I groan.
“Do you find that distasteful?”
“Not in the way you’re thinking. Your father is very attractive. It’s just not…me.”
“So you weren’t working for Addie for the contacts?”
“I was working for Addie to make a living. The contacts were a nice fringe benefit. You’d better not be suggesting what I think you are. Besides, Addie is definitely not my type.” I can’t help a sarcastic chuckle.
“I’m not suggesting that at all. I know you wouldn’t sleep your way to the top. But everyone takes advantage of opportunities.”
“Are you actually defending what she’s doing? I’m sorry, but in my mind, there’s a difference between taking advantage of an opportunity and fucking someone to get somewhere.”
“What’s the difference? Aren’t they both taking advantage of an opportunity?”
“One is good business, Braden, and the other is close to prostitution.”
“And…”
“And…what?”
“Do you find prostitution distasteful?”
“I find prostitution illegal.”
But he raises a good point. What Kathy’s doing is not illegal. She’s taking advantage of an opportunity, and Bobby’s letting her.
I sigh. “You’re right. As long as she and your father are good with the situation, who am I to judge?”
He laughs and squeezes my hand. “You’re exactly right.”
His laughter thrills me, of course.
“You knew I’d agree, didn’t you?”
“When you thought about it logically, yes, I knew you’d agree.”
“Then why did you push me?”
“Because you’re so adorably indignant.”
“Since you’re so fond of my indignation, why did you leave me alone with your brother and Kathy?”
“You held your own.”
“Of course I held my own. Still, it was pretty uncool of you to leave me with two people I’d just met.”
“I had something to discuss with my father that couldn’t wait.”
“Of course you did. You were giving him shit about bringing his current fuck to dinner.”
“Actually, no, I wasn’t. I was talking to him about an investment.”
“And it couldn’t wait?”
“No, it couldn’t, because it was fake.”
“Why would you drag your father away from his dinner party to—”
His lips curve upward slightly.
“You were baiting her.”
“I knew you’d figure it out.”
“Why? As you say, your father’s a grown man, and he can take care of himself.”
“I agree. If he wants to spend his money on some young woman who’s only interested in one thing, that’s his prerogative.”
“Then why drop information?”
“Because this is my company, Skye. I love my father, and he does a good job, but sometimes he thinks with the wrong head.”
“You don’t really believe he’d give up trade secrets or anything, do you?”
“Not when he’s in his right mind, no.”
I giggle. “In other words, not when he’s thinking with the right head.”
“Bingo.”
I smile and cover his hand with mine. “Tell me, Braden. Which head are you thinking with right now?”
He sears me with his gaze, saying nothing.
And I know.
Braden Black only thinks with one head, no matter what, and it’s always the right one.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I’m in Braden’s bedroom, naked and lying supine on his bed. I’m bound as I was last time, with leather restraints on my wrists, my arms in a Y above my head. He doesn’t bind my ankles.
I’m both relieved and disappointed.
“Close your eyes,” he says softly.
I obey, and the cool silk blindfold covers me.
“You won’t be seeing things tonight, Skye.”
I nod.
“Tonight I want you to concentrate on what you hear. Pay close attention to the sounds in the room.”
“How?”
“The same way you paid attention to the sights last time.”
“But there’s so much to see,” I say. “There’s nothing to hear during sex.”
“You’re wrong,” he says, “and tonight, I’ll prove that to you.”
“The feeling of what you do to me overshadows everything else. I could suppress it by watching the visual, but for sound? I don’t know if I can.”
“You can.”
I open my mouth, but he places two fingers over my lips.
“You’re done talking. Don’t speak unless I tell you to.”
Again I open my mouth but shut it abruptly. He wants me to concentrate on what I hear, but I can’t speak? What I say during lovemaking is a big part of the experience, isn’t it?
I stifle a giggle. Maybe it used to be, but Braden so seldom lets me talk.
Maybe he’ll play some music. I stifle another giggle. We were supposed to join the others for some jazz tonight, but Braden remembered he had an early meeting. I’m not sure the meeting exists, but I have no complaints.
I wait.
No music.
No kisses, no touch, no flicks of a flogger or anything else.
So I listen.
What I hear astounds me.
Braden’s breath. It’s rapid, and a low moan emanates from his throat. I’ve heard him moan many times before, but this is different. This is so low that I’m sure I’ve never heard it before.
“You’re beautiful,” he says. “So fucking beautiful, Skye.”
More words I’ve heard before. But when I concentrate only on their sound, in the husky timbre of Braden’s voice, they’re so much more evocative.
My skin tingles, and energy arrows between my legs.