“Four thirty.” She let him tilt her head back again, rinsing the shampoo from her locks. “I have to be at the club by five thirty tonight.”

  “You’re working tonight?” He’d memorized her schedule a long time ago. She and Bridget traded off so neither had to work both nights the club was open.

  As he retrieved the conditioner from the shelf, she answered, “Bridget asked if I’d cover her prep work tonight. She had an appointment or something and can’t get there until six thirty.”

  That was good. He had plans for her tonight. “I’ll drop you at work this morning and pick you up.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I can—” The look on his face must have been enough to stop her because she lowered her gaze. “Yes, Sir.”

  Daniel finished washing her and himself, then turned off the water. He grabbed his towel and began drying her off, starting at her hair and working his way down...lingering on the important bits. He lifted one of her feet to dry it, and she held on to his shoulders. His muscles rippled in response to her touch. He wanted her again. It would be so easy to turn her around, bend her over the counter, and take what he wanted, but instead, he finished drying her before padding to the closet to get another towel for himself.

  Ali headed to her room to dress, while he did the same. He knew it was a good idea to keep things as separate as possible. She needed her space. They shouldn’t get too comfortable with each other. It would be easier when this thing between them was over. But he wanted her things mingled with his. He wanted to see her lacy undergarments in his dresser.

  Shaking those thoughts away, he finished tucking his shirt into his pants, then headed into the kitchen to start breakfast.

  He dropped Ali off in front of her office at seven twenty, then drove to one of his renovation projects. The contractors were getting set up for the day, the sound of boots thudding on the subfloor at the back of the house greeting him the moment he walked through the front door.

  Daniel followed the sounds, knowing he’d find his project manager. Luke had been with him for the last five years and the man had a memory like no one else he’d ever met. If there’d been some sort of interaction with Grant Jacobson regarding one of Daniel’s remodeling projects, Luke would know.

  When he didn’t see the man, he called out, “Luke?”

  “Over here.” The voice came from one of the back bedrooms.

  Heading in the direction of Luke’s voice, Daniel entered the master bedroom, but there was no one there. “Where the hell are you?”

  The sound of Luke’s laughter led him to the master bathroom.

  When he stepped into the connecting room, he found his foreman standing in the floor. Not on the floor. In the floor. “What happened in here?”

  Luke pushed himself out of the hole. “I noticed the tub was leaning a little last night and was going to investigate it this morning. But when I got here, I found this.”

  The bathtub had busted a hole in the subfloor and was now sitting on dirt. Thank goodness they had the water turned off, or they would have even more issues.

  It wasn’t the first time they’d found something like this, and it wouldn’t be the last. Many of the houses Daniel took on were in less than stellar condition. It was why he could get them at a good price. Of course, that also meant an unknown number of surprises along the way. “Send me an estimate on how much fixing this is going to add to the budget.”

  “Will do.” Luke stood and brushed off his jeans. “So what brings you out to the job site this early in the day? I wasn’t expecting you to stop by till next week.”

  They left the disaster of a bathroom behind, making their way into the main part of the house. “Do you recall ever having dealt with a man named Grant Jacobson?”

  Luke thought for a long moment. “Not that I can recall. No.” He paused. “Why?”

  Daniel shook his head. “The name sounded familiar, but I can’t place it.”

  “Well, you’ve met a lot of people over the years. It’s possible you’ve had dealings with him, and I haven’t.”

  That was true. And it also narrowed down the possibilities of where he may have encountered the person or the name. Either that, or he’d met him before he’d brought Luke on board. “I’m sure it will come to me.”

  Luke nodded. “Do you want to see the rest of the house while you’re here?”

  Daniel spent the next thirty minutes going through the house with Luke. They talked about adding a patio onto the back and discussed what he wanted to do with the yard.

  It was after nine before he made it to the office, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Daniel didn’t keep normal business hours. Kevin looked up as he walked in. “I put today’s listings on your desk. And James called about fifteen minutes ago.”

  His youngest son had a habit of calling his office rather than his cell. He had no idea why. “Thanks.”

  James answered on the first ring. And instead of saying hello, he dove right into the conversation. “You made it into the office.”

  Daniel chuckled. “I did. But you know you can always call my cell phone.”

  “That’s okay. It wasn’t an emergency or anything. I wanted to ask if you were doing anything next weekend.”

  “I don’t believe so,” Daniel said. But even as the words came out of his mouth, he thought of Ali. “What’s next weekend?”

  “I have an event in St. Louis and I wanted to know if you’d like to come.”

  “Of course. I’ll get your room ready at the house.” Again, his thoughts went to Ali. He’d never introduced his kids to women he’d dated. It was different now, he knew. They were all adults, but still. What would they think of him being with a woman almost half his age?

  “No need. I have to change between events, so I’m sharing a room at the hotel with a friend.”

  Why did it feel as if fifty pounds had been lifted off his shoulders? “All right. Well, let me know where I need to be and when.”

