Dangerous Innocence (Five-Leaf-Clover)

A man led me toward a room in the back of the auction house in complete silence. It was equipped with everything a good brothel required: a round bed, a sex swing, floor-to-ceiling mirrors across from the bed, and a wide leather chair; there was a shower stall and a wall full of hooks that held leather flogs, whips, cuffs, and so much more.

My mouth fell open, realizing the predicament I’d gotten myself into. But all was not lost yet. Things could have been a lot worse if someone other than Lorcan Devaney bought me. Right?

Lorcan’s deep voice sounded at the doorway where he exchanged a quick word with the guy. I faced the door, not wanting to turn my back to a man like Lorcan Devaney. He might have connections with Gulliver, but I doubted that would stop him.

My worries were confirmed when Lorcan stepped in and closed the door. The look in his eyes was eager … hungry.

“Miss Killeen, I didn’t expect to see you again so quickly, least of all in a sordid place like this. I’m not sure this is what I’d call a pleasant surprise.”

He flashed his white teeth at me.

“This is a misunderstanding,” I said firmly, trying to hide my fear.

“A misunderstanding, hmm?” He came closer, more like prowled, his dark eyes never leaving me. His hands were stuffed into his pockets in a way that was supposed to suggest relaxation, but his body was too taut for that.

I forced a smile. As Lorcan got closer, the knot in my belly tightened. He was impossibly tall and broad, a stature not easily stuffed into business suits, but he made even that look work. He wasn’t wearing a tie, though. The top two buttons of his white shirt were left open, a hint of trimmed chest hair peeking out.

“I came here hoping I might find information about my sister Imogen. I worry she might have looked for money here.”

“So you decided to sell yourself off for money as well?”

“No!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t know I’d be auctioned off. The bouncer told me I could only enter the building if I had business to conduct.”

His mouth twitched with a mocking smile. “In the Doom Loop we honor contracts. What’s promised is always delivered.” I could hardly breathe from panic as he circled me like a lion stalking its prey.

“Where exactly do you hail from in Ireland? I remember Gulliver mentioning Dublin once,” he asked, allowing his accent to come through.

“Dublin.”

“Where?”

“Temple Bar, Merchant’s Arch, right across from Ha’penny bridge.”

“Looking like an uptight Catholic virgin was a good choice money-wise. All those men were willing to pay a small fortune for the pretense of having your first night. A foolish roleplay if you ask me. A girl like that wouldn’t find herself in a place like Sodom, much less sell her body, and why would anyone want to pay money for someone who doesn’t have any experience to speak of?”

He stopped right in front of me, staring me down. If he wanted to make me feel like an idiot, he was succeeding. His sandalwood scent—maybe leather and cinnamon too, wafted into my nose.

Close to tears, I swallowed thickly. I was close to tears. I was no match against his charisma. He made me want to cower before his powerful aura, but I’d be damned if I didn’t try to hide it. “You didn’t have to buy me. And if I’m not what you expected, you can cancel the deal,” I said in a hushed voice, hoping he’d agree. I couldn’t pay him back the three thousand dollars he paid for me.

His smile broadened and made him look almost boyish for a moment, except for his eyes. Those were keen and sharp, devoid of any humor. They weren’t as dark as they’d appeared from the distance, though. They were a fascinating shade of green that had a darker outer ring.

I was absolutely terrified of him, but at the same time his low, deep voice and manly scent had an almost visceral impact on me. It made me want to lean closer and press my nose into his throat.

“Does that mean you lied when you came to the Doom Loop? That what you offered was a fraud?”

His voice held a threat.

“No … like I said, it was a misunderstanding. I’m not a liar.”

“So I get what you offered for my money?”

He held my gaze as he tugged down the strap of my dress. It slid along my upper arm almost torturously. I couldn’t back out of the deal now. I’d never escape Sodom unscathed if Lorcan Devaney filed a complaint. This place didn’t seem to be kind to those who broke the rules.

His stubble brushed across my shoulder as he leaned in closer. My skin broke out in goose bumps. When he reached my throat and drew in a deep breath, I bit down on my lower lip.

