The King (The Original Sinners: White Years, #2)(100)

“As real as it gets. I need a strong intimidating man who will be able to stand in a corner, keep his mouth shut and intervene if and only if a client crosses a line. He needs to be calm under pressure and able to face, let’s call it…unpleasantness without getting unpleasant.”

“I’m supposed to stand in a corner and watch someone beat up a woman without intervening?”

“Yes.”

“She’s getting paid for it?”

“Well paid. And she’s consenting. And she enjoys it. All my employees enjoy their work. I see to that.”

“And you’re going to pay me to watch?”

“Good job, oui?”

“I can think of worse ways to make a living.”

Kingsley smiled. “The club doesn’t open until the end of November. You call that number if you’re interested. My secretary will bring you in for a more formal interview.”

“I might be interested.”

“There is one thing that might dampen your interest.”

“What?” Lachlan asked, eyeing him.

“We’ll have male submissives, too,” Kingsley said, knowing most straight men wouldn’t be comfortable watching two men engage in kink. “Male submissives with male or female dominants. They’ll also need a watcher, a protector. That bother you?”

“I protect whoever needs protecting. I’m in this f*cking city ten thousand miles from home because my sister married the world’s biggest wanker. I’m not leaving until I can take her back to Sydney with me.”

“Introduce her to me. I have a way of getting women to leave their husbands.”

The man shook his head and laughed. The laugh transformed his expression from one of stony suspicion into boyish amusement.

“I might call your secretary. I might not. I might hunt down that arse with the bullhorn and shove it down his throat.”

“Then this might induce you to come work for me,” Kingsley said. “That arse with the bullhorn? I’m buying a building from him to turn into my club. Whether he likes it or not. And I promise, he doesn’t.”

“Then I’ve only got one question for you.”

“Ask it,” Kingsley said.

“When do I start?”

Kingsley shook hands with Lachlan and found a pay phone.

“Do you have your clipboard?” Kingsley asked Sam when she answered.

“Aye, aye, Captain? Who do we have now?”

He filled her in.

“You found a bouncer at an abortion clinic?” Sam asked. “He’s very cute.”

“Speaking of cute, you have a message.”

“What is it?”

“Mistress Felicia’s home. And you’ve been summoned.”





30


KINGSLEY LEFT THE CITY AT ONE O’CLOCK AND AR rived at Felicia’s shortly before two. She’d given him his own key, and he used it to enter through the patio door per her instructions.

Felicia had a perfect retreat from the city out here in Bedford—a classic New England cottage. He entered through the side door into her dining room, a small intimate setting with a table for two and a candelabrum in the center. The first night he’d stayed with her, he’d made love to her on this table, and she’d doused him with the candlewax after as a thank-you. But it appeared they weren’t to be dining today. He locked the door behind him. On the table he found a box with a white card on top. The card said two words—Wear me.

Inside the box, Kingsley found a black silk blindfold. Felicia was in a mood to play games today.

He tied the blindfold on and waited. He wasn’t going to take a step farther without instructions. Luckily he didn’t have to wait long for step two.

“It’s a good look for you.” Felicia’s elegantly accented voice came from the right where a doorway opened into the hallway. “You should wear a blindfold more often.”

“It makes it difficult to find my way to you.”

“You don’t need your eyes today. Only your ears. Turn toward the sound of my voice.”

Kingsley turned right.

“Good,” she said. “Now two steps forward.”

He took the two steps with surety, knowing her house as well as his own by now.

“What game are we playing?” he asked, knowing he was close to her because he could smell the heat of her body mingling with her perfume.

“The game where I blindfold you and make you do everything I tell you to do.”

“Good game,” he said. “What’s my first order?”

“Kiss,” she said. He felt her mouth on his mouth, and he kissed her with shameless hunger. Her mouth tasted sweet and warm, and he had to reach for her body. Before he could touch her, she pulled away. “I said ‘kiss.’ I didn’t say ‘touch.’”

“I changed my mind. Terrible game.”

“Glad you like it. Now…” Her voice grew fainter, and he could hear she’d moved away from him. “Hands and knees. Crawl to me.”

His pride rebelled at the order, but his erection gave into it immediately. He went down on his hands and knees and crawled toward the direction of Felicia’s voice. He reached her quickly.

“Mistress?” he asked.