The Cop Read online

  The waitress arrived just as they sat down and smiled flirtatiously at the cop. “What can I get for you tonight?”

  She ran her eyes over him and licked her lips in a sassy way that left most men either crossing their legs, or drooling. But Vanessa was happy to see that Detective Michaels just gave her a quick once over, and asked for a soda with lime. When she left to fill their order, he didn’t even bother to check out the girl’s curved butt in her leather short-shorts.

  Controlled was one thing, but the servers’ uniforms weren’t exactly sedate, and it was the first time she’d seen a straight man not react to them. Maybe he was gay?

  “How can I help you, detective?”

  “I’m looking for someone, a woman that’s experienced with bondage, and I was told that I might find her here.”

  Vanessa’s pulse jumped and her eyebrows shot upwards. She didn’t bother to hide her surprise, but instead, deliberately gave him a reason for it. “Are you asking me to pimp for you?”

  “What? No!” A slight flush crept up his neck, and a small kick of pleasure ran through Vanessa. Before he could speak again JJ was back with their drinks. She set a wineglass in front of Vanessa and turned to set the soda down.

  Nessa watched as JJ flashed him a good deal of the cleavage bulging over her black leather bustier and winked at him. He didn’t respond to the flirting, and when JJ stood up, she met Vanessa’s gaze and shrugged as she sauntered away, hips swaying.

  “As I was saying,” he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at her earnestly. “I’m looking for a woman who’s into bondage, Shibari to be exact. It’s not personal, it’s strictly for a case.”

  Vanessa’s insides clenched in disappointment, then a surge of adrenaline whipped through her. A case, he was working a case. And she bet she knew which one it was.

  Well, her Dad had always said a good defense is a strong offense.

  “That’s too bad, detective. I’ve a bit of experience with it myself and for a minute there I was imagining just how hot you would look restrained and awaiting my pleasure.” She eyed his sedate suit and tie get-up, not bothering to hide the way her gaze lingered on the fabric stretched taut over his muscled thighs.

  Heat flared in his gaze, but his expression remained blank. Oooh, a reaction!

  Nessa’s pleasure at his response was short-lived, when he said, “I just need a list of names of any female customers that are into that sort of stuff. Anyone who comes to mind that is particularly good with any type of rope or restraint, and who might not have a great fondness for arrogant men.”

  “I’m sorry, detective, but many people who live an alternative lifestyle tend to keep it private, and as manager of this club, I respect that.” She set her drink down and stood up, hinting that the conversation was over. It was almost time to open the doors and she still needed to get things set up.

  “Surely they’re not that secretive if they hang out it clubs like this?” He stood up as he spoke, and remained close enough to Vanessa that she had to fight the urge to touch him. She just knew he had a fantastic body under that staid suit and her fingers were itching to undress him. She kept her eyes on his face and saw an answering awareness there.

  He felt the pull between them, too. Self-preservation told her to ignore it.

  “Some people wear masks to either hide their identity, or enhance the experience. Or both.”

  “Do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “Wear a mask when the club is open, or when you’re playing?”

  She tried to keep her expression blank, but felt her lips tilt up at one corner before she replied, “We all wear masks, Detective. Some are just much harder to spot than others.”

  She met his gaze and tried not to think about her own secret identity. It was time to shift the direction of this conversation.

  “Actually, with the exception of our monthly ‘members only’ nights, like tonight, The O Club is open to the public. Most of the nightly crowd isn’t really into bondage enough that they’d even know what Shibari is. They just like to play at it. To pretend they’re more adventurous than they really are.” She’d meant to leave it at that, but when his intense gaze met hers, her mouth opened and words kept tumbling out. “Of course, if you’re really serious about finding this woman, I might be able to help you out.”

  She tried to ignore the thrill that went through her at the way his eyes heated when he glanced at her cleavage before he replied, “Oh, I’m very serious about it.”

  He was definitely not gay.

  A fire started low in Vanessa’s belly. She licked her lips and let a taunting smile creep across her face. “Serious enough to embark on a little adventure of your own?”

  5

  Adventurous. I’ll show her adventurous.

  Kane watched her hips twitch as she walked away and wondered what the hell he’d just agreed to. Letting himself get goaded into doing something, anything, wasn’t his normal style. He was no slouch when it came to action, but he wasn’t usually so impetuous. All he’d wanted was a list of names.

  Only the owner wasn’t there. Vanessa Lawson was. And an invite to the private “members only” party that night was even better than a list of names. Yet somehow, he still felt that in the space of a ten-minute interview, that woman had chased him off-script in a big way.

  Kane sat in his car and watched the entrance to the club. Since it had looked like it was going to be a long night, he’d left the club to grab a bite to eat; now it was just before ten p.m. and he was hesitating.

  He should be in there. But the need to center himself, and remind himself why exactly he was going in there was strong. He wasn’t going in there to flirt with a sexy woman, or to get laid. He was going in there on the hunt for a thief. A woman who manipulated men with the promise of sex to get into their houses, and into their safes. He thought about calling Jack. It might be good for another cop to know what was going down, and Jackson was a friend—he’d back him up.