“So the quest for information about your sister brought you here?” His topic change threw me off, which I assumed was his intention.

“Yes. Someone around here must know something.”

“Maybe I could find out something for you.”

“That would be amazing,” I said, my breath halting when his tongue darted out for a taste of my throat. His closeness and touch were wreaking havoc with my capacity to think clearly. The few times Patrick had kissed my throat, it had reminded me of the neighbor’s French Bulldog slobbering all over me. But Lorcan’s mouth against my skin? It sent a tingling through my body that blasted right through my fear.

“I could help you,” Lorcan murmured, “but I’m a business man and everything comes with a price.”

“I’m not going to work for you or sell my body.”

“Technically, I already own your body, at least for tonight. Until sunrise, which gives me plenty of time to discover every inch of it.”

I gulped. “Maybe my uncle can pay back the money you spent on me.”

Lorcan chuckled. “Your uncle spends all his money for expensive cigars and whiskey, or loses it in poker games, Aislinn. He already owes me money, and I won’t add more to his bill.” He pulled back slightly to fix me with a terrifying stare. “I paid for every inch of your body, Aislinn. Or do you want to owe me a debt?”

Lorcan’s eyes burrowed deeply into me, unraveling my control. Part of me wanted to be used by him, maybe to get back at Patrick, or maybe for even worse reasons. I couldn’t think clearly with him so close.

“Won’t it be awkward if you have to confess this to my uncle?” I asked.

His expression hardened. “If this is your attempt at blackmailing me, you should reconsider your options.”

“No! I was just thinking …” But of course, it had been my miserable attempt to use his respect of the church and a priest to get out of this. At least I didn’t threaten him with the police. That would have been suicide. I’d heard enough stories about the Devaneys while working behind the bar at Merchant’s Arch.

“So, which one is it, Aislinn? Will you give me what I paid for or will you owe me a debt? But a word of warning … my interest rates are horribly unjust.”

I glared, despising his condescending tone. Our faces were so close I could see specks of light green in his forest green eyes and a small groove in his chin covered by stubble. I’d only been attracted to guys my age, but my body definitely reacted to his presence with more than terror. “I won’t owe you a debt. If you insist on this deal, then you can take what you want.”

Mum had always made sure I stayed far away from the Irish mob, but even I knew that owing them a debt was a horrible mistake. My mouth ran dry as the words left my lips.

His fingers teased the strap down my other shoulder, and his index finger slid under my neckline. I was glad for the bra I wore until his finger plunged inside. He ran the back of his finger over my nipple, which puckered under the contact. I swallowed a gasp. My body quivered with nerves and to my utter shock … arousal.

He pulled away. “How about you show me what I paid for?”

“You want me to strip?”

He smirked. This entire experience still felt surreal. I wasn’t sure I was really awake.

“Indeed.”

Swallowing, I turned around.

“No,” he said. “I want to see your face when you undress.”

I faced him even as heat rose to my cheeks. He sank down on a chair, his arms stretched out on the armrests and his legs parted confidently. A sick curiosity took hold of me as ny gaze was drawn to his crotch.

Head held high, my chin jutting out, I refused to let him intimidate me even if he held all the power. My fingers trembled when I touched the first button of my dress and popped it open. I focused on the buttons and not on the man intently watching me. To my surprise, I got a kick out of knowing he was watching me with rapt attention as I took my time.

If Patrick had ever asked me to strip, I would have refused. Lorcan’s intense gaze was more of an aphrodisiac than anything Patrick did. Something was horribly wrong with me and if I ever escaped the Doom Loop, I’d take my time pondering the matter.

“Look at me while you undress,” he ordered, and I couldn’t refuse the command in his voice. I dragged my gaze up until it crossed his penetrating stare.

My mouth became dry as my fingers worked on the remaining buttons of my summer dress revealing the simple white underwear beneath. I wasn’t wearing something sexy for the occasion. After all, I hadn’t known I would end up selling my body in the Doom Loop. Not that I owned anything remotely sexy, especially not underwear. I never had a reason to buy lingerie. Patrick and I had always fooled around in the dark.

