Authors: Allyson Young
Tags: #Fiction, #Erotica, #General, #Romance, #Contemporary
Wishes (3 page)
* * * *
Graham pulled his torso up onto the bed and cradled his jaw. Christ Almighty, what had he gotten himself into? Submissive women loved having their control taken away so that they could enjoy all aspects of their sexuality without shame. Could he have really misjudged Kennedy Johnson that badly? And how nuts was the woman, anyhow? If some other creep really wanted to hurt her, rape her, even kill her, she could have sealed her fate with her physical outburst. She had fought to the best of her ability, but she was still locked in a room with him, and he would soon be recovered enough to deal with her if he was that kind of man. Except then he looked up and saw her circling with the business ends of her shoes in either hand. Graham knew she was going to clobber him with those heels, maybe put an eye out, and he nearly laughed at the fact that he had been brought to his knees by a little woman.
“Uncle,” he croaked past a split lip.
Kennedy froze. “What?” she asked.
“I give, you win,” Graham answered her. “Zero, seven, six, one.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s the code for the door.” Graham slumped back on the bed and got one leg up. He hoped she wouldn’t hurt him too much before she left.
* * * *
Kennedy rushed the door and entered the code, breathing a sigh of relief when the handle turned. She toed on her shoes and turned to grab her purse when she looked back at Graham. His lip was bleeding, and already she could see a knot forming on his chin. He looked a weird color to her and seemed unconscious. Her head hurt a lot, so maybe she had broken his jaw. Leaving the door wide open and setting her purse down for a quick exit, Kennedy went into the adjoining bathroom and soaked a washcloth in cold water and grabbed a towel. This might be a really stupid move, but she wasn’t afraid anymore. She hesitantly made her way over to Graham and carefully placed the cold cloth on his face, jumping back when he twitched. His eyes opened a fraction, and he studied her for a moment and then drifted off again. Kennedy mopped up the blood and then went back for another cold cloth. She fashioned a compress as best she could and knelt to tug his boots off, managing to lift his other leg onto the bed. She then propped a pillow behind his shoulder to keep his head turned sideways and pulled the coverlet loose to drift the one half of it over him. He was breathing, she had provided first aid, and he was conquered. Nothing left to do here. Kennedy left the room and found her way to the front door without a challenge. She had to walk nearly a block before she could flag a cab and resolutely refused to think about the evening. Madison and Alberta would soon learn that their new entertainment was not for her, and she absolutely wouldn’t examine her body’s response to that incredible but perverted man. At least she hadn’t degenerated into a screaming idiot.
Chapter Two
Graham scrunched his eyes against the pervasive overhead light.
“Turn the fucking thing off,” he groaned.
“What the fuck happened to you?” asked a familiar voice.
“Kennedy Johnson,” he answered, without thinking.
Patrick went absolutely motionless and silent, and then he dissolved into laughter. Loud, head-jarring, cruel laughter.
“Fuck off,” Graham advised, struggling to a sitting position. He felt like he had gone ten rounds with a far bigger opponent than his little woman. Well, maybe not his. Yet. But then he had been trying not to hurt her, just restrain her and keep her from killing him. That had to count toward explaining why he was the one with the sore jaw and split lip. Not to mention the throbbing in his head and the probable bruises on his legs. At least his balls were intact.
“C’mon for breakfast and tell me all about it,” Patrick offered. “I thought you’d taken her home until the cleaning staff said the room was still occupied. By you. Alone.”
Graham staggered to the bathroom and used the facilities then threw cold water on his face and chest. He really didn’t want to see what he looked like but cautiously peered into the mirror. Not too bad. Kennedy had kept the swelling down by applying those cold cloths. What the hell was her skull made of anyhow? He didn’t think he had a glass jaw, but she nearly had him down for the count. And the sight of her with those deadly stilettos. Graham shuddered, and his cock filled. Kennedy had no idea what she had unleashed.
Patrick extricated the whole sorry tale over a huge, cholesterol-filled breakfast after swearing not to breathe a word to another soul. He obviously smothered more laughter, probably because Graham was having trouble chewing the bacon.
“I thought she was going to kill me,” Graham confided.
Patrick raised his eyebrows. “And I take it you aren’t finished with her?”
Graham smiled around his split lip. “Not hardly. No playing fair the next time.”
Patrick looked hard at him. “You aren’t going to hurt her,” he stated flatly.
Graham reared back as if he’d been struck. “Of course not! But I’m wise to her moves now, and she still has another fifteen coming. I think she liked her spanking, Pat, and next time I’ll find out for sure.”
Patrick smiled and devoted himself to finishing his meal. Between bites, he said, “I hooked up with Madison last night. She told me a little about Kennedy, and maybe you should talk to her first. I don’t think she’ll tell all Kennedy’s secrets, but she cares about her friend and will want only the best for her.”
Graham shrugged. “I need to get her phone number and address, anyhow. And I’m a great believer in knowing my enemy.” He paused. “Want to tell me what’s up with you and Madison?”
“I can’t explain it myself, Gray,” Patrick answered quietly. “She’s different somehow, and I want to date her, God help me.”
“Whatever I can do, buddy, to help. If you need time off or whatever,” Graham offered. Patrick? Dating? Mr. I’ll train ’em and fuck ’em and pass them on. That Patrick?
The two sat quietly, lost in their thoughts until the server came to clear the table.
