Page 15 of Reignite

Ooh. Gray was so smart. No one would suspect sweet Ilario of doing any spying or investigating. He was too innocent looking, but I knew better. Sweet but wicked.

“Wait, what’s the lead?”

Gray grabbed my hand and half dragged me to the car in one hell of a hurry. “I’ll fill you in when we get there.”

On the way to the restaurant my phone rang. I tried to answer, but Gray grabbed it before I could and shoved it in his pocket. But then his started ringing. It was hooked up to the Bluetooth in the car and I could see it was Cade calling.

I pushed the button on the console to answer before Gray could decline the call. “Hey Cade, what’s up?”

“Our permits were denied again, and in record time, I resubmitted this morning. I’ve made every damn change these pricks want and each time I resubmit they come up with something new.” Weeks of frustration came across in his voice.

“What was it this time?” This kind of crap was exactly why I was stressed. No amount of fun and serenity could tackle the damn permitting office.

“He wants me to apply for sign permits before he’ll approve the construction permits. Which is ridiculous.”

Gray put a hand on my thigh, calming me with his touch. Our day off had been great and I didn’t want it to be over. I sighed and tried to think of what to do next.

I got nothing.

Gray spoke up for me. “Cade. Thanks for all your hard work. You didn’t have to up and move out here to start your architectural firm and I appreciate all you’ve been doing.”

Cade sighed. “I’m where I am because of you guys, and I promised to design your club. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“Good. Now look. Everyone’s on edge. Take the night off, meet us at Linger for dinner. Bring your new girl, what’s her name, Jessie, and relax for a night.”

“I broke it off with Jessie.”

I rolled my eyes and gave a knowing glance to Gray. “Another one, Cade?”

“Yeah, yeah. What was I supposed to do? She wanted me to collar her.”

“I know a girl. I’ll call her and invite her. You’ll like her, I promise.” I’d met the plus-size model, Danica Chamonix, at a coffee shop downtown called the Mean Bean. I’d asked to share her table because, well, curvy girls gotta stick together. We got to chatting and I oh so stealthily mentioned that I was opening a club and gave her the membership pamphlet.

It was harder than I’d expected trying to talk to people about a BDSM club, but Lilly had convinced me having a brochure about our offerings would work since people didn’t have to say anything, but could sneak a look at it later. She’d been right.

Danica hadn’t been shy about her excitement and said she couldn’t wait for our grand opening.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll go out with the guys tonight. Dominic’s been raving about some girl he met at a goth club.”

At least my guys knew how to blow off steam. “Okay, but I demand you have fun.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That’s mistress to you.”

We hung up as Gray pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. I don’t know what they were cooking, but I was eating it tonight. Mmm.

The day away had done wonders for my appetite. Gray glanced around the restaurant, then went and whispered in the hostess’s ear. Her eyes went wide as the moon, she glanced over at me, and she bit her lip in a way that I knew all too well meant she was trying to hold back the skyrocketing sexual reaction to Gray and whatever he was saying to her. She just about melted into a puddle on the floor, and then she seated us right away.

I’d be jealous, except seeing his instant domination over that woman had my panties wet too, and he knew it.

“What did you say to that poor hostess?”

“I told her I needed this particular booth because I couldn’t keep my hands off you.”

“That’s all?”

“I also told her exactly what I planned to do to you in front of the entire restaurant if she didn’t seat us in the next two minutes.”

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