

  He shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. I’m in it until retirement.”

  “Ah. So, maybe a transfer to another department?”

  “Perhaps.”

  She finished her pancakes and pushed the plate aside. For a few moments, she simply stared at him. He hadn’t changed. Maybe he was a bit tired, but that would be expected if he’d just gotten home today. “What are we doing here, Pierce? Why did you come to the club tonight?”

  “I wanted to see you.” He didn’t hesitate.

  She nodded slowly. “Booty call?” She was undecided about how she wanted him to answer. Her heart rate picked up. If he said yes, she woul
d be beyond thrilled to take this back to her place and fuck for a few hours. On the other hand, a part of her didn’t want to think he’d come straight to see her simply for a good fuck. Even though they had been friends, she’d like to think he’d wanted her for more than just fucking. Or, maybe she did want exactly that. It’s what she would say out loud anyway. Because no matter how many times she wondered about him over the last several months, she still would never let herself get tangled up in commitments and promises. She was done with that part of life.

  He closed his eyes and hung his head for a moment before lifting his face again. “You’re not a booty call, London. You never will be.”

  “Isn’t that kind of the definition of friends with benefits?”

  “I’m not sure I ever fully agreed to that plan.”

  “Hmm.” He wasn’t wrong. He’d left her that morning before they’d fully solidified what might happen next. All she’d known for sure was that she’d made it clear he wasn’t supposed to call her all the time or suffocate her. He definitely hadn’t done either of those things.

  “Look, I wanted to see you. I thought about you. I think we had chemistry. I’d like to take you out if you’re not currently involved with someone. A date. Dinner. Movies. That sort of thing.”

  The truth was, they did have chemistry. It was still between them today. She found herself squirming under his scrutiny. Her body had been at attention from the moment she set eyes on him earlier. There was no denying her nipples had puckered and her thong had gotten wet—neither of which had been caused by the feather Mark was using.

  She did demos with Mark often. He was an expert with several apparatus. Most of the time their arrangement was strictly a demo, however. On a few occasions they’d done a scene hot enough to get her off, but things didn’t usually end that way for them.

  “Dating is so stressful. Why don’t you come to the club Friday? I’ll be there. Find me. We can do a scene together.”

  He held her gaze for a moment and then nodded slowly. “Okay.” She couldn’t read his expression at all, but she suspected he wasn’t pleased. Too bad. She didn’t mind hanging with him. Playing at the club. Even fantastic sex back at her place. But if he’d returned to town thinking she’d suddenly revert to taking some sort of exclusive offer from him, he was sadly mistaken. She might have agreed not to sleep with other people while she was with him before, but circumstances had changed. He’d lost that option when he’d disappeared for six months. Hell, at the time, she hadn’t slept with anyone since her ex. Now… Now she occasionally enjoyed a toss between the sheets, but only on her terms. She didn’t want anything more. Not from anyone.