Paul looked away.

"Go and deep throat my friend. I want you to swallow his c.u.m as well." The woman crawled to him. Paul let her pull him free and laid his head back.

"You've done well, Mr. Mellor. Just watch the chaos about to happen."

Paul closed his eyes letting his boss's voice drown out.

Stephen opened the door. The scent of beef stew greeted him. Christmas was a couple of weeks away, and he was considering the decorations for the home. Ursula's family had invited them around to theirs, but he thought his place would be big enough for all of them. He hadn't decorated his home in so long. It had never felt like his home until Ursula entered his life. He knew her family would love the experience of staying with him. For once he'd have the whole house filled with the festivities. He smiled thinking about it. The more he thought about Christmas with Ursula the more excited her got.

"Ursula, are you home?" he asked. When she'd told him not to pick her up, he hadn't argued. He knew walking could be therapeutic. He fingered the box in his jacket. After visiting James and then his own club, he'd gone to the jewellers to find the perfect engagement ring. He didn't want a family heirloom. He wanted a design he picked. There was no response. He hung his jacket on the rail then turned to find Ursula standing staring at him. She looked angry as she held a file in her hands. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying. Most days she ran into his arms. This time she stayed where she was. There was no welcome to her person.

"Who are you?"

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"This ... stuff. What are you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Are you really going to try and lie to me?" He saw the anger. Her whole body was shaking with it.

"Tell me what you're talking about, and then I can try and make sense of these accusations." His own anger was increasing.

She slammed the file against his chest. "You want to know what I'm talking about?" He nodded his head. She moved away, and he caught the file in his hands. Stephen kept his gaze on her. "Does Club Possession ring a bell? Or perhaps Ravage? Men who feel the need to own women and to beat them with canes or whatever else. Tell me, Stephen, what does it all mean?"

He glanced down at the file in his hand. Before he had chance she started ranting again. In that moment he wished he'd told her truth.

"Possession is a secret society where you manipulate women into doing as they're told? Or a b.l.o.o.d.y BDSM club where you share women? Tell me about it, Stephen. I want to know the man I've given my body to. The same man I'm sharing a house with. Tell me what the f.u.c.k is going on," she said without taking a breath. He flicked the file open seeing as much detail as possible to raise questions. He recalled his conversation with James back at his own club. Someone was trying to cause problems, and they were hitting at the women.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"Why does that matter? I want to know who you are. I have a right to know."

"You've thrown your accusations at me. I have an obligation to know the person who has this information on my business." He shouted all the words at her. The fact someone was able to gather pictures as well as the type of information to place in a file put him and the members of both clubs at risk. The images were more explicit than the ones James had received.

"You think those people are more important?"

"I think keeping the secrecy of a club that has been going since before I was f.u.c.king born is more important than dealing with any kind of issue. Some of these men are f.u.c.king powerful people, Ursula. Whatever you know, I need to know it now." He hated shouting at her. The tears filled her eyes. He saw them, and they cut him deep to know he was the cause for her tears.

He moved closer to her, but she took several steps back. Stephen followed her until she had her back against the wall. He cupped her cheeks. "I love you," he said. For the last few weeks he'd been aware of the way he felt about her, but he had never told her. He thought it would be best if she said the words first or at least say them when he proposed. He knew proposing would be the last thing he did now.

"How do you know?" she asked.

He pressed her hand against his heart. "I've known for a long time. I know this has shocked, maybe even scared you. I promise you that I'll love you no matter what. My club is important. Please, tell me who gave you this file."

She paused for several long minutes. He thought she wasn't going to tell him. "Paul stopped me outside of college. He gave me the file."

"Did he say who gave him the file?"

She shook her head. Stephen nodded, kissing her lips. "I need you to give me some time. I have some calls to make."

"Why?"

"This can cause some serious problems. I can't tell you everything you need to know right now. Give me this time, and I promise you I'll tell you everything."

"I'll be in the library. Studying." She left him. He saw the change in her. Her back was ramrod straight.

When she was out of sight he went to his office, closing the door for added privacy. He stared at the pages more closely then picked up the phone. James answered on the third ring.

"Mr. Knox calling me from his home once again. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Stephen ran his fingers through his hair. "Ursula was given a file today by her ex."

"Really? How fascinating."

"Inside it were pictures of you at Ravage with your sub. These images do not look good. The same goes for the pictures at my own club."

There was no noise from the other end.

"You need to show me that file."

"Agreed. I've got to deal with Ursula first. She's not in the best of moods at the moment. I'm going to bring her to my club. Be there by ten tonight, and call the other men."

"Since when am I your slave, Knox?"

