Lick of Darkness ~ Book One in the Lucifer's Play Ground Series (excerpt)

Title : Lick of Darkness

Book One in the Lucifer's Play Ground Series

Release date : Available now (purchase link under "Books" heading)

EXCERPT ...

CRACK!

There was nothing better, or more satisfying, than hearing the clear, crisp sound of the popper at the end of my new snake whip, come to a whiplashing halt.

The whoosh of the thong passing my ear when I threw it over my shoulder in my makeshift practice room, was music to my ears. We really need to find a place that can accommodate doing this without any bloody restrictions, I grumbled internally.

The end of the stables, where my friends and I boarded our thoroughbreds, was more or less soundproofed – or, it was at least far enough away that no-one would bother me while I broke in my newest purchase. Listening to that crack echo so crisply around the room was food for my soul. I could almost see it snapping along Maxwell’s back in my mind’s eye, and imagine the angry red welt rising on his flesh from the lash of my whip.

Sweat meandered in twin rivers down each side of my face, the rivulets trickling down either side of my neck as I drew my arm back to throw once again.

When the shrill ringtone of my cell phone interrupted me mid-throw, I scowled. Who in the fuck could that be? Obviously, someone who doesn’t give a shit about their health and well-being! With an impatient sigh, I stalked over to the side of the room to pick up the irritating interruption.

“What?” I snapped mulishly after glancing at the screen, and seeing William Fountain’s name.

“I’ve found the perfect fucking place to suit all our needs,” he declared with a mixture of arrogance, and excitement, discernible in his tone.

Despite the interruption, the corners of my lips curled up in a smirk.

“I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve had a look at it.”

“You free on Friday afternoon? We’re all going to meet there to take a look together.”

“You called everyone else, and left me ‘till last?” I asked stiffly, a little pissed off with him.

“Keep your pants on, Roz … I had to tee it up with all the others first, because I knew you’d make any day we suggested. It was your idea in the first place,” he reminded me.

“Fine – what time, and where?”

“Three o’clock at the old wool stores down near the wharf.”

“The wool stores? I didn’t know that old place was on the market,” I remarked idly with raised brows. William’s right. That’s going to be the perfect fucking place. “Alright,” I grinned, “I’ll meet you all there at three on Friday.”

*****

When I drove into the massive carpark in front of the old, rundown wool stores, there were four other cars already there. Turning the key in the ignition, the engine of my Range Rover became silent. Removing them, I picked up my bag from the passenger seat with one hand, and pulled the door lever with the other before climbing out.

Swinging the door until it thudded shut, I pressed the button on my key to lock the doors, and activate the alarm.

My trademarked, and distinctive, Jackie Choo red stilettos, clip-clopped over the potholed asphalt surface as I walked toward the group of well-dressed young men who were gathered, waiting in front of the padlocked doors. Conversation came to a halt as I approached, and William stepped forward with his hand extended.

“Hello, Roz,” he greeted, clasping my hand to give it a quick shake.

“Hello, William,” I smiled warmly in return. “I see only some of us have arrived,” I nodded toward the remainder of the group standing around in front of the entry.

“No,” he answered. “It’s just the five of us.”

My brow rose with curiosity. “Isn’t everyone coming to check it out?”

William, and Toliver Madden, both scoffed.

“They don’t particularly have a vote,” Jasper Oxley stated, and Dayne Pennington smirked. “They’ll go where ever they’re told to go.”

“We’ve worked out we just need it to be the five of us to afford this project,” grinned Dayne. “It’s easier that way; the least number of owners, the better. Far less complicating. But they will all still be expected to put in their fair share of hard yakka to get this place looking anything like what we all want.”

“So, I’m here because this whole warehouse thing was my idea?” I questioned, crossing my arms across my chest, and raising one brow vexedly.

Dayne, Jasper, Tolliver, and William all mimicked my movements. One by one, they parted their legs until both of their feet were shoulder width apart, trying to make it appear as if they were looming over me.

Pft. As if they think that’s going to make a damned bit of difference to me. They should fucking know better than that.

All four of them were the strongest, and most arrogant, of the group of ten men who made up our entire group of twenty, and they were the ones who challenged me the most, and gave me the most headaches.

Not that the others were lax in that department if they had something to say. They were all very fond of voicing their opinions, especially if they thought they knew better than me.

I rolled my eyes at their feeble attempt to intimidate me.

“And, because you’re the dominant female in our group,” Toliver offered up with a wry grin.

“Yeah,” Dayne chuckled. “No-one could, or would, dare call you submissive, Roz.”

With a grin of my own spreading across my lips, I nodded in agreement. “They could try,” I commented, clearly amused. “That might make for some interesting entertainment!”

In that moment, I saw them all stand up straighter, the air surrounding them sizzling with their combined commanding control. A group of young alpha males with strong personalities, all of whom were ready to steamroll the poor unsuspecting real estate agent unlucky enough to draw the short straw, and be forced to have to deal with this group.

Turning my head to look over my right shoulder, I saw the agent had indeed arrived, and was parking her car in one of the faintly marked parking bays. I turned around completely, and watched the young woman exit her vehicle. I also saw her steps falter for a fraction when she began to approach our group.

No doubt the level of testosterone was emanating far enough to reach her, and it obviously made her feel rather nervous. With a smirk pulling at my lips, I watched a fairly timid, thin blonde woman haltingly make her way over to our intimidating group.

