The Drazen World: Need (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

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  Need

  A Drazen World Novella

  Liz Durano

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Sharon

  He couldn’t have been thirty years old, tall with reddish hair and the most beautiful green eyes I’d ever seen. He was wearing a three-piece suit perfectly tailored just for him, the last button on his waistcoat left undone just as it was supposed to be. One sweeping look across the place and his gaze settled on me. He smiled and I caught my breath.

  I bet he knows just how gorgeous he is.

  As I rose from my chair, I let my gaze drift lower to his hands. I imagined them binding my wrists together and pulling me by my hair as he took me from behind. I felt the familiar stirring in the pit of my stomach, wetness gathering between my legs.

  Stop it, Sharon. You don’t even know him.

  But then, how could I not know him…or his type? Debbie was never wrong.

  He’ll be different, she had told me over the phone three days earlier.

  How different? I had asked, curious. Debbie managed Stock, a swanky bar high above downtown LA, but I knew her as Madame Silk, a Domme skilled in shibari or Japanese rope work. Although she worked only with men, the lifestyle we led was small and we kinky lot stuck together. She knew people and I trusted her. Most of all, she knew the man standing in front of me.

  Even if things don’t work out between you two, he can be a valuable friend. Debbie paused then, just enough time for me to know that whatever she had to say next was important. And if things do work out, he’ll never hurt you. He’s not like the others.

  “Sharon?” His voice was deep and soothing, a hundred times better than the version I’d heard on the phone. I imagined him giving me an order and felt my body respond even if the command was imaginary. My nipples hardened and a delicious shiver ran down my spine.

  “You must be Jonathan,” I said as I held out my hand.

  “Yes, I am. Jonathan Drazen. It’s very nice to finally meet you, Sharon.” He wasn’t yet a friend so a kiss on the cheek or a hug were out of the question. A handshake seemed too formal but it was a good start and when he held it a tad longer than necessary, I felt his thumb gently stroke the back of my hand. As he gazed at me with those green eyes, it felt as if he’d just peered into my soul and found me wanting. Was he going to be like the rest of them? Like Sebastian? “Debbie spoke very highly of you,” he added.

  “Please tell her I said hi,” I said as he beckoned for me to sit down.

  “I will.”

  He didn’t have a lot of time, but we’d agreed to meet over coffee first and I’d arrived early, too nervous to plan on being late. I couldn’t decide what to wear, my wardrobe sparse ever since I left Sebastian six weeks ago, my ankle bearing raw marks where the metal had bit through the skin. With only five new pieces of clothing until I found a new apartment and got to restock my closet, I’d picked something simple, a fitted white top with a light floral print scarf and matching white pants. My long blonde hair was down on purpose. I wanted him to see what I had to offer.

  Jonathan ordered for both of us, a skinny latte for me and coffee, black, for himself. I could feel him watching me, observing, and as he did, the world around us disappeared. The sights and sounds of the organic coffee shop I’d picked out for our first meeting faded in the background. I only saw Jonathan, handsome with his copper hair cut just below the ears, green eyes and a smile that had the power to devastate me if he wanted. I looked down at the crack on the table, wondering if he liked what he saw. I’d always been confident about my looks, but this time, I found myself not wanting to disappoint him.

  “I’m going to be stuck in meetings for the rest of the day but I wanted to meet you before anything else,” Jonathan said.

  “I’m glad you made some time. I know you’re a very busy man.”

  He shrugged. “Many things may require my attention, but nothing can be as important as meeting you, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I hope I didn’t take you away from work.”

  “It worked out. Today’s my day off,” I said as I watched him stroke the handle of the coffee cup with his index finger.

  “I don’t know how much Debbie told you about me.”

  “She didn’t tell me anything,” I replied, which wasn’t exactly the truth. “Just that she’d given you my number and you may call.”

  He smiled as if my answer pleased him. “I’d like to get to know you better, Sharon. Are you available for dinner tomorrow evening?”

  I didn’t answer him right away. I didn’t want to look too eager. At the same time, I’d have been crazy to say no to an invitation from Jonathan Drazen III. After Debbie called to ask me if I’d be interested in meeting him, I’d found enough information online to know that not only was he gorgeous and smart, he owned hotels all over the world and his wife had just left him for another man.

  I smiled. “Yes, I am.”

  “Perfect,” he said as the server arrived with our orders and he retrieved his phone from his jacket pocket. “Text me your address, and I’ll pick you up at eight. I have meetings until then.”

  As I pulled out my phone and texted him my address, I felt like I was in the middle of an interview and I’d just passed the first round. “How long will you be in town?”

