I see you decided to go about this the hard way.—The Taskmaster
Beyond the message, what freaked her out more was that it was sent via interoffice chat. Holy fuck, did the blackmailer work for NNN? Her fingers flew over the keyboard.
Who are you? How did you get that picture? Do you work here?
The reply was almost instant.
I don’t think you’re in a position to ask questions.
She was typing out a reply when the next message popped up.
You have 24 hrs to get me the next club’s location. You think that picture’s bad, wait until your entire office sees the ones you actually posed for.
He knew and he had the pictures. Damn it, Luke. But in reality she should have been cursing herself. She was the one who allowed him to take the pictures in the first place.
Fine. You win, she replied.
I always do.
The interoffice chat box disappeared and she picked up her phone to call the IT Department.
“Hello, Ms. Bishop. How can I help you?”
“Can you tell me which employee has the chat name Taskmaster?”
“Management doesn’t allow nicknames like that.”
She took a deep breath so she wouldn’t take her anger out on the poor guy who had the bad luck to take her call. “I know that. Can you do a quick search anyway?”
“Sure, I don’t have anything better to do. Hold on.”
From the other end of the phone came the sound of typing and then silence.
“No, ma’am. No Taskmaster.” He made no attempt to hide his I told you so tone.
“Thank you,” she said and hung up.
What were the odds someone hacked into the company’s computer system? It would make sense. Especially since the chat message arrived almost immediately after she opened the e-mail. Or had someone simply hacked into her computer?
Either way, it looked as if she was going to have to talk to Luke sooner than she’d anticipated. With a sigh, she reached for her phone and dialed.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Luke?”
“Meagan?” His voice was tinged with disbelief.
“What the hell did you do with those pictures of me you took fifteen years ago?”
There was silence from the other end of the phone. She got up and closed her office door. “I’m waiting.”
“Which pictures?”
“Don’t which pictures me. The ones of me naked. Do you have them?”
“Jesus, Meagan. What’s this about? Of course I have them.”
“Can anyone get to them?”
“Not unless they go through me first.”
His assurance didn’t ease her panic. “I want them.”
“Okay. No problem.” He paused before continuing. “Is everything okay?”
Her heart had stopped pounding once he told her she could have the pictures. She took a deep breath and tried to sound normal. “Yes, it’s only someone I know had some pictures leaked and I thought about the ones you had.”
“Should I bring them by your office?”
“No.” She made up her mind quickly. It wasn’t that much of a decision: her life versus talking with Luke about his offer. “Why don’t we get together and talk about the photo book thing. You can bring them then. Can you meet tonight?”
* * *
Luke shook his head as he shoved his phone back in his pocket, but he couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Meagan called. And she said she wanted to talk about the shoot. He couldn’t fathom what had changed her mind, but he was glad it did. He knew there was a reason he never got around to telling Rick, his partner bankrolling the book, that she wasn’t interested and they’d have to find another model.
Even better, she’d asked him to dinner. Granted, she insisted it was a business dinner and not a date. “So don’t go getting any ideas,” she’d said.
Useless words, he’d almost told her. When it came to her, he had nothing but ideas. Still, for the time being, he’d play it her way. The important thing was they were going to have dinner and at least talk about the upcoming photography project. He smiled. It was more than he thought possible after visiting her office.
He’d never quite forgiven himself for the way things ended with Meagan all those years ago. Young and relatively inexperienced, he’d taken the cover shots of her and later that night invited her to dinner, which led to round after round of hot and heavy sex. He had been on top of the world: his photography was doing well and he had Meagan in his bed. She’d been his every fantasy come to life: smart, sexy, and willing to experiment in bed. He’d never been in love before, but during those short few weeks with Meagan, he’d fallen hard and fast. So much so that he didn’t stop to think about anything other than how perfect things were.
But a more experienced photographer, one he considered a mentor and friend, found out about his affair with Meagan and strongly suggested he call an end to it. Luke didn’t regret ending the relationship. Looking back now, it was unprofessional and sent the wrong message to any potential models. He did, however, regret that she’d been hurt. Seeing it from her perspective, he’d gone from hot to cold in a matter of days.
He couldn’t change the past; all he could do was make the present better.
