Read Claiming Lauren (eXclave) for Free Online

hands into his pockets and leaned against the edge of a
sturdy accent table. "You want to know how long I've known your identity."
    "Yes." Fighting her instincts to adopt a defensive posture, she
distracted herself by examining the artwork on the walls. Watercolor prints
revealed an unexpected side of her hostess and mirrored the multi-faceted
nature of this man she'd married. "I also want to know why you continued
even after you discovered who I am."
    "First, your online security remains iron-clad. Your computer
security person masked your IP address well. Not," he said when she
glanced at him, "that I ever tried to discover your identity. After I
found out, I checked into your security to verify you were sufficiently
protected."
    Lauren nodded and returned her attention to art, but she no longer saw
the delicate beauty. She only saw Jacob's indistinct reflection in the
glass-fronted frame. Why hadn't she recognized him when he stood behind her in
front of the motel's glass doors? The details were the same, subtract the
evening wear, add casual denim.
    "When?" She asked, needing to know.
    "You called me. As soon as you started talking, I knew, and when you
told me, I--" He stopped himself. "Lauren, please understand I wasn't
looking for someone to replace you as my wife."
    She slanted a sidelong look at his face. "Of course not. You've had
no use for me as a lover, but I make a very good wife."
    "I wasn't looking for someone to replace you as a lover, either. I
wasn't looking--not when I found Lauren Seacrest in a conference room full of
corporate and personal attorneys, not when I found lost_mermaid on a forum full
of anonymous, fetish-curious users." He pulled his hands from his pockets
and spread them wide. "Lauren, I wasn't looking . You blindsided
me."
    His raw honesty blindsided her . She was unprepared for the depth
of emotion in his words and she was ill-equipped to embrace it. Reaching for a
truth that matched his, she said, "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be
thinking or feeling right now. This isn't what I was looking for, either. Why
did you bring me here to tell me? Why tell me at all? You..." She shook
her head. " Master was supposed to walk away and not look
back."
    "I brought you here to show you you're not alone and to ensure you
have safe options if you decide to pursue submission on your own." He came
to a full stop, but his level gaze held an unspoken question mark.
"Elizabeth's events are always well-screened and safety is strictly
enforced."
    "Thank you. That's very thoughtful, as I'm not sure what other
option I have except on my own."
    He made a sound low in his throat. "You have options."
    Maybe she did, but she wanted him to say the words. Wouldn't believe them
until she heard them spoken in his voice, of his will and desire. But she
wouldn't beg for them. She would beg for many things and derive pleasure from
the abasement, but not for this. Shoulders straight, head unbowed, she waited.
    He stared back at her, naked emotion darkening his eyes, silently
pleading for mercy, but she had none. All the years he'd refused to give her
the smallest chance--these minutes were nothing in comparison but he had to
suffer them regardless. He had to experience the helplessness of waiting, the
humiliation of asking. Just like her.
    "Damn it, Lauren." His growl broke the quiet sooner than she
expected. The sound of it made her flinch, a response that rolled into a shiver
when he straightened and stalked across the room. The determined, powerful
businessman to whom she was married became the knowing, masterful lover to whom
she'd submitted. Any thought of making him suffer fled. She reflexively lowered
her gaze, a deference she'd afforded him whether he was Jacob or Master ,
but he rejected her gesture.
    Sandwiching her face between his hands, he forced her to look at him.
Lauren trembled under the heat in his eyes, which locked with hers and pinned
her in place. "You have options. You have me. Be mine . Belong to