Chapter One
"Where are you taking me, Dane
O'Laughlin?" Monica adjusted her blindfold once more and squirmed
in her seat. "It's Christmas Eve, and you're being very naughty
torturing your fiancée like this," she added. Though a part of her
loved this unexpected side of him, the other hated not knowing what
was coming next. "Santa's not going to bring you any presents in
the morning if you don't come clean. Now." This time, she didn't
hide the annoyance in her voice. He'd been teasing her all week
about some big surprise, and she’d reached the end of her
patience.
"Just a few more minutes, Monica
Sims."
The rhythmic click of a turn signal
sounded right before the car veered left, then bumped as if
entering a driveway.
"Are we here? Wherever here is?"
Her palms literally itched to pull the damn blindfold off. She
would have never gone for something like this a few years ago. The
control freak in her would have flipped. But after three years of
living with Dane in their perfectly planned world, she'd discovered
having a firm grip on every moment in her life wasn't enough
anymore. Monica needed more. She and Dane had been struggling to
keep their relationship from falling apart. So when he'd seemed so
excited about this surprise he had for her, she couldn't deny
him.
"All right. We're here."
Monica went for the knotted silk at the back of
her head.
"No." Dane's warm hand clasped her
fingers. "Not yet. Not till we're inside."
"Inside where?" Monica's heart
raced. "You know how being kept in the dark makes me
edgy."
"I know." Dane chuckled.
He actually chuckled.
Since when had he become this
fun-loving, spontaneous, blindfold kind of man? For over a year,
Monica had been telling him how she yearned to do something wild
and crazy. Something completely out of character. Maybe even
indulge in bringing a few of their sexual fantasies to life. Like
the one that had plagued her dreams for the last two years after
she'd stumbled on a certain porn video. She'd sat there,
mesmerized, as a woman surrendered under the attention of three
men. God help her, but the scene had been the hottest thing she'd
ever witnessed. Dampness gathered in her panties at the
recollection of the graphic images.
Domination.
Submission.
She'd been overwhelmed by her
physical reaction.
Monica had played the movie
over and over on her laptop, touching herself, reaching the most
intense orgasms. Damn. She could only imagine what her climax would feel like if her
fantasy ever became a reality. Monica had finally got up her nerve
and confessed her secret fascination with being dominated and taken
by more than one man. But her straitlaced, all-business fiancé had
given her a shocked look as she'd revealed her darkest desires.
He'd stared at her as if he were trying wrap his mind around what
she was saying, then added that he had all he ever needed with
her—and her alone—in his bed.
A deep sigh exited her
lungs.
"What's wrong?" Dane's broad palm
brushed her arm.
"It's nothing." Nothing that losing
a few of his inhibitions wouldn't cure. Whatever Dane had up his
sleeve, sharing his fiancée—even for one night—was something Monica
could never see happening.
The car door slammed; then moments
later, hers opened. Dane took her hand and helped her from the
passenger seat. Her imagination had already painted the picture of
what she assumed he'd planned. Probably some big dinner party where
he'd invited her coworkers and friends to celebrate the holiday.
Twigs of mistletoe hung in all the doorways, forcing a multitude of
uncomfortable kisses on unsuspecting people. That would be about as
wild as it would get. She loved him. Always would. But the man
rarely stepped outside his comfort zone.
Monica held on to Dane's arm,
enjoying the hard feel of his bicep under her palm as he guided her
across uneven pavement. The whoosh of an automated door greeted her
next, followed by a cool blast of air conditioning across her face,
lifting her hair from her
David Sherman & Dan Cragg
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