"Lily-"
She edged toward her car. "No. I've given this some long, hard thought over the past few days. I'm decided. I'm sorry it didn't work out. I'm happy to give testimonials or references if you ever need them. "
"I don't need a termination fee from you and I don't need a damn reference. I need you to be safe."
"That break-in was some kind of a fluke. There hasn't been anything at all suspicious since then."
"Wrong," he ground out, gesturing between them. "There's something suspicious going on right here, between you and me. The last time I saw you, you were practically purring under my hand. What's changed?"
Her mouth fell open. "Are you serious? What's changed? History, for one thing. Your version is so far from what really happened that it's practically Tolkein. But here, let me refresh your memory. It was a dark and balmy night and you were sitting behind the wheel while I was hugging the door waiting for my chance to jump out of the car. Then you turned on that purry-alpha-growly thing you have and exuded masculine scent all over me, to which I distinctly replied 'back off'-what? What the hell is so funny?"
Jude braced his hands on his hips and threw back his head, chuckling. "What's so funny? Oh, sweetheart. I would be more than happy to talk fantasies with you. You just tell me when."
She answered by snarling, slamming her car door and grinding the ignition in her haste to leave him behind. Damn, but the woman was sexy. He couldn't walk away and leave her now whether his enemies knew about her or not. She was already so deep in his blood, he'd be useless for anything except wanting her. No, if she was going to be his weakness, better to have her in his bed than out of it.
9
A few days after the parking lot incident with Jude, Lily finally got word that her application to the Jungle had been approved. It took a week to go through the final steps of the joining process but once she was in, she wasted no time setting up her first visit.
Whoever gave the Jungle its name wasn't making some sly reference to mankind's animal appetites. Exotic trees grew strong and straight, their leaves forming a lush green canopy overhead. Lily smoothed her hands down her sides and over her hips, grounding herself in the familiar sensations of leather and lace.
Despite the comforting textures beneath her palms, she couldn't seem to calm the anxiety that had plagued her over the past several days. The tribal dance music pumping from the sound system didn't help matters. While she was no stranger to the kink club scene, her last experience had been a sour one, and the anticipation of plunging back into that darkly sexual world had tied her up in knots. She couldn't decide whether her anxiety stemmed from anticipation or trepidation. Maybe a little of both.
Plus, there was the matter of Jude-and whether or not she'd encounter him at the club. Whether or not she wanted to. Practically speaking, no, she didn't, but her body didn't want much of anything practical.
Odds were they wouldn't cross paths, but her skin flushed all over again as she imagined him prowling out of the thick foliage, his lion's tail swishing with the beat of the tribal music pumping from the sound system.
At the image, her inner thighs trembled and her knees went weak. Heat rushed her core, slicking the thong she'd slipped on beneath her skinniest black skirt. Inhaling deeply, she pressed her legs together. She'd convinced herself to give up on the possibility of playing with Jude, so why had her mind gone right back to him?
Maybe because it isn't play I want with him.
Her chest squeezed and the tremor migrated down to her knees as the unexpected thought kicked up a surge of panic. No. The only reason her thoughts were on a loop that kept going back to him was that she kept denying herself something she wanted, which was the play, not the man. After tonight, she wouldn't be so obsessed with him.
Still, his reappearance in her mind was frustrating. She thought she'd chased him out, but something had opened the door again. It must be the environment, the jungle atmosphere thick with sexual humidity and thrumming with tribal music. It reminded her of lions, and she'd probably never again think of the big cats without conjuring an image of Jude.
The Jungle had her on edge, too, so of course she was vulnerable to intrusive thoughts. She wasn't a stranger to night clubs, kink or otherwise, but she was used to dark, sensual décor and music chosen to intimidate the submissive participants while energizing the dominant players. Black leather and blacker velvet were de rigueur. But this … this was so different, she felt out of sorts, off guard, and really out of place.