by Jan Graham
“Ms. McCabe, I thought you’d already left for the day.” Harper sounded surprised, and Patrick looked relieved.
“No just leaving now.” Rhia smiled at each of them before introducing herself to Patrick, as she would normally do if she didn’t know one of the students. Patrick said his name in return and shook her hand politely. If nothing else, she needed to get to the bottom of what was going on with Ms. Roderick’s dislike of students coming to the social worker for assistance. More importantly she needed to help Patrick. If Harper’s suspicious stare was anything to go by, Rhia would have to be very careful how she achieved that.
Chapter Eleven
“I don’t know what to wear.” Rhia stared into her wardrobe. “I don’t know where he’s taking me.”
“Why did you agree to go out with him? If you wanted to go out, I’m sure Steve would have taken you.”
“I haven’t seen Steve since…well for a few days.” Rhia remained noncommittal about the few incidents between her and Steve, although she desperately wanted to ask Angel about Dominance and submission. If she was going to win Steve over, then she needed to understand more about him. Hopefully her date with Cal would help in that respect, but Angel was a submissive, so she would be the best person to ask about that.
“What about this one?” Angel held up the only dress Rhia knew she definitely didn’t want to wear. It was too short, too revealing. It was the dress Angel and Meg had insisted she buy in case she ever went out on a hot date. It was the dress she would wear for the first date she had with Steve.
“I think it gives the wrong impression. I’m sure Cal is just offering to be friends. He doesn’t interest me in a romantic way.” Not like Steve does. Rhia didn’t add that bit. Unless Steve changed his mind, Rhia was certain she would remain a virgin for the rest of her life.
Eventually Rhia and Angel both agreed on a simple black dress. It was elegant, but not too revealing. Rhia accessorized it with some sterling silver and amethyst jewelry. Against her better judgment Angel convinced her to wear a pair of thigh-high stockings with a wide lace top, and black high heels that Rhia agreed made her legs look longer. Longer legs would be no advantage when she fell over. Balancing on a tiny spike was not a skill she’d developed while wearing a nun’s habit.
“You never told me why you agreed to go out with Cal,” Angel prompted.
“He knows Steve, and I thought he might be able to give me a male perspective on how I might get Steve to be more interested in me.” Rhia decided honesty was probably the best option when answering. “I also want to see if maybe I’m attracted to someone other than Steve.”
“And you think you might be attracted to Cal?”
Rhia sat down on the bed. “No, I think the only man I’m ever going to be attracted to is Steve. Not that it’s going to matter.”
“Steve’s attracted to you, Rhia. He’s just being a bit slow about realizing it.” Angel looked at her thoughtfully. “Does Steve know you’re going out with Cal?”
Rhia shook her head. Not only had she not seen Steve to tell him, but she doubted she would have anyway. A date with another man would indicate she didn’t care about Steve. That was the last impression she wanted to give.
“Have you ever thought of being a little devious when it comes to encouraging Steve to admit he needs you?” Angel asked.
Rhia had no idea what Angel meant, but she soon found out. Angel believed Steve just needed a little push in the right direction when it came to Rhia, and she proposed a plan. If Steve found out, by accident, that Rhia was going to be dating another man, Steve would be forced to make a move or lose her. Angel was convinced Steve wouldn’t take the risk of losing Rhia.
“Okay, if you think it will work, then let’s do it.” Rhia wasn’t sure about the plan, but if it meant having Steve then she was all for the little deception. Angel would go and visit Steve, and she’d make sure he saw Cal arrive and then leave with Rhia on their date. By the time Cal dropped her back home, Steve would realize he needed to claim Rhia as his own. The only reservation Rhia had was in relation to Cal. Were they using him? Would he be upset? Maybe if she explained what was going to happen, he might help. After all, Steve was his friend, surely he’d want the best for his friend, and both Angel and Meg had agreed that she’d be good for him. Angel didn’t think confiding in Cal was a good option. It was better if he didn’t know, so when Steve confronted him, his reaction would be authentic. Once Rhia gave her final agreement, Angel went across the road to visit Steve.