He pushed open the door to his latest BDSM club and nodded at the security guard. Nathaniel West had messaged him earlier, asking for a brief call, and Luke expected his phone to ring any minute. If he had to guess, he’d assume it was about the club the two men planned to build in Wilmington, Delaware. Damn, he hoped it didn’t interfere with the picture book. He knew Meagan said she only wanted to talk, but he knew he could convince her to do the job if he could just talk to her about it some more.
Construction in Delaware might throw a kink in his plans.
His phone rang as soon as he sat down at his desk. “Nathaniel, hello.”
“Hey, Luke. Thanks for agreeing to talk on such short notice. We’re heading out this afternoon and I’m not going to be easily accessible for the next week.”
“Going somewhere fun with Abby?”
“And the kids. We’re going to our chalet in Switzerland. First time we’re taking the kids.”
He felt a ping of jealously. Nathaniel was one lucky SOB with his gorgeous wife and submissive, and they had two great kids. But he also knew that, just like anything worth having, the Wests worked hard on their relationship.
“I hope you and Abby manage to get some alone time,” he half joked.
“That’s what nap time is for, my friend.”
Luke laughed. “I hear you. So tell me what’s going on.”
He heard Nathaniel sigh and a chair squeak as he leaned back. “I heard back from Fritz Brose.”
Fritz was the contractor they wanted for the Partners Club in Delaware. He’d been recommended by Cole Johnson, one of the senior group members. Luke had never worked with Fritz, but had heard of him and, after talking with Fritz in person, both he and Nathaniel knew he was the man for the job.
“What did he have to say?”
“His schedule isn’t going to allow for him to be in the States for any length of time, much less to start on the club, for at least another six months.”
Luke breathed a sigh of relief. “To be honest, that’s not bad news for me. I potentially have a project that’s going to take up a lot of my time. Six months would allow me to complete it.”
“Same for me. I’m rearranging my executive staff in New York and I need to focus on that. Well, when I get back into the country, that is.”
“Do you want me to call Fritz back and tell him we’re okay with the time frame?”
“No, I can take care of it.”
After he got off the phone with Nathaniel, Luke leaned back in his chair and smiled. For the moment, everything was going his way. Now he just needed to get Meagan on board. . . .
* * *
That night, Luke sat in a Manhattan deli waiting for Meagan to show up. Everything had been her i
dea, from the time they met, to the location. Had it been up to Luke, he’d have picked her up and taken her to a nice restaurant. But instead, he’d let Meagan have her way and that meant the entire vibe for the evening screamed, This is not a date!
As if he needed the reminder.
She must have felt the need to prove she wasn’t lying the least bit, because she walked in ten minutes late, talking on her cell phone, and barely acknowledged his existence. Without giving any sort of indication that she even knew he was there, she slid into the corner booth he’d selected, sat down, and continued her conversation.
“Right,” she was saying to whoever was on the phone. “That’s the angle I thought we should take.” She paused to let the person on the other end talk. “But what else would you expect?”
Luke cleared his throat. She glanced his way for the first time and held up a hand.
“Yes,” she continued. “I agree. Talk it over and call me back.”
“Don’t let me keep you from anything,” Luke said.
“You’re not.” She put the phone in her purse, and placed her hands in her lap. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
“I’m at your disposal whenever you need me.” Was it just him or did she look uncomfortable? She fidgeted in her seat and her eyes swept the deli. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes. Sorry. It’s been a strange week. Nothing major.”
He didn’t believe her. There was something going on. Something more than just a strange week. But for the moment, he would let it slide.
“I was surprised to get your call,” he said, bringing the conversation back to why they were sitting at the same table on a definitely not a date get-together. He passed her the envelope containing the nude pictures he’d taken of her years ago. “That’s all of them. I don’t even have copies. Now, what additional information can I give you about the art project?”
“Can you give me a feel for the pictures? Will I be alone or will there be a Dom in the scene with me? Will I be naked? Is there any way to conceal my identity? I really don’t want people to know I’m doing this. If I agree, that is.”
Luke bit back his laugh. “One question at a time, sweetheart.”
She flopped back in her chair and crossed her arms, but didn’t say anything. Clearly, she was waiting for him to say something.
“You’ll probably be naked for some of the photographs, but don’t worry. This isn’t pornography. It’s an art book. And as of right this second, I don’t foresee bringing a Dom in, but you never know. And we can work it out to where your name isn’t listed and your face isn’t visible.”
She nodded. “What’s your time frame?”
“I would like to get the project wrapped up in the next few months.”
“And if I agree to this, how long will it take and when will you need me?”
