by Marie Tuhart
Max and Jordan pulled their phones out and shook their heads. “Nothing from Sierra.”
“Nor from Crystal.”
“What are they up to?” Max asked.
“And why did Tessa warn you? She had to know you’d tell us,” Jordan commented.
Damon wondered about that as well. “It might have to do with my disciplining her last night.”
Max and Jordan grinned. “How did that go?” Jordan asked.
“It was more of a reinforcement of the rules, to be honest. I only spanked her six times, enough to get my point across.”
“That’s what I’ll need to do with Sierra. She knows better than to do something like this.”
“Same with Crystal. How are we going to play this?”
The men went silent for a moment, then Max grinned. “Let them think they got away with it.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “Then we pounce.”
Jordan rubbed his hands together. “They’ll learn not to surprise their Doms when they’ve been told it’s a business meeting.”
Damon shook his head. “I won’t punish Tessa. She told me.”
“Of course not,” Max said. “I’ll take Sierra into the bedroom. Jordan your choice of office or the club.”
“I can use the office. All I need is a chair or a table. A desk will work too. It might be fun to use a ruler.”
“Oh, those two are in for it,” Damon said.
“We Doms need to keep them in line. They knew this was a business meeting, not a get-together to shoot the bull.” Max stood up. “I’m going to go get some things ready. Damon, if you’re interested, there’s a nice shady place right past those trees.” Max pointed past the pool. “You and Tessa can explore a little nature while you’re here.”
“Now that sounds delightful. Do you have a blanket and pillows?”
“Coming right up.” Max disappeared into the house, then came back out with the items. “Jordan, you need anything?”
“No. I’m going to clear an area on your desk.” Jordan stood.
“Ruler in the top hand drawer, and there is also a metal one.”
“Excellent.” Jordan’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Damon shook his head as his two friends walked into the house. The afternoon had taken an intriguing twist.
* * * *
Sierra unlocked the front door to her and Max’s home, signaling her friends to be quiet. But the house was already silent.
“They must be out by the pool,” Sierra whispered as they took off their shoes. She motioned for them to follow.
“This isn’t a good idea,” Tessa cautioned once again. She’d tried to get them to text or call during the entire drive out, or to let her. But both had their minds made up. Neither one of them seemed to realize how much trouble they were about to get into. Or maybe they did?
“Yep, out by the pool,” Sierra whispered. The trio crossed the family room to the open patio doors. “One, two, three.”
“Surprise!” Sierra and Crystal yelled, and they bounced out the door.
The men stood up, Max and Jordan’s expressions concealed. Damon smiled at her and held out his hand. Tessa didn’t hesitate. She went over and put her hand in his.
“What is the meaning of this?” Max’s voice was hard and cold, so cold that Tessa shivered.
“A surprise,” Sierra whispered.
“What did I tell you we were doing today?” Max crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Sierra.
“Club business.” Her voice was so soft Tessa could barely hear her.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” Jordan’s voice was as hard and cold as Max’s. Tessa saw Crystal’s head fall forward.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Sierra, into our bedroom. You have two minutes to get your ass in there and strip.”
Sierra didn’t hesitate. She took off at a run with Max following her.
“Let’s go.” Jordan grasped Crystal by the arm.
“Are we going home?” Crystal asked.
“No, but we’re going to make use of Max’s office.” Jordan and Crystal disappeared into the house.
Damon tugged Tessa into his arms. “Thanks for the warning.”
“I feel bad that Sierra and Crystal are in trouble.” She snuggled up against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her.
“Did you try and stop them?”
“Yes.”
“Did you try and convince them to call or text?”
“I did.”
“Then don’t feel bad.”
A cry reached the patio doors, and Tessa stiffened. “I can’t hear this.”
“Come on.” Damon released her from his embrace and led her past the pool out into the trees. It was cooler here. Even though there’d been shade on the patio, this was much cooler. He led her to a small clearing, in the center a blanket and pillows.
Tessa stepped into the clearing and looked up. The tall trees created a natural shelter, and the grass was green and soft. “This is beautiful.”
“Max told me about it. So we have our own little place while they take care of business.”
Damon tugged Tessa down onto the blanket. “I know they won’t hurt them, but that cry was Crystal.”
“Are you asking me what Jordan is doing?”
“Not really. Part of me wants to know, but the other doesn’t. I just…I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I want to protect them.”
“My tender little Tessa.” Damon pulled her into his arms and lay back. “Lie here with me and enjoy nature.”
“We’re not going to act like randy teenagers and make out?”
“I didn’t say that.”
* * * *
An hour later, voices penetrated their little slice of heaven. “I guess we should go back,” Damon said.
“Yes.” Tessa stood. She helped Damon fold the blanket and pick up the pillows. When they walked out of the trees, her friends gaped at her. Sierra and Crystal were dressed, color high in their cheeks, and their clothing was mussed.
“Well, now that we’ve taken care of that business…” Max announced.
“I think it’s time to call for pizza,” Jordan suggested.
“You’re reading my mind.” Max picked up his phone and made the call.
