by Sherri Hayes
Several minutes passed before Beth set her drink down, strolled over to the wall, and removed a crop. It looked identical to the one used in the scene they’d been observing.
She held the crop in her right hand, and ran her left down the length of it. “Do you know this is the first time I’ve picked up one of these in four months?”
Drew wasn’t sure what to say, so he remained silent.
“We were in the middle of a scene.”
He was confused. “I’m sorry?”
Beth turned around to face him. “Ben and I. We were in the middle of a scene when his wife showed up.”
Drew felt bile rise in his throat. “You don’t have to tell me this.”
“I want to. You need to know what you’re signing up for.”
He still wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it, but he nodded anyway.
She returned the crop, and reached for some items he wasn’t familiar with—a few of which looked as if they could be painful. “We were in my bedroom. I had him secured to the bed, and I was flogging him.”
Although he knew about her previous sub, it was weird hearing her talking about playing with another man.
“Someone rang my doorbell. At first, I ignored it since we were in the middle of playing, but the person persisted. I figured it must be pretty important, so I released one of his cuffs, and threw on a robe to go see who it was.”
She sighed and dropped her hands down to her sides. “When I opened the door, I came face-to-face with a very angry woman I didn’t know. She pushed me out of the way and began searching my house. I was furious, of course. I followed her, demanding to know who she was and why she was in my house.”
During the few weeks Drew had known Beth he’d never seen her look as vulnerable as she did at that moment. He couldn’t imagine what she’d been thinking when the woman burst into her home.
“Eventually she found Ben in my bedroom. He was still in my bed—both feet still secured to the bedposts.” Beth looked up to meet his gaze. “After that the details get a little fuzzy. There was a lot of shouting as she released the remaining cuffs. But it ended with her slapping me, calling me a pervert, and telling me to leave her husband alone. She dragged him out of my house in his underwear.”
“I take it that he never mentioned he was married.”
Beth snorted. “No. He didn’t.”
Drew felt helpless. He wanted to comfort her, but wasn’t sure how.
“Ben showed up at the café the next day. He tried to apologize. Explain himself. That’s when I found out that he didn’t only have a wife, but a daughter as well.”
When Drew heard the catch in her voice, he threw caution to the wind. Leaving his water on a long table right inside the door, he crossed the room to her in three long strides. He stopped a foot in front of her, and opened his arms in offering—giving her the choice to take his comfort or not.
She hesitated for only a moment before stepping into his embrace. It was the first time he’d been so close to her. While he hated seeing her in distress, he couldn’t help but take in the feel of her body against his. If only he could take the hurt and betrayal he knew she must have felt away from her, the moment would have been close to perfect.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Any time.”
She pulled away, and he couldn’t help but feel the loss. “I haven’t told that to anyone besides Nicole. Katrina knows some of it, but . . .”
“Thank you for telling me.” He felt honored that she’d shared something so personal with him.
“I figured you should know, in case . . .” She took a deep breath and released it. “In case it changed your mind about me.”
He was confused. “Why would it change my mind? He lied to you. He betrayed your trust.”
Beth looked down at her hands, and then back up at him. “He broke me, Drew. I know you want a mistress. And I know you’re hoping I can be that for you one day. I just don’t know if that’s possible. I don’t know if I can . . .”
Drew extended his hand, and she took it. He gave her fingers a squeeze. “I’ll take what you are willing to give.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.
“Whatever you’re willing to give, all right?”
Beth studied him for several moments before nodding. It was a small step, but he’d take it.
Chapter 8
They retrieved their drinks and made their way downstairs. Drew was acting as if what she’d told him didn’t matter. Maybe it didn’t, but it still didn’t change the facts. She wasn’t ready to be anyone’s mistress again.
As they neared the bottom of the staircase, she took in the number of available Femdoms in the club that would be willing to take on a new male sub. There were at least three that she could think of off the top of her head. If Drew was a masochist, she could add a couple more to the list.
Beth knew she should encourage him to shift his attention to one of these Dommes, but the thought of actually speaking the words made her feel as if she’d eaten something that didn’t agree with her. Ready or not, she wanted him for herself. Even though she had no idea how long it would take her to feel up to a relationship again, she couldn’t bring herself to suggest another mistress.
“Is something wrong?” Drew asked.
It was only then that Beth realized she’d come to a dead stop at the bottom of the stairs. “No. I’m fine. I should find Nicole, though. She’s probably wondering where I am since I told her I’d be here tonight.”
He nodded and glanced down at her glass. “Did you want me to get another drink for you?”
“I think I’m good for now.” She paused and considered her next words carefully. Although she wanted to spend time with him, she didn’t want him to feel obligated to stay by her the entire night. “It’s all right if you want to go hang out with your friends. I don’t mind.”
If she hadn’t been watching him as closely as she was, she would have missed the disappointment that flashed in his eyes. “Is that what you want?”
She swallowed, and looked him square in the eye as she spoke. “No.”