"Since this can cause us some serious s.h.i.t and I've got a woman to calm. Do this for me. You'll get to meet Ursula tonight."

"And you think your woman will be an incentive for me?"

"I thought Lucas was handling this problem. I don't think anything has been handled," Stephen said.

"We've done everything we can. Eugene is either more intelligent than we gave him credit for, or someone else is working the scenes," James said.

"We've not had any contact but this. I think they're targeting us because of Dominic." Stephen ran his fingers through his hair, the stress of the moment finally getting to him.

"I'll be in touch with the others. I'll see you at Possession in a few hours."

The call ended. Stephen flicked through the pages, hating the images he saw of Ursula in his arms. She didn't deserve to be mixed in the trouble the clubs could cause. The stuff he was learning put her in too much danger. The information annoyed him. Possession and Ravage were not about defiling women. The men loved their women. He was growing annoyed with every word written on the page. He slammed the file shut then went to find her. She sat in the library with her arms wrapped around her legs. The coffee table in front of the couch where she sat had her college books. The silence unnerved him. Ursula had never ignored him, but he felt ignored as he moved closer to her. Stephen moved the books she'd piled onto the table out of the way, then sat down where the books had been. He placed the file next to him. He didn't want to sit next to her. Being face to face was for the best. His heart ached for the pain she must be going through. She'd left before he'd even woken that morning. He hadn't antic.i.p.ated Paul beating him to it. He should have known. Stephen knew he'd made a stupid decision to keep it from her. He went to touch her, but she moved her hands away. It was as if she couldn't bear his touch.

"I need you to listen to me," he said, pressing his palms together and resting them between his legs.

"Is that true?" She nodded her head to where the file lay next to him on the coffee table.

"Some of it is true. Not all of it. No, listen. I need to talk to you about this."

"I'm listening," she said. The tears in her eyes killed him.

"I know you hate me right now."

"I don't hate you, Stephen. I could never hate you. What I don't like is finding this stuff out about the man I love from someone else instead of you telling me yourself." She looked down at her hands after she spoke. He'd heard the words but didn't know what to say.

His heart stopped beating. "You love me?"

"Of course I do, you dope. How could I not? I've given you so much of myself already. I spend most of my days not wanting to be anywhere else, but I need to understand what that is." She rubbed her hands over her knees. The tears spilled down her cheeks. "Explain it to me, and I'll try to understand."

It was more than he expected. He nodded and waited for the words to come to him. "I own an exclusive gentlemen's club called Possession. That part was true. There is also a BDSM club known as Ravage run by James, the guy who pulled me away from Lucas and Sean. There is a belief that there are men out there who are particularly possessive about their women."

"Most people are possessive about the partner in their lives. It doesn't mean they go to a club and do that."

"BDSM is James's field. I go to the club to watch but nothing else. I know some of the men who like to take it to the next level. I don't. This club has been pa.s.sed down through generations ever since the Knox line began. The members of the club know they act with discretion. They can take their women and know they are safe. Men within the club will not try to hit on any of the women."

"It sounds reasonable."

"The jealousy is what makes it bad. When I saw Paul in your apartment I wanted to hurt him. No one can touch what's mine, and you're mine. It's a little joke among the men that we consider ourselves aowners'. You're our women, and we own you. It's a very outdated part of the club, but the statements go with the history." He tried to explain. She sat forward getting closer to him.

"I get it."

"There was an incident a couple of years back. A guy by the name of Lloyd Black used the club to abuse his wife. He's in prison serving a sentence for attacking his wife. Rebecca ended up in hospital with serious injuries." He didn't go into detail. Stephen reached for the file and flipped it open.

"In my club what happens is a lot of drinking and talking. A place for men like myself to socialise without fear of being ridiculed for our beliefs. Some men like to bring their women to the club and make love to them with an audience. In my club no one shares. I don't allow it."

He pulled out a photo of one of the couples. "This is a woman who has been happily married to the man in the photo for over ten years. He runs an investment group and is possessive about who she talks to. The club offers him the chance to be free and open with her away from the prying eyes of most of the public."

She nodded. He put the photo aside and reached for another. "That is James, and he's going to be p.i.s.sed someone took a photo of this. He'd training a submissive woman. He's a dominant through and through. This is his whole life. I've known him since he was a boy. Our clubs are part of the same group. Our parents were close. What he is doing here is punishing a woman. It is convenient how the photographer left out the vital part of the picture," he said.

"What vital part?"

"She's turned on, Ursula. If they had gotten her p.u.s.s.y in the shot, you would see she was dripping with c.u.m."

Her cheeks turned red. He caressed the red then went back to each picture discussing in great detail what each one was.

