Page 19 of Reignite

I licked the rim of the shot glass, nice and slow, letting each and every one of them watch and fantasize.

“You men seem to know how to go after and get what you want. I thought I might be able to make a deal with you too.” Oh, yes, I knew exactly how to play to these boys’ greatest weakness. I knew their kind because my father, my ex-fiancé, and all their buddies were exactly like them.

Men like this wanted one of two things: To think they were large and in charge, or to make everyone else think they were.

I wasn’t sure yet which way this guy swung. I’d try appealing to his dominant side first. “Wouldn’t you like to be in charge and be the boss?”

I put on my sexy damsel in distress don’t you want to take advantage of me persona. They fell for it hook, line, and kinky sinker.

Except for one. Unscrupulous himself. “I doubt you have what I want, honey.”

Gray stepped in front of the table, fists at his side, harnessed for now. “Oh, she has it alright. This woman will make dreams you didn’t even know you had come true.”

The men looked at Gray, then at me, then back at Gray again. “Yeah, right.”

“Don’t believe me? She has what I want so bad, I had my fingers between her legs, right here in the restaurant, making her come about two minutes ago and I’ve got the hard-on to prove it.”

Yep, sure enough Gray had a hell of a tent in the front of his pants. “Aww, babe. Is that a rocket launcher in your pocket or are you happy to see me?”

“I’d say rocket launcher, Jesus,” the man next to me whispered under his breath.

“She’s not my type. I don’t need a woman to boss me around.”

Ooh, them's fightin’ words. I knew better though. There would be no fighting tonight. Only submission. “I know more about what you need than you think.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, but I knew I had his attention.

“See, here’s the thing. Those permits you’re holding up? Those are for my club. My BDSM club. Aren’t they?”

At least the guy was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. The rest of the group at the table either shifted in their seats or became visibly more interested in this conversation. Maybe I’d slip a few brochures to them before we left.

“I don’t know what your money-man has offered you to keep my club’s permits in limbo, but I will pay you… let’s say, ten-thousand dollars to let them through, and another ten for telling me who’s been trying to keep me from opening.”

If Gray had sent Ilario back to the city and he’d garnered a tip there that led us to these dirty bureaucrats, I had a damn good idea who had decided to interfere in my life.

“Are you trying to bribe me?” He laughed. “You’re not even close, ya prissy cow.”

Gray tensed and I held up a hand to keep him from clobbering the guy. God, I loved him for wanting to.

I laid both hands on the table and pushed my way up, leaned over, full well knowing he could see straight down my dress to my black and pink lace shelf bra, and I stared the asshat down.

“You push through my permits, tell me who has been paying you, and take the god-damned money, or I’m going to crush your balls under my six-inch stiletto black leather boots and make you beg for more.”

He swallowed and I knew I had him.

“Because I see you, you little fucker. You act tough for all your friends, but I do know what you want, what you need.” I’d lowered my voice to a very dangerous whisper.

He scoffed and looked around at the rest of his crew for backup. “No, you don’t.”

“What you really want is for someone to lock that dick of yours that you think is too small in a chastity cage, sit on your face, spank your ass until it’s a nice hot pink and you're pleading to be pegged.”

His face turned the color I’d described for his ass. “Fuck you, bitch.”

I smiled like he’d given me a compliment and sat back down, popping a cherry tomato from his plate into my mouth.

I let him squirm while I chewed and swallowed. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting any of that. Which is why as soon as you push my permits through and I can get my club constructed you can all have complimentary memberships and live out those fantasies.”

I pulled a card and a pen out of my bag, scribbled on the back and slid it across the table to him.

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