“I know you’re busy and have a demanding job. I think we could get together weekends only. Maybe Saturdays?”
“It’s because of my job that I don’t want it public that I’m the model.”
Her request made perfect sense and shouldn’t be a problem. He could only imagine how difficult it might make her job if word got out she’d posed for a BDSM photography book. No matter how artful it was. “Of course, Meagan. I wouldn’t want to do anything that caused you trouble or made you uncomfortable.”
She didn’t answer right away, but pulled out her phone. He assumed she was checking her calendar. Since her attention was elsewhere, he could study her without her feeling uncomfortable.
She was a stunning woman, and the way she sat with her head bent down made her hair swing forward. The late-afternoon sun rays touched the blond strands, bringing out such beautiful hues, he doubted there were names for all of them. His fingers itched to pick up his camera and capture everything.
Their time together had been short-lived, but left a permanent impression on him. She’d been relatively inexperienced sexually when they were together, and he’d already been heavily involved in the BDSM scene. He’d thought he’d surprise her that weekend when he brought the rope out. But the real surprise turned out to be her and how much she enjoyed everything they did together. The sight of her discovering her submissive nature had been one of the most beautiful and erotic things he’d ever witnessed.
Damn, he’d been an idiot to leave her.
He’d been wrong to walk away from her the way he had. It had been for the best they broke up, but he’d gone about it the wrong way. She’d been vulnerable, trying to come to terms with her newly discovered sexuality. He knew that now. He might have called himself a Dom, but he’d still had a lot to learn.
“Okay,” she said, looking up. “I’m not saying I’m definitely going to do it, but I’ll agree to one session to see if I want to continue.”
He nodded and tried to cover up his excitement. He’d get her in his studio and do everything within his power to make sure she’d come back. “I can work with that.”
“Can you start this weekend or will you be busy with your club?”
“I can start this weekend. The New Jersey club is doing well and the staff can handle a day without me.”
Her head tilted. “I was sort of surprised you ended up building clubs, what with you being artsy and all.”
“Photography became a side venture for me. I like managing the clubs, providing space for people to play safely.”
“How many do you have now?”
“Two as of today. Nathaniel and I are planning to build one in Wilmington, Delaware, but the contractor isn’t available at the moment, so the timelines for that one have been moved back.”
“That’ll be good for the Partner’s Group. I’m assuming that’s who it’s for?”
“Yes, Nathaniel said they needed a place to get together. Apparently, at the moment, they normally get together at another member’s house.” Luke recalled she worked with Abby; he needed to remember that. Something had happened between the two women early in Abby’s employment. From the pieces he’d been able to put together, whatever it was hadn’t been completely Meagan’s fault, though she had been negligent. To this day, Luke could tell Nathaniel didn’t care too much for her.
“I can see how they’d want to get the new place built quickly,” she said.
“Yes, well, some things can’t be helped.” And he’d put off working on the club for years if it meant he would be able to have Meagan in front of his camera again.
“Anything in particular I need to do or bring this weekend? And where are we going to shoot?”
“I’ll have everything we need. And”—he watched her carefully for the next part—“I have a studio at my house. If you’re comfortable with that, we could do everything there.”
She sucked in the corner of her lip and bit it. “That should be fine.”
“If meeting at my house makes you uncomfortable, I can book a studio.” It wouldn’t be optimal, but he’d do it in order to have her.
“No, it’s okay. That’ll be fine.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I trust you.”
Her words hit him squarely in the chest. That she could trust him, even after the botched-up way he’d left things years ago, touched him deeply. “Thank you, Meagan.”
* * *
Damn. Damn. And triple damn. Meagan glanced at the time on her laptop. It was almost midnight and she had to get the e-mail to The Taskmaster. She wasn’t about to have a naked picture of herself sent out to every person who worked at NNN.
Truthfully, she hadn’t anticipated being out so late. Dinner with Luke had run a bit longer than she planned. After agreeing to do the one session and getting the information about the club he was building with Nathaniel, she couldn’t just up and leave the table. She hated to admit it, but Luke had been right when he came by her office that day. There was unfinished business between them and she really wanted to do at least one photo shoot with him.
It would be useless to deny how thoughts of their last one affected her still. The way he??
?d looked at her with an intensity so strong he may as well have been touching her. Then, when he did touch her, even if he was only positioning her . . . God, she was an idiot, but she wanted to feel his hands on her again.