I Spy a Dark Obsession

more of those Franklins will find their way into your savings account.”

Lenny froze, no doubt calculating all he could do with ten thousand dollars. Buy a car that actually ran or pay the rent for a few months, maybe even have some left over to buy something nice for the girlfriend. He nodded, and Dietz resisted the urge to outwardly gloat.

“Very good. Until tomorrow.”

Draining his beer, he disappeared through the crowd the way he’d come. A surge of dark anticipation hummed in his veins. In a little more than twenty-four hours, the loss of all Dietz’s plans and dreams would be avenged.

And Dietz would be on a plane to the Caribbean to liberate his money from the numbered account. A plastic surgeon waited on the other end, his new life bought and paid for.

He’d live with the hand dealt him. But not before doing some dealing of his own.

Lenny stared at Robert Dietz’s retreating back, heart thudding against his ribs. Holy shit. Ten fucking thousand dollars. Jesus, the things he could do with the cash.

But the green would be dripping with dark red. He wasn’t stupid. Dietz and Ross were circling each other like a couple of ravenous sharks, and if he went along with Dietz…

Ross would die. Simple as that.

But what do I owe him, really?

Plenty. The man had been good to him. Paid him fair and square for good tips.

But not ten thousand. Nothing ever close. And Lenny was hurting for the money, bad. Would Ross double the amount if he brought him in on Dietz’s scheme? Maybe.

But if Ross failed, Lenny was a dead man for pulling a fast one on a rabid animal like Dietz.

Fuck, fuck! What to do?

In the end, he worked his shift, bided his time. And tried not to think about how he had to betray a good man so that a really nasty motherfucker would walk away free.

Michael found Bastian sitting alone on the sofa in the darkened den off the formal living room, swirling a glass of amber liquid. Moonlight caressed his lover’s hair, gilding it in silvery gold and playing over his fine features.

Does he have any idea how beautiful he is?

A stupid question. Michael knew he didn’t, which made the man all the more desirable. He moved into the room, not bothering to hide his presence. “I woke up and you weren’t in bed with us. Can’t sleep?”

His friend looked up from his glass. “No. Sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t.” He sat on the sofa next to the other man. “Bad dreams?”

“Something like that.”

“Tell me.”

Silence stretched out for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “I woke up crying. I never do that, but I felt such despair. Stupid, huh?”

Michael laid a palm on his friend’s pajama-clad thigh. He couldn’t help but note the man had on no shirt, and the drawstring pants were oh, so thin. “Fear is never stupid because it often has roots in reality. The dream was just feelings? Nothing specific?”

“Not really.”

“What does that mean? Tell me what you remember,” he said firmly.

“You were dead, okay?” His voice broke. “You were dead, and I knew Katrina and I were next, and nothing else mattered. I was suffocating and I welcomed death because you were gone and…”

Michael took the glass from Bastian’s hand, set it on the coffee table. Then he pulled his friend into his arms and held him tight, lending his warmth to the chilled skin. “I’m not going to die,” he said, and willed it to be true. “I’m not leaving either of you, and we’re all going to be fine. I’m not going to allow Dietz to win the war, Bastian. Know that, and trust me.”

The other man shuddered. “You know I do.”

“Good.” He kissed the side of his friend’s head. “I think I have just the plan to help us both blow off enough steam so that we’ll sleep like babies. It involves some role-playing and it might get intense, though.”

Bastian gave a shaky laugh. “Are you kidding? Count me in.”

“You don’t even know what I’m going to do to you.”

“Doesn’t matter. I trust you.” He paused. “Can we go bareback?”

A thrill shot to every cell in Michael’s body. “I’m clean. You?”

“Yes. So is Katrina.” Pulling back, he looked Michael in the eye. “Earlier, she and I didn’t use anything. We should have discussed it together with you first, but we got carried away. I’m sorry.”

“I wouldn’t trust anyone else except you two,” he said seriously. “I’m in this for the duration, so if you want to go natural, I’m in — as long as it’s just that way between the three of us. If we play with others, we glove up. And we don’t play outside our trio without us all being on the same page,” he added with a sudden spurt of jealousy. Bastian’s fling with sweet little Cory still rankled.

“Agreed.”

Happy with this development, he stood and pulled Bastian to his feet. “Come on. I have another room we can use so we don’t wake our sleeping beauty.”

Bastian’s eyes locked with his, filled with longing. Need. Heat spread through his limbs, familiar yet new at the same time. As incredible as the fact seemed to him, he’d never been alone with Bastian this way. Not once, excluding when Bastian had blown him in the limo. And he suddenly couldn’t fathom why.

Michael arched a brow, lips turning up in a sensual smile. “This way.”

Bastian followed him through the den and down a short hallway. At the end, they turned right and walked into a spare bedroom that Michael had obviously prepared before coming to get him.

Eyes wide, he studied the scene. This room was as gorgeous as any other on Michael’s estate, done in dark chocolate tones. A huge king-sized bed provided the centerpiece, a mirror on the ceiling above it. Four massive oak posts were adorned with leather restraints. Secured to the headboard was a new addition to the room: a length of silver chain attached to a leather collar.

Oh, shit! He jerked his gaze from the bed.

“I’m not a Dom, like Blaze, but sometimes I like a dangerous edge to sex. Like when I fucked Katrina in the alley behind the club, no matter who might be around. This could get rougher. Is that going to be a problem?”

“N-no.” His cock was already making a large tent in his pajama bottoms to prove his eagerness.

“Good. Remember, no matter what happens in this room, it’s just me, and I won’t really hurt you — at least not more than you can handle. Okay?”

“Yes.” God, yes. Take me!

“Safe word? Because ‘no’ sometimes means ‘yes,’ and we need a word that means ‘stop.’ ”

“Sable.”

“Sable?”

He flushed. “The color of your hair.”

Michael looked pleased. “All right. Sable, and I stop.”

“I trust you.”

Michael seized his arm, abruptly flinging him against the wall with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. The man pressed close, resting his palms on either side of Bastian’s head. His lips hovered near, whispered a dark promise.

“I’m going to make you scream.”

“No.” He slipped into his part easily, caught up in this wicked side of Michael. So frightening, yet exciting.

“Oh yeah.”

Michael kicked his legs apart and settled between them, fitting every hard contour of his perfect body to his own. The huge bulge in his friend’s boxer briefs evidenced his desire, and Bastian was helpless to stop the answering fire beginning to consume him. The other man ground his hips in slow circles, teasing.

His breath caught as Michael buried one hand in his hair, cupped his face with the other. Slowly, he lowered