Page 4 of Entertaining Distraction
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Sitting at the bar,Mike sifted through the receipts, tallying up the credit charges for the evening. The cash was already in a deposit bag, which he’d drop into the slot of the TD Bank that was in the same shopping center as the pub. All of his employees had finished cleaning their work areas and restocked before leaving, and the only person left was one of the bartenders, Neil Patterson. And he was just about done putting everything away after the last stragglers had paid their tabs and left. The kitchen had been closed for over an hour, and most of the TVs and lights had been turned off.
Once he was certain he hadn’t forgotten anything, Neil pulled his car keys out of his pocket and rounded the bar. “Need anything before I go?”
Mike shook his head. “Nope. How’d you do tonight?”
“Damn good. I think it was the best Monday night I’ve had this month.”
The Irish pub was popular for both locals and tourists alike, and the tips for his employees were proof of that during the latter part of the work week and on the weekends, but Mondays tended to be the slowest of all the days. Tonight, however, had been much busier than usual. Even without Charlotte’s birthday party in the back room, the waitresses and bar staff had been scurrying around, servicing the customers who’d run up quite a few hefty tabs.
“Glad to hear it. See you Thursday.” The bartender had the next few nights off. “I’ll shut off the lights and the rest of the TVs, just lock the door on your way out. I’ll be here for another twenty minutes or so.”
“You got it.”
Moments later, the front door closed, and Mike heard the lock engage. The ESPN recap of the night’s baseball games was the only thing filling the air as he concentrated on logging everything into the books for his accountant. He wasn’t sure what had suddenly made him aware he wasn’t as alone as he’d thought—maybe it was the hair on the back of his neck standing up, or the scent of a light, sensual perfume over the usual bar odors—but whatever it was, it had him looking into the huge mirror behind the bar. His heart thumped faster in his chest as his gaze met Charlotte’s reflection. He’d been fantasizing about the woman for months now. Ever since he and Jake had gotten close, Mike had been getting to know his brother’s friends better. He’d even been invited to parties at the Trident Security compound, and it was there he’d found himself drawn to the petite, Asian-American woman. Unfortunately, she was in the BDSM lifestyle, as was Jake and many of his friends, and Mike had no clue what it was really about and why they claimed to need it as badly as their next breath.
Her piercing, brown-eyed gaze pinned him in place. He swallowed hard as his dick twitched in his jeans. Her straight, black hair hung down past her shoulders, the tips of several strands curling against her collarbones, while subtle makeup highlighted her eyes, lips, and cheeks. The black, knit shirt she wore had a deep V-neck that gave more than a hint of the inner swells of her breasts. Faded jeans that fit like a glove, a black belt, and black boots with four-inch-heels completed her outfit. She was mouth-watering, and, not for the first time since he’d met her, Mike wondered what it would be like to kiss her.
Charlotte took several sultry steps forward. “Your staff should be more diligent about checking the party room before turning out the lights.”
“I’m sorry.” Mike cleared his suddenly dry throat as it made his voice raspy and harsh. “I didn’t realize you were still here, Charlotte.”
Stopping behind him, she grabbed hold of the back of the bar stool he was sitting in and spun it around until he was facing her. Even with her heels, he still had to look down at her. Never breaking eye contact, she used a single finger to make slow circles on his denim-covered thigh, just above his knee, and, damn, if that didn’t have his cock twitching some more. Her eyes bored into his again, and this time his gaze dropped. Since there was very little room between them, he was now focused on the skin exposed by her shirt’s deep V. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Michael. I stayed behind on purpose, wanting a few moments alone with you, to see if I was right.”
His brow narrowed as he tried to ignore her still swirling finger, even though he wanted to move it higher on his leg until she was touching his groin. His gaze met hers again. “Right about what?”
“About your submissive nature when it comes to a dominant woman.”
Annoyed at her presumption, Mike snorted. “I’m not some wimp who wants to be whipped by you, Charlotte.” He stood, forcing her to take a step backward, then moved to the side to put some more distance between them. It was the only way to get his throbbing cock under control. Having her stand so close that he could smell her enticing perfume was a recipe for disaster.
Crossing her arms, her eyes seemed to see straight into his soul, and he fought the urge to swallow hard under her scrutiny. “I never thought you were a wimp, Michael. Is that what you think Nick is to Jake?”
Considering his soon-to-be brother-in-law had just retired from the Navy SEALs and joined his brothers’ security company, the last thing he’d call Nick was a wimp. So why had Mike automatically thought that’s what Charlotte saw in him? “No, I don’t.”
She stepped toward him, and Mike managed to stand his ground when what he really wanted to do was retreat. What was it about this woman that made his knees shake and his cock stand up and take notice? Well, he knew the answer to the second part of that question—she was fucking gorgeous. It hadn’t escaped his notice that every time she walked into the pub, practically every heterosexual male in the place eyed her up and down with lust-filled eyes. But anytime one of them approached her, they were shot down—nicely, for the most part. The only times he’d ever seen her annoyed was when any of them touched her without her consent—which is, apparently, what had happened earlier with the drunken idiots.
She stood less than a foot away from him, but didn’t touch him. “Here’s the deal, Michael. You know who I am ... what I am. I’m a Domme who takes charge of her relationships, whether or not they involve sex. Most of them don’t.” She shrugged unapologetically. “I’m selective when it comes to sex. That doesn’t mean I can’t offer submissives the domination they crave. However, if there’s a man I’m interested in—one who’s sexually submissive—I have no qualms about approaching him. I’ve always thought you were attractive, but until earlier tonight, I thought you were off limits to me—I wasn’t aware of your submissiveness.” When he opened his mouth to contradict her, she held up a hand to silence him. “Don’t deny it. When I assert myself, you immediately drop your gaze to the floor. I can see right now you’re doing your best not to put more distance between us, and it’s not because you’re not attracted to me. That bulge in your jeans tells me otherwise.
“Now, I know this has caught you off guard. You’ll need time to think about it, and that’s fine. But just to make myself clear and so there’s no confusion on your part, I’m offering you a chance to explore your submissiveness, preferably with sex involved, and to learn all about the power exchange the BDSM lifestyle is based on.” She reached over and grabbed a bar napkin and the pen he’d been using. “Safety is very important to me, and this is not something to jump into without properly researching it—in fact, it’s imperative. This will be unlike any relationship you’ve ever had before, and, I can almost guarantee, it will be the best one you’ve ever had. These are two websites I want you to go to and research the lifestyle. Go to the chat rooms and ask questions. Then when you’re ready to give me your answer, here’s my cell phone number. Call me next Monday, no sooner, no later, and let me know your decision.”
Handing him the napkin with the information on it, she smiled provocatively. “I hope the answer is yes. Have a good night, Michael.”
Mike’s jaw almost hit the floor when the seductress turned and strode to the front door, unlocked it, and left without a backward glance. He swallowed the lump that had been in his throat as she’d told him what she wanted from him. His cock pulsated, and it took every ounce of self-control to not run after her and ask what it would take to end up in her bed tonight.
Silence filled the air as seconds ticked by. Running a hand down his face, Mike shifted his hips. “Holy shit.”
