“How would you know?”I challenged.“What about me makes you so certain that I don’t get off by being tied down?”
Beck’s blue eyes flared, but I didn’t know if it was from anger, lust, or both.I’d also never seen Beck McKenna angry, so I didn’t have any frame of reference to determine which it was.Sure, there’d been a few times when he’d been annoyed or tired, but I hadn’t ever seen him angry, and I’d bet my career that he looked sexy as hell when he was spitting mad.
“Oh, you might get turned on by being tied down, but you’d never just pick up some random stranger for that,” he argued.“In your line of work, you’ve seen too much evil to take that kind of risk with your wellbeing.”
I gestured towards the room as I said, “Which makes The Fantasy Factory the perfect place for that kind of thing, correct?What better place to meet someone than a place where its security is damn near legendary?”
Beck set his drink down next to mine, his eyes still flashing my way.“Do not fuck with me, Thandie.”
I arched a brow, enjoying this side of Beck McKenna.“And how am I doing that?”
“If you think that I’m going to allow you to go into some sex room with a strange man, then you’re very mistaken,” he said, but before I could get excited about his declaration, he added, “Kelly would never forgive me if I let something bad happen to you.”
The mention of my relationship with his sister quickly doused any fire that I’d been feeling about the domineering version of Beck McKenna.Kelly was the only reason why he cared what I was doing here, and I should have suspected it earlier.In all the years that we’d known each other, Beck hadn’t ever shown one ounce of interest in me, and so why would I believe that this was anything more?
Instead of dwelling on my unrequited feelings for this man, I said, “I’m a big girl, Beck.At this point in my life, I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”
“I don’t care if you have an AK-47 in your purse and know six different disciplines of martial arts,” he practically spat.“As long as I’m in the room, you’re not going to be...be...be...”
Oh, the man was sputtering.
This wasn’t good.
“Be, what?”I asked, solely to be an ass.
Beck stepped closer, and even though he was clearly invading my space, the scent of his woodsy cologne made it a forgivable offense.“You are not going up to that room while I’m here,” he said.“In fact, you’re not going up to any of the rooms.”
“Or else...what?”I dared.“You’re going to put me in time out?Give me a curfew?”Then, just to rile him up some more, I added, “Or maybe you’d like to spank me, Beck.Is that it?Do you think a good spanking might make me behave better?”
Those bright blue eyes of his flared again as he said, “Careful, Thandie.Just like I don’t know what happens in your bedroom, you have no idea what gets my dick hard.So, my advice to you is to not poke the bear, lest you find out the hard way.”
A delightful shiver shimmied down my spine, and it took everything in me not to cackle like an evil witch that had just tasted victory.Beck’s vulgarness had just crossed a line that I wasn’t eager to uncross, and as far as I was concerned, it was now or never.If there was ever a chance to do something about this simmering attraction that I had for Beck McKenna, it was now.If he turned me down, then fine.I was adult enough to move past his rejection, after all, it wouldn’t be the first time that a man had wanted to just be friends.Plus, I’d never do anything to jeopardize my friendship with Kelly, and that included sulking over her brother’s refusal to take things further.
“Is that a threat, Dr.McKenna?”I asked, making sure that my condescending tone reached his ears loud and clear.After all, this man was a doctor, and so I could see how a challenge would intrigue him enough to do something foolish.
“It’s a warning, Ms.Ames,” he fired back.“One that you should take seriously.”
Ready for all or nothing, I turned from him, then flagged down the bartender, per policy.When the bartender was finally standing before me, I asked, “Can you tell me when the next showing for Room Two is?”
He looked between me and Beck before answering, “It starts in ten minutes.”
“Are there any observation rooms available?”I asked, completely ignoring the fuming man next to me.
“Yes, there are two,” he answered.“Would you like to reserve one?”
“Yes, please,” I said, grinning.“Please put it on my tab, and I would also like to reserve a participation room.”
“Of course,” he replied easily.“Just let me go get the paperwork.”
As soon as the bartender turned to go make the arrangements, I felt Beck’s hand wrapped around my upper arm.“You are not going up there, Thandie.I mean it.”
I looked over at Beck, and I couldn’t lie and say that my heart wasn’t beating wildly in my chest.“Look, I don’t know about you, but I came here for a good time, and I plan on having that good time in Room Two.”I glanced at his hand wrapped around my arm before looking back up at him.“So, unless you plan on getting arrested for dragging me out of here against my will, I suggest that you let go of my arm, then go back to doing whatever it was that you were doing before you saw me.”
“I’m not fucking playing with you,” he hissed, and I’d been right.A pissed off Beck McKenna was hot as hell, and if only he was interested in me, then I’d be a happy girl.
Not wanting to get kicked out, Beck immediately released my arm when the manager came back with all the paperwork for reserving one of the participation rooms, and while the attorney in me would normally read every last word on a document before signing it, Beck’s nearness had me a bit off-balance, and so I signed on the bottom line like a common idiot.
After placing my copy of the paperwork in my purse, I finally turned to look at Beck.“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a show to go see.”
