Moving up beside her, Cole rested his arms on the surface of the bar and turned to face her. If she wants to play games, then let the games begin.

* * *

Rachel was trying to regain her composure.

Watching Cole stalk through the crowd toward her while she remained where she was, trying to appear cool, calm, and collected, had taken every ounce of her concentration and willpower.

All black. He was dressed in all black, and when contrasted with that sexy blond hair, the impact was so effective that Rachel had to remind herself not to beg him to take her.

Turning to face him, she saw he was resting against the bar, staring at her. As their eyes collided, she felt the thrill of anticipation zing up her spine. Without a word, he moved closer, trailing a finger along the cool surface. It drew her eyes, distracting her, just as he knew it would.

He moved to stand behind her, and without touching an inch of her skin, he spoke clearly and concisely into her ear. “Come.”

Rachel turned her head as he moved away from her. Narrowing her eyes, she watched him walk around the bar without a backward glance. Taking a deep breath, she tried to gather her wits as she followed. She rounded the end of the bar and saw the corridor that led down to the private rooms at Whipped. Although she’d known about the rooms, she had never been in them.

Do I really want this? Do I even know what the hell I’m doing? This all started from what? Fear and boredom. I’m not sure I’m ready for someone like him.

As she took two tentative steps into the dim hall, she heard The Pretty Reckless overhead singing “Make Me Wanna Die” from the speakers.

God the guitar at the beginning gets me every time. So damn sexy, add in my current ache and—Jesus where did the man go?

She gathered her courage and took several more steps. She was shocked when Cole appeared from a side alcove, making her take a step back. He didn’t touch her, but with each forward step he took, she took one step back until she was in an alcove opposite from the one he had been standing in.

Rachel’s back came up against the wall, and even though he still had not touched her, she recognized the stirrings of fear as Cole moved closer. He raised his arms and placed his hands by her head, his palms resting on the wall, as he locked eyes with her in an all-too-familiar stance.

Oh shit. He really isn’t going to touch me, Rachel thought as she looked him over.

Just as she was about to confirm it, she thought better and decided to just take. Keeping her eyes on his, she reached out and ran her index finger from his neck to the buttons of his black shirt. When she got to the center of his chest, she trailed her finger over to his nipple and the bar she now knew was under there, running her finger against the fabric and the hard piercing beneath.

That is such a turn-on, she thought, raising her eyes to his. As she continued to play with it, she asked, “You aren’t going to talk?”

“Oh, I plan to talk,” he acknowledged.

He shifted his feet as she reached up with her other hand and pressed her finger to his other nipple.

“You like them, don’t you? It’s okay to admit it now that you’re about to come, and I’m about to watch you while you do.”

“Are you always so sure of yourself?”

“Yes,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation. “Undo my shirt, Rachel. Stop playing this coy little game, and take what you want.”

“Is that what you do?”

“Play coy? Never,” he confirmed.

Her eyes dropped to her fingers as they rapidly started undoing his shirt. “You’re very clever at twisting and playing with my words.”

“That’s what I do. My job requires me to twist words and to know when someone is trying to bullshit me.”

When she reached the final button, she pulled his shirt apart, biting her bottom lip between her teeth. Seeing him was such a sinful shock. Being this close to him, she couldn’t stop herself from staring, but now wasn’t the time to look. It was time to act.

Placing her hands on his stomach, she smoothed her palms up his body until she reached the small metal bars. “And that’s what you think I’m doing—bullshitting you?”

His jaw flexed as she ran her fingers over his nipples.

“I think you’re confused.”

Fixing her eyes on his, she pinched one of the nipples she was playing with. “Oh? And what am I confused about?”

Lowering his head, Cole warned her, “Be careful with what you’re doing there. Do you really think that hurts or bothers me? If you twist it a little harder, you might not like my reaction.”

“You told me to,” she pointed out.

“That’s right, Rachel. I told you to do it. I allowed you to touch me, didn’t I?”