  “I’ll email you the info. Thanks, Dad.” James paused. “I should go. I need to get some extra training in before next week.”

  After saying goodbye, Daniel considered what to say to Ali. He’d told her about his kids, but telling her about them and meeting them were two different things. Would she even want to?

  Running a hand over his head, he pushed those thoughts aside. There would be time enough to figure out what he was going to do once James sent him the information.

  He scooped up the listings Kevin had placed on his desk but didn’t see anything of interest. Setting them aside, he moved on to other pressing matters. Grant Jacobson.

  A quick computer search didn’t garner him much information. He now had the man’s employment history, but that was about it. Grant Jacobson had worked in nearly every aspect of healthcare administration, floating from position to position, not spending longer than two years at any given job. But with every move, he’d worked his way up the ladder and was now the senior vice president of marketing at the largest hospital in St. Louis.

  Daniel didn’t know what he’d been hoping to find—maybe a huge lawsuit from a former employee—but there was nothing. To make matters worse, the man looked like a choir boy. His blue eyes smiled at the camera, presenting a likable and approachable image.

  Then, there was something in the man’s smile. A note of recognition tickled the edge of Daniel’s brain again. He had seen the man before. The place was still evading him, but they’d met. If he could figure out where, that would go a long way to figuring out his next move.

  CHAPTER 14

  Ali was counting down the minutes until she could leave. Her boss was being a special kind of irritating today. He’d started off by grilling her about the fundraiser. What time had she got there? Who had she sat with? How long did she stay?

  Then, as the day progressed, he had her running from department to department, trying to get surveys filled out regarding the current marketing materials each department had. Her suggestion to send the survey via email to each department head was met with a scowl and a quick dismissal. She’d spent the better part of four hours walking through the entire hospital. Her feet were killing her.

  At four o’clock, her boss called her into his office. “Yes, Mr. Jacobson?”

  “I need you to stay late tonight and go through this stack of surveys. All the data needs imputed into a spreadsheet. I need it ready for my meeting Monday morning.” He handed her the surveys she’d put on his desk two hours earlier.

  Ali took the papers but didn’t move.

  When her boss realized she hadn’t left, he looked up, frowning. “Is there a problem, Ms. Foster?”

  “I can’t work late tonight. I already have plans.”

  “Your date can wait.” He turned his attention back to whatever he was working on.

  She didn’t know what to do. Staying wasn’t an option. Not only was Daniel coming to pick her up in half an hour, but she’d also promised Bridget she’d cover for her.

  “You’re still here.”

  Ali cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jacobson, but I really can’t stay tonight. When is your meeting Monday morning?”

  He scowled at her. “Ten o’clock.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. She could come in early on Monday and get it done. Three hours should be plenty of time. “I’ll come in early Monday morning and get everything entered. Would you prefer a printout, or would you like me to email it to you?” She sounded confident, but inside she was shaking.

  Grant Jacobson stared her down and she almost gave in. If it weren’t for her other commitments, she would have. “Both.”

  Blowing out the breath she’d been holding, she nodded, turned on her heel, and hightailed it out of there before he could demand something else from her.

  Her boss was still sitting behind his desk when she logged off her computer at four thirty. Ali gathered her things and headed to the elevator. She chatted to a few people she knew on the way down to the lobby, but all she wanted to do was get out of there.

  As soon as the elevator doors opened, she made a beeline for the front doors. Daniel was parked out front, waiting for her. A feeling of calm came over her at seeing him sitting behind the wheel.

  He watched her as she approached the vehicle, his gaze raking over her from head to toe. She opened the door to the SUV and slid into the passenger seat. Once she was buckled in, he pulled away from the curb and headed toward the club. It wasn’t until they were on their way that he spoke. “What happened?”

  “How did you know something happened?” she asked.

  Daniel gave her a look that said he expected an answer.

  Ali sighed and leaned back in her seat. “My boss had me running all over the hospital today, so my feet are killing me. And I have to come in early Monday so I can get a spreadsheet ready for a meeting he has at ten.”

  “Why did he have you running all over the hospital?” His tone was even and to someone who didn’t know him, they would think he was only making conversation. She knew better. He wasn’t happy.

  She told Daniel about the surveys. His response had been the same as hers. “Why not just email them to each department?”

  “He said he couldn’t wait for the department heads to get around to it when they felt like it. That he needed it done today.”

  Daniel frowned as he pulled into the parking lot of Serpent’s Kiss. From the outside, the club blended into its surroundings. The brick building had been there for over one hundred years, as had several other buildings in the neighborhood.

  She waited in the passenger seat until Daniel came around to help her out of the vehicle. He retrieved her bag from the back seat with her change of clothes and placed a hand on her low back as they walked toward the club. “We’re going to discuss your job situation this weekend in more detail, but I want you to forget about it for the rest of the night.”

