“You’re welcome, doll.” He pulled her in for one last bear hug. “Make sure you call me and let me know how it goes. And don’t be a stranger. I can get you discounts on all kinds of naughty stuff.”
She laughed. “It’s good to have friends in high places.”
“No doubt.”
Jace sank into his desk chair with a groan. He’d been looking forward to seeing Brynn again, but he hadn’t anticipated the raging hard-on she would inspire. The hopeful look on her face when she’d thought he might be able to go to The Ranch with her had sent him over the edge. God, he’d love to be the guy who got to experience the sweet submission he knew she was capable of. But he was under strict orders.
r: Roni Loren
He grinned. “That’s awesome. I always knew you’d do something great. You were the only one who took your job seriously when we were working for Reid’s uncle. The rest of us were just a bunch of slackers. I only lasted a few months before Roslyn told me I should explore other opportunities.”
She laughed. “Well, I didn’t have much choice. It was work hard or head back to ‘Would you like fries with that?’â??” She glanced around the posh office again. “Looks like you’re not slacking anymore. Although, I’m a little surprised at the business choice. Weren’t you supposed to become a financial planner or something?”
He leaned back in the chair and smirked. “Yeah, the fam wasn’t too thrilled with my little venture. They’ve cut me out of the family fortune. But my finance jobs were soul sucking. I needed to follow my passion.”
She raised her eyebrows. “And your passion is selling whips and vibrators?”
A warm chuckle rumbled from deep in his chest. “Among other things. But yeah, I enjoy helping people indulge in their fantasies.”
She nodded and fiddled with the clasp of her watch, not sure what to say next. Was she supposed to just come out and ask? Hey, Jace, can you help me get into that super-duper fancy kink club?
He sat forward, his mop of blond hair falling across his forehead. “Relax, Brynn. Reid told me about your sister and why you want into The Ranch.”
She blew out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Oh, thank God.”
“Look, I’ll be honest. I’m a little nervous about sneaking you in. Grant, the club owner, is one of my biggest customers and if he found out I brought someone in under false pretenses, not only would I lose my membership, but a big chunk of my business.”
“Oh, Jace. I don’t want to put you in that position. I just—”
He held up a hand. “No, it’s okay—I know if my sister was in trouble, I’d want to do everything I could to help her, too. I was even willing to go look for Kelsey for you, but Reid said she’s not going to trust a stranger.”
She sighed. “Yeah, she’s hiding from some pretty scary people, so there’s no way she’s going to talk to someone she doesn’t recognize.”
“So that means it’s up to you. We just need to make sure you pull this off flawlessly.”
She wet her lips. “Flawlessly?”
“Yes. Grant Waters is crazy good at reading people. It makes him a top-notch master, but it also means he can sniff out bullshit at a hundred paces. You can’t go in playing sub—you need to be a sub. Really surrender.”
She uncrossed her legs and tucked her hands in her lap, trying to keep them from shaking. “Right.”
He gave her knee a quick reassuring squeeze. “I’m not telling you this to scare you—just to help you understand what needs to happen. The key is going to be not to overthink it. You know what to do.”
“I do?”
“Well, it’s not like it was a big secret that you and Reid were experimenting with D/s back when I knew you. You’re not a novice.”
She clenched her jaw. “Yes, apparently Reid was quite free with that information.”
His tilted his head. “Really? I thought I was the only who knew.”
No, at least one other person knew. And whoever that someone was had used it to their ultimate advantage to hurt her. Unless… She stared at Jace for a moment, a sick feeling rolling through her. What if he had been the one?
No. She dismissed the thought as quickly as it appeared. Jace didn’t have a cruel bone in his body. He would’ve never violated her that way. She shifted in her chair, shaking off the ridiculous idea. “It doesn’t matter. Ancient history.”
He paused for a moment as if he were going to push further, but the look on her face must have made him think better of it. He crooked a thumb toward the mini-fridge next to his desk. “You want something to drink? Beer, soda? I would offer wine, but despite the décor, I’m not that refined.”
The corner of her mouth tilted up. “A beer would be great.”