Knight

Chapter Eight Hold the Fuck On

I walked into the nearly summer-like air of the late March night.

It was Saturday just after ten. Less than five minutes ago, I got a buzz up with the announcement, “Yo. Ride to Slade at the curb.”

And that was it.

No greeting, no introduction and I knew by the electronic click he was gone.

So I got my bag, dashed to the bathroom to give myself one last look, opened my bag to make sure everything was there and I ran down.

The car was long, big, black and gleaming. It was also double-parked. And Hulk was standing outside it wearing a black shirt, black trousers, black blazer and a scowl.

“Back’s full, woman, you take front,” he declared when I got close then he opened the passenger-side door.

I smiled into his scowl because first, I was wearing a killer outfit. Second, I had a killer night with my friends ahead of me. And third, after three days of quick phone calls, nothing at all that day and the rest of the time Knight was sight unseen, I was going to see him that night.

I slid in and twisted immediately to look into the backseat where Viv and Sandrine where sitting, decked out, eyes on me, smiles huge.

“That… dress… is… hot! Ohmigod!” Sandrine shrieked.

“No joke, fuckin’ shit, she is not lying,” Viv concurred.

I grinned and whispered, “I know.”

Their huge smiles beamed. They knew about the dresses because I’d told them. In fact, I told them everything so they had both done an understandable about-face about Knight Sebring.

Hulk slid in, twisted his tree trunk neck and aimed his scowl at me.

“Woman. Buckle,” he grunted.

I looked back at the girls then turned to face forward and followed Hulk’s orders.

The minute he heard the click, Hulk put the car in gear and we started rolling. Then he reached into his inside jacket pocket, pulled out a phone, flipped it open and hit buttons. He did all this with his eyes to the road.

He was taking a right when he said, “Yo.” Pause, “Yeah. She’s here.” Pause then, “Red.” Pause, “Later.”

He flipped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket.

But me…

I had stopped breathing.

Red.

He was reporting in.

Knight wanted to know which dress I was wearing.

I twisted my neck and looked back at the girls.

They had big eyes and still wore their huge smiles.

They knew what I knew.

I giggled.

They giggled too.

Hulk muttered, “Shit.”

I giggled harder.

They giggled harder too.

Hulk drove us to Slade.

I was standing in our VIP section holding a martini glass with the dregs of my lemon drop in my hand when the three friends I was talking to of the twenty-five I invited that night looked beyond me.

But I knew.

It was late, I’d been there hours. It had to be well past midnight. I’d had four lemon drops.

And finally he was there.

I turned my head and saw an aubergine shirt and black suit jacket then my eyes tipped up in time to see Knight’s head dip down right before his lips skimmed the skin of my bare shoulder.

That tingle came back but it slid up to my scalp and down to the small of my back, radiating out across my waist, hips and bottom.

God, lovely.

He lifted his head barely an inch but his eyes came to mine.

“Hey,” I whispered and I could, even in the loud club, he was that close.

“It fits,” he whispered back.

“Yeah,” I confirmed the obvious. The dress fit perfectly. Like it was made for me.

His eyes shifted over my shoulder and unfortunately he straightened but I felt the heat of his body hit my back as he got close.

“Ladies,” he greeted, his smooth voice pitched loud to be heard over the music.

I looked from Knight to them to see my girls were all staring in various degrees of shock and wonder.

“Knight,” my voice was pitched higher too and I indicated them in turn with their names, “this is Monica, Helen and Christie.”

He tipped his chin up.

Monica swallowed.

Helen peeped, “Hey.”

Christie flashed a quick wave and her lips moved but no sound came out.

I stifled a giggle.

“Right, you’re hot, my girl’s dress is scorching and I’m in the VIP section drinking free so, just FYI, you’ve elevated yourself above that dickface douchebag of a brother. Now I get he’s your brother and our skin isn’t the same, neither is our blood but I’m sister to Anya and Sandrine so I think you also get me.”

This was Viv perpetrating a sneak attack from the side and to make certain her important message was received over the music, she was shouting at Knight.

His head had turned to her. My heart had stopped beating. And Christie, Helen and Monica wisely affected a hasty retreat.

“I get you,” Knight replied.

“And there may be some universe where my girl Anya wears cheap shoes and saves for a fucking cell phone but this one isn’t it. Therefore she’s been living a travesty. I’m glad you’re sorting that shit out,” she went on, again loudly.

I felt Knight’s arm slide around my waist as I watched his lips twitch but he did not reply.

