Page 5 of Switched

Chapter 8

Drake

Youcannevertellthe time of day or night in a casino, because the sinful city of Las Vegas never sleeps. It’s alive and fully awake twenty-four/seven, three hundred sixty-five days a year. But I know it's three in the morning, only because my Rolex watch tells me, as I sit comfortably at a bar in Caesar’s Palace. The only company I have is the pretty blond bartender, Trudy, keeping my glass filled with twelve-year-old scotch, neat.

I raise the glass, take another sip and close my eyes, to tune out the dinging alarms, people’s voices, and all the electronic sounds and warble of slot machines. Just so I can picture Candace as she looked this afternoon. She was dressed in a bold orange blouse, on purpose I’m sure, on her way to see her dear old Dad in Federal Prison. And the way she smelled, like a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg.

That same spicy scent hits me in a heartbeat and I know she’s behind me. The ornately patterned carpet muted the clicking of her black heels, but it is Candace, in the flesh. She plants that nice ass of hers on the stool next to mine and asks Trudy for a martini with those salty green olives.

“Put that one, and the rest on my tab, Trudy.”

The side of Candace’s lip tilts up, but her eyes look sad. “Thanks, Drake.” Her voice has a feminine huskiness to it, making me become semi-hard under the bar.

“I can see it didn’t go so well with your father today”

She shrugs her right shoulder. “It is what it is.” She takes a sip of her martini and squeezes her eyes shut. “And it can’t get any worse than it is now.”

Oh, how I want so badly to wrap my hand around her throat at that moment and squeeze it just a bit. To possess her. To protect her. But instead, I place my hand on her knee underneath the bar and squeezed, just a bit. “Talk to me, Candace. I’m a good listener.”

Her sweet lips open, telling me she likes my touch. “Listening is the characteristic of a good and attentive Dom.”

“That I am, Candace. That I am. So, you have my full attention.”

I realize that it’s hard to listen to her sexy voice, when I’m touching her, smelling her. But I’m in control of my senses. They don’t control me.

“I got him the best defense attorney money can buy here in Vegas, but he just keeps fucking things up for himself. He punched out an inmate last week.”

“Ouch. Not good.”

She closes her eyes again, shaking her head, “Everything I’ve done for him all these years! Even when I was just a child! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

When she opens her eyes and stares back at mine it’s like a punch in the gut. I move closer, pulling her to me, and wrapping my arm around her. “Yes. It should be Candace.”

I can feel her sadness. I lift her chin to look into those beautiful eyes. “You shouldn’t have to bear all that weight by yourself. Lean on me, just for right now.”

I lean in and brush her pouty lips with mine. Then again. She sighs or mews like a kitten and I can’t hold back any longer. I’m off my stool and press her to me, driving my tongue into her enticing mouth. She tastes like gin and vermouth.

Then she pulls away, breathless, eyes darting all over me. She’s searching for an answer, but I suppose she isn’t going to find it unless I give one to her. “Drake!What the hell?No, we can’t do this. We’re too much alike.”

I can’t help but frown at her. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“I don’t give up control,ever. I’m as much a Dominant as you are. What were you even thinking?”

“I want to taste you, Candace. Just let go for a short moment. Let go of the reins. All I’m asking for is a moment, no more than that.” Something comes over Candace’s features, almost like she is contemplating what I’ve said. As her shoulders relax and she places her forehead on my chest, I know that she’s giving me control, just for a moment. My heart pounds hard and fast like a fucking freight train in my chest and I wrap my arms around her again, just letting her breathe.

She looks up at me again, like an invitation to take over. So, I do and kiss her again, but this time my tongue is on a mission to plunder and possess her enticing mouth. Her head drops back farther, and her arms fold inward, between us so that I’m cradling her. Now my dick is a raging beast, wanting to invade and conquer every part of her.

Candace relaxes in against me as our lips and tongues collide. I shift my hips and claim hers thrusting just once. She gasps, as her eyes open. They’re glossed over and full of heated fire. I knew she had it in her, I’d just never expected to see them up close and personal, igniting for me.

And just like that, she pushes me away. “This was only one time. It won’t happen again.” She finishes her martini, snatches her purse, and walks away.

I beckon Trudy over. “Fill me another glass of that good scotch, sweetheart.”

The taste of the scotch calms my raging hard-on and I admit to myself that this bet I made is what motivates me to switch Candace because I’ve always wanted to possess her, protect her, and watch her surrender to me. And I will chisel down that high wall she surrounds herself with and make her submit to me. Bet or not. She’ll be mine one way or another.

Candace

I don’t know what in the hell came over me or why I would even allow Drake to get as close as he just did. Physically, there was no denying we were close… but I let him in emotionally, something that I haven’t allowed a man to do in years. I guess we can think my father and my fucked-up daddy issues for that though. The last time I let a man in my life I ended up getting heartbroken. It wasn’t as bad as Drake’s last heartbreak, but it was pretty damn close.

---