  But Kane never reached for his phone. Instead he popped another candy into his mouth and left his car to continue the hunt.

  The security at the door recognized him and the male guard radioed inside before Kane was ten feet away. The bouncer stepped aside and held open the door for Kane, and he entered the club.

  There were at least sixty people in there now. All dressed, or undressed, to the nines. Some had masks on, some wore next to nothing. Some of the men were shirtless; Kane even saw one who wore only leather chaps with thong underwear underneath. But most were dressed in dark suits or trousers, so he felt okay about not standing out.

  The women were even more varied. Corsets, dresses, trousers, leather, latex and bare skin. Most had incredibly high heels on that brought the words “fuck me” instantly to mind, and Kane was having a hard time not staring. When a man walked by holding a chain leash attached to the diamond-studded collar of the woman behind him, Kane realized just how truly different this clientele was from the crowd he’d seen in the other bars.

  He stepped deeper into the room and saw Vanessa Lawson through the crowd. And for just a second, Kane lost the ability to breathe.

  She’d changed her clothes.

  Instead of the ripped jeans and tank top of earlier, the young, attractive woman was now a devilishly sexy seductress. She had on black high-heel boots that went to the knee, a tight leather skirt and a plain white silk blouse that draped lovingly over her curves. She looked like a cross between a high-powered businesswoman and dominatrix Barbie.

  Her dark hair flowed down her back in thick waves that, when she turned her head to look at him, caught fire in the dim lights.

  Their eyes locked and Kane forgot about everything but the sexual pull between them. She excused herself from the people she was talking to and strode toward him. His heart pounded and his gut clenched as his eyes followed the sway of her pert breasts beneath the silk. There was no way she was wearing a bra.

  She stopped only inches away
from him, leaned forward to brush her cheek against his, and whispered in his ear, “I need to know your name. Introducing you around as Detective Michaels sort of defeats the purpose of this little escapade, don’t you think?”

  He breathed deep and her scent went straight to his head. Clean and light, with a hint of feminine musk. Instantly, images of naked bodies writhing together on a sun-dappled bed filled his mind.

  “Kane.” He cleared his throat and spoke softly. “My name is Kane, Vanessa.”

  “Nice to meet you, Kane.” Her lips barely moved when she spoke, the damp heat of her words floating over his lips. His fists clenched at his sides to stop from reaching up to cup her head and slanting his mouth over hers.

  Vanessa looked up at him, dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “Are you ready?”

  Was he ever! But somehow, despite the promises he saw in her gaze, he didn’t think she meant ready to bend her over and sink himself in deep. “Ready?”

  “To tell me exactly what it is you’re looking for tonight, and why?”

  Kane bit back a curse. “I told you what I was looking for,” he said carefully.

  Vanessa swayed closer to him, her fingers trailing down his arm, the hard tips of her breasts brushing against him. “If all you’re going to tell me is that you’re looking for a woman familiar with Shibari, then I’m not going to be much help to you. Almost every female in here tonight is familiar with it to a certain extent.” She stepped back and the loss of her nearness gave him a chill.

  Before he could say anything he shouldn’t about the case, a strident voice interrupted them.

  “Well, Miss Vanessa. Where have you been hiding this one?”

  “Marissa, how are you tonight?” Vanessa’s voice was smooth when she greeted the newcomer, but Kane sensed a strong undercurrent there. He pulled his mind out of the bedroom and gave the woman a once over.

  “I’m well, thank you,” she replied.

  With her hair pulled back in a tight bun to expose strong features, she was beautiful in a cold, meticulous way. Hungry blue eyes ran over him and his stomach roiled in response.

  “Kane, this is Mistress DeVartan. Marissa, my guest tonight, Kane.”

  “Hello, Kane.” She held out a hand tipped with lethal-looking fingernails. “Welcome. Switches don’t usually intrigue me, but you’re very attractive. If you’ve a yen to play, please come see me tonight.”

  After he dropped the cold hand and she’d walked away, he looked at Vanessa and raised an eyebrow. “Switches?”

  “A switch is a person who can be either dominant or submissive in the BDSM world.” She led him to the bar where he watched a shirtless guy in leather pants, a leather collar and a cowboy hat flip a bottle in the air before catching it upside down right over the ice-filled glass. “I figured you’d at least have done some research before showing up here tonight.”

  He did know what a switch was, but he figured she might tell him more if she thought he was ignorant.

  He turned to face the woman next to him and ignored the way his pulse jumped at her nearness. “And she thought I was a switch? Just from looking at me?”

  “Marissa thinks she knows everything about everyone just from looking at them.” She caught the bartender’s eye before turning to him. A small grimace flashed across her pretty features. “Sorry, there’s just something about that woman that I’ve never liked.”

  Kane could understand that. He hadn’t liked her either, and the fact that Vanessa shared his opinion made him feel another link click shut on the connection he felt growing between them.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Are you a switch? Or do you prefer to dominate men?”

  She arched an eyebrow at him. “Do you really want to find out?”

  “What can I get you tonight, Miss Vanessa?” The shirtless bartender leaned against the other side of the bar, interrupting them.