I pushed the dress down my shoulders and it pooled at my feet. Lorcan’s mouth twitched when he glimpsed my underwear. “Very practical,” he said.

His condescending tone drove heat into my cheeks, but anger began to simmer in a familiar way in the pit of my belly. I rarely lost my temper, but when I did, it was never good.

“Why don’t you get out of that?” It wasn’t really a question.

My heart pounded wildly when I reached behind my back to unhook my bra. It took my shaking fingers three attempts before I succeeded. Despite my desire to lower my eyes, I kept them right on Lorcan as my bra slid down my arms and bared my breasts. His expression didn’t waver in the slightest, as if he couldn’t care less if I got naked in front of him. He’d probably seen hundreds of women naked, maybe even Imogen. That thought gave me new strength. I was here to find out what happened to my sister and bring her back home. If Lorcan had the information I needed, I’d have to tease it out of him, and if he turned out to be responsible for her disappearance … then I’d make him pay.

Goosebumps popped up along my skin and made my nipples harden. Lorcan’s gaze shifted to my breasts and despite the cool air-conditioning, I suddenly felt way too hot.

“Go on,” his deep voice broke through my thoughts.

A small shiver ran down my back as I hooked my fingers into the waistband of my panties. With a desperate tug, I shoved them down my legs. When the last bit of modesty had fallen, I felt a mix of relief and trepidation.

“It’s been a while since I had a woman with a natural look,” he mused, scanning the red triangle between my legs.

I flushed. “I trimmed it,” I blurted.

The ghost of a smirk darted across his face.

“Oh, I see that, Aislinn, but it’s still more natural than any pussy I’ve seen in a while.”

He was trying to unsettle me, and, unfortunately, he was succeeding. It was difficult to hide embarrassment or anger with my pale complexion. I blushed too quickly, which some found endearing, but I hated it with a passion.

“Come closer.”

I inched a few steps toward him.

“Closer.”

A few more steps.

“Closer.”

My naked shins bumped against his pant legs.

“I paid for a night of entertainment. How about you entertain me now? I’m growing bored.” He leaned back, motioning at his body. “I’m all yours.”

“As if this hasn’t already been entertaining for you,” I hissed, my temper coming through. He enjoyed embarrassing me. I wasn’t sure what I’d done to him to deserve this, or maybe it was in his nature to toy with people. Probably the latter.

“If you’re referring to this comical version of a striptease, I can assure you it’s been a drag.”

I gritted my teeth. “You’re torturing me.”

“You think this is me torturing you?” A dangerous tone had entered his voice.

“Of course. You enjoy embarrassing me and forcing me to do something I don’t want to do.”

He jerked to his feet, making me take a step back, and towered over me with a murderous expression. “You sold a product, and I bought said product for a very steep price I might add. If you had no intention of delivering, then you shouldn’t have offered it in the first place. Where I come from, debts are honored. And you owe me a night with you.”

He had a point. I had sold my body and now he expected me to deliver. It didn’t matter that I had been too naïve to realize the nature of the business, at least in his eyes.

“Then take what I owe you,” I growled. “I won’t be indebted to you.”

He cupped my neck, gentler than I expected, and bowed, so we were at eye level. My eyelashes fluttered nervously. He drew my lower lip into his mouth before he traced his tongue along the seam of my lips. “As sweet as I thought. Oh, Aislinn, you got yourself in way too deep.”

The way he said my name was too familiar, as if he knew more about me than he should.

His smile was dark, eyes triumphant. He sank into the armchair so his smirking face was at the same level as my most private part. “What are your plans for me? What could be worth three thousand dollars?” he asked.

“I didn’t suggest I was worth that much. You and the other men made the assumption that I was.”

He tilted his head. “So I paid too much for you?”

“That depends on the viewpoint, I reckon,” I said haughtily.

His eyes traveled from my bare breasts to the apex of my thighs. One corner of his mouth twisted in a smirk. “The viewpoint is promising, albeit not worth three thousand.”

“Then do what you must to get your money’s worth. It’s here for the taking.”