I, however, did.

“Viv, now’s a good time to shut up.”

“Men understand direct communication. It’s bitches who speak in code,” she returned.

Knight’s arm got tight, pulling my side into his.

I liked this, it felt nice. I wanted to enjoy it.

But since my friend was crawling up my nose being as she could be, direct, protective and crazy, instead of doing that, I retorted to Viv, “Right, well you communicated pretty directly. Now shut… up.”

“He bought you that dress, those shoes so he’s way into you in a way nothing I can do would make him less into you,” Vivica shot back.

“Let’s not test that, shall we?” I suggested loudly.

“As entertaining as this is,” Knight broke in, “if you wouldn’t mind, I wanna steal her a second.”

“Be my guest,” Vivica agreed magnanimously, sweeping her arm out and everything.

The good news was, Knight immediately moved me to a darkish corner where there was privacy, a booth seat lining the wall and no one around and the no one I wanted to be around at that moment was freaking Viv. The other good news was, Sandrine was tipsy and therefore on the dance floor dancing by herself which was her way. This wouldn’t last long since one, two, five or twelve guys would join her eventually. But it meant she wasn’t there so she could not also embarrass me. And the last good news was that Knight was there. Finally.

And there was no bad news.

We got to the corner, Knight shifted me in a way I knew he wanted me to plant my bottom in the seat so I did. He moved in beside me, close beside me, slid an arm along the back of the booth seat but his eyes went across the platform, locked on something and he jerked up his chin.

I followed his eyes and saw the cocktail waitress rushing our way.

Then I felt my glass sliding out of my hand. I looked down to see it was now in Knight’s then I followed it to watch him hand it off to the cocktail waitress.

“Anya gets San Pellegrino the rest of the night starting now,” he ordered, she nodded and dashed away.

I looked at Knight.

“What? Why? I have a VIP card. Kathleen dropped it off for me. I’ve never been a VIP. I need to live it up.”

“Babe, you’re mine. Anytime you’re in Slade you’re a VIP and drink free.”

Oh.

Cool.

“Really?” I asked.

He stared at me then shook his head and one side of his mouth curved up.

I guessed that was my answer since he said nothing further and although his head shake was negative my guess was his answer was positive.

Since he didn’t say anything, I did.

“Why water, Knight? I’m not drunk. I’m not even tipsy.”

“And you’re not gonna get that way. I’ll fuck you drunk, baby, but not the first time.”

My breath left me in a hard whoosh.

Knight kept talking. “So water, the rest of the night. You get me?”

I nodded.

His eyes moved over my face.

Then he asked, “You got anything for me?”

I stared. Then I panicked.

He gave me a driver, a VIP section and four free drinks (as well as unlimited San Pellegrino not to mention the dress I was wearing, etc.). Was I supposed to bring a thank you gift?

“Uh…” I mumbled then stopped.

“Anya, I haven’t seen you since Tuesday.”

This was true.

“I know,” I somewhat yelled over the music.

“And you got nothin’ for me?”

“Um…” I began, stopped then bit my lip.

His twitched, he dipped his face close and ordered, “Baby, fuckin’ kiss me.”

Oh.

God.

Oh God!

I’d never kissed him and he’d only kissed me once. And when he did, I didn’t really kiss him back I just went along for the ride.

Oh God.

God!

Well, fuck it. If I sucked it would only mean my world coming to an end.

No pressure.

Damn.

I lifted a hand to his neck, tipped my face back, held his eyes and pressed my lips to his.

Then I closed my eyes as I smelled his cologne.

God. Amazing.

I ran my tongue along the crease of his lips.

Then suddenly his arm was locked around me, my torso was tight to his, my body twisted so I was angled across his and partially in his lap and his other hand drove into my hair as his tongue thrust into my mouth and he kissed me.

Plunder.

I had it once.

I missed it desperately.

My arms circled his shoulders, one hand in his hair. I held on and enjoyed the heck out of the ride.

He broke the kiss but pressed my head in, his shifting so my lips were at his ear and his were at mine.

“You see me, four days, fourteen, four hours, Anya, you kiss me,” he growled in my ear.

“Okay,” I whispered in his.

His hand at my waist slid up my side then down as he murmured in my ear, “My baby and lemon drops.”

I shivered.

“When I fuck you drunk, you drink lemon drops.”

I shivered again and whispered, “Okay.”

“Okay,” he whispered back then, “Fuck. So fuckin’ sweet.”

