“Fuck. All right, I’m not evolved enough or whatever you call it to deal with this.”
The sound of Kyle’s voice jolted him into an upright sitting position.
“Shit!” he panted and looked directly at Kyle, who was sporting a slowly deflating hard-on in his boxers.
Chapter Nine
“Fuck, don’t think this is for you man. It’s Petra’s all the way,” Kyle stammered.
“So’s mine,” Caleb responded.
“Fuck!”
“Fuck!”
“We’re going to have to find some way to talk about this over some beers or something. Or, we could forget it entirely,” Kyle said, looking at the ceiling.
“I’m in for forgetting. Is she still here by the way?” he said, looking down at the floor.
“Yes, she is and I’m not sure whether I can forget you jacking off in my bed any time soon. I have this horrible feeling that image will be burned in my brain till death.”
“So beers it is then.”
“Yeah, looks like it,” Kyle said, turning and walking into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Caleb huffed and then threw his head back against the pillows in his frustration. Fuck, how he had gotten here he’d no idea, and hell, he didn’t want to stay. The image of Petra flashed before him, and he knew he was a liar. He did want to be here with her, but jacking off in front of Kyle, that he didn’t want. But what should he do now? Should he get dressed and run out the door? Should he get dressed, say thanks for the great night, and go, or should he…? He had no idea what the third option would be. He’d never been in this position before. What does a man, a Dom, do in this kind of mess? His inner voice screamed at him to bluff it. Act like he knew what he was doing. Then maybe he would get out of this without too much of a disaster.
He groaned again at being caught jacking off by Kyle. What the hell had he been thinking, in his friend’s bed and all? This was worse than getting caught by his mom on the basement couch. Hell, this was worse than at summer camp when he was thirteen. He needed to think. He needed to…God! He wanted to fucking scream. This shit was too heavy. He would just get up, get dressed, and get the fuck out of here. He wouldn’t look back. He’d just get out as fast as possible. He grabbed his pants from the floor and pulled the zip up so hard he heard the twang of thread snapping.
Checking to make sure nothing had broken, he pulled his shirt on, practicing in his head what he’d say to Petra if she was between him and the front door. “Thanks for last night. You were great.” Okay, maybe. “I have to get to the hospital. You know, doctors never rest.” Shit. “Look, Petra, it was fun, but now the sun has risen.” Yeah, that would go over great, asshole! He slipped his feet into his shoes. Screw socks, he would worry about that later. Okay. Looking around to see there was nothing he’d missed, he moved to the door. Not long now. Freedom was in his grasp. He could nearly smell it as he made it down the hall and across the living room without running into anyone. Then just as he hit the front entry, a voice rang through the air.
“Uncle Caleb!”
Fuck, fuck, and double fuck. He was three, maybe four, steps from freedom. Like many burglars had probably thought just before the handcuffs went on.
“Hey, buddy.” He turned to face little Joel. “My gosh, you’ve grown since last week. You’re a little man now.”
“Everyone says that, but it’s not true.”
“Well, why would everyone say it then, bud?”
“Because grownups always say that kinda stuff, and I can’t get smaller can I?”
The logic of a child, he couldn’t fault him.
“Have you met Petra? She is soo great! She made me pancakes. Do you want some? I didn’t eat them all.”
Okay, now it was sentencing time. This little boy was his judge. “Yeah, I’ve met Petra.” Intimately. Biblically. Not to be thought about in front of a child. “Of course I’d love pancakes. Who doesn’t like pancakes?”
“My teacher Mrs. Clarke doesn’t.”
“Well, she’s just missing out.”
“Yeah, she is.”
They headed toward the kitchen, still chatting about Mrs. Clarke and her likes and dislikes, and Caleb had to suck in the gasp that tried to escape his chest at the sight of Petra. The shirt covered her like a dress, but it’s was the masculine lines and the knowledge that she wore nothing underneath it. Well, at least not a bra, anyway. He could see her dark areolas and the pert tips of her nipples outlined through the fabric. He would also put money on the fact that she didn’t have panties on either. Her hair was tousled. She looked like a woman well pleased and well loved. He wasn’t prepared for the blow of lust and appreciation that hit him at the sight of her. How could he have missed her for so many years? How could he possibly have overlooked her time and time again? Wasted years! Where the hell had that come from? He didn’t want commitment. Hell, he’d just been caught trying to escape the house like a thief.
“Good morning, Petra.” There that sounded perfectly sane and normal. It didn’t show any of the emotions or crap that were running around in his head right now. Yes, he had everything under control. You fucking liar, you disappoint yourself. He needed to shut that inner prick up, inner child his ass, more like inner bastard that loved to mess with his life. No, you dick, just the only part of you that’s honest.