Rhia checked herself in the mirror. The fact Angel had convinced her to change into the super-tight, figure-hugging dress she’d initially refused to wear made her a little nervous. Still it was all part of the plan. Once Steve saw the dress, he would assume Rhia had intentions of sleeping with Cal. She decided to explain to Cal she was just interested in being friends, and then hopefully he wouldn’t get the same impression as Steve. The dress screamed sex, and the shoes were not just high heels. They were exactly what Angel had referred to them as… “Come fuck me shoes”.
* * * *
“So what prompted this visit?” Steve didn’t think there was anything strange about his sister coming to visit. He’d seen her arrive at Rhia’s a while ago and figured she’d call in on him as well.
“It’s just a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of thing” Angel replied as she carried her coffee out onto the porch.
He thought it a little strange when she wanted to sit out front to drink coffee and chat, but he’d agreed. It was a nice summer evening, not too hot now that the sun had started to set. From his front patio they could see the surrounding bush land in the distance. It was a pleasant view and one he didn’t get to take in often.
Steve noticed Angel looking toward Rhia’s house. “You know, sis, I’m not going to talk about Rhia. Just in case that’s what’s behind this visit.”
“Are you accusing me of having an ulterior motive for being here?” Angel replied.
“I’m just trying to make sense of a few things, that’s all.” Angel raised a questioning eyebrow. “It’s early evening when you’re usually at home with the kids, we’re drinking our coffee outside on the porch, you came straight to my place from Rhia’s.”
“You’ve been a cop too long. It’s made you overly suspicious.” Now it was Steve’s turn to raise a questioning eyebrow. He was certain his little sister had other reasons for being here.
As they sat silently next to each other on the top step of the patio, gazing out at the world, Steve’s suspicions were confirmed.
He noticed the car pull up across the road and recognized it immediately. What was Cal Webster doing visiting Rhia McCabe? His question was answered a few minutes later when the two of them emerged from her house. Rhia giggled as Cal helped her step up into the four wheel drive.
Cal wasn’t overly tall, about five foot ten with dark hair trimmed in a military style buzz cut. He was a ladies’ man. Every time he and Steve got together, Cal had a new woman in his life. The man was a serial dater. He’d chase them, bed them, and let them go. Steve regularly told him that where women were concerned, he didn’t date so much as participate in a catch-and-release program.
Steve’s fist clenched. Cal was not the sort of man Rhia should be dating. Rhia was barely covered in the dress she wore. A low rumble sounded through his chest when he imagined Cal’s hand brushing against the softness of Rhia’s body as he helped her into the vehicle. Angel remained suspiciously silent, sipping her coffee.
“Nicely played, Angel, although, I’d appreciate it if you stopped trying to interfere in my life.”
“What do you mean?” The look on her face told him she knew exactly what he meant. Feigned innocence might work with her husbands, but it didn’t cut it with him.
“You asked to sit out here so I’d see Cal and Rhia together. I assume it’s a set up with Cal as well, although I don’t know how you convinced him to get involved.” He was going to kill Cal, friend or not. “I assume the plan was to
make me jealous.”
“Is it working?”
“Nope.” He didn’t like it one bit, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of admitting that.
“Would it be different if I told you that Cal isn’t involved in my little plan?”
Steve took in his sister’s expression. He could read her well, and she could read him. It was some strange sibling connection that had been evident even before they’d discovered they were related. Steve also knew his sister didn’t lie. She omitted details when asked difficult questions, but lying wasn’t in her nature.
“Tell me, and don’t leave anything out.”
“They met at the school, literally ran into each other. Body to body contact, I mean she said she ended up in his arms in the middle of the playground, she didn’t—”
“Okay maybe not all the details, the basics, stick to the basics.” He didn’t want the image of Rhia in Cal’s arms floating around his head. The fact Cal had touched her to help her get in the car was image enough to have his blood pressure rising.
