MakeMeShiver by Aline Hunter Page A

party. Collars vary, but anything around the neck inside Fantasia means you’re spoken for and off limits. The people who host parties of their own are usually members of the club and follow the same protocol. There’s no way he’d allow you to enter either without one. If I learned one thing about Mike, it’s that he’s possessive.”
    Lacey retrieved the box and opened it, staring down at the rows of sparkling stones. “I don’t know what to do.”
    She didn’t expect Candice to respond. The idiot jock who broke her heart in college had ensured she didn’t have much faith in relationships or men. So she was slightly stunned when she did.
    “Do you love him?”
    Sighing, she closed the box. There it was. The big question. The one she’d asked herself more than once. Logic and reality told her it was too soon, but she’d never felt this way about anyone before.
    “I hardly know him.”
    “Allow me to rephrase. Could you love him? If the kink wasn’t an issue, could you see yourself with him in the long term?”
    “The kink isn’t the issue.” Lacey was amazed at how easy it was to admit and felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders despite Candice’s questioning look.
    “So what’s holding you back?”
    “I don’t ever want to feel like that again—facing some woman from his past. It wasn’t like meeting an ex-girlfriend or lover. This…” She tried to construct her thoughts. “It was beyond humiliating. I get sick just thinking about it.”
    “Then you’re going to have to decide if he’s worth taking a chance on.”
    “Like you did with your mystery lover?”
    “We’re not talking about me.”
    Candice seemed relieved when their waitress arrived to take their orders. As the server walked away she reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone, which was buzzing madly. One glance at the screen and Candice began spewing a line of obscenities under her breath.
    Lacey studied her closely. “So you’ve been busy this week?”
    “You could say that.”
    “Every time I tried you at home this week you were out.” She kept her tone light, hoping her friend wouldn’t see where she was going with the conversation.
    Candice snorted. “Thus is the life of an investigative reporter. When duty calls, thou must answer the summons.”
    “So you were working earlier?”
    “Yes, Lacey.” Candice ran her fingers across the screen of her phone. “In order to pay the bills, I have to put on my big girl panties and go to work.”
    “When I called you today, I had to leave a voice mail.”
    “Yeah, and?” Candice shrugged, staring at the screen. “I called you back.”
    “You’re always at home when you’re not working, and you never send your calls to voice mail.”
    “I could be turning over a new leaf in life.”
    “Or you could be hiding something.”
    Candice snorted. “I think someone is trying to play at my job.”
    Lacey’s memory of Candice’s odd behavior when the police officer arrived at her apartment surfaced. She’d been distracted by everything that had happened between her and Michael that morning, but not so much that she didn’t see the look that passed between her best friend and the enormous man in uniform. And Michael obviously knew Officer Stone. Their conversation had been too casual for the men to have been mere business associates.
    A dawning comprehension brought it all together.
    “No, you’re not hiding something.” Lacey gazed at Candice with a knowing look. “You’re hiding from someone.”
    “I told you this isn’t about—”
    “About you, I know.” Lacey sat back. “It’s about the ginormous police officer who responded to the disturbance call at your apartment.”
    It had been years since she’d seen Candy frazzled and off balance. In fact, Lacey could pinpoint the last time she’d witnessed the cool and collected reporter without her security blanket of control—the night she’d lost her virginity to an asshole who wooed her,