"So there was just two guys with you?"

Carly's eyebrows shot up, her brow creasing in confusion. "Well, yeah. Two is enough, thank you very much." She giggled, turning her back to Brooke as she flipped the sizzling bacon in the pan.

Brooke laughed nervously. "I can only imagine."

Carly tossed her a teasing grin, "You don't have to imagine. Do it!"

"I'm glad you had a great time," Brooke replied, with a quick bracing smile. "But I don't really think that's for me. Sounds hot, though. You go, girl. I'll see you later; I gotta get to work."

As she headed out the front door, Brooke let her mind wander back to the seductive touch of her dangerously handsome stranger. She really should have asked Carly more, tried to find out who he was, but part of her was afraid to find out. Sometimes half the fun is in the mystery itself.

Chapter Two.

Brooke was glad to find the elevator empty when she arrived home from work, heading up to her apartment floor.

She paced the small s.p.a.ce as she rode up the building, feeling like a caged animal. She'd hardly been able to concentrate on work all day. Now she was h.e.l.l-bent on facing Carly and asking her about that stranger. She needed to know. Now.

She convinced herself she wasn't curious just because she wanted to know how to see him again. Absolutely not! She wanted nothing more to do with him. Nothing about his intense good looks or decadent touch held any interest for her. And if she ever saw him again, she'd give him a piece of her mind, vowed the fuming Brooke.

By the time she reached her floor she was more than heated remembering the liberties he'd taken with her. And she had done or said nothing to stop him. Stupid, stupid girl! She berated herself over and over. She stormed out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened and ran down the corridor. Turning the corner intersecting the hallway leading to her apartment, Brooke stopped dead in her tracks.

Leaning against the wall next to her door, just halfway down from where she stood...was the subject of her angst. Brooke could only stand and stare in immobilized shock. She had to be dreaming.

But no; he was really there, in the flesh. And what smoking hot flesh it was.

Staring back at her were those ice storm blue eyes that seemed to hold a whole world of wicked promise in them. Much like those firm, luscious lips that were slanted in a knowing smile. His hair looked s.e.xy flopping about his face like that, the strands begging for a lover's hands to comb through them and get them even messier and s.e.xier. He seemed so deceptively casual leaning against the wall; his lithe, rock-solid body looking like it had just walked out of a photo shoot.

Brooke's first instinct was to turn and run. Yet something held her in place, her lips parting as she panted, chest heaving. Laser beams of l.u.s.t seemed to crisscross from him to her. It churned in her belly and twisted her nipples into knots of desire.

He was dressed in an open-necked black shirt and jeans that did nothing to conceal his impressive bulk; all lean and hard-packed muscles evident in his shoulders, biceps and abs. Oh f.u.c.k. Brooke felt her hormones respond to his effortless masculinity. Just the look in his unwavering gaze left her breathless; her b.r.e.a.s.t.s swelling within the confines of their lacy cups. Everything below the waist felt liquefied, right to the center of her where her p.u.s.s.y quivered at the juncture of her thighs.

Something in her eyes seemed to reach into him as he too, seemed wired; the tension in the air almost tangible even with the distance between them.

Brooke wondered vaguely if the reason he was wound so tight was the same as hers. A part of her knew she should be spinning right round and making her escape to safety. And yet even as she saw him straighten from the wall, she lost her compulsion to bolt. Automatically, she moved towards her door. She fully intended to let herself in and slam the door in his face without a word. She wouldn't even give him the time of day. Who did he think he was anyway?

Her mind made up, she strode purposefully in his direction. But as she would have reached for her door handle, he caught her hand.

Brooke lifted startled eyes to his. Suddenly, the tension seemed to leave him, and his lips broke into a slow, steady smile.

Now that was a smile you could fall into. s.e.xy, appealing, boyish and confident, all at once. That, and his familiar, woodsy clean and masculine smell just blew her away.

Brooke could sense the fierce beating of her heart and wondered if he could too.