  “Three days. I’ve got meetings with city planners and tenant advocates the next two days before I fly out to Seoul. But that doesn’t mean I don’t make time to play,” he replied, grinning as if trying to make light of the mood between us. Maybe he could see that I was nervous, and I was, for I found myself chewing on my bottom lip, something I only did when I was anxious. And I had every reason to be. Tomorrow night’s meeting would determine whether Jonathan would want to see me again or not. It would determine many other things, too, like whether he’d be my next Dominant. But even if he did become my Dominant, it would be a temporary arrangement. Debbie told me that he lived in LA and he only came up to San Francisco once a month.

  “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening, Jonathan,” I said. “Just text me if anything changes.”

  His phone dinged and he glanced at it, sighing. “I hate to do this, Sharon, but I need to get going. I have to be at a meeting in half an hour and traffic’s crazy.” He tucked a twenty-dollar bill under the napkin holder as I got up and this time, he gave me a peck on the cheek, his hand on my elbow.

  “Thanks for stopping by. I know you just got in.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” he said as his phone dinged again and he glanced at it. “Ah, and that’s the city planner. Now I really need to go.”

  As I watched him walk away, I realized that he’d barely touched his coffee.

  Chapter Two

  Sharon

  The following evening, Jonathan picked me up from the Mission District apartment I shared with my friend, L
acey, a nurse who worked nights. She was gone by the time he arrived wearing something more casual, a blue-grey shirt and jeans that were tailored to fit him. If I’d known he had planned for a more casual affair, I would have skipped the high heels. Still, what I wore would pass inspection, a fitted dress with a skirt that flared at the hips. Flirty and yet not too innocent. Feminine.

  Dinner was at a popular restaurant in Divisadero known for its amazing view over the water, its cocktails, and seafood. We were seated by the window overlooking the dark seafront and other than a rowdy group of men at the opposite end of the restaurant, it was relatively quiet. I could have sworn I’d heard Sebastian’s voice but I told myself to stop being so paranoid. Ever since I left him, every stranger’s voice became his about to call me names and every dark-haired man in a crowd was him following me. It had been six weeks and I needed to stop being afraid.

  For dinner, Jonathan and I settled on what the place was known for other than their seafood–burgers. While we ate, we talked about the difference in the weather between Northern and Southern California, trips to the wine country, and everything else except the obvious–ourselves. Then he reached his hand toward me to dab the side of my mouth with his napkin.

  “Ketchup,” he said and the reason why we were having dinner finally came to the fore. This was no instant Dominant/submissive dynamic in the making but it was a good start. The gesture had been so natural, so effortless. Yet the ease of how I’d accepted the change so quickly caught me off guard and I excused myself to go the bathroom. Jonathan was handsome, intelligent, and witty, while I was simply someone with only her looks to offer him. I’d been born beautiful, my father used to tell me, not smart.

  As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror next to a woman telling her friend over the phone how her first date was going, I realized that I was on one as well, only this one was no ordinary date. It felt more like an audition and in a way, it was, or Debbie wouldn’t have recommended me. Did I pass Jonathan’s criteria? What exactly was he looking for?

  I took a deep breath and reminded myself to enjoy the rest of the evening. Then I stepped out of the bathroom and made my way back to the table.

  “Sharon, I knew it was you.” Sebastian had been standing by the door as I stepped out of the bathroom and before I could get away from him, he grabbed my arm, pulling me backward.

  “Seb!” I stared at him. He wasn’t supposed to be within 50 yards of me yet there he was, acting like he’d never been served a restraining order. I’d been seeing him for three months after meeting him at a local munch. I hadn’t really been looking for a Dominant at that time, but after a few dinners, he charmed me right into his bed. Two months later, I could barely get out of it, chained by my ankle to the bed frame and released only when he could confirm that I had a photo shoot that day. To him, I’d become property who didn’t have a right to a safe word. He didn’t know when to stop and I didn’t know how to get away from him without leaving everything behind–my apartment, my possessions, and everything I thought valuable. But I finally did leave him. My life was more valuable than any designer dress or purse I owned. The moment he felt he could trust me enough not to lock the chain as he slept, I fled with just my phone and whatever I had in my purse. I was grateful that Lacey didn’t ask too many questions when I showed up during her shift at the hospital looking the way I did.

  “Please let me go,” I said, prying my arm away from him. I smelled alcohol on his breath.

  “I’m still your Dom,” he said, pulling me toward him. “I never released you.”

  “You don’t know the first thing about being a Dom. A good Dom,” I said, wincing as his hand tightened around my arm. At least, he decided to confront me in public where I’d have witnesses. “Please let me go. You’re hurting me.”

  “Isn’t that what you like? Or have you forgotten? A good sub always obeys her–”

  “You heard the lady. Let her go,” said a low voice behind me. It had an edge of danger to it, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

  “This is none of your business,” Sebastian said though he let me go when Jonathan took a step toward him. His hands were in his jeans pockets like nothing was amiss, my light coat draped over his forearm. He looked like a man in control of everything around him.

  “Oh, it is my business when a lady is being assaulted?” Jonathan said before turning to look at me. “Are you all right, Sharon?”