“They met at the school, he asked her out on a date and Rhia said yes.” Angel gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder, a characteristic trait of hers when she was about to say something cheeky or inappropriate. “Did I mention there was body to body contact when they met?” Angel’s eyes sparkled with merriment. She was enjoying this scenario way too much.
“Christian and Daniel don’t spank you nearly as often as they should, do they?”
Angel laughed. “Of course they do and I love it. But really, I’m more partial to Christian with a flogger in his hand or Daniel wielding his cane. Either one brings me into line much more effectively than a spank on the ass. Spanking is such a novice thing to do.”
“Nice attempt to link spanking with a novice, Angel, but it won’t work.”
“What ever do you mean?” Angel batted her eyelashes innocently. “A novice is just someone that’s new to something, you know like having sex or practicing BDSM. It’s not necessarily a nun thing.”
“You’re a cheeky wench.” He pulled Angel into his side for a cuddle. “I can figure this out by myself though, so stay out of it. And stop putting ideas in Rhia’s head. She’s a good girl, don’t corrupt her.”
“Mmm…okay, I’ll leave the corruption to you then?” Angel pulled away from him, her expression now serious. “Steve I want you to remember one thing about all this. The longer you wait, the greater the risk another man will make a play for your woman.”
She was right. He did run the risk of losing Rhia to someone else. He just never expected it to be his friend Cal, the commitment-phobic fireman, never with one woman long enough to know her intimately. He didn’t believe Rhia needed to be one of Cal’s catch and release victims. Not that it sounded like he had to do too much catching. He’d asked her out, and she’d said yes. Angel hadn’t indicated there was even a flicker of doubt in Rhia’s mind about accepting.
“Who picked the dress?” Steve had his suspicions, but he needed to know for sure.
“I may have suggested it. It makes her look so sexy, doesn’t it?” Angel nudged him with her shoulder once more.
“Much the same as the corset and mini she was wearing last week when you and Meg did the mad dash from her house once I arrived.” Steve looked at Angel. God, she was frustrating at times. “You need to leave this alone, Angel. I’m not the right man for Rhia.”
“You are so full of shit. Of course you’re the right man. And it’s redundant to deny your feelings for her. I know more about you than you realize. Your dragon heart has started beating again Steve, and you won’t be happy until you’ve claimed her.”
“I don’t want to hear about your dragon theory or talk about feelings.”
“Coward.”
Steve groaned in irritation at the insult. “She is sweet and innocent and I’ve been around the track so often I’ve lost count. She’s a virgin, with no experience in the world of sex, and I’m a man who likes the darker side of sex. She’s just left a world where her everyday life has been controlled and dictated. She seems to be enjoying that freedom. I like to dominate and control, and she won’t want that again. I need a submissive, and she isn’t one, doesn’t even know the first thing about it. I’m not the right man for her.”
“Coward.”
“I’m not a fucking coward, Angel. I’m realistic.”
“You’re presumptive.” Angel looked at him warily before continuing. “Which makes you a presumptive coward.”
“I’m not willing to risk hurting her. End of story.”
Now it was Angel’s turn to look at him with an irritated look. “Yes, she isn’t a sub…yet. But from some of the conversations she and I have had she has the potential to be one. Yes, she’s a virgin…who cares? I agree the church was probably a controlling environment for her, but she submitted to their authority for years. Did you hear me? She submitted. I know it’s a different sort of thing but it’s not a huge leap to believe that she will be submissive in other areas. It’s clearly part of her nature. As for being happy with her new freedom, maybe she is, but getting into a D/s relationship doesn’t take away her freedom. Yes, you’re a dominant male into BDSM. Has it occurred to you that Rhia may want someone dominant? At least your brand of domination comes with love and care, not just an arbitrary set of rules with no compassion for individuality. I agree she doesn’t know much about the lifestyle you lead, but that can change. After all, doesn’t a Dom train his sub? Rhia just might need more training than someone who’s more experienced. I don’t think this is about any of the things you’ve mentioned. It’s also not just about hurting Rhia. You’re scared it will be you who gets hurt if she decides you’re not what she wants.”
