Dark Desire Page 7

  Of course, who wouldn’t enjoy demonstrations like this? The two naked men on display vied for their mistress’s attention, begging her for release to the rapt attention of the audience.

  Jesse Erickson leaned toward her sister, Nat, as Hope walked by. “I’m going to try some of this on Clay and Rio. Did you see what she did to keep him from coming? Damn, I can’t wait to get home tonight.”

  Hope smiled as she passed. Most of the women here had voiced variations of the same thing and seemed to enjoy this immensely. The club had quickly become a success, and she and Charity just had to make sure it stayed that way.

  Glancing again at the men on the stage, she grinned at their obvious devotion to their mistress. She kept looking at them, as curious as everyone else about the naked men in the room, and couldn’t help but compare them to Ace. Sheriff Tyler, though, had a body that would be hard to beat.

  Damn it. Where the hell was he?

  He hadn’t called at all today. Because of the show he knew she had tonight, she figured he’d call or stop by or something, if only to nag her or threaten her with a spanking if she touched any of the other men. Or to remind her that only the single women could touch them.

  The fact that he didn’t depressed her. It only drove home the realization that he hadn’t claimed her. Damn it.

  Strolling through the club, she worked her way to the window and moved the heavy curtain aside to peek out. She smiled when she recognized the cars filling the well-lit parking lot of Club Desire situated right across the street. The men who married in the past year didn’t frequent the club as often now, more than satisfied to stay at home with their new wives. Tonight their wives had come to Lady Desire, curious to learn everything they could about pleasing their men, and, as she expected, their men stayed close. Business at Club Desire was booming.

  Such was the town she lived in, and she couldn’t help but wish she had a specific someone to watch over her.

  Spotting Rio Erickson and Jared Preston looking out the window of the men’s club, she chuckled, knowing damned well they reported anything they saw to the others inside.

  “What’s going on?”

  Hope turned at Erin Preston’s approach. “The men are watching out the window of Club Desire. As soon as this is over and the door opens, they’ll be running across the street to get to all of you. It’s funny as hell to watch.” She tried to keep the wistfulness out of her voice, suspecting she failed when her newest friend’s eyes shone with sympathy.

  Erin sipped from her glass of wine, and it pleased Hope that Erin felt comfortable having a drink here. After being drugged a few months ago with spiked drinks, Erin had nothing but bottled water when she went anywhere.

  Smiling now, Erin stuck her own head to the window, smiling broadly and waving to Jared, one of her husbands. With a soft laugh at his antics, she shook her head and moved away from the window. Gesturing toward the stage, she smiled as the leather-clad woman finally took pity and used a dildo on one of her submissives and gave him the release he’d been screaming for. “I’m kind of anxious to get back to them, too. Damn, I want to see if I can get Duncan to make those sounds. Tonight’s going to be very interesting.”

  Looking away from the stage, Erin gazed around the club. “I think this club was a great idea. Not just for things like this, although this is more than worth the price of the membership, but for having a place to talk without being overheard. I mean, no one else would ever understand how damned hard it can be to juggle three husbands.” Erin put a hand to her head, closing her eyes. “Every time I say that, I find it hard to believe. A woman has to be nuts to live the way I do.”

  Rachel, Erin’s very pregnant sister, joined them, looking a little pale. “Yeah, I can see what a hardship it is for you. Three men eating out of the palm of your hand and all that. You’re going through a hell of a lot of skimpy lingerie lately. If we didn’t own the lingerie store, you’d be broke.”

  Erin grinned. “Yeah.” Putting an arm around her sister, she frowned in concern. “You look really pale. I’m going to call the men, and we’ll get you home.”

  Rachel grimaced. “Hope, I’m really sorry about this, but I was just coming to get Erin. I’m in labor. I have been for about two hours now, but the contractions are starting to get closer together.”

  Erin whipped out her cell phone, leading Rachel to a nearby chair. “Why the hell didn’t you say something?”

