by Tara Sue Me
“Honestly, you two.” Daniel said, coming up beside them. “Mistress K, you’re here for another few weeks. Do you think it’s possible you and Martin could stay away from each other during that time?”
She rolled her eyes, but the truth was, she enjoyed sparring with Evan. He was funny and sharp and, not to mention, hot as ever-loving hell. On more than one occasion, she’d wondered what it would be like to submit to him. Could she do that? Even though she wasn’t a bottom?
He looked at her as if he knew what she was thinking. His eyes danced with barely controlled mirth.
“What’s so funny, Martin?” she asked.
“You,” he replied. “I know exactly what you’re thinking.”
“I doubt that.” She hoped to hell he didn’t know what she was thinking. “You’re a lot of things, but brain reader isn’t one of them.”
“I don’t have to be a mind reader to know when a woman wants me.”
“If you think —”
“That’s enough.” Daniel came in-between them now, and he’d lost his jovial expression. “You’ve both been warned numerous times. It’s time for you both to leave. You’re disruptive and set a bad example.”
Evan looked like he was going to argue, but Kelly felt nothing but relief. Her rational brain told her she could go home and start sorting through her house, decide what was going with her to Dallas, and what could either be thrown away or given to charity. But in reality, she knew what would happen, and it involved her favorite vibrator and fantasies starring a smart ass Dom. She spun on her heel, grabbed her purse from the foyer, and headed outside to her car.
She had just opened the door, when Evan came up beside her. He didn’t touch her, but his words brushed over her like a lover’s touch. “You’re welcome in advance for the orgasm.”
Chapter Two
Two Weeks Later
“Do you think Kelly’s drinking a bit too much?” Evan asked Daniel. He probably shouldn’t care. It was her going away party, after all. If she wanted to get plastered, that was her choice. But…
He looked outside for her car. Yup, it was parked outside Daniel’s house, which meant she probably drove herself. She wasn’t going to be able to drive home. He could always leave his car in Daniel’s driveway and take her home. Or maybe it’d be better to take his car?
“She has had quite a few.” Daniel frowned. “It’s not like her to drink like that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her have more than one.”
“Maybe the move is getting to her.” It sure as hell was getting to him. He felt as if he’d just waded through the last two weeks. He kept thinking there had to be something he could do to make her stay.
But as soon as he’d think that, he’d tell himself it was stupid. She wanted to move to Dallas, she should move to Dallas. He’d never told her that he was attracted to her and it was too late now. Seriously, he told himself, it’s not like she’d cancel her move just because he liked her.
He should have done or said something years ago. That would have been the smart thing to do. But no. He had acted like he had all the time in the world and look at where it got him. Standing at a going away party for the one woman he didn’t want to go away.
Daniel looked at his watch. “I’ll drive her home. Party’s winding down anyway. Let me go tell Julie.”
He started to walk away, but Evan shot his hand out to stop him. “I’ll take her home.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “You will?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind, I leave my car in your driveway.”
“And you’ll get her home in one piece?”
“I”m insulted you’d think otherwise.”
“I’ve broken up more spats between the two of you than I can count on both hands and that’s just this year alone. You’ll have to admit it sounds a bit sketchy that you’d be the first one volunteering to drive her home.”
“I like picking on her, that doesn’t mean I want anything bad to happen to her.”
Daniel gave him the look he gave people when he knew they weren't being completely honest.
“Okay, fine.” He might as well tell someone and Daniel would understand. “I like her. Is that what you want to hear? I like her and it’s too damn late to do anything about it because she’s moving to fucking Dallas, so the least I can do is drive her home after she’s had to much to drink at her going away party.”
There. He’d said it. Out loud. He waited for the “Ah, ha! I knew it,” from Daniel, but it didn’t come.
“I’m sorry, man. I can’t imagine how tough that must be.” He clapped his hand on Evan’s shoulder. “Take her home.”
“Thanks.” Maybe he should have talked with Daniel about Kelly months, heck, years ago. If he had, would she still be moving? There was no way to know. Besides, what was done was done. He couldn’t change anything. With a sigh, he headed toward Kelly and braced himself for what he knew would be an argument.