I turned my head slightly so I could smell his neck.

I didn’t know what that was but whoever created his cologne should be given a medal, an island or their very own small country.

Knight, who didn’t miss much, didn’t miss me taking him in.

“You like that?” he asked.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Good,” he whispered back on an arm squeeze then I got another one that didn’t relax in a way that felt different and I pulled my head back to look at his profile.

He was focused on something that was not me and I twisted my head to see Hulk gesturing to him.

I felt Knight move and saw the end of a chin jerk then his eyes came to me.

“You gotta go,” I said softly.

His eyes moved over my face then back to mine.

“Yeah,” he replied softly.

I tipped my head to the side. “See you later?”

“Definitely.”

I smiled.

His eyes moved to my mouth, he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine.

Then he pulled back and locked our eyes.

“Did you wear the red for me?”

For some reason I felt timid suddenly but still I answered, “It’s your favorite color.”

I was rewarded immediately. His face got soft, his eyes got dark and his beautiful lips whispered, “Baby.”

And I instantly decided I was adding a lot more red to my wardrobe.

Then before I knew it, I was on my feet, my hand in his and he led me to Vivica.

“You’re on duty,” he informed her.

She smiled huge and he trailed his fingertips across my hip as his eyes held mine a second.

Then he was gone.

“I… fucking… love him,” Viv announced and my eyes went from where I last saw Knight to her.

Quick judgment.

Shocker.

“All the intel isn’t in yet,” I reminded her. “And you’ve been in his presence, like, a second.”

“Girl, this is what I know, that guy would have to be a freakin’ terrorist for me not to… love him.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Uh… that dress?” she answered.

Point well made.

“The look on your face right now,” she went on.

Another good point.

“The fact that he walked through a club that’s filled with beautiful people, most of them women, and from the instant I spotted him to the instant he left he only had eyes for you.”

My stomach melted.

“Really?” I whispered, my word swept away by the music but she watched my mouth move and nodded.

Game, set, match to Knight.

My eyes shifted to the floor and I grinned a secret grin that wasn’t really secret but it felt that way.

Vivica kept going.

“Nick, one look, douchebag motherfucker. Knight, one look, yeah, the guy is a guy you do not fuck with but other than that, class, command, confidence and cash. And that last in a way that he just has it because he earns it and he’s not in your face about it because he’s got so much of the other three he doesn’t need to be.”

“I already decided I’m going to explore this, Viv,” I shared something she knew loud enough for her to hear but hopefully not loud enough for the others around us. They were my friends but this kind of stuff was only for the close posse.

“Yeah, and what I’m saying is, as you do, that man, you’ll find out shit that will freak your shit right out. You power through, girl, and get to the other side. Because if he stays the way he is with you right now, and I am not talking about dresses and space age phones, I’m talking about him making the world melt away while he sits with you on a booth seat in the busiest club in Denver, it will be worth it.”

“What do you mean I’ll find out shit that will freak me out?”

She glanced around then pulled me to the side away from some friends.

Then she started talking.

“He went from a drag racer to a club owner in a hop, skip and a jump. Club success at age twenty-six. He’s the master of all you survey and as far as I know, answers to nobody. So that means no investors so that means he dumped his own money into this place. I have no clue but just the glasses cost a whack so the rest of this place, my guess, millions. I also have no clue about drag racing but, my guess, that doesn’t make a millionaire. He drives an Aston Martin. He owns seriously exclusive real estate and sends a driver to pick up his woman and her friends. He keeps his shit so tight nobody knows a thing about him and, trust me, I’ve been asking around. He owns Slade. He’s got a motherfucker for a brother. He drives a sweet ride. He does not date but he gets wild amounts of pussy by picking and choosing from his dance floor and none of those bitches talk but if you bring him up, they sure do smile. No one but no one who has all that, does all that and no one knows fuck all about all that doesn’t have secrets. Big ones. So he freaks your shit out, Anya, his secrets come out, you hold on and roll with it. Are you getting me?”

I stared at her.

Then I asked, “Wild amounts of pussy?”

She stared at me and stated emphatically, “Wild.”

Oh my God.

“Babe, girl, babe, listen to me,” she said quickly, her hand grabbing mine and I knew I must have been freaking out visibly as well as internally. I focused on her and she continued, “You know me. I do my homework. And that shit dried up two weeks ago.”

“You’re sure?” I asked.

