Jared and Paxton kept the conversation light while they enjoyed a meal of chicken salad, ciabatta, and crisp white wine.
“Mia Kunz. Hmm, I can’t place the name but I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen you somewhere.” Jared stared at her with a speculative gleam in his eyes.
“If you read sports magazines, you might have—”
“Ah, now I remember. You were center page a couple of months ago, right?” His eyes brightened considerably which brought a gleam to Mia’s face. She pushed her breasts forward.
“I’m honored that you remembered, William.”
“How could I not. You, wet and lying on your back in the shallow waves... it’s the kind of vision old men like me jerk off to.” He placed a quick kiss on Paxton’s cheek. “Sorry, hon, but it’s the truth.” He smiled. “Not that I’d ever cheat on you, my love.”
“How long have you been married?”
“Fifteen years,” Paxton said although Mia had posed the question to Jared. She made a point of ignoring Paxton the entire time. Her focus had been on him throughout the meal.
Mia fluttered her eyelashes. “And you never strayed, William?”
“Well, my little pet and I play with other partners now and then but my heart will always belong to her.”
Paxton glared at him for that little tidbit of information but bit back a sharp retort as she caught Mia’s excitement.
“Are you in an alternative lifestyle?” Her voice had turned husky. Paxton frowned. The entire dynamic of the conversation suddenly shifted.
Jared shrugged but Paxton noticed the subtle switch from the enamored older man he was enacting to Dom immediately. It was fascinating to watch. She wanted to growl at Mia as she realized she had witnessed it too.
“We are. I firmly believe it’s what keeps our sex life fresh.” He tapped Paxton on the nose. “My subbie knows exactly what I need and how to feed my interest.”
“And you, Mia? Are you originally from California?” Paxton deliberately steered the conversation to safer waters. She shot a warning look at Jared to drop the subject. Why he had steered in the direction of BDSM in the first place wasn’t clear.
“I’m originally from Switzerland. I immigrated to the U.S. eighteen months ago. It’s given my career the boost I needed. I’ve been offered a movie deal recently.” Mia shifted in the chair, ensuring that she rubbed her ankle against Jared’s.
Paxton was irked at how deliberate she was; unconcerned that she witnessed the attempt at seducing Poppy’s husband.
“You seem awfully young,” Paxton quipped as she stroked a hand through her hair. “Sometimes I miss my youth.”
“I’m older than I look.” Mia leaned back against the chair. “I just turned twenty-seven. Old enough to know what I want and how to get what I need.” Her eyes glimmered in blatant invitation as she stroked a finger over Jared’s hand resting on the table. “And I’m not scared to go after it either.”
“We better get going, honey.” Paxton got up to restack the dirty dishes and empty containers in the basket. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mia. I hope we’ll see each other again before we head back to the city.”
“I’m sure we will,” she said, smiling at Jared. Mia Kunz had just kicked the door open for a rendezvous amoureux.
“Enjoy the sun.” Jared picked up the basket and then followed Paxton down the stairs. He tucked her under his arm as they made their way back to his house.
“Well, that was rather interesting. I think I misjudged her. She is just a model looking for a man with the deepest pockets.”
“Hmm, maybe a daddy Dom... amongst other things.”
Paxton looked at him wide-eyed. “A daddy Dom? Why do you say that?”
“I’ve been around a number of subs who are attracted to older Doms. They prefer the Daddy/sub lifestyle. I suspect she’s that way inclined but I have a feeling there’s more to her interest than just seducing me to be her daddy.”
“Meaning?”
“I noticed some subtle nuances in her actions. The expression on her face, the way her eyes flashed and reacted to certain words. Behind that beautiful exterior is a very sharp mind. I’m guessing that modelling is a cover.”
“Now that I think back, her responses to the general topics we discussed were intelligent and immediate. Damn, you’re right. I doubted my instincts for nothing.” She sped up. “Let’s get home. Our teams might have found something in her background that could shed some light on exactly who and what Mia Kunz is.”
“Miss Mia Kunz appears to have been born a feeble two years ago.”