She stood in the middle of a group of old friends. For a second, he thought she looked perfectly sober, but someone made a joke and she swayed as she laughed. Nope. She was in no shape to drive.
The group of ladies parted at his approach and while some left, the majority of them stayed. He supposed they wanted to watch another verbal sparring match. Unfortunately, they were going to be disappointed.
“Mistress K?” he asked.
She narrowed her eyes. “Why did you call me that? Did hell freeze over and no one told me?”
He decided to treat both of those as rhetorical questions. “I’m going to drive you home.”
She’d already been planning her cutting comeback in her head, he could tell. But his reply hadn’t been the one she’d expected and her mouth snapped shut. He’d anticipated her arguing with him, but then again, she was a police officer and would know she was in no condition to drive home.
“Okay,” she said. “Ready to leave?”
“Yeah,” he replied, still stunned by her reaction. “Whenever you are.”
She said her goodbyes and hugged the remaining partygoers. Then she grabbed her purse and looked at him. “I’m ready.”
He nodded and held out his hand. “We’ll take your car.”
Once she handed him the keys, they were on their way. She lived about twenty miles from the club and due to the time of night, it didn’t take long at all to reach her place. He parked in her driveway and she only gave him a slight raised eyebrow when he walked to the front door with her.
“Come inside,” she said, unlocking the door.
He hesitated.
“Now,” she said.
Fuck, but that Domme voice turned him on more than he’d let anyone know. Especially her.
“Only because you asked so politely,” he said, breezing past her and entering the house.
“There he is. I knew he was in there somewhere.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Asshole Evan.”
He bit his tongue to keep from replying and looked around the house. His chest hurt when he noticed the cardboard boxes stacked everywhere. Like he needed a reminder that she was moving. She’d hosted the Partner group over the years, so he was familiar with her house and he couldn’t help but think it looked so clinical without the tiny evidences of her touch.
But some small part of him rejoiced that there hadn’t been a FOR SALE sign in her yard.
“When are you going to list?” he asked.
“Probably sometime the next week.” She made her way toward the kitchen. “I’m going to get some water. You want some?”
He sat down. “No. I’m good.”
She returned minutes later, glass in hand. He should probably be going, it hurt too much to stay here it this room with Kelly and her packed up boxes. The entire house seemed to mock him. Yeah, you’re finally here, it said.Three years too late.
He made a move toward the door, but Kelly nodded to the couch. “Sit.”
He told himself he only sat down because he didn’t want to leave anyway. It had no
thing to do with following Kelly’s orders. But he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that Kelly giving commands was hot.
She sat down beside him and gave him the once over. Evan leaned back into the couch. “Like what you see?”
Her answer was to run a manicured nail down his thigh. “You work out.”
He gave a grunt in reply. Partially because she hadn’t posed it like a question and partially because hot damn the feeling of her hands on him.
“I bet you look really good with your shirt off,” she said in a low and throaty voice that had him harder than hell.
He closed his eyes as her hand inched its way upward and teased the hem of his shirt. God, but he wanted to yank the damn thing off and let her have her fill of him. But she was drunk and if she wasn’t, she was at least too tipsy to do anything with.
Figures, the one time he was in a position to do something with Kelly, he wouldn’t allow himself to. It had to be some sort of cosmic payback for all the grief he’d given her over the last few years.
He sucked in a breath as her hand slipped under his shirt and stroked his stomach.
“Tell me you want me, Evan.” Her nails scratched him.
“You’re drunk.” Perhaps if he said it out loud, it’d keep him from doing something stupid.
“I’m not that drunk.”
“You are and you’ll regret this in the morning.” He tried to stand up. “I should go.”
She pushed him back down. “Sit.”
“Kelly.” Damn it all to hell, if she kept this up, there was no way he’d be able to resist her.
“I’m going to tell you a secret.” She brushed his upper thigh and he gritted his teeth. He wanted her hands higher. He needed them higher.
“I don’t know if now’s the best time to be spilling secrets.” He should get some sort of award for the self control he was showing. “Don’t say anything you’ll regret.”
“I don’t fuck the men I Top.”
Wait. What?
He slapped his hand down on top of hers. He needed to think clearly and that wasn’t going to happen with her wandering fingers. “Say that again.”
