Page 19 of Ravage (Dark Desires #1)

HAVEN'T YOU WORKED IT OUT YET?

CAM

I have absolutely no idea what I've signed up for after letting Annika set up this date for me, but when Imogen opens the front door of her apartment, pretty much all thoughts disappear from my brain.

The woman is a vision, wearing a skintight black dress that accentuates every curve of her perfect body. She's left her hair loose, the deep brown locks cascading down her back in soft waves.

I swallow as my gaze drifts down her body, taking it all in. "You look... fuck..."

She smiles and cocks her head to the side. "I think that was a compliment..."

"Ah yeah, definitely a compliment." I step forward and press a kiss to her cheek.

Her eyebrows raise, and she lifts a hand to her cheek. "What was that?"

"Me being a gentleman."

She snorts. "A gentleman? "

I cross my arms and smirk. "That's right. Despite our previous interactions, I'm not all bad."

"Oh, I don't know. At least one of those interactions was downright filthy," she volleys back.

My grin widens. Fuck, I love sparring with this woman.

"Well, I guess we'll see just how filthy we get tonight, then. Once we get to the hate sex, I mean."

"Or we could just get to the hate sex right now." She steps aside and waves her hand to invite me in.

"Nope, sorry. You have to endure the date first before I'm putting out." I remain in the hall, refusing to give in to temptation and pin her against the wall.

She sighs. "Fine, let me get my handbag."

I chuckle as she disappears back inside, reemerging a few moments later with the world's smallest handbag.

"What can you even fit in that?" I ask, eyeing the tiny purse.

"Lipstick, my keys and my phone. What else do I need?"

"True. Okay, let's go." I hold my hand out towards her, and after hesitating for a few seconds, she slides her hand into mine. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

She rolls her eyes. "Don't push your luck, Cam."

I shoot her a grin. "Oh, Imogen... Haven't you worked it out yet?

" I yank her in closer and she smacks into me, steadying herself by placing her other hand on my chest. "Pushing my luck with you has become my new favourite game.

" I crush my lips to hers, and she startles before a little gasp slips out.

She melts into the kiss, the hand at my chest fisting my shirt, while I slide my other hand into her hair, swiping my tongue along her lower lip.

She parts her lips, and I stroke my tongue against hers as she moans.

The little sounds she makes as she whimpers shoot straight to my cock, and I tighten my hold on the back of her head, tugging it back gently so I can kiss her harder.

I lose track of how long we stand there, kissing hungrily in her open doorway. I'm sure if one of her neighbours walked out, they'd get quite the show.

I pull away, breaking the kiss before I abandon this whole date idea and fuck her against the wall.

Her eyes flutter open, and she peers up at me as she struggles to catch her breath.

"Are you trying to make me as horny as possible before the date, so I don't run off?" She asks.

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart."

She narrows her eyes at me. "I could call your bluff and walk back inside."

I laugh. "Off you go, then." She glares at me, but when she doesn't move, I reach past her and pull the door shut. "That's what I thought."

I decided to Uber to Imogen's place, thinking I might need a drink if this date turns out to be a complete bust. Now, we're sitting together in the back of the Uber, heading towards the Valley.

"So... What's the plan for this very important date?" she asks.

"Well, we're going for sushi first. After that is a secret, though." She pouts, and it's fucking adorable. "Not a fan of surprises, Imogen?" I tease.

"No. If you haven't worked out yet, I'm a bit of a control freak."

I lean closer, bringing my lips to her ear. "Except in the bedroom. Because I'm pretty sure you had no problem giving up control when you were calling me sir."

A little shiver runs through her, and I don't miss the way her breath catches in her throat. I sit back, and her eyes flare with arousal as she stares at me. I grin back, enjoying the fact that I can elicit such strong reactions from her.

"You're insufferable," she says finally, and I give a little laugh, shaking my head.

"And you love it."

She narrows her eyes but doesn't argue with me.

Score one for Cam.

The driver drops us off near the entrance of the restaurant, and I walk around to open the door and help Imogen out, weaving our fingers together as we walk inside. She doesn't pull away, which is a very good sign.

The hostess checks for the reservation that Annika made, then leads us towards a secluded booth at the back of the restaurant. The main lights are off, and the low warm light from the lamps lining the walls gives the whole place a seductive air.

I can see why Annika picked this place. It screams 'dark and mysterious', with a hint of romance.

We slide into opposite sides of the booth, and the hostess waves her hand towards the tablet on the table, explaining we place our orders there and pay up when we're done.

Nodding my thanks, she heads back to the front, and I turn to find Imogen watching me thoughtfully.

"Why this place?"

I consider keeping Annika's involvement a secret, but I'm not really interested in lying, so I decide to lay my cards on the table.

"I asked Annika to help make sure whatever we did tonight wouldn't freak you out. She said this place was your favourite restaurant."

She seems surprised, her eyes widening as she considers my words. "Annika helped you?"

"Yeah. Guess she likes me," I say with a grin.

"Hm. How'd you get her number?"

I shrug. "Connell. Which, why the hell has he got her saved as Dirty Girl in his phone?"

She laughs, the first genuine laugh I've ever heard from her, and it's like music to my ears. It's husky and so fucking sexy that I wonder how anyone could possibly avoid falling at her feet.

"On Connell's one and only club night, he and Annika hooked up.

I don't know the details, because Annika has kept it pretty vague when she's talked about it, but from what I can gather, they got up to some pretty fucked up stuff.

And now he refuses to even touch her. But he's so in love with her it's painful to watch, actually. "

I cock my head to the side. "I get that. Connell is pretty stoic and reserved. Annika would probably eat him alive."