Petra looked at Caleb and wanted to weep. Disappointment and pain flashed through her, but she steeled herself not to cry, not to show how much it hurt that he’d tried to slip out of the house. Granted, last night there hadn’t been any declarations of love or even of a relationship or anything, but still she’d thought they’d created a connection. She’d thought that once Caleb had finally seen her, had finally been in her arms and in her bed, he’d want to own her. He would, well…want her. Yes, Kyle was an interesting addition. She had a few friends in permanent ménages and some in ménage à quatres. Truth be told, she loved the idea of having two men. Hell, who wouldn’t? But she also knew that those relationships required much more work and of course were way more complicated. But she was willing to put the effort in. As much as she desired and even to an extent loved Caleb, she also couldn’t deny the connection she felt with Kyle. He lightened Caleb. Caleb by himself might actually be too much. His darkness was so deep she could become lost. But Kyle added a safety light so she could always find her way home.
But obviously, as strong and enlightened as she was, she hadn’t prepared herself for his rejection. Who could honestly prepare themselves for rejection? The crush felt physical, and she wanted to scream at him. Why am I not good enough? Why am I not worthy? Her inner bitch wanted to scream, Well, fuck you, buddy. You’re not good enough for me.
“Morning, Caleb.” There, didn’t that sound normal? It didn’t show any of her inner traumas. Yes, she could do this. “Would you like some breakfast?”
“Yeah, that’d be great.” He took the stool next to the one Joel had claimed.
“So, little man, what have you been up to?” Caleb asked.
“School.”
“Huh.”
“I finally got dad to buy me an Xbox 360.”
“Really, how’d you do that?”
“Because I was good, really, really good.”
She fell more in love with the little boy. His conspiratorial smirk showed a cunning and intelligence years beyond his age. It was obvious he had manipulated his father into the purchase. She fixed a plate of pancakes for Caleb and placed it in front of him, and he smiled in thanks, and again she battled for her eyes not to water. He was so handsome, and he was so above her league. Thankfully the timer on the oven rang, announcing that the brownies were ready. She put on the oven mitts and opened the door, and the blast of hot air on her face proved she’d not been as successful as she’d thought in stopping her eyes from watering. At least now she could blame the heat from the oven. Removing the hot trays and placing them on the sink, she inspected her baking and was proud that they looked perfect. She really did
love to cook. It was just that cooking for one was depressing and unrewarding. She needed to remove herself from this situation. There were too many emotions to deal with, and she needed time to create some defenses against Caleb. Don’t worry, you won’t need them, you idiot. You only need to say good-bye, and you’ll never have him again. She felt the sadness of her thoughts literally weighing her down, and so she leaned against the kitchen counter for support.
“Well, Joel, they look good. Are you going to let me have one before I leave?”
“Are you leaving?” The look of disappointment on his face nearly made her change her mind. But she couldn’t stay. She needed to get out so she could breathe.
“Yes, buddy, I have to get home. I have a whole list of jobs I need to do today.”
“On a Sunday?” he questioned.
“Sunday’s my cleaning and shopping day.” Not really, but it was such a small lie.
“Will you come and stay again sometime soon?” the little boy pleaded with a well of tears in the corners of his eyes.
Shit! How the hell could she answer that?
“You never know what will happen. I’m going to leave you in Caleb’s wonderful hands while I get my things.” If only that statement wasn’t so true. If his hands had made her skin crawl, that would have made this all so much easier. She rolled her shoulders back as she walked out of the room, not even looking at Caleb. Shield in place. She was going to get dressed and then go home and open her emergency stash of chocolate. Sit on the couch and watch a sad movie and cry and then after that she would shower, get dressed, and write till her fingers screamed in agony.
Kyle watched from inside his closet as Petra entered the bedroom, grabbing her clothing from the chair beside the bed. She stripped off the shirt, and he looked at the bruises and marks she carried from her lashes last night. He felt pride at the markings that covered her olive skin. No other would be able to touch her without seeing she had been claimed. Part of him flinched when he realized that she must be in discomfort. But as he watched her dress, she didn’t jolt at any of her movements, so it mustn’t be too uncomfortable for her. As she bent over at the waist to pick up her dropped panties, he moaned at the sight of her exposed pussy. He wanted to bury himself again. He wanted to feel her slick channel sucking on his shaft. Stop! He had to rid himself of those thoughts right now. She was dressing to leave, and his son was awake. No, now was the time to ask her to see him again.
The realization that Caleb was also involved stopped him for a second. Would she be dating them both? Did Caleb want her to himself? Should he let Caleb have her? Would his friendship with Caleb be risked by dating her? Would she choose him first if there was a challenge? Did she even like him? Did she like Caleb? Could he accept a ménage relationship? Hell, he had friends in triads, so it wasn’t like he didn’t understand the concept. But his son, how could that happen? How would Joel deal with it? Did he even want to consider it? Fuck, this was much more difficult than he thought, and by the time he lifted his head from the daze of his musing, he realized that Petra was dressed and about to leave the bedroom. It was now or never. He stepped out of the closet and watched her jolt with shock.
“Sorry, I scared you.”
“It’s all right. I just thought I was alone in here.”
“So you’re going?”
“Yes, I have a load of things I need to do today.”
God, he felt like he was a teenager trying to ask out his first crush. “I would love to see you again.”
“Would you?”
He watched as she smiled a sexy, all-knowing smile that promised a future.
“Yes, I would. I’d love to know you, Petra.”
“You know what, Kyle? I think that would be a great idea.”
The smile on her face lightened his entire body, and he hadn’t felt this free and happy in so long.
“Great. When are you available?”
“I can work around most any time. You said last night that you worked with Caleb, so I’m guessing the medical industry is quite time demanding.”
“Yes, I’m a doctor. So even free time isn’t our own, and then there’s my son to consider.” He would make time for her though, even if he had to sacrifice sleep. “What do you do?”
“I’m an author.”
“Really! What do you write?”
“Romance.” It was a small lie. It was too early for the truth.
Now this just gets more and more interesting. “Do I have to Google you, or are you going to tell me some of your works?”
“Even if you did Google me you wouldn’t find any. I use a pseudonym.”
“Are you going to tell me your pen name?”
“Maybe.” She turned to walk out the door but turned and looked over her shoulder at him. “But not before our third date.”
His entire body broke into gales of laughter. She was so good for his soul. She had lifted a weight that he didn’t know he’d been carrying. He would do anything to keep this woman in his life. This petite little woman was his future. He felt it all the way in his bones.
Chapter Ten
Caleb got out of the shower just in time to reach his phone before it went to message bank.
“Hello,” he puffed. He really needed to spend more time at the gym. For heaven’s sake, puffing after a three-meter dash from the shower to the bedroom was goddamn shocking.
“Caleb, thank God I got you. I need you to come to the club. Official business.”
The panic in Craig’s voice thankfully reminded him that his current issues were nothing. It was so unlike Craig to be panicked.
“Craig, if it’s as serious as it sounds, call an ambulance, and I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“No, no, nothing like that. It’s just that I need you to check Sophie over,” he muttered.
“Has something happened to her?”
“Yes, no, look, maybe. Just get your ass here. I need you to check her over.” He had never heard Craig sound so stressed and flustered.
“Okay, give me twenty minutes.” He expected Craig to hang up as he normally did and was surprised when he spoke again.
“Thanks, Caleb.”
Hmm, his mind wandered over all the possibilities of what could have happened. Last time he’d seen Sophie, she was fine. Her body had healed from her unfortunate event, and she was as fiery as ever. She was aggressive and assertive as hell, and the term ball-busting bitch came to mind. Not that he’d ever say that out loud, though. Craig was smitten, even though he denied it. But like him, Craig was not looking for a happily ever after. They were both not the settling down kind. Although he still wondered. Thankfully though, this had taken his mind off the whole issue of Petra. Damn it, now he was thinking about her again. He grabbed his keys, wallet, and pager off the hall table on his way out the door. Hopefully, Sophie needed some real medical help that would take him hours and hours. What was he thinking, hoping someone was hurt so he could be occupied with that instead of the problems in his life. Great doctor he was. A real humanitarian.
He arrived at the club a few minutes later than he’d estimated, and Craig was waiting at the open back entrance with a scowl on his face.
“You’re late,” Craig stated.
The beast inside him awoke at the other Dom questioning him. “Traffic.” Not that there’d been more than usual, it was just what you blamed when you arrived later than you’d originally estimated. He hushed the beast to sleep again. At least today it was so much easier, as the beast was still sated from last night, having been given the freedom to taste the pleasure and pain that Petra provided. How long would it last, how long before the beast demanded to be freed again?
“Okay, fine. She’s in my apartment upstairs.” Craig turned and rushed them both toward his apartment level.
“What are her symptoms?”
“Umm, none that I know of. It’s just that. I kind of lost it,” Craig stammered.
Craig Blackwell lost it. What the hell was going on? Caleb prepar
ed himself for the worst. He didn’t want to judge his friend. He needed to help his patient. The very one who was lying on Craig’s bed, her head on her elbow, on her side, looking up at him with a smirk on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. Somehow this didn’t seem right. Something was terribly wrong with this situation.
“Well, hello, Dr. Caleb,” she drawled. Not in a seductive tone, actually, her voice reminded him of the mermaids of yore, who would lie on the rocks beckoning sailors to their watery deaths.
“Sophie. Are you in need of my assistance?” he queried, scanning her from head to foot and seeing no visible sign of blood, bandages, or trauma.
“Nope, but it looks like Craig is. Can you give him a tranquilizer or something and tell him I’m fine?”
Caleb looked back at Craig and then again at Sophie. He needed to separate them to find out what the hell was going on.
“Craig, could you please leave the room so I can assess my patient?”
“Of course. I’ll wait in the living room.”
Before he left the room, he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Please take care of her.” Then he looked at Sophie with such compassion and shame. Some of the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. As soon as Craig had left the room, he turned to Sophie.
“You set him up?”
“Yep.” She smiled like a cat that had gotten the cream.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, is there?”
“Nothing that a good bath won’t fix.”
The final pieces slid into place in his mind. Somehow this woman had messed with the ever in-control Mr. Blackwell. He had always thought he deserved to be brought to his knees, but now he was looking at it, he did have some sympathy for Craig. The mightier they are, the harder they fall. He just hadn’t counted on having to hear the crunch as Craig hit the ground.
Punishing Petra [Locks and Chains 3] Page 7