  Rachel’s lips curved. “Come on, you really didn’t expect me to leave before he finished, did you?” Wincing, she put a hand over her abdomen. “But I don’t think I can wait any longer. Call Boone and Chase for me.”

  Erin had already started dialing. “I’m calling Jared. He’ll tell Boone and Chase and keep them level-headed and get them right over here.”

  Hope pulled out her own cell phone. “I’m calling Ace. He can give an escort to the hospital so we can get there faster.” Waving Charity over, she smiled at Erin’s clipped tones as she waited for Ace to pick up.

  “Tyler.”

  Just the sound of that deep voice sent a shiver through her. “Ace, it’s Hope. Rachel’s in labor, and the contractions are really close together. Can you ride to the hospital with—”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Hope blinked when he disconnected, staring blankly at the phone. “Well.”

  Charity raced over with several of the other women hurrying to join them. “Rachel’s in labor? Did you call Boone and Chase?”

  Hope nodded. “Erin’s taking care of that now. Since the show is over, get Mistress Liza and her guys into the back room. The men are going to storm through the door any second.”

  Charity nodded. “Nothing’ll keep them out. I’ll take care of it.”

  Within seconds the men came barreling through the front door, the looks on their faces making the other club members rush to get out of their way. The other women were hurried out the door until only the close-knit group of women who lived in Desire remained.

  Boone got to Rachel first, his face like granite, with Chase only steps behind. Kneeling in front of his wife, Boone forced a smile. “Hey, darlin’, I let you out of my sight and look what happens. I thought you were going to wait for me.”

  Rachel held on to him, the panic on her face disappearing when she saw her husbands. “We just wanted to keep you on your toes.”

  Chase, looking more than a little pale himself, kissed her forehead as Boone stood and lifted her into his arms. “Does it hurt, baby? What a stupid question. Of course it does. Let’s go have this baby, and I’ll give you the best foot-rub in the world.”

  Rachel groaned through another contraction as Boone strode for the door. “I’ll hold you to that, cowboy.”

  Hope lifted her gaze as Ace came through the door, the sheriff easily cutting a swath through the crowd. For a split second, their eyes connected. She had no doubt they thought the same thing.

  What would it be like to be having a baby together?

  The contact broke when Charity rushed back, promising to take care of everything.

  Within moments, several trucks and assorted vehicles raced through the night to the hospital behind Ace’s work SUV.

  Hope turned to look at Boone and Chase’s truck right behind them, raising her voice to be heard over the siren. “I want that with you, Ace. I want what they have. I want us to make a family together.”

  Ace looked formidable at the best of times, but wearing his uniform, he looked even more so. The scowl on his face would have scared the hell out of most people and even managed to intimidate her on occasion. This was one of those occasions. “Rachel’s got two men that pamper the hell out of her. If that’s what you’re looking for, I’m not the right man for you.”

  Hope grinned to cover her apprehension. “I don’t want two men, just one big one. One that knows how to use handcuffs. You’re a big softy under all that gruff, and you know it. I have no doubt that you and I can take good care of each other.”

  If possible, his
face hardened even more. “I’m not what you need, Hope, and the sooner you realize that, the better it’ll be for both of us.”

  Chapter Six

  Ace stood just inside the doorway of the hospital waiting room, not at all surprised at the number of people who filled it despite the late hour.

  He’d moved to Desire with his family while still in his teens, and within weeks learned that, in good times and bad, the residents of Desire stuck together.

  He’d never seen anything like it before or since.

  Hope, of course, flitted like a beautiful butterfly from person to person, laughing and joking, hugging a teddy bear she’d run down to the gift shop to buy. She sparkled, her dark eyes twinkling, her long, dark hair shining under the florescent lights. Her wide smile flashed often, bright against her olive skin and showing off her dimples. A woman comfortable in her own skin, her familiarity with everyone apparent.

  Hell, she’d grown up in this town, and half of the people here probably remembered her in diapers. One of the town’s darlings, she was treated as a little sister by most of the men in this room.