Afterwards, he put the file aside and stared at her.

"Someone wanted to break us up?" she asked.

Stephen shook his head. "They want me distracted. If you leave me then my mind won't be on the club, and things will go wrong."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

He sat on the sofa and pulled her into his lap. "You're different from all the women I know. I'm used to them falling at my feet for my money or the power I have to make things happen. I'm a wealthy, influential businessman, and that usually gets me what I want. You worked for me, argued with me, and challenged me at all points. I thought this possession was a load of bulls.h.i.t." He stroked her hair as she sat across his lap. His c.o.c.k stirred with her closeness.

"Don't you feel possessive towards me?"

"I almost started a fight with two men I considered friends because they were talking to you. I feel possessive more than you'll ever know. Lucas and Sean were trying to show me my possessive side. Up until you I never thought it was possible to be that connected with someone. I hate dropping you off at college. I want to give you everything, but I don't want to leave you alone." He never thought being open with her about this side of him would be so liberating.

"Do you really love me?" she asked.

"Yes." He reached into his pocket taking out the little box. "I did have a perfect plan to give you this. I was going to take you to an Italian restaurant, and we'd eat and have wine. I've told your father I was going to ask you. I thought there could be a better time to ask. I think the time is now."

Taking a deep breath, he opened the lid. "Ursula Mills, will you do this old man the honour of becoming my wife?"

She stared at the ring, then at him with more tears glinting in her eyes.

"I was hoping for longer time for my speech to be perfect," he said.

She grabbed him, pressing her lips to his. Stephen pulled away to stare at her. "Is that a yes?"

Ursula nodded her head. "I don't need a fancy speech. This is perfect."

He took the ring out of the box. She gave him her finger, and he slid it on. A perfect fit. The beast inside him calmed more when the ring was on her finger.

"I want you to take me to your club," she said. Stephen had every intention of taking her. He didn't want to, but he knew they had to go.

"I'm taking you with me tonight. I've got to go to Possession to talk to the men. James wants to see this file and meet you properly. I feel better knowing I've put a ring on your finger." He stroked her knee wanting to do so much more. She smiled at him. Her eyes were still red from her tears. Stephen hated the distance between them. "I know you're still angry with me at the moment. I shouldn't have kept this part of me from you. I hope you know and understand why I kept it away from you."

"No, you shouldn't." She looked past his shoulder. The tears swelled in her eyes. He noticed her playing with his engagement ring on her finger. "I want to be angry at you. You've proposed, and I'm so happy at the same time."

"Please, don't cry. I hate seeing you cry."

"I consider myself to be very liberated in my reasoning. I accept a lot, but I don't know why you would hide this from me. I've been more open with you than anyone. You met my family, and I've given you more of myself to you." She moved off his lap. Stephen turned to her.

He felt like a total b.a.s.t.a.r.d. She'd been nothing but honest with him while he'd kept a great deal from her. "I didn't believe in what my club was about until you walked into my life, and I didn't think you'd accept a man who feels possessive towards you. I thought I'd be able to hide it from you."

"What? Why? I know there are a lot of women who don't want a man to be there, but I'm not like them. I like knowing you'll be there. Your possessive nature is part of who you are, Stephen. I wouldn't want to change you. Even if you are a pain in the a.s.s."

"The clubs have been going for years like I told you. I inherited them. Being a Knox means I have an obligation to keep them running, and I'll have to pa.s.s my information onto my son one day. There is the age gap between us, and I didn't want to give you any more causes to doubt our relationship."

"You have a son?" she asked.

"No." At the mention of a son, he imagined Ursula swollen with his child. She would look so s.e.xy. An ache hit him square in the chest at the thought of getting her pregnant. He shook his head. He wouldn't be able to get her pregnant unless they could get past this. "The only person I have is you," he said.

"What do I need to wear?" He sighed knowing they weren't going to get much more talking without her knowing more about his club.

"You can come like you are," he said.

Chapter Sixteen.

Ursula sat in the pa.s.senger's side of his car as Stephen pressed the security code and identification into the board at the side of the gate. The silence in the car was deafening. The ring on her finger felt heavy. She'd agreed to marry him without seeing this side of him because she loved him. There was no way she could live the rest of her life without him in it. She loved him. She wanted to be with him. Her decision had to be the right one.

He drove down the long drive way. She found the many trees and darkness amusing. It was like the opening to some kind of horror movie based around a haunted house. After a few minutes he parked the car in a large parking lot. There were several more cars already parked. Stephen helped her out of the car. She gasped when she saw the mansion before her. It was larger than Stephen's house, and she thought that was huge.