The silence was deafening. Angel made complete sense. She’d called him on nearly every obstacle he’d given for not trying to make Rhia his. Maybe she was right about his not wanting to be hurt as well. If he didn’t get involved then she couldn’t reject him.
“You sound like Zane. He said a similar thing to me a little while ago.”
“I always knew Zane was a wise man. His agreeing with me just proved it.” Angel slipped her arm through his and leant her head against him. “Life is about risk, Steve. Taking a risk to love a person sometimes means getting hurt when it doesn’t work out. It doesn’t mean it’s not worth the risk. Rhia likes you a lot, and you like her. Take the risk, because it might just work out for both of you.”
“There’s something else holding me back.” The world suddenly went into soft focus. He tried to picture Kathy in his mind, but the memory was as cloudy as his vision. “I’m scared of losing Kathy. I’ve never had trouble seeing her smile, or remembering how her touch felt. It’s always been Kathy who filled my fantasy world. Since I met Rhia…” Closing his eyes didn’t stop the tears from flooding his face. Angel cuddled in closer to his arm and placed a gentle kiss on his bicep. “Rhia is all I can think about now. She’s taking over, my fantasies, my thoughts, my emotions. I don’t want to lose Kathy, but she’s faded so much in the last two weeks. I’m terrified if I admit how I feel for Rhia, then Kathy will be gone for good.”
Angel placed her hand on Steve’s cheek and turned his face to hers. She wiped away a trickle of tears with her thumb, and her eyes filled with sisterly love.
“We all lost Kathy, sweet man. None of us wanted that to happen, especially you, but there was nothing we could do to stop it. You will always remember her. Your recollections of Kathy aren’t leaving, Steve. Kathy’s just moving the memories aside so you can let someone else into your heart.”
“Kathy was my heart and soul. I can’t replace what she took when she died.”
“You said was your heart and soul, past tense. Now you need a new heart and a new soul. Maybe that’s Rhia. Maybe she’s offering you what you thought you’d never have again. All you need to do is accept it.”
“And if it all ends in tears?”
“Then you’re in no different a position than you are right
now.” She flashed him a cheeky grin and wiped the moisture from his face. “Now come on, if you walk me home then I’ll share a pizza with you for dinner. The guys have taken Jed and Amy to visit grandpa Shore, and I’m all alone tonight until they get back.”
“It’s a deal, but I want a whole pizza. The toppings you order are crap.”
Steve contemplated his plan of attack as he walked Angel home. It seemed like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The conversation had given him more clarity than he’d had in days. Talking with Angel about Kathy helped. She was correct. He would never lose the memories he’d shared with his wife. Keeping those close to his heart didn’t mean he couldn’t make new ones with Rhia.
The plan he devised was simple. Rhia would have a nice night out with Cal then he’d drop her home and never see her again. The text Steve sent his friend was clear and concise.
Touch Rhia inappropriately and you’re dead.
Steve knew Cal would understand. He wasn’t a stupid man. Not that he’d actually kill Cal. It was just a term the men used to warn each other off. Cal had been warned. Steve would let Rhia have a restful night’s sleep before visiting bright and early in the morning with a café-made breakfast, flowers, and chocolates.
If the date Rhia had agreed to with Cal showed Steve one thing, it was that he’d been neglectful in winning Rhia’s affections. The attraction between the two of them was so intense it overrode his general charm and chivalry. That had to stop. Rhia deserved to be wooed, not just jumped on and devoured every time he saw her. Not that he wouldn’t devour her. Of course he would.
The only thing to change was he’d make sure she felt special before and after he did it.
“I don’t understand why you’re not as fat as a fool. You’ve just eaten a whole pizza…twelve slices!