  Sebastian glared at Jonathan and then at me. “Why am I not surprised you’d move on so quickly? Is he your new Dom?”

  “Please, just leave,” I said, wishing my voice didn’t tremble like it did.

  “You heard her,” Jonathan said, the steely edge in his voice in full force.

  Sebastian’s eyes narrowed as he studied Jonathan, as if placing him somewhere in his mind. I wondered if their paths had crossed before tonight. San Francisco was small and Sebastian’s nonprofit was known for shaming and chasing landlords out of the city for the smallest infarction. And wasn’t Jonathan, technically, a landlord? Would Sebastian be stupid enough to go after someone as powerful as Jonathan?

  Sebastian took a step toward Jonathan but stopped when someone from the rowdy table called his name. Then he laughed nervously. “Whatever, man,” he said, stepping away from Jonathan before dismissing me with a wave of his hand and walking away.

  Jonathan was next to me in an instant. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m okay. I’m fine, really.”

  “No, you’re not. You’re trembling,” Jonathan said as he draped my coat over my shoulders.

  “It’s just the cold,” I said but he cast me a look that said he wasn’t buying it. My heart sank then. This was not the way to make a good first impression.

  “Where’d you meet him anyway?” Jonathan asked, his hand resting on the small of my back. “Not through Debbie, I hope.”

  “No, definitely not through Debbie,” I replied as we stepped out of the restaurant and he handed the ticket to the valet. “I met him at a local munch,” I said and Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “It’s when people from the kink community get together in normal places like this one. Well, actually, more like IHOP.” I tried to make light of the situation but he didn’t smile.

  “How long were you with him?”

  “Three months. I ended it six weeks ago.” I would have stopped there but Jonathan was still looking at me, as if waiting for me to continue. “He hasn’t gotten the hint though. I heard he’s been asking photographers where my next photoshoot is going to be. And he’s been seen around my apartment but I haven’t been back there…not since I left.”

  “So he is stalking you,” Jonathan said, frowning. When I didn’t answer right away, his expression hardened. “Sharon, is he stalking you or not?”

  I nodded and he exhaled, running his fingers through his hair. I could almost imagine what he was thinking–he’d just been paired with someone with baggage he didn’t need. But it wasn’t Debbie’s fault. I never told anyone. It was bad enough I’d chosen this lifestyle and I didn’t need anyone’s judgment over my sexual preferences.

  “What about the apartment in the Mission District? Does he know you’re staying there?”

  “I don’t think so,” I replied, touching his arm. “I’m so sorry, Jonathan.”

  He didn’t say anything for a few minutes as we stood there waiting for the car. When it arrived, he opened the door for me, not waiting for the valet. I got in and Jonathan slipped behind the wheel, not speaking. He looked thoughtful for a moment before he shifted the car into gear.

  “Sebastian Lowery. That’s his name, isn’t it?” I nodded before he continued. “I knew I recognized him. He heads the tenant advocacy group I’m meeting with tomorrow over one of my latest developments. He’s also a fucking ass.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault that he is what he is, Sharon. I just hope you don’t plan on seeing him again,” Jonathan said.

  I scoffed. “I don�
�t plan on it, ever.”

  “Good.”

  We drove in silence for the next few minutes and as the streets flew past me, I realized he was driving me back home. So much for Debbie’s recommendation that I’d be perfect for him. I hadn’t expected Jonathan to take me back to his hotel room but the night was still young. Clearly, I’d assumed too much. “I’m so sorry this didn’t work out. Thank you for the lovely dinner. I had a wonderful time.”

  “It’s not what you think, Sharon,” he said, reaching for my hand on my lap and squeezing it. “I like you. I do. And Debbie’s hardly ever wrong.”

  “But…?”

  He shrugged, turning right at the intersection. Five more lights and the night would be officially over. “I’ve got a meeting tomorrow morning with your ex-boyfriend and he’s one of many people who’ve wanted my head on a stick.”

  “I’m so sorry, Jonathan.”

  “Stop apologizing,” Jonathan said sternly. “And definitely not on his account.”

  “Yes, Sir.” The honorific slipped from my lips before I could stop myself. As Jonathan looked at me, frowning, I panicked. “Oh, god, I’m so sorry.”

  Then he laughed and I laughed, too. He had a smile that could light up the night sky, a perfect row of teeth set against a handsome face. Suddenly I didn’t feel like such a loser for failing to impress him enough. Like Debbie said, even if we didn’t hit it off, he’d be a valuable friend, and I believed her.

  Already, I could tell. Jonathan Drazen wasn’t like all the others.

  Chapter Three

  Jonathan

  Debbie was still at Stock when I called her. I was standing by my hotel room window overlooking the city, a glass of scotch in one hand. I’d just dropped Sharon off at the apartment she shared with her friend, Lacey, and although I was tired, I needed to talk to someone.