“No. I’m no PI and I don’t follow him home. But I know folks who practically live here. They see him, know who he is and know he gets himself some and he hasn’t been checking out his regular smorgasbord in a while.”

My head tipped to the side. “He doesn’t date?”

“That’s the word.”

“What does that mean?”

“He likes you, he’ll cook for you at his house. He wants to get off, he does and you go home.”

Cooks for you at his house?

Oh God.

Vivica’s hand gave mine a squeeze. “Babe, he took you to Wynkoop’s. And I don’t have to remind you that he cooked for you but he didn’t do you.”

“Oh God.”

Her hand now gave mine a shake. “Babe, listen to me, the dresses, the phone, the car, the VIP section, not his MO. Wynkoop’s, definitely not. Intel is still comin’ in but it’s slow and there’s not much to be had. But if he was a man on the town, it wouldn’t be. People would see him and report back. They haven’t. His life is this club and his condo. The girls go there then the girls leave there and, more often than not, don’t come back. And they don’t go there for a steak, heart to heart conversation about their dead parents, a nap then he takes them out to eat and sends them home without a kiss. Nor, to my knowledge, does he show at their house in the middle of a night finally to get that kiss. He’s into you. If he was a big spender, his fuck buddies would be reigning supreme in one of these sections and doing it regularly. From what I heard, you are the first.”

I was rethinking having shared such detail about my Knight Encounters but, alas, too late.

“Why didn’t you tell me all this before we went out?” I asked.

“Because I wanted to see him with you to know what all the rest meant. Now I know. He’s into you and not for a fuck. He’s just into you.”

My eyes shifted over her shoulder and I muttered loudly, “Cocktail waitress, two o’clock.”

Viv let my hand go, turned to my side and I smiled as the waitress arrived and I accepted my San Pellegrino.

Viv turned to the cocktail waitress and asked baldly, “You know if Sebring set up any of his other women in their own VIP section?”

Oh God, Viv and her curiosity. She was an assistant catering and banquet manager at a swank hotel. She should have been an investigative journalist.

The waitress got pale, I could tell even by the club lights.

She swayed away but answered politely, “Mr. Sebring doesn’t allow gossip.”

“We won’t tell,” Viv assured.

“I can’t take that chance,” she replied. “I’m sorry but when I say Mr. Sebring doesn’t allow gossip, I mean, if he found out, I’d lose my job.”

Wow. Interesting.

Viv looked at me. “See what I mean?”

I gave her wide eyes and looked back to the waitress. “Sorry, she didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”

“If he asks, tell him I didn’t say anything,” she stated and I felt my brows draw together.

But I answered, “Okay.”

“It was a big thing, me getting a VIP section. He only picks the right girls for that. This is my first. He gives you a bonus if you get a section like this because sometimes the drinks are free or go on a tab and they forget to tip. Rich people, they do that a lot. Even celebrities, they get so much free stuff, they can be not such hot tippers. Or that’s what the girls say who’ve worked these sections. So Mr. Sebring gives a good bonus. Way beyond any tips you can make and he gives it even if you make tips, like your friends are giving tonight. I want to do it again. I have a kid. I can use a bonus, regular-like. So, you know, his woman, her friends curious, he might get that you’d ask me then ask if I spilled. You’ll tell him I didn’t, right?”

“Right,” I said quietly but she still heard me. I knew this from the relief on her face and I figured she was a dab hand at hearing stuff through loud music since she had practice.

“You need another water,” she tipped her head to my water then looked at Viv with her half-full martini, “or a Grey Goose martini,” she smiled gamely, showing she remembered Viv’s order, “you just call me. Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Viv replied.

“And I’ll tell him you did a good job,” I added but she shook her head.

“You don’t have to. He’ll know. He watches. From his window. He sees everything or one of his boys does. That’s why I think he might ask you if I spilled, in case he sees me right now or one his boys does and reports it to him because they tell him everything.”

“Well, if you’re nervous, you don’t have to stick close, honey,” I told her.

She nodded. “No offense but Mr. Sebring’s rules are, no matter who the celebrity, everyone in the section gets attention so I should do a walkthrough.”

“Go right ahead,” I offered.

She nodded again, smiled then took off.

I looked at Viv to see she was looking after the waitress.

Then her head turned to me and she grinned.

“You’re a celebrity.”

“Uh, Viv, didn’t you think that was weird?”

“Uh, Anya,” she leaned in, “yeah. What did I tell you? The man keeps his shit tight.”

I didn’t like this.