He was just as tall as she remembered, towering over her a good many inches despite her more than average height. Those tempting lips of his moved closer and closer, and Brooke's eyelids fluttered low as if weighed down by desire. She was so sure he was about to kiss her; but just a breath away from her parted lips, and right at the last moment, he pulled back.

He drew up to his full height again, and then nodded toward the door. "Open it."

His command was given in a voice husky with heat and desire; a voice deep and rough yet silky smooth with persuasion.

Brooke knew she'd be insane to obey. Yet she did. When he let go of her hand so she could unlock the door, she did exactly as asked. Then she walked into the door and felt him instantly follow, the door shutting and him securing the door.

Seizing in a steadying breath, Brooke twisted round to face him, mouth opening to finally confront him and yet she never got the chance.

Her back slammed into the wall before she even knew it, leaving her breathless and excited as she felt his taut frame pin her in position. Caught off guard, she didn't think to struggle as he grabbed her wrists and pinned them against the wall on either side of her head.

Brooke's startled shriek came out more like a needy squeak, and she wanted to kick herself for her stupidity. How could she let this happen yet again? Allow a total stranger into her home? Now he had her imprisoned against the wall, and at his mercy. Finally she made the effort to struggle, her body writhing against his only managing to fan the flames rising in his blue-black gaze.

"Tell me your name," he whispered.

Brooke blinked, going still as his raspy words washed over her. She licked her parched lips and his gaze followed the innocuous movement. He leaned in that much harder into her quivering frame and gave her no doubts as to what her closeness was doing to him. The rigid prod of his arousal against her thigh matched the molten lava licking at her panties. She shuddered over and over, wrists twitching beneath his binding grasp.

"I'm...I'm Brooke."

"Brooke," he experimented on his tongue. The way he said it made it sound so dirty and hot. In fact, anything that came out of those lips of his sounded like s.e.x. Which meant that kissing him could very be her undoing if she were stupid enough to let him try.

Not that she could do much in way of fighting him off. For one thing, he was incredibly strong and reeked of power and control. And he already had her trapped, arms useless to defend her and his body pressed too close for her to think of using either her knee or her high-heeled toe.

"You can run," he said softly in her ear, as if reading her conflicting thoughts, "But you know you that you belong here...in my arms. "

His tongue snaked out to flick inside the delicate sh.e.l.l of the ear and a rush of hot wetness flooded the crotch of her panties. Brooke felt her nipples hardening and swelling. Oh no. What the f.u.c.k was happening to her? Every inch of her felt the need to be claimed by this man. To have her skirt roughly pulled up to her waist and her panties ripped off so that her legs could wrap around him, p.u.s.s.y spread open to take his manifestly long and thick c.o.c.k deep inside her walls.

"Please," she panted, and bit hard on her lip as she didn't realize what exactly she was pleading for.

"I know, baby," he said in a voice laden with discernment. "I know what you need. You don't have to beg me for it. I'm going to give it all to you. Every...inch." So saying, he ground his pelvis against hers in an unmistakable gesture that mimicked the most carnal of couplings. And judging by the length and girth of him outlined against her center, Brooke knew he was built in just the way a woman most desires.

His c.o.c.k felt hard and hot and ready, just for her. Brooke's head swam and she whimpered in shamed arousal. Ice-hot chills ran down her spine as she realized how much he wanted her; how much it mirrored her own desire. But did that make what was happening right?

It was wrong; so wrong in all kinds of ways. Yet she seemed incapable of putting a stop to the sensual madness.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he growled against her, his lips brushing against her arched neck as she inhaled deeply. "Last night...your sweet smell; the heat of your l.u.s.t swirling all around my senses. I felt ready to devour you whole. But I had to settle for giving you the satisfaction you needed. And much as I'd like to do the same now...here's neither the time nor place."

