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  over his statement.

  “How?” she asked. “I thought you said . . .”

  “I said you couldn’t come today. Look at the time.” He knew what she would find when she looked. Fifteen minutes until one. “It’s tomorrow.”

  She turned around, as if to judge by his eyes if he was lying or not. “Does this mean . . . ?”

  She didn’t finish her question, but he answered it for her anyway. “Yes, this means I’m going to do what I wanted to do before.”

  “You’re going to . . . ?”

  He found it just a little humorous that she couldn’t complete her sentences. “Yes. Now spread those thighs so I can taste that sweet pussy.”

  * * *

  The following Monday, Meagan asked for Abby to come in to work. She didn’t come every Monday, because of the drive, probably only once or twice a month. To be honest, Meagan didn’t think she would tell Abby everything, but perhaps talking to her friend would help clear her mind.

  “Knock, knock,” Abby said, standing in the doorway.

  Meagan looked up and couldn’t help but smile at her vivacious friend. Abby always had that air about her: friendly, open, down-to-earth. Just someone you felt like you could talk to. “Hey, girl, come on in, and close the door if you don’t mind.”

  Abby must have picked up on her unease because her normal jovial face showed just a hint of a frown as she closed the door behind her. “What’s up?” she asked as she sat down.

  Meagan dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her scalp with her fingernails. “I don’t know, Abby. I just don’t know.”

  “This sounds serious. Did something happen with you and Luke after you left the shower?”

  Did something happen after she left the shower with Luke? She forced herself to swallow the chuckle that threatened to burst out of her throat. Yes, she wanted to say, something had most definitely happened between her and Luke after they left the shower. But Meagan wasn’t about to tell her that Luke had her bent over his bed while he spanked her. Nor was she going to tell her how he took her twice in the middle of the night.

  “Have you ever kept anything from Nathaniel?” Meagan asked.

  Abby shook her head. “I do not like the way this is going.”

  “I know. I don’t either. I’ve just got myself in a mess.” Meagan drummed her fingers on her desk. “Though perhaps mess is a bit of an understatement.”

  After she made it back to her place from Luke’s, she found she had an e-mail waiting from The Taskmaster.

  I don’t know why you think you have any say about when this is over. You don’t have a say in anything. So I’m going to be nice and pretend like I didn’t get your last e-mail.

  Now, that photographer of yours took some risqué shots of an actress not long ago. I want those pictures. And you’re going to get them for me, know why?

  Because I can break every bone in your body one by one and do it in such a way, you’ll be begging for mercy. But I won’t give you any.

  You have two weeks.

  Even now, days removed, she shivered, remembering the e-mail.

  “I don’t even know if I want to ask what’s going on,” Abby said.

  “Let me alleviate some of that worry,” Meagan said. “I won’t give you details.”

  Abby sat back in her chair, crossed her arms, and for several long seconds, she studied Meagan. “Does this have anything to do with the e-mail I got with a picture of you? Because now that I’m thinking about it, things started to get a little strange with you and Luke right after that.”

  Meagan didn’t want to lie to her friend, but she didn’t see how she could tell the whole truth either. “Yes and no.”

  “Did Luke have something to do with the naked picture?”

  Meagan could see the wheels turning in Abby’s head. She knew her friend. If Abby thought Luke had done something to harm her, she wouldn’t stop until he made amends. And she couldn’t have her friend thinking poorly of Luke. “Oh no. It’s not like that. Luke had nothing to do with sending the naked picture.”

  Abby still had one eyebrow raised. Obviously, Meagan had not been sincere enough in her reply. “Believe me, Abby. It is not Luke. He is innocent in all this.”

  “And what exactly is ‘all this’?”

  “I can’t tell you everything,” Meagan started and then hesitated. How much did she want Abby to know? Abby would keep her secret; she knew that. She sighed and rubbed her head again.

  “You know you’re going to start losing hair if you keep doing that?”

  “Okay, here it is. My brother got into some trouble a long time ago, but no one knew except me. Or at least I thought.” She looked up at Abby. “And now, it seems as if somebody did know. And if word got out, it would hurt my brother and me, and tarnish the reputation of my dad. I promised him on his deathbed I wouldn’t let that happen.”

  Abby was silent for several minutes. Meagan could see her processing the information she had just been given. She was a smart woman, who would sort the pieces out, and put them back together.

  “A naked picture of you. Someone knows something they shouldn’t know. And someone doesn’t want that information to get out.” Understanding dawned in Abby’s eyes and she leaned forward. “Are you seriously telling me that you’re being blackmailed?”