“You don’t like that.”

I blinked, my head jerking and I stared at Viv.

“Get out of my head,” I ordered.

“Girl, I’ve known you eight years and you’ve been my best friend seven and three quarters of those eight years. It’s impossible for me not to be in your head. So I’ll repeat and use an example this time. Sandrine, we both have been watching for six years that girl trying to land the golden goose. You landed yours. No matter how bumpy the ride gets, listen to your Auntie Vivica, hold the fuck on.”

My back straightened. “Knight’s not a golden goose.”

She leaned in and her face was serious. So serious, I held my breath.

“He is. He absolutely, one hundred percent is… the… golden… goose. And that’s dresses, phones, shit-hot apartments, Aston Martins and a beautiful man who only has eyes for you and makes the world melt away when you two are together even if that together lasts five minutes. There are very few women who meet men like that in their lifetime because there are very few men like that alive. And there are fewer women still who recognize it, take care of it and move heaven and earth to keep it. Now, listen to me. Hold. The. Fuck. On.”

“Okay, Auntie Vivica,” I whispered.

She leaned back, grinned and ordered, “You waver, you call me.”

I sucked in breath.

Then I agreed, “Okay.”

Her eyes dropped to my hand then back to me.

“San Pellegrino?” she asked.

“Knight doesn’t want me drunk,” I answered.

She grinned again. It was slower. It was knowing. And her eyes got warm.

“You do the nasty, you also call me.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t care if he makes you sign a contract and sues your ass for telling me. I wanna know how that man is in bed.”

“How about this,” I started to suggest, “we set up a scoring system right now and that way I can just give you a number, it says it all and I avoid being sued.”

“One, he’s shit, not worth discussing and you’re dumping his ass but keeping the phone, shoes, bags, dresses and etc.” She said instantly and went on, “Two, he’s shit but not such bad shit it’s worth losing the apartment, the ride and the VIP section. Three, he’s still shit but there were moments. Four, he’s somewhat shit but only because you think it’s new and worth another go and it’ll get better. Five, average and workable. Six, slightly above average and promising. Seven, he got you off in a happy way but there’s room for improvement. Eight, all good and possibility of getting better. Nine, he rocked your world. Ten, he created all new ones and you never wanna come up for air. Work for you?”

“I’m not sure I’ll remember that.”

“Well, I will so don’t worry. I’ll give you a refresher when the time comes.”

She so would.

I burst out laughing.

Viv slid her arm around my waist, pulled me close and she burst out laughing too.

I slid mine around her waist and once I quit laughing, I took a sip of my San Pellegrino with lemon in it.

Then I turned my head, tipped it back the inch it had to go to catch my girl’s eyes, leaned close and whispered, “I so love you.”

“And I so love you too. And, babe, let me tell you, this guy is real, doesn’t play you and fulfills the promise everything about him shouts straight out, I will get on my knees and thank God. Because since you were born, you deserved great. And since you were seven years old, you got shit and then worked your ass off for every little scrap of good you could earn. And if he’s the sun finally on your horizon, I’m naming my first boy after him. Which, admittedly, is not a hardship since his name is badass and not Herbert. But, still.”

I smiled into her tawny eyes.

She smiled into my gray ones.

Then she sucked back martini.

I sucked back water.

Then I asked, “Wanna dance?”

To which Vivica answered, “Absolutely.”

Then we set our drinks aside and hit the dance floor.

Fifteen minutes later, on the dance floor I felt a hand on the small of my back that didn’t move.

I twisted my neck and blinked at Hulk.

He leaned in and shouted in my ear, “Knight wants you off the dance floor.”

I couldn’t have possibly heard him right.

So I leaned into him, still swaying to the music and shouted back, “What?”

He kept his mouth to my ear, hand to the small of my back and repeated, “Woman, Knight wants you off the dance floor.”

I pulled back, caught his eyes and asked, “Off?”

He nodded. “Yup.”

“The dance floor?”

Another nod. “Yup.”

What on earth?

“Why?” I asked.

“I don’t question, I just do. And Knight wants you off the dance floor.”

I leaned into him and shouted, “What if I don’t go?”

“Then I carry you to his office, lock you in, tell him you declined and leave you to explain to him why you did.”

Oh God.

I looked up toward the window to Knight’s office.

I didn’t know what to do. I liked to dance. I didn’t like to be told I couldn’t. Not at all. But this was his party and he’d paid for it in a lot of ways which was something at that moment I did not like.