He grinned, and the butterflies were back to fluttering in Beth’s stomach. Why did she have such a strong reaction to him? It would be so much easier if she didn’t.
Before Beth could lose her nerve, she stepped forward, and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “Thank you.”
The muscles in Drew’s neck moved as he swallowed. “For what?”
She tipped her head enough to meet his gaze. “For having patience with me.”
Drew closed his eyes. “Beth.”
“Yes?” She knew she was teasing him, but she couldn’t help it.
He opened his eyes, and the look in them nearly burned a hole in her soul. “I so want to touch you right now.”
Her only response was to lick her lips.
Beth heard him groan, which caused her to chuckle. She’d missed this. She’d missed this a lot.
Backing away, she shot him a heated look, and then turned on her heel.
She had a huge grin on her face as she strutted across the room toward Nicole. Her friend must have seen at least part of the exchange, because she smirked at her as Beth sat down.
“Having fun?” Nicole asked.
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
Nicole snapped her fingers, and Jeff crawled to her side. She brought his head into her lap and began running her fingers through his hair before turning her attention back to Beth. “About time.”
Beth felt Drew lower himself into the space next to her. He didn’t say anything, but she could feel the energy flowing off him. She knew she was on dangerous ground, but it didn’t matter.
They passed the rest of the evening talking about some new toys Nicole had acquired. Although her friend could sometimes be slightly more sadistic than Beth, she and Nicole had a lot in common when it came to play. When Beth had been with Ben, she and Nicole had often shared ideas. Since the demise of Bet
h’s relationship, Nicole had toned it down. Yet another thing Ben had taken from Beth that she wanted back.
During most of their conversation, Drew had sat beside her and listened. He didn’t need to be the center of attention. That was good. Beth wasn’t into bratty, attention-seeking submissives.
By the time Drew walked Beth out to her car at the end of the night, she was feeling pretty good. They’d had a nice time. She hadn’t felt pressured to be anything other than herself.
Beth was still riding her high on Tuesday morning when she strolled into the café. Tommy picked up on the change in her mood. “Tell me you have a date with that fireman?”
She laughed and shook her head.
He groaned. “What in the world are you waiting for?”
Beth shrugged and slipped her apron over her head.
Tommy rested his hands on his hips and sighed. “Do I have to have a talk with him? Is he not stepping up?”
She stopped what she was doing and leveled a hard stare at him. “Don’t you dare. This is none of your business. Do you hear me? You stay out of it.”
He rolled his eyes, and stuck out his tongue at her before reaching for a bowl. “I just don’t get it. He’s single, right?”
“As far as I know.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t know if I’m ready.” Her reply was barely above a whisper, but she knew he heard her.
“If I ever see Ben again, I’m going to punch him. I should have done it the day he came in here begging you to hear him out.” Tommy rarely got angry. He was one of the most easygoing people she knew. But she had no doubt if Ben were to walk through the door at that moment, Tommy would follow through on his threat.
Beth dropped the dough she’d just removed from the refrigerator on the counter, and pulled Tommy in for a hug. “Thank you for caring, but I’ll be okay. I promise. I just need some time.”
Tommy snorted. “I still want to punch him.”
She smiled. “I know you do, and that means a lot.”
Sighing, he went back to work on the mix he’d been making when she’d come in. “I just don’t want to see you miss out on something because of him.”
There wasn’t really anything Beth could say in response to that, so instead she nudged him with her hip to lighten the mood. It worked. He grinned back at her, and hip checked her in return.
The two of them worked quickly to prep for the morning rush—neither one bringing up Beth’s relationship issues. Once the doors opened, the steady stream of customers seemed to keep coming nonstop. By ten thirty, they were nearly wiped out of all their pastries. She hated to tell people they were out of something, so it was a good thing it was almost lunchtime. Even though they occasionally sold a muffin or two during the afternoon, most customers made their selections based on what was left in the case.
She disappeared into the kitchen to remove the last two loaves of bread from the oven when Tommy peeked his head in the back. “You have a delivery.”
“What?” She looked toward the back door, but it was secured, as it should be.
He chuckled. “Nope. Out front.”
Before she could respond, he was gone.
Sighing, Beth placed the bread on the cooling rack, and then went to see what he was talking about.
There on the front counter sat another bouquet of flowers. These were purple and white with some greenery mixed in. Unlike with the previous delivery, Beth didn’t hesitate to reach for the card. She knew they were from Drew.
Beth,
Thank you for trusting me.
Drew
The grin that spread across Beth’s face made her cheeks hurt.
“Tommy, can you watch the front for a few minutes?” She took her flowers, and the card, into the back without waiting for a response. Digging through her purse, she found Drew’s number, and dialed before she could have any second thoughts.
“Hello?”
“Drew, it’s Beth. I didn’t catch you at a bad time, did I?”