  It was the first time Meagan had heard the words said out loud and she shivered.

  “You don’t even have to confirm it,” Abby said. “I can see it on your face. I’m guessing you haven’t told the police, or else you wouldn’t be talking to me about it. What I don’t understand is how Luke is involved.”

  “Luke has information. Or in this case, pictures.”

  Part of Meagan couldn’t believe she was actually admitting everything, especially to Abby. But she had to tell somebody something or else she’d go crazy.

  “You have to tell the police.”

  In all honesty, Meagan could not have anticipated Abby saying anything else. Perhaps that was why she felt comfortable talking to her about it. Of course, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell she would go to the police. She just needed to share her burden with somebody. However unfair it was to give that burden to Abby without her consent.

  In her heart, Meagan knew she was a selfish, deceitful woman. She had once promised she would never hurt Abby again, and here she was giving her information that would worry her.

  “I am a rotten, awful friend.” Meagan didn’t deserve a friend like Abby. And she most certainly didn’t deserve Luke. “I just don’t know what to do.”

  “Have you talked to your brother?”

  “Do you have any siblings?”

  “No, I’m an only.”

  “Well, I might as well be. My brother is an ass. No, scratch that—ass is too nice of a word for him.” Damn that promise to her dad.

  “Really?”

  “Put it this way: I saw him not long ago, went by his apartment. Now you have to understand, he isn’t working a real job, and he’s mooching off his roommate. So when I wouldn’t give him money, his roommate suggested I work off his debt.”

  Abby’s horrified expression confirmed she understood. “Are you serious? And you’re going through all this turmoil to protect him?”

  “Crazy, isn’t it?” Meagan took a picture from her desk drawer. It had been taken when she and her brother were children. “I still see him like this in my mind. We were young. There was so much promise in him.”

  “But he’s an adult now. You are, too.”

  “My dad . . .” She blinked the tears out of her eyes. “He died protecting Jake. If I let this Taskmaster guy tell what he knows, it’s like he died for nothing. And I can’t stand that.”

  Abby just nodded and squeezed her hand. “I know,” she whispered.

  Chapter Ten

  Days after that conversation with Abby, Meagan still didn’t know what to do, but she was down to a week before her deadline was up, so she needed to decide soon. Should she go to the police?
Should she talk to her brother first? But as soon as that question popped into her head, she immediately dismissed it. No, she wasn’t going to talk to her brother about anything.

  Maybe she should bring it up with Luke. After all, he had the information The Taskmaster wanted. But just as quickly as she had dismissed talking to her brother, she also dismissed talking to Luke. Because she knew if she talked to Luke, he would think the only reason she did anything with him was because of The Taskmaster. And while that may have been the case in the beginning, it was far from the truth now.

  Maybe . . . Maybe she would tell The Taskmaster that Luke had moved his pictures or that he had deleted them. What if she did that? He couldn’t very well retaliate if there wasn’t anything to give him, right?

  She pulled up to Luke’s house Friday night still undecided about what she was going to do. She knocked on the door and, while she waited for him to open it, decided not to think about it for the next few hours. Tonight was just her and Luke. They weren’t even going to take pictures. Luke had called her earlier in the week and asked her to come over for dinner.

  “Just you and me,” he’d said. “Dinner and whatever else we want to do. We can worry about the pictures later.”

  Meagan knew they had just about finished the shoot for the book anyway. She thought they might have one or two more sessions to do. The one thing she knew, however, was that she didn’t want to stop seeing Luke when they finished. And she had a feeling Luke felt the same.

  So there was no way she would mess that up by admitting her initial contact with him was because of The Taskmaster.

  “Meagan, sweetheart,” Luke said, as he opened the door. He reached over and kissed her cheek softly. “Come on in. How are you?”

  “Better now,” she said. Which was the truth. Why did everything always seem much better when she was with him?

  He gave her a big smile and held out his hand. “You look fabulous tonight.”

  Her heart fluttered at his words. The truth was she had spent an inordinate amount of time in her closet trying to decide what to wear tonight. She had finally decided on a simple off-white sheath dress. She took a second to look him up and down. He had on khaki pants and a light blue polo shirt. “You don’t look too bad yourself, handsome.”

  “Made your favorite,” he said, leading her inside to the kitchen.

  “And how do you know my favorite?” she teased.

  “Every time we go out, you always order the same thing. Salmon. So I decided that tonight I would cook you my version of salmon. It’s one of the two things I cook.”