“I don’t fuck the men I Top.”
Jesus. Why was she telling him this? “Kelly, I…” he started, but didn’t know what to say.
“It’s been so long.” She freed her hand and cupped his erection. “I don’t want to move to Dallas. Give me a reason to stay.”
“Kelly.” He shifted on the couch so he could look into her eyes. “I can’t-”
She stopped him from saying anything else by pressing her lips to his. One touch of her mouth and all his carefully constructed arguments flew out the window. Hell, he wasn't a saint by anyone’s definition and her lips… Hot damn, her lips were sweeter than anything he’d ever imagined.
He moved closer to her, cupping her head in his hands, and titling his head so he could deepen the kiss. She parted her lips with a whimper and he was gone. She pushed his shirt up and he pulled back to jerk it off.
“Look at you,” Kelly said, running her hands up and down his abs.
Her touch was heaven and he’d never been happier that he worked out. All those early morning jogs and push ups where well it for the look of appreciation in Kelly’s eyes. She dropped her head to kiss his chest bit back a moan.
He slipped his hands into her long, red hair and it was just as soft and silky as he’d imagined it would be. He had a vision of her riding him, all that hair dancing around her shoulders as he thrust up into her. He tightened his grip on the soft strands.
Another image flashed in his mind: Kelly on her knees, his cock in her mouth and those gorgeous red waves brushing his thigh as she took him deeper and deeper. Later. Maybe not tonight, but soon.
Her hands fumbled with his zipper and she cursed softly, unable to pull it down. He reached a hand down to help, but when she sat up, he looked in her eyes. Dam it all to hell, what was he doing?
Her eyes had a hazy look, she was still under the influence of the alcohol she’d had at the party. He couldn’t go through with this.
It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he pulled back and shifted away from her on the couch. “We can’t tonight, Kelly. Not like this.”
“Not like what?”
“You’re drunk. I’m not going to take advantage of you.”
She reached for him again, but he shook his head.
“It’s not taking advantage of me if I’m the one asking for it,” she said.
“All the more reason for me to say not right now.”
“You don’t want me?”
Hell, she wasn’t going to get all weepy now, was she? “I didn’t say that. I said not right now. Later. When you’re sober.”
She looked uncertain for the first time. No matter how drunk she was, she recognized rejection when she heard it. And he hated that because he didn’t want to say no. He didn’t want to turn her down. He wanted to pick her up and carry her to bed and keep her occupied until there was no way she’d even think about moving to Dallas.
And then, just because he’d like it, he’d keep her there for a little while longer.
“Kelly.” He stroked her cheek. “Trust me when I tell you that there is nothing I want more than to continue this. But I’ve waited for you too damn long to do something you won't remember or might regret in the morning.”
He kept his gaze on hers, trying to convince her with all that he had in him that he was telling the truth. He wasn’t sure she got his message, though. She nodded and rose to her feet. “Okay. I’ll just go onto bed.”
She got up and walked down the hallway, disappearing into her bedroom. For a few seconds, he just sat there. Now what was he supposed to do? She was just going to leave him alone? She must be drunker than he thought.
He stood up and waited for her to come back. Surely, she was coming back. But when five minutes had passed and she didn’t reappear, he walked down the hall toward her bedroom. Ht door was open, so he stuck his head in.
“Kelly?”
She was on the bed, snoring.
“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. She had undressed down to her underwear, but had didn’t make it under the covers. He hesitated for a minute before taking the light blanket at the foot of the bed and pulling it over her.
He couldn’t leave now, there was no way to lock her door. With a heavy sigh he walked back into the living room. Looked like it was the sofa for him tonight.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NEW YORK TIMES/USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Tara Sue Me wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. It would be twenty years before she picked up her pen to write the second.
After completing several clean romances, she decided to try her hand at something spicier and started The Submissive. What began as a writing exercise quickly took on a life of its own and The Dominant and The Training soon followed. An avid reader of all types of fiction, she soon discovered she enjoyed writing a variety as well.
Visit www.thetarathomas.com to read about Tara's romantic suspense titles, written under the name Tara Thomas.
Tara lives in the Southeastern United States with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a cat.
