reply. I’ve been in teleconferences most of the morning.” He made it into the foyer and immediately noticed the tension between Meagan and DeVaan. “I would introduce you, but it appears you might already know Meagan.”
Meagan smiled a little too sweetly. “Our paths crossed years ago,” she said, and I got the impression she wanted to speak before DeVaan did. “Isn’t that right, Luke?”
So that was his first name. Funny, he didn’t look like how I pictured a Luke. He was quite handsome with blue eyes that always seemed as if they were in on a secret. At Meagan’s question, his voice took on the soft, seductive tone I remembered from when we’d meet in Delaware.
“If that’s what you want to call it, sweetheart,” he said, and Meagan flinched.
Oh yes, there was something there. In the few short moments since I opened the door, Luke had gone from average ordinary man to a hunter and it was crystal clear to everyone that Meagan was his prey.
Nathaniel cleared his throat. “Your text said you had Abby’s portrait?”
Luke held up the package in his right hand. “Yes, would you like to see?”
Nathaniel looked over at me. He hadn’t told me which picture he’d selected from the photography session he’d arranged not too long ago. “Why don’t you follow me?” he said, and the two men went down the hall. Luke didn’t turn back.
“And with that, I’m out of here,” Meagan said.
Of course, I had two thousand questions I wanted to ask her, but she clearly didn’t want to talk, so I only nodded.
I held the door open for her while she rummaged in her purse for her keys. “Damn it,” she said, digging in her pockets. “I think I left them in the library.”
“I can go get them,” I said. “If you want to wait here.”
“I’ll go with you.”
I thought the two guys would be in the office, so I was surprised to find it empty when we walked past. That meant they were probably in the library, because I doubted Nathaniel took him upstairs to the playroom.
And in fact, the two men were standing by the very chairs we’d recently vacated. I glanced at Meagan, prepared to offer to go get her keys by myself. But she pushed her shoulders back and held her head high, and I knew she was going to follow me inside.
She didn’t follow me, though. She walked right past me, into the library, and up to the two men. “I left my keys.”
Luke snorted. “Likely.”
Meagan glared at him. “Don’t even go getting a big head. I left them here before I knew it was you at the door.”
“I thought you might want to see me,” Luke said. “It’s been what? Two years?”
“You know where to find me. I’m at the club almost every weekend.”
Luke crossed his arms and leaned against the table at his side. “You still hang out at that dive?”
“It’s not that bad,” Meagan said. I really wanted to interrupt and say yes, it was that bad, but I wasn’t about to remind Meagan of the bad experience I’d had there the one time she took me.
“It’s horrible,” Luke said. “But not for long. I’ve put a bid in to buy it.”
Meagan almost dropped her keys again. “You what?”
“I’ve decided to diversify. Open up a new business venture. Someone needs to shake that place up.”
“I guess I’ll have to enjoy it while I can then, before you go and ruin it like you do everything else.” Meagan nodded toward me and Nathaniel. “See you two later. Luke, see you in another two years. Three, if I’m lucky.”
She took a step toward the library door, but Luke blocked her. “If all goes according to plan, the club will be under my management in two months. I’ll send you an invitation to the opening.”
“I’m busy that weekend.”
He smirked and then his voice dropped. “We’ll play it your way for now, sweetheart.”
She started to say something, but instead flipped her hair over her shoulder and marched out of the library. He watched her retreating figure and when she disappeared, he let out his breath in a long exhale before turning around.
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow at him. “That was interesting.”
Luke gave a half smile. “Meagan and I have a bit of unresolved business,” he said, turning back to the package, clearly signaling he didn’t want to discuss it any further. “Let’s get this portrait out. I want to see what you think.”
My heart pounded. I normally didn’t like pictures of myself, but I was really curious to see how this one had turned out. Master DeVaan was a real artist, which was why we had asked him to take my photograph. I remembered the photos he had in the back room of his gallery. They were subtly erotic and graceful.
He slid my framed photo out of the box, but all that was visible was the back. “I went ahead and framed it. Thought that would be easier for hanging.”
Yes, whatever. Just let me see it.
Luke smiled. “I have to say, I’m really pleased with the way this turned out.”
He slowly turned it around and I forgot how to breathe.
It was stunning.
I couldn’t believe what I saw. The image was so perfect, so beautiful, so … there weren’t words.
“I know it was only to be Abby’s portrait, but when I saw this proof, I just knew,” Luke said.
“I’ve never seen anything so exquisitely beautiful,” Nathaniel whispered. “The angle …”
The image of us was in black-and-white and somehow taken from above. It showed my back, my hair pulled to one side to showcase my collar, and the rope binding my arms behind me. That alone would have made a gorgeous picture, but the addition of Nathaniel was what set it apart.
His head rested in the middle of my lower back, and looking at the picture, I could almost feel his lips pressing against my skin. His hands were splayed across my shoulder blades, highlighting the rings he wore: his wedding band on his left, the ring I gave him to symbolize our D/s relationship on his right.
“I can’t stop looking at it,” I said.
“That’s the highest praise you could possibly give me,” Luke said.
“I love it,” Nathaniel said. “I never imagined it being so incredible.” He slipped an arm around my waist. “And thank you for asking us to pose. This is so much better than what I had imagined.”
“Too bad we have to leave it in the playroom. I’d love to show it off.”
“And shock all our family members?”
“Nah,” I joked. “Just a few of them.”
“You know,” Luke said, “if the bid I put in on the shady BDSM club goes through, I’ll need to redecorate. Would you be opposed to me using some of the other pictures from the session? I can ensure that your identity is protected.”
Nathaniel’s smile faded just a bit. “I’ll have to think about that.”
“Take your time. I’ll give you access to the file so you can see the other pictures.”
Even though we’d agreed the pictures would be for us alone, I kind of liked the idea of showing them off. After all, they were beautiful and Luke said there was no away to identify us from them. I looked forward to talking to Nathaniel about them.
Luke shook Nathaniel’s hand and nodded in my direction. “I need to be on my way. I’m so glad you like the picture. It was an honor to be invited into your playroom.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Nathaniel said.
While he did that, I stayed in the library, looking at the photograph. A few minutes later, Nathaniel came back into the room and slipped his arms around me from behind.
“I still can’t stop looking at it,” I said, leaning back into his embrace.
“It has a hypnotic power about it.”
“It’s so intense and yet tender at the same time.”
He swept my hair to the side, baring my neck. “Just like us?” he asked before dropping a kiss on the nape of my neck.
“Mmm, exactly.”
“What do you think of Luke putting some of our pictures up around
the club?”
His lips were still moving against my skin and it prickled in response. “I like the idea actually,” I said.