  She had no idea she always ordered the same thing. Though, looking back, she did always seem to order salmon. “I like fish. And it’s good for you, too.”

  “Agreed.”

  They stepped inside the kitchen and she was surprised to see the table was not set. Luke noticed her confusion.

  “I thought we’d change things up a little bit tonight. Eat in the dining room.”

  The dining room? That sounded . . . formal. He led her through the kitchen and into the connecting room. He had certainly been busy this afternoon. Lit candles were everywhere and the table was set with fine china.

  “China?” She ran a finger along the gold edging of a plate.

  “It was my mother’s,” he said. “And I never use it, so I thought why not use it tonight?”

  Why indeed? Was it because this was one of their few dates that didn’t involve taking pictures before or after?

  “I didn’t mean for it to freak you out.” Luke seemed to misinterpret her silence.

  “I’m not freaked-out, just surprised.” She sat down in the offered seat. “I’ve just never known a bachelor to have such fine china.”

  “True. But I’m not your average bachelor.”

  That was an understatement. “So you made salmon?”

  “Yes, and it’ll be ready in about two minutes.”

  True to his word, five minutes later he set a delicious-looking plate of salmon and vegetables in front of her. She eyed everything. “This looks delicious.”

  “Thank you. Let’s hope it tastes as good as it looks.”

  She nodded, but she couldn’t imagine something that smelled so divine not tasting good. Luke poured them both some wine, and she almost giggled when she noted the label. It was the same red that Abby liked.

  But all her giggles faded away as soon as she took her first bite. “Oh, wow,” she said as soon as she swallowed. “You missed your calling. You should be a chef.”

  “Nah, I don’t enjoy cooking that much.”

  “Shame.” And that was all she said because she was much more interested in eating than discussing why Luke would never be a professional chef.

  Their conversation started out light and easy, but midway through dinner, Luke grew serious.

  “I’ll admit,” he said, “there was something I wanted to bring up tonight.”

  She waited. Was it possible he knew she was being blackmailed? Had Abby told him?

  “Don’t look so scared,” he said. “I think, well, I hope, that you’ll like what I’m thinking.”

  She could have kicked herself for being so easy to read. “Do tell.”

  “The short of it is, I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you over the last few weeks. I know our time is almost up on the book. I believe we can wrap it up in one more shoot. But I don’t want that to be the end of us. I’d like to keep seeing you.” He spoke quickly, but sincerely, almost as if he wasn’t as sure as he seemed of her response. She found it delightfully endearing.

  And beyond her wildest dreams.

  He enjoyed spending time with her. He wanted to spend more time with her. It was the exact same thing she wanted and yet the very thing she was also afraid of. Afraid because she wasn’t sure how she would keep the blackmail issue away from him.

  But she didn’t have to think too long before answering. “I would like that, too.”

  His face broke into a grin. Lord, he looked so handsome when he smiled. It made her smile in return. He reached out and took her hand from where it rested on the table.

  “Thank you. Thank you for giving us a second chance,” he said.

  “How could I not? You’ve always been the one my heart’s wanted.” It had been a hard admission to herself and even harder to voice aloud to him. But he deserved the truth; they both deserved the truth.

  “Meagan.” He spoke her name reverently while still stroking her hand. For several long seconds they simply enjoyed the silence, their hands touching, the warmth that surrounded them, and the possibilities that lay before them.

  Finally Luke broke the silence. “Will you stay the night?”

  She didn’t have to think about her answer. “Yes.”

  He dropped her hand long enough to walk over behind her chair and pull it out; then he reached down again and took her hand. “I want you.”

  “Yes,” she repeated, wanting the same.

  He pulled her close into his arms and, pressing his nose against her hair, whispered into her ear, “I’m going to keep you up all night. I’m going to explore every inch of your body. And when you think I’m finished, I’m going to do it all again.”

  She ran her nails down his back, enjoying the way he moaned in pleasure. “Then I’m going to explore your body. Every inch.” She shifted her hands to the front of his body and gently cupped him. “Every. Last. Inch.”

  “Damn, woman, I’m not sure I have the strength for all of that.”

  She lightly squeezed his erection through his pants. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

  He hissed as her grip got tighter. “I’m sure I will.”

  “Maybe.” She started undoing his pants. “Maybe I’ll start in here. Tell me. Has anyone ever sucked you off in your dining room?”

  “No. Are you going to be the first?”

  “Are you going to let me? Or does that go against some Dom rule?”