Chapter One

Rowan

"Rowan James." A man wearing a black button-down shirt paired with black slacks called my name. His hair was slicked back and his skin flawless. Almost not human, almost looking so perfect he was robotic.

He worked here already. If he was the kind of person the owners of Cuffed were looking for, then I'd lost the job before the interview even started.

"Right here," I said, standing.

"Follow me, Mr. James." His voice was iced velvet gliding over my skin. All the interviewees had been seated in a room with black walls with black leather chairs, simple. Plain. Minimalist. No paintings on the walls or fake flowers that hadn't been dusted like other places I'd been.

The man glided in front of me while I gawked at the place I hoped to work. Everything was black. Even the knobs and hinges on the many doors.

Unlike the waiting room, the hallway walls had pictures of erotic and yet tasteful images. A hint of vanilla and sandalwood flowed from an air-conditioning vent.

Everything about this place oozed sex.

Hell. I already wanted to be a member, and I'd never been into anything kink.

"Mr. Marwood's office is here. Please wait while I make sure he is ready for you."

Mr. Marwood? As in Talon Marwood, the co-owner of the club? Shit. I thought I would be interviewing with an assistant or a human resources manager.

Certainly not one of the owners.

Mr. Robotic and Perfect came out of the office in seconds and bowed at the waist the slightest bit. "Mr. Marwood is waiting your arrival."

My feet wouldn't move. My breathing stopped, and the only thing I could hear was the booming drum of my heart pounding between my ears, threatening to blow my temples.

"I-I…" I looked for some excuse as to why I was mimicking a statue.

"Let's be prompt and not keep Mr. Marwood waiting, Rowan. One foot in front of the other. We're not open yet, so no one here is going to bite." He winked, practically shoved me into the office, and shut the door behind me.

The walls were black leather panels. The floors ebony-colored wood with both matte and shiny designs in the grain. In front of me was a massive desk and leather executive chair with its back turned to me, also in the same color as all the rest.

"Take a seat, Mr. James. There's no reason to be nervous."

Could he tell? Had the other guy told him something? He couldn't even see me.

I sat in one of two of the leather guest chairs in front of his bus of a desk and smoothed my shirt with sweaty hands.

"I can hear your heartbeat, in case you were wondering."

I nodded but then muttered something close to okay.

Everything depended on finding a job, and this one paid the most. I needed this.

The tall chair turned and my life spun on its axis. I'd seen some pictures online, but only silhouettes and his back. In person, Talon Marwood was hands down the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. His dark-brown hair was cut close on the sides, left longer on top. His chiseled jawline immediately had me wondering how good it would feel to kiss my way down its path, making him moan.

His green eyes made me ache in places that I'd thought dormant after everything I'd been through.

"Rowan James," he said, clearing his throat. "Your resume is impeccable. Everyone on your reference list spoke highly of you. Your last boss said he had to hire three other people to fill your shoes."

Heat crawled up the back of my neck and settled in my cheeks. "Travis was a tough but fair manager. I'm glad he was pleased with my work."

A flash of gold took over Talon's eyes as he cocked his head. "You find yourself eager to please your boss?"

He was talking about the job, but I read way more into that question.

"Of course. Following the rules and going above expectations makes me proud of a job well done."

Talon grunted. He was dressed similar to the man who had led me here but with much more style and grace, which I found hard to believe since the other man was so put together. His crisp black button-down shirt rolled to the elbows revealed designs that spread up his forearms. "I see. We've looked over everything, but I do have one last question." I saw something metal in his mouth. Oh. Oh my. Talon's tongue was pierced.

Gods, my wolf was panting at the alpha across the desk from me.

"Please," I responded.

He growled deep inside his chest. The sound was low, barely there, but I heard it and to my wolf, it was a howl for me.

"Your previous employer did mention you left without giving proper notice."

The question I didn't want to answer. But for the man across for me, I would spill just about any secret. Didn't know why. He was a brooding shadow that I was sure not very many could capture, but I trusted him. So did my animal.

"I needed to leave town as soon as possible. To get away from an abusive partner. I didn't have a choice. I apologized to Travis. I had no choice," I repeated, knowing full well the answer to the question might stain any of my work history or praise from former bosses and references.

His once-green eyes clouded with a storm I couldn't decipher. Was he that angry that I had left without notice? Had I tanked this interview before I had a chance?

"Rowan, I've seen everything I need to see."

My heart dipped. I was hoping for this position but even more than that, if I didn't get hired, I would probably never see Talon again, and somehow the thought had me on the verge of tears.

"I understand." I stood, but he held up his hand.

"Not so fast. If you allow me to finish. Please. Sit back down."

I plopped into the seat. "I apologize."

"No need. Rowan, I'd like to hire you for a bartender position. Really I'd like to have you as one of the bar managers but we've already filled those positions."

Tingling sensations wrapped around me. "Really?"

Talon chuckled, and I had a feeling that was a rare sound. "Really. You're well qualified, and we would love to have you on the team. Let's go over some things and then I'll send you over to HR so you can fill out the mountains of paperwork and we can pay you. Plus, we offer full benefits for all employees."

I must've thanked him three million times before he was able to go on with his rules.

"The dress code is all black like Samuel is wearing. The person who walked you in. And here."

He pulled a thick leather cuff from his desk drawer. It was stamped with the logo of the club and I reached for it, but he pulled back. "Allow me."

He leaned on the edge of his desk and motioned for my arm. Certainly he didn't do this with all his new employees. Or perhaps he did and there was no reason for my cock to twitch and my heart rate to soar with anticipation.

I raised my arm, but he shook his head. "Left one." I raised the other, obediently. He gently put the cuff on my wrist, staring into my eyes all the while, and snapped it into place. I moved to put my arm down, but he covered the cuff with his large, warm hand. His fingers rested on the inside of my arm, and everything in me lit up instantly.

"Keep this on at all times in this club. It marks you as an employee and will save you from unwanted groping and being accidentally pulled into things you don't want to be pulled into. A gorgeous omega like you needs to keep this on at all times. Now, I insist on giving you a tour before you go to HR."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Someone else can do that."

"I'm giving you the tour, Rowan."

"Yes, Sir." The words flowed from my mouth. I was always respectful as possible and had always called bosses sir, but the words meant something else here.

One of Talon's eyebrows raised. "Sir is not my preference, though it sounds so alluring from your lips."

I ducked my head a bit. "I'm sorry. Yes, Talon."

He growled again, bass and slow. "Let's go before I change my mind."

He guided me through the club. I had to admit, all of this was intimidating as hell. I'd never been into a sex club before, but the idea of coming here and having the freedom to express my sexual and intimate needs safely sounded like something I might want to explore. Not with strangers, of course, but with someone I trusted.

I had a full, fiery blush through the whole thing. Ropes. Straps. Handcuffs. Whips. Contraptions that gave me more questions than answers. Leather. So much leather.

"That's all of it," Talon said. "Do you have any questions?"

"Um, actually I do. Do employees have member access on their days off?"

Those clouds rolled into his eyes again as he flicked out his tongue and licked his lips. "You make me want to ask about all your preferences, Rowan. All your deep desires." He sighed. "HR is right through that door. I look forward to seeing you around."

I felt dismissed. Hollow even. I turned to watch him leave, needing a little more torture, but he slipped through a panel and it silently closed behind him. I went through the door and sat at the desk that I was waved toward.

"Welcome to the club." The man typed all kinds of information into the computer and asked for my ID and Social Security card. "You must be something special."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because that interview with Talon was the longest I've ever seen him grant. Usually, he's a five-minute interviewer. Goes with his gut. And he's never given a tour to anyone. I mean anyone."