“Sit down, sweetheart. I’ll go put these in the house.” Damon took the pillows from her.
“Okay.” Tessa sat down, but her gaze stayed on Damon as he walked inside. Damn, that man had a fine ass.
“Traitor,” Sierra whispered.
“What did we talk about, Sierra?” Max had finished his call and was glaring at Sierra.
“Sorry, Tessa. And I remember, Max. Trust me.”
“We should have called or texted,” Crystal said. “Tessa was the bright one.” She shifted on her chair and grimaced.
“I…” Tessa ducked her head. “I’m sorry both of you got into trouble.” She hated this feeling of guilt. She’d done the right thing, but someone suffered for it. Wasn’t that the story of her life.
“Oh, honey.” Sierra reached over and took her hand. “It was our own fault. It really was. I don’t blame you for texting Damon.”
“I don’t either,” Crystal said.
“You shouldn’t blame yourself.” Jordan stood up and walked over to her. “You take too much on your shoulders, Tessa.” He rested a hand on her shoulder.
Max walked over to where she sat, and without a word, he pulled her out of the chair into his arms. “We didn’t hurt them, merely reminded them who’s boss. Don’t fret.”
His softly spoken words helped her heart lighten.
“Hey, why are you hugging my woman?” Damon said, walking out of the house.
“She needed it.” Max released her and stepped back.
Tessa ’fessed up. “I was blaming myself for the situation.”
Damon stared at her with his arms crossed over his chest. Instead of being intimidated, a shaft of anticipation ran up Tessa’s spine. Damon
acted tough, but he could be marshmallow inside.
“Pizza has been ordered. Who wants what to drink?” Max asked. Orders were placed, and by the time the pizza arrived, they were all talking and laughing.
CHAPTER TEN
On Wednesday afternoon, Tessa drove to Damon’s house. She had the afternoon off, and it was book club night, so Damon asked her to come out to his place. They’d have an early dinner then go together. She kept trying to convince him he didn’t have to cook for her, but he insisted. And who was she to deny him? Besides, she loved watching him move around in his kitchen and the way his muscles played along his back. Her man looked good in an apron.
She smiled. Her man. Yes, Damon was hers. It had been a month since the Valentine’s Day party, but they’d spent a lot of time together. Her phone rang, and she automatically answered on hands free.
“Hello.”
“Hello, sis.”
“Allen.” Tessa almost swerved her car off the road. Why was her brother calling?
“I’m going to be out West in a few weeks. Why don’t we have dinner?”
Tessa blinked. “Dinner?” She’d visited her family a few times but kept a super low profile. She didn’t want anything to follow her back here, to her home.
“Yeah, you know… Dinner. Food. Conversation.”
“Sure. I guess.” What else could she say to her brother?
“Okay, good. I’ll call when I get to town. Bye.” The line went dead. Tessa turned down Damon’s driveway and stopped. Her brother was coming to town. She wondered why. She’d have to check political news and see if there was something big going on. She couldn’t see him simply coming to see her.
Pushing thoughts of her brother out of her head, Tessa continued up the driveway and parked. She knocked on the front door, but there was no answer. She pulled out her cell phone and called him.
“Damon, here.” He sounded out of breath.
“It’s Tessa. I’m at the house.”
“Aw, shit. Sorry, I got caught up in work. Look toward the garage, see that path?”
“Yes.”
“Take it and you’ll come around to my workshop. The doors are open, so just walk in.”
“Okay.” Tessa ended the call. She’d been curious about his workshop. Now, she’d get to see it. She stashed her purse back in her car and pushed her cell into the front pocket of her jeans before making her way down the path to Damon’s workshop.
As she got closer, grunge music blared. She wondered how Damon could even think, but then she saw him striking a piece of metal with a hammer. The smell of hot iron hung in the air.
Damon glanced up. “Hi,” he said, but she put her hand to her ear.
He turned down the music. “Sorry, forgot I had it so loud.” He banged on the metal a few more times before he lifted it with metal tongs and dunked it into another bucket filled with water.
She looked around his workshop. “Wow.”
“Is that a good wow or bad wow?” he asked, wiping his face with a surprisingly clean white towel.
“Good wow.” This is amazing. She glanced around at the metal pieces hung around the shop.
“Thanks. All the metal is a special order from a client who is doing suspension and wants different shapes and sizes to use.”
“You made all of these?” Tessa ran her fingers over the entwined metal circles sitting on the workbench all polished up.
“Yep.” Damon captured her hand and lifted it to his lips. “I thought I’d be finished before you came out tonight.”
“No worries.” She watched him start shutting down his equipment. Then his computer pinged.
“Can you take a look at that? It’s an incoming email.”
“Sure.” Tessa crossed to the desk. While it wasn’t messy, there were drawings all over it. Sitting down in the chair, she clicked the email open. “Someone named Dave wants to know if you can make him your special double-headed vibrator and a set of silver nipple rings?”
“Would you reply for me and tell him yes, but it will take at least three weeks. I’m swamped right now.”