  Ace could only imagine what they would think of him if they knew some of the things he wanted to do to her, some of the things he’d already done.

  Although he carefully avoided looking at her, he always knew her exact location and whom she spoke to. He listened with half an ear when she spoke to her mother on the cell phone. Gracie and her husbands wouldn’t be able to leave the diner until after they finished closing, but she would be beside herself waiting for news.

  Nat Langley and Erin Preston laughed at something one of the men said, both basking in their men’s attention. Next to them sat Jesse Erickson, Nat’s sister, and Kelly Royal, speaking in low tones to each other. Blade watched Kelly, his face unreadable as usual, while Clay and Rio talked to the others, their gazes frequently sliding to their wife.

  Hope continued to flutter from group to group while her sister, Charity, sat quietly, listening to Jesse and Kelly’s conversation and nodding occasionally.

  Ace didn’t know quite how it happened, but anytime they all gathered like this, the men somehow herded the women to the middle and surrounded them. It was just the kind of thing that the men in Desire did, the customs and rules of this town so ingrained into their personalities that they probably no longer even gave it any thought.

  Noticing his own position, he realized, with no small amount of surprise, that he’d done exactly the same thing. Seeing Hope’s approach out of the corner of his eye, he involuntarily tensed. Sweeping his gaze over the rest of the room, he sighed at the inevitable stirring of his cock anytime she came close. He kept her in his peripheral vision as she finished the call to her mother and closed her cell phone.

  Leaning forward, she enticed him with a whiff of vanilla as she whispered, “Are you giving me the cold shoulder because I said I want to have your baby along with that magnificent body?”

  Gritting his teeth, Ace cursed under his breath. Looking up to make sure no one overheard her, he glared at her, fighting the inconvenient and inevitable erection. “I’m not giving you the damned cold shoulder. Last night was just a little selfish play on my part. You’re going to keep up with this until someone gets hurt, aren’t you?”

  Hope toyed with one of the buttons of his shirt. Looking up at him from beneath her lashes, she smiled coyly, making his hand itch to paddle her fine ass. “I thought I showed you last night that I can take whatever you dish out, Sheriff.”

  Ace smiled coldly. “Last night was just a little exploring. Even then you hesitated. You’d never be able to accept what I would want from you, and you wouldn’t be happy with a man you couldn’t wrap around your little finger.”

  Hope’s eyes flashed in the way they did when she was up to no good. “Try me. I dare you. Tonight I’ll come to your place and sleep over.”

  Shaking his head, Ace fought the image of her head cradled on his shoulder as she slept. Knowing that kind of intimacy would only make matters worse, he shook his head. “No. I don’t do sleepovers.”

  “Then I’ll just come over for sex.” Her voice fell to a seductive tone as she ran her fingers over his stomach, making the muscles there clench. “Or whatever game you want to play. You can wrap me around your little finger. Or, better yet, wrap yourself around me.”

  Furious at the fact that his stomach muscles quivered beneath her fingers, he grabbed her hand to push it away. He had to do something to change her mind about him, soon, before she managed to worm her way even closer. If she knew she already held his heart, there’d be no stopping her.

  Having her come over tonight would give him the opportunity he needed.

  And it would give him an excuse for just one more taste.

  “Fine. Call me when you finish here, and I’ll pick you up.” He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear her cries of ecstasy again, the echoes of which kept him awake at night. Grabbing her arm when she smiled in triumph and would have walked away, he found himself both filled with satisfaction at the flash of apprehension in her eyes and remorse that it had to be that way. “Wear one of those sweat suits like you wore last night. It’s easy to get you out of and will keep you warm on the way home. No bra or panties.”

  Hope surprised the hell out of him by turning back to lean into him. “Be careful, tough guy. If you start worrying about me staying warm, it might give me the impression that there’s tenderness underneath that hard shell and that you’re starting to fall for me.”