  He opened the door, letting them inside the small foyer. She didn’t say anything as he swiped his membership card to let them into the lobby area where she typically worked the coat check. No one was there, of course. It was still early. Club members wouldn’t begin arriving until six thirty or seven.

  Helping her out of her jacket, he hung both items behind the coat check, then handed Ali’s bag to her. “I need to speak to Katrina about something, but I’ll be around if you need me.”

  “Yes, Sir.” They may not be playing right now, but they were in the club and he was her Dom.

  Daniel brushed his thumb along her cheek, then bent to give her a soft kiss. Opening the door that led to the club, he motioned for her to enter.

  Ali waited until he disappeared down the hallway that led to Katrina’s office before making her way to the locker room. She needed to change into her club attire.

  Her heels echoed in the empty locker room. She set her bag on the bench in front of her locker and began removing her clothes. When she opened her bag, she found a note.

  Meet me upstairs at six forty-five. Room four.

  She knew they would most likely be playing tonight, but the note had blood pumping through her veins in anticipation. The urge to get her work done so she could be ready for him had her moving with renewed energy.

  Knowing she wasn’t working the entire night and that she now had a Dom, Ali had chosen an outfit she thought Daniel would like. After his reaction to her red lingerie the night before, she’d chosen something similar. The bra was all lace. It came up high, giving the illusion of modesty, but it was anything but. The lacy flowers on the panties were strategically placed to hint at the important bits but keep them hidden.

  Over her bra and panties, she wore a purple dress. It was tight, hugging her curves and hiding what she had on beneath.

  After taking a long look at herself in the mirror, Ali folded her dress clothes into her bag and shoved all of it into her locker. She had a lot of work to do before she could play, and she needed to get started.

  Katrina sat at her desk, her wavy blond hair cascading over her shoulders as she read the paper in front of her. He tapped lightly on the doorframe, and she looked up.

  “Got a minute?” Daniel asked.

  “Sure. Come in.” She tucked the papers into a folder and pushed them aside. A new application, no doubt. “You’re here early tonight.”

  “Ali agreed to cover the prep for Bridget tonight.” Daniel closed the door behind him before taking a seat across from her.

  One side of the club mistress’s mouth lifted in a smirk. “I see.”

  “I’ve agreed to be Ali’s Dom.” He figured he’d put it out there. It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t have figured it out in an hour or so anyway. News traveled fast in the club. He had no doubt that within minutes of him entering a playroom with Ali, Katrina and over half the club would know about it.

  Katrina sat back in her leather chair. She was already dressed for the night in her signature corset and even over the desk he could appreciate the way the silk and lace hugged her body. It was why she had the uncollared male subs in the club drooling after her. “I’m assuming you don’t need me to provide either of you with a limits list, so what is it I can do for you this evening?”

  “I need a background check ran on someone and I need it to be discreet.”

  She nodded, not asking him who or why, and turned her attention to her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard. When she was finished, she returned to her relaxed position. “He should be giving you a call within the next twenty-four hours. It’ll be from an unknown number.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Daniel had met the private investigator Katrina used to screen applicants once before by chance. She didn’t advertise who she used, and Daniel knew he was one of the few members who’d had any direct contact with him.

  He walked to the door, closing his hand over the knob. As he was walking out the door, he heard Katrina’s parting words. “Don’t break her heart.”

  Daniel strolled into the hall, leaving the door open behind him. He headed to the main room, following the sound of ice being poured into the large wells behind the bar.

  As he approached, Brandon grinned. “I’m not quite ready yet, but I’m sure I can whip you up something.”

  Taking a seat at the bar, Daniel waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m good. Just killing some time. Is Ali still upstairs?”

  Brandon nodded. “She should be down in ten minutes or so.”

  Daniel spent the next fifteen minutes chatting with Brandon as he prepared garnishes and stocked the bar. The click of heels on stairs drew his attention. He watched as Ali eased her way down the staircase, her steps more tentative than usual. Why the hell is she still wearing those damn heels?

  She glanced toward the bar and met his gaze. Daniel quirked his finger, beckoning her to him.

  Ali made her way over, and he could have sworn he saw her wince a couple of times. She came to a stop in front of him and he wasted no time with pleasantries. “Take off your shoes.”

  Bracing herself on one of the bar stools, she stepped out of her shoes.

  Daniel was keenly aware of their audience, but he didn’t care. “Put them in your locker with the rest of your things. You won’t need them for the rest of the night.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  She bent, picked up her shoes, and headed toward the locker room.

  “Well, now. That’s a new development,” Brandon said once Ali was out of earshot.

  Daniel figured this was going to be a reoccurring theme throughout the night. He didn’t have time to discuss it with him, though. “Is Cooper here yet?”

  Brandon chuckled, not missing the dismissal and not bothered by it. “Yeah. Upstairs.”

  Nodding, Daniel stood and made his way to the second floor. One of Ali’s jobs was to set up any rooms that had been reserved for the first half of the night. He’d reserved room number four, but he’d given no instructions as to how he wanted it set up.