“Hello,” she greeted, sticking out her hand, locking eyes with who she thought was her only kindred spirit in the group. Me. Clasping her hand, I shook it vigorously, smirking when I saw the pinch of pain between her almond shaped brown eyes at the strength of my handshake. “I’m Cassidy Hurley from Waterfront Property Group,” she introduced herself, just loud enough that I heard the unsure wobble in her tone.

I dropped her hand, and used mine to indicate each in turn, making the return introductions.

“These are my business partners,” I emphasized, just so she didn’t get the wrong idea about what sort of partners they all were. “William, Jasper, Toliver, and Dayne,” I indicated each man with a point of my finger. “And I’m Rozalynne, but everyone calls me Roz.”

She smiled briefly. “Nice to meet you, Roz,” she hesitated, and slowly looked around at the guys, one by one with a lost look on her face. “Um, all of you,” she amended, her cheeks beginning to glow crimson, because she’d obviously already forgotten all of their names.

“William, Jasper, Toliver, and Dayne,” I repeated with a smirk, laughing aloud when the color in her cheeks darkened.

She ducked her head down, and fiddled with a bunch of keys in her hand.

“Follow me, please,” she almost whispered.

God almighty, this woman is shy.

“With pleasure,” Jasper drawled seductively, increasing the glow of her rosy cheeks.

Oh, my God, these guys are going to eat her alive.

Shaking my head disapprovingly, I pinned each one in turn with a stern look that they couldn’t misunderstand. Especially Jasper – he was paired off with a sub named Peyton, and they seemed pretty exclusive, unlike the rest of our group.

Jasper smirked back at me with a raised brow, and Toliver shrugged his shoulders dismissively as we all followed the poor girl to the locked doorway.

He’s nothing but a damned hussy. I wonder if he flirts with other girls like this when Peyton is around?

With nervously shaking fingers, she finally got the padlock undone, and removed the chain, pushing the door open to enter. She stood holding the door, allowing us all to enter the dilapidated old building.

“Oh, God,” I groaned quietly as I walked in, and looked around.

This place was going to need some serious repairs. Looking up to the stretch of small windows all the way along the top of the walls, I noticed every single window had been smashed. Some badly enough that they required plywood to be fastened over them in place of the glass.

“Fucking hell,” Jasper muttered on his way passed me to stand a few feet away in the huge warehouse.

“This is going to take a fair chunk of change to fix up,” Toliver grumbled, coming to a standstill next to me, and placing his hands on his hips.

“Yep,” William and I both said at the same time when he came to stand next to me on the other side.

“There’s no way any of us are agreeing to pay the exorbitant asking price,” Toliver declared, turning to look straight at Cassidy. “This actually looks worse on the inside than any of us even anticipated from the condition of the outside, and that’s in pretty bad condition.”

“I’m bound to present any offer received on the property,” Cassidy mumbled.

“What was that?” Jasper snapped, a little more sternly than he needed to.

I watched the poor girl almost shrink in on herself.

“Jasper,” I berated. “There’s no need to use that tone with the poor girl.”

I pinned him with a glare that said “she’s-not-your-sub-so-just-lay-off”.

“I apologize, Cassidy,” he said, easing off on the demand in his tone, but he caressed her name as if he was using the palm of his hand to softly caress the rounded swell of her perfectly shaped breast.

When his gaze briefly dropped down to look at them, one by one, grinning lewdly when he judged they were just the right size to fit nicely into his large palms, her nipples began to harden beneath her buttoned shirt in response, her cheeks radiating so damned brightly, I almost felt the heat from them from where I was standing.

I rolled my eyes, and shook my head, but couldn’t help the grin that stretched across my lips as I walked further into the huge warehouse. Jasper had always been a breast man.

Then, looking around me, the smile dropped, along with my shoulders, and a small groan left my lips.

Jesus Christ, this is going to be a lot of fucking work!

“I said, I’m bound to present any offer received on the property,” Cassidy repeated a little more strongly.

“Well,” Jasper remarked, “you better get the offer and acceptance out then, and offer half of what they’re asking.”

Poor Cassidy’s jaw almost dropped to the dusty, dirty ground.

“They’re not going to go for half of what they are asking,” she almost squeaked in shock, her eyes as big as saucers.

“That’s all we’re prepared to offer,” Toliver spoke up, firmly agreeing with Jasper as he walked up to stand beside him.

“You did say you were bound to present any offer you received on the property,” I reminded her with a grin as I approached Jasper, and Toliver, standing in solidarity with them. “That’s all we’re prepared to offer. If they don’t like it, they can always counter-offer.”

“That’s right,” agreed William, coming up on my other side.

With the four of us standing in front of her, presenting a united front, her head was swiveling from one side to the other, a pleading look in her eye as she bravely made eye contact with each one of us.

She almost jumped out of her beautiful creamy skin when Dayne agreed with us from behind her.

“There’s a lot of money that needs to be poured into this building, just to make it water-tight,” he remarked with a raised brow, looking pointedly up at all the broken windows to emphasize his point. “Half of their asking price is all you’re going to get, Cassidy. I suggest you go and start on the offer and acceptance.”

Nervously fiddling with the keys in her hands, she eventually turned, and made her way out of the building.

“Are we all absolutely sure we’re committed to doing this?” Toliver asked, with a raised brow. “Because now’s the time to say something if you’re not.”

With a chorus of “I’m in”, or “Yep, I’m sure” reaffirming the decision to go forward coming from all of us as Toliver looked around the circle we’d formed in Cassidy’s absence, The Association was finally going to have a decent place to call home.

© Copyright Carol Delmornay 2019

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