  * * * *

  Hope hid a grin at the stunned look in Ace’s eyes before he quickly masked it and turned to where Chase raced into the room. Thank God he’d agreed to see her again. Flushed with victory, she turned to smile at Chase’s exuberance.

  “It’s a girl!”

  Amidst congratulations and back slapping, Chase grinned with pride, his eyes moist with unshed tears. “Everyone’ll be able to see them both in a few minutes. Thanks for sticking around.”

  Nat came forward and kissed his cheek. “Are you kidding? Nothing short of a bomb would have made us leave. I can’t wait to see her. What’s her name?”

  Chase tugged Erin to his side and kissed her forehead. “Rachel wanted to name her Theresa Rose after her and Erin’s mother.”

  Hope blinked back tears as the always strong and steady Erin inhaled sharply and began sobbing.

  Jared, Duncan, and Reese, all wearing similar looks of alarm, rushed to Erin’s side. Reese got to her first and pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close. Smiling, but with eyes filled with concern, he made room for his brothers to offer comfort. “It seems being a new aunt has overwhelmed her. Excuse us for a minute.”

  Hope wiped her eyes as the men led Erin to a corner where Reese sat and pulled Erin onto his lap as Jared and Duncan hovered over her. Not wanting to intrude on such a private moment, she turned her head, smiling as Ace congratulated Chase.

  Shaking his head, Ace chuckled. “It’s only poetic justice that the worst flirt in town now has a daughter.”

  Chase grinned sheepishly as the others laughed in agreement. “She’s got Boone and me to make sure no men ever come sniffing around her.”

  Nat patted Chase’s arm. “Good luck with that, and you have all of us to help you. She was born here, just like Hope and Charity, and we’ll all watch out for her the same way we’ve always watched out for these two.” She patted Hope on the shoulder and winked at Charity. “Charity’s always been such a good girl, but Hope’s been a handful. Chase, I can’t stand waiting. When can we see them?”

  Isabel Preston came racing through the doorway, holding a huge white teddy bear with a big yellow bow tied around its neck. “Did she have the baby yet? Is everything okay?”

  Ben Preston, one of her husbands, came in right behind her, carrying a stuffed giraffe and a large bouquet of flowers with at least a dozen balloons tied around it. “Slow down, Isabel. The baby’s not going anywhere.”

  She turned to give
her husband a scathing look. “I’m the honorary grandmother, and if you didn’t drive like a turtle, we could have been here a half-hour ago.”

  “If you didn’t feel like you had to buy out the gift shop before we even got up here, we would have been here even sooner.”

  Hope smiled as everyone laughed, everyone except Ace, who’d separated himself from the others and stood staring at the way Jared, Duncan, and Reese comforted Erin. She waited until he turned to look at her, alarmed at the raw anguish she saw in his eyes. Approaching him, she reached out to touch his arm, trying not to show her hurt when he deftly avoided her.

  Inclining his head in their direction, he murmured softly. “What do you think these people would think of me if they knew what kind of things I would do to you?”

  Forcing a smile, she reached out to touch him again, encouraged when he let her. “They know I’m a grown woman, and I doubt if there are too many people in town that don’t know how I feel about you. You’re not a cruel man just because you like to dominate. Don’t you think the people who live in Desire would understand that, especially when most of them are the same way?”

  A muscle worked in Ace’s jaw as he looked over the faces of the people in the room. “Tell Rachel and Boone I’ll stop by to see them tomorrow.”

  Hope rushed forward when he turned to leave. “Don’t forget our date.” She held her breath when he paused, not releasing it until he nodded curtly.

  “I’ll pick you up at midnight.”

  “Good, Sheriff. I want to see how good you are with those handcuffs.”

  Chapter Seven

  Hope hurried from the window as soon as Ace pulled up in front of the diner downstairs. She grabbed her shoes and sat on the sofa to put them on, grinning like a fool at her sister, who came out of the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal.

  “He’s here. Don’t wait up. If I’m lucky, he’ll let me stay over.”