Screw Me Sideways

She already suspected Kellan of hiring the driver and his sidekick but the limousine seemed like a little much for a bartender’s salary. She glanced down at her dress. Who would’ve thought he would’ve gone shopping for her, too?

Wandering through the club, she took in the scenes and the sectioned-off play stations. Clink’s patrons were folks with fetishes and desires like anyone else. Before she’d studied the club scene, Jade used to think the only difference between club-goers and vanilla couples was the desire to act out in public versus staying at home behind a closed and locked door.

She’d learned a lot since then.

“Hey, good lookin’.” Kellan’s arms locked around her waist. He nuzzled her hair and swayed to the music, pretty obvious about his intentions. He was pushing her toward one of the side doors. Thanks to her friendship with Nory, Jade had been to Clink countless times and definitely knew what was behind door number one.

“Hey, yourself,” she said, pivoting. Looping her arms around his neck, she enjoyed the song and loved the dance. “Are you on break already?”

“You might say that,” he whispered, his lips hovering over hers.

“I’m not leaving, Kellan.”

“No one said you had to leave.” Yet he scooped her up and carried her straight through one door and right out the other.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She wiggled, trying to encourage him to set her down. “Kellan?”

“You’ll see.”

The chauffeur was waiting for them. As soon as they were inside the car, he threw his arm around her shoulders and dragged her to him. Their lips met in a fiery kiss, the kind of kiss that meant something and led somewhere.

He cupped her neck with his hands, brushing his knuckles up and down her neck as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth like a greedy lover might. It was seconds, maybe even minutes later, before he backed away from the kiss.

“You look so damned pretty.” He gave her a lingering gaze before he quickly added, “But I want you to leave.”

“What? No.” She couldn’t believe her ears. “Why?” Was this about Katherine Andes? She didn’t bother asking.

Kellan frowned. “It isn’t safe here tonight, Jade.”

“It’s never safe anywhere.” She crossed her arms. It wasn’t safe when she was running from the Amish, yet she’d kept running. It wasn’t safe when she was sleeping on the streets but she didn’t turn and go home. “I’m not leaving.”

“You can go wherever you want to go, but you need to stay out of the clubs tonight.”

“I’m confused. You send me a car. You buy me a pretty dress and now you—”

“Wait.” Kellan held up his hand. His gaze swept over her. “The car and guys are on me but I didn’t send you this dress, Jade.”

Unnerved, she swallowed once. “You must’ve.” Her head spun with maddening ideas. The dress and shoes were perfectly sized. “It had to have been you.”

Kellan’s demeanor changed on a dime. He framed her face and stared into her eyes. “Take a deep breath.” It was only then when she realized she was trembling. “Where’d you get the dress? Who delivered it?”

“The driver. He said a courier from the store dropped it off and—” She gasped. “How could I have been so stupid?”

“What store?” Kellan thinned his lips and waited. “Honey, which store sent it over?”

“You’ll have to ask him.” Jade wanted to strip off and pitch the dress. Shifting uncomfortably, she blurted, “Kellan, I need to change. What if it isn’t safe to wear this?” She reached behind her back, going for the zipper.

He placed his hand over hers. “It’s not the dress, Jade. What kind of box was it sent in?”

“Oblong—gold and black.”

“What did you do with it?”

“There… wasn’t anything else in it.”

“Where is it, Jade?”

“Why? What’s going on?” She gasped then, remembering the unusual weight of the box. “Oh. My. God. You’re right. It’s in the packaging. There was something in the bottom of it.”