Prologue
Five years ago
James Castleden stared at the woman in front of him. They’d been dating for a short time. In all of that time he’d kept this side of himself hidden. He wore no shirt, and his leather pants didn’t help him. When he was helping train a sub he liked wearing his leather pants. It was a strange kink he held, disciplining a woman and dominating her. He’d accepted who he was, even though he’d hidden that part of himself away from Veronica. For the first time he’d thought he could really make a go of it, to finally have a vanilla relationship with a woman. He’d been wrong. No matter how many hours he spent with Veronica, his true self couldn’t be denied.
She wasn’t supposed to see what was held in the dungeon. His lifestyle wasn’t open for her to stare at or ridicule. Veronica Star looked at him like he was some evil person. She was his waitress at Ravage, but her job description was confined to the top level not here.
“How could you do that? What is this place?” she asked.
“This is who I am, Veronica.”
He saw her gag in disgust. He placed the coiled whip down on the table in front of him. They were in one of his private rooms where couples could go after a session for some quiet time.
“You’re disgusting. I let you near my sister,” she said.
James got angry. Prudence Star was not in any danger with him. There was no way he’d ever allow anyone to hurt the younger woman. At eighteen she was a breath of fresh air in his jaded life. From the moment he’d met her, he’d seen she was different. Young, fresh, and seeing the whole world for the first time. He enjoyed being around her because she didn’t expect anything from him other than the pleasure of his company.
“Don’t you f**king dare insinuate anything about her.” He moved closer invading Veronica’s space. The woman flinched once then glared at him. He saw her true colours, and he didn’t like it. At one time he’d thought she was the one. He loved watching her. The graceful way she walked around his club. The kindness in her eyes as she smiled at him.
She was different from the other women, and different from her sister. Veronica was still pure in her own way.
This side of her was a different matter. She wasn’t open or giving him a chance to explain. Veronica was going on the defensive, and he hated it. So many people tried to judge him about his lifestyle, and they had no right to.
“You kept this from me. What else have you kept from me? I know Prue likes you. I’ve seen the way you two are with each other.”
James placed a hand over her mouth. “Don’t go down that road. You’re angry at me, not with her. She’s your sister, and I saw her as such.”
“I don’t get this lifestyle, James. I see it is a part of you, and I refuse to be part of it.”
“Then I guess we’re done here,” he said. At one time he’d really thought she was the one woman for him. He couldn’t believe how wrong he’d been.
“My notice is effective immediately,” she said.
“I expected as much.”
She moved toward the door. Her back was ramrod straight as she walked toward the door. His heart ached for what he could have had with her.
“I suggest you keep what you saw down here to yourself,” he said, thinking about the repercussions at the last minute.
Veronica turned to him. “What?”
“You may hate everything you see here, but that contract you signed when you first started working for me is binding for all parts of the club. Not one word to anyone, otherwise there will be consequences.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe I thought you were the one.”
“Then it is a good job you got out before I did something sick to you.”
“Promise me one thing,” she said.
“What?”
“You’ll protect Prue. I don’t want her mixed up in a place like this.”
“I think that is her choice to make.”
“Please, I know you care about her.”
She was right. He really did like her sister.
“Fine, I’ll make sure.”
“Good.” Veronica left.
The moment she walked out of the door, James felt like a wretched shit. He kicked the chair across the room trying to rid his body of the anger the confrontation had caused.
He’d wasted his time. James knew he should have been open with her. Veronica was different from the women he’d dated.
James grabbed the coiled rope from where he’d placed it and walked out of the room. Cadeon greeted him as he moved back to the club.
“Trouble in paradise?”
“It was never paradise,” James said, grabbing his drink off the table.
“I knew it wasn’t.”
“What do you mean?” James asked, staring at his friend.
“You never cared about where she was.” The few words made James angry. “Before you start ranting and raving at me, let me explain. When she was around, you had no desire to keep her clamped to your side. The men she served drinks to would touch her butt, and yet, you wouldn’t respond.”
James listened, not liking what the other guy was saying.
“There is a reason we’re who we are, James. If she was the right woman it wouldn’t matter where you were. No man would be allowed to touch her without your anger rising. Your need to know where she was would consume your every waking moment. If Veronica was your woman then you wouldn’t be down here training a sub. You’d be wherever she was.”
“Maybe my father was wrong. This is in my blood. The possessive crap is not.”
“It is not crap. You’ll sense it with the right woman.”
“Have you found it yet?” James asked.
Cadeon smiled. “I’ve not felt the full pull of possession and need. I’ve sensed it with some women I’ve dated. There is a woman out there for me. I’m waiting for her to fall right into my arms or my office. In fact, I wouldn’t care where she fell as long as I was the man to catch her.”
James smiled at his friend’s description, unable to argue with his words. Veronica hadn’t invoked that kind of need, but he’d thought she was the one. He thought about Prudence, her younger sister. He’d never see her again, and he knew he’d miss her. James hoped she got everything she wanted out of life. She was sweet and deserved so much happiness.
He didn’t understand why he felt a sudden twang in his heart at the thought of Prudence happy with another man. James really wanted her to get everything she wanted out of life.