Crap.

I looked at Hulk.

He’d carry me to Knight’s office. Totally.

Crap!

I turned to Vivica who was moving but watching and I put my hands to my mouth.

“Gonna go back to the section,” I shouted.

Her eyes shifted from me to Hulk to me.

Then her hands went to her mouth and she shouted back, “Like I said. Hold the fuck on.”

Then she swayed away and started to bust a move which was also Viv’s way. She could dance alone and get into it and she didn’t even have to be tipsy.

Hulk escorted me to the VIP section.

I went back to my San Pellegrino and looked up to Knight’s window. I also took several deep breaths.

Right, okay.

Talk to him. Ask what gives. Listen.

Then decide.

A couple of my friends wandered over to me and I went back to having a different kind of fun that didn’t involve booze or dancing.

The club was emptying out and I was standing at Knight’s window watching it.

Hulk had escorted me up to Knight’s empty office before he had escorted a shitfaced Sandrine and not-shitfaced but definitely happy Vivica out the back way to the waiting car so he could take them home.

My friends were all gone, it was after three in the morning and my night with Knight was finally starting.

As I watched out his window, even though the lights were up, the music was off, stragglers were gathering their stuff and moseying out and the staff was beginning clean up, I was fascinated. And since I’d been standing there for the last half an hour before the lights went up and the music was off, I’d been fascinated a while. In fact, there was so much happening, so much to see, so many people and it was so easy to see it all from this vantage point, I figured I could watch it for hours and never get bored.

The one thing that bothered me was that you could see everything. Absolutely everything. And if you were a handsome, wealthy club owner who could pick and choose, you could stand there and select from your smorgasbord of pussy.

You could also see your new girlfriend dancing and send your lackey to make her stop on a whim.

On this thought, the door opened. I twisted my neck and watched Knight walk in.

It really kind of sucked that he looked just as good in a suit as he did in a faded Metallica t-shirt and jeans. And it sucked because I couldn’t decide which Knight I liked better.

“Hey, baby,” he said while closing the door behind him.

“I like to dance,” I blurted and his head tipped to the side.

He held my eyes and he did this for some time while I waited.

Then he said, “Right, it’s time to talk about this anyway.”

Then he walked to his desk.

I watched thinking, Talk about what?

He sat behind his desk and ordered, “Come here, Anya.”

I turned from the window, walked to his desk and stopped at the opposite side but remained standing.

Leaned back in his chair looking up at me, he stated quietly, “Baby, I said, come here.”

“I’m here,” I replied.

“You’re there,” he returned with a tip of his head to me then he gestured to his lap with a hand. “I want you here.”

Oh boy.

I pressed my lips together. Then I moved around his desk.

When I was within reaching distance, he reached. Hooking his arm around my waist, slowly and gently, he guided me in, turned me then pulled me into his lap so I had my legs over one arm of chair, my back resting against the other, my behind in his lap and both his arms around me.

“Okay, Anya, babe, before I take you home to my bed, it’s important you get me,” he said quietly.

I stared at him and when he didn’t go on, I nodded.

“I think you get from the times you’ve been with me that I like control,” he went on.

Well, I got that all right.

I nodded again.

“Right.” His arms gave me a squeeze then one hand slid lightly up my arm causing goose bumps the entire way until it went over my shoulder and finally stopped at my neck where he curled his fingers around. Then he dipped his face close to mine. “What you need to get is I… like… control. In all things.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“So, I tell my woman not to drink, she doesn’t drink. I tell her not to dance, she doesn’t dance. I do these for my own reasons and you comply. You don’t, you answer to me. You put one of my boys out, you again answer to me. And, baby, you don’t want to answer to me.”

Right, okay.

This I did not like.

“Knight –”

His hand at my neck clenched gently and his face dipped closer. “I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt you. Not the way you’re thinking. But I would make you pay and how you’d pay might involve pain.”

Oh my God.

“What?” I breathed.

“An example, you got this, you knew it before now, you told Kurt you were gonna dance anyway, right now you’d be over my knees a different way. Do you get me?”

Oh. My. God!

My body went still.