There was a hesitation, and then the sound of a door closing. “Not at all. I was just hanging out with some of the guys from the station. We were getting ready to start up the grill.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, I won’t keep you, then. I only wanted to let you know that I got your flowers, and I wanted to say thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“Don’t apologize. I love that you called me. And that you like the flowers. Lunch will wait. You can call me anytime you want. As long as I’m not in a burning building, I’ll answer.”
“Still, you’re with your friends. I won’t keep you.”
“Beth?”
“Yes?”
There was a long pause. “Thank you for calling. I’m glad you like the flowers.”
***
Drew was flying high when he stepped out onto the deck in Romeo’s backyard. That was until three sets of eyes turned in his direction and seemed to be waiting for something. “What?”
“Got something to tell us, Parker?” Baily asked.
“Not at all.”
All three of them scoffed.
“You ran out of here with that phone to your ear awfully fast, Captain. You got a hot date you aren’t telling us about?” Romeo teased.
Drew strolled over to the cooler and grabbed a bottle of water. He downed it before answering. “Why would I tell you knuckleheads if I did, hmm?”
Luckily, Sophia, Romeo’s wife, chose that moment to bring a large platter of meat outside. Conversation pretty much became nonexistent as everyone focused on the food.
His reprieve didn’t last long, though. About five minutes into the meal, the eating slowed, and the conversation resumed. Of course, his phone call was still at the top of the subject list.
“At least tell us if it was a woman? It was a woman, right?” This time it was Baily who chimed in.
Drew sighed. Not answering would only work the guys up more, but he didn’t want to say too much either. His relationship with Beth, whatever it was, was private. “Yes, it was a woman. Your sister, actually. She wanted to know if I was free tonight.”
Irwin and Romeo laughed. Baily scowled. “Not funny, man.”
“Yeah, it really was,” Romeo said.
With a few well-placed comments, Drew was able to deflect the conversation away from his phone call. He doubted it would last indefinitely, though.
Sure enough, the next day the guys started in with little comments. First it was Baily asking if he needed to sit down and have a heart-to-heart with Drew about the birds and the bees. Then it was Romeo with an offer of dating advice. The only one who kept his opinions to himself was Irwin.
“Come on, guys. It was just a call.”
“Yeah, ’cause I go running for privacy when my friends call,” Romeo hollered from the top of the truck.
“Maybe I just didn’t want to make them listen to all your whining,” Drew shouted back.
There was a collective laugh.
Before the guys could get started again with the questioning, the alarm went off and they all abandoned cleaning the rig to respond to a small kitchen fire a couple of blocks from the station. The entire call took a little over an hour. It was enough to get the guys’ minds off Drew’s personal life, but he knew not to get his hopes up. That’s why as soon as they were back at the station, he cleaned his gear as quickly as he could, and then barricaded himself in his office.
Throughout the afternoon, there were knocks on his door from not only his crew, but nearly every one of the guys at the station. It was almost as if they’d developed a rotation and brainstormed excuses to bother him. He wasn’t sure if they were waiting for him to extend an invitation for one of them to come in and talk, or if they were hoping to catch him on the phone again. Either way, they were disappointed. He would answer their question and then send them on their way. After a while, he began thinking of assignments to keep them busy. Once they realized bothering him was getting them more work, the interruptions b
ecame less frequent.
When dinnertime rolled around, Drew grabbed his food, and headed back to his office. He wasn’t in the mood to socialize even though he knew doing so would only invite more questions. What he really wanted to do was talk to Beth, but he didn’t think calling her so soon would be a good idea. He didn’t want her to think he was a stalker or anything.
Sleep was a long time coming that night. He’d waited until most of the guys had gone to bed before heading for his assigned cot. Even then, he’d heard a couple of coughs and mumbled words as he made his way to his bed.
Although he wished the guys would let it go, Drew knew that wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t the way things were done. He was acting strange, and they all knew it. Drew was going to have to figure out something to tell them. It would be different if he and Beth were already in a relationship. This friendship of theirs was a little more complicated to explain.
If he and Beth did end up in a relationship, he was sure she’d meet the guys eventually. It was sort of inevitable. He wasn’t worried. Beth could hold her own. Drew had no doubt about that. It was the fear that if his buddies found out what Beth was—what he was—Drew had no idea if it would change how they viewed him.
It ended up being a slow night. They’d been called out a little after one to a possible heart attack. The EMTs had taken the man to the hospital, and then they’d all returned to the station. Nights like that were rare, so Drew counted his blessings.
Five days later, he walked into his apartment around nine with an arm full of groceries. Before leaving for his shift the day before, Drew noticed his refrigerator was disturbingly empty. Granted, he didn’t cook much outside the station—it was only him, after all—but that didn’t mean he wanted to eat peanut butter on stale bread for every meal. Plus, he was off for the next four days, and the last thing he wanted to do was eat frozen dinners the entire time.
Setting the bags down on the counter, he went to work putting everything away. Drew placed a couple of tomatoes on the counter beside a bag of onions and some garlic. One of these days he hoped Beth would let him cook for her. Of course, there were a lot of things Drew was hoping she’d let him do for her.