Brookes' hooded eyes flew open wider. Wait, what? She felt him suddenly release her wrists, his powerful grip suddenly gone, his hard body withdrawn from hers. An instant later she felt bereft, and loathed herself for this weakness; this pounding pulse of want beating in her p.u.s.s.y.

She watched speechlessly as he reached inside his front shirt pocket, and retrieved a gilt-edged black card. "This is where you can find me tomorrow night. Just show this card and you'll be let in without a ha.s.sle," he said, tucking the card into the slight crevice afforded by her dipping cleavage beneath her semi-unb.u.t.toned blouse. His blue eyes flicked over the image and a wicked smile of enticement crossed his lips.

"Make sure you ask for Dom Sebastian," he instructed carefully, holding her gaze for one moment more before he turned to the door and let himself out without another word. Left weak-kneed and confused, Brooke could do nothing but sink down to the floor in a flushed heap.

Chapter Three.

Shocking. Deviant. Breathtaking. Torture. Just a few words Brooke could use to describe her encounters with the one man who'd managed to rip through her defenses and leave her reeling with intense desire despite how she would never have imagined being 'that' kind of girl before.

But that night just outside Carly's room, she'd succ.u.mbed to a darker side of desire. It had taken the appearance of her captivating stranger to drive her from the heights of l.u.s.t to even deeper temptation.

She'd struggled to think clearly for a long time after he'd gone; only just remembering to lock her door securely before crawling to her bed where she collapsed.

This encounter had felt even more intense than the last time. Maybe because this time she'd actually heard him speak; and he'd even asked her name. That took it all from the realm of pure animalistic fantasy and into the confines of reality. And in the most fiercely erotic moments, when she'd felt his desire for her deep in her core, Brooke knew she'd have done nothing to stop him if he'd tried to possess her completely.

Why didn't he kiss me?

The query popped at her like a Las Vegas boulevard sign. As confused as she was, she'd felt he could have left her with at least that. But no; instead he'd disappeared again, leaving behind a small black business-type card designed in some kind of medieval print. On it were details of a name and address of an unfamiliar club Dark Desires, the emblem printed in spiraling red ink on the black background.

Brooke couldn't lie; she was certainly interested. She didn't have much to go on but the name and address, and the indication that it was some kind of BDSM club. She'd heard of such places but had never really been invited to one. Nor had had the inclination to venture inside of one. But if that was the one place she could get to meet him again, then maybe she could just...

Are you insane? The voice in her head screamed, trying to get her to return to reason. The last thing she should be doing was meeting a stranger; trailing him like a love-sick puppy to what could very well be his lair.

And yet...

Dom Sebastian. That's who he told her to ask for. Was that his name? Was he really a Dom and if so, what did that bode for the vanilla-as-they-come Brooke?

An hour earlier Brooke had been so sure she wasn't going to Dark Desires.

She'd purposely changed into her favorite yoga pants and crop top, settling in front of the television in the living room area, ready for a marathon evening with her favorite show.

But then...a flash of blue eyes crossed her subconscious. Hard-packed shoulders; rock-hard thighs in jeans pressing into hers. Rough, hard grips on her wrists, pinning them high above her head. Everything hard. Most especially his thick, hard c.o.c.k that had pulsed so unapologetically against her stomach.

I can't f.u.c.king do this, she thought. She sprang off the sofa and headed for her bedroom to get dressed for a night out. Dark Desires it would be then, she decided grimly as she stood in front of her mirror soon after.

Dressed in what she hoped was BDSM club-compliant attire, Brooke gazed at her reflection with a sense of resolution. Her plus-sized frame was snugly encased in a fitted black dress that skimmed her thighs and highlighted her curves. She liked that her legs looked shapely and long in her flirty high-heeled pumps also black. A simple choker; a length of black crystals encircled her neck and made the green in her eyes sparkle. Her hair, a fine shoulder-length of chestnut, was parted in the middle and left to cascade down her cheeks.

Now she looked the part of sultry temptress but was she truly ready to play the game?