Knight pulled it closer. “The punishment will fit the crime, Anya. Not lasting, no marks and it won’t go on for hours. And after, always, I’ll take care of you. Tonight, you look good, that dress looks good on you and men’s eyes were on you. I didn’t like that. In your section, they can look, they can see, they cannot get close. On the dance floor, they see more, you movin’ the way you do when you dance, you give them more to see and they can get close. You’re mine. No one touches what’s mine, gets close to what’s mine, they don’t even think about it. You on that dance floor, I saw them watching you and I knew they were thinking about it. That bothered me. I stopped it. If you don’t get it now, you will that I won’t ask you to do something you don’t like or that makes you uncomfortable. I’ll only ask you to do shit or not do shit that’s important to me. If I’m important to you, you’ll do it. And all this is the same when we’re in bed.”

I didn’t say anything, couldn’t think of what to say. I just stared at him.

Knight kept talking.

“You please me, I’ll please you. You do what I tell you to do, I’ll take care of you. You disobey me or act out, I’ll punish you then I’ll take care of you.” His thumb swept my jaw and he whispered, “And if you like your punishments, act out all you want, baby, then I’ll give them to you but I’ll always take care of you.”

Was he crazy?

Or just kinky?

“Are you into S&M?” I whispered.

He moved back an inch. “What I’m not into is labels. What I am into is control. You do not drive my ride. You do not get drunk when I want to fuck you sober. You do not dance if I tell you not to. I am not into kink, animals, candle wax, toys, knives, blood, needles, clamps, strangulation and definitely not any shit that goes beyond all that. It’s not a chosen lifestyle, playrooms and gear. It’s not an inclination. It’s life. I told you I’d ask very little of you, baby and this is what I’m asking. That you get this about me, you give it to me and if you fuck up, you take your punishment and we move on. You like it, wanna make it a game, you’ll get my limits, you’ll understand how I hand out punishment, you’ll know what you’re buying. You buy it, I give it to you. I don’t need it but I like it and if you want that game, I’ll say, straight up, I’ll be happy to play it.”

“And what if I don’t want that game?” I asked hesitantly.

“That would be disappointing,” he answered unhesitantly.

I studied him, my heart beating wildly and I whispered, “Is this what dresses, shoes and cell phones buys you?”

I froze solid at the change in his face and the fury in his eyes as he whispered back, “That, Anya, you confirmed you got me, would right now have your ass bared to me.”

Oh God.

I pushed away.

His arm and hand got tighter.

I stopped pushing and breathed deep.

“You stick by me,” he ground out, “you, and only you, will learn why I am how I am. No one knows. No one. But you, Anya, you stick with me, I’ll share. And right now, bonus. I’ll tell you what you already know but you don’t understand. I like control and I have a temper. I see the world a certain way. I want my world a certain way. And I set about getting it. If I don’t, if I can’t control that, harness it, things can get ugly. So I do. When I do, say when I’m punishing you, I never lose control because what I’m doing is a release. And the only time I’ll lose control is when I’m finally inside you and you’ll like that, I promise you.”

God, now he was turning me on, putting me off and making me curious all at the same time!

He drew in breath and the anger slid out of his eyes.

Then his thumb glided over my jaw, his hand shifted up to cup it and then his thumb slid across my cheek and then my lips as his eyes held mine and he whispered, “I can do gentle. I can do normal. I can and will do you a lot of ways, baby. And you got a preference, all you gotta do is ask and if I’m in the mood, I’ll give it to you. But you’re in my bed, my home, my ride, my club, you gotta get that I’m the man, yield to that and trust that I’ll always take care of you.”

Do me a lot of ways?

I sought clarification.

“Are you into, like, um… tying me up?” I asked.

“Bondage? Restraints? Gags?” he asked back.

I nodded.

He answered, “Absolutely.”

Wow.

That just turned me on and made me curious.

Crap.

“This is…” I paused, “a little,” I searched for a word, “unusual.”

One side of his mouth curled up. “Yeah. It’s also me.”

“Can I be me?” I asked and his brows drew together.

“What?”

“If I’m, um… yielding to you, I don’t know if… I mean, can I be me?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“How?”

“You’ll get the boundaries.”

“Without any explanation?”

“Babe, I bought you that phone because you needed one. I bought you those dresses because the way you dress, I know you like clothes but can’t afford the good shit, so I got you the good shit you’d like that would make you happy. I did not do any of that shit to buy anything from you. And me doin’ something nice and you implying I’m buyin’ you was not cool. So that, that would get punishment in a way you’d have trouble sittin’ down for a couple of days. I told you I drive my ride when you’re in it. You kept pushin’ that, knowin’ I laid that out, that would get you punishment. I already explained the dance floor. Are you not seein’ the pattern of boundaries here?”

“But I like to dance,” I whispered.