* * * *
Kennedy shifted her purse to the arm that held the sack with the wine bottle in order to free the hand holding the keys to her door. She held the keys between her knuckles, making them into a pretty fair weapon. Old habits. She had interviewed twice today for PA positions, and both looked promising. One was with an oil company director and the other for a CEO of a popular fashion outlet. Kennedy had liked both men and would find it hard to choose between the two if the jobs were offered to her. She had a week to wait and three more interviews lined up between then and now, so she was confident that she would once again be gainfully employed. She wasn’t used to quiet, empty days, particularly when her recent time with Madison and Alberta was spent ignoring a really big elephant in the room or working hard at not thinking about that big elephant. But for now, all she could think about was getting into some comfortable clothes and pouring a big glass of wine.
The biggest part of the elephant stood outside her apartment door. Actually, he leaned against the doorjamb, his arms folded across his chest, totally relaxed. Kennedy began to back up slowly. Graham wore tailored pants and a short sleeve button-down shirt, his feet shod in nice leather slip-ons, but he still reminded her of a dangerous animal, one she had already poked with a stick.
“Ms. Johnson,” he rumbled. “I wonder if I might have a word with you?”
Kennedy continued to back away. “Okay,” she said carefully. “We can talk on the sidewalk.” She wondered if she could club him with the bottle of wine if he rushed her.
Graham chuckled. “I assure you, Ms. Johnson, you have nothing to fear from me. We are not at the club, and in any event, you are more than capable of taking care of yourself.”
Kennedy shook her head. “Uh-uh. Sorry. I don’t know how you found out where I live…” She stopped. How could they do this to her? They were supposed to be her friends!
“Go away, Mr. Alexander. Go. Or I’ll call the police and report a stalker.”
She watched as Graham visibly turned on the charm, working hard at being convincing and trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. “Could I take you to dinner, then?”
Kennedy wheeled and took off for the main door of the building. Graham uncoiled his broad frame and beat her to it. He must have accepted that she was afraid of him, for he backed up, holding up both hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Ms. Johnson,” he spoke quietly, “I owe you an apology and would really like to just talk with you.”
Kennedy pushed through the outside door to mingle with the pedestrians on the opposite side of the street.
Chapter Three
Kennedy huddled over a hot chocolate in the little diner she had stumbled into after making a fool of herself. Graham had scared her for sure, and she had slipped back into a time where running and hiding might have saved her if only she had had the option. But this time she was running from herself, too, from that strange attraction. She couldn’t even use humor or sarcasm to coax her brain into minimizing it. She had read everything she could download on BDSM that night after she got home and thought she understood him. But she knew that she would never get the drop on that man again, and so he wasn’t safe to be around. The problem was, she didn’t want to be safe. She didn’t want to get hurt, either, although she really didn’t think Graham would hurt her. Erotic pain was different than other pain, apparently, and that over-the-knee spanking had underscored that fact. But she preferred not to think about pain. No, Graham Alexander wouldn’t hurt her, except to take everything, as a Dom, that she had to give and leave her empty and alone. That was what truly scared the shit out of her. She couldn’t give anyone, let alone a man, that kind of power. It was too bad the future kind of stretched out there, looking pretty empty. Sighing, she called Madison from her cell. They had a brief, if spirited, exchange that ended with Madi apologizing and offering her the use of her extra bedroom. Kennedy refused the offer and took heart that Madi was done with her meddling.
Graham was nowhere to be seen when she went back to her apartment. After locking up, she changed her clothes and found her biggest wineglass. She curled up in the tub chair and sipped, carefully keeping her mind empty, until hunger pangs reminded her that lunch had been a very long time ago. Kennedy fixed herself a peanut butter sandwich, ignoring the caloric intake, and chewed it down while she ran a bath. Wine, peanut butter, a hot bath, all comfort for her. She would read a mystery while she soaked and then climb into bed, swathed in her coziest pajamas, and read some more until she fell asleep. The job hunt would fill her time until she conquered her feelings and stray thoughts.
Madison called the next morning, waking Kennedy from a sleep filled with strange and distracting dreams. She ignored the familiarity of the man filling the starring role.
“Morning, hon!” Madi’s happy voice grated in her ears. “Do you have time for breakfast today?”
“What time is it, Madi?” Kennedy croaked.
“Maybe seven or so. I don’t know. I’m hungry and want to have breakfast with you.”
“When?”
“I’ll pick you up in half an hour, and we’ll swing by to grab Alberta.”
Kennedy stifled a groan. Madi was trying to make up for giving that man her address. Now it was up to her to make nice back.
“Okay, but I’m not dressing up,” she groused.
“Whatever, but it’s a nice place,” Madi trilled happily before she hung up.
Well, shit. Kennedy rolled off the bed and padded over to her closet. She yanked a sundress off its hanger and found a shrug. The weather was fine, the air-conditioning lethal. It was a wonder people weren’t dropping like flies with pneumonia. Probably they were used to it, but she couldn’t afford to get sick. Kennedy quickly washed up and then braided her hair, leaving a few tendrils loose to soften the look, and applied a little makeup. The sundress fit perfectly, displaying her breasts in an understated way, the fabric slipping over her and softening her curves, falling to just above the knee. Dressy sandals with a little heel and a large straw bag completed the look. At least for a summer in Connecticut. Well, it was what she had in her wardrobe, and it was what she would wear in Texas, confident it made the best of her shape and looks.