Sweet Persuasion (Sweet #2)(45)

This time she readily threaded her fingers into his as he walked her out of the kitchen and across the living room. He showed her into a smaller room off the living room and gestured toward his desk.

“Take as much time as you need. I’ll be in the living room, so just come out when you’re done.”

He dropped a kiss on her forehead and then turned and strode out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

CHAPTER 17

Satisfied that her friend was still alive and kicking, Julie hung up the phone. Serena wasn’t giving any details, but she sounded pretty darn cheerful for someone who’d just spent her first night in slavery. Not for the first time, Julie wondered if she’d given the whole submission thing a bum rap.

Nah.

She shook her head and eyed the phone with trepidation. Serena had asked if Julie had called Nathan yet, and of course Julie had lied and said yes. She couldn’t have Serena thinking she was a chicken even if she was growing feathers and developing a cluck.

When had she become such a coward?

She grabbed her cell phone and punched in the number that Nathan had left as his personal contact when he filled out his card at the salon. She had no idea where the hell she was calling. She only hoped it was private.

Cursing her nervousness, she put the phone to her ear and listened to it ring. After the third ring, the call connected, and she sucked in her breath.

“Nathan Tucker.”

“Nathan. Uh, hi, this is Julie Stanford from, um, the salon . . . the massage place.”

God, could she sound like a bigger moron? To make matters worse, there was a long pause on the line like he was trying to place her.

“Julie, hi. Hey, I’m sorry I haven’t called to reschedule. I just got busy.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I mean that’s not why I’m calling. I, um . . . I wanted to thank you for driving me home the other night.”

“Not a problem. I was glad to do it,” he said with easy charm.

“There’s one other thing,” she hedged.

“I’m listening.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Did anything happen that night? I mean did I act inappropriately?”

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, she sounded like some sleazy politician apologizing for being caught out with a hooker.

“I don’t understand,” Nathan said. She could hear the genuine confusion in his voice.

“Did I jump you? Rape you? Did we have sex?” she asked impatiently.

“Good lord, no.”

Well, he needn’t sound so appalled.

“Then how . . . why did I end up naked in my bed?” she asked quietly.

“Goddamn it!” Nathan roared.

Julie jumped and held the phone away from her ear.

More muttered cursing ensued, muffled, as he no doubt was holding the phone to his shirt. Then more rattling and he came back on.

“Sorry, not you.” Then he broke away and shouted again. “Micah, you motherf*cker, I’m going to kick your ass this time.”

“Look, I’ve obviously caught you at a bad time,” Julie said loudly, hoping he’d hear.

“No, I’m sorry. Micah and his friggin’ practical jokes. About the other night . . . Nothing happened, Julie. If I had any idea you’d be worried, I would have called you. You were sort of out of it so I put you to bed. Someone spilt beer on your shirt and so I stripped you down. I didn’t even look at you, I swear.”

“Well, why the hell not?” she asked in exasperation. “Am I that ugly?”

“What? No. Hell, what the hell?” he sputtered.

It was obvious he didn’t have a clue whether to shit or go blind.

“I’ll let you go,” she muttered.

“Wait, Julie, don’t go yet.”

She pulled the phone away from her ear and punched the End button. Then, as mortification boiled over her, she powered the phone off, just in case he had any ideas about calling back.

Laying the phone aside, she closed her eyes and shook her head. Where was a giant hole in the earth when she needed one?

Serena sat in the backseat of Damon’s car, nestled close to his side as they drove toward the Galleria. She looked—and felt—beautiful.

Damon had chosen a simple knee-length sleeveless dress and a pair of sandals out of the two outfits she’d brought with her. She’d worn it before, but the dress had never made her feel so utterly feminine.

The cuffs she wore on her arm and above her ankle looked gorgeous. She felt exotic and vibrant with the gold jewelry decorating her skin. That they were the symbol of a man’s ownership added even more of a secret thrill.

It didn’t take her long to figure out the type of clothing Damon preferred. And she had to hand it to him, he had an excellent eye for what complemented her figure and coloring.

He chose silk skirts, casual, almost like a beach cover-up. Simple camisole-type tops. Several dressier gowns and one formal black sheath.

After choosing appropriate shoes, he took her to a spa where he directed the attendant to give her a complete body pampering package. Even her toenails were painted a feminine pink.

By the time she was finished, there wasn’t a tense muscle in her entire body. She was limp and loose, and what she wanted most was to curl into Damon’s arms and nap.

He carried the bags with her things in them with his left hand and tucked his right arm around her waist as they left the spa. She leaned into him and marveled at how comfortable they looked and felt together.