Prologue

Laken put the finishing touches on the dinner she’d slaved over for hours. She’d made all his favorites. Thick slices of beef—his so rare she didn’t know why she bothered to cook it—along with garlic-mashed potatoes, steamed green beans and apple pie for dessert. Buying the ingredients had wiped her bank account clean, but it was worth it.

Besides, soon she wouldn’t have to worry about counting her pennies. She’d just been given a promotion. She could scarcely believe it. And after just a year of working for one of New York’s fashion houses. At twenty-two, she hadn’t really believed that she would be in this position already.

Best of all, Duncan was due back tonight. It had been four weeks since she had last seen him and she had spent every day dreaming about him, missing him. Even though she had spoken to him a number of times, she had kept her promotion a secret. She wanted to tell him in person.

There was another reason she wanted to make tonight special. She was going to tell Duncan that she loved him. Nerves fluttered in her stomach. What if he rejected her? What if he didn’t feel the same way?

She pushed aside her reservations and took a deep breath. Duncan loved her, she knew he did. He might never say it—he wasn’t one to talk about his feelings or emotions. He generally kept most things close to his chest, but his love was there in his eyes. She could see it in the way he watched her, as if she was something precious that he didn’t want to let out of his sight.

It was present in the way he took care of her.

They’d grown up in the same small town, but Duncan was six years older and they’d little to do with each other. He had always been just one of those Jones boys. There were ten of them, so keeping track was never easy. Rough, loud and wild, the brothers had been the terror of Haven. Their mother had died when the youngest was just a baby and their father had been more interested in his next drink than what his sons were doing.

It wasn’t until they had crossed paths years later in New York that she truly noticed him. She was still shocked that he had recognized her. After all, he was no longer a poor kid with ripped clothes and untidy hair. He was the Duncan Jones, Linebacker for the New York Giants.

Gone was the scrawny kid; in his place was a muscular, intriguing man with dark, serious eyes, smooth, tanned skin and firmly chiseled face. When his eyes focused on hers, Laken felt like she was the most important person in the world.

It was Duncan who had introduced her to BDSM. They’d been dating for a while, meeting up whenever his schedule allowed. At first, he had slowly introduced her into his lifestyle, training her to submit to him sexually. Surprisingly, she had come to love it, to crave it.

Her only complaint was that she didn’t see enough of him.

Laken stepped back from the table to make sure everything looked perfect. Her budget hadn’t stretched to Champagne, but she’d managed a nice bottle of wine.

Now, to just wait for Duncan.

***

Three hours later, Laken finished off her third glass of wine and shook the bottle, wondering if she should just finish it off. Where was he? She had waited the first hour out patiently, knowing he had probably been delayed at the airport.

Then she had texted him, worried that he’d been in an accident. No reply. She had called him and gotten his voicemail. He could have at least tried to contact her if he wasn’t going to make it.

Laken stared at the clock on her wall, her brain sluggish. Hmm, maybe I should have eaten something instead of just chugging down that wine.

But her appetite was gone. The food was ruined and once again, Duncan wasn’t coming. This was the third time in the last four months. The third time she had gotten excited about him visiting, often cancelling other plans just so she could see him, instead she had ended up sitting at home, waiting for him, only to get a text saying he couldn’t make it.

This time he hadn’t even bothered to text.

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