  “Apple juice for me, please, Rob. You know how I like it. Kane?”

  Kane stopped trying to read the woman in front of him and nodded to the bartender. “Whatever dark beer you’ve got on hand will be fine, thank you.”

  The bartender brought the drinks over, a bottle for him and a wineglass for her, and Kane watched his face light up at the smile Vanessa gave him. So he wasn’t the only one affected so strongly by her.

  She scanned the room and took a sip from her wineglass. Smart move, juice in a wineglass. It looked like she was drinking alcohol, but she wasn’t.

  He reached out and took the wineglass from her, setting it on the bar behind her. When he had her full attention he stepped closer. He planted his hands on the edge of the bar on either side of her, invading her personal space and pinning her between his body and the bar.

  Her pupils dilated, and he almost groaned when her tiny pink tongue darted out and licked at her luscious bottom lip. When he was close enough to feel her breath panting against his lips he spoke softly, but firmly.

  “I think you like to control everything around you. You’re very young in years, but you’re not innocent or naïve, by any means. You run this place, and the staff seems to like and respect you. That tells me you know what you’re doing. But I bet when it comes to sex, you’re not into games in the bedroom.” He tilted his head and leaned closer, making sure his lips teased her earlobe with his next words. “I bet when the bedroom door closes you like to be a real woman. All slow and sensuous and warm and wet for the man lucky enough to see the real you.”

  Then he pressed his lips to the baby-soft skin behind her ear. He couldn’t stop himself.

  He felt the heat of her hand at his waist and his gut tightened. He pressed forward slightly, letting her feel his hard-on, letting her know just what she was doing to him. Her fingers dug into his back, and her eyes dropped to his mouth. Kane leaned forward—

  “Ahem.”

  He froze. Suddenly the throbbing music of the club rushed into his ears and their surroundings slammed back into focus.

  “Excuse me, Nessa.” A soft feminine voice sounded behind him. “You’re needed in the back room.”

  Fuck!

  He felt her nod once at the girl behind him, and he stepped back, aching at the loss of her touch when her hand dropped to her side.

  “I need to do some work,” she said softly, without meeting his gaze.

  “Okay.”

  He watched her take a sip from her drink and straighten her spine. The she graced him with a small smile. “Try not to get into trouble while I’m gone.”

  “Me? Trouble?”

  She lifted her empty hand and patted his Beretta. “Just don’t interrogate anyone. If you have any questions, remember, I’m yours at the end of the night.”

  Kane gripped the cold beer bottle in his hand and watched her hips twitch as she walked away, his dick pressing hard against his zipper.

  She was his at the end of the night.

  6

  He was dangerous.

  Not just as a cop, and a threat to her personal freedom. But as a man. She hadn’t counted on that.

  Nessa strode through the bar, a friendly smile pasted on her face as she nodded and waved to various members on her way to the back room. Shit. She didn’t have a clue how to deal with Kane.

  Growing up with a con man for a father had taught her how to read people, and how to manipulate them. It was what made her so good with the alternative crowd at the club. She never judged, and she understood the power and the lure of emotional and psychological manipulation.

  But to have it turned back on her was scary.

  Men rarely bothered to wonder what was beyond the image she presented. Most of them looked at where she worked, what she did, her demeanor, and they assumed she liked to be in charge in the bedroom, too. Or they went in the other direction completely. Assuming that she wanted someone else to take charge, that she would enjoy being dominated in the bedroom since she was in control of every other aspect of her life.

  Never before had a man picked up on the fact that what she
really wanted…was to just be seen as a woman. As an equal, or a partner.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  Suddenly, the game with him was no longer a game, and Vanessa realized that maybe, just maybe, this guy might figure things out.

  Her pulse raced and she swallowed the panic that started to creep up into her throat. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered because she wouldn’t let Kane see any deeper, or get any closer. She’d just do what she was best at…and use sex as a weapon.

  Things got busy and time flew. Vanessa worked the room, talking to everyone, making sure all was well and that everyone was behaving within the club’s guidelines. Nudity was allowed, and there were always some subtle things going on in dark corners, but by and large, the members’ nights were more social than sexual. They were a chance for people of like minds or libidos to meet in a safe environment.

  She kept an eye on Kane as she did her rounds, and noticed that he stayed at the bar, chatting occasionally with Rob the bartender and anyone else who approached him. He was sticking to their deal. And it was a good thing so many women approached him.

  Really, it was.

  It didn’t matter that every time she saw one of them lean in too close, or touch him, she wanted to bare her teeth and growl. What mattered was that with so many women approaching him, he was sure to find a suspect that wasn’t her.

  Throughout the night she made it back to Kane’s side a few times. The first couple of times he was in conversation with regulars, and Nessa was happy to hear that his questions were normal. He wasn’t interrogating the guests.

  Just before one, she stepped up behind him in time to catch the words, “No, thank you,” come from his lips in an almost tired-sounding refrain. The music was throbbing, the crowd was relaxed, and the sexual vibe was heavy in the air. It gave her a thrill to trail her hand across his back and shoulders in a possessive way while she watched the bare-breasted blonde with the red velvet mask and collar lower her eyes and back away.