Huffing, I loved the way his eyes lit up when he knew he was right. “The warehouse. The sale isn’t in stone yet, but we’re close. Think handshake deal with me having thirty days to get everything in order or they’ll look for another buyer.”
Pulling back his grin a bit, the birdie nodded. “That’s generous, but I’m guessing it’s because they don’t have a lot of buyers.”
“Probably, but I’m going to pretend not to know that. Looking a bit naïve with all this has played better than melooking like I actually know what I’m doing.” That made the birdie laugh.
“The confused, innocent guy who thinks he’s starting a sex club? Yeah, I can see that.” His sexy smile made me ache. “Just as long as it’s an act, not the real deal.”
“Nope. This is well thought out with business plans to back it up.” I was playing a part sometimes, but not playing. “I want this to succeed and it’s not something that I’m just spitballing.”
That made him chuckle. “I really hope that’s not a hint about a kink you’re into.”
Before I could do more than laugh, he was back to the point. “So can I ask what you’ve done to be able to afford this or is it all plans and debt?”
Tackling the elephant in the room head-on? I approved.
“Are you asking about my bank account balance, pretty bird?” Before he could figure out a good response, because yes, he’d been asking that, I gave him what I thought was a fair answer. “I spent my early twenties working eighty hours a week plus on Wall Street and investing a small nest egg I got when my grandfather passed away. It was killing me, though.”
His grin faded as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “Why do I feel like I’m not going to like what happened next?”
“Because my pretty bird is smart as well as beautiful.” He just raised his eyebrow making me sigh. “Yeah, I had a…let’s call it a heart event since it wasn’t technically a heart attack, but it made me reevaluate a few things. I slowed down a bit and looked for a way to control my stress and that led me to BDSM.”
The way his eyebrows went up had me wanting to laugh. “I’m fine now. Honest, birdie. Fit as a fiddle. But the whole thing put me on a new path and I like where I’ve ended up.”
A lot less stressed, with a great nest egg and a plan.
Leaning back again, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. It was hot as fuck. “Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you if you’re lying about your health? There won’t be enough of you to bury when I’m done if you do something like have a fucking heart attack on me. Are we clear?”
Was that something I should take literally or not?
Did that mean he could picture us having sex?
I knew it meant he cared more than he was willing to admit at the moment, but I wanted to clear up the details.
I was smart enough not to, though.
“Understood.” The fact that he didn’t seem to be worried about the money part made me want to grin too, but I was still smart enough to behave. “Perfectly healthy. I go to the gym regularly, and right now I’m doing a bit of day trading to manage my own portfolio and I’m doing some consulting work to help newbies get their foot in the door. So low stress and it gives me time to get the club ready.”
Getting his anger under control now that he wasn’t scared that I was going to drop dead on him, he relaxed his arms and the teasing glint was back in his eyes. “It sounds like you have more than one obsession, Brass Man.”
“Quite possibly, but they’re both important enough to me that they deserve my focus and attention. I don’t half ass things that matter.” And he mattered…and so did my club, so I knew Ihad to show him why I liked being a Dom and what drew subs to the lifestyle.
Because if anyone ever needed a way to let out their stress, it was him.
“Crazy people generally don’t.” His response made me smile, and that earned me another roll of his eyes. “I’m starting to get Batman vibes here. Tortured past. Gonna save the world. Obsessively focused. Probably too much leather and vinyl in your wardrobe. Yep, Batman vibes.”
His mind was a fascinating place.
“So you’re saying you don’t want to see me in leather?” I tried not to laugh but his frustrated huff was too cute. “I’m more of a badass suit kind of guy, but don’t worry, I pull off the edgy Dom look too.”
Something caught his attention and he leaned in again, bracing an elbow on the table and resting his head in his hand. “What kind of suit?”
Hmm, the way to his heart was still questionable, but it looked like I might’ve found a way to my pretty birdie’s libido.
“Think handmade Italian that was meant to be decorated by a pretty bird in a flapper dress.” And mile-high heels.
Heat and passion flared in his eyes, but he wasn’t ready to admit how gone he really was yet. “Tempting me is dangerous, Brass Man. You might end up getting what you wanted.”
“I hope so, my pretty bird. I hope so.”