She grins. "Yeah. Or he's just as kinky as she is and is scared of admitting it."

I groan. "I do not want to imagine what those two get up to in private. I don't need that mental image."

Her grin grows wider. "Yeah? Not into watching your friend get fucked six ways to Sunday?"

I splutter a laugh when the couple across from us flick a horrified look in our direction.

"That would be a no. I mean, it would probably be hot as hell to see Annika in action, but I don't know that I'd be able to look Connell in the eye afterwards."

She considers my response for a moment. "So, you like the idea of watching Annika fuck someone?"

With anyone else, I would think this was a trap, but I'm working out that Imogen doesn't work that way.

"I definitely wouldn't say no," I say, answering honestly.

The little flare in her eyes tells me that was the right answer.

Deciding it's best to steer the conversation away from sex, I nod towards the tablet at the other end of the table.

"So, what's good here? You order; I eat pretty much everything."

Her lips curve up, and she slides down towards the tablet, scrolling through and selecting a few dishes for us to share. Once she's done, she moves back to sit opposite me again.

"So. Cam."

She sounds so formal that I can't help but grin. "So. Imogen. "

She rolls her eyes but presses on. "What do you like to do when you're not saving the world?"

I consider making a joke about her finally going along with the date idea but decide against it.

"Well, I like to run. I've done a few marathons. I enjoy pushing myself to the limit, just to see how far I can get. I used to be really into rock climbing, but I don’t have as much time for it anymore."

"Oh wow. I wasn't expecting that." She looks impressed.

I cross my arms, leaning back in my seat to study her. "Why, what did you think I'd be into?"

"I don't know. Hanging out with friends. Rescuing puppies. That kind of thing."

I chuckle, shaking my head. "I mean, I do like hanging out with friends, and if a puppy is in danger, I will most certainly try to save it. But I have layers, Imogen."

She nods. "I'm realising that."

"What about you?" I ask.

"I used to draw, but not so much since I lost my business a few years ago. I was too busy working to pick up a pencil, and just never got back into it. And I used to dance."

I shoot her a sympathetic look. "What happened with your business?"

She grimaces. "My business partner was syphoning funds, and by the time I realised it, she'd fled the country, and I was left with all the debt.

I was working three jobs to try and pay the debt off and make sure my former employees weren't left high and dry.

Until I met Sebastian, and he offered me the job at the club. "

"Shit, that sucks. I'm sorry. Did they ever find her? Your ex-partner, I mean?"

She shakes her head. "Not that I know of. She disappeared off the face of the earth, from what I can tell. But I don't let myself dwell on it. People suck most of the time, in my experience. And now I'm out of debt, so I'm just treating it as an important life lesson. "

I take a moment to consider her words, slowly realising why she’s so quick to judge others. Life’s dealt her some pretty rough hands, and it’s left her jaded.

Which I get.

The conversation continues to flow as our food arrives, and she seems to be letting her guard down as the time ticks by. I'm even gifted with a few more of those achingly sexy laughs when I describe some of the more insane stuff I've seen at work.

"So how did you come to work at the club, anyway?

" I ask, turning the conversation back to her after telling her about the couple we'd had to transport to the hospital yesterday morning, when the guy had wedged a butt plug too far up his arse, and his wife had fallen and injured herself when trying to pull it out.

"Nice little segue," she replies, a wry smile playing across her lips. "A friend took me along to a club night."

"Is that how everyone ends up working there? Connell and David both said that was the same way they'd started."

"Mostly. It's not really the sort of place that just anyone could handle working at.

People need to have very open minds to understand that what happens there isn't just about people getting off all the time.

Sebastian and his brother have a reputation for ensuring that everyone who pays to enter comes away with all their fantasies met.

Within reason, of course. They don't allow full blown BDSM stuff like extreme pain. For some of the sex workers, like Annika, the services they offer is like therapy for their clients, helping them understand sides of themselves they’ve never felt safe or comfortable enough to explore.

Some of them do push the limits for some clients when asked, but most of the clients are into exploring things like voyeurism and multiple partners, as you would have seen on Friday night. "

I straighten and regard her thoughtfully. "So, Sebastian saw you were fine with being watched and offered you the job?"

Her lips lift into a slow, seductive smile. "Curious about what I'm into, Cam? "

I lean forward and rest my arms against the edge of the table. Her eyes drift downwards, flaring as she looks at my arms, before meeting my gaze again.

"Maybe. I'd be lying if I said I didn’t want to understand what makes you tick. And given that you had no problem making out with Annika in front of me that night, I'm guessing you enjoy people watching you get off."

She smirks and sits back in her seat. "I don't know if you can handle all the things I'm into."

That definitely has my attention, and I raise an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. A little laugh escapes her lips, a hint of wickedness mixed with her amusement.

"You're not going to tell me?"

"Maybe."

I reach across the table to take her hand in mine, tracing a circle over her palm with my thumb. "If you're worried that I'd judge you, don't be. You'll find I'm pretty open-minded, too."

At that moment, the hostess stops at the end of the table to check if we've enjoyed our meals. Imogen slips her hand from mine, placing both her hands into her lap while I tell the hostess it was all delicious, before asking for the bill.

Imogen clears her throat. "So, what's next on Cam's extraordinary adventure?"

I study her closely for a moment, noticing the change in her body language. Something about our last conversation spooked her, but damned if I know what it was.

Cracking a smile, I shake my head. "All will be revealed shortly." And when that little pout appears once more, it takes all my energy not to kiss it right off those soft, plump lips.