Page 55 of To Catch A Rook

Coincidences, again. Lauchlan was steeped in too many to believe there wasn’t a much bigger plan at play.

Josephine drove us out to the grassy field just as the sun dipped toward the horizon, large and orange. I mulled over the situation.

Hot-air balloon rides relied on wind currents, and sunrise or sunset were the best times to float on the breeze. I’d opted for sunset; as much as I believed in ‘carpe diem,’ I wasn’t interested in spending the first minutes of my morning with a con artist in a farmer’s field.

That, and, with my growing nightmares, I’d slept in three times this week. My haunted past roamed my subconscious, pacing deep grooves in the fabric of my mind. I was desperate for a session with Sammy instead of this farce of a date, but curiosity was getting the better of me.

If worse came to worse, Lauchlan could be a stress reliever as a human dildo tonight. There were worse things.

Joey turned onto the short country lane leading to the clearing where Lauchlan was scheduled to meet us. Despite all of my adventures, I’d never taken a hot-air balloon ride before. Logan hated heights, and regardless, it wasn’t the kind of couple’s activity he and I had ever engaged in.

I could have suggested dinner, but I didn’t have the energy to have a long, drawn out conversation with someone who evidently knew how to lie for a living. A person was more truthful when they weren’t in a familiar environment. So, Lauchlan and I could dance around ‘Two Truths and a Lie’ all evening, three thousand feet in the air over a bottle of champagne and strawberries.

It would look and feel like the real thing, and maybe I’d be a few truths closer to figuring him out.

I spotted his candy-colored muscle car long before we came close to it, the unnatural blue a stark contrast to the brilliant orange skyline. As he climbed out of the low driver side door, I took the moment to appreciate the raw sex appeal of Lauchlan O’Donnell before he could see the attraction all over my face.

His outfit reminded me of the first night we’d met. Tight dark denim jeans molded over thick thighs and a full ass—the ass I’d gottenquiteacquainted with—with dark brown boots. A burgundy sweater peeked out beneath the rugged brown leather jacket that gave him naughty bad-boy energy for days. Aviators covered his mischievous eyes with the setting sun, but the curl of his knowing smirk and messy windswept hair did nothing to hide his ‘fuck it’ air.

Lucky was a hot piece of ass, and I planned to fuck it a few more times before I sacrificed that sexy body on the altar of my revenge.

I pulled myself together as Joey came to a stop. Then I slid out the rear passenger door to greet my tasty little thief.

“It’s great to see you, Blondie.”

His solid arms pulled me into a hug before I could get out a word. The unique scent of him—cedar and cherry cola—swallowed me in a cloud of Lucky. For one tiny second, I allowed myself to melt in it.

Even I wasn’t immune to the pull of powerful arms and crushing body heat when treading through a lake of problems and crisis. My heart and head didn’t need to get involved; I could lean into biology without compromising one second of my greater crusade.

“You too.” I pulled out of his hold to flash him a quick smile and tried to step back altogether, but he snared my hand and clamped it in his.

I froze in place, my fingers going limp in his warm grip. Blissful dominating sex was one thing—holding hands like we were some sort of domesticated couple was not the picture perfect postcard I had been going for—even the pretend kind in an empty field in the middle of nowhere.

Still, a ploy’s a ploy. I’d done much more for much less potential payback. So I unfroze and squeezed his fingers gently, then I led him toward the corner of the clearing where our balloon ride waited.

“Is she our chaperone this evening?” Lauchlan removed his sunglasses and dipped his head toward Joey still seated stoically in the driver’s seat of my Land Rover. “If you wanted an escort tonight, love, I could have just invited a friend.”

Joey’s gaze tracked us as we walked further out into the field, but she made no move to get out of the car.

“Where I go, Joey goes.” I shrugged my shoulders dismissively. “Workplace hazard. She’ll wait down here, though.”

His stare lingered on my driver/bodyguard for a second longer than casual interest suggested. I stole back his attention.

“Besides, if you’re suggesting a threesome, Lucky boy, I’m the one inviting the guest.” I licked my lips; his heated gaze followed the trail of the tip of my tongue. “Or do you forget who your master is?”

The sizzling interest in those sea-glass eyes melted into wicked delight. He stopped us in our tracks in the middle of the tall grass and spun me around to face his smirking pout head on.

“Oh, ho! You think because I let you rail me up the arse, you’re my Dom now, do ya?” A devious little grin matched the sin in his stare. “Blondie, I believe in equal opportunity. I like to give orders too.”

I’ll bet.

I snorted, unable to entertain that thought for a second. “Sorry, Lucky.” I shook my head with my own sultry smile, sweeping my gaze over the spatter of dark freckles along his cheekbones and the rust-colored stubble along his jaw. “I’m the boss. I’malwaysthe boss.”

For everyone except one broody Viking and another brutish businessman.

Lauchlan's eyes shifted to the color of stormy seas as he stepped closer. My nose temporarily buried in the folds of the cedar-scented wool atop his hard chest.

“I don’t believethatfor a second, love.” His calloused thumb stroked along my jaw and tilted up my head. “Beautiful brats just love a good spanking every now and again to keep that fiery blood in check, ay?”

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