As what he was saying sank in, her frustration and annoyance caught up with her, and she twisted his nipple harder. Instantly, he crowded in, standing against her so close that her hands were pressed between his bare chest and her breasts. His hands were still by her head, and as she looked up at him, he stared down at her with feverish eyes.

“That wasn’t very nice. Why did you do it?”

“You said you wouldn’t touch me,” she blurted out, feeling trapped.

“I’m not touching you. My hands are on the wall. Your hands are actually touching me. Now, Rachel, answer me. Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“You know what. Don’t make me repeat the question again.”

“Or what?” she asked incredulously.

“Answer me, Rachel,” he growled.

“I was annoyed that you tricked me. I’m frustrated!” she spat out.

“Good. So am I,” he pointed out. “Stop playing this silly fucking game with me, and tell me what you want.”

Rachel could feel her rapid breathing pushing her breasts against her hands and his bare chest. Licking her lips, she stood frozen. She knew what she wanted, but she couldn’t find the courage to voice it. That didn’t seem to be a problem for Cole though.

“I only want to give you what you want, Rachel.” He rubbed his chest against her arms. “Don’t you want to get what you want?”

Blinking up at him, Rachel parted her mouth as he lowered his head. She felt the tip of his tongue tracing her lips while he kept his hands planted by her head, still not touching her.

“I want to do that down between your legs. Don’t you want that?”

* * *

Cole was so fucking hard that he was surprised he hadn’t busted through the zipper on his pants. Rachel’s face was a study of hunger and longing. Her mouth parted, she looked ravenous, yet she couldn’t seem to say one damn thing.

He could tell she was aroused because her breathing had accelerated, pushing her hands up and down more rapidly against his bare chest. He would also bet all his money on the fact that she was now wet and warm between those sexy thighs. He wanted between her thighs so badly that his cock was actually starting to hurt.

“Have you ever been in one of these rooms, Rachel?” Cole almost laughed from the expression that crossed her face, but he didn’t want to lose the moment they were in. “You want to know a secret?” he asked, lowering his mouth to her ear. “Neither have I. I don’t want to tie you to a bed or strap you to a cross. I want you to willingly want every single thing I plan to do to you. I want you to keep your hands behind your back because you want to.” Biting her earlobe, he then added, “And I want you to swallow because you love the fucking taste. Play with me, Rachel, so I can play with you.”

Moving back to her mouth, Cole greedily followed her tongue with his as she licked her lips. She groaned and pushed her body forward. She wasn’t trying to dislodge him; she was trying to get closer.

“How close are you?” he demanded, biting her slick lower lip as he rubbed himself against her. When no answer came, he released her and confessed, “You smell so fucking tempting. I can’t wait to get between your legs.”

“Oh god.” Moaning, she closed her eyes.

Squirming against him, she extricated a hand from between them and slid it down. Moving back a few inches, Cole let his gaze drop, and he cursed when he watched her pull the zipper on her skirt from the bottom up.

She pushed her hand up under the leather and hissed as she obviously got her fingers where she wanted them. “Yes! I agree.”

“Clarify.” He moved back in close to her, trapping her eager hands between them.

She raised her other hand to his nipple and twisted the piercing.

“Rachel,” he growled. With his hands still against the fucking wall, he glared down at her. Goddamn it.

“Yes,” she keened.

“Yes to what?”

“Yes to my orgasm, and yes to whatever else you just said,” she agreed desperately. Closing her eyes, she began fucking her hand as she played with his nipple.

Cole almost found the situation humorous as Rachel tipped her head back and came with a loud scream.

Un-fucking-real. She is totally uninhibited, he thought. This is going to be fun.

As her eyes opened, she focused on him, giving him a lazy self-satisfied smile. She released his now tender flesh with a condescending pat over his wolf tat on his chest.

As though she had broken the orgasmic spell she had dragged him under, he softly asked in a menacing tone, “Satisfied?”

She gave him a smug look. “Very.”

Cole dropped his hands from the wall and pinned her to it with his stare. “Good. Now, it’s time to negotiate.”

7