“Then put on music at my place and dance all the fuck you want. Have a party and ask all your friends over and dance. Go out with your girls not at my club and dance. But you’re in your section in my club, you don’t dance.”

This didn’t seem that bad.

“So you don’t mind guys looking and getting close at other clubs?”

“Babe, they might look but they won’t get close. I told you go out and dance with your girls at another club but that doesn’t mean I won’t put a man on you. I will and I’ll do that for three reasons. One, not only you but both your girls are beautiful and I already explained the recipe for disaster you are on your own. The three of you is a triple threat and makes me all kinds of uneasy. It’s a miracle your girl’s scene with Nick was the first you three had. You need a man on you and you do the town not in your section at my club, you got one. Two, I don’t want some asshole touching you or getting near you, you. And I got a man on you, that won’t happen. And three, he’s your ride, no taxi fares, you can all get hammered and still get home safe.”

Seriously, how could one man be so awesome and so crazy all at the same time?

“I think I need to think about this, Knight,” I said quietly.

“Then do it but don’t think you’re fuckin’ doin’ it alone in your bed. I’ve waited a week for your body to be under mine between my sheets and I’m not waiting any longer.”

“I’m not sure –” I started.

“You don’t want me to fuck you tonight, I’ll wait until the morning when you’ve slept on it and you agree. But as you’re sleepin’ on it, you’ll be doin’ it beside me.”

I blinked.

Then I stiffened.

Then I snapped, “Seriously?”

He leaned in, grinning.

Grinning!

“Anya, babe, clue the fuck in. The first time I met you and onward, I have been the man I explained tonight. And you have held on, followed me, come to me, kissed me and didn’t want to let me go. Tonight, I said no booze. You said okay. Tonight, I sent Kurt to get you off the dance floor. I watched, babe, and you left the fuckin’ dance floor. Not ten fuckin’ minutes ago, I told you to come here, you didn’t get close enough, I made it clear I wanted your ass in my lap. And babe, right now, without a word of protest, you are sittin’ with your sweet ass in my lap. I get this shit is intense because I’m intense, that’s the whole fuckin’ deal. I get it’ll take you a while to get used to it. But you want it. Fuck, you even like it. You just don’t understand it yet. But you will.”

Knight Sebring had scared me often. He’d confused me maybe more. He’d totally freaked me out. He’d also been very sweet. And now he was being all of them. Except maybe the sweet part but kind of that too, since he was being open with me, laying it out honestly and taking the time to explain. Though he did think the end was a foregone conclusion, his arrogance didn’t come as a surprise since he’d been that way before. Further, I couldn’t blame him for that because what he said was absolutely right.

I wanted to know his secrets. I wanted just to know more about him. I liked spending time with him.

But he still freaked me out.

“What’s workin’ in that head of yours?” he asked softly and I realized I’d gone unfocused so I focused on him.

“You scare me, confuse me, freak me out and you’re also sweet so I don’t know what to do with you.”

He was honest, I could be too.

“Okay, babe,” he whispered, his thumb gliding back across my lips, my cheek then his fingers clenched gently into my jaw as he went on, “another bonus. You take me how I am, I take the burden of you having to wonder all the time what to do.”

There it was. Confusion again.

“Pardon?” I whispered back.

“You’ve carried a heavy load for a long fuckin’ time, Anya. You trust me, I take that burden. Don’t look into this shit, ask around and make assumptions. You are not wearin’ that dress because I’m what’s considered a classic Dominant. You dress yourself. You eat what you want. You live your life. But you trust me, you keep lettin’ me in, I share your load. And you give me you, we work out, in it for the long haul, I swear, baby, I’ll be happy to take it all and let you live free.”

And there it was. Sweet.

My tension ebbed away as my belly melted and I whispered, “Knight –”

“Anya, baby, I wanna take you home but I still got shit to do. And I want you to sit right where you are while I do it. Then I’ll take you home. Then I’ll take you to bed. Then you’ll sleep with me. We’re done talking. I laid it out. You get me. I’m givin’ you time. Tomorrow, you decide.”

I licked my lips.

Knight’s thumb stroked my cheek.

Then, it wasn’t lost on me all it said about me, about him, about how I was with him already, when I whispered, “Okay.”

One side of his lips curved up and I knew it wasn’t lost on him either.

Then he sat back, pulled his phone out of his inside jacket pocket and hit some buttons.

And like I agreed, I sat in his lap while he did the shit he had to do.