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Chapter One
Ari
I leaned against the doorframe and stared out, in shock and awe, at the sexual acts going on right in front of me. Right there. In front of me. It was like a wonderful, live version of porn. Sure, some men and women were getting their asses spanked and they were tied up in a various assortment of humiliating positions, but it was still porn. I would only have to take two steps forward, and I’d be out of the sanctity of the fairy-tale love story taking place in the room behind me, and into the pits of sinful delights.
My feet remained glued to the floor, though, because no matter how badly I might want the glorious display of wickedness in front of me, I also wanted the love that existed in the room behind me. The sad truth of the matter was that I’d probably never have either one of them. Like a coward, I sat at home every day, working away on my computer and not existing in the real world.
The story of my life—afraid to take a step forward and too much of a coward to take a step back.
Just as I started to turn away and rejoin Seth and Baker’s collaring ceremony after-party, something caught my eye. No, some one. I froze, my feet suddenly unable or unwilling to move. I felt like every person in the club froze and then simply disappeared. Everyone except for me and Eli.
He stood about ten feet away from me, looking sexier than fuck and even more arrogant than I remembered. I hadn’t thought it possible, but his muscles were larger, more defined, and oh-so-perfectly accented by the leather harness thingie that criss-crossed his chest. Black leather pants were molded to his legs.
I literally felt myself gulp. Seriously, like some cartoon character, I gulped.
He smirked and then crooked his finger to gesture for me to come to him. With what could only be described as pure guidance by my cock, my right foot took a step forward. The sounds of the club returned, and all the participants reappeared. That’s when it dawned on me. Eli was not only at a BDSM club, but he was dressed the part.
My feet froze again.
His finger crooked again.
Knowing I needed to face the music sooner or later, I covered the short distance between us and said, “What are you doing in Colorado, Eli? This is my world, with my friends. Not very long ago, you made it perfectly clear that you didn’t belong with me. Why show up now? If you’re hoping for a side order of revenge because of my lie, then you’d best get ready to be disappointed. My friends will kill you if you try to hurt me.” That probably wasn’t true, but maybe Eli wouldn’t know any better.
One corner of his lips tilted upward as he gazed down at me…working some sort of deviltry with the lower portion of my body. Why? Why did he have to smell so fucking good? Look so fucking delicious? Why?
“I’m here because I got tired of waiting, Ari. You’re old enough now…and you’re mine.”
And then I ran…in the opposite direction.
“Love you guys and congratulations!” I yelled as I breezed past Seth and Baker. I didn’t pause long enough to really capture the expressions on their faces. I didn’t want to know if my sudden departure would be considered a friendship violation or not. Not knowing seemed much more pleasurable than facing the harsh reality of the fact I was acting like a total douche by ditching them just as their party was getting into full swing. They were probably my first real friends in years…or ever.
As I headed to the back exit, which I’d already scoped out earlier because being acquainted with each and every exit to a building was what my father had taught me to do my entire life, I waved goodbye to my dad and motioned that I’d call for a car to pick me up. I wasn’t fast enough to dodge the look of dismay on his face, though. I knew him too well to miss it. He knew me too well not to give it.
In an instant, he knew I was running from something. As I yanked open the back door of Seth and Baker’s private room, I let the weight of guilt settle into that spot right between my shoulder blades—the spot no one could ever reach. He worried about me. Constantly. Over the years, he’d been there to witness my struggles of continually living in a world that was always much older, much more worldly and more confident, than I was. He was quite possibly the only person alive that knew how I hid behind my snarky comments and bubbly attitude. He knew it was a mask I used to hide the fact that I didn’t fit in.