Tessa typed out the message and sent it. That’s when she noticed his inbox. There were at least one hundred messages in it. “It looks like you’re busy.”
“Yeah. A few months ago a club in San Francisco contacted me about making a few things for their annual exhibition. I did. It was held two weeks ago, and the orders have been pouring in since then.”
“Impressive.” How famous was Damon? “Are all your orders from there?”
“No. I’ve made specialized stuff for clubs in New York, Chicago, Texas, Florida, and DC.” He strode over to the desk. “Most of my stuff goes to Doms. But the clubs are starting to ask for stuff to show. So word has gotten around.”
“By the tone of your voice, I’m not sure if you think it’s a good thing or not.”
“A little of both.” He motioned her out of the chair, then shut down the computer. They walked out, and he locked up the workshop. “I like my work, but I never wanted to be famous or anything.”
“Is that what’s happening?” A twinge of worry tensed Tessa’s shoulders. How famous would he get?
“A little bit. But I’m not stressing about it. No one has to meet me in person. I do everything via email.”
“No internet store?” He could do one so easily.
“Nope. Too much trouble.” He opened the door, and they walked into his home. “Go relax in the family room while I take a shower.”
“What were you planning for dinner?” she asked before he walked down the hall.
“Shrimp, pasta, and a salad.” He disappeared.
Tessa padded to the kitchen and opened the fridge. The least she could do was get stuff started for him. Finding a big pot, she added water and put it on the stove. Then she found a chopping board and a knife and began chopping items for the salad.
Doing this type of repetitive work gave her a few moments to sort out what she was feeling about Damon’s work. Maybe she was making a mountain out of a pile of dirt. He said he did everything via email. He didn’t really meet people, so even knowing his name didn’t mean anything. She wasn’t part of that and wouldn’t be involved, or known, because of it. Yet the coils of fear snaked their way around her heart.
She looked up as Damon came into the room, rubbing his hair dry, shirtless. Her mouth watered, and she pushed her misgivings away.
“You didn’t need to start chopping,” he said, dropping a kiss on her cheek.
He smelled like pine and a fresh spring day. “I figured I might as well help.”
“Thank you.” He stepped out and down the hall. When he came back, the towel was gone. He pulled the shrimp from the fridge.
“How was the job today?” he asked.
“Same old, same old. I’ve been working on the collections this week. Trying to figure out what I can spend and where.” She loved collections, but it was hard. Patrons had been asking for more continuing stories, and most times, there wasn’t the budget for all of it.
“I think my education may be lacking. Sounds like you can’t buy everything you want for the library.”
“That is correct. I have a budget, and it’s not big. My patrons want stuff, but I can’t get it all, so I have to pick and choose.”
“I see.” He put the pasta in the water. “Would more money help?”
Tessa snorted, then laughed. “Yes, but since all the money is funneled through the county, I doubt I’d get that much. But don’t get me wrong. I love my job. I sometimes wish the bureaucrats understood how important libraries are.”
“Enlighten me some more.”
Tessa finished up with the salad, washed her hands, and put the salad back in the fridge to keep cool. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
“I do.” Damon leaned against the counter.
“Okay, for example, we only have four computers. So we have to limit the time both kids and adults want to use them.”
“Don’t kids have compu
ters at home?”
“Not all. Not all have internet either.” Another sore point. She’d lobbied her father for years to work on bills that helped those that needed it. Her pleas fell on deaf ears, or at least, that’s what it felt like.
“I didn’t realize.” He stirred the pasta.
“It’s a struggle at times. But I make it work.”
Damon nodded. “Can you get the strainer; it’s next to the sink under the silverware drawer.”
Tessa pulled it out and placed it in the sink. “What do you want to drink with dinner?” She moved the conversation on to better things.
* * * *
Tessa pulled into the parking lot of his bookstore. Damon noticed there were a lot more cars tonight. He climbed out of the vehicle and helped Tessa out.
“Is it me or does it look busier?” she said.
“It’s not you.” Damon guided her to the store and opened the door. Chaos.
“Oh thank goodness, you’re early,” Destiny said from behind the counter.
Damon stared at all the people. “What do you need?”
“There are a couple of guys in back looking for something special, another guy had a question about restraints, and there were some others I can’t remember right now.”
“On it.” Damon looked down at her.
“Go.” She waved her hands, then squeezed between two people in line with an excuse me and rounded the counter. “What can I do to help you?”
“Bag, please.”
“You got it.”
An hour later, Damon was pleased to see the line down to a few people, but the book club room was almost full. He put signs on seats in the back for his friends.
“I don’t understand. What happened?” Damon asked. Yes, the store made a good profit, but they had never been as busy as they were tonight.
“My fault,” Destiny said. “I thought maybe it would be a good idea to advertise the book club a little bit, so I had it put into the “What’s Happening” section of the online newspaper.”
“It caused all this?” Tessa asked.
“Apparently. I’m guessing people were afraid to come in here, but when they saw the ad, they felt better about it.”
“I get that. I remember when I first found out about the book club being in an adult shop, I wasn’t sure.”