Carly had left a few hours earlier, apparently for another night out with her s.e.xy duo. Surely that shouldn't make Brooke feel like she was missing out on something; on life? Why did it suddenly feel like the world was pa.s.sing her by, especially since she had only recently turned twenty-four? Far too young to be closed off from life's many adventures.

Brooke shook her head, reminding herself that it wasn't too late to change her mind. She would go out, but instead to some night club where she could have a few drinks and dance the night away. Nothing kinky; nothing remotely deviant. And who knows; she might just meet someone nice; someone interesting who could make the evening worthwhile.

But I don't want someone nice and interesting.

She wanted him; all tall, dark and dangerous; She wanted to discover all he promised in his possessive touch, his dominant gaze. She wanted to see where this would lead and if she had the guts to go through with it. To live on the edge for once in her life.

It's settled then, she told her reflection with a thin, decisive smile. You're going to take that plunge, and never look back. No regrets. And hopefully, you'll still be in one piece by the time it's over...

"That's her," Sebastian whispered to Jax as the striking red head walked into the club.

Jax turned around on the bar stool to look over his shoulder. He gave a low whistle of appreciation, which made Sebastian smile.

He hadn't been sure she'd make it. The hours had stretched on and he'd almost given up waiting. But now the wait definitely seemed worth it.

"d.a.m.n," he whispered.

"Yeah, exactly what I was thinking," Jax, who owned Dark Desires, replied with a husky laugh. "She's f.u.c.king perfect."

She was also the type of girl that Sebastian and Jax had sworn off. Ultra- feminine; 'proper' and so vanilla it exuded from her pores.

"You say she's a first-time submissive?" Jax asked as he took a swing of his scotch. His deep brown eyes narrowed as the object of their attention edged through the press of leather-clad clubbers.

"She hasn't submitted just yet," Sebastian said, his lips twisting half-humorously.

But then again, she had. More than once, thought Sebastian. When she'd let him touch her; put his fingers inside her p.u.s.s.y. That hot, creamy and b.u.t.tery soft p.u.s.s.y.

Sebastian's blood turned red-hot and his mouth went dry at the memory.

He hadn't been able to resist that first time; nor the next when he'd been waiting at her door. He hadn't meant to scare her; lying in wait for her. And then pushing her up against the wall of her bedroom like that and pinning her wrists by her head. But d.a.m.n it had felt good to feel her succ.u.mb to him.

The next thing he knew, he'd been inviting her to Dark Desires.

Now here she was, looking around at the crowded club. He liked how she wore her hair tonight, the straight length of eye-catching auburn falling on either side of her heart-shaped face while her gorgeous green eyes glittered with a hint of black eyeliner and mascara.

Her luscious b.r.e.a.s.t.s bounced as she walked; the clingy black dress loving every one of her curves. d.a.m.n, those curves. Sebastian felt himself go uncomfortably hard just imagining kissing those generous b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Soft and warm and firm; with her pretty pink tongue licking his c.o.c.k...

"I think she's asking for you," Jax noted, jerking his chin her way. "You sure you want to do this?"

Sebastian's eyes met Jax's, whose raven-black eyebrow arched meaningfully. They'd discussed at length how the night was to go if things went according to plan.

Sebastian grinned, taunting, "Thinking of backing out? Can't handle it?"

"I think she's more than enough to go round both of us, brother," Jax said to his best friend, with an almost identical grin in return. "No way am I backing out. But it's been a while since you've considered anyone so high-maintenance."

"She's different than the others," Sebastian said thoughtfully, not taking his eyes off her as he finished his drink and set down his gla.s.s. Then with one last nod and a back slap to his best friend, he walked over confidently to where Brooke stood, looking like a fish out of water.

Time to claim their prize.

Chapter Four.

Brooke fidgeted and tried not to look too out of place. There were enough chains and leather, piercings and tattoos